Lord and Lady in Druidcraft

"There is a value in discipline and routine to maintain the connection between your spiritual and your worldly life." - Druidcraft LWB

I've always liked the High Priest in the Druidcraft Tarot. I like that he makes the sign of the Horned God, and that there is a chalice and athame by his side, representing how the male and female are balanced in pagan spirituality. His throne is topped by horns, and overhead is the sun, as he is associated with the sun (and goddess energy with the moon). I know in this deck the Emperor is called The Lord and the Empress is called The Lady, but this guy seems more 'Lord' like to me. And as this stage of my life, I'm less attracted to depictions of youthful pregnant females as Goddess, I prefer the Strength card to represent Goddess, in this deck. Strength and High Priest are like Lady and Lord for me, in this deck.

Having said all that, today is the full moon, this first full moon since Samhain, and it is in Gemini. It is a time for words, and a time for seeing dualities. Let that inform any workings that take place in your practice tonight. :)

Blessed be!

Stability is the word of the day

A sense of emotional coolness or detachment at the personal level, combined with an emphasis on idealism: such is the nature of the cycle you are now entering. It's ideas that count for you now, more than narrowly personal concerns - and you may have little tolerance for people who do not operate at this level. The new, the unusual, the avant garde - these are the things that instinctively appeal to you. (http://www.cafeastrology.com/whenthemoonisin.html)

The Moon is in Aquarius today, a time when we feel a bit detached and want to intellectualise everything -- and don't suffer fools gladly. (Not unlike most days for me, then!)

Druidcraft Tarot 

At least I can see from my draw today that there won't be anything to much to disturb me. (Fingers crossed). The 4 of Wands is a card of stability, shown here as the hearth fire. Four is a number of steadiness -- 'Four does not change', as the playing card rhyme goes. And in each of the tarot suits, four stays the same -- in Wands the hearthfire glows, in Cups the feelings are calm, in Swords the thoughts are at rest, in Pentacles there's no income or outgo of physical or material activity. Four is almost like a kind of stasis. And sometimes stasis is good! 

We had some good news recently, that my husband's department will not be having any 'involuntary redundancies' (where I'm from we'd say 'nobody's getting laid off') and so that is a relief. We pretty much have to play it year by year, but as it was, we weren't sure if he'd be in a job come April 2016, so this is good news, and does indeed restore a much-needed sense of stability to our hearth fire. 

Yesterday I took the day off because my back was playing up and I spent most of the day alternating between hanging over a stability ball on my stomach and on my back. It's still a little sore and I'm going to have to be careful, but taking the day off to look after it has probably prevented me from doing myself a serious mischief. 

Hope everyone has a great day. :) 

Prepping for success

It's the last day of the big first week! I have one bit of induction today (an important bit, but it's still only 1.5 hours of the total day) and I hope to have the time to sit down with all the materials I've been given and start to map out the pattern of my work. What regular events/tasks do I have? How often do they occur? How can I best track what needs tracking? I'm hoping I will be left alone to get on with this prep work, which will make my workload simpler to manage once the tasks start for real.

The card points me toward the weekend, or perhaps the end of the day today: 'You can now start to take a break and appreciate the results of your hard work and effort,' says the companion book, which goes on to say, 'Once we have prepared the ground and planted the seed, we need to stand back and let the growing take place without further interference or worry.' That's the kind of work I hope to get done today.

I just can't wait to be king

Is it only Wednesday? Last night I went to sleep on the sofa and woke up a couple of hours later and still had my glasses on. After a bath I went to bed, presumably intending to read, because when I woke up this morning, my book was still lying on my leg. I guess I didn't stir all night!

Today's card from Druidcraft Tarot is King of Pentacles. My manager is back in today and I have meetings scheduled most of the day, so my time alone to sort things out is over. I think I've got my head around everything I've been given so far, so I believe I'm ready for the next things they show me. The companion book says the King of Pentacles can 'indicate the steady progress and success of a business, project or career' and that 'in other circumstances, it might symbolize a traditional, established organization or profession.'

My managers have been mentioned 'when you get your feet under the table,' and so drawing the King of Pentacles gives me hope that at least I am going to be able to recognize the table when I eventually find it! Now...where's that Walnut flower remedy...

Time to grow

Today will be less frantic, as my calendar is much clearer than yesterday's. I have only two meetings, then the rest of day I will be allowed to get on with reading my induction documents and sitting amongst members of my business unit, near my assigned buddy. I intend to make a study of the documents and create a list of questions for my manager, who will be away in another city on business for the whole of the afternoon. Fingers crossed that I will be left in peace to try to make sense of my role and work load.

