Uruz and Six of Pentacles - Both sides of the coin are equally valid

Today’s rune is Uruz (ox) the rune of strength and vitality and I wondered what kind of energy would make me feel more alive and would invigorate me so I would be able to jump into the new year with some fresh enthusiasm and inspiration. Then I drew the Six of Pentacles…

Not what I was expecting but it does make sense. Often we feel the most alive when we matter to other people; when we give our time and energy to those who need it more than we do.  Mind you the Six of Pentacles is a card of reciprocity. It doesn’t only encourage us to give, give, give, even though this is often the easiest part of this card. When we, in turn, are lacking resources it is up to us to ask for help to others. Don’t expect they will notice our need because this often leads to disappointment and further withdrawal. Ideas of not being seen or worthy of love will start to arise. No, let’s be brave and ask for help. This will strengthen your love for yourself and your trust in other people. So either way, this card will strengthen you.  

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

Othala and Intuition – Your gut feeling will lead you home

Today’s rune is Othala, the last rune of the Futhark, the end of your journey. It is the rune of heritage, inner wealth, coming home and finding your purpose, your destiny,.

So I wondered what energy I could consider to be my guide, my road sign, towards my purpose in live. Maybe I would even pull a card which would reveal my purpose in life…..

So I stood before my shelf with most of my decks, wondering which deck would be the one to answer my question and I picked The dreams of Gaia Tarot. After some extensive shuffling I pulled “Intuition”. Maybe not a representation of my life’s purpose but definitely a gentle guide towards it. Listening to my intuition will keep me on the right track for sure.

Our intuition is the voice beneath all reason. The undercurrent of our conscious mind. It is the voice which words our deeper knowledge. Of course feelings, inklings, gentle nudges and pulls are also ways of our intuition to communicate with us. For me intuition is not only the voice of our unconscious but also of our higher consciousness or maybe even of our divine spark or God herself.

More than often we tend to downplay synchronistic events  and coincidences. How much more magical our life would be, if we would see them as little miracles. Maybe this way we would me more keen to heed our intuition, so we would practice and strengthen this innate quality. This way our signposts to guide us where we are supposed to be would be written in neon lights instead of being hidden in the shadows of our mind.

Gebo and Son of Swords – The gift of reason and equanimity

Today’s rune is Gebo (Gift) which is all about giving and receiving; about reciprocity. It symbolises friendship and cooperation. So what could be my gift for today and/or what would by my gift to others? To answer this question I pulled the Son of Swords from the Wild Unknown Tarot.  My first reaction was, how could this card be possible a gift? But in the light of recent events, it gradually made sense to me.  Today M and I had an important doctor appointment. The gift for me was to be able to let go of my overly aggressive protective demeanour while talking to our physician. (yes, I still  can act like a vicious mother bear sometimes) and to feel relaxed and confident about the positive outcome of our conversation. My gift to our physician was that I could formulate my thoughts more clearly now about the subject and thankfully the three of us came to a very satisfying solution.

This experience will remind me that some equanimity during a difficult conversation is often more effective than barging in, being totally convinced that my way of seeing things is the right one and the need to convince everybody of my point a view who thinks slightly different.

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.

Raidho and The Hanged Man – The journey within

My rune for today is Raidho (wheel), the rune of traveling and movement. The question I like to ask this rune is: "Where do I go from here?" and I pulled The Hanged Man. 

So physically I am going nowhere but that doesn’t mean I am not going on a journey. The Hanged Man tells us it is time to take a pause and reflect on what we need to hold on to and nurture and what we need to let go off. What is bringing deep fulfillment and is contributing to our purpose in life? What is helping us to step into our authentic power?  How can we respond to life with Love instead of reacting in fear? So many questions, so many things to ponder about. To find the answer to all of this we only need to quiet down and listen. This can be done during meditation, or while taking a walk or just sitting in our garden and let the beauty of nature sink in.

The Hanged Man of the Rider Waite Tarot shows us the effect of this inner journey. Just look at the halo around the man’s head. In the Wild Unknown Tarot we see how  by hanging upside down the bat keeps his head in the light too and in the Vision Quest Tarot the Hanged man is replaced by a Native American who is indeed going on a Vision Quest, an inner journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth

All the cards, however, show in their own special way that what is unconscious and hidden deep within needs to be brought into the light. Not to get rid of it but to truly own it and transform it from something we fear into something we are able to love. 

