Hell Season

From the Tarot of the Secret Forest, the Devil; from the Faeries' Oracle, the Pook:

It's hell season (summer) here, so I can very much relate to this card. Temperatures are at 99 F, but expected to climb to 103-105 F next week. We've had no rain in quite a while, but hordes of mosquitoes will find any bare flesh to bite and the swarms of gnats attempt to get in your eyes, nose and mouth to find moisture. These insects are a good symbol of the Devil, that part of us that feeds on what we think will help us but can hurt us in the long run. The Pook is a shapeshifter who helps others see the bad in the good and the good in the bad. He advocates for balance in our perceptions. As John Milton points out, "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven." I can't get rid of the bugs outside, but I can work on those in my head. There is much more to focus on: the zinnias, salvia and coneflowers are blooming, and three varieties of woodpeckers are back at the feeders. But I might watch and enjoy from my screened-in back porch!

Seeing with Gray-tinted Glasses

From the Tarot of the Secret Forest, Temperance:

A fairy pours a liquid from one container to another; perhaps she is mixing a bold black with a harsh white to produce a softer gray color. We humans tend to like things cut and dried, black or white. It makes us feel more in control when there are only two sides or two choices, and we can firmly choose one or the other. But life is too full and complex to be reduced down to "this or that." When I try to fit people or situations in these categories, I end up making sweeping generalizations that don't even come close to the truth. Temperance suggests that I see life on a continuum - in shades of gray rather than black or white. Here on this sliding scale, I'm much more likely to find the serenity that comes through harmony.

From the Faeries' Oracle comes "The Pook:"

Pook is a shape-changer who loves to show us the paradox in what we think is set in stone. Have you ever watched a movie or read a book where you enjoy hating the antagonist, but then you're introduced to the "back story" that shows how he got that way? While you still may not like what he does, you find yourself developing a small soft spot for him. Or how about the protagonist who at first glance seems like Prince Charming? Later you find out he's not perfect but seriously flawed. Pook helps me see that there is some good in the worst people or situations and some bad in best. There's no black or white here.