From the
Nature Spirit Tarot, the Hierophant; from the Australian Wildflower Reading Cards, Sturt's Desert Rose:
The cardinal (because of its color) was named for the leaders in the Roman Catholic Church, making it a perfect symbol for this card. The prairie rose and the white trillium represent the passion and purity associated with not only religion, but other groups who disperse knowledge and traditions as well. I am a member of a few nonreligious groups; though I like to learn, they also fulfill a need to belong. To have a sense of belonging means to feel loved and a part of something larger than oneself, which makes me think of a poem fragment written by Raymond Carver as he lay dying:
And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.
It is our relationships, whether with humans or other inhabitants of the earth, that we find such love and kinship. Yet Sturt's Desert Rose, a delicate-looking flower that has developed the ability to thrive in harsh conditions, brings a message of courage: "stay true to your core beliefs." Any group that asks me to ignore my principles and ethics is not worth what it will cost my integrity bank account.
The cardinal was mother's favorite bird. I've looked and looked when we've traveled east to no avail. Someday.
ReplyDeleteIt was my grandmother's favorite. I have a group of about 6 males and females around my feeders this year.
DeleteIt feels like today's post is tailor-made for me. I have yet to find such a nonreligious group but perhaps this year I will be more lucky than last year :)
ReplyDeleteCreate one! You could meet at a coffee shop or some neutral location. Or start one online. :)
DeleteI've always love those lines of Carver's.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I read them, it really hit me straight in the heart. :)
DeleteI have never seen an image of a cardinal or of any bright red bird. Learned something new thank you!
ReplyDeleteThey are so common here, I often forget how lucky we are to have them! :)
DeleteThe cardinal was my Mothers favorite bird. There is a long standing belief that seeing a cardinal was a message or a visit from a family member or loved one from the other side.
ReplyDeleteOh that's interesting... I've never heard that lore about cardinals before!
DeleteOh, I've never seen the Nature Spirit Tarot before, how interesting! I love the Cardinal :D It's funny, I think it takes different kinds of courage both to express your own beliefs, and also to open up enough to join with others...
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good point about needing courage to join! One of the groups I'm in required that of me, and I would have failed to meet one of my dearest friends had I not become a part of the group. Perhaps it is courage and wisdom that is needed.
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