Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Beltane Contemplation with The Wildwood Tarot

Time is flying too fast for me. Beltane is already the beginning of Summer. Where did Spring go? This is a time of fertility for the animal and plant kingdom. Animals are procreating and flowers are pollinated so they can bear seeds and fruits. It is a lusty season for the wild and the free.
In the Wildwood we move from the period of the Arrows to the period of the Bows. This is a time of high energy levels which will reach their peak at midsummer. Bows represent willpower, creativity, spiritual pursuits and other “fiery” aspects of life J
The two Major Arcana cards which are representative for Beltane are The Forest Lovers (The Lovers) and Balance (Temperance).
We are invited to the handfasting of the Forest Lovers. They are speaking their vows and begin their commitment to each other. A new relationship is born. From two energies a third one comes into play, whether it is their child or the energy of this constant fluctuating togetherness. It is giving and taking, again and again; always changing, never the same. Each moment the Forest Lovers are creating their relationship over and over again. They are continuously seeking Balance which is the second card of this post.
Here we see two snakes intertwined. They’re coming together but they’re keeping their own identity/color. Always seeking the balance of life always moving and adjusting.  Together they look like the shape of the double helix of human DNA, the building block of life. The face carved in the rock at the bottom of the tree reminds us that in order for light to shine there has to be darkness to. In this darkness our greatest treasures are hidden which will restore the balance once again.
For me personal The Forest Lovers also represent the balance between the masculine and femine energies in every human being and in the Divine as a whole. Jung explains it as follows: “In the unconscious of the male, this archetype finds expression as a feminine inner personality: anima; equivalently, in the unconscious of the female it is expressed as a masculine inner personality: animus. The anima and animus can be identified as the totality of the unconscious feminine psychological qualities that a male possesses or the masculine ones possessed by the female, respectively”.

Maybe this year Beltane for me will be all about acknowledging and embracing my masculine aspects: my animus. Besides that I also want to create a more balanced image of my Gddess: to affirm She is feminine, masculine and probable so much more which I don’t know yet J

5 comments:

  1. My goodness, I can't believe Beltane is almost here! We have such a short Spring season here, I'm always sad to see it go. But I've seen the change in the temperatures, as it tops 80F each day of late.
    I was mulling over your post about the masculine and feminine, and it is the feminine I need more in my life. Stepdad #1 raised me to be full of anger and fight - the complete opposite of being receptive and nurturing. I do need that balance though - but it will take time to tone down that aggressive side to being assertive. Sometimes I feel like there is a sleeping tiger inside, and that scares me. I've just got to figure out how to make friends with it (and not let it eat me, lol).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since I am living separately from my husband I've been developing my masculine side bit by bit. I used to be all motherly and too soft. But now I am more focused decisive and determined. It is no tiger yet but a roaring cub.
      The way you describe your tiger reminds me of Strength. Embracing him fearlessly will calm him down, And when you pet him, he will surely purr :)

      Delete
  2. I love your description of our masculine and feminine sides fluctuating and intertwining, always together yet always separate. I feel I know both my masculine and feminine quite well, but perhaps alternate between them, rather than properly combining them. Always room for growth :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes there is. Maybe one they we will become fully human without the always dancing duality. Although, I like my inner ballroom. It makes life interesting :)

      Delete
    2. An inner ballroom - that sounds so lovely and elegant :)

      Delete