What Will End Today?

As it is that day today, I asked the Tarot to show me something that would end... or at least begin to end with the change in energy that this Solstice, and the end of the Mayan Calender will bring. No doubt I can feel something shifting on this planet, unless it's just within me.

I couldn't have drawn a more appropriate card.....

Six of Stones - Wildwood Tarot

The Six of Stones..... the Exploitation card in this wonderful deck. The card shows two starving beggers, broken tools at their feet. Behind them are six sad looking very damaged beehives, but no bee's buzzing in and out.  Further back is a dead tree, what looks like a dried up river bed and a sky full of fire and smoke, destroying the land and polluting the air we breathe.

This is a warning card...if we don't stop this raping and pillaging of our planet, we could end up like these beggers. Noone believes it will happen, but I do. Unless we stop it...now.

It is a brilliant card to draw as an ending card, and I sincerely hope this ending begins now. Please do all you can to stop the exploitation of our planet and all it's lifeforms.

There are things we can all do to make a difference. Be aware of where your food comes from, avoid factory farmed animals, and war funding multi national companies. Grow whatever food you can, even if you only have a window box! Buy fairly traded, tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar wherever you can, do not support the exploitation of workers. Shower less, its bad for your skin, use eco friendly detergents or baking soda. Avoid products tested on animals. Take less trips by car. Educate your children, friends and families! Tell them why you are doing these things and don't back down just to keep the peace... that kind of peace is too expensive!!

Recycle, recycle, recycle!

20 12 2012

I had to do a special 2012 spread for today.... what with the double 2012 date.. and all adding up to one which is pretty neat for the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. Then we have the Solstice coming up, when we in the South send the Sun back up to the North heading back the way it came 6 months ago.... it is all very exciting.

I don't believe the world will end tomorrow, but I do feel something will happen that has been building up for the past 9 years at least.... I have felt changes, getting stronger and stronger, but they are hard to put into words. It is almost a "knowing among" those in the world who are ready. A connection, some very strong energy connecting us... as I said, it is hard to put into words!

So here is my deliberately drawn 20 12 2012 spread:

The Wildwood Tarot 2012 Spread

Of course it is very different to the spreads where the cards are drawn at randon, but the cards here fit the date and the current changes going in perfectly.

The Great Bear is often called Judgement in the Tarot, but I prefer this version. This card is at the Winter Solstice on the Wheel of the Year which of course is exactly where those in the Northern hemisphere are about now. The bear sits guarding an ancient passage grave, ready for the winter sun to shine in and awaken the soul inside. Throughout the dark sleeping months they have had the chance to learn much wisdom, to help them with the next cycle of life. Behind the bear the constellation of the Great Bear is shown in the sky and what looks like the Northern Lights shine out around him. With the ancient yews the bear guards the grave. The only judgement is that of ourselves, and how we choose to live our lives. Nothing can be hidden or forgotten. This is the time of stillness, where we lie quiet, like the sun on the solstice, before moving back around the wheel.

The Mirror, card number 12,  reflects the inner secrets of the soul lying in the tomb, looking into the Mirror he can see his deepest fears and most hidden thoughts, nothing is hidden here, the Siren holds up the Moon to light the mirror and dispel illusions... maybe she scries with the Moon. A crane with a medicine back around its neck sits by the serpent woman, he looks old and wise and he guards the secrets in his golden bag. The body in the boat lies still, at peace and the boat heads for the Otherworld to rest between journeys. The transition cannot be hurried, the water in the lake represents our subconscious where healing takes place during sleep. Everything in this card seems to reflect what is going on in The Great Bear card.

 The past couple of days a Great Cormorant an NZ native, who looks very crane like has been hanging around my pond..which also has an island with three tree's. It has a boat too but the boat is out of the water at the moment...!

The 2 card, The Seer has many elements of the other cards, the medicine bag, the water which she appears to be drawing energy from or seeing visions in. She wears a Shamans cloak, evidence of meeting with the Shaman on the inner journey to the subconscious. She has gained wisdom and her will is set as signified by the carved staff which she holds in her left hand. She gazes into the water calling up the creative dreams and inspirations and guides them to take root in the earth with her right hand. The water represents emotions, all the feelings and emotional healing can now be put to good use in the earthly world if you know how to channel them.

