Parting the Mists

The days leading up to Christmas (which I celebrate with family as a secular event, though my family sees it otherwise), can be hectic and frazzled for many people. It can make us less than generous when we are stressed. Now is that time to remember that not having everything “perfect” for the holidays won’t be the end of the world.

However, being helpful and kind to others at this time could really make their season. In our local community, which hasn’t had an overnight homeless shelter in several years, the community is rallying behind our local food bank and community health center that is coordinating an overnight shelter through the winter months. Luckily, it started this Wednesday, before the arctic blast hit us. It has made my heart lighter seeing people taking care of strangers in the season when we are supposed to reach out to others in need.

Blessings,

Thistle

Uncle Holly

Santa’s Chief Helper and the Supervisor of his Workshop

This is a jolly-looking fellow who seems to be doing something very Santa-like  – making a list and checking it. Uncle Holly is a character in a short play about Father Christmas and his secret twin brother (Holly). At Selfridges store in the UK around the 1950s, Uncle Holly was a character children spoke to instead of Santa (I’ve also found that he was the person they spoke to before visiting Santa’s lap).

Let’s not forget that Holly, in Celtic tradition, is half of the battle for the year: The Holly King (winter) and the Oak King (Summer). Holly itself reminds us of the earth’s energy and vitality when most other plant life has gone dormant. It reminds us of hope and generosity.

StoryWorld: Christmas Tales by John and Caitlin Matthews and (this card) artist Tomislav Tomic

Read Full Post »

Sorry to be running late today, but with 1 degree Fahrenheit, it’s hard to leave the cozy chair with it’s soft throw and two warm kitties! I hope everyone facing this arctic blast is safe and warm.

Fittingly, the Polar Bear is here to help us make our journeys safely. Seek this powerful ally if setting out on a new journey – and today let some of that ally be caution and common sense if you have to go out in unsafe weather!

Blessings,

Thistle

The Polar Bear

Powerful and fierce, he carries friends on long journeys

Bears are often seen as protective and fierce, and here we have a polar bear carrying a girl on an adventure by the light of the full moon. Behind them is a cozy home with a couple folks watching her leave – at least one of them is a child as well. Notice how she doesn’t look frightened at all? She knows the power of the bear is with her and will guide and protect her. 

I think we might be getting the suggestion that we should seek a powerful ally in a forthcoming journey, whether it’s an adventure or a journey to a new job, home, relationship, or connection to spirit. Don’t forget that we are not alone. Even if you do not believe in deity outright, the symbolism of a powerful ally like a bear, wolf, or eagle can empower us. The cold of winter and the dark season need not frighten us when we are prepared.

Storyworld: Christmas Tales by John and Caitlinn Matthews and (this card) artist Peter Malone

Read Full Post »

Sorry to miss yesterday’s card – we had a morning guest and I didn’t have time before work. But here we are today with a duo that is powerful though they might look demure. There is much lore and wisdom with the Wren and the Robin, so take note of that but also keep in mind they are breaking free of the cage they were in. We too can break free and recreate things for ourselves – even age-old traditions for Yule and Christmas can take on a new luster if we tweak them for our current lives.

Blessings!

Thistle

The Robin and the Wren

In this card, we see a robin and a wren sitting on a holly branch (feminine aspect) in front of a broken bird cage with an evergreen tree inside. In the bottom left, you can see little toy soldiers walking through the snow with a cat, dog, and squirrel also walking away. 

OK, so the thing to note here is some of the folklore of these two birds. 

The wren has associations with this time of year and is the King of Birds, according to old folk legend. This ancient totem bird flew highest of all creatures by riding on the back of the great eagle, thus earning itself the title of King of All Birds through it’s cleverness and resourcefulness rather than on pure physical ability. It serves as a reminder that the smallest of the Earth’s creatures is capable of soaring to the greatest heights and seeing beyond the furthest horizon. In Ireland, there is an old tradition of “wren boys” or “straw boys” hunting a wren on Dec. 26th, or St. Stephen’s Day. The dead wren was affixed to the top of a pole and the wren boys would go around the community asking for money. 

