New Breath

It has been eight months and five days since my last blog post. I took a lengthy sabbatical largely due to the requirements of my personal life. Without sharing too many details I can at least say that the last year has encompassed the very worst and very best moments of my life, to date (saying that always reminds me of the first line from A Tale of Two Cities!). I stopped writing because I could not write - both literally and figuratively.

And now I find myself unapologetically and fearlessly able to resume this expression.

I pulled a card on the most convenient divination device: my phone app. How to describe the path that has led me to this point? Succinctly and not surprisingly it gave me the Tower:

A great rupture in the fabric of life. A great purge and burning. A great ripping and reemergence. A great reckoning. A great realization and, as the Star that follows this one in the Major Arcana, a great hope. A great healing. A great peace. A divine stillness. A coming home and a Becoming.

A deep exhale.
A filling of new breath.

Ghost Dance: Thoughts About the Sacred Vision Oracle

Today is the first day of October, and hence the first day of the multitude of shadow work challenges on Instagram (I'll be participating in two - I love me some shadow work!). So it feels appropriate to post about something I've been mulling over - and to an extent avoiding - over the past week: my struggle with certain aspects of the newly released Sacred Vision Oracle cards. (To be honest, I didn't even want to talk about this - ever. But my sister urged me to, and I decided to listen.)

I was browsing online a couple of weeks back when I happened across this deck. Whenever I see indigenous-related work the first inclination I have is to verify that the artist is of that same cultural background, and so I was pleased to learn that the images in Sacred Visions were painted by Robert Taylor, an Oklahoma artist with ancestral roots in four indigenous nations. Lynn Andrews created the concept for the deck, and I'm superficially aware that she has written several books on shamanism (I can't speak to her abilities or legitimacy, so I won't). As I understand it, the images for these oracle cards were derived from pre-existing artwork as opposed to having been created specifically for it, and I think that's important: when artwork is matched to a concept after its creation there are often at least some wrinkles in the final product (it's possible that I'm wrong about the way in which the deck was conceived, though if so, I am even more confused by what feels to me like forced congruities).

I want to say that I love the quality and intensity of Robert Taylor's paintings. As often happens with important artwork, the images and symbolism can be provocative and moving. That is good. However I am not always comfortable with the way in which certain "oracular messages" are juxtaposed with some of the more sobering and loaded images, and I'll use just one as an example. I drew this card one morning several days ago and it stopped me completely in my tracks insofar as open work with the deck is concerned (I still haven't resumed regular card draws with it):

In this painting, an indigenous man floats above the earth with hands upraised, showing the Christian symbol of stigmata on his palms. This carries so much historical weight. Robert Taylor himself suggests that this figure is meant to represent a Ghost dancer. Ghost dancing was a movement among many indigenous communities in the 19th Century, said to have been sparked by a vision received by the Paiute holy man, Wovoka, who dreamed that Jesus was reborn as an indigenous man with the purpose of protecting indigenous communities. The dance was meant to call back the spirits of the dead to help put an end to the ravages of Euro-American colonialism and to establish peace in the land. Black Elk, the famous Lakota spiritual leader, had received a related vision about the creation of special Ghost dance shirts that would repel bullets. The Wounded Knee massacre is said to in part have been triggered by resistance of a Lakota man, Yellow Bird, to the demand by U.S. soldiers to surrender weapons. He began to Ghost dance, asking others to join him, reminding them that their shirts protected them from the soldiers' bullets. There is so much more to the story of this horrific massacre, and I encourage everyone to learn about what happened there. Needless to say (perhaps) the soldiers' fear ultimately led them to kill more than 150 men, women, and children that had been herded into the Wounded Knee encampment.

I have been to Wounded Knee on several occasions as part of work with the Oglala Lakota nation on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and it's hard to describe the pain that is still palpable there. I would break down quite unexpectedly each time I visited the cemetery. The subjugation of the First Nations though murder and the spread of communicable diseases is one of the most egregious stains on the history of this country, and the effects are still evident today.

When I see images like this, I feel grief. I see powerful and charged symbolism in the correlation of the destruction and dismantling of indigenous culture, language, and communities to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I am disgusted by it, too. The painting itself is extraordinarily powerful. To elicit these feelings and thoughts in and of itself is a journey through shadow.

But then it is coupled with this description:

I've read this a multitude of times, and I'm still not sure what Lynn Andrews is trying to say. Is she suggesting that the literal interpretation of visions by two important indigenous leaders was an unfortunate mistake that led to more deaths than might have been necessary? Is she saying that colonialism sucks, but it's more important to buck up and move forward? Is she equating the desperation of indigenous peoples to being "unaware of true reality"? Why is the card called "Vision" when some aspects of the card narrative seem to encourage a focus on the mundane? Why is the subtitle "Heaven Is Where You Find It?" What does this last line, "Heaven is before you; your dreams are coming true," have to do with an image of a Ghost dancer (whose visions certainly did not manifest)? The guidebook provides a small reflection on the "spirit of the card" which is easier to get my head around: For what do you hunger? What makes you float in a state of grace? If I divorce the message from the card image, I can grab hold of some interesting food for thought and reflection (an essential purpose of oracle decks). I can't, however, manage it when the card narrative is on the flip side of the card image.

So what do I do with this? If I continue to work with this deck, do I take the card descriptions with a grain of salt (or else not read them at all), and focus mainly - or solely - on symbolism in the images? (To be fair, not all image-description combinations are as jarring as this one). Do I scrap this as an oracle altogether and frame the pictures as a mini art gallery of Robert Taylor's stunning work? I'm undecided. For the time being I may continue tentative work with these cards, though I'm not sure that I will talk much about the experience in any public forum. I'll follow my heart where it leads me in relation to this matter, but I at the very least agree that my sister was right when she suggested that it was worth putting my perspective out into the ether.

Rune Post #21: Mannaz

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Mannaz, the twentieth rune of the Elder Futhark, and fourth rune in the third aett.

Mannaz translates to "mankind," and connects to themes of broad community, the experience of humanity, contemplation, the soul, the self in the context of the "many."

An Icelandic rune poem reads:

Man is delight of man

and augmentation of the earth

and adorner of ships.

