Archive for February, 2019

Quite an interesting trio of cards came up this morning, all hinting at taking care of ourselves and guarding our health and relationships. Take a look:

We have the main card as The Guardians (see below) and then we have Chamomile and Yarrow, both important plants in herbalism and symbolically.

Chamomile – Rest, guardianship, and regeneration

Yarrow –  Fidelity, masculinity, and virility

What does this combination mean to you?

The Guardians – Elder, Hawthorn, and Birch

The Guardians are three trees with together act as preservers of our health, possibly even prolonging our lives, by strengthening the immune system and the key organs of the heart and circulatory system, the liver and kidneys. Each of them is member of the Ogham family of 18 trees and seven plants that make up this mysterious woodland alphabet that has come to be known as the “Druid’s tree language.”

The card who’s a Birch tree growing between and Elder and a Hawthorn. The three trees act like guardians of the sacred pool, in which we can see Brooklime, also know as Water Pimpernel. This may be the mysterious Samolus revered by the Druids, according to Pliny.

Meaning: If you have chosen this card, it may indicate that a situation or relationship which seems to be in difficulty can be preserved and strengthened if action is taken. Sometimes, if there is no expectation of a “quick fix,” a problem can slowly be turned around over a period of time by a number of – quite possibly – small adjustments. The three Guardians act by gradually strengthening the key organs of the body. Similarly, if you take actions to strengthen the specific areas of a relationship, this will, in time, affect every part of it. Rather than focusing on areas of weakness between you, identify where you do connect well, and try to build on these. Long-term relationships need healthy “immune systems” that can cope with the inevitable stresses that arise between two individuals.

This card also reminds us that plants sometimes work best when they are given as a remedy on their own, and sometimes in combination with other plants. If you have chosen this card reversed, it may indicate that you are being called upon to work in a group. Your independence might feel threatened, but is is likely that the synergy generated as a team will be far more effective than if you were to continue to work alone. Alternatively, the card may suggest that you need to have the confidence in your abilities and trust in life to slow down and not take on every offer that is made to you. We often find ourselves rushing through life, anxious that if we stop nobody will want us. Generally this not true, and by slowing down or pausing we give life a chance to show us new directions.

The Druid Plant Oracle by authors Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and artist Will Worthington.

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I wasn’t at the top of my game yesterday and skipped posting a card. Today is better, and I wanted to say thank you to all who wished me well yesterday.

I love this card but may have to experience it in a low-key way as sinuses and a winter weather advisory may cancel a chance to gather with my sisters in our Hearth group tonight (yes, it’s really called that –  I’m not just saying that because of the card title). Here’s to all of us experiencing the warmth and friendship of the hearth today!

EIGHT OF BOWS – HEARTHFIRE

MEANING: A hearthfire gives warmth and light in the deep midwinter. Warmth of life, love, and friendship are shared generously. There is a sincere desire for celebration, security, and harmony shared with companions and kindred spirits. This also leads to the attainment of innermost peace and the feelings of personal well-being and achievement.

READING POINTS: Hope leads to the attainment of innermost dreams, desires, and security, fueling your soul with belief in yourself, your values, and natural justice. To commune with a close fellowship of friends and family, tested and loyal to a common moral code, belief, or way of life, brings a blessing. A gathering of friends and family around a place of common emotional significance, symbolism and safety is a powerful experience. It acknowledges the shared consciousness of the human spirt and the bonding experiences that evolve and grow with comrades and family, whether blood relatives or those that life has randomly thrown together. We celebrate the fact that we endure, survive, thrive and grow with the support and companionship of our chosen tribe. It is a time to be thankful and to express and receive love. It is also an emotional state of being that says, “I revere the fire that forged these relationships and I give thanks for the love that endures through life.”

DESCRIPTION: On the edge of a sparse, winter forest camp, lit with the warm, dancing flames of a large log fire, we see eight figures gathered around a roaring hearthfire. The merry band raise goblets, shake hands and laugh, bathing in the shared bond of fellowship and harmony created by the true loyalty of lifelong friends.

The Wildwood Tarot by authors Mark Ryan and John Matthews and artist Will Worthington

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Sorry for being MIA this weekend, but a head cold turned me into a slug! Still feeling it today, but the show must go on.

Today’s card can suggest both protection and wisdom. The Eel glides effortlessly, so perhaps struggling and floundering suggests you need to take a break or a different direction. Blessings!

