The World of Thought

This week I'll be using three decks, all created by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and illustrated by Will Worthington. The Druidcraft Tarot and the Druid Plant Oracle were published by Connections; the Druid Animal Oracle was published by St. Martin's Press. I've combined the two oracles and will be using them as one deck. Today's draws are the Eight of Swords and 'Mistletoe:'

Most of us have unknowingly lived our lives wrapped up in the contents of our own thoughts, operating within the details of our beliefs, theories, opinions, fears, and judgments. We have lived in this world of thought without realizing that we are the ones who have accepted and continue to give life to these thoughts in the first place. The moment that we realize that we are living in a world of thought that is our own creation, we are on the road to easier, more satisfying lives.

~ Sanity, Insanity and Common Sense 

          It can at first seem impossible when we are told that we don't have to believe everything we think, that in fact, not everything we think is even true. Causes and conditions have shaped us; our memories of past experiences color what we notice now. Reality can actually be very different from the way we perceive it. Once we grasp this understanding, we can take off the bindings and blindfolds that make us feel trapped. The Mistletoe was a plant used in Druid ceremony during the Winter Solstice and thus has come to represent healing and a return to clarity. Both cards remind me to consider if my discernment has been clouded and open myself to the idea that perhaps the beliefs I hold are not grounded in fact.