Power of the Runes deck - Voenix

This rune poem reminds me of stanza 47 of the Havamal:

I was young once,

I walked alone,

and I became lost on my way.

I felt like I was rich when I met another traveler - 

people's joy is in other people.*

I have found Mannaz to be a bit elusive, though it has come up most often for me during times of my own contemplation of the human condition (racism/prejudice, the political climate, my own values and how they relate to others, etc.).

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Mannaz?

2) How do you utilize this rune in your practice?

3) If Mannaz has presented itself in your rune work or castings, how have you seen its energy manifested, or experienced its impact?

*Jackson Crawford translation

Rune Post #20: Ehwaz

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Ehwaz, the nineteenth rune of the Elder Futhark, and third rune in the third aett.

Ehwaz translates to "horse," and connects to themes of partnership, trust, friendship, connection between two entities, and forward movement. It can also connect to topics involving animals, and is often correlated with Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged steed.

An Anglo Saxon rune poem reads:

The horse is a joy to princes in the presence of warriors.

A steed in the pride of its hoofs,

when rich men on horseback bandy words about it;

and it is ever a source of comfort to the restless.

I have so many funny stories with Ehwaz..... every time I draw it in the morning, I automatically think: "Two cars." In my personal experience this rune always means that I will be traveling with someone in tandem.

For example, I pulled this rune on a day my family was planning to go to a barbecue. I couldn't imagine why we would go in two cars, but sure enough in the afternoon my husband told me that our friend requested he come early to help set up, so we ended up driving separately.

Another day I pulled this rune when my daughter had a school concert, and my husband was running late, and so met us there after work.

Once I pulled this rune when my sister helped me take the car into the shop - she drove behind me so that we could leave together after dropping mine off for servicing.

Now my husband is in Sweden, and yet I pulled this rune last Saturday. I thought "this should be interesting!" My daughter had a volunteer project at a park that morning, so the kids and I dropped her off in my car. Later we decided to pick her up and head straight out to a park by a big lake nearby. Since the highway is the fasted route, I swapped cars to take my husband's as it has the SunPass (for toll routes) in the front windshield.

Even this morning, on the day I am posting about Ehwaz, I pulled Ehwaz. ;) On my way to work I thought I'd like a coffee, but decided to wait until getting to campus, and then I'd walk over to the cafe. In the end I walked over there with a colleague so that we could have a "walking meeting." Not car related, but certainly connected to partnership and movement!

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Ehwaz?

2) How do you utilize this rune in your practice?

3) If Ehwaz has presented itself in your rune work or castings, how have you seen its energy manifested, or experienced its impact?

Rune Post #16: Algiz

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Algiz, the fiftteenth rune of the Elder Futhark, and seventh in the second aett.

Algiz's (also called Elhaz) literal meaning is "elk," and it connects to themes of protection, connection to the divine, the higher self, and inner strength.

As it intersects with the connection to divine forces at work in our lives, Algiz is often connected to Valkyries, who in lore are said to at times take the form of swans.

An Anglo-Saxon rune poem reads:

The Elk-sedge usually lives in the fen,

growing in the water. It wounds severely,

staining with blood any man

who makes a grab at it.

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Algid?

2) How do you utilize this rune in your practice?

3) If Algiz has presented itself in your rune work or castings, how have you seen its energy manifested, or experienced its impact?

Rune Post #15: Perthro

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Perthro, the fourteenth rune of the Elder Futhark, and sixth in the second aett.

Perthro's literal meaning is largely considered a mystery (which is pretty fitting, really!), though some translate it to something akin to a "dice throwing cup." Perthro connects to themes of mystery, the unknown, örlog and wyrd, chance, unconscious knowledge, and even joyful fellowship (sharing cups).

Perthro is often associated with Frigg and the Norns, and there is an element of the "feminine mysteries" to this rune.

Power of the Runes - Voenix (US Games)

As a personal anecdote: today's rune coincides nicely with the fact that this is the first full day of a natural "flow" following my stopping the Pill several weeks ago. I wanted to rid my body of the hormonal influence, and allow it to resume its natural rhythms after so many years. I wasn't quite sure what that would feel like, or look like, and so it is quite like a rediscovery of myself, in a way.

An Old English rune poem reads:

(Perthro) is always

play and laughter

among bold men,

where the warriors sit

in the beer hall,

happily together.

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Perthro?

2) How do you utilize this rune in your practice?

3) If Perthro has presented itself in your rune work or castings, how have you seen its energy manifested, or experienced its impact?

Rune Post #14: Eihwaz

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Eihwaz, the thirteenth rune of the Elder Futhark, and fifth in the second aett.

Eihwaz translates to "Yew," and connects to themes of initiation, death mysteries, protection, and transformation.

Eihwaz is typically associated with Ullr, and the wood of the Yew was favored for bow-making due to its strength, flexibility, and magical protective qualities.

An Anglo Saxon rune poem reads:

The yew is a tree with rough bark,

hard and fast in the earth,

supported by its roots,

a guardian of flame and a joy

upon an estate.

Interestingly, an Old Icelandic rune poem reads:

Yew is a strung bow

and brittle iron

and Fárbauti of the arrow.

The latter portion is a reference to Loki's father, "cruel striker." The early Swedish philologist, Axel Kock, theorized that Fárbauti represented lightning (and his "arrow" set Laufey to flame, thus birthing wild fire = Loki). Both poems, then, have this reference to fire or flame. Thoughts?

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Eihwaz?

2) How do you utilize this rune in your practice?

3) If Eihwaz has presented itself in your rune work or castings, how have you seen its energy manifested, or experienced its impact?

Rune Study Post #10: Hagalaz

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Hagalaz, the ninth rune of the Elder Futhark, and first in the second aett.

Hagalaz translates to "hail stone," and connects to themes of disruption, bad weather, unexpected change, unpleasant (but ultimately positive) transformation, and the discomfort that accompanies growth and becoming. The hail falls, cold and harsh and even damaging at times, but when it melts the water nourishes the earth and encourages new seeds to grow. In its alternate form, Hagalaz appears a bit like a snowflake (as depicted in the card illustration shown below), and is said to contain the seeds of all other runes.

