Parting the Mists

I almost thought the Yarrow card (fidelity, masculinity, and virility) was going to be the pick today, but then this one came up STRONG. And considering my energy sensing is still off (from the chemo and so on), it was a surprise to have a card read this strong lately.

But why not? This card speaks to change, and sometimes to slowing down and enjoying the constants. Many of us are experiencing both of these simultaneously due to current conditions. It’s an unusual experience, so perhaps we should slow down and consider this dynamic.

For those of us who follow a Welsh-influenced spiritual tradition, this plant is meaningful. Who remembers which goddess figure from the Mabinogion is made of three blooms, including that of Meadowsweet (plus Oak and Broom)? Blodeuwedd, AKA Flower Face. Her tale may seem grim and unflattering at first read, but look deeper. Is she betraying Lleu? Or is she honoring herself and her own sovereignty?

Blessings!

Meadowsweet – Transition, Blessing, Celebration (also Transience, The Familiar, Routine)

Meaning: Traces of Meadowsweet, Heather, and Royal Fern have been found on Neolithic drinking vessels in Scotland – leading archeologists to speculate that these plants were used to brew ale. Later, Meadowsweet was used in marriage celebrations. This card may indicate that a time of celebration or transition is due. Meadowsweet’s creamy flowers and summery smell are a reminder that change is one of the greatest features of being alive in this world, and the best way to accept change is to celebrate it. Whether you are leaving a job, relationship, or familiar surroundings or are joining forces with colleagues or a partner, this is a time to truly celebrate the change that is occurring – offering flowers to the God or Goddess and accepting the transformations this transition will bring.

The card may also be urging you to formally mark and celebrate a transition or major event in your life, or that of your family, that you’ve been tempted to ignore, such as moving or leaving home, reaching puberty, succeeding in a creative project, achieving a significant age, separating, or divorcing.

This card could also refer to the need to slow down and acknowledge change. In the old times, change was considered significant and was often celebrated or marked ritually. Today we are so used to change that we barely give it a thought – we change cars and computers, houses, partners and jobs – with a speed that would have amazed our ancestors. Although our potential for learning and freedom has expanded, we have suffered as a result. Hurtling furiously toward the future, we have forgotten how to live in the moment and how to enjoy both change and the stability that comes from the familiar.

Choosing this card may indicate that it is time to celebrate the familiar and to take time to enjoy the constants in your life that don’t often change. Routine and sameness can be stultifying, but they can also provide the ground through which you can deepen your character and soul.

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