Undressing of a salad - Keeping our balance at all cost?

Today’s card is “Undressing the Salad” of The Faeries' Oracle and it features a bluish young faerie juggling his balls with a little help from the crouching faerie on the head of large gnome who is looking in two directions at once. A strange name for a strange card but for today I will focus on whether or not it is possible to always maintain our balance, in every moment, whatever it may bring. I think not. In my humble opinion balance is something we can strive for, experience it for a while and eventually, we fall out of balance again. This cycle will keep repeating itself as long as we keep striving for balance. Maybe this cycle is also a sort of balance or perhaps even more a rhythm of life with its ups and downs; of breathing in and breathing out. It definitely sounds more natural to me than maintaining our balance at all cost, all the time.

So for today I will take it easy because the last few days were quite busy.  For me a perfect  way to live a balanced life J

Ehwaz and The Faun – Come dance with me

While shuffling The Faeries’ Oracle for my daily draw, I suddenly felt the urge to pull a rune first. The rune I got was Ehwaz, the rune of movement, progress, and change.  I didn’t have the faintest idea what this rune would mean for me today, so I shuffled my deck again and drew: The Faun, an ethereal and translucent creature. Its keywords are "Natural wisdom" and "Natural magic". Still no clue. Then I read the guidebook and my eyes fell on the cursive phrase: “Come dance with me” and it all came together.

Since Autumn has begun I feel I pull towards a more magical inclined way of living but I don’t really know how to make that happen and so I, as good Queen of Swords befits, I hit the internet and my books and lost myself in other people’s findings and experiences, which have nothing to do with who  I am: I don’t need spells and potions etc, I just want to feel the magic moving around me, in me, through me etc and maybe I even want to direct it intentionally towards something I feel strongly about as a blessing of sorts. I think my understanding of magic has a lot to do with being mindful but perhaps spiced up with a bit more “woo woo”.  And that’s where the energy of this Faun comes into play: put away the books and go outside, commune with nature and with your own inner wisdom. Move, change, play, dance, be merry and open yourself up to the healing and nurturing energy of the trees, the wind, the sun and let your magic flow freely with the currents of life.

P.S So after writing all of this, I went out for a walk and I was amazed how magical it was. I even met a little frog (or toad?) who was sitting just there, where wanted to put my card for an IG picture! He was so perfectly camouflaged I had hardly noticed him but thanks to The Faun I did J

Singer of Courage – Be brave, be free

Today’s card is the Singer of Courage from the Faeries’ Oracle. This card is all about the courage to face our fears and transform the energy we invest in those fears into action; in moving forward and living our lives as bravely as possible. 

Mind you this is not a call to play the hero. Our day to day life is fearsome enough to need our courageous actions. Every moment when fear starts to act up, it is up to us to look in the eye and decide if it is a true fear or a veil over a deeper rooted issue. Often our most primal are fears are buried deep under many layers in the dark borrows of our mind.

Fear has been for most people a lifelong companion and it presents itself in many forms. When we start to address the less dreadful fears, we will eventually learn how to transform our deeper more ingrained fears.

And so I asked what energy might be helpful on this journey? And I pulled Myk the Myomancer. When you look closely you see all kind of little creatures hidden in the foliage of the forest. But Myk knows they are there; he is attentive to every little detail around him...

So be mindful of the seemingly insignificant opportunities to show courage. This way we can strengthen and practice our bravery muscle and learn to have faith in our courage.  Little by little, we will break the bondage of fear and set ourselves free.

The Singer of healing – Start Hummmmmming

Today’s card is The Singer of Healing from The Faeries’ Oracle.  This card is all about healing of body mind and spirit. Much like a holistic healer this singer sings his song over every part of our being, to heal our injuries and restore our balance. But before he can sing for us we have to accept there is something amiss.  The next step is to be willing to receive healing. To open ourselves up; to ask for help. Perhaps this is the most difficult part of a healing process; admitting we need help.

Sometimes we aren’t even aware we do need help. We have become so proficient in hiding, denying or numbing our pain to a point that we have become unaware that there is something wrong .

I have discovered that accepting I need healing  in an early stage of my affliction is definitely speeding things up  for the better. I am more susceptible for advice and suggestions on how to move forward and away from my feelings of depression.