Knight of Vessels – Eel

Meaning: The Eel is a great purveyor of wisdom and has a reputation as a protector. In Irish myth, it is said that certain eels could turn themselves into weapons when wielded by a warrior. Cuchulainn’s famous spear, the Gae Bolga, derives its name from the Eel, and the war goddess know as the Morrigan assumed that form in battle. The Eel swims through water where weeds and crosses drift.

Reading Points: With purity of intent, your destiny defined, you are able to bring wisdom and maturity to your tasks. Embarking on a quest of personal revelation, your vision leads you onward. Your deep feelings are expressed at every turn.

Tracks and Pathways: Attraction, conquest, seduction, a welcoming, compliance, agreement, induction, coming together, union, and arrival.

The Wildwood Tarot by authors Mark Ryan and John Matthews and artist Will Worthington

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Well, this week has been crazy in my household, and now I’ve got a bit of croup settling into my chest. Elderberry and clove syrup is brewing on the stove, making the house smell fantastic, so hopefully it will knock out whatever is ailing me.

So, when I drew the Smudging Ceremony card, it fit my situation quite well. The Prayer Feather card was just as insistent, and they seem to go well together as a process. Perhaps many of us need to cleanse and purge and then consciously bring in Spirit and love into our lives.

Blessings and happy Friday!

 

SMUDGING CEREMONY

MEANING: Let go of the past. Purify. Detox. Release whatever doesn’t serve or support you in your life. Cleanse your body and environment by doing space clearing and clutter clearing. Let go of the old, discarded, and unused to make way for the new energy and new beginnings. Eat lightly, drink lots of fresh water, and consume food with strong life force.

NATIVE SPIRIT WISDOM: Smudging is a native tradition that involves using the smoke of burning herbs to symbolically “wash” a space in a ceremonial manner. Sometimes your energy field or the energy field of your environment becomes so cluttered and dingy that you can’t see the world you clearly and you have trouble hearing the messages from your soul. When you take the time to purify yourself and your environment, not only do you feel lighter and brighter but also you’re a clearer channel for the light. The brilliance that pours through you can heal and help many people – but first the path has to be clear.

THE JOURNEY: Using the smoke of incense or sage, cup your hands into the smoke and “wash” over the top of your head, saying, “That I think clearly.” Then cup the smoke to your eyes, saying, “That I may see the truth.” Next bring the smoke to your throat area, saying, “That I may speak the truth.” Finally, waft the smoke to your heart area, saying, “That my heart be open.”

PRAYER FEATHER

MEANING: Love is flowing in to you and through you. No matter what an individual is saying or doing, love him or her anyway. Gather your inner forces; silently and secretly love deeply and fully, with every ounce of your being, even if someone isn’t fulfilling your expectations. (It’s easy to love people when they’re acting wonderfully; the true challenge is to love them when they aren’t.)

NATIVE SPIRIT WISDOM: Feathers in native cultures often represent a connection with the Creator. Birds often symbolize messengers between the two-leggeds (humans) and Spirit. This is your time to love and be loved. The love that you send out into the world comes back to you a hundredfold. There are times when the small concerns of everyday life need to drop away and be replaced by the majesty of your being – this it that time. Prayer feathers are decorated feathers that can be used for many purposes. In some traditions, prayers are placed into the feather – you can hold it to your heart or between your hands as you focus on your prayer – and then tied onto a bush so when the wind blows, it carries the prayers to the Creator. Another kind of prayer feather is a decorated feather or a decorated bundle of feathers that are used for smudging (sacred smoke) ceremonies. The smoke it to cleanse the space as well as carry your prayers upward.

THE JOURNEY: For a day, love each person you encounter. Imagine a golden ray of light from the center of your heart radiating at the center of the heart of that individual. Notice how great you feel by the end of the day.

Native Spirit Oracle by author Denise Linn and artist Charles McStravick

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Don’t forget to let yourself be free to enjoy life and express yourself. Yes, be responsible, but also live YOUR life!

TRIBAL SPIRIT DANCER

MEANING: Let go. Say yes to life! Be daring. Dance to your heart’s desire. Unfurl your wings and fly. Cast aside conventions and restrictions. Tune in to the rhythm of life. Laugh. Explore. Go beyond your predictable behavior. Sometimes life is messy and chaotic, and that’s okay. Leave the dishes; run outside in the sprinklers.