The Wanderer, is another card which shows a time of stillness between the solid ground and the emptiness between the Wanderer and the forest. There is a rainbow bridging the gap hope for the future, and a means to cross the divide to the next cycle. The Wanderer has his arms open, welcoming that which is to come, the newness and unknown future.  He knows he has everything to learn and in knowing this he is the wisest of all. Although there is some slight hesitation there is no stopping now, one foot is ready to take the first step, leaving the old and entering the new. A time of new beginnings, new hope and another cycle.

Once again the The Mirror or 12 card, reflects the meanings of these two cards and the whole cycle is reflected back and forth. Each time we gain knowledge, wisdom, truth and courage.... if we take that leap of faith and allow it to happen naturally.

I have to do things now and want to get this posted while the date still holds, but I am sure I could get much much more out of this spread.

Today I have permission to.......

Inspired by a thread on Aeclectic Tarot I decided to draw one card and take from it everything I can see, and use it as a permission slip or gift voucher to do something nice for me..

Using the Wildwood Tarot I shuffled and cut the deck and drew a card from the top....... drumroll........

The card I drew was The Journey..... had to smile :) The Journey card in The Wildwood Tarot is number 13 which of course is usually the Death card, but we all know that Death isn't death, just change, and the Journey is quite a neat name for it I think.

The card shows a raven or crow eating the last of the flesh from as reindeer skull, high up in the mountains I think. There are five more corvids flying in silhouette against a huge full moon. There are a couple of huge old tree's in the background. They have no leaves, so either they are dead or it is winter. I think winter.

This is one of my favourite cards in the deck...the more I see of Will Worthington's art, the more I love it, but it this deck especially.

The Wildwood Tarot

The Raven is a very magical creature, and he warns of betrayal and danger. He is a guardian of those at rest, and ravens are still said to this day to guard the head of Bran in the Tower of London. Raven is excellent at crossing between the worlds and so is a great messenger. He not only protects the good but will instill fear in the heart of enemies. Here he is stripping the last of the flesh from a long dead reindeer skull, recycling, the alchemy of turning death into sustenance and life. The great deer who was a king in his day is still serving his land and its creatures even in death.

The full moon is another symbol of life's cycles, just as she will wane so will she wax again, the tree's will get new life and the mountain will see many more sunrises. The journey is never ending, the journey of the wheel... life to death and back again. Sometimes it is time for one journey to end and another to begin.

The skull being stripped to the bone is another message, looking deep into yourself and finding what lies there, what is essentially you, or me. A journey within. So many signs of the past and the future.

Somehow, I was guided by this card to finding an old poster that I used to have on my wall in the old farmhouse we lived in a few years ago. It was the best summer I ever had here and definitely the best Christmas. My children were still children, we were a tribe who survived, who stuck together. But now as things change and grow, two of those children are off on their own journey's, no longer at home. It is hard for me to accept the end of that stage of their journey with me, but sometimes, things have to end for life to carry on. I have thought a lot about when they were small, in England, how I loved this time of year. How I have come to dread it. Why?

I feel this card is telling me to reap the good and the joy from the past and bring it to life in the now.... So I have put up my old torn poster in my bathroom, it looks colourful and joyful. I am giving myself permission to accept the cycles of life, to embrace the joy in today and be thankful for my little people. I will read my old blog, and remember, when I look back on that wonderful magical summer, there were very hard sad times then too. But in my memories I only feel the joy of our family life then... this is what carries us forward. One day, these days will be looked back on fondly.. the dark times will be just shadows, necessary to allow the brightness to shine.....I know this..its the cycle of life.... the chiaroscuro of existence.

I just found a blog post from 7 years ago, showing that poster, in my old home.  I entitled the post "I trust....." I cannot think of anything more fitting to read now.... and ya know. that thing I wanted so badly back then, and that seemed way beyond my reach, was New Zealand residency, the right to live in a land we had come to love. We now have that, and in 6 weeks it will be permanent, forever! I did that... I achieved that, very much in the face of adversity and against all odds....and oh boy does it make me feel good!

