Key Holders

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Hierophant; from the Pictish Oracle, Ogham:

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. 

—Benjamin Franklin

At some point we all could use a mentor: someone who can help us embrace undiscovered talents, who can fill in the gaps in our knowledge, and who can point out our blind spots. Their job is not to make us a version of themselves but to help us become more whole. Yet such a relationship requires an open mind, not someone who thinks they're already an expert. On several Pictish stones are inscriptions carved in the simple lettering known as ogham. It brings to mind the phrase "learning your letters," a task of young school children. Time to humbly accept that key, apply some effort, and see what we've been missing out on.

Like the Sky

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Pictish Oracle, Ogham:

The Ace of Swords can represent a creative inspiration or insight. Particularly when we have a problem to solve or a project to start, it can seem like there's nothing left in our dusty mental bins to choose from. Yet the colorful ouroboros suggests otherwise - we can't use up either one. But to receive them, we need to be as open as the night sky that produces those bolts of lightning. Insights and inspirations won't squeeze themselves into pre-made boxes. Ogham is an ancient British and Irish alphabet, formed by parallel strokes on either side of or across a continuous line. This tile suggests communication, but perhaps of a type that isn't ordinary (such as symbols, music, nature, or art). Yet even the ordinary has the potential awaken us if we see it through fresh rather than dull eyes.

Tool of Self-Reliance

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Ten of Wands; from the Pictish Oracle, 'Ogham:'

We were so far back in the woods, they almost had to pipe in sunlight.

~ Roy Rogers 

The tangled vegetation with only the barest hint of light makes the observer of this card feel lost in the deep woods. Being lost in an unknown forest with the threat of wildlife, weather or obstacles to stumble over is a good analogy for how life feels when we are overwhelmed and can't see a path out. Yet Bodhipaksa reminds us: "Once we know, understand, and accept that life is difficult, it becomes less difficult. This difficult thing of being human is made easier when we accept the inevitability of suffering." This dark place isn't abnormal; others have been disillusioned, overwrought and felt hopeless. The Ogham tile represents simple lettering, thus its meaning deals with communication. It reminds us that those who have been lost and found can help those of us who are still floundering blindly through the woods. But finding our way will require that we reach out, knowing that asking for guidance is also a tool of self-reliance.

Out of the Blue

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Eight of Wands; from the Pictish Oracle, "Ogham:"

In the Eight of Wands, eight branches are placed together in a radiating pattern. At first glance, I thought the rainbow-colored line was a thin trail of smoke. Looking at it closer, particularly the jagged edges, makes me think of lightning. This card often indicates something suddenly coming to a head or nearing completion, but it can also suggest a message from someone out of the blue.
Several Pictish stones have been incised with the simple lettering known as ogham, one with the letters around a circle such as in the rune above. Transliterations have been unclear, but it is thought these inscriptions are a signature, message or a simple historical record. Together with the tarot card, it appears an unexpected message is on its way. This may reflect the phone call I got from my former stepbrother late last night (I haven't heard from him in about two years). Before the messy divorce his father and my mother went through, we had been good friends. It was nice to reconnect again.