Where Have We Been....?

Well, let's say--it's complicated....

Seems as if my own focus on doing certain things every day has been rather interfering with what I was supposed to be....well, never mind. Let's just say that things got interesting, and my focus reverted to moi-meme and who and what I am supposed to be--....My, my...that IS, well, interesting....That's twice now that the word "be" wouldn't permit me to put a gerund after it--I think that's the point. It has been about what I am supposed to Be. And that meant, nothing has been going on except inside MOI. And that's important, and that's ok. I hope no one has held hir breath waiting for TarotWitching--because sometimes you just have to tend to the tree, instead of plucking the fruit. So--we'll be back on the first of May, with a contribution to the Tarot Blog Hop. Until then--be well, be your Self, and tend your own Flame--I am.....

Don't Go Breakin' My Heart....

April 12: Three Of Swords, Daniel's Bootstrap Tarot

Three true-love knots tie the broken pieces of our shattered heart together in this compelling illustration...and it is around the left wrist of the betrayer that these knots have been tied. The left hand, the one where the wedding ring is placed, supposedly because the veins in this hand lead straight to the heart--and yet it is this hand that bears the signs of betrayal and loss signified by the three of swords, and it is this hand that is thrust right through the heart, shattering it into pieces. I seem to envision that a certain finger on the end of this hand might be raised in a characteristic gesture....

And so what do you get when your card-of-the-day is literally saying "Eff you"? How can anyone expect to make anything helpful or positive out of a message that basically says "You're screwed"? Well--that's not the whole story in this card. Let's take a look...

Notice that the hand isn't showing. So---maybe that finger isn't doing what I thought it was in the first place. Because--here's the thing--maybe that hand isn't the hand of the breaker-of-hearts at all. Maybe it's YOUR hand, lifting itself triumphantly out of the wreckage of the shattered heart, and showing that your three true-love knots--love of Self, love of Truth, love of Spirit--are still securely tied around your life-stream. Maybe the gesture we can't see, the gesture your own hand is making, is the clenched fist of "Power to the People". Maybe there is triumph here, after all....

The fact is, not one person in the Universe gets through life without heartbreak. It comes with humanity. We love, and we live, so sometimes we misplace our trust, and sometimes we get hurt. What's important is--what do we do afterwards? What do we do to make beauty out of destruction? How do we let betrayal affect us--or how do we refuse to let betrayal affect us, in any substantive way? This card is an avatar of hope, looked at in that fashion--you may hurt me, you may lie to me, you may betray me. But my true-love knots will remain securely tied around my heart-vein, and I will triumph, and I will move forward, and I will go on. When you look at the background of this card, the shattered red and white stones...it's really a pretty mosaic, isn't it? I bet that triumphant hand raised in exultation in the middle of the card is the one that built it....

Keep It Simple....

April 11, 2012: White Buffalo Woman (Princess of Stones),
Haindl Tarot

She gazes out at you, serene and silent. She is your avatar of inner beauty, that part of your Self that is the TouchStone of what you truly embody. She is the person you never get to meet in the flesh, but she looks at you from behind your own eyes when you look in the mirror. She is quiet, focused, strong, gentle, and above all, she is full of compassion and understanding for all the parts of your Self with which you have yet to come to terms.

And she is here for you today because you need her. Whatever is facing you, she knows you are up to the task. She knows you're scared, she knows you feel uncertain, but within you she holds the Pipe, the link between your inner and outer worlds, and she invites you to partake of Spirit, to remember who you really Are, what you really Will, how to Become. She is your Self, and she knows you don't know that. But if you listen, today, to your own inner voice, if you look at your Self in the mirror, not thinking of the complexity of the issues that surround you, but asking yourself this one simple question, "Who am I, and what do I really want/Will?" she will show you that you already know the answer, and she will help you achieve it.

Sail Away....

