A Wish for All

 From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the King of Swords; from the Handl Rune Oracle, Tyr/Tiwaz:

This is what I wish for all of us: that we live and act and love with a fierce and tender clarity.

―Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

The King of Swords does not make decisions based on his passions - he knows allowing our emotions, desires and opinions can color and cloud reality. What is actually true gets twisted out of shape, so not only are we unable to see clearly, we can't respond to it appropriately either. The King tells us to peel away those outer layers and see the core of the situation for what it is. Tiwaz represents the Norse god Tyr, known for sacrificing his hand for the greater good. Such sacrifice comes from the heart; it requires making an unselfish choice that will ultimately benefit the whole. This type of reasoning and offering are what create Goddard's "fierce and tender clarity."

Investment

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Two of Cups; from the Handl Rune Oracle, Othala/Odal:

 

The opposite of Loneliness is not Togetherness, it's Intimacy.

― Richard Bach

One-on-one time is the greenhouse that cultivates closeness, warmth and trust between two people. We allow ourselves to be vulnerable - revealing scars and fresher wounds but also laughing without reserve. We talk of worries as well as exciting plans for the future. We share our reality with each other. There is something special about having a friend or partner who knows not just our outer persona, but what our mind and heart dwell and rest on. Othala, often translated as 'estate,' symbolizes homeland, community, and heritage. While we can't pick our blood relations, we can choose our friends and partners. And one-on-one time is a great way to figure out if a relationship is one we want to invest our time, energy and emotion on.

Picking Up Information

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Herald/Page of Winter (Swords); from the Haindl Rune Oracle, Laguz:

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.

―Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Herald of Winter is direct and bluntly honest. He warns people of things they need to know about and brings news of good things. Those pointy ears are like a radar, listening for whatever information he can pick up, which leads to him spilling the beans on some things that don't need to be aired. He's smart but not yet mature enough to be discerning. Laguz is generally translated 'water,' whether a lake, ocean or waterfall. The ancients looked upon it as a blessing and a danger: it could aid travel and supply food, but it could also cause drowning. Such vast expanses of water needed to be respected. Likewise, the ability to collate information is a talent, but the ability to discriminate between what is helpful and what is harmful is necessary. Just because we know it doesn't mean we need to tell it. 

A Few Perks

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Three of Autumn (Pentacles); from the Handl Rune Cards, Nauthiz:

Not even Ares battles against necessity.

— Sophocles

The apple harvest has come in, and the fairies quickly get to work so that little is wasted. The elders could probably do these tasks blindfolded - having done them so often - but they teach the younger ones the steps of the process. It's hard labor, but when the snow falls, a cup of hot apple cider will be appreciated by all. Nauthiz is associated with need, hardship, and constraint that can encourage growth and transformation. Like Aesop's lesson of the ants and the grasshopper, adulting is not always fun, but it does have its perks.

Moving from Their Prime

This week I'll be using the Victorian Fairy Tarot, created by Lunaea Weatherstone with Gary A. Lippincott and published by Llewellyn (though recently republished via Kickstarter). Paired with it will be the Haindl Rune Oracle, created by Hermann Haindl and published by U.S. Games. As an additional resource, I'll be dipping into The Serpent and the Eagle by Chris Travers. Today's draws are the Wheel of Time and Ing/Ingwaz:

Whatever it is you're seeking won't come in the form you're expecting.

―Haruki Marukami

When we're down at the bottom, we look upwards, dreaming of how good things could be one day. But when life does change for the better, it rarely looks as perfect as we imagined it. And the smug fairy on top might do well to remember the words of William Watson: "all things move with all things from their prime." Life constantly shifts and changes, and while some phases may be more pleasant than others, none of them are always ideal. Ingwaz is connected to incubation and harvest. No matter where we are on the Wheel, what we plant will grow and affect other phases later on. Rather than dream or worry about what comes next, we'd be smart to focus on what we are doing now. 

Against the Current

 From the Sun and Moon Tarot, the Star; from the Animal Tiles, Beaver:

It means entering the stream of the river of life to go against the current.

―Stefano Bettera

The Star represents a turning point; the energy of its water can bring healing, hope and guidance. But we must first dip ourselves into the stream rather than grouse about our troubles on the bank. That is the step of awareness and acceptance - realizing how we got to this place and our part in getting us there. Beaver, with its excellent dam building abilities, represents industriousness. These animals are triggered by the sound of rushing water, an alert that there is a break or hole that needs to be repaired. Beaver suggests effort as our second step: we must swim against the stream of our conditioned patterns and habits. As Paulo Coelho reminds us, “When you repeat a mistake, it is not a mistake anymore: it is a decision.”

Our native azaleas (that come in shades of apricot, pink and white) resemble honeysuckle.

A Different Approach

From the Sun and Moon Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Cups; from the Animal Tiles, Cougar:

You don't work on something for six years and be blind to the myriad of other approaches.

―Ken Burns

The Prince of Cups teaches us to discover what we are passionate about and then pursue that dream. The Prince is excellent at following his heart, but his approach could use some work. Whether he's trying to find a partner, join a group, or start a career, he tends to either come on too strongly or be so shy that he's overlooked. Cougar is solitary hunter with methodical tracking skills. It follows and watches patiently, waiting for the right moment to act. Cougar encourages us to take time to know our target well before acting, so that when we act, we engage with knowledge and just the right amount of energy.

Outside my window - the azaleas are putting on a show this year!