Daily Draw, January 6: Have An Epiphany!

Today is Epiphany, the traditional end of the "12 Days of Christmas" and, in Christian traditions, the day when the Magi, the Three Kings, arrived to worship the Baby Jesus. "Epiphany" is the word used to denote the feelings of the three Kings when they first viewed the Holy Child, and it still has the meaning of a sudden striking realization on the Spirit level, marked by the influence of a Divine Being. And so, today, we will work the cards from the perspective of--well, of course, three Kings. The four suit cards of the Tarot of the Old Path, as well as the Emperor, the Hierophant, the Lone Man (Hanged Man) and the Mage, are the eight manifestations of Kingly Power of various kinds in this deck. So, all 8 of them are laid out, and we will draw three, the "Three Kings" who will grant to us, today, our Epiphany. So--are you ready? Let's do this:

Our first King of the Day is the Magician. He it is who, in the deep night under the Moon and a sky studded with stars, casts the stones with his receptive hand in the shadow of Stonehenge, the repository of millenia of sacred knowledge. This card is Orion, the Wild Hunter, and he is King of the Arcane, reminding you to receive of your own Inner Wisdom in the company of the loyal Wolf of your family, in the gaze of the Unicorn of purity, and with the Cup of receptivity and sharing close at hand. Be King of the High Self, and nurture the Child Within. Let yourself be guided by inspiration and craft the new path each day with the symbolic meaning of all that you hold sacred. Let yourself be led and guided by Spirit.

  Our next Epiphany is coming to us from the King of Rods. He is the avatar of new growth, inspiration, and creativity. His scepter of Willow represents the phallic "father energy" which both creates and heals the world, while the yellow Iris growing behind him is a symbol of purification, protection, and wisdom. And the Three Rays of Awen on his necklace bespeak Body, Mind, and Spirit in harmony one with another. He represents the Epiphany of understanding that you must heal and maintain and nurture your Self in order to be able to have anything to bring to anyone else, and that you must hold the three Realms of Being, body, mind, and spirit, in equal balance in order to thrive.

And our final Wise Man for the feast of our own Epiphany is the King of Cups. He holds the Cup of his power close against his heart, King of Water, dreaming whilst awake of the tranquility of healing, meditation, the deep truths of the subconscious, the joy of Being. He is the Wounded Healer whose energies of peace and connection are always available to us to heal mind and heart, to reconnect that which is separated,  and to grant refreshment from the cup of healing when we are parched within. He represents the necessity of maintaining balance in the emotional life, of giving only that which we can afford to share and keeping hold of our own inner resources, and of making certain that we do not let uncontained emotional states "spill over" and take control of our lives and inner Being.

So--what kind of an Epiphany did the Three Kings bring to you today? Gold for having enough, Frankincense for being aware of your own royal and divine soul, and Myrrh for the constant presence and guardianship of God and Goddess? I hope so!

Blessings on your day,

Aisling the Bard

Daily Draw, Jan 5: Monday, Monday

This one is going to be pretty simple. Three cards. When the new week begins, three cards work to focus our intent and actions for the upcoming week. Body, mind, spirit, each an essential part of our ability to make our journey, and each one something to which we must pay attention. Today we'll be using a different tool, the Celtic Ogham, to add the Lore of the Trees to the focus of our intent and actions for the week. So, here goes....

Body:


This is the tree from which "spindles" were actually made in the medieval times in Europe. Its entire function was seen to be as a tool, and its meaning in the Ogham is pretty much the same, "Finish obligations and tasks or you cannot move forward." Sounds as if some care of tasks pertaining to the body will be important this week. Dietary situation? Exercise? Checkup with the physician? New wardrobe? or doing the laundry? You decide. 

Mind:

  

This tree is the tree of "protection of the innocent", whether that refers to a virgin maiden, a small child, a person who is the victim of cruelty or oppression, or any other person or being whose innocence and safety is perhaps under threat. And so--who may be trying to "mess with your mind" this week, starting today? Who is trying to make you believe a lie, or keep you from thinking for yourself, or sell you a bill of goods. Your mind will require your care and protection this week so that you can know what is true and continue to think for your Self and make your own decisions. Pay Attention!

Spirit: 
 

This is the tree of Gwydion, the Mage, and always refers to the acceptance and claiming of one's personal power. It refers to the machinations of Fate, the divine process, one's personal spiritual inspiration, and instructs the one who draws it to take action in the realm of Spirit, and to do what your True Will instructs you to do no matter what the outside world may be thinking. So--you know what you believe. You know how Spirit is speaking to you. Do as you Will, and claim your Power. The Gods are with you! 

Blessings on your week,

Aisling the Bard