Year ahead spread July – Seven of Swords and Nauthiz

It has been a while since I’ve blogged about my rune and card for the month ahead but I wanted to pick it up again. Why now you might think; well perhaps because it is quite a challenging pair. The rune Nauthiz talks about need and necessity,  about being faced with obstacles and finding the courage to move forward despite the fear it might cause you. It is also a rune of shadow work, of receiving the opportunity to dive deeper into the uncharted territory of who we are.

When we combine this with the Seven of Swords from the Wild Unknown Tarot, it speaks about how this journey is a lonely one. Shadow work is an undertaking which we have to do all by ourselves and with ourselves. The fox (or “The lone wolf” as I often call this card) is protecting, hiding one of the seven swords. The other six are hanging over him. It is not that he only values this own sword but he is reluctant to share it with others. His findings are too fresh, too vulnerable. Sometimes we have to take the time to process what we have experienced, learned before we put it out in the world.

Perhaps this month I will be doing a lot of journaling,  meditating and walking to get a more clear perspective about what it is my soul wants to share with me. Perfect for the hotter days to come.

Soulcards and Runes – A perfect Match

Even though I didn’t intent to blog today, I had to write this post because my daily draw was definitely worth writing about.

For today I’ve used my runes and Soulcards 2.  Since the  two Soulcard decks don’t come with any keywords or guidebook, they can sometimes be a tiny bit overwhelming if you don’t have a specific question to ask. And I don’t know about you but I don’t have that many urgent questions early in the morning. So I thought I would be a good idea to let my runes decide the subject or question for my daily Soulcard and I pulled Nauthiz – need

So my question was: What do I need today”; what is an absolute necessity to make the most out of this day?” and I pulled my Soulcard and what a gorgeous card this is. Immediately words and phrases come to mind: creative fire,  Earth Mother, Queen of Wands, instinctual, listen to your intuition,  Brigid,  don’t gestate but give birth, embrace you feminine power, her sacral chakra and third eye are on fire….

I love it how she is actually on fire but she doesn’t get burned. It is the fire of creative encouragement, of inspirational power

For me today it means, I did write this post, I drew a picture of her in my tarot journal and I am going to  finish my Art journal page from yesterday… and… I have meditated this morning since I don’t know how long ago.

Have a fiery day everybody!!

The Need for Retreat

For today I’ve drawn the rune Nauthiz or Need and a clarifying card from Soul Cards 2.

Although it is officially Spring and the energy should feel  outward and exuberantly, it feels more like the beginning of a Dutch winter with rain, hail and snow. The heating works overtime and we are wearing cardigans and shawls to keep warm and feel comfortable.

The rune Nauthiz  is the rune of need and necessity and the desire to fulfill the lack we feel.  My Soul Card for today is telling me what it is that I need and believe me if I say it is not the first “retreat” card I got this week. This one in combination with Nauthiz gives me the feeling it is indeed necessary to take time for myself. Instead of filling this time with writing and reading, like I am used to, I could try to sit still and do nothing, not even meditate but just sit and be and let my mind wonder and make room for feelings too. 
Just like the woman who  is sheltered by the tree from the harsh winter wind. She is sitting there with her eyes closed not even noticing the curious deer/dog like animal. All the leaves have been blow away; every outdated thought  has been released to make room for new ones But not now, not yet. Now is the time to recuperate and replenish her soul. And all this while resting in the embrace of God(dess), the earth, the tree, the wind, her guardian and her (still hidden) heart’s desire.

Basho — 'Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself"

Nauthiz and the Knight of Cups - No need to walk on water

For today I have pulled the rune Nauthiz two times:  First on my Rune app and then, because it didn’t feel “real” enough, another  one from my rune pouch. Maybe apps are quite capable to tune into our energy field???

Anyway Nauthiz is the rune of troubles and poverty and of the need and strength to turn the tide. And that is when the Knight of Cups from the Shadowscapes Tarot starts riding the waves. His mount is a white unicorn, symbol of his purest intentions. The undines and sylphs are beckoning him towards the shining gold cup; his holy grail.

This is an admirable quality of this Knight but perhaps also his downfall. He might feel  the urge to keep on riding, searching, until he can hold this perfect Cup in his hands. The elementals are seemingly helping him but maybe they are also leading him away from his true purpose: to live in and enjoy the present moment.

This strive for perfection is an eternal ongoing quest and this might be blocking him from experiencing his daily small but also very significant accomplishments.

Today I will enjoy the present moment and receive the abundance of this day.

P.S. This afternoon I've been practicing with my new pens without the need of making a perfect drawing. I've just copied a picture from a fairy tale book and I had a lot of fun  doing so. And that is what matters the most

Judgement and Nauthiz - It’s a new day, it’s a new life and I am feeling good…

Today's card is Judgement from the Wild Unknown Tarot and the rune for today is Nauthiz. What a feeling of freedom I get when I look at this depiction of Judgement: A dove is flying high with wide spread wings, bursting free from darkness and heading towards the light. He is leaving behind the flock of dark black birds as a symbol of leaving behind our past mistakes, our fears and our harsh self-judging thoughts. The time has come for forgiveness. Not only for  the ones who have wronged us but most of all for ourselves. It is time to treat ourselves with  the same gentle and forgiving kindness we often give so abundantly to others in need.

This brings us to  the Rune Nauthiz which means literally means need. It urges us to identify with this white dove. It is time to let go of those dark brooding thoughts and to fly high to that place where is no need for anything but Love and to leave all the mental and physical obstacles behind. It stresses us to live in the present moment, being less needy and to be content with what is. This is a powerful Rune. When used for Rune magic it stands for the strength to cope with difficult situations and feelings of material or spiritual poverty.

For today I am going to be extra gentle with myself and I am going tot be mindful of how I address myself. I want my inner talk to be more empowering and loving.  Time for hiding in the dark is over: It time to embrace the true me; my inner white dove  :)