Survive and Thrive

This week I'll be working with the Jolanda Tarot, created by Jolanda Den Tredjes with Hans Arnold and published by AGM Müller. I'll also be using the oracle set Bird Signs, created by G.G. Carbone with Mary Ruzicka and published by New World Library. The cards drawn today are the Three of Cups and Pheasant:

          Three cups rise like lotus blossoms from a pond; the central larger cup holds a winged horse with a butterfly above and a snake below. I have a friend who speaks of spending time with her "tribal group." I think most people have such associations, and often the parts that make up the whole are decidedly different in various ways. Yet such a "tribe" is held together by an affinity or common purpose. It blends diversity together in wonderful ways that offers a container for celebration and support.
          The pheasant was originally from Asia but was introduced elsewhere as an ornamental and game bird. Though capable of flying, they prefer to run along the ground with great bursts of speed if startled. Pheasants, like other hunted birds, form loose flocks outside the breeding season. The deck creators have given it the keyword "opportunity," suggesting such congregant behavior grants favorable circumstances. In the bird world, it offers protection; in the human world it can do the same. Yet shelter among people is not just a place to survive, but a place to learn and try new things - a vessel in which to thrive.