The Woman's Garden
(Pg. 13)
MARCH
The Priestess:
Major Arcana/2/The Moon
Feminine Wisdom, Sacred,
Meditation;
"Mysterious Ways" (U2),
"The Healing Room"
(Sinead O'Connor);
Rosemary;
Rose Quartz, Clear Quartz,
Amethyst.
Hello everyone!
"In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but what we refuse to destroy" (anon).
There's a lot happening out there at the moment isn't there? The news - local, national and international - is full of violence and despair, and it would be easy to forget that Joy even exists. But of course, it does, it's just that it doesn't sell as many newspapers. Cynical of me? Perhaps, or maybe I'm just seeing things as they are, at least in the mainstream. I prescribe a pilgrimage to Woodford Folk Festival for all, at least once, to witness a large community of very different people choosing to come together to work, perform, live and play, fundamentally drawn to re-connect in an environment that still, despite the thousands that partake of this experience, manages to maintain the Universal, non-denominational qualities of Joy, Love and Community. A living breathing testament to the existence of Humanity's Faith in Humanity; the co-creation of a world in which difference is embraced and admired rather than feared.
"The Times They Are A-Changin'', as Mr Dylan said, and as is common in times of profound change, it is human nature to reach out for the familiar to save us, to protect us from those who trespass against us. Arming ourselves with bombs and guns, increasing the powers of the law to impose tougher penalties, barricading ourselves in behind extensive home security systems, shielding ourselves with our opinions - all of these are understandable reactions to the fear that permeates our lives. They have also proven themselves over and over to be short-term band-aid solutions for society's dis-ease. The world is crying out for an alternative, a different way of Being as the mbalance that exists between the Masculine and Feminine energies becomes more palpabe that ever. The desperately needed Feminine qualities such as nurturing, gentleness, intuition and stillness, once highly sought after sources of strength and guidance, have been devalued and ignored to such an extent that many of us spend our lives dealing with the consequencs of this. We live in imbalance, often completely unaware of our need for this part of ourselves to be acknowledged.
The Priestess, (in her lightness), sits between the pillars of mercy and severity, centered and impartial, ruling by Love. Without judgement. She is the Holy one, in direct contact with the Divine, and her impartiaity enables her to give guidance to those who seek it in an objective, truthful maner. She is the guardian of the Feminine Mysteries, and to access Her we must embark on a journey of personal purification to enable us to meet within ourselves this Sacred force. It is in stillness that we will receive Her counsel and through reflection, not action, that our answers will come. Indeed this is one of the most important lessons She has to share with us. It is a challenging path to take, but a richly rewarding one and on a personal level gives us the key to unlock our ability to talk to God. On a global level, the necessity of the continual re-emergence and re-honouring of the wisdom of the Priestess is, without a doubt, paramount to our survival.
Take care everyone.
"All the people of different races, with different lives in different places. It doesn't matter which religions. It's all the same when the ship is sinkin' (Coloured Stone)
APRIL
9 Of Swords:
Minor Arcana/
Mars In Gemini
Abuse, Pain, Possibility For Relief;
Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Turqoise;
Lavender, Chamomile;
Roses;
"Misguided Angel"
(Cowboy Junkies),
"I Ain't Movin'" (Des'ree),
"Simple" (K.D. Lang).
Hi everyone
Ever go through one of those times in life where you just cannot for the life of you work out WHY? Why can't I find a partner? Why can't I find a new house to move into? Why can't I ever make the right decision? Why do I always screw everything up! Wow - seems like a dreadfully hard way to move through life when you look at it in print doesn't it? If this sounds at all familiar to the conversations you regularly have with yourself then it's time to start asking some different questions. Such as when did I learn to be so very hard on myself, and do I love myself?
The 9 Of Swords in a reading is generally an indication of the presence of a tremendous amount of mental stress. The mind is an amazing tool and if we make friends with it, then we can harness its amazing potential and use it to create the situations in life that will make us truly happy. If, however, we do not find our minds to be a peaceful place, then the opposite can happen. We end up hurting ourselves again and again, becoming victims of a negative thought process that keeps us spinning around, driving us to despair. I have said before that when any of the 9s appear in a reading, that this means we are receiving something that we have worked hard for. What is the reward in this card you might ask? That the key to release from your state of anguish is at hand. There is no room left to move - your mind has reached its' full capacity and there is nothing left to do but SURRENDER; to invite Spirit in for guidance. Psychological patterns that cause us pain in any way can become harder to address as we grow older, but the fabric of our lives always holds the potential for numerous changes. Sometimes even though it appears daunting, it becomes necessary to stop and unpick that unevenly sown hem that's throwing your whole outfit out of balance - you just know that the resulting change is going to be worth the effort. You deserve a life that it is abundantly woven with the riches of warmth, friendship and love - so go get it!
Until next time, take care.
"Pray for the careful, ongoing construction of love. Hard fought and won are the shifting sands of this sacred ecology. Easy to desecrate and difficult to defend, this vulnerable joy, this exposed faith, this precious order. This Sanity..." (Leunig)