Sweet or Thorny

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Ten of Warriors (Wands); from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Blackthorn (Straif):

Where there's service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master. 

—Ayn Rand

The Ten of Warriors/Wands illustrates a great sacrifice, yet also reminds us to ask ourselves: "Why am I doing this?" Is our service for the greater good, or to satisfy the wishes of the few? We may need to check and see if we are prioritizing others' wants while neglecting our needs, or whether we are driven by a need for approval. A healthy sacrifice involves freedom of choice, not manipulation or coercion, but with a clear understanding of our 'why.' Blackthorn has a dual meaning, one sinister and one protective. In Ireland, it was used for making both cudgels and walking sticks. A 14th-century Welsh poem describes both sides: "The blackthorn full of spines—but how the child delights in its fruit." Again, we are tasked with asking if what we are doing is truly beneficial or has a thornier side.

Heart Transitions

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Three of Dreamers (Swords); from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Hawthorn (Huath):

Grief is love with nowhere to go. —Jamie Anderson

What was once whole is now broken, leaving a feeling of emptiness. I've been watching reruns of "The Closer" lately, and yesterday I watched the episode when Brenda Leigh discovers her mother had died. I don't know who cried harder, the actress or me. Willie Mae (her mother) is so much like my own mom in age and personality. It was a stark reminder and made me wonder if I'm losing more friends and family than gaining these days. Hawthorn, in ancient Irish belief, was associated with the fairy folk who inhabited liminal places. Lone trees at crossroads, boundaries, or holy wells marked transitional entrances. Hawthorn invites us, after we've processed some of our grief, to let it open our heart rather than armor it. Sorrow can help us understand and empathize with others who've been thrown into those depths, kindling a wish to ease their pain. As Charles Dickens wrote, "I was better after I had cried, than before - more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle."

Opening the Fist

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Ten of Dreamers; from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Aspen (Éabhadh):

Don't cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.

—Aubrey de Grey

In this Ten of Dreamers/Swords card, trees are uprooted amid a waterfall of blood. We can be so intoxicated with excitement as we shape our plans that we forget to test our ideas against reality. For some of us, it takes a lot of misery before we're ready to give up those dreams. But like a closed fist, we can't receive anything better if we don't open our hand/mind. Aspen (Éabhadh) is a tree that often grows in stands, colonies that share one giant root system. It reminds us that we need the support of other people. Rationalization can keep us from seeing uncomfortable realities, but others can help us see through these defenses, showing us the benefits and drawbacks of our ideas.

Wise Teachers

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Sidhe, created by Emily Carding and published by Schiffer. I'll also be using the Green Man Tree Oracle, created by John Matthews and Will Worthington with Connections as its publisher. Today's draws are Elder (Hierophant) and White Poplar (Eadha):

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. 

— Benjamin Franklin

This Elder/Hierophant invites us to have a seat and learn - not simply information and knowledge, but wisdom. Information consists of organized facts (the 'what'), knowledge is the ability to interpret and apply those facts (the 'how'), and wisdom is the insightful, ethical application of that knowledge (the 'why' and 'when'). Information can be a dangerous thing if not rightly used; wise teachers understand this and want us to grasp it too. White Poplars (Eadha) are often referred to as the ‘whispering’ or ‘talking’ trees. Their long, flattened leaf stalks grow in such a way as to make a noise with every breeze that passes. Matthews describes it as animated - endowed with life, movement, or spirit, typically describing lively, vigorous, or energetic behavior. There are those who teach for power or a paycheck and those who teach because they are passionate about what they want to share. May we all find mentors of the latter variety!

 

Better Things

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Daughter (Page) of Cups; from the Bird Signs/Ascension to Paradise Cards, Phoenix:

Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending. —Carl Bard

The Daughter/Page of Cups is tender, kind and loving. Though her gentle spirit can make her sensitive to the conflict and harsher sides of life, she never loses her sweet core. Her idea of a perfect world is one of harmony and peace. Phoenix is a mythical bird associated with the Sun; it obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor. This bird symbolizes the cyclical nature of life; both cards suggest that we should not lose heart when life feels broken. By maintaining our confidence and optimism, we can put things back together - perhaps not in exactly the same way, but still satisfying. As Marilyn Monroe said, “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things could fall together.”

Sock Drawers

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Eight of Earth (Pentacles); from the Bird Signs/Ascension to Paradise Cards, Loon:

In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order. 

—Carl Jung

The Thoth keyword for this card is 'prudence,' while the Vision Quest calls it 'inner order.' It is easy to over expend our energy and other resources when all the world seems to be a mess. Order in our environment does seem to help with inner calm, but we can't line up all the ducks and expect them to stay that way. Attempts to control are not the answer. Yet there are always a few practical things we can do, even if it's only to pay a bill, make a bed, or organize a drawer. Loon's song is often used in movies to denote secluded natural settings and suspense. Its deep dives for food suggest we look within for the insecurities exacerbating the disorder we're focusing on in the outer world. We might practice self-compassion while challenging our assumptions and expectations. Identifying our triggers, like too much social media or TV news, and staying away from them might also be of help. Meanwhile, keep organizing your sock drawer.

Interruptions

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Eight of Air (Swords); from the Bird Signs/Ascension to Paradise Cards, Hawk:

Our new unparalleled access to information has come at the price of our capacity to concentrate on anything much. ―Alain de Botton

The Thoth keyword for the Eight of Swords/Air is in interference. Have you ever been in a mental flow when neurons were firing and ideas were coming together, only to be interrupted? Suddenly our intense focus is shattered by a ringing phone, someone's question or the electricity going out. It might be that our curiosity has chased some information down a rabbit hole, causing us to lose our concentration. Joy Birmingham who teaches "Managing Multiple Priorities," explains that our brain is like a filing cabinet. If we get interrupted, we should briefly write down our last thought or the next step we were about to take before changing gears. Then, when we go back to our task, we'll know what 'file' to look under to help us get back on track. Hawk is built for precision and speed, able to spot prey from 100 feet away, and then dive toward it. But even this bird needs to have its quarry in its sights before making a dive. Likewise, we make need to take a few minutes to find the entrance ramp back to our thoughts and task.