The JOY OF GIVING, Tarot Style
The Yuletide Season is the time of giving gifts of joy and love,
And so I join my tarot friends in gazing at the skies above
Where shines a wondrous Yuletide star, the symbol of the year's rebirth,
And think to my Self, "How can I receive and give more Peace on Earth?"
I'll follow this thought with a list of questions I will answer here,
The Yuletide Hop's great theme, a focus on the giving, far and near,
Of love and peace and understanding, and I'll use my cards to share
Each facet of the "Joy of Gifting", and what symbol draws us there.
If I could give the World a gift, what would I choose? What would I do?
I draw a card, and here I have a symbol of a dream come true
For me, and others. For it shows the Chariot, a boat, afloat,
And standing on the deck, a Being clothed in white. I had to note
The Water, meaning flux and flow, the angry clouds of grey above,
And yet the Being stands with arms outstretched, denoting Peace and Love,
And Balance, dealing with one's life with Strength within, with harmony,
Instead of sailing over others, selfish, cruel, and carelessly,
Demanding what one wants. If I could give our needy World, this day,
A gift, I'd change things so that everybody dealt with life this way.
What gift would I want from the World? What do I hunger to receive?
I think about the many Peoples of the World, and I believe,
Despite our differences of language, heritage, and core belief,
To see ourselves as kin and family would provide a great relief
From war and conflict. In this mindset, once again a card I draw,
And I receive the King of Cups, my perfect wish, without a flaw.
Here Odin hangs, upon the World-Tree, giving up his Godly powers,
Instead of working HIS Will, letting Life work on HIM. In those hours
Of his listening and learning, he received the Holy Runes.
And I would follow His example. Though we sing in many tunes
And languages and cultures, I would sit here quiet, watch and learn,
As Odin the All-Father did. And with what joy my soul would burn!
What gift has brought me joy? There are so very many answers here,
But I love to reflect upon my blessings at this time of year,
And I do know the cards will find a way that I can specify
Something that was a gift so great that when I think of it, I cry
With Joy and Gratitude. And so, once more, I reach into my stack
Of cards, and find the symbol of the gift, to me, that's given back.
And there it is! The perfect card, so perfect that I'm lost for words,
Regarding Isis, gazing peacefully, the Daughter of the Swords.
She represents a woman in Her power, confident, but calm.
Knowing her strength for those beyond her Self will be the healing balm
To right the family's unrest. And I know for certain this is right,
Because the gift above all gifts which gives to me the most delight
Is mothering my children, now adults, who show me every day
That sharing peace and power with one's kinfolk is the only way
To happiness. And Isis here reminds me of the priceless gift
Of motherhood. And that's my deepest, ever, joy. You get my drift!
What gift have I, then, given that has brought me joy? What can I say?
Because the gifts I have to share I try to give in every way
That I can think to share them. I am not so sure that there is one
That brings more joy than others. Doing everything I do is fun,
Rewarding, maybe life-sustaining. But I know the cards will tell
Which of the gifts I've given is the one that's served me most and well.
About my Self. The Nine of Cups, subtitled "Fortune", is the show
Of my true Gift, the divination that I do for others, when
They can't decode their lives, or something puzzling has come 'round again...
Then I can bring the cards to bear upon their question, and I find
That when they leave, "Good Fortune" is the thought most often on the mind
Of each of us. I try to show them how their cups may overflow
With bounty and with blessing. And this gives ME joy. So, now, I see
The Gift of Giving, that which gives me Joy to tender forth. It's....ME!
Now, one last thing that I would like to share about this joyful season....
No matter what your holiday, the Winter Light is still the reason
For the gifts, the parties, all the laughter, peace, and joy. We care.
It's winter-dark. It's cold and bleak. It's sometimes lonely. So we share
Our own small sparkle of the Light. A fire, a tree, a carol sung,
A candle, or a jingle bell. Some way to echo what has rung
Through all our lives the year that's past. Some way to give, some way to be
The Light, the Star, the flowing wassail, all the gifts, the glowing tree.
We all are what we give. We are the Gift. We are the coming Sun.
We love, we give, we show our kith and kin that life has just begun
In coming out of darkness. So, remember, it is always true,
The reason-for-the-season isn't gifts, or God, or feasts. It's YOU.
© Aisling the Bard, 2014 All Rights Reserved.
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