Boons

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, Dancer Nine (Nine of Cups); from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Fern:

Then Nine of Cups is often called the 'wish card,' suggesting a person gets what they desire. Wishes are generally based on wants, such as a couple who wants another child or someone desiring to renovate their house. However, wishes have a different kind of energy when emotionally charged - the couple with a seriously ill child or a person hoping the tornado doesn't demolish the house they are sheltering in. Those types seem to be, when granted, the kind that keep gratitude around for awhile. Matthews suggests the wisdom of Fern is 'Truth is the preserver of life.' This selection is based on the many myths about finding a fern in flower on a special night and receiving a boon. The joke is that true ferns have neither seed nor flowers. Fern asks that we consider if what we're wishing for is simply an attempt to fill an emptiness that might be more skillfully filled with what we actually need.

Sowing Seeds

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Empress; from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Fern:

One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

― Friedrich Nietzsche

          Carding describes the Empress as a font of creativity, the fertile ground in which to plant one's seeds. Most of us would have plenty of excuses for not exercising our talent: we don't have enough time, we aren't artsy, or our imagination is on the fritz. But creativity comes in all shapes and forms, whether it involves solving problems, finding an efficient way to do something, or making ends meet on a lean budget. Both necessity and turbulence have been the mother of invention. Folklore is full of the magical properties of ferns, particularly their seeds and flowers, yet ferns produce neither. For this reason, the message of Fern is the importance of truth: we may not be Picasso or Emily Dickinson, but we do have some creative seeds we could plant and nurture.

Intuitive Delusion

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Dancer Queen (Queen of Cups/Water); from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Fern:

          This queen offers the gift of an open heart, nurturing others through empathy and compassion. Her nakedness emphasizes her need for emotional honesty; she will not pretend to feel something she doesn't. Her open nature also allows her to tap into her intuition, a quick perception of a situation followed by a visceral response. As with her emotions, she feels what she needs to do in her body before it is translated in mental-speak. Fern is associated with many myths and legends, most involving a person who discovers a seed or flower of a fern (especially on Midsummer night). The folklore suggests this lucky person will find happiness and riches to last throughout their lifetime. Unfortunately, what makes a plant a fern is that it has no seeds or flowers because it reproduces through spores. Fern asks, "Do you seek truth or prefer delusion?" The problem with intuition is that desire or fear can often produce a physical response that mimics a true intuitive response. It might be a good idea to let the mud settle from the water before diving in.