I Am A Well.

Thank you very much for your reply, @thymewitch!

Here in the Midwest, the moon is very high in the sky tonight, but it is very red. What is the significance of this for various witchy folk?

That’s the beginnings of the Harvest Moon! It will reach its peak this year on September 6th at 3:04 a.m. so keep your eyes pealed. 

For us witchy folk, the Harvest Moon signifies a time for clearing out clutter, completing tasks, tying up loose ends, and beginning the future with a clean slate, or for doing spells relating to these things. For those who follow the wheel of the year, it is the full moon nearest to the Mabon celebration and a great time to honor the gods. 

Daily Draw, 8.16.17

The King of Wands, Reversed

I feel resistant to reversed cards. I dread their apparent negativity. 

I didn’t have much information to call up about this one right off the bat, beyond the fact that wands are fire. Desire and will. So... I looked it up. 

This card reversed can indicate inauthenticity. Doing things that don’t feel true to you. It could be warning against recklessness or risky impulses. It may mean that you are holding yourself to grand, but unrealistic expectations that you are struggling to achieve, resulting in frustration with your lack of progress.

Looking at the card right side up, the King looks cocky and authoritative. Reversed, those same qualities could seem brash and egotistical.

Reflecting on my day, at the end of it, this card was accurate. I had to ask my mother for help paying my health insurance bill, which is very unlike me and which causes me an enormous amount of distress. I am fiercely independent. I feel like a failure. But is it reasonable to hold myself to expectations of financial security, given the current situation? No. It isn’t.

Maybe I need to take it easier on myself and learn to accept help when I need it.

For a few weeks now I’ve been using the Golden Thread tarot app. One of its features is a daily draw. Now that I have a physical deck, I’ve been doing a daily draw in both the app and real life, which I’ll likely reflect on here when it feels meaningful.

Today’s daily draw is the Page of Pentacles. I sat on my bed, shuffled, then quietly pressed my hands to the splayed out cards and thought, “What do I need to know about today?” I closed my eyes and pulled a card by feel.

My first thoughts were, “Pages, new opportunities. Pentacles, earthly and material things.” Maybe this is about my finances looking up. One can hope. I investigated various analyses as to the meaning of the card, as Tashi did not gift me with the box or guidebook. I’ve shared what felt relevant below.

The Galaxy Tarot app has this to say: “Cautious, new job or project, new studies. The page is a youthful, dependable, practical person, willing to work hard to gain new knowledge or skills.”

The Rider Waite app was nonsensical to me and provided too many interpretations. It’s much more comprehensive, but it didn’t seem to offer anything useful this time.

The Golden Thread app says: “Pages are the child, the new spark, the holder of energy. Dreams, desire, new opportunities. You are on the brink of giving life to a new venture or opportunity that brings you luck in the material world. You are full of energy and enthusiasm to make this new opportunity come to life.”

Looking at the card itself, the Page appears to be holding the light of the sun in one hand. She is floating towards the light, away from a darker corner where bird beaks that look like sharp claws peek out. The sun is a pentacle. She is looking away from it.

This could mean many things, I suppose. It feels optimistic, but she’s unfocused on the brilliant sun. I’m choosing to interpret it as an appeal to keep my chin up and my eyes on the prize. Encouragement to continue my job search. That my luck is about to change.

I need that optimism right now.

A Job Hunter’s Spell by @thecluelesscoyote.

Images of the Paulina Tarot deck from Hey, Preston! http://heypreston.co.uk/my-tarot-card-collection/

#SaveTheTrees

I'm brand spankin' new, but I'm excited to post original content and do an awful lot of learning.

New Witch Blogs!!

Returning to the Tarot

A month or so ago, I was spending a weekend in the woods with a few close friends. The weekend was fraught with drama. My partner had had enough of my metamour and was in the throes of breaking up with her throughout the trip. I was full of resentment and disdain for her, as well as triumphant. Vindicated. My partner finally saw her for what she was. The torment of watching her abuse, control, and manipulate him was nearly over. I felt relieved, but I also felt superior.

I came across two of my friends sitting in the grass, midway through doing a tarot reading, complete with burning sage. Anna told me that I came along at that moment because those cards were also meant for me. I listened and then I had a turn. I was uncomfortable. I felt awkward trying to connect with it all. But I heard something that I had needed to hear.

In my own words, the message was, “I am a well. You are nothing but a broken teacup.” The cards and Anna told me that I am a vessel. I am able to be filled up with all of these emotions and ideas and responsibilities, all of these connections, to hold them close and keep them safe. It turned me inward. It calmed me. It reassured me. And it reignited my interest in tarot.

Today, my friend Tashira gifted me a deck of Paulina Tarot cards. I was talking about wanting some, but I’ve been reluctant to break that quirky little tradition that the cards should be either gifted or stolen. I wouldn’t want to steal something that’s meant to have magic in it, I thought, and it would be nice to wish for the cards and have them come into my life generously. And here they are.

I went through each card, studied it, and read its description in the Golden Thread Database as I sorted the deck. The major arcana by number, the minor arcana - Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles - progressing through suits like playing cards. They’re not exactly my style, but there are elements that appeal to me. There are many similar visuals to the old Rider Waite Smith deck I had when I was younger, which means I’m able to piece some of the messaging together, even as a clueless novice.

My intention is to use this as a bit of a digital grimoire. The idea of a spellbook and journal appeals to me, but I’m too much of a perfectionist to use it in a genuine way. This will allow for more curation and more visual records.

Here goes.