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.

Berkano and Four of Vessels - Get up and get going!

Today´s rune is Berkano (Birch). It is the rune of creative energie and the femine principle: The Empress of the Elder Futhark. The challenge of Berkano is to take care better of ourselves and to try to improve our  well-being; not only physically but also emotionally. Besides being a strong nurturing energy, Berkano also encourages us to give birth to our creative ideas. We can only gestate them for so long before they wither and die within us, which will cause us maybe more pain than the birthing process itself.

So what energy will help me to embrace the spirit of Berkano today? From the Wildwood Tarot I pulled: Four of Vessels- Boredom. Well this is a crystal clear advice. The only thing I have to do is to get up and to leave this energy devouring state of inactivity. 

While the traditional Four of Cups sometimes might be interpreted as meditation, nobody will belief this applies to the woman in the Four of Vessels. She obviously feels disconnected, stuck, sorry for herself, and she has created a black hole of despair inside of her. But holes can be filled,  if we only let the energy flow again. The only one who can begin this process is us. We have to ignite  that first spark. We have the key to open doors to new opportunities. So let’s get up,  turn around and step through the portal behind us. It may be scary but we already have everything we need to take this next step in our journey.

NB Perhaps this portal connects to the one from in the Yew tree of my previous post?

Eihwaz and The Knight of Bows

Today’s rune is Eihwaz (Yew). The Yew tree is an evergreen and will easily reach 600 years of age or more. It is a tree which often splits under the weight of advanced growth without succumbing to disease . It is easy to imagine that such a split could be a portal to the spirit realm. Eihwaz  is the rune of death and transformation, of standing at the crossroads.  I can relate to this rune very easily. Something has to change in order to move forward. Old victim stories, which are repeated over and over again, should be retold as heroic tales of overcoming great adversity. Letting go of old limiting thought patterns will make room for new ways of understanding.

So which energy will help me to bring about some change  in my life and I pulled the Knight of Bows from the Wildwood Tarot. The Knight of Wands in general  has a tendency to come up whenever I expect him the least. He is often a bit “too much in my face” when I am feeling down but he is also the one who gets his way with a nudge,  a smile and a motivating line. “Come on”, he says, “let’s make some fun! Don’t be such a party pooper and go on an adventure with me. I know the best places to go to.”

His charms are alluring and I can imagine myself wandering into the forest with him, without being afraid to go astray because he is walking right beside me. I am Feeling fearless and curious, enjoying each moment with an open mind, taking in the fragrant wisdom of the Wildwood, while putting my faith and trust in my red furred companion.

Sowilo and Six of Wands – Be mindful of every victory you achieve

Today’s rune is Sowilo (Sun). This is the rune of success, vitality, self-actualization and positive energy. A very welcome reminder for me to get out of my comfy chair and do something, anything, to get out of the slump in which I am finding myself lately. I am the only one who can take back the wheel and start the ignition to continue my journey. I know how it works; I have been in a situation like this more than I care for but somehow when I am stuck in a rut, I seem to have forgotten how to climb out of it.

So I asked what could help me to achieve this and I got the Six of Wands from the  Anna K Tarot. Not my most favorite depiction of the this card but it will do for today! I feel this card has come up to remind me that it is not about the final big victory, the “I am feeling and victorious every day of my life now”. No, today this card reminds me of the smaller, seemingly insignificant victories. When you are feeling depressed this could be as simple as getting out of bed, brushing your teeth, taking a stroll, reading a few pages in a novel, making dinner etc. These are some of the most basic activities of  our life but some days, we may count them among our victories and celebrate them and  be grateful we have achieved them; again.

So today I am going to be mindful of my achievements, how small  they may be and celebrate each and every one of them with a feeling  of joyful satisfaction.