April 10, 2012: Six of Swords, Utah Maninni One Tarot

In a fading sunset sky, a lone sailor pilots a craft across still water, gazing ahead into the unknown. Or--wait--one can't really tell--is that actually a sunrise? In any case the morass of reeds behind the boat is clearly something the sailor is done with...looking at this image, one gets the idea that the boat actually had to struggle its way through the swamp to emerge at last into clear water. And whether it is the hint of a new sunrise, or the pale gentleness of sailing into some peace and rest, finally, it doesn't matter. The oarsman isn't looking back at all. His water is calm, his boat is sailing straight into the unknown, and the past is behind him.

When you are grieving over a loss, the Six of Swords confirms this by appearing in your Tarot reading. When you are moving away into an unknown place and feel lonely, detached from all that you know and love, the Six of Swords will be revealed as the cards are dealt in your Tarot reading. This card confirms that you are in a somber state, but it is a card that signals the bottom has been reached and that the slow process of healing has begun.

The boat is central to the card's meaning – it is going somewhere, it is going away from where you are now. There is finality in this journey as the oarsman never even hints at turning around – the future is not yet visible, but the past is definitively over. The swords are not affecting the boat, since they do not even appear in the actual landscape but are placed on the margin like a gate that has already been passed through. This is a metaphor for taking what you have learned with you as you go through life, but not letting challenges stop you, only passing them by. The six swords are still there, but they're behind the boat, and now the boatman is looking forward. A candid personal inventory is something that can assure this journey will have a positive impact. It doesn't really matter where he is sailing, or what will await him there. What is significant is that the gate of the swords, and the reed-swamp, are behind him, and it is open water ahead. Move forward now. The conflict and pain of the past is behind you, and the future awaits you.

Do What Is Right, Let The Consequence Follow...

April 9, 2012: Justice, Tarot Of The Old Path

This is obviously a card which in this deck corresponds to an air sign, as we can see by the use of yellow and orange in the figure's robe. In one hand he holds a set of scales, the symbol of Libra and of balance. In his other hand he holds the rune teiwaz/tiwaz, looking like an upright arrow. This rune represents responsibility, strength, stability and justice. Very appropriate here. Hanging around the figure's waist, on a chain, is a key. Perhaps it is the key to knowledge and justice?

The man stands on a patch of open ground before a large stone wall. The wall seems to suggest stability and tradition. Notice that it is covered with moss. It's obviously been around a while. Growing in the lower left corner of the card is coltsfoot, representing justice. On top of the wall sits a crane. In dream symbolism, a crane with wings spread is a good omen. Perhaps we can take this to mean that justice will be done, that good things will happen.

A stairway is built into and over the wall. It seems to lead into some sort of golden land. Perhaps this is a peaceful place, a land of justice. If you can pass the guardians by proving you are a just and balanced person, then maybe you will be able to gain entrance into this land.

Justice is about more then getting what is coming to you. It is a balance, it is fairness, it is order. It is recognizing and avoid temptation, and not taking unfair advantage of situations. You may be 10 minutes late for a meeting, but by speeding and driving recklessly you are doing yourself no favors. Justice is examining the situation and making the appropriate decision based on what you know to be right.

Justice does not just mean punishing one for what the other has suffered. True justice means ending, or preventing, the suffering of those who do not deserve it. There are so many people suffering in the world who cannot help themselves; they do not deserve what they suffer and freeing them is the justice that they deserve.

“The major lesson Justice offers is to accept the judgment as a result of decisions we make; we cannot get it right every time. This is the first step towards balancing the different parts of ourselves, the good and the bad. The Wheel of Fortune marks the middle of our journey. Some of us stay on the treadmill forever; some retreat, with fear as the prime culprit. It’s easy to understand those of us who stay where we are because the path is easier and far more comfortable. However, after Justice and acceptance of our karmic debt, we come to meet The Hanged Man…”

Kay Steventon, The Journey of The Spiral Tarot (1998)

You're Kidding, Right?