The 9 of Pentacles from the Druidcraft Tarot is the card of the day. I love the lady in her pure white dress, with her bird of prey. She stands in a garden that is just enjoying the first flush of spring, which is unusual, as the 9 of Pentacles card often depicts lush harvest and the meaning is usually along the lines of reveling in one's accomplishments or the secure position of one's material life. 'Generally this card indicates a productive, active and settled life, which is self-assured and spiritually aware,' says the Druidcraft companion book. That's nice, particularly coupled with the early signs of life on the card, which I can't help of course but to relate to my new job. The card does seem to be pointing toward time and space to actually explore the early details of my role, and begin to see the buds of understanding come to life, which eventually will take shape in material reality. 'You may now have the opportunity to pursue solitary interests or paths you have previously be unable to explore' takes on an immediate meaning -- yesterday I was booked solid from 8.30 -5.00 with no time allowed for me to examine my materials or do any reflective thinking. Altogether, I'm unimpressed with the induction program that has been created for me, but there's nothing I can do about it but make the best of it. It will be nice to have the entire afternoon to myself to plow through and make sense of all these notes I was given yesterday and told to read!

Empty vessel

This week I'm drawing from the Druidcraft Tarot by Phillip Carr-Gomm and William Worthington.

It was a busy day today, the first day of my new job. I felt tired and overwhelmed, and this card reminded me to just take it all in and let it percolate inside. So that's what I did. I was an empty vessel, receiving -- much like the shape of the High Priestess's arms, which form a grail or cup shape to receive wisdom from the moon and the stars.

When I got home, I was knackered, my feet hurt and I was starving. I left the house at 7.35 am, got home at nearly 7 pm. This is going to be the case most days, so when I will ever find the time or inclination to work out again, who knows! But that, too, is something to worry about another day.

I drew all my cards for the week in advance, and funnily enough, the entire week after today is Pentacles -- not a big surprise considering my week will be dominated by learning the basics of a new job.

Tippy tables

The last draw of the week with Druidcraft Tarot (Carr-Gomm & Worthington) yields the 9 of Cups. It offers an interesting perspective on the card image. In the traditional RWS, we see a portly, self-satisfied looking fellow posing as for a portrait before a draped display surface on which are arrayed his collection of 9 golden chalices. But in this 9 of Cups, the man is sitting on his own at a banquet table laid out with nine cups and a fish. Is he alone in the banqueting hall? There's a tapestry across the hall that has a face on it which reminds me a bit of the Gundestrup Cauldron. I like the way it is weighed down with hagstones at the bottom. :) I can't help but notice the very dark space under the table by the man's feet, and wonder what could be lurking there. My eye seems to be continuously drawn to it this morning. And is the man looking at someone approach from the other side of the hall? Or is he imagining someone is there? Or does he just not care that no one else is there?

RWS

Life feels good for the man in this card, but there are all these hints that he may soon realize that something is missing. That's also part of the nature of the 9s, and all odd numbers in numerology. They are unstable, they are tippy. Unlike 2s, 4s or 8s, which are even numbers and thus have some stability behind them, the odd numbers by their nature cause imbalance and impetus to roll forward or fall back. Just think of the number of legs on a table. You can have 2, 4, 6, 8 and have a pretty stable table, but if you have 1, 3, 5, etc, it's likely to tip over. So with the Nine of Cups -- he's happy and fulfilled, but there's a sense it won't last. It's likely to tip into a new realization or new phase or new cycle.

BUT, for the moment, he's happy, and that sounds good to me for a Friday. (Even if it is Friday the 13th. See--there's that tippy bit!)

Ain't playing today

Struggle, challenge and obstacles are what the Druidcraft Tarot offers today (Carr-Gomm & Worthington, 2005). Well, yay. My favourites.

In this card we see a Celtic warrior, barefoot and shirtless, defending a hilltop position against a barrage of enemies attacking from below. He's in a good defensive position at the top of the hill, but he's on his own and not exactly fully armoured. It looks to me, though, like those guys below are more brandishing their spears and jeering than really attacking. I've always thought this card was more about defending one's position or standing one's ground, proving oneself in some way, rather than actually engaging in a full-on fight.

Well, but I don't want to defend my position, stand my ground or prove myself today. I just want to get through the day as quietly as possible and get home and make a pot of chili. So maybe this is me warding off all attempts to engage with me on any level today. Just can't be bothered to do more than give the message,'I don't want to talk about it. It doesn't matter to me. Just do whatever.' When I look at the card that way, he does seem to be crossing his wand across theirs as if to push them back without engaging them. Just a kind of shove. 'Get off!' He seems to be saying. 'I have more important things to do, like finding my robe and slippers and the remote control. Go home. Go pick a fight elsewhere.'