Uruz and Nine of Swords – About an Ox and a Demon

Today’s rune is Uruz, (Aurochs, the European wild Ox) the rune of strength, courage and endurance. I must be using up  a lot of my strength, because I feel rather tired lately.  So I asked The Anna K tarot what it is that sucks up my energy so easily and I got  the Nine of Swords. It can’t get any more clear than this. I think mental fatigue is a form of exhaustion which is hard to replenish and a good night sleep (which in this case is hard to come by) is often not enough. We all know how tired we can be after a day's’ work in the garden but we also know the deep fulfillment we feel when the is job is done. Yes, maybe some aching muscles will remind us of our work but our energy will be restored at night. With this card the problem lies elsewhere. The continuous churning of the mind over everything which keeps us awake is consuming all of our energy. Often the nine swords represent anxiety, grief, regret, guilt and other demons who might keep us awake at night and prevent us from moving forward in life. And here comes Uruz into play. Even in dire situations like this we have to lift up our head and face each and every demon that haunts us. Naming them is the first step, then follows acknowledgement of the fact we are haunted by them, And then the most difficult part is not to fight them, which only makes them stronger, but to befriend them, get to know them and  find out what keeps them here. and eventually we will be able to set them free which will most certainly boost our energy levels. This kind of work needs a courageous mind and spiritual warrior attitude.  Yes, it is tiring and there is nothing to show for when the day is done. But in the end we will sleep better for it.

Year Ahead Spread: February – Two of Swords and Laguz

My card for  February is the Two of Swords from the Wild Unknown Tarot and my rune for this month is Laguz.

The Two of Swords is all about postponing a decision or reaching a stalemate.  This can become quite a challenge for me, since I am usually  all about solving problems and making things right as quickly as possible, so I don’t have to feel uncomfortable any longer than necessary. But truth be told this behavior doesn’t always benefits me. It can cause stressful situations because I tend to act quickly and sometimes too ill considered. Resolving unpleasant feelings as soon as possible has really become a second nature of me. But then I started reading “living Beautifully” by Pema Chödrön again and this reminded me how staying with whatever you feel and experiencing life how it is right now can be an act of compassion toward ourselves and how this can bring about a sense of deep peace and calm.

I feel this card symbolizes my effort to stay with whatever occurs in my life and refrain myself from seeking  a quick habitual solution to make it all go away.

The rune Laguz emphasizes this  notion because Laguz is the rune of  water, of feeling and emotions and of our unconscious. This rune fit seamlessly with “II Inner Voice” of the OshoZen tarot (aka the High Priestess), my rune for this lunation. Both urge me to listen to my heart,  before I decide how to act in a situation. This requires slowing down, becoming more mindful of what is really going on and trying to maintain a regular mediation practice. I am happy to say so far the latter is going rather well this time around. 

Raidho and Six of Wands - Rise up!

When I pulled my rune for today, my first thoughts where: “Not Raidho again!" But then I pulled the Six of Wands from The Wild Unknown Tarot to go with it and I realized how a single rune contains such a wide variety of meanings.

Raidho is the rune of movement, journey and travel and since I am on a sort of spiritual quest as of late, it is a very fitting rune for me these days.

The Six of wands is all about success and victory. Now you might ask if this means I have completed my quest? No, not at all but I can say I have escaped the tangled branches and the lost feeling this dark place entails.  Now the butterfly is flying upwards into the light. Although it is a beautiful place to be and it is tempting to find a spot to stay there forever, the butterfly will have to keep moving on to become the best butterfly he can be.

How often do we resist to leave that safe place of victory? It can be so scary to continue our journey with the possibility of failing or getting lost again? I am positive that if we keep this moment of success in our thoughts, it will build up out inner strength and trust, and then moving on will become a bit less frightening

Of course this card also reminds me of the devastating storm our dear friend Bev of By theSycamore Tree and her family and community had to endure yesterday.  I hope and pray together they will be able to rise up (again) from this terrible experience.

Thurisaz and Two of Wands - The Gate will wait one moment more

Today’s rune is Thurisaz (thorn, gate, giant). For today I wanted to highlight the meaning of Gateway. Often  a gateway holds the promise of something new. This could be a.o: a new opportunity, a challenge or perhaps a new insight. In my case it is often fear which prevents me from walking through this kind of gates. I also realize that this fear prevents me from having new experiences, meeting new people and broadening my spiritual beliefs. So for today I asked my cards what might be a beneficial way for me to approach such a gate.

