Tilling the Soil

From Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot, the Ace of Earth (Pentacles):

An earth spirit encourages the seeds underground to sprout and move toward the sun.  The beetle looks as if it might eat the roots before the plant has a chance to grow, yet the bird waits patiently for the beetle, looking for a meal.  There are so many things I want to grow in my life, but there are "beetles" who discourage me - negative people, other obligations, and my own inner critic.  However, I have several "birds" who will encourage me and lend their support in whatever way they can.  Time to gather the flock...

From the Fairy Ring Oracle comes "Ariel:"

Ariel is a sylph, or air elemental.  He is symbolized by the phrases, "A breath of fresh air" and "the winds of change."  The book says the bird with him in the image is a hawk, but when I first saw it, I thought it was a turkey vulture.  These birds can actually smell the chemical released by dead animals, a talent that helps them clean up and recycle what is decaying.  If I am going to start something new, I must do some spring cleaning too - clearing away old ways of thinking and past ideas - if I want to give my "seeds" a healthy start.