I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Let Down Your Load

This week I'll be using the Wheel of Change Tarot, a deck and book set created by Alexandra Genetti and published by Inner Traditions. The second deck I'll be drawing from is the Oracle of the Dreamtime, a compilation of Australian Aboriginal art and Dreamings by Donni Hakanson; this deck and book set was published by Journey Editions. Today's cards are the Queen of Cups and "Rainbow Serpent:"
          Genetti describes this Inuit queen as a woman "certain of her emotional strength and solid in her love." Like the ice, she is supportive; like the water, she nurtures all those she touches. I'm sure that bowl she holds has fed many people, but I do hope she remembers to feed herself as well. It's impossible to sustain others emotionally if you aren't nourishing yourself.
          The Rainbow Serpent is an ancestral deity in Aboriginal culture. It was said to have awakened from the earth, then set about creating lakes, rivers and oceans. Once water was available, the plants, animals and mankind could survive. The Rainbow Serpent's message is to focus on one's source of strength in the midst of change and movement. I would add that as an "emotional mule" who carries both the burdens and joys of her people, the Queen needs to have a conscious connection to her source of strength. People who carry such heavy loads need to be able to rest them occasionally.

9 comments:

  1. Interesting the top god of the mesoamericans was the Feathered Serpent. Hive mind?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is interesting... add to that these indigenous people imagined a god of the earth (serpent), not something way out in the ether.

      Delete
  2. This is a stellar pair. Visualizing the serpent resting inside the bowl is a potent image of feminine power.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That visual makes me think of Shiva and Shakti! :)

      Delete
  3. Interesting watery combination. Two very different understandings of water, but of course no one can deny its importance! My Dear One went on a survival course last year, and their advice was: don't worry about food, focus on water, shelter and getting the attention of searchers.
    Hope you take your own advice and nurture yourself today :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's interesting about the survival course; I remember watching a NG special where a snake-bit lion focused solely on drinking water rather than eating while the poison worked its way out of her system.

      Delete
  4. Beautiful cards and combination Bev. Such important wisdom to know and to remember for a woman to be sure take good care of herself. This lesson seems to be the hardest for us to apply to ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We often forget until we are running on empty!

      Delete
    2. That's right! If we only could really care enough for ourselves to prevent this from happening. Old habits die hard.

      Delete