Safe, Sacred Space

This week I'll be using the Badgers Forest Tarot, a deck created and self-published by Nakisha VanderHoeven. Along with it, I'll be using my Gemstone Oracle (with actual stones). The meanings for the stones have loosely been chosen from the book Crystal and Gemstone Divination by Gail Butler (I added quotations with the keywords). Today's draws are the Sorceress (High Priestess) and Yellow Quartz:

The groundhog (or woodchuck) is a rodent well-adapted for digging with powerful limbs and thick, curved claws. Their burrows are large, buried 5 feet underground with up to 46 feet of tunnels. When threatened, they prefer to retreat to their burrow (which has two or more entrances). They are one of the few species that enter into true hibernation. As the Sorceress/High Priestess, it implies a need for solitary investigation - not outwardly, but inwardly. This deep-dive for knowledge eliminates external influences and look's past the ego's preferences to hold council with the true self. Yellow quartz symbolizes a refuge for oneself or sacred space. The quote I've attached to it comes from Vernon Baker: "Where is home? Home is where the heart can laugh without shyness. Home is where the heart's tears can dry at their own pace." Both these draws emphasize the importance of a quiet, safe place where we can find our true self. Deepak Chopra offers five ways to distinguish the everyday self from the true self:

• The true self is certain and clear about things. The everyday self gets influenced by countless outside influences, leading to confusion. 
• The true self is stable. The everyday self shifts constantly.
• The true self is driven by a deep sense of truth. The everyday self is driven by the ego, the unending demands of "I, me, mine." 
• The true self is at peace. The everyday self is easily agitated and disturbed. 
• The true self is love. The everyday self, lacking love, seeks it from outside sources.