Parting the Mists

All things are a balance, so be sure your diplomacy and reaching to the middle doesn’t become dishonest. Blessings!

FOX (Sionnach) – Diplomacy, Cunning, and Wildness

Fox is a fine, graceful creature who typifies the beauty and harmony of the natural world. Working with the power of the fox, you will know when it is time to come out into the open and be counted, but you will also know when it is time to remain silent, to keep your own counsel. With others, you will be able to be diplomatic, and one of the attributes of the fox is being “strong in counsel.” One of the hardest things, if you are a person working with “fox-powers,” is to ensure that your skill and diplomacy do not become dishonesty or slyness. Remaining silent, or becoming invisible to watch the unfolding drama, is an asset that can bring with it its own special culpability if it is not tempered with wisdom.

On the flip side, Fox may also be a warning to be careful not to use your cleverness dishonestly. The knowing or kenning of the fox can easily become cunning which turns into conning. This card could mean that you are coming into contact with that part of you which feels a victim. In the past, the fox was hunted for its beautiful fur, but the hunt was considered sacred. From the moment weapons were forged, the hunt was dedicated to the Goddess, and her permission was sought before the hunter would date take the life of an animal. More recently, the fox has become a symbol of the innocence and beauty of the natural world being destroyed by man’s cruelty. If you feel you are at the mercy of circumstances, or are being unfairly or cruelly treated, take a lesson from the fox and “lie low” for a while. Concern yourself with family and home, and develop your skills of mediation and diplomacy.

Most of the animal names used contemptuously come from a patriarchal culture and hence are applied to women (bitch, cat, cow, and shrew for example) but the insult of “vixen” includes an erotic connotation – accusing a woman of being a vixen suggests she is cunning and ill-tempered, but also sexy. The term “foxy lady” conveys this idea, but in a more positive light. It may be that you need to discover how you can show the wild and erotic side of your charater – the Wildman or Wildwoman in you – in the most creative way.

The Druid Animal Oracle by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, art by Will Worthington