Power of the Runes deck by Voenix (US Games Systems)

An Old English rune poem* reads:

Hail is the whitest of grains,

it comes from high in heaven,

showers of wind hurl it,

then it turns to water.

An Old Icelandic rune poem* reads:

Hail is a cold grain,

and a shower of sleet,

and the destroyer of snakes.

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Hagalaz?

2) How do you utilize this rune in your practice?

3) If Hagalaz has presented itself in your rune work or castings, how have you seen its energy manifested, or experienced its impact?



*translation from Runecaster's Handbook by Edred Thorsson

Rune Study Post #1: Three Aettir

I have been facilitating a rune study "course" of sorts for a group of Heathen women, and have decided to post here as well in case the content is helpful for the broader community. The goal is to create discussion around the runes, to share knowledge and experience. In that light, please share your own relevant experience with runes for each post! I begin with a broad overview of the three aetts, and then continue on to discuss each rune in the Elder Futhark.

Image: ChaoseVIIn

Rune Post #1: Three Aettir

To start us off, I thought it would be helpful to take a step back and consider the entire runic alphabet and its structure. In the Elder Futhark, the 24 runes are divided into three families - aettir - of eight runes. Assigned to each family is a common title: the 1st is often called "Freyr/Freyja's aett," the 2nd "Heimdall's or Hagal's aett," and the 3rd "Tyr's aett." Each aett is considered to govern a particular process, and there is some variety in terms of definitions for each, including: creation/production (Aett 1); transformation/initiation/change (Aett 2); order/divinity (Aett 3). (Runic alphabets are referred to as "Futhark" due to the order of the first six runes in the 1st aett: fehu, uruz, thurisaz, ansuz, raidho, and kenaz).

For the sake of structure I'll be following the aettir when creating the rune posts, moving next to Fehu, and ending ultimately with Othala. (Incidentally, for those new to runes, dividing them into their respective families may help with learning and retention!)

Questions for consideration: 

1) Do you recognize/find value in the attire?

2) Does your understanding of them differ from what is included in this post, and if so, in what ways?

3) How do you incorporate them into your practice?

4) If you don't use them, why don't you?

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.

The Gods and Orishas: On Fate, Destiny, and Free Will

In the world of divination, the concept of fate, destiny, and free will is commonly discussed. Can we know the future? Is the future set in stone? Do we create our own future? How able are we to influence or change what is foreseen in the cards?

Opinions surrounding this topic vary from reader to reader. My own perspective is informed both by personal experience and by the sacred stories of the two religions that live in my heart: Ifá/Santería, and the Northern Tradition.

Destiny, in a general sense, is actually treated quite similarly within both religious frameworks, and my own experiences in divination reflect the complexities and mysteries present there.

Elekes and mjölnir

To start, I’ll recap the story of Baldr’s death, as per the Poetic Edda:

Frigg, wife of Odin, is said to weave Wyrd (the Anglo-Saxon term for the Norse "Urd"), to be a seeress who seldom speaks of what she knows. When her son Baldr begins to have dreams of his own death, Odin travels to Hela and raises a dead witch in order to ask about it. He sees that the hall of Hela seems to be prepared to receive a new soul, and the witch confirms that they are waiting for Baldr. When Odin tells Frigg what he learned, she travels the worlds securing oaths from all things big and small that they will not cause Baldr’s death. Even though she is a seeress she still does what she can to prevent that tragedy from occurring. And yet she fails to secure an oath from mistletoe because she feels that it is too unassuming to be a real danger. Loki ends up using his notoriously deceptive means to learn of this. Later, when the Gods are playing a (really dumb) game to see how, when thrown at him, axes and arrows and swords fail to hurt Baldr, Loki gives a mistletoe dart to the blind God Hödur. Of course, when he throws it, Baldr falls dead. Even then Frigg sends another son to Hela to ask if there is any way to send Baldr back from the dead, and Hela says that if Frigg can prove that all beings in existence weep for Baldr, then she will release him back to the living. But there is one creature who refuses to cry: Loki (yet again) in disguise, and so Baldr stays put in Hela until after Ragnarök.

What this story shows is how inevitable some events are. Frigg is a seeress and that (of course) doesn’t stop her from doing all she can to try to prevent the death of her son. And despite all of her remarkable efforts, she loses him anyway. (There is a greater part of the story here of course, in that after the world ends, Baldr is released from Hela to bring light, peace, and love to the worlds once again. In that sense, Baldr’s death had a greater ultimate purpose for the well-being of the universe.)

In Wyrd, there are things that make up certain aspects of your destiny that you are bound to, that are unlikely to be greatly altered no matter what you might do. There are other aspects of your future that you live out according to your past: the consequences of your own actions, for good or for bad. And within Wyrd there is some room to improve your Wyrd, to influence your own path, whether that be through actions taken, or “simply” by an alteration of perspective. Interestingly, even the Gods, who we often assume to be omnipotent, are at the mercy of Wyrd (as we see with Baldr and Frigg).

Similarly, in Ifá, there is the concept of orí, which is one’s personal destiny, connection to divinity – in a sense it is the part of each person that is an orisha, that is holy. There is also Orí, a divine being that “owns” all orís. Like Wyrd, there are ways to live in “right relationship” with your own orí – to honor it, respect it, be open to it. And there are ways to influence your destiny via “being seen by Orula” – mirarse con Orula (a consultation with a babalawo) - whereby you may be instructed to tend to particular orishas, to your ancestors, to your orí, even to such things as the cleanliness of your home, in order to improve your overall environment, and invite better fortune. And like the Northern Tradition, one’s own orí trumps the influence and intercession of the orishas. There is a sacred story that tells of a man being dragged by the foot through a village by his own orí. He shouted for Chango to come help him. When Chango heard the man’s calls he came running, weapon in hand, prepared to fight in the man’s defense. But when Chango saw that it was the man’s own orí that had hold of him, he knew there was nothing he could do, and he went back home.

These stories and myths suggest that there are many layers to our future, to our destiny, to time as a whole (which is decidedly non-linear). Some aspects may not be significantly changeable, no matter what we do to influence them. Other aspects relate to our own free will – the choices we make in life, the attitudes with which we approach the circumstances that arise on our paths. Our ultimate freedom lies within our own perception. There is great power in that.

