January 9, 2012, (Full Moon of Birch)Today's card is the Hierophant, from the Utah Maninni Three tarot deck. The card design and the information below is by Katie Herrin.
Building: An old type country store commonly found on many Utah roads, owning to the great distances between cities in this once largely uninhabited state. It is symbolic of the safety that we seek and find in structure. However, even structure must, at some point, be left behind as can be seen from the path in the back of the building. We don't need to enter the wilderness unprepared, as the products found within the shop give us the tools we need to go forward into the unknown.
Sign: Written above the door to the building in the Deseret Alphabet, harking back to Utah's past, is a sign that reads "Mercantile"; an obvious sign but written in cipher to demonstrate that sometimes the most obvious signs are unrecognizable.
Porch: A place to contemplate the future and find the comfort of family and friends, the porch stands to either side of a narrow path, large enough for only a single traveler. It reminds us that our lives are our own. It also reminds us that there are always excuses to not move forward; family, friends, priest, distractions of every sort. On the heels of comfort comes stasis and stagnation.
Three Windows: The three windows offer a glimpse into the store, a peek at what lay within, tempting the traveler to enter, with the promise of filling all the traveler's needs. If the traveler is not careful, he may become trapped within the structure, like the figure in the window. We must remember that answers do not come pre-packaged.
Man with Broom: Standing on the porch outside is a man with a broom. He wears a smile on his face and nods to all who enter his establishment. Like all proprietors, he takes great pride in his store, offering his blessing to every customer. The traveler must be wary, however, that he does not visit so often that he gets to be on a first name basis with the owner, if he does, he may become trapped by the comfort of stasis
General Card Meaning: Upright: Learning, Structure, Sureness of purpose, Awareness Reverse: Stagnation, Dogma, Thick-headedness, Arrogance
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Today, you are invited to think about "Teachers". What are you learning, what do you need to learn, what will be your best teacher in the circumstance you find yourself facing today? What is it to be your own teacher? Whom can you learn from, and whom/what should teach you how not to do it? The Hierophant is about learning, but also about learning how to learn. Even a "bad" teacher can teach you something. The Full Moon of Birch is "Inception", the beginning of this year's Lunar Wheel of Life. What will you Learn, and how will you teach yourSelf?