Sacred harvest?

Druidcraft Tarot, 2005

The Seven of Pentacles usually means 'patience' to me. It's harder for me to interpret this particular image from Druidcraft Tarot as patience, in contrast to the traditional RWS image of a farmer leaning on his hoe observing the plants, as though he's waiting for the right time to harvest. In this image, the Druid is actually cutting mistletoe. That doesn't seem like waiting patiently. In fact, the companion book (which I haven't actually looked at in years) suggests that this card is more about harvesting than waiting for harvest. 'You can now take a break and appreciate the results of all your hard work and effort.' But it then goes on to say,'Once we have prepared the ground and planted the seed, we need to stand back and let the growing take place without further interference or worrying. It's possible the harvest has not yet arrived, in which case the card counsels patience.' Ah ha! So the image doesn't necessarily reflect the meaning of the card in this instance. Because harvesting doesn't equate in my mind with waiting for the harvest! The card, then could mean harvest, waiting for the harvest, or -- the book goes on to suggest -- 'clearing out unnecessary clutter.' Hmm.

I'm not sure what I see in this card for me today. Apparently the mistletoe was held sacred by Druids because it grew high off the ground with no apparent roots, and since it had no obvious connection to the earth, was held sacred to the sun. That still doesn't really help me decide what this card has to do with my day today. So we see a Druid harvesting something he holds sacred. I must have a good think and do some observing today to see what 'sacred' thing I will end up harvesting. Or, what sacred thing I need to wait a bit longer before harvesting.  Hmm, a sacred thing. What could that be. OR, what unnecessary clutter do I need to clear out? Because I guess when you get right down to it, mistletoe is a parasite which the tree itself would consider unnecessary clutter! Surely this isn't pointing to the cookies again! Great, now those seven pentacles are looking like a plate of cookies, ha ha. Well, they've certainly been unnecessary clutter in my diet lately. Pfft.

Turn, turn, turn

The Princess of Cups is the card of the day from Druidcraft Tarot (Carr-Gomm and Worthington, 2005). First thing I notice is the orangey, autumnal leaves on the tree, and the golden glow in the sky in the background. Yesterday and today, I feel the first stirrings of autumn in the air. Yesterday there was a decided nip to the temperature, and today I woke up to pitch black and outside my window; in the gloom I can see the silhouette of trees blowing. I feel it may be a bit of a wet and wild day. I just checked the weather forecast and it says sunny spells with a high of 16 C. The season of fall and autumnal weather are the first things I think of when I see this card this morning.

Anyway, this decidedly autumnal scene surrounds a girl with flowing ginger hair and red and russet robes - more autumn colours - who stands barefoot beside a pool of water on a mossy rock, holding a cup. A circlet with a crescent moon sits on her forehead. She holds the cup up to her face with eyes closed. To me, I see her as feeling a deep communion with her surroundings. Her robes billow and her hair floats about her shoulders - maybe she is meditating upon the autumn breeze.

Hey, I just noticed a Green Man on the tree!! Look at the pattern of the ferns on the tree just by her right elbow. Ha!

This card suggests to me that I make the most of my time out doors today to notice the changing seasons. Autumn is my favourite season of the year, and it doesn't last long in this country. It isn't such a blaze of glory as in my native country, but it's there if you watch for it. :)

Overflow

Druidcraft, 2005

It's Monday and I've drawn Ace of Cups from the Druidcraft Tarot by Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm and Will Worthington (Connections 2005). This attractive card features a cup or grail, its base wider than its top, from which spills an endless supply of water. Indeed, it appears that this cup is the source of all water. This magical cup sits amidst the stream framed on all sides by the crescent moon, hazelnut tree,  leaping salmon, and flowing water.

I woke up this morning with feelings of judgement and condemnation about myself. It's weigh-in day. I am not happy with my weight, yet my behaviour has yet to change. But does judging and condemning myself cause my weight to magically be lower? My body size to magically be smaller? No, it just makes me feel bad, so that I'm both podgy AND unhappy. Why be both? What good does it do to condemn myself?

The Ace of Cups card reminds me today that from within myself I can bring forth the bitter waters of Marah, or I can offer myself sweet living water. The card shows the hazelnut and salmon, which are Druid symbols of wisdom. There is a type of wisdom that comes from the inner spring of love and acceptance, and of course that love and acceptance must start with the self. Funnily enough, I am reminded that one of the best ways to love and accept -- to feel good about-- oneself is to take the focus off oneself. So today's card reminds me of two things: 1) offer myself kindness and acceptance, but more importantly, 2) send that love and acceptance outward to others today, and by default I will find myself feeling better inside. The water flows outward from the cup to all the world. It doesn't just well up inside the cup and stay there.