In the Havamal, stanzas 55-56, Odin (who won the wisdom of the runes) says: “You should be only a little wise, never too wise. A wise man’s heart is seldom glad, if he’s truly wise; You should be only a little wise, never too wise. It’s best not to know your fate beforehand; you’ll live happier if you don’t.”*

I get that. Sometimes I just don’t want to know. I’ve had experiences where I have seen the future laid out the cards, and it’s not always a pleasant experience, though my experiences have differed according to the degree of event foreseen. Once I saw a minor money glitch in a line of Lenormand that helped me prevent an overdraft fee – that was ultimately a good thing, and I was able to change the outcome there (though it could be considered relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of things). Another time (recently, in fact) I saw that a person that I was in the process of hiring would ultimately be denied at the last moment due to the school’s financial constraints. That was not at all what I wanted or hoped to happen, but seeing that gave me the opportunity to consider alternatives, and to get used to the idea, and by the time the official announcement was made I was feeling perfectly okay with it all. In that case I couldn’t change the outcome, but was able to receive it with a positive attitude. In yet another instance I saw the illness of a friend’s mother in the cards, about three months prior to it coming about. In that case I was troubled by it because there was really nothing that could be done, other than perhaps to prepare financially for a visit (in this case you couldn’t really even be “positive” about it, so it was unpleasant all the way around). Odin’s advice is sensible because, as in the case of Frigg, even the wisest of individuals can struggle at times to come to terms with unpleasant outcomes.

And as a card reader, my general sense of things is that many clients don’t know how to process undesired future possibilities (though that usually doesn’t prevent them from asking). These days, when reading for others, I tend to place the greatest emphasis on the past and the present, above all. Setting aside the idea of those future events that may be inevitable, there is space to positively influence our own lives, right now. By understanding the past, the root of our current dilemmas, and by looking at ways to embrace our own agency – our power over our present – we accept our responsibility to ourselves and our communities, we invite in growth and evolution, we honor our orí, and we work to improve our Wyrd.

My uncle said, over 20 years ago: “Attitude is everything.” It etched itself on my psyche and I’ve never forgotten it. Our greatest and truest sense of “free will” lies in our willingness to invite in new perspectives, to see the grace in challenging circumstances – to be positive even when it would be simpler to be otherwise. It is hard, at times, but therein lies our deepest power.





*Translation by Jackson Crawford, 2015.

Tarot Isn't A Quick-Fix

A fellow reader broached a topic today that highlighted something that's been on my mind for a while of late: that identifying an issue doesn't automatically fix it.

There are a million uses for Tarot (and divination, in general) from fortune telling, to spiritual guidance, to personal development, to gaining insights for practical decision-making, and on and on. All of these have a valuable place in the divination spectrum. As a reader I've found that by far the most powerful function of Tarot is for exploring the Self, and using insights and knowledge to make positive changes, spark thoughtful introspection, and generally making us all better, happier, stronger, and more peaceful human beings.

"Descent" by Jorge Garza

I've also found that many people (most definitely not all, nor the majority) that seek out readings on significant matters in their lives are not looking for or interested in personal growth or development; rather they're looking for fast and simple solutions to complex issues, or even simply interested in hearing that their deepest desires will come to pass, with little-to-no effort on their part (and as a side note, there are definitely "readers" out there in the business of telling clients only what they want to hear - it's not just an issue related to the impulses of a subsection of seekers, by any means). I am not entirely certain why this is, but I do notice it, and I'm curious about the phenomenon.

Tarot can be a powerfully meaningful catalyst for real, positive change. But real change is hard work. The most enriching use for Tarot is for self improvement, yet even for those people who are open-minded, honest, and dedicated to improving their lives, making lasting changes can be challenge. Tarot isn't meant to be a quick-fix. Durable change takes time and persistent effort, a willingness to delve into personal weaknesses, fears, and shadows, to shed light on what needs to be healed or strengthened or honored. It creates space for forgiveness and empowerment. This is the heart and soul of Tarot, and what makes it such a precious tool.

Some seekers are not interested in identifying areas for growth. And even knowing what needs attention is not always enough. If you're willing to do the work, however, Tarot can help create wholeness and nurture wisdom. That, for me, is ultimately what it's all about.

3x3x3 Witchy Tag, Or: My Favorite Things

Chloe from Inner Whispers recently posted a video called the "3x3x3 Witchy Tag," where practitioners of the magical arts (I'm casting a wide net here) vlog about their favorite "witchy" things in terms of three categories: 1) favorite herbs, 2) favorite stones or crystals, and 3) favorite "witchy" activities. I enjoyed listening to her discuss her choices, and was inspired to participate by sharing my own!

I will say that, as I'm sure is true for everyone asked to narrow down their preferences, or sum up their practices, this was a difficult challenge. And really this post is just the tip of the iceberg. However I'm going to give this a go, so here we go!

My Three Favorite Herbs

I'm adding a little disclaimer here, because there are so many herbs I love and use that narrowing them down to three is nearly impossible. There are herbs I tend to use more for rootwork, and there are herbs I use more often for making healing teas, or oils. I decided to highlight the the latter for this post. And I'm cheating here, I know, but I'm just going to say that garlic must go at the top of my list - perhaps I'll honor it with being Number Zero. I use garlic for warding off colds and flu by drinking it raw with orange juice and cayenne. I cook with it. It's useful for treating ear infections when combined with olive oil and used as drops in the ear. It's wonderful for the heart. There is just no excuse not to have garlic in your cupboard at all times. Now on to the next three.....

Dried rosemary and lemon balm

1) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalus)

First of all, rosemary just makes me feel content. The aroma alone is deeply satisfying for me, and I often go out into my garden simply to run my hand through my rosemary bush and inhale the lingering scent from my skin. As with garlic, I sometimes cook with rosemary; I suppose that's a given. But it's also a great tea, especially when dealing with respiratory issues, as it's an anti-inflammatory. Rosemary can help relieve headaches, and as a wash it's great for the hair. You can use it to increase circulation and to help with muscle and join pain (arthritis, for example). This herb helps improve memory and relieve menstrual cramps (it's an antioxidant). In magic it's often used to help increase feminine power, cleansing, and for protection.

2) Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalus)

Lemon Balm smells pretty amazing, too, and is a great herb for calming anxiety, frayed nerves, and mild depression. You can drink it as an infusion to treat indigestion, as well as for colds and coughs. In fact this is one of the core ingredients in my anti-cold tea because it has antiviral and antibacterial properties! I don't tend to use this herb for magical anything, though some do for healing and sometimes love purposes.

Dried elder berries

3) Elder (Sambucus nigra)

Elder berries and flowers form a core part of my herbal medicine cabinet. Both are useful for fighting colds and coughs, and for fighting allergies. With antiviral properties, it's another major component in my anti-cold infusions, and it has such a lovely, subtle flavor. Some people just use flowers for this purpose, or only use berries for tinctures, syrups, or cordials, but I like using them together; the flowers are gentle and light, and the berries rehydrate and release their deep purple essence during the steeping process, which I love. Elder can be used to treat eye inflammation as well as arthritis. It's a diaphoretic and stimulant so it increases the efficiency of the body's systems, and helps increase perspiration which is an effective body cleanser. I feel like Elder is a loving mother, always ready with arms wide open. She's gentle and soothing, which is also why I find this herb a wonderful addition to herbal baths for the purpose of emotional healing.

Dried elder flowers

My Three Favorite Stones/Crystals

Of course I have more than three that I value highly, but these three are definitely core staples!

1) Quartz

Pretty much all quartz, though I do love clear quartz and quartz crystals. I also love snow quartz. Quartz is an amplifier and indispensable for healing and transmitting. Crystals can be programmed for specific purposes, and can hold energy. I found my first crystal at a nature/science store when I was probably thirteen, and I fell in love. I had heard that you should try not to let people hold your crystal because as they hold energy, the ideal situation is that your quartz is imbued with your essence rather than a hodgepodge of random energies. So my crystal has only ever been held by me (since the original purchase, naturally), thereby having accrued about 22 years of Essence of Olivia. Quartz is one of the stones associated with the sign of Capricorn, which was another initial draw for me. Quartz can help amplify the properties of other stones, and in particular I love combining it with black tourmaline, another one on my top three list!

Varieties of quartz

2) Black Tourmaline

I originally bought this stone for the sensations it gave me when I held it. Later I researched its properties and it all made sense! I came across this stone at a witchy shop. I had heard of it before though hadn't thought much about it, but as I was browsing it drew my attention. These dark jewels seemed to be almost glowing with powerful energy. I picked one up and immediately felt my crown start to buzz. The feeling I had was sort of a combination of relief and satisfaction, something like how it feels to lay down on the floor or bed and totally stretch every part of your body. It was awesome. I thought it would be amazing to dive into a bathtub full of black tourmaline and stay a while. Later I learned that  this stone is powerful for protection and deflection of negativity, as well as for transforming ill vibrations into positive ones. You can actually use black tourmaline to protect yourself against the electromagnetic emissions from computers and cell phones due to its natural electrical current. That is pretty amazing all by itself. So even if you're not into magic, here's a really sensible, practical reason to acquire this wonderful stone! Another side effect of black tourmaline's electrical charge is that it helps connect the energy sources/chakras throughout the body, increasing and smoothing the flow. This is great for everyone, really, but especially for healers.

3) Apophyllite 

I wrote about my experiences with this wonderful crystal in September of last year and I've hyperlinked the previous text in case you're interested in reading more about it. Suffice it to say that my dreams are stunning, clear, and educational!

Apophyllite and Black Tourmaline

My Three Favorite Witchy Activities

1) Spending time in nature

I would imagine that this would apply to most people. It has been my favorite thing to do ever since I can remember, and in fact as a pre-teen I spent long hours alone in the forest across the street from my house, picking raspberries, building living-wood shelters, looking for raccoon prints by the river shore, observing deer and fox. It was pretty wonderful. This is still something I can't do without, and one of my regular, favorite things to do is simply stroll around the neighborhood, watching the breeze move the tree leaves, noticing how the sunlight filters through palm branches, taking in the smells of backyard fires, grass, moist earth. This morning I spent about a half hour taking pictures in my back yard; this time of year the sun hits all the sweet spots, so the early hours of the morning are especially lovely. And one way I love interacting with nature is through tending my herb garden!

Gardenia bush in my back yard

2) Helping people via herbs and other natural things

Some of the most satisfying things I do are: make healing teas for my loved ones; do work to help those I care about to heal, attract new opportunities, or repel negativity; create spiritual/cleansing baths for the home or body; and the list goes on! Watching my child laid up on the couch with a nasty virus is difficult, but spending thirty minutes crafting a soothing medicinal infusion and then slowly watching the symptoms ease, is very fulfilling and empowering.

3) Divining

It would be entirely remiss of me not to put this in the top three activities, because divination is an important facet of my life (and hey, it's the main theme of this blog). Not a single day goes by that I don't divine in some fashion, for some purpose, whether with cards or with runes, or sometimes with both. It's an art; it takes patience and dedication, and an open heart. In short, it's wonderful.

So with that I conclude my 3x3x3 Witchy Tag. If you're a witch, rootworker, conjurer, diviner, herbalist, or anyone at all, really.....consider yourself tagged!

Tarot Tip: Reading for Yourself

Card readers seems to differ on the topic of reading for oneself - some feel it's not appropriate (for a variety of reasons) whereas others thoroughly enjoy and benefit from self-readings, and see them as a tool for self-empowerment. It's true that depending on the topic it can be hard to be objective, but I tend to fall in the "it's a wonderful thing to do" camp. Some of my deepest, most touching, and most brutally honest readings have been those I've done for myself.

The Queen of Cups: self-reading since 1450A.D.
Golden Tarot - Kat Black

Here are some tips to make the self-reading practice as nurturing and nourishing (and fair!) as possible:

1) Feel free to read on emotionally-charged issues, but use wisdom! Don't automatically write off weighty self-readings under the assumption that you will never be able to be fair with yourself. Yes, it's easy to misinterpret the cards either way due to subjectivity. You may see a line of challenging cards and convince yourself that D-Day has arrived, or toward the other extreme, you may view them with rose-colored glasses. You may even look for the "catch" in a group of very positive and affirming cards. But before giving up on your ability to understand your own cards clearly and justly, consider this: "If I were doing this reading for a client, what would I say to them?" If you can separate your own fears and judgements from your cards, you may find a powerful message waiting there for you.