April 8, Easter Morning: Hare, Druid Animal Oracle

This has to be some kind of a cosmic joke, right? I do draw these cards at random, I do, I really do--and here we are, on Easter morning, drawing a BUNNY?? C'mon, Universe, you're freaking kidding me, right.....? Well---maybe not. Let's take a look...

You see, this isn't really the "Easter Bunny". It's more like the "Hare of Eostare"--and thereby lies a tale (or do I mean "tail"?) Because hares and bunny-rabbits are very different animals, and their meaning and focus in divination differs greatly. Here's the skinny.

Hares are native to Britain, unlike rabbits, which were introduced much later by the Romans for purposes of food and hunting. The lore of the 2 animals is very different, as are their habits - rabbits are sociable animals, living in large groups, whereas the Hare is solitary. Apart from the breeding season, the Hare is only seen by the light of the moon. Should he be disturbed by a nocturnal predator, such as a fox, he will use his great speed and maneuverability to escape.

The Hare, like the Moon, stands for birth, growth, reproduction, death and rebirth. It is sacred to gods and goddesses of the Moon, and the patterns in the Full Moon are sometimes thought to resemble a Hare. Celtic hunting and Moon deities were often shown holding Hares in their hands. The Moon shines in the darkness and is thus connected with intuitive knowledge and insight, powers the Celts also attributed to the Hare. Oh, and did I mention that today, Easter Sunday, is also the Full Moon in much of the world--magically speaking, it's the "second day of the full moon" just about everywhere. Yesterday, full here in Utah at 1:30 PM. No, there are no "coincidences", Padawan.

Young Hares are born with their eyes open and never again close them - or so it was believed - even to blink or sleep. Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni, released a hare from beneath her cloak while making an invocation to the goddess Andraste (Victory) to predict the outcome of her battles against the Romans. Hare is watchful and wary--look at this fella on the card gazing over his shoulder. And yes, he's looking at you.

If Hare comes bounding into your cards today, he is telling you that this is the time to break free of restrictions, and be unconventional. The March Hare, if you'll recall, was touched by a
"divine madness" that urged him to express his inner passions. Alice's "Mad Hatter" was also, if you remember, in company of a March Hare, and no, it wasn't the White Rabbit. This card indicates a time of chaos, which clears the way for something new and sudden. On a spiritual level, the Hare is sacred to the gods and goddesses of renewal, the return of spring, and the rising of the sun each morning. You have been thru a dark and barren time, but Hare brings you new and joyful insights and experiences, a time of optimism and fun. So go hunt those eggs--you're being reborn today, despite the furry flurry around you. Have a little Hare today--maybe "Hare" of the dog....And Happy Easter Bunny. Or something...

Walk In Beauty

April 7: Daughter of Wands, Haindl Tarot

The Daughter (Princess) of Wands in Haindl's interpretation is the avatar of The Fire Within... (I find it intriguing that we have drawn this card on the Full Moon of Alder, which represents Fire in the Head). The card is peaceful, bright but calm, and Radha's face is contemplative, musing, the soft smile on her lips indicative of something very beautiful going on inside her mind and heart.

This card is not complex of interpretation, and that in itself is actually part of its meaning and significance. Today Radha calls us to look quietly inside ourselves, to look peacefully at our immediate surroundings, and to see the beauty which is always there but which we so often ignore. Today, it is about small things. Look at this peaceful woman, and try to envision that expression of contentment on your own face. Listen to the lovely ethereal tones of her flute as it plays for you within the silence of your own mind. Smile inwardly today about something within your own head, something lovely that no one else knows about, that is there only for you. For just this moment, for just this day, look around you and draw peace and contentment from your own surroundings. This is your day. This is your world. You are part of life's loveliness. You are beauty. You walk in beauty. Go peacefully into this day. It is yours.

So We're Toteming Again...

