Nourishing, Flourishing

From the Hidden Realms Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the Heart of Faerie, the Lady of Sorrows:

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

―Oprah Winfrey

We have many reasons to celebrate - graduations, weddings, births and birthdays. But these fairies are celebrating just for the heck of it. Without all the plans and formalities, this spontaneous get-together has no expectations other than to have fun and share each other's company. This lively party doesn't even have a guest list; it's open to anyone who wants to laugh, dance and have a good time. The Lady of Sorrows is a hoarder of hurts. She's easy to recognize in groups because she's too busy griping instead of enjoying herself. But her resentments are like acid reflux, hurting her every time she relives them. As Wendy Froud writes, "To feed on hurts and sorrow is to live, perhaps, but never to thrive." Forgiveness grants us the light and space for flourishing.

Light and Birdsong

From the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, the Nine of Pentacles; from the Heart of Faerie Oracle, the Lady of Sorrows:

          This woman has a smile of contentment on her face as she listens to a robin singing its cheery song. Like the bird, she follows her own tune and has become self-reliant. The blackberries and rose hips on the vines suggest abundance, but she doesn't begrudge the thorns. They represent the challenges she's had to overcome in order to enjoy her independence. Though she may appreciate the company of others, she would never sacrifice her autonomy just to have a partner. She's perfectly satisfied with the life she's created and would rather have solitude than have to put up with subordination.
          The face of the Lady of Sorrows is the complete opposite of the first woman. Why is she full of sorrow? Froud describes her as a "hoarder of hurts and slights," someone who never forgives. Her garden lets in no light, no birdsong, and joy - that would only detract from her focus. The darkness of her inner life has completely absorbed the outer. I saw someone yesterday for whom I once held a deep resentment because of harm and injustices done. He looked old and frail, which was a shock. Though I will never think his actions were acceptable, I have found a way to accept the reality of what has happened and a way to live peacefully with it. I prefer light and birdsong far too much to let dark clouds cover my garden.

Dancing Lessons

The card drawn from the Margarete Petersen Tarot this morning is one of the major arcana, the World:

In the middle of a whirling pool of movement is a dancing figure, whose body has a spiral painted on it.  Seen only in two-dimensions, the spiral just seems to repeat itself.  But a three-dimensional view, such as can be seen in a shell or pinecone gives another meaning altogether.  Here the spiral represents an evolution as well as circular revolutions.  Birth, growth and change/death occur on different learning levels, allowing me to incorporate them in my life before moving on to the level of the next cycle.  On one hand it is a sense of completion (the cycle), but on another I know there is still much to discover and understand (the progression of the 3-D spiral).  Anyone care to dance?

     The card pulled from the Heart of Faeries deck today is "Lady of Sorrows:"

Why is this woman known as the Lady of Sorrows?  Because she collects all the hurts and wrongs done to her like a miser.  She has used her righteous indignation to build a thick wall around her, not allowing anyone to touch her heart.  She would rather be right than be happy, which would require forgiveness.  As the Frouds state, such a life allows one "to live, perhaps, but never to thrive."  She reminds me to take a few bricks out of my wall, and allow my heart to be open with compassion rather than judgment.