2) Don't read for yourself if you're expecting, or needing, to hear a particular answer. (This goes for everyone considering getting any kind of divinatory reading!) The cards tell you what you need to hear, not always what you want to hear. You already know this, and it's far easier to acknowledge that fact when reading for other people. When it's yourself, it can be more challenging. So if you feel you can't handle a certain outcome, don't read for yourself. Take time to work through your feelings and thoughts. If you get to a point when you feel you can be open, then give it a whirl!

3) If you pull a card for yourself and it doesn't immediately make sense, don't dismiss it right away. Give it some time, consider the essence of the card, and what the image is conveying. Let it percolate, as they say. You may be surprised as you recognize an aspect of your feelings or the context of your situation that are important and real, but hadn't been at the forefront of your mind, or you hadn't considered before.

4) Not all questions have to be high-stakes. One of my favorite questions to ask the cards for myself is: how am I feeling about X (insert topic here)? It may seem silly, or like it should be obvious, but simple self-readings such as this can be very illuminating, and can help you to pay attention to important elements of your inner world that you may have been neglecting. Tarot is a great tool for self-awareness and guidance, and that's true as much for the small things as it is for the big things.

5) When in doubt, feel free to request a reading from an impartial reader! Reading for yourself can be a deeply rewarding experience, and can be a great way to grow both in relationship to the cards, and in relationship to your Self. But if you really want some insight about something important in your life and don't feel you can be objective, it's an act of wisdom to recognize that and to reach out to someone else.

Drawing the World

It's been a long time since I've posted a daily draw, but today felt like a good day for it. It's Memorial Day and everyone's home (no work, no school). The sun is shining and it's gearing up to be a fairly hot and humid day, perfect for watching the little ones throw themselves down the long length of slip-n-slide in the back yard later. Our second radish was pulled from the ground yesterday by Isabella, and ended up in our dinner salad (what a lovely flavor!). The tomato plants are beginning to show some small blossoms, promising fruit to come soon. I mowed part of the lawn yesterday, but Jorge and I agreed to leave a patch of wildflowers along the back fence for the bees.

So with all this nurturing earth energy on my mind, it was so fitting to have drawn XXI Gaia the World, from the Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert! She's layered many symbols in this card: Tibetan prayer flags, cleansing herbs, the butterfly, four creatures representing the four elements and directions (traditionally this depicts the four fixed astrological signs). And there is the Earth being embraced by the goddess Gaia at the heart of it all.

A card of completion, coming full circle, synthesis and integration, this card calls me to ponder what cycles in my life are reaching this stage at this moment….

This morning my youngest daughter was considering what she wanted to have for breakfast when she suddenly squealed, "It's the first day of the last week of school!!" She and my older daughter have just two short days of school left before officially beginning summer vacation, and they're so excited. My older daughter, Isabella, is finishing middle school and will be heading off to high school in just a few months. Talk about transition! It seems like yesterday that she was exhilarated to be a new sixth grader, feeling the prestige of a new label of "middle schooler," and suddenly that chapter is closing and a new, important one is on the cusp of being born. My younger daughter has had a great year in first grade, and has really adored her teacher, Ms. S. I thought it would be bittersweet for her as she brought home all of her tools and notebooks after clearing out her desk, but she's excited to be moving up to second grade. She loves school, and can't wait to see what's next.

Thus our house-cycle is coming to a close, as well. Most parents will agree that the true "New Year" is when the school year comes to an end. That's when things really change! The kids are at home every day (or at camp), so in important ways the subtle rhythms of life alter. In a few weeks' time we'll be driving our kids to their grandparents' house several states away, dropping them off to spend a month, enjoying an assortment of adventures.

The heavens are also coming full circle. Just this morning I was gazing out the kitchen window and noticed the sunlight shining through a patch of bushes along the east side of the back yard. I remember blogging about this last year, because the sun's position only allows for this to happen for a short time each year, usually right around late-May to late-June - Litha time. The sunlight seems to create a temporary door, like a portal to another dimension. It only lasts for perhaps 30 minutes, early each morning, before disappearing again, and I look forward to seeing it as I go through the motions of making my morning coffee.

Even with divination I'm experiencing a full circle. It was about this time last year that I leapt into professional reading and blogging about that journey. It's been a wonderful, rewarding year of reading for people all across the planet, exploring a wide variety of decks, jumping into Lenormand study, and joining in an international divination community which has provided endless opportunities to learn, share, and network. It's affirming that the close of this divination year should be punctuated by my experience as a guest on Christiana's Psychic Café - and that the show should air on International Tarot Day! It was almost a year ago, as well, that I joined the Tarot Blog Hop circle, and it's just now that I'm no longer "just" a participant, but a "wrangler" as well, for this June's Litha hop.

Finally, it's been a year of unexpected and important spiritual growth and awakening for me. I'm not a Wicca practitioner (though I suppose I practice some sort of "craft") but when I dove so intently and intentionally back into my spiritual practice last year, I held in my mind and heart the idea of "a year and a day" of study. My year and a day is almost up, and I find myself reviewing what I've learned, how it has impacted me on a variety of different levels, and how I will continue and build on this work moving forward. I hadn't thought of celebrating this in any way, but maybe, just maybe, I will.

Doing the Work

Divination can be a very powerful catalyst for change. Through this medium we can learn more about ourselves and gain insights into important areas of our lives, can come to understand how our decisions impact our environment, and can prepare ourselves to confront the varying ways that our paths may unfold before us. This can be extremely empowering and meaningful.

But laying out the cards is the easy part. There is a saying: "It's easier said than done," and I find myself at times playing those words through my mind, and even sometimes speaking them aloud to my clients. I love doing readings that empower people to confront important decisions, to take responsibility for their role in their own lives, and ultimately to become happier, healthier, more spiritually balanced human beings. But I can't do the work for anyone else. At best I lay the cards, speak the story, and hope that my clients then find a way to manifest it in a manner that works most effectively for them (and I'm always happy to help them brainstorm those manners if they so desire).