April 6, 2012: Badger, Druid Animal Oracle

I wouldn't have believed this kind of draw could happen three consecutive times by accident--indeed, I don't believe it did or does. So totem beasts--the word that actually means "my clan's companion" in Ojibway, the language where it was first recorded, are somehow significant for us this day, and even this week. So perhaps all whom you think of as Clann, family, need to take note of the energies of the animals speaking to us here. So, what about Badger?

Badgers were highly revered by the Celts, with Badger skins found buried in the graves of chieftains. The nickname "Brock" is derived from its old Gaelic name of Brocc. Pictish Druids were known as Badgers. This is probably because the Badger lives deep within the earth, the supposed dwelling place of gods and ancestral spirits, and is therefore privy to their secrets, including the mysterious germination of life that takes place in the underworld. The Badger is one of the sacred animals of the goddess Brigantia and a totem of her Imbolc festival, when the Celtic women gathered together to celebrate the rebirth of spring symbolized by the Badger emerging from beneath the earth, just as new growth mysteriously emerges from the ground. In America, the immigrant Irish didn't find the native British badgers, but found ground-hogs, a related animal with similar habits--hence, "Ground Hog Day" on Imbolc.

If it sometimes seems that the whole world is against you, turning you into the "Badger in a bag", then listen to the lessons of Badger. His defenses are his fortitude and his indomitable will, even against overwhelming odds. He does not waste time on blame or regret, but stands his ground, tenacious and unyielding. If you feel powerless and angry, stop blaming other people, they can only make you feel what you allow them to. Go within yourself and find the power of Badger - centered, grounded, and unshakeable. Badger may be advising you that healing may come from earth-based therapies, such as herbs, essential oils, massage, and body work, from grounding and feeling your deep connection to the physical realm. Badger may be instructing you not to share your Deep Self with those who will not appreciate you, but nevertheless to maintain loyalty to who you really are. And most specifically, Badger is telling you not to hide your self from your Self. Open up to all the facets of your personality, and stand firm for Who You Are. Io Evoe!

Changing My Skin....

April 5, 2012: Snake, Druid Animal Oracle

Today we have another reptile for our Animal Totem, "Snake." I find it interesting that the random draw for your TarotWitch hasn't been Tarot the last few days. The Druid Animal Oracle usually appears when what is being sent is a message of deep personal import, not quite so cosmically oriented but directed deliberately to one person, or several people, who need the energy of this "totem" in their lives right now. So--I think it might be for me, and it might be for you, too. Let's look...

The snake was an important animal for the ancient Celts; far from being the symbol of evil that it became among the early Christians, it was a creature that represented many aspects of God/dess, including fertility, healing and renewal. Snakes were also depicted as beings who were connected with deities of healing springs and wells, such as Brighid. A snake's movements are sinuous and wave-like, like the course of a river. So it is a prime example of "earth of water."

Because the snake sheds its skin each year and appears renewed, it was thought to be immortal, and the epitome of healing and renewal. Every time the snake sheds its skin, it becomes a "new being." Might be well for us to remember here that every seven years, we do that too. You don't have a single cell in your body that was there seven years ago. Yes, you have been reborn. You.
The snake has long been associated with sagacity, cunning and divination. It was commonly thought that having your ears licked clean by a serpent would enable you to receive oracular wisdom. The Druids were known in Wales as "Nadredd," or adders. The famous bard Taliesin declared, "I am a wiseman, I am a serpent" When St Patrick is said to have boasted that he had driven all the snakes out of Ireland, some people believe he meant the Druids. (And of course, some people believe he said no such thing, ever, but we can't know, can we?)

Snake may be telling you that you are blocking change through fear, through your need to hold on to the safe and familiar. Snake power is about healing on all levels, but you must have the courage to allow healing to take place, shedding outgrown ideas, illnesses and restrictions. Sometimes healing and growth mean shedding your skin and letting yourself be born anew. Let's do that!

White Light...