Today I give myself the gift of celebration, and a huge pat on the back!!!

The Hare of the Wildwood

Since I did my reading yesterday, I have been getting more and more into this deck. I abandoned the Mystic Medicine oracle I had chosen this week as it still grates on me somehow!!! It needs more intense cleansing obviously.... next full moon it will be out there, and also for the Solstice, which according to what I have found on the web actually occurs here at 12.15am on Saturday 22nd... Phoebes birthday.....

So I laid out the Wildwood cards in the Wheel of the Year and it helped to see them like this and associate the different suits and Majors with their place in the seasonal cycle. The card I drew for my daily draw today was The Hare.... whose time in the wheel we have just passed through..... the days coming up to Midsummer. 

 Wildwood Tarot 

This gorgeous artwork by Will Worthington shows a magnificent hare standing in mountain terrain with the full moon behind him. He looks in command of his countryside, strong and alert to danger. He has a  Green man mask by his feet... symbolic of the continuity and fertility of nature and its cycles. What a beautiful and majestic creature this hare is! Wonderful art!

The Hare means a lot to me, I have been fascinated with hares all my life, I have hare art all over my home, I have done a Welsh pilgrimage to the Patron Saint of Hares and spent many years watching them back in East Anglia. A couple of years ago we had a pet New Zealand hare for a while who came to live with our beloved Snoopy. He was a wild creature, unlike our gorgeous wee mini lop bunny, and we called him Jerusalem. He got on really well with Snoopy who loved having him as a friend, but eventually as he got older, he left us. I cannot keep animals in cages. He didn't go far though and he would come back and visit sometimes, or we would spot him hanging out at the gate to our drive.

The Wildwood book has some beautiful words for the Queen of Bows:

"A companion through life, sympathetic and understanding, leading you to a deeper awareness of what is needed to bring success to your every enterprise. Wise and witty, gentle and kindly the Queen supports you and strengthens your resolve."

This a a fantastic companion for me at this time, I should know the Hare is always there for me and this is a great reminder of that energy. Hares are messengers, they cross through age and culture, bringing you to where you need to be. Their tracks in the fields are complex, but designed to be for them only to be able to follow. They have no underground homes like their rabbit cousins, and so they keep safe by their wits, their amazing senses and their speed. Those huge ears and big eyes are not just for show.

Hares are often related to the Moon and lunacy in mythology, and they are also shapeshifters. The Hare was said to have offered to lay down his life for Buddha in order to feed him with his own flesh. Buddha saved him however and painted his image on the Moon, to be seen forever by all who looked up, as an honour of his selflesness.

The hare will return here often.... as he has in my life...

Wildwood Reading

There is something I need to do but have been avoiding, as it is not easy. I wanted to ask the Tarot, how to go about it.

I used The Wildwood Tarot as it is my chosen weekly deck, and am wondering if that is a mistake as I cant really get much from this reading that helps with my question.

I devised a small spread asking:

1.When should I approach this
2.How should I approach this
3.How shall I deal with the outcome

The cards I drew were:

1. When should I approach this - Four of Bows Keyword: Celebration

Looking at this as time, and this card being about a celebration with fire and dancing, I wondered if the time is right around now... ie the upcoming Solstice. The number is 4 and the date I did the reading is 4 days from the Solstice. Or maybe the card wants me to do it before then, so I can celebrate with joy and abandon with my loved ones, free from what is bothering me? I then looked at the bows...the bows in this card have no strings, so is the time actually not right? Do I need to wait for another part (whatever that may mean), or something to complete my approach?

2. How should I approach this - Ace of Stones Keyword: Foundation of Life

This card shows a wonderful carved standing stone in a grove of ancient tree's. The stone has stood tall through the years like the tree's, so this to me says be strong and stand tall, and possibly have faith in the universe. The shadow falls before the stone, so depending on which way the stone faces it could be morning or evening.... a beginning or an end? There are many Cup and Ring symbols carved into the stone, whch I always see as the old ones communicating with us today. They remind me of the wireles symbols used by computers and mobile phones to signify a connection. There is also a maze or labyrinth on the stone. The labyrinth can symbolise the unknown.... it also shows struggle, finding the right way through the maze. If I am true to myself and stand strong in my light will I be able to see the right path once I begin? Again I am unsure quite what to think here in relation to my question.