Photo credit: Jorge D'Strades

I encourage all those seeking wisdom from any oracle to ask themselves if they're willing to do the work necessary to embody the message they receive. Identifying areas for growth and development can be done quite effectively, but that's just the first step. There's another saying: "Knowing is half the battle." It's good to know, but it's not enough. Acting on that knowledge is the hard part, and it's the critical step. To make the most of your reading, be willing to consider the steps you can take to address your core concerns, and be sure that the focus is always on yourself - what you can do, what you can nurture, what you can change, what you can impact, what you can release.

Make a plan of action, even if your to-do list is short and simple. It's a start! Don't overcomplicate the matter, feeling that if you don't see results immediately then you may as well give up. You might compare it to losing weight: you know you need to lose 50 pounds, and that if you do so you'll improve your overall health and well-being. If you try to "go big" and hit the gym six days a week, and cut out all fats and carbs, you'll last about a week and then throw in the towel. It's not sustainable, nor is it fair to you. So you start small. When you feel like munching, you grab the carrot sticks and dressing rather than a bag of chips. When you're feeling sleepy you take a stroll around the block instead of a nap. You don't change your diet radically, but you might start to take smaller portions at each meal. And little by little the weight starts to come off, and you might even find that those little changes feel really good, even if they're a bit uncomfortable at first, and healthier choices become your innate preference rather than a mindful action.

So don't let your reading become an entry in your journal that you never look at, or a distant memory, or an email that gets lost in your inbox. Use it as a blueprint for manifesting a more positive path forward, tack it on your fridge, make it your computer wallpaper, post it on your bathroom mirror….use it!

Diviner's Tea

About a year ago I took an "herbal magick" class and one of the gems I took away from it was a recipe (of sorts) for a divination tea. This is a tea to be used for anyone who works in divination in any capacity - runes, cards, pendulums, tea leaves, I Ching, geomancy, bones, whatever your pleasure. It's meant to help expand your perception, become more sensitive to the energies around you and the client being read, increase your ability to receive and recognize messages, and make important connections.

L-R: Eyebright, Peppermint and Mugwort

The three main ingredients in this version of Diviner's Tea are: eyebright, peppermint, and mugwort. You mix them in equal proportions into a tea steeper of your choice, and let it sit in very hot water for 3-5 minutes. Mix with your preferred sweetener (if you like one) and you're good to go!

The peppermint is mainly used to impart a lovely flavor (mugwort and eyebright aren't bad tasting but also aren't really amazing on their own). Thus you are welcome to replace peppermint with green or black tea to serve as a base as well.  As for where to purchase such herbs, I've acquired the herbs in this photo quite inexpensively from a local metaphysical shop, but you may also find them online if you happen to live in an area that doesn't have them readily available.

I've brewed this combination only once, and it was very nice with a bit of honey. I've heard that it's particularly good for diviners sitting at fairs or festivals for a long day of readings, but it would be good at any time at all.

Family Lines: Divination and Spirit

My mother is a Tarot reader. She is very intuitive and clairvoyant, and while she doesn't read professionally, she's always read for family and friends. Listening to her give readings with the Mythic Tarot when I was a kid is a lovely memory for me (I blogged a bit about that here). I had a good laugh the other day upon reading one of her Facebook status updates that went something like this: "I was really worried about my lost cell phone so while I was at the salon getting my hair done I did a Tarot reading. The cards told me to stop worrying about it because it would turn up. So I did, and it did!" The image of her sitting in a hair dresser's booth doing a reading about her lost phone was priceless. (And I'm really curious as to what her hair dresser thought!!).

But as I was thinking (and laughing) about this incident, the value and beauty of having this connection with my mother was not lost on me. My mother's family is predominantly from Calabria, Italy, and she grew up in southern Italy, splitting her time between Naples and Palermo. I remember that she used to describe southern Italian Catholicism as "pagan Catholicism," which always had an excitingly subversive feel to it.  She rejected the sense of male dominance in the Catholic church, but always held a deep affinity for Mary, and she has an entire wall of her kitchen dedicated to images of the Virgin and Child. Really, this "pagan Catholicism" was just syncretism, where an older religion or spirituality has been woven into the dominant belief and practice of the region. Common people never stopped believing in things like the evil eye, or seeking remedies for it. During one of my mother's visits home she brought me back a cornicello - a small red horn used to ward off the malocchio, which is a common talisman.

Cornicello

It was also my mother who introduced me to Tarot and oracles as a kid. It wasn't a formal introduction, it was just "there." She would read for me on occasion, or for friends, or sometimes other family members. Her cards always felt like a great mystery to me, and in my younger days I stuck to learning her animal oracle deck, which I adored. Tarot study, for me, would come later.

One of my most powerful memories with my mother (in terms of spirituality) was the night she took me to a ceremony when I was maybe 13 or 14. It was held at a social justice and environmentalism center outside of the city where we lived, deep in the heart of a forest. I honestly can't say I know what the ceremony was about or what the purpose was. What I do remember was being amazed at the powerful energy that united all of the people in the circle. At one point we were all chanting, and we started out very loudly, and at some point we all naturally started chanting more and more softly, until at the exact same moment we all stopped. It was about at that moment that I snapped "awake" and realized that I had been in some sort of altered consciousness with everyone else. I was in awe at how everyone seemed to be so connected, and it was all non-verbal. Later we all sat and ate together in potluck style, and I remember telling someone about a strange and striking daytime vision I'd had, and he was the first person not to look at me like I was a little crazy.*

I grew up with the powerful, embracing spiritual openness of my mother (who also was involved in aspects of feminism and the Goddess movement), and also very entwined with indigenous American culture and spiritual practice (and the rusty, dusty, bittersweet reality of reservation life) which all impacted my development. I met my husband when I was 24 years old, and one of our instant connections was some sort of spiritual resonance. I remember the first native dance I brought him to, and how moved he was by the drumming. He said it felt that although he was sitting still, something inside of him was dancing. I guess that sealed it!

My husband was raised in Cuba and Santería was the spiritual practice he knew. His grandmother was a seer of sorts, a card reader who spoke frequently with "her spirits." When Jorge and I moved in together our respective alters sat side by side, a mix of Elegua's stone and shell face, metal tools of the Warriors, offerings, stones, abalone, sage and sweetgrass.

