Survival and Sustenance

   From the Gaian Tarot, the Five of Earth (Pentacles):

A hiker, too deep in the forest to simply walk back out, finds himself surprised by a storm.  He has built a shelter from fallen wood, vines and branches in which to take refuge.  The number five speaks to the challenges of being human.  Survival is an instinctual response - amazing stories have come from people who were determined to beat the odds and live.  Many of these folks had no choice in what happened, and had to deal with the roll of the dice the best way they could.  But in some cases, people are so self-centered and unmindful of what's around them, they miss all the signs that point to what is coming.  Like the hiker above (who should have checked the Weather Channel before his trip), they are so busy with what they want, they fail to consider what they might need.

     From the Goddess Oracle, "Corn Woman: Nourishment:"

In the legends of the Penobscot people, the Corn Mother was a maiden born from the dew and light on a leaf.  She married and had children, but as all the animals the tribe depended on for food began to disappear, the people began to starve.  The woman begged her husband to kill her and bury her bones so that she could supply food for everyone.  He refused at first, but finally gave in when he saw that his children would die soon.  The woman's bones and flesh were transformed into the first corn that sustained the people.  Because she gave her life that others might live, eating was considered a sacred act.  The Corn Mother teaches us that nourishing ourselves should not be considered a chore, rushed or avoided, for all forms of nourishment bring balance and wholeness to our lives.