This time around I have been (at first reluctantly)participating in an IG challenge to create your own oracle deck. by Kristen from @otmoraclecards

It was  a bit scary because I hadn’t painted in months. Then it became almost addictive and I painted several cards a day. Now things are settling down again and I feel  so much more confident and less downhearted.  Again, I had to make the decision get better, to start painting  but after that The Singer of Healing started to hummmmm….

Indi – But, what if……?

Today’s card is Indi from the Faeries’ Oracle. This fearie is finding it very difficult to make up his mind, to choose and to commit.  His mind races back and forth, from left to right and up and down, gathering every “what if’” he can find. When you look at this card, you can only feel sorry for him, because he isn’t going anywhere. He is afraid of making the right choice,of making a mistake and it is making him question his own self worth over and over again.

One thing I have learned over the years is, if you don’t make a decision by yourself, someone or some situation is bound to make it for you.  The only way to avoid becoming a victim of circumstances is to take matters into your own hand. Is this difficult for me? Oh, yeah! But I know how it feels otherwise.   

So for today Indi will remind me to make my own decisions; probable about the little things in life like what to do, to eat, to say…  Yes,even making these minor, more insignificant decisions will definitely add to our own sense of self confidence. And for the major ones? We always can reach out for help but in the end we are responsible for our every decision we make.

The Sage - Pay a visit to your inner Wise One

Today’s card is The Sage from the Faeries’ Oracle by Brian Froud. He is the Wise One from this deck. The hermit, the teacher, the shaman. And he is also old; very old. He is painted with the colors of the many seasons he has witnessed. And from every experience he has been through, he has absorbed  a spark of insight.  He has one blind eye which allows him to see into the other worlds and to turn a blind eye towards mistakes and failures. Those are better met with compassion than with harsh judgment.

I usually look for this kind of wisdom in all kinds of books and online articles about religion, philosophy etc. but today it seems The  Sage is asking me to turn inwards and look for wisdom there.  I have seen many seasons too, but I don’t  consider myself as wise. Maybe a tad wiser than before, but Wise with a capital W no, not nearly.

Maybe it is time to turn a blind eye to my fearful insecurity and stop  berating myself and expecting too much of myself. Yes, maybe it is time to embrace the silent Witness within and sit and chat with her for a while.  Perhaps, when I give her space and time, she has more to share than I give her credit for…..

The Knight of Arrows – Hawk tempered by The Laume

Lately I've been rather enchanted by the Wildwood tarot, so for today another draw from this gorgeous deck. It is the Knight of Arrows – Hawk. Although a hawk can be very aggressive, today his vigilance stands out to me. Yesterdays post was all about being generous with love and kindness but in the meantime being aware of my own pitfall: giving too much. This knight is an energy which can help me to look after myself in this process. He has an enormous overview of the situation. He can detach himself by watching everything from a great distance and if necessary he can strike without a single doubt because he is so certain about himself. It can be a good thing for me to mirror some of his fearlessness, confidence and self awareness. He will be my inner knight in shining armor, My defender.

Because this was quite a fierce card I thought, lets pull one from the Faeries’ oracle to soften it up and I've got, don’t laugh, The Laume. Her keywords are: Unconditional Giving and Unconditional Loving. It is a good thing to stop focusing on the self once in a while and start giving to others without expecting anything in return. The Universe has a way a keeping the balance so we don’t have to worry about that. This is exactly the same message as I have written in yesterday’s post. And then my eldest called from work, while I was writing this post, to ask me if I could buy some printing paper and bring it to her. “Of course” I said. “no trouble at all”. I took my bike and did what she had asked me. In return I got the biggest smile, some  sunshine, singing birds and so much more. J

PS. When I was upstairs in my room. I saw the Queen of Rainbows on my altar; Flowering. She is my embrace card for this month And now these messages about being generous with love and kindness make so much more sense…

Know where you’re heading and adapt along the way

Wildwood Tarot

The overall energy of this day for me is all about the Knight of Vessels – Eel. I love how this creature slithers through the still water leaving only some small ripples behind him. It seems like he doing this effortless but this eel is swimming such a long distance, there must be a strong persistent drive to persevere this journey. He has a goal buried deep inside him. And after reaching the final destination he will return to where he was born to spawn and die. Seems pointless, if you don’t count the experience and maturation he’s had along the way. This Knight teaches me to go for what I believe in; to follow my drive and yet to understand it is not all about me. There is a greater good to be accountable for. My children,my husband, my community,the environment. Not every quest has to be ego based.