April 4, 2012: Lizard, Druid Animal Oracle

Today our Animal totem is "Lizard". For the Celts, the Lizard was an animal of the sun, a representative of midsummer's magic. Its name in Welsh (lleufer) and Gaelic (Luachair) associate it with white light. Lizards are also emblems of resurrection. Some ancient authorities thought they hibernated during the cold winter, going blind, then emerged in the spring warmth climbing an east facing wall and looking into the sunshine, which restored their eyesight. In addition, the Lizard is able to break off its tail, which writhes and distracts predators long enough to allow the Lizard to make its escape. The Lizard can only do this once, as the regenerated tissue is formed from cartilage rather than bone. But its seminal change of being gives it an opportunity for rebirth.

The Irish once believed that a person who licked a Lizard all over would be able to heal sores with his or her tongue. The Shaman believes that Lizard guards the gate of dreaming. He may be advising you that studying your dreams will be useful. You might begin today to keep a book by the side of your bed, and record what you recall of your dreams as soon as you awake, even if it is only a feeling or impression that you remember. Lizard is inviting you to experience your own "new life", the one you live within your subconscious mind.

Lizard is a master of all arts of divination. If you want to use Tarot cards, oracles, runestones, or the scrying mirror, you need the magic of lizard. He teaches you the art of being able to shift the consciousness just enough to see as the seer does. Small, unobtrusive, and yet able to insert himself seamlessly almost anywhere he wishes to go, Lizard is the avatar of the unexpected, the constant thread of change and surprise that is the earmark of the awakened life. Welcome Lizard into your life today, and see where he might lead you.

Where Are We Going?

April 3, 2012: The Guide (Temperance), Tarot Of The Old Path

You know, there are no accidents--

I do these draws online, with a random selection of cards in a digital list, and I hop around with the cursor, eyes closed, before the Spirits guide me to press the button and choose the daily card--So, to my mind, especially since there are six different decks in my listing, all cards being differently named, I think these draws are truly random. Soooo....what would be the odds of two consecutive cards in the same deck being drawn on two consecutive days? Infinitesimal--but that's what we've done today.

"Temperance" follows "Death" in the traditional Tarot, as here "The Guide", drawn today, follows "The Close" drawn yesterday. So--what is the Universe telling us here?

Temperance carries on the theme of change and growth. The lowering of the woman into the water has connotations of being “baptized” or prepared for a different life following the transformation of Death. The Sacred figures in Temperance could be witnessing and welcoming the woman’s transition to this new inner life through a ritual washing with the waters from the Sun. There is a difficult time ahead.

Temperance represents the gift of balance and cleansing before one enters the dark night of the soul – Devil and Tower. The Angel takes on a new significance as a Guide through the forthcoming difficult time and the presence of the Lord and Lady gives hope that the dark night of the soul is a simply a ritual transition to another level of consciousness. Others have traveled before us and there are guides on the journey. We will remember the hope.

In the Tree of Life, Temperance is found on the 25th Path between Tiphareth (Beauty) and Yesod (Foundation) – spiritual reality and the dark unconscious. The spiritual and the material worlds are in balance. All is as it should be although the path may be difficult. Refreshed by the hope of Temperance, we keep our balance, stay on our path and head towards joy and enlightenment.

From this card, I get a sense of the suspension of time itself. Everyone seems to be waiting to see what happens next, except the angel, who steadily pours, and the woman, who looks as if she's beyond it all now. I get the feeling that the man has either just asked the Angel (or is about to) for assistance, to please do something to restore this woman to him, somehow.

I also get the impression that the man on the card has asked the Goddess and God to come to his aid. He knows not what to do with his lifeless companion, or whether there is any hope. And, of course, they have come, although whether or not they will choose to intervene on his behalf is in question. Clearly, this is a man in need of some guidance.

Sometimes, the Gods alone know, and only they can provide the guidance necessary in such a troubled, confusing circumstance. They can intercede if that is what's best, and many times, I believe, that's precisely what they do. But the way it's done is usually a mystery to us, and so we have to go on faith alone. I also think this is a lesson being illustrated here.