And I got the Two of Wands from The Wild Unknown Tarot . In this depiction we see the moment just before the two wands touch each other and call for action. Notice how they almost form a gate themselves. When we dare to go through this gate it might open up so many colorful opportunities for us. This is the moment to focus, to consider, and weigh our options carefully. What will be the reward of going through the gate? What could be the worst thing that could happen? Where does my fear come from ? More than often we learn that our fear to go through the gate has nothing to do with this particularly situation. Most of our fears originate  from very long ago.  But since each gate holds a promise and a risk, it is up to use to find out if the promise is worth taking the risk.

So it is advisable to take a moment and really assess the situation and then our wands can come together and give direction and focus to our journey and we will continue to walk out path and whether we got through the gate or not it is still our path.

“Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.” J. R. R. Tolkien

Fehu and The Star – Gratitude for feeling good

Today’s Rune is Fehu (cattle or "vee" in Dutch),the first rune of the Elder Futhark. This rune stands for wealth, happiness, creativity and the physical manifestation of everything good. So in what area of my life might this energy of Fehu come into play? After giving my new edition of the Wild Unknown Tarot a thorough shuffle, I pulled The Star. This is one of the most  beautiful cards in any deck. It is the card of Hope and Renewal after the devastating  force of The Tower.  But what does this spiritual Card has to do with Fehu?  Then I remembered how I feel when I am standing outside, looking at a starlit winter night sky. The splendor of it all and the promise of hope and fulfilled wishes always give me that deep physical sense of well being. Yes feeling good isn’t always about material things, although you should have seen me yesterday when I got my new deck, but more often it is this deep rooted feeling of gratitude for what we already have and what is making us extremely more happy than anything still on our wishlist.

Hagalaz and Six of wands – Hope in the face of Adversity

Today’s Rune is Hagalaz (hail). This is the rune of disruption, sudden drastic changes and loss. Nothing to look forward too. So instead of being scared of what today might bring and hide under the covers until this day is done, I asked: "What do I need to be able to cope with the energy of Hagalaz?" And I pulled the Six of Wands from The Fountain Tarot and what a gorgeous Six of Wands this is. It is almost as if the victor is lifted by light but when you look closely you see the other figures carrying him. When we are victorious it is also good acknowledge which part others have played in our victory.

The guidebook  calls this card: "Hope and Motivation" and this reminds us of everything we have overcome in this lifetime already. In some situations we were victorious in others we merely survived but we are still here; alive and kicking. From those past experiences we can receive hope for the future that whatever comes our way, we can deal with it one way or another.

For me today this card encourages me to keep walking my path even though it leads me through hail storms and icy weather.  I am confident that I will find my spiritual balance again because I have done so many times before. This card feels like an protective umbrella for any kind of bad weather

Raidho and the Queen of Cups - Trusting you inner Compass

Last weekend I have immersed myself in Norse myths, the Edda, and my rune studies. It seems that a light snowfall is all it needs to awaken my love for that part of my ancestral heritage. So with that in mind I wanted to pull a rune for today’s post and I got Raidho (wheel, travel). This rune is not only about physical travel and all the preparations this involves but maybe even more so about spiritual travel; about finding our path in life and following it. Both kinds of travels require some similar attributes which are a.o. resourcefulness, determination and flexibility.

So which aspect of ourselves can help us to keep moving forward in the right direction?
And I got the Queen of Cups form the Shadowscapes Tarot. I love that in this depiction she has risen from her throne and is walking the path with one carefully placed step at the time. She has no need to watch where she puts her feet. She is following her inner compass, which tells her exactly where her companions will emerge. It looks so easy, almost effortlessly. She is dancing on the waves for as long as she keeps moving forward because in movement we can find our balance.

I think our intuition is our most important guide on our journeys. It allows us to travel with ease. If we can muster the courage to trust this sometimes elusive part of our soul, we will able to  dance through life and over whatever waves we will meet. I also believe we can trust that we are carried when needed.

Word, Card and Rune for 2017

Long before the New year, I had decided what my word for 2017 would be. It is one I struggle with a lot. The word I picked for this year is Trust: Trust in myself and trust in others. I hesitated about adding faith too but I feel Trust is a more active and empowering word than faith.  Faith is more like a spiritual concept and trust is a verb: “Trust is faith in action!”

