Unraveling, Rewinding

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Sidhe, created by Emily Carding and published by Schiffer. I'll also be using the Green Man Tree Oracle, created by John Matthews and Will Worthington with Connections as its publisher. Today's draws are Dreamer Four (Four of Swords) and Spindle:

In stillness comes the Dream renewed,

With hope and healing her soul's imbued.

Her arms outstretched, she's whole once more,

What once was lost has been restored.

The Four of Swords is a reminder that no matter how resilient we think we are, when our load increases, there must be an equal response of self-care. The mind will try to tell us that rest is the last thing we need to do right now, but that is just a conditioned reaction that will grind us down if we listen to it. The Spindle's hard wood was used in the past for making spindles for wool-spinning. This small tree asks: "What has come unraveled? What should be united to make it stronger and more durable?" The mind must not forget the body's needs as the two are dependent on each other. Exhaustion of either serves neither one.

Striving

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Chariot; from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Spindle:

I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life.

― Madeleine Albright

          The Chariot illustrates that moment when we are willing to step beyond hope and take action on our goals. We strive to make progress toward what we envision. Yet the Spindle offers a few questions to ask before galloping down the road. The wood from this plant was often used to make spindles - implements used in hand spinning to twist and wind thread from a mass of wool or flax. It suggests that there are things that need to be united in order to make them more durable (and able to endure the journey we're about to embark on). Is my goal something I believe in deeply or something I feel I should do to please others? My heart and my head need to be united if I am to succeed in my quest.

One Heart, One Mind

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, Warrior Four (Four of Wands/Fire); from the Green Man Tree Oracle, Spindle:

          One person's palm held outward can be an assertive sign to stop or may be a submissive sign of surrender. But when two people place their palms together,  it is a symbol of joyful celebration (as in the 'high five') or may represent a receptive connection. In this Four it seems to be both, and Carding calls it a foundational blessing. The dwelling under the mound is a place of belonging and comfort as well as a place for family and friends to gather. Spindle is a deciduous shrub with hard wood that can be cut to sharp point. Thus in the past it was used to make wooden spindles, tools used for twisting fibers into yarn. It asks, "What needs to be united to make it more durable?" These cards remind me of the words of two women:

We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.

― J.K. Rowling

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

― Margaret Mead

Spinning a Life

From the Anna K. Tarot, the Nine of Cups:

This is one of the cards in the Anna K. that at first confused me, because it seemed much more like the RWS Ten of Cups rather than the Nine.  But as I look at the picture, I see flowers which are transitory and a party that might last all night but won't go on forever.  There are days I feel so full of happiness, I want to twirl under the trees like a young girl in the sunshine.  I appreciate those days, and try to enjoy each moment, yet I know time doesn't stand still.  That emotional feeling of fullness will begin to spill out of my cup as I deal with whatever life tosses in my lap.  But not to fret, the frustrations, worry and sadness won't last forever either.  Soon I'll be twirling again...

From the Green Man Tree Oracle comes the "Spindle:"

 

Weaving with destiny

From this tree was carved the tool from which it got its name - the spindle used to spin raw fibers into yarn.  It would later become a part of the spinning wheel.  The fibers are attached to the spindle which is spun like a top in a clockwise direction, twisting them into the thread that can be used later in knitting or weaving.  My destiny is a bit like the raw fibers - I don't have control over certain things, like my genetics or where I was born.  But I do have choices over the attitude I will have and how I will handle what comes up in my life.  I alone get to choose what to create with my yarn...