I see the angel as indicating the path of the flow of the soul, from one vessel into another, the concept of reincarnation in action. I feel that this card is directly related to the previous one, in the respect that all things must change, here we have a glimpse of what they may change into.

I'm still shaking my head here. You?

Ah, Death....

April 2, 2012: The Close (Death), Tarot Of The Old Path

This card will always make people pause and think if it is drawn. Most of us have something of an atavistic "gut reaction" to the concept of Death, which is instantaneous rejection coupled with the drop in the tummy and the inner "oh NOOOOOEEEESSS!" And so, today, as a daily draw on a day when I have huge things going on, yes, even your TarotWitch went AAAUUGGGHH....

I did immediately pick up the phone and notice we had a voice mail (the phone isn't turned on for the day yet) so I listened to it, and heard my mother's wonderful voice sounding quite healthy and happy, thankewverrymudch...so there was one sigh of relief. However, here's the card, still, in all its gloom and doom--yes, it's pretty--buuuuuttt.....And then, then, I really looked at the card. And I got better--

CHANGE. It means CHANGE. It means "death of the old, rebirth of the new" (see the baby in the corner waving goodbye to the old guy?) The heron standing in the stream is a long-held symbol of death and rebirth, as is the snowy owl floating along behind the Death figure. The primroses in the left-hand corner as well as the borage in the right corner are significant--the early spring emergence of primrose is "new life" while the constantly evolving nature of borage (stems, seeds, flowers and dead husks all on the plant at once) screams "Change Is Coming"....

And that couldn't be more apt for my day. Huge changes coming tonight in my Path, as well as some lesser changes in more mundane things. The card is a reminder to "ride the river" and know that whatever comes, it is supposed to be there, and that one cannot evolve without change. So--what are you supposed to willingly let "die" today, and how will you be "reborn"?

Do it. Quit the job, file for the divorce, sign the lease, enroll in the class, make the apology, take the chance, learn the lesson. You will always be reborn--but the past must be laid to rest first.

Fire In The Head...WyrdByrd....

April 1: Ace Of Swords, Utah Maninni One Tarot

Well, I had my consciousness raised yesterday, and this card is one more proof to me that there are, indeed, no accidents. I am getting personal insight from the Universe on some of my longest-held perceptions, and it's turning my head around. Let me 'splain....

I am a die-hard (I thought) Air-Wands, Fire-Swords girl. It made sense to me on every level--after all, trees breathe out oxygen, don't they? and of course tree-branches will always be my chosen wand-stuff--and you can't make a sword without fire, and the blade looks like, and is made with, the flame--and of course wooden twigs are flexible (like thoughts) and swords are pointed, direct, and double-edged (like the will)....So, I thought, TarotWitch has this one down, but good. Right?.......Well, maybe.....

I had a class yesterday on British Traditional Witchcraft, to learn some background and ethos from a master of the Arte. And he said that he himself was creating a tarot deck, and he had the exact same views--and the deck didn't work. Until, he said, he got a cosmic ass-kick that it was, of course, exactly the other way around. Fire. he discovered, wasn't the forge-fire at all--not a man-made fire. It was the dawn-fire, the rising Sun, not the fire in the hearth, all safe and controlled, but the cosmic Fire of Awakening, the Fire of Inspiration, the Fire-In-The-Head of the Bard. And North, for a BTW (and for this American Shamanic 1734 Witch) is Air, the Polar Star, the Iron of the North, that draws all things, that creates thought and idea from cosmic harmony---the Lode-Stone, the MotherLode, the source of Ideas/Ideals...

And it all rang true. And it all made sense to me, as well as it had to him. I began to re-think it--and then, today's draw, in affirmation, is this particular Ace of Swords, the White Owl (my own personal totem beast) with the sword going right through hir head, opening brain-paths to new ideas... No, there are no accidents....

So--how are you having your mind changed today? How is the Lodestone bringing your thoughts into harmony whilst letting them fly free? Where is the place where you have to discard a long-held theory and think Anew? Works for me...