Thursday, March 9, 2017

Tarot Thursday Three: Spellwork and Ritual

Here's another round of Tarot Thursday Three, hosted by Julia from Spiral Sea Tarot. Feel free to participate on your own blog, or answer the questions in the comments below!

1. Does spell work have a place in your practice and if so, how?

Sort of. I don't necessarily connect Tarot with it, and I don't do it as often as I used to, but it is something that I practice from time to time. In fact when I was first starting to read for others years ago I didn't know how to market myself (I still don't like it!), so for a handful of months as a new reader I didn't see any movement at all in terms of reading requests. One day I decided to do a candle spell to invite fresh business, and within the next few days I suddenly had three new clients! I was pretty surprised (happily so).

I have a bóveda, or ancestor/spiritist altar, which has become my central focus/tool for setting intentions on, or doing workings around, particular areas of my life, or to support people who are struggling.

When my kids were very sick a month or so ago I used galdr and traced runes onto their backs and tummies, and over their tea, to help support their healing. I found it startlingly helpful.

So perhaps I use "spell work" more than I thought ;)
Celtic Tree Oracle
2. What is the element you most identify with and/or enjoy working with and why?

I've always been an earthy woman - the kind to smear mud on my face, and sit for long hours watching the tree branches bend and sway in the wind. But then there is something deeply healing and soothing about water, and while I've always loved lakes and rivers, this past year I've become much more attached to the sea. I wrote this after a recent beachside stay:

I spent a lot of time visualizing, 
last weekend at the sea. 
As I gazed, 
I leapt into not the waves 
but the deep green depths, 
far beyond the fisherman's pier. 
I felt the water wash over me, 
I dove and soared and leapt and breathed. 
Then, in the early hours of morning, 
a quiet in and out of tides, 
a bird call, 
a hush, 
a dance of sunrise. 
Peace, it was.

And I've also been thoroughly enjoying working with fire. I love lighting candles, and do so almost daily, but last month's celebration of Biakendai/Biikebrennen was particularly beautiful and cathartic. 

3. Besides the cards, what are your favourite tools for divination and/or ritual?

I work with the runes daily, though I rarely post about it. I'm currently facilitating a slow-paced study of the Elder Futhark for a group of Heathen women on Facebook. I read Lenormand for almost two years, and studied it voraciously. I still enjoy it but find myself rarely pulling out a Lennie deck of late.

As for ritual: candles, altar space, cards, incense, and my thoughts.

8 comments:

  1. I like the idea of drawing a Rune for support the healing. :)

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  2. Thank you for sharing your poem, lovely.

    Very interesting how you used runes for your family's sicknesses. Was that something that you did intuitively, or pick it up somewhere?

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    1. Thanks, Alaina! As for the runes, it was partly intuitive, and partly guided by various readings. Still, I was pretty amazed at its effects! Galdr (the "singing" of runes) is something I'm very drawn to practicing and learning about more in depth.

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  3. Oh I love your poem and also feel.so drawn to the sea as of late . You know, I've never worked with a Lenormand deck...I should really explore this further....

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    1. Thanks, Julia! Lenormand is extremely useful. I don't read with it quite as much as I used to, but there are times when its voice is the one I want to hear :)

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  4. I realize this post is a couple of weeks old but I really enjoyed reading about some of the intention you bring to your practice. I loved hearing about how you traced runic figures on your littles' bellies and over their tea. There is something so...ancient about this, the lineage of wise women, women as healers. xo

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    1. Thanks, Rose! There are these little ways we connect to ancient roots, old and powerful. Many hugs your way.

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