3. How shall I deal with the outcome - Three of Vessels Keyword: Joy

Three cranes hover in a triangle over three vessels, gold, green and white. I know in Christianity these colours are used at certain times, white is for purity and green for spiritual growth and new life, gold which is only used at Easter is for the greatest feast. Cranes symbolise long life and also peace. I looked at the book for this card and the author writes:

"One of the most common reasons why people lose the ability to feel authentic joy in their lives is the loss or grief at the passing of the emotion"

I found this quite profound and it does make sense. It also mentions we must be strong and realise that all life's trials and tribulations are cyclical by nature. Just like in the Wheel of Fortune.

Any thoughts on this are welcome.... thanks for reading!

Wildwood Tarot 

Nine Energy

I have always been interested in Numerology but not really studied it in depth. Today's number adds up to 9and it still adds up to 9 when I add my year number! Which is also 9. This is what Creative Numerology has to say:

It will be difficult to prevent emotional movement now. Your feelings need to express themselves in order for you to evolve from an old situation. Everyone involved needs to be who they are - who they have become. This cycle of love, beauty, and relationship can be easily damaged by indifference, defensiveness or judgment, so try to create a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. Let yourself enjoy the love and affection all around you. 

 This forecast is very apt for this week and today. I will work more with numbers in future I think... it all adds to the infinite fascination of the hidden meanings in life.

I changed decks today and this week I am using the Wildwood Tarot and my Mystic Art Medicine cards. I love the art on the latter but the backs really put me off! They are photographic and don't seem to fit at all with the art, so I try not to look at them when shuffling. Difficult as they are large cards! Backs matter to me, I love the ones that carry on the theme of the card faces and the patterns just seem to flow like water when you shuffle. It has a real energy moving feeling. The very best I have found for this so far are those of the Waking the Wild Spirit deck.

So today's cards Page of Stones from The Wildwood Tarot and Shadow from the Mystic Art Medicine cards.

Shadow from Mystic Art Medicine Cards and Page if Stones from Wildwood Tarot

The Stones suit in the Wildwood deck is the Winter suit. The page is a student, and the lynx has a lot of lessons to teach. Looking at the card we can see that this beautiful creature is waiting, watching and listening carefully, trying to gather all the information he can before he acts. His ears are pricked up and his eyes wide open, he is perfectly still. One of the questions to ask of this card as suggested by the authors of this deck is "What data do I need to make a decision". This fits well with the painting on this card.

I looked more into the symbolism of the lynx and found this quote from an amazing site called Wildspeak

"The nature of the Lynx to operate alone enables it to understand secrets and to be secretive. This nature is neither deceptive nor deliberately malicious, rather it is an energy that simply stands apart. Lynx is The Hermit from the standard Tarot. People with Lynx in their lives often find that they connect best with others and themselves, when they deliberately disconnect from overly socialising or stretching themselves too thin."

So today is a Nine day, it is a Nine year and the Lynx card relates to the Hermit... another Nine.... that's a lot of Nine energy around me! The above quote fits me very well. There is lots more information on this wonderful site all about animal totems and what they can teach us.

Another fascinating site with info about the Lynx constellation is Constellations of Words. According to this site the lynx is credited with the ability to see through material things, and know secrets.

Looking at the Shadow card from the Mystic Art Medicine Oracle it at first appears very red and demon like.... and I guess shadows are our demons, the things we dont want to face. A shadowy creature stands in a dark space, surrounded by angry red flames, but water seems to be trickling in down the walls and the staircases to reach the dark. A flower that looks like a lily is blooming white, perhaps the water has revived it. Dark energy comes out of the head of the shadow man but disappears as the light above diffuses it.

But only when we have seen the dark can we know and appreciate the light. Once the shadow is lit and transformed we can then begin to work with it and it can help us to heal and become stronger. In light of the Lynx card from the Wildwood coming up with this one, I feel I need to uncover some shadows and face them and stop being afraid. So many things are telling me this at the moment.