Faeries' Oracle

The Bright Mother of the Faeries’ Oracle has clarified this for me. This faerie is the equivalent of the Empress and the Goddess. The nurturing creative aspect of ourselves. Today it’s a time to put the needs of others first. And that’s okay because the Bright Mother speaks of sharing the abundance: there is enough love and patience for everybody. There're a lot creatures in this card. Do they all want something of her or are they also giving to her so she can be replenished from time to time?

She also teaches us to take stock of our lives and to evaluate and perhaps to change some things.

Consider what you have. Acknowledge the people and things in your life--good, bad, and indifferent. This consideration is not to judge, approve, or reject, but merely to recognize what is present in your life. These are your present fulfillments, what you have created for yourself, drawing upon the power of Unity and the Singers (or not, as the case may be). Once you have looked clearly at what is present in your life, you may want to ask yourself what you want to change.

So often we complain about our circumstances, but we are the co creators of our lives, so it also up to us to take a bend in the stream and move around the rocks if necessary. 

It all comes down to energy

The Sun of Life

For today’s daily draw I've chosen The Wildwood Tarot and The Faeries’ Oracle.

From the Wildwood Tarot I’ve got: The Sun of life.  At first glance a rather strange card for this time of year, since this card is connected too Midsummer, warmth and light. But it’s also a card about self: self-esteem, self reliance, self worth and after that even unselfishness; you have to be fully aware of self before you can put it aside. Otherwise unselfishness can lead to exhaustion. Being aware of self is a life theme for me. Since I am, like many of us, so often tempted to ignore myself and cross every boundary if someone else’s self needed me to. In that light I’ve asked which faery can help me to explore and strengthen my inner me: The Rarr. This is a little spark of energy; an igniter for whatever energy there is available. Energy is not good or bad it is just energy. So whatever intent I put out, The Rarr can give a extra spark to it.

The Rarr

When I look at the two cards, energy wise they seem  each other’s opposites: as to color ( bright and yellow -  dark and blue), shape (size of the sphere) and vibe (radiant, bold, sun -  inward, dormant, moon)  Just as we are on one side of the wheel and Midsummer is on the opposite side. It occurred the me our preschool teacher once told us that little children often start singing Christmas songs at Midsummer, because they sense the connection between the two solstices.

And then I realized it all comes down to energy.  We want to name and distinguish energies, to label them. But in origin we and everything around us are all the same in terms of energy. We  need our sense of self to survive in this material world, but wouldn’t it be a great Christmas experience to look beyond that without losing ourselves. To see and acknowledge Energy (or God(dess) in our friends and family and eventually in everybody else

Perhaps it is a bit of a rambling post but I’ve done my best to put it into words J

Recipe for emotional resilience: Let go and let Love

Today I asked the cards: When I am following The Hermit into my inner Wildwood what will I find or who will I meet and which little faery will come to my support?  

I placed The Hermit card from yesterday in the middle and I drew first the Five of Stones – Endurance from the Wildwood Tarot. Immediately I felt mixture of pity and envy. On the one hand she is all alone in the wilderness, but on the other hand she is all alone in the wilderness and no this is not a typing error. How many times have I longed to be all alone  I how many times have I feared to be left all alone. The book that came to mind when I was looking at this card was part two of the series “Earth’s Children” by Jean Auel: “The valley of the horses”, where Ayla lives alone for three years in cave and sustains herself and has the strength to endure the hardship she comes across.

The guidebook speaks  about a time of protecting ourselves perhaps by withdrawal to build up  emotional resilience. For me this girl has been through a whole lot and although she is tough she isn't there yet.