NATIVE SPIRIT WISDOM: You are on the planet to be free. You don’t always need to meet the expectations of others. You’re here to explore, expand, and step into your extraordinary self. Of course, there are times to live an ordinary life, but there are also times to joyously fling your arms to the heavens and dance. Choose life on your terms. Clear out mental and emotional clutter. Move beyond those situations that you have outgrown. Don’t accept the rules you have placed on yourself or that others have placed on you. This is your time. Don’t delay listening to the rhythm of your heart and following your dreams.

THE JOURNEY: Turn on music and move. Tribal dance isn’t about looking good. It’s about feeling the beat inside your heart and expressing this with your body and your emotions. If you want to break free, then start first by expressing yourself, wild and free, and the circumstances of your life will transform.

Native Spirit Oracle by Denise Linn, art by Charles McStravick

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This card isn’t always clearcut for interpretation, so how does he speak for you today? Blessings, everyone!

KING OF VESSELS – HERON

MEANING: Greeting the dawn, often alone, the Heron is reputed to be gifted with psychic perception and reflection. The guardian of many esoteric secrets, it is said to stand at the gateway between life and death and to act as mediator on the soul’s journey to the Celtic otherworld and reincarnation.

TRACKS & PATHWAYS: Artistic ability, honesty and integrity, purposeful equality, responsibility, consideration of others, affection, support and companionship.

The Wildwood Tarot by authors Mark Ryan and John Matthews and artist Will Worthington

 

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Morning, everyone! If you’ve been approaching life and goals with a very narrow view of how to do it, now might be a time to widen your perspective. Take off the blinders and see the many ways to go more clearly.

Blessings,

Starfish Spirit – Open to infinite possibility

Message: Stretched out on at the beach, the Starfish opens fully to the rays of the sun, to the power of potential. As you look out toward the horizon, do you open to infinite possibility? Spirit is the source of opportunities beyond your wildest imagination and ensures endless possibilities are available. At this time, Starfish Sprit urges you to stretch past the limits of your everyday perception and comfort zone to dream of bigger things and imagine even greater hope and faith, for miraculous potential is shining down on you. Feel it, bask in it, and open yourself to be filled with inspiration. This is a very fortunate sign that Starfish Spirit has come to remind you of your infinite potential.

Protection Message: When cynicism says no, Starfish Spirit says yes a thousand times over. Are you willing to entertain new possibilities? Are you limiting your goals in order to be realistic, and cutting yourself off from the power of dreaming big? Let go of your rigid beliefs about what is possible for you, and let Starfish Spirit inspire you to open your heart and your eyes to what Spirit has available to you. Now is a time to stretch beyond the familiar and unfurl yourself, for you are meant for more than you are imagining for yourself. Spirit wants the best for you and will support you in achieving whatever intention you hold dear.

Spirit Animal Oracle by author Colette Baron-Reid and artist Jena DellaGrottaglia

 

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Have a good week, everyone.

Know You Belong

You have place. You have purpose. You are special. Do not change who you are just so others might accept you. Do not dishonor your truths by allowing someone else to tell you who you must be. Change made just so you fit the expectations or social criteria of a clique or group does not honor you. You do not need to change in order to belong. You are a blessed child of Gaia and Great Spirit and belong simply because you are you.

Messenger Oracle by Ravynne Phelan

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“Live!” Great advice. Letting fear of what other’s think hold you back will never make you happy. It’s only been just over a month since we’ve seen this card, so she must be feeling the need to remind us.

Blessings and Happy Sunday!

PS: I still can’t bring myself to retake the photo with my late kitty Gabriel’s paw in it. Still miss the original Tarot Kitty.

Do Not Fear the Unknown

The ugly is not always bad and evil, and the beautiful not always good and just. Failure is not predetermined, nor is it a given that others laugh at you if you choose to follow your dreams. It’s your fear of the unknown that makes you question and judge. Do not allow another’s experience be the truth that guides you. Do not allow your fear of the unknown outcome to hold you prisoner. Your own experience could be both different and rewarding. Live!

Messenger Oracle by Ravynne Phelan

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There’s a time and place for everything: staying tight lipped and speaking your thoughts and ideas. Guess it’s time for the latter. Sometimes you need the help of others to bring your ideas to fruition, so maybe it’s time to reach out.

Share Your Thoughts

You have hopes, dreams, goals, and ideas. Do not guard your ideas jealously nor keep them locked up for fear that another may steal them or offer ridicule instead of support. It is time to share your vision. Tell Great Spirit and Gaia of your dreams and hopes so they may send you what you need. Speak of your dreams to others. Connect with those who share your goals and hopes for they may be able to help you realize your dreams sooner.

The Messenger Oracle by Ravynne Phelan

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