Lots to do

Druidcraft, Carr-Gomm & Worthington 2005

Rough night. I kept dreaming I was at work. It wasn't a bad dream really, but I resent my sleeping hours being dominated by work when I have to devote so many of my waking hours to it. Hardly seems fair! I got up at 1.00 AM and ate a bowl of cereal (food sometimes helps with grounding, though that is the first time I've ever eaten in the middle of the night to stop a cycle of dreaming) and read a bit. Went back to bed determined not to dream same things again, and also got out my night guard (a bite splint to help relax the jaw and prevent sleep bruxism--it's not that uncomfortable to wear once you get used to it, but I still only use it when highly motivated), and my autosuggestion caused my eyes to pop wide open as soon as my dreams went back to the workplace. That happened two or three times and pleased me. I felt relieved that I could exercise some control over my own dreams.  I finally slept and had the strangest dream about a doll-like figure walking about called 'Silver Baby', wearing a silver onesy like it was made of kitchen foil. Some man driving a Ford KA tried to run the doll baby over and I threw an apple and hit him in the cheek, dragged him out of the car and proceeded to smack him in the face with my fists, like in a 1950s Western film. Really bizarre, but I'm pretty sure the baby comes from 'Big Baby' in Toy Story 3, which I watched for the first time the other day, and I found that character really scary! Plus we used to own a Ford KA. Where the details of the apple and the punching came from, who knows. Dreams are weird, but at least those weren't set in the workplace!

Anyway, today's card from the Druidcraft Tarot tells me that it's not going to be a day of sitting around for me today. In fact, I have a To Do list that I ought to take care of. I've got a reading for TABI waiting, and I need to work on my latest creative project, plus I've got my yoga, cardio-weights workout, and meditation to do. And I would like to finish a book I've been reading today, if I can. Then of course there's next week's blog entries to be prepared for, and as always plenty of house work. Not to mention three meals to be cooked. And food shopping to do!

Okay, now I'm starting to freak myself out a bit. I would like to get all these things done, but I know that the world will still be turning if I don't. At least the 8 of Pentacles card reminds me that what I do accomplish today will be of good quality, and is good practice for me in honing my important life skills, not just busy work. Besides which, seeing to daily tasks can be meditative and renewing. It depends on the attitude you approach them with.

Wishing everyone else a restful AND productive Sunday.

Boldly go

This week's deck is Druidcraft Tarot by Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm and Will Worthington (Connections, 2005).  My deck has been trimmed of inner and outer borders on all four sides. The deck is meant to reflect the concept of 'Druidcraft', a merging of the two main streams of the Western Pagan tradition, Druidry and Wicca. The art is characterized by Will Worthington's distinctive style. It is a deck beloved by many, and I am surprised to realize I've never done a week of daily draws with it.

Today's draw is the Captain Kirk of the tarot courts, the King of Wands. His pose reminds me of James T Kirk sitting in the captain's chair. This is a person who has supreme self-confidence, is a rule-breaker, a short-cut taker, and who is never willing to believe that failure is a possibility. He will save his ship and crew even if he has to risk the lives of every single one of them to do it. The phrase 'Never tell me the odds,' springs to mind, though that was uttered by a different cocky space pilot.

I guess it's pretty obvious where this energy will be needed today, as I go forth to work to attempt to marshal anywhere from 30-150 kids (no way to know how many)--not to mention their parents and all the little sibings-- through an awards ceremony and get them all back out the door again in 1.5 hours, to allow time for cleaning up and putting everything back in place before closing. All this while also attempting to carry on with the usual level of customer service elsewhere. At least there won't be any food or drink on offer, but I foresee many trips upstairs to use the staff loos. Once one goes, they all want to go, and we've been instructed we can't so no (having previously been instructed to always say no) after a customer complaint. Ah, the capricious nature of management as it kneels before the omnipotence of the customer comment form. Well, this will no doubt be the policy until the next time a kid trips on the stairs and splits his lip.

Anyway, I like this King of Wands. I like his funky little orange tartan MC Hammer trousers, his stringy red hair and his beefy forearms. Actually, in looks he's more like Ricardo Montalban as Khan than Fatty Shatner as Kirk. That's no bad thing!