So who will help us to find this resilience? The singer of Healing from The Faeries’ Oracle. Again a singer and I like that. This card teaches us that healing is an active process which requires our best efforts. It is not something we can receive and then expect to be healed. “Through the song of healing, we may be restored and renewed, but only if the wounded one is prepared to forgive and let go, returning to love and compassion…We need only to let go of things that are hurting us and nurture ourselves with the things that benefit us. So simple, so difficult.”

Soon it will be Christmas. This is a time my emotional resilience will be tested for sure. I want to give everybody that warm cozy holiday feeling but not at my own expense so it will be a balancing act. I want to focus on the love I can give to my family and not on the chaos and stress around these days (cooking shopping, baking decorating, quarreling etc)

Anyway, I am hopeful that my meditation and gratitude practice will help me to open up for the healing energy of Divine J

Ask and open up to receive the answer

The Singer of The Chalice

As you perhaps have learned from my previous posts, lately I've been searching for ways  to reconnect to the Divine. One way was the theme of this November month: “going with the flow” I've experienced this flow mainly in letting go of trying to control the lives of my family (pff… that’s a difficult one) and trying to find a flow in my creative efforts. I've noticed some of you  are getting the jitters to start  playing with pencils and paint too. This feels good.

Then I did clear my altar. To make more room for a new way of connecting to Divinity and to ponder what divinity means to me.

Yesterday I picked up my Faeries’Oracle and asked: “Who will guide me on this quest?” And what do you know, I pulled The singer of the Chalice. (will I find my Grail?) This card teaches me to be receptive and open. And willing to receive the energy of the One. And that is all there’s to it. Be open, meditate and ask.  I am pulling a  lot of Singers. At this moment I am glad because I find it easier to regard the divine as formless.

The book says: Trust. Joy. Patience. Creativity. Hope. Miracles.

“With The the help of the Singer of the Chalice and of the faeries, you, too, can get this one feeling that is all the good feelings in one--unconditional love, trust, hope, healing, patience, and so on. Open is open. Be open. If you don't know how, ask. It is right there”

The Green Man

For some more down the earth guidance I pulled a card from the Wildwood Tarot: The Green Man. Now that was a bummer. I’m not a fan of most of the Emperor cards I have. And this one didn't look very appealing either. He has that grim look on his face which makes him for me very unapproachable. I didn't feel open and intuitive at all seeing this card. I have to admit I even felt the urge to put it back into the pile and pick another one. But instead I just opened the book and started reading:

“The Green Man is generous in his bestowal of creative, fertile energy and he will move you to a new level of confident and assertive dynamism. This is a time for both giving and receiving the natural flow of life both inwardly and outwardly. Be prepared to find a new and thriving drive to begin projects, relationships and even new ways of living your life and fulfilling your world. Now is the time to experience being at the apex of the cycle of life. Enjoy it.”

So this card is not only all about receiving but also about doing and giving; not just letting my cauldron be filled, but actuality be energized to come into action and do something with it. I know I am more a passive receptive person. I think that’s  why I don’t l like emperor cards. They want something of me that doesn't come natural.

So the first thing I am going to do is….. no, not coffee and chocolate this time J, but I am going outside to ride my bike to encounter the energy of this Green Man

Give me courage to clear the old

Lately I am particularly drawn to the Wildwood Tarot and The Faeries Oracle. In readings for myself I just mix them up and they blend perfectly. Just as today: My daily draw was the Seven of Bows – Clearance. This card is a good reminder of letting go projects, idea’s and habits, which are not longer of any use or help for me. This will make room for new endeavors and practices. Clearing the old will release energy that was clung to my dusted, worn and stale convictions. But hey, knowing this is a healthy thing to do, doesn’t ‘t mean it’s easy. What’s more comforting than a pair of worn slippers with holes and torn stitches. Let’s face it we love familiar habits and idea’s. They give us the illusion we are in control and everything is alright. But deep down you know it’s not. Something is wriggling inside and it wants to have space to grow.

So I picked up my Faeries’ Oracle and asked: Who is willing to  help me with clearing the old? I shuffled and drew : The Singer of Courage! In this deck the singers are compared to angels. They are pure energy and are radiating their qualities throughout the Universe (One Song) with their own tune. They can be seen as our guides in this world. So this means I have to open up to receive courage and at the same time to be willing to find courage in myself.

