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!

Inward-Looking

From the Tarot of the Secret Forest, the Queen of Cups; from the Faeries' Oracle, the Glancomer:

The Queen of Cups would be lost in a room of talking heads, expounding theories and discussing statistics. But in the element of water - emotions and relationships - she is at home. Tibetans say that people are either like a dog or a lion. Throw a stick for a dog, and he chases it. Throw it for a lion and he looks to see where it came from. She is the lion, inward-looking; she does not blame her feelings on the actions of another because she has no control over their behavior. But she can consider what part of herself is being poked and work on that. The Glanconer is a fairy of illusion and delusion who uses people's desires against them. In this regard, the Queen's intuitive abilities can be of benefit. If her eyes tell her how wonderful and sumptuous something is but her gut is tightening into a knot, she's going to listen to her intuition.

Self-Mugging

This week I'll be using Tarot of the Secret Forest, created by Lucia Mattioli and published by Lo Scarabeo. I'll also be drawing from the Faeries' Oracle created by Brian Froud with text by Jessica Macbeth; it was published by Simon & Schuster. Today's cards are the Knave of Coins and Singer of Courage:

The Knave of Coins is always trying to construct something (or take it apart to see how it works). He pauses, checks to see if he has the right part, then checks again. He's a hands-on methodical learner, but it will eventually make him very good at what he chooses to do. Patience and steadiness are as much a part of him as breathing. But there is more to learn than following the rules and instructions to the letter. The Singer of Courage reminds us that an expansive life goes beyond plodding along and coloring inside the lines in order to maintain our comfort zone. The world is constantly changing, and we need to be brave enough to adapt and learn new things instead of rigidly trying to stay safely cocooned. We'd do well to heed the words of Brendan Behan: "Every man, through fear, mugs his aspirations a dozen times a day."

MVP

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Six of Wands; from the Cedar Runes, Hagalaz:

This fellow has climbed to the top of a statue to emphasize his great success. Even if he was the MVP, leaving behind his comrades below seems a bit arrogant. Why would he not want to share this moment with everyone? He has forgotten the magic that happened when many people worked together, had each other's backs, and shared resources. I bet it didn't slip his team's mind. That dizzying surge of self-importance will only last a day or two; when success is shared, it's joy can last a lifetime. The rune Hagalaz means hail, a destructive force of nature. It implies drastic and unpleasant change that will bring back balance and order. Sounds like the mighty is headed for a fall. He might take Rainer Maria Rilke's advice: "Make your ego porous."

Conscious Intention

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, Strength; from the Cedar Runes, Wunjo:

How do we feed our inner fire? Do we overfeed it, creating a raging blaze that is ready to knock heads and verbally blast those who get in our way? Or do we underfeed it, barely leaving one glowing ember that never speaks up for oneself or any other injustice? It requires a constant adjustment to keep our inner beast in good shape, willing to have the courage to act but without the impulse to crush. Yet we know we're in balance by how we feel; our rash words and reactions are replaced with calm composure, with resolve rather than revenge. The rune Wunjo literally means joy and harmony. It implies that to have such happiness requires an inner strength to wisely deal with the potholes and bumps we encounter. 

The Buddha saw: our thoughts, emotions, and actions are the primary sources of our suffering. Equally, our thoughts, emotions, and actions can be the source of our joy and freedom. Living, as much as possible, with conscious intention is the first step of this transformation.

—Thupten Jinpa

Even Keel

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Queen of Cups; from the Cedar Runes, Eihwaz:

This Queen is most at home when she's following her heart and intuition, but like the sea turtles, she does come up for air occasionally. That helps her stay on a even keel rather than getting swamped and pulled down by her or another's emotions. The Queen of Cups knows that life is fluid, just as the sea ebbs and flows, changing from one moment to the next. Eihwaz literally means 'yew,' an evergreen tree known both for its longevity (it's not considered an ancient tree until it is 900 years old) but also for its extreme toxicity. It is a paradoxical symbol, representing both life and death. So too are our emotions, those that bring us uninhibited joy and those that bring us to the depths of despair. The Queen of Cups would likely agree with the words of Ralph De La Rosa:

The thing is—in case you haven’t noticed—our emotions aren’t up to us. What we do with them, however, is absolutely up to us. The parts of us that express our afflictive emotions are very much like people. If we relate to them with understanding and care, there tends to be one kind of outcome. If we relate to them by shoving them in the basement or forcing them to change, we get another kind of outcome.

The Two in the Bush

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Two of Wands; from the Cedar Runes, Tiwaz:

I can almost hear this woman discussing a possible new direction with her feline companions: "Is this going to be worth all the trouble? Is the cost going to be greater than the result?" Such is the nature of the Two of Wands - deciding whether to stick with the bird in the hand or go after the two in the bush. Sometimes we just don't know until we get knee-deep in it. Tiwaz means "to shine" and is related to Tyr, the Norse god of law and justice. In an attempt to save his people, he lost his hand to a giant wolf. The proverb "fortune favors the bold" might apply to these draws today. Yet our bravery and enthusiasm should not cloud the fact that a sacrifice of some kind will likely be required of us.