Queen of Wands - on the flip side

Druidcraft

Okay, so here's the counterbalance to my rant about the Queen of Wands from the other day. There's nothing wrong with having an opinion about a card, you know, or a type of person. And just because we have a tendency to automatically think of certain traits when a card turns up (because after all, we are only human and we ALL see life through the veil of our own personality regardless of how objective or 'fair' we might think we are) that doesn't mean we shouldn't read for people who have opposite traits to ours. Anyway, we all know that each card has the full gamut of meaning, and that each card is actually present in our own personalities, however dormant. Yes, I've got some Queen of Wands in me--both her positive and shadow side.

So--here's the brighter side of the Queen of Wands.

As a fire card, she is proactive. She is not passive. She does not hesitate to take action. She is assertive. When she sees something she wants, she will go for it with gusto. She lives her life on her own terms, and is not cowed by niceties or expectations of others, if she doesn't see them as falling in line with her own ideas about what her life should be like.

My go-to decks

Tarot readers can be a capricious crowd when it comes to their decks. There are just so many to choose from, and all so luscious! But even the most fickle of us have our tried and true, and for me, here are my top three...

Number 3: Morgan Greer

Morgan Greer, 1979

This deck was first published in 1979 by Morgan Press, by artist Bill Greer and Lloyd Morgan. It is distinct in being one of the earliest borderless decks, and is noted for both its vivid coloring and its 70s-tastic sensibility. Predominately of  mustardy yellows, oranges, blues and greens, the deck could be made up of paint chips your mother used to decorate the lounge in 1973. Using the deck makes me want to put on a pair of flair-leg trousers and play a Joni Mitchell LP (vinyl of course!) Most of the characters are shown in close-up, with limpid-eyed women and luxuriantly mustachioed men. Flowers and vegetation abound--roses, lilies, oak leaves, acorns, lotus blossoms, grapevines, sunflowers, even the occasional palm tree. The deck is a straight talker, imminently readable and forthright. It is very popular and widely available.

I also have to add, this is my favourite deck to shuffle! The cardstock and size are just perfect for riffle shuffling and I can sit and shuffle this deck over and over and over and over...it's hypnotic!

Number 2: Anna K Tarot

AnnaK Tarot, 2008

 Self-published by Anna Klaffinger in 2008, this deck has developed a loyal fan base and following. The first edition is now out of print, but there are still copies available of the second edition (2010) at Anna's website and a few other online sources. When that sells out, chances are there will be no more copies of this lovely deck printed. Anna has said that the process is very trying, and I cannot imagine how much work and devotion is required to raise the money for and oversee such a project as this.

The deck is simply a joy to behold. Nearly borderless, the cards are remarkable for their complete lack of esoteric symbolism. While based on the Rider-Waite-Smith system, Anna has managed to reflect the meaning of the cards in scenes unlike any other RWS tarot deck. Her homely interpretations of the cards speak directly to daily life experience. The people depicted in the cards have been described as almost hobbit-like--a simple, earthy people going about the business of their daily lives. Anna is from Austria, and I can get a sense of the place, because there are several cards set in a cold climate, with snow abounding, and many of the cards are dark in coloration, reflecting the long winters there. All seasons of the year are well-represented in the deck, and the deck is dominated by yellow and dark blue. I can't really tell you how much I love this deck. It is a very special thing!

Number 1: Druidcraft 

Druidcraft, 2005

I have to say, though, that my number one go-to deck is the Druidcraft Tarot, by Stephanie & Phillip Carr-Gomm with art by Will Worthington. Published in 2005, it has remained a very popular deck amongst many readers.

To begin with, it is a very large deck, and may people trim off the outer and inner borders to create borderless cards. This makes the cards easier to handle. It is a very colorful and beautiful deck, filled with green, gold and blue. Nearly every card is set outdoors, with grass, wildlife, trees and stones. It is a so-called Celtic deck, and takes many of its card interpretations from Celtic lore and familiar setting on the British Isles and Ireland, such as New Grange in Ireland or the Long Man of Wilmington.

As with all my favourite decks, it is RWS based. I find the characters in this deck beautiful and endearing. They are bit more 'noble' than the hobbity characters in AnnaK's deck. One of the curiosities of the deck is the large feet on some characters, but I have noticed that most of the big-footed people are on cards that represent authority or power, such as Justice, Empress, queens and kings. There are many barefooted figures in these cards, suggesting, I suppose, connection to the earth. It is a self-consciously earth-based deck (ie, pagan) rather than an earthy deck, as with the AnnaK, and some people object to this as smacking of distastefully romanticised/sanitized neo-paganism. Well, it isn't nature red in tooth and claw or anything, but I don't care, I love this deck and find it wonderfully insightful.

At the moment I have some 25 or so other decks that I also use, but these are the ones I select when I need a clear answer with no messing about. I love them!