Cocoons and Communication

From the Norse Tarot, the High Priest:

The high priest in Barrett's depiction is the Norse god Frey.  Frey's symbol was the golden boar, and his followers wore or carried boar charms and had this animal engraved on helmets and weapons.  The charms of Frey were believed to protect the wearer from harm.   My first thought when I saw this card was how closely all three men resemble each other.  In the same way, I am drawn to groups (whether spiritual or otherwise) who hold similar beliefs and ideals as I do.  And just as Frey protected his followers, the company I surround myself with provide a cocoon of sorts for me to learn and stretch my wings.  As long as I don't have to force myself to fit into a particular mold, these groups can be positive influence on me.

     From the Wolf Pack today comes "Communication:"

I was watching a PBS special last night about a group who were tracking wolves in the zone of the Chernobyl nuclear accident (an area where plants and animals have taken over since humans moved out).  One of the men had studied wolves for so long, he could almost think like them.  And when he howled, the wolves would answer in return.  "Wolf" was not this man's native language of course, but because he wanted to develop a relationship with them, he began to learn how to converse with them (at least on a rudimentary level).  This card reminds me that when I converse with others, I need to start on the same ground level as they stand.  I don't need to try and impress them with my knowledge or overwhelm them with praise or criticism; I need to connect on a heart to heart basis.