Biting Winds, Warm Bodies

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Ten of Cups (Penguin); from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Raido/Raidho:

The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food. —Dean Ornish

The emperor penguin breeds in the coldest environment of any bird species; air temperatures may reach −40 °F, and wind speeds may reach 89 mph. After laying her egg, the female's energy reserves are exhausted. She transfers her egg to the male to protect while she goes to sea to feed for several months, returning to help feed the newly hatched chick. During winter, a colony of emperor penguins forms a compact huddle with juveniles in the center. Those on the outside shuffle slowly around, giving each bird a chance to be out of the bitter wind for a time. The penguin's message is that our happiness and fulfillment is helped along when we are not only a part of a partnership, but also a trusted, supportive community. Raidho is a rune suggesting a journey, in this case, to find a group we can lean on as well as be leaned on when the winds of life become biting. 

Heart Lift

This week I'll be using the Victorian Fairy Tarot, created by Lunaea Weatherstone with Gary A. Lippincott and published by Llewellyn. Paired with it will be the Haindl Rune Oracle, created by Hermann Haindl and published by U.S. Games. As an additional resource, I'll be dipping into The Serpent and the Eagle by Chris Travers. Today's draws are the Three of Summer (Cups) and Raido:

No friendship is an accident.

―O. Henry

We're entering summer here, also known as 'hell season' to those not acclimated to our intense heat and humidity. These birds and fairies show just how to cool off in such weather as they splash in the water. At times, we may also need a cathartic cleansing for our emotions. While a cold shower might be helpful, time spent with companions who know how to laugh and have fun can be even better medicine. The rune Raido means 'riding,' and can signify literal or metaphorical travel. I recently received a card from a dear friend who moved to another state quite a few years ago. She is returning next month, and I look forward to renewing an in-person relationship with her again. My heart gets a lift just thinking about it!

Stuck then Moving

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Two of Swords; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Raido:

          The Wilson's plover is a coastal wader that moves along the shoreline in search of food (hoping for a fiddler crab). The shore is one of those in-between places, not quite ocean but not quite land. This place of limbo is how we often feel when there is an important decision to make. Though uncomfortable, it can help us reassess, step out of our habitual patterns, and reorder our priorities. Raido suggests a journey, whether physical or within. It is movement beyond the usual places we prefer to places of uncertainty and the unknown. Raido invites us to stay curious rather than anxious, to keep our mind open rather than hide. Both these cards seem to encourage us to embrace change, which is the natural flow of life. 

A spiritual practice can be an island, a place where opening to uncertainty and doubt can lead us to a refuge of truth. —Joan Halifax

Quest for Inner Wisdom

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Hermit; from the Haindl Rune Oracle, "Rit/Raido:"

I spent the majority of yesterday visiting and speaking with various people until late in the evening. So I wasn't too surprised to see the Hermit show up this morning - I need to recharge my batteries by being alone today. This particular Hermit is found studying inside a tree house library. I would feel just as comfortable there as Br'er Rabbit in the brier patch. There is a lot to be said for solitude when it comes to getting inner and outer work done, and I have plenty to do of both.
Raido is almost always translated as "riding" or "traveling," and as such it is an interesting rune to draw with the Hermit. But the journey it implies may be a spiritual one rather than physical. Perhaps my quest will be for wisdom of the spirit.
ETA: Raido actually did mean "traveling," as I spent over three hours ferrying my cats back and forth to the vet for their yearly check-ups and shots. I had forgotten until I saw the card posted on the refrigerator as a reminder. I did, however, spend the rest of the day in Hermit mode!