So with that in mind I pulled my card for my theme the year. Whatever it would be I wanted to trust that it would be able to teach me a valuable lesson this year and I pulled the Nine of Cups ( pfff). This card is all about experiencing intense joy and emotional fulfillment on a personal level. For me the Ten is more about the well-being of community; the love and joy experienced with family, friends and loved ones. The Nine however is an invitation to discover everything which brings you joy, to fill up those nine cups. But also it is about accepting what life has already put in those cups and making the most out of it. Joy can even be found even in the hardest of times.

In the five we were grieving and not able to see the two cups standing upright, The Six reminds us that our happy memories are always with us, the Seven asks us to find out what our heart truly desires. In the Eight we try to leave our cups behind. (I sincerely doubt if that is ever possible) And then we reach the Nine where we learn to find gratitude and Joy in all aspects of life.

I pulled Perthro from my bag of runes to go with The Nine of Cups and immediately  I recognized the cup which would transform my Nine into a Ten, into completion. Perthro means dice cup and it is a symbol of mystery, of not knowing. How this cup will guide me from Nine to Ten is a question I Trust, I will be able to answer one day and maybe even before 2018.

Year ahead spread: January - Nine of Swords and Teiwaz

This year was the first time I did a Year Ahead Spread for myself.  For this kind of spread you basically pull a single card for each month as a theme or an energy you may want to explore for that month. The first card you pull is your  theme for the year. I also added rune to each card to give the reading  an extra oomph. I intend to post my card of the month in the beginning of each month. For this spread I’ve used the Wild Unknown Tarot but I might want to use the version of one of the cards I pulled from another deck instead. Or I might even take the card from several decks for comparison. We’ll see were this journey will lead me.

So for January I pulled the Nine of Swords which in this deck is a very disturbing looking card and it is definitely not a very uplifting theme to start the new year with. The Nine of Swords is all about anxiety, bad dreams, guilt and regret, destructive self-talk etc.

Luckily I got the rune Teiwaz (Tir) to go with it. Teiwaz is a warrior rune but also one of order, justice and rationality . You can compare this rune with the Emperor card.

I often am prone to this kind of behavior when I let negative thinking get the best of me.  The worst things could happen if you would believe my internal gibberish. So I feel the energy of Teiwaz can be quite helpful. It is the rationality of this rune which speaks the most clearly to me in this context.

This rune awakes the inner sentinel which will defeat my Fear by showing me what it really is: False Expectations are Appearing Real. Such a clarity bomb often works a lot better than trying to ignore these thoughts or pushing them away. Both of these methods will often make our negative thinking even more persistent and intrusive.

I believe working with this pair could be a very interesting experience.  

Motto: Since I do not know how not to think I want to be mindful of what I think.

Cycles – Trust the process

Today’s card is Cycles from the Magical Times Empowerment Cards. “We are all becoming. Surrender to your changes. Release your fear. Trust this powerful process.”

This last week  it feels like I am in a kind of a spiritual Winter or  a standstill. I don’t feel “it” and during this season the pressure is quite high to feel “it”, with everybody talking about the Christmas Spirit and so on.  In the depiction we see two dragons chasing each other, which tells me there is always movement in Cycles, even when we are not aware of it. This card resembles the Wheel of Fortune, which also teaches us that life has its ups and downs. Nothing ever stays the same; everything always changes. So I just have to trust this universal law and accept where I am right now, knowing this too will pass.

But I wouldn’t  be me if I didn’t  want to  help the universe to speed things up a little and preferable before Christmas. Yes I do have own my time schedule to consider too, so I pulled a rune for an assisting energy in this matter.

I pulled Jera, the rune of Cycles and Harvest.  Two divinatory systems telling me exactly the same thing.  How cool it that. Now I understand how speeding things up can ruin my harvest of this experience. We have to follow the rhythm of sowing, growing, weeding, harvesting and yes, also of resting. Each activity has its own season. This is the natural cycle of life. So it is actually not that strange to find myself in a spiritual lull these days. Maybe the cold winter does that to a person sometimes.

For now I will pour myself a hot cup of coffee and try to accept what is and sit with that, without giving in to my need to fix things quickly and trying to find a shortcut out.

I wish you all a wonderful Yule