Dancer of Yemaya

Through my husband I came to know aspects of the orishas, and have introduced them to our own children. Today Santería is a home for me, and I have great love and respect for the orishas, who feel like my family, and the practices associated with this religion and spirituality. Ten years after we first moved in together Lukumí forms a central part of our household, and our Warriors sit side by side behind our front door, while my stones and sweetgrass decorate my boveda, in another part of the house. My husband is leaving in a few days for one of his periodic visits to see his mother, and he's made a special mission for himself - to find and bring back his grandmother's cards for me. I was touched and honored.

Two or three different branches, or lineages, of religion, spirituality and practice have converged in my household, and as the years pass, the union, and the nourishment it offers, becomes so much deeper. I'm happy to have this legacy to pass on to our children.


*The vision occurred when I was walking home from middle school with two friends. We came to a point in the walk where one friend would start heading off in another direction, so they stopped to chat for a minute. During their talk, I sat down on the grass by the curb to wait. I felt something strange in my pant leg, so I reached up and pulled out a hand full of earth worms, all cut up and writhing around. I was horrified and threw the handful down in the dead grass and jumped up and shouted to my friends what had happened. I thought they'd be horrified too, but the big shock came when they looked at me like I was insane - I wasn't expecting that. I looked down and there were no worms anywhere to be found. Then I realized it hadn't happened at all, at least in real life. I walked home in a daze, and wondered for a long time what the hell that was all about! Now I understand that earthworms are about the power of regeneration and growth and healing, which was an apt message for me at that time because my parents were going through a divorce. There may be more to it, but at any rate, it would have been wonderful to have understood that at the time.

Passing Down the Art

I grew up with a mother that read Tarot (and still does), and I'm enjoying the process of passing this art down to my kids. Every once in a while my oldest daughter (newly 14 years old) will pick up her phone and shortly thereafter I'll hear a shuffling sound emanating from it. "What are you doing?" I ask.... "My card of the day draw," she says. I think that through Tarot apps she's been studying on her own, under my radar.

Last night she was inspired to cook us all dinner based on recipes from a colonial American cookbook she received as a gift years ago. While she was cooking meatballs and potatoes and green beans I started to throw out card names and see what associations she could make with them. Knight of Wands, Strength, no problem. I thought I'd try and throw her a curve ball and I gave her the Lovers. I figured she'd say "love and romance" but her very first comment: "Choices." Awesome!

I asked her to tell me about the Chariot, thinking it was unlikely to be one she's familiar with, but she came at me with "focus, determination, moving forward." Okay I was feeling very proud at this point. We chatted about some further aspects of this card, and she nodded knowingly.

So I suggested we move to the Minor cards, and she said that she felt she understood the suit of Cups pretty well, so I had her go through them, starting at the Ace, and she killed it. It was fun to listen to her process. She would start talking about the card imagery she was seeing in her mind's eye, and drawing meaning from that: "The Three of Cups...well I know there are three people having a good time, there's food and drink, and they look happy. It's about celebration and having fun with people."
The only card she felt stuck on was the 5 of Cups, so I helped her to remember traditional images of the person staring down at three spilt cups, and she took it from there. "He's sad about what he lost but if he turns around he'll see that he still has some good things in his life." Did I mention that I'm a proud mama?? :-)

I asked how she felt about the other suits, and this was her answer, which made me laugh quite a bit: "Wands I'm sort of okay with, Pentacles I don't know very well, and Swords....bad things happen. 9 of Swords...ugh!"

So needless to say, she surprised me with how much she's been absorbing, and it was really moving to hear her talk about the cards so comfortably and naturally. I can't wait to see what kind of reader she'll be, and to see how the legacy of divination continues to be part of our family line as time goes on!

My Magical Tea Cup

There are many divination tools in this great big world of ours: cards, runes, bones, stones, candle wax drippings, crystal balls, scrying, and astrology, just to name a few.

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to try my hand at reading tea leaves. It sounds so quaint! In fact lately it most often brings to mind the two elderly ladies from the movie Coraline, who foresee “great danger” at the bottom of Coraline’s cup.

I’m always open to trying new things, especially new forms of divination, so I was all for it when my mentor presented the idea to me.  She said that normally you would actually drink the tea first, and then, when the last dregs remained, you’d flip the cup, swirl it around a few times, and then peer in to see what you could see. She wasn’t in the mood to drink tea, so she threw some peppermint leaves and a little bit of hot water into a couple of newly purchased white tea cups, and set them to steep for a few minutes. Once the leaves had rehydrated, she poured out most of the water (there wasn’t much to begin with) and flipped the cups – first one, then the other. She turned the saucers each three times, and then turned the cups right side up.  I spent some time gazing into my cup, and bit by bit started to make out some minute images… a palm tree…. a series of Ws….a gun…..as I revolved my cup I suddenly saw that I had a visitor perched on the edge of my cup: a crouching figure that very much appeared to be a Green Man.  That was pretty cool!  I was so pleased that I took a picture:

Green Man crouched in my tea cup!

Now palm tree, guns, Ws….all of these things hold little meaning for me, but the point of the practice is to grow accustomed to identifying symbols, and then associating them with various meanings, and then applying them to a particular context or issue in order to provide clarity and guidance.  In this way it’s much like card reading, where each of our cards holds a multitude of meanings, and on top of that endless intuitive meaning potential, and we allow these disparate elements to come together to create a meaningful story for our clients, based on their concerns and unique situations.

The Green Man, however, was pretty cool. This does hold meaning for me, as a representative of the deep connection I feel with nature, with forests, with trees, with the wild parts of our own human nature. So I was very pleased to see him sitting in my cup, poised to leap.

Wildwood Tarot
Mark Ryan, John Matthews, Will Worthington
Sterling Ethos, 2011

Tea reading was fun, though I’m not necessarily going to make it a focus of extensive studying at this time. Tarot itself is a never-ending journey, and recently I’ve added Lenormand to that.  Runes are high on my list, but I’m trying to pace myself!

If you try tea leaf reading, please feel free to share your experiences!