Anyhow, it’s obvious I can’t have it all: and my comforting, old, time and energy consuming habits and exploring my creativity, wanting to meditate and exercise more…and the list goes on. Again for me this was an insightful reading with my two favorite decks

Penelope Dreamweaver and The Blasted Oak

The Faeries' Oracle

Yesterday evening I’d already drawn a card for today from the faeries’ Oracle. It was Penelope Dreamweaver. She represents inspiration, creativity and dreams. It looks like she is some kind of muse. The fun part of this card is that she is Brian Froud’s muse and that it is up to me to discover my own. She is merely a reminder of my own guide in these right brain matters. I thought it might be a good idea to draw some more today and be extra aware of any “signs”.

Brian Froud writes: “Faeries hide what you want and reveal what you need”

This morning I picked up my Wildwood Tarot and drew a card with the following question in mind: What do I have to be aware of when I open myself up for inspiration and creative ideas?

The Wildwood Tarot

The Blasted Oak. The name itself sounds a bit like a curse. Imagine what the guy would be swearing while falling out of this tree and burning his hands. According to the book this card is a combination of The Tower and The Hanged Man

It represents everything that shatters our own constructed false securities and it destroys our perfect created illusions. Everything is ruined but at the same time we are freed from our bonds to our  tree (burning ties) We fall upon the earth who will carry us an ground us. So after some healing we’ll stand up again and tread upon a new path ( or perhaps not and we’ll grow another tree…)

For me this card is a very strong push to let go of my creative anxieties and not to be afraid of hitting the ground. Don’t play safe, experiment, draw from your own guts and don’t be scared to fail. Be raw, be real, be yourself. That’s the best I can do for now and I know my Dreamweaver will be proud of me. ( and so am I J)

The Faeries' Oracle - Do I believe in Fairies???

Recently I have bought The Faeries' Oracle by Brian Froud and Jessica Macbeth. It was for sale at a Dutch online thrift store. Before I am going to tell you my findings about this deck I have to say that I never ever wanted an oracle deck about fairies because I didn't think it could add something substantial to my spiritual journey.

I was looking for a secondhand Thoth deck because I wanted to explore that system. The owner of the Thoth deck also had the Faeries’ Oracle for sale. And since she lived in my neighborhood I could pick it up myself (no shipping costs!). The Thoth deck also had a book to go with it and together with the Faeries’ oracle it was only  15 euro’s.

I have to admit frankly I haven’t touched the Thoth deck and I cannot keep away from the Faeries’ Oracle. When I started reading the intro of the guidebook, it was as if something deeply tucked away  stirred and awakened. The writing was mesmerizing. While reading I felt shivers running up my spine. I wasn't ready for this kind of bonding with yet another deck. I wanted to fully dedicate myself my study of the Wildwood tarot. But after picking up the cards that was out of the question. When I flipped through the deck I knew that if there was something like faeries they would be like this. There was some kind of recognition or deep remembering. And I felt my little girl inside was happy J

Now on my cupboard in the living room I have two cards from my two most precious decks standing side by side. I just had to give in.

Do I believe in faeries??? I don’t know for sure anymore. I do know I have a strong connection to this deck and there is definitely something pulling me  to get to know it on a more deeply level

Singer Of Transfiguration

For today I have drawn The Singer of Transformation

“This card in a reading signifies the joy of success after a time of struggle. A new way of life has been accepted and is being integrated. A sense of inner peace is growing. The struggle has all been worth it. This is a time of consolidation and joy, and is both a reward for past achievements and a time of preparation for the next climb up the path.”

Six of Bows - Abundance

and The six of bows-Abundance

“A time to reap the benefits of summer abundance and to accept the rewards and blessings that are the result of endurance. We humbly share the plenty of the ripening year…”

Without further exploring of the cards, they do make me think about the holiday season when everybody gets in the spirit of  peace on earth and  being grateful with everything you have gathered over the last year and above all share those gifts with the ones you love. (Don’t forget to include yourself J)

And on a level beyond our daily live I see the abundance( six of bows) that is waiting for me if I go through the door of my fears (transfiguration).