Jera and Soulcards 1 - Inner balancing Act

Today’s rune is Jera (year, cycle, harvest) and I was wondering what cyclical movement I needed to embrace and accept more.

From Soulcards 1 I pulled a card to give me an answer to this question. In this card we see a man en a woman standing back to back and holding each other by the hand. (Look how they almost resemble the rune itself). With their free hand they seem to welcome whatever comes their way. Together they are strong and firmly rooted in day to day’s life. Like The Lovers this card can represent a loving and supportive relationship with another person but for me today it is all about “Me Myself and I”. I wonder what part of me strengthens me, supports me and grounds me and how I should embrace this part more and let it into my daily life instead of ignoring it and underestimating its value. It feels like this card has to do with finding the balance between my masculine and feminine aspects, my Yin and my Yang. Like the turning of the seasons is based on the in and out breath of nature so are my Animus and Anima dancing around and with each other in a continuous movement of push and pull, to try to find an inner balance and to maintain it as good as possible.. For me it is also reminder to view the Divine as a integration of both these aspects. Nothing is complete without its counterpart and so we all keep searching, time and again for that which makes us whole.

A reading about energy-efficiency

Today is a bit of a Blah day. I don’t have much energy to do the things  I wanted to do. And those were fun things and not something like household chores. I even went to the gym to turn this downhearted feeling  around.  I did enjoy it but it did not have the result I aimed for so I decided to dedicate my daily draw to this dull and dreary Saturday.

My rune Kenaz told me there was something I needed to pay attention to, since this is the rune of fire, knowledge and clarity.  From Soulcards 2 I pulled a skeleton with an aura of yellow and red. It almost seemed like this skeleton was screaming in my head:  “Don’t you see, I am bone tired!” and I said: “You certainly don’t look that way, because you put a façade of knowing it all and being able to cope with everything  which comes your way!

Oops, that’s me all over. This perfectly ties back to my New Moon reading of September 1 and my ongoing quest to feel good. Today I realize (again) that  I don’t have to be creatively and intellectually  active  all the time. So what to do about it? And  I pulled the Hermit from the Wild Unknown Tarot. Ah, It is permitted by the cards to be tired and to take some essential me time, so I don’t have to do anything  but everything is permitted. I do hope that next time I feel like this, I don’t need The Hermit  to tell it is okay to be tired

N.B. Look how the flame is now protected in the lamp. It still shines brightly but It can’t be put out very easily anymore.  This is a much more energy-efficient way to illuminate yourself and everyone around you. 

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"

Truth calls for change

Today’s cards are “Listening for Truth” from the Sacred Rebels Oracle and a card from Soulcards 2.

“Listening for Truth” is about being open to hear the Truth beyond words. Words can be so misleading, even for the most seasoned and empathetic listener. Rather listen to your intuition, who always is in perfect alignment with your inner truth and you higher self. Listen to the movement of your feelings and the colors painted behind the words. Listen to the currents of you deepest knowing and the whispering of your soul.

Why then do we so often hear that undeniable strong and loud: NO! I don’t want to know! The person in Soulcards 2 averts his head and pushes the Truth away with all his might.

In my opinion it is not because we so afraid of discovering the truth and neither are we scared to be vulnerable because those are things we can hide on the inside; keep away from others. No the most scary part of listening to our truth is that we are asked to act upon it and action brings change.

We are often so much more afraid of change than of knowing the truth.

“we can’t change the truth, but the truth can change us”

Taking a moment…

After the intense experiences of last month it is time to settle down a bit. To let my feelings simmer and to try to blend my rekindled inner fire into the watery aspects of my personality. For today I've drawn one card from  Soul Cards 2 and from the Wild Unknown Tarot I got the Son of Wands.

These two cards represent this need perfectly. For today I identify with the person in the middle. Although she isn’t looking at the Son of Wands, she can clearly feel his warmth and energy buzzing behind her. Her eyes are focused. on the lovely woman before her, who I see as a depiction of the Divine Feminine. Their hands  are touching and the same energy as in the Son of Wands card is now flowing directly into the woman in the middle.  Where the Son of Wands is sending out his energy to wherever it wants to go, the flow of the Divine Feminine is more controlled and gentle. Just now I noticed how the red and the yellow are actually blending with the blue hues of the woman in the middle into purples and greens…

This tells me that when I take time to really embrace my fire it will not only give me the courage to create and step out of the box but also a new found inner wisdom (purple) and compassion towards others (green)