Saturday, April 1, 2017

Year Ahead Spread April – Jera and The Devil

My rune for April is Jera (harvest,year), which is the rune for cycles, the turning of the wheel, slow and steady development and karma.
 “What you sow you will reap” is a very fitting phrase for this rune.
So far it is looking quite promising but the card I pulled for this month seems much more challenging: The Devil from the Wild Unknown Tarot. For me the Devil has a  broad range of meanings. From honoring our sensuality and enjoying the physical  part of our life to serious cravings, addictions and obsessions. As most human beings,  I move between those two and encounter every other aspect of The Devil in in between.  For me he is not always “bad” or “sinful” but he is a seducer and it is often very tempting to  indulge ourselves
So how do these two fit together? Maybe The Devil will shake up the harmonious slow energy of the Jera a bit but Jera will keep me accountable  for every “slip” I make, how enjoyable it might have been.  Perhaps Jera  will also encourage me to pause before I give in and let me asses if it is really worth it. How often do we want to experience something very pleasurable only to regret it afterwards: eating that second piece of cake, buying the best deck ever, binch watching TV series etc. Jera  ask us to consider, before taking action, if we should indulge or restrain. And mind you this is not the same as living with a big “NO NO” in our mind. It tells us to be cautious but also to live a little. And Oh, if you think you have outwitted the Devil this time, Jera will make sure he is just a around the corner to try to tempt you again when you are expecting him the least
Of course I don’t now how this month will turn out but it feels like a interesting and probable exciting pair to work with.

16 comments:

  1. I find that when I check my motivation for doing something, it often tells me which side of that Devil I'm about to entertain. :)

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    1. Same here, if only I would be mindful enough to check in with myself when necessary :D

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  2. This is such a fitting combination! I can definitely relate to the urge to serve that second piece of cake, or bowl of ice cream. I suppose it's all about moderation as opposed to living in that 'NO' mindset, as you say. I did read once that people who allow themselves small amounts of sweets are often healthier than those who try to eliminate it altogether, only to cave in from time to time and eat far too much, or else give up altogether. Mindfulness is the key.

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    1. I suppose that is what Jera is here for: to teach me how to slow down and to focus on what is the underlying reason for acting. Most of the time we want to numb something but when we just want to enjoy ourselves I say: go for it!

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    2. This is a excellent nuanced version of the devil. Our responses are so conditioned by Christianity, duality dark and light heaven and hell madonna whore when real life lies between

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    3. Real life is more about those fifty shade of grey :)

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  3. Happy April. This is going to be a great month. Easter is in a couple weeks. Everything is happily growing and the birds are singing. Joyful is the word for Spring!

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    1. Thank you! I wish you a wonderful April too! Hugs

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  4. The Devil can also indicate being tied down by your own mindset. This combination could be letting you know April begins a new cycle in your life and to beware of hanging on to the old ways. :) Happy April!

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    1. Wow! Thank you Cher for this interpretation. This could be very true because I want to make some changes and/or create some new and more healthy habits. Committing to change has always been very difficult to me (Taurus)
      Happy April!!

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  5. It's interesting, Jera as a card of time, the time to sow and wait for the harvest. That Devil has burning feet, a need for everything to move fast, like a cat on a hot tin roof. Yet, if you can stand back and look at what you're doing, you can make better decisions. This pair asks me, "How can you cool your heels a little, to give yourself more space for good choices?" I've been trying a breathing exercise recently, which I do several times a day. It feels like it's helping - a quick way to calm down my fiery desires so I can choose more intelligently what will bring me the best harvest :)

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    1. Breathing is a perfect way to calm down. Perhaps haste is one of The Devils tricks, so we think we don't have time to oversee the consequences
      I am happy to hear you have been able to find some peace of mind amidst the turmoil of your day to day life
      Hugs

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  6. The Devil made me do it, eating that whole tub of Butter Pecan ice cream!

    Poor old goat is always the scapegoat. Pan's never been portrayed as evil, just in his natural state. But if I can look Pan in the face, and honestly accept with humility those aspects of my personality I'm not proud of, then I can release my creative power; otherwise I'll be in bondage to my own panic and disgust, because I ate all that ice cream.

    Which reminds me, I can't remember the last time I've had ice cream. I'm hoping it will be soon again, but this time round just a cone, not a tub. I can't have it in my freezer!

    We have a saying in A.A. about drinking. One's too many, and a thousand's never enough. Same for bowls of ice cream for me!

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    1. Haha At first I really thought you die eat ice cream!!
      Cones are often packed with eight in a box, which makes it very tempting for me to buy those.
      Not just for ice cream but also for chocolate, apple pie, crisps, whipped cream, etc etc etc :D

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