There are a lot of theories of why this is done. It is believed that the Celtic Druids considered the bird sacred, and later Christian traditions sought to dismantle its ideology, even recasting it’s resourcefulness to become King of Birds as deceit and treachery. 

As for Robin Redbreast, who hasn’t heard of the “first Robin of spring”? Well, that’s not really an accurate concept, as the Robin is not a spring-only bird as the common expression would have us to believe. They will stay in winter if it does not get too cold and if there is a good food source. The striking birds were also featured on the earliest Christmas cards, but that might be due to early postal workers wearing red jackets and artists associating the two for the new postal system. 

Given all this, these birds here are breaking with their traditional folkloric roles – and perhaps we need to do the same. At Yule and Christmas, it can be easy to get stuck with the traditions handed down to us. Sometimes they are wonderful and nostalgic, but sometimes they need changed or updated for the new age and new people. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up a bit and create a new tradition or evaluate an old one. To quote Gustav Mahler, “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” 

Storyworld: Christmas Tales by John and Caitlin Matthews and artist Peter Malone

Read Full Post »

I guess even the Christmas Tales deck has a challenging card! What challenge is before you and how will you tackle it?

Blessings,

Thistle

The Frost Queen

Makes the ice and snow in wintertime

Though one may associate this Frost Queen with the legendary Snow Queen or similar winter figures that tend to have a destructive or negative side, I’m not sure we could so easily dismiss this card as like that. This Queen is feeding the wild animals and though she doesn’t look particularly friendly, she also does not look harsh either. The animal are all looking to her for something. To me, it appears that she wants us to understand something; note the empty bag in the foreground with a note. A mystery is to be solved or a task or quest is being asked of us – or perhaps a challenge. After all, she makes the snow and ice in winter, which is both beautiful but challenging to live with.

Perhaps it’s time to detach a bit from those around you to get your grounding or to evaluate something not going according to plan, to create a new plan. Or are we avoiding a challenge set before us? Remember that overcoming challenges can help us to grow, so avoiding something that seems hard may hurt us in the long run.

Storyworld: Christmas Tales by John and Caitlin Matthews and artist Tomislav Tomic

Read Full Post »

No matter what winter holiday you celebrate or how you do so, take a few minutes today to consider the magic of the season. For many cultures, this is a time to hold the light through the longest night of the year. How will you come through the darkest season? Perhaps someone you know needs a little of that magic and YOU can be the fairy, bringing light to others in need.

Blessings and have a lovely weekend!

Thistle

The Christmas Fairy

Bringing magic to people who need it at the holidays

In this card, we have a live fairy atop the tree, winding its magic to light up the tree and inspire awe. Even the ball ornaments have become personified and are smiling. And while for some it is an angel who delivers holiday magic, for others of us it is the Far and the Spirits of Nature. While some might think I’m stretching things to align a fairy for the top of a tree instead of an angel, consider some of the lore for fairies – that they were fallen angels who weren’t bad enough to be sent to hell with Lucifer. And ever notice how some folks refer to Christmas lights also as fairy lights?

No matter what winter holiday you celebrate or how you do so, take a few minutes today to consider the magic of the season. For many cultures, this is a time to hold the light through the longest night of the year. How will you come through the darkest season?

Storyworld: Christmas Tales by John and Caitlin Matthews and (this card) artist Tomislav Tomic

Read Full Post »

A sweet and warm card greets us on the first day of the Christmas Tales cards, but it also reminds not to fall into materialism. What does it say to you?

Blessings,

Thistle

The Christmas Wish

It’s a tradition generations old – making a Christmas wish list for Santa. What I love here is that, as the children carry on this tradition, there are little elves and sprites all around them listening and taking notice. Not only do they see if we’ve been “good or bad” but they can also see what we already need and have. As we make our wishes this holiday season, it’s good to remember what we already have and not ask for excess – or even to ask something for others who have less than they need. These children are clearly loved and cared for: they have books and toys and a warm home. Let’s hope they (and the generations being raised now) have learned to ask with a humble and appreciative heart – and to learn to see the magic around them.

StoryWorld: Christmas Tales by John and Caitlin Matthews

Read Full Post »