Articles – Druid in the Hills

Creating a Sacred Space

September 15, 2022

OMGs! I’m supposed to have an altar?!?!

One of the positive effects of the COVID pandemic has been an increasing awareness among many religious folks of the need for developing a personal spiritual practice: daily prayer, meditation, spiritual reading, and so forth. One of the first questions many people who engage in a personal devotional or ritual practice ask is how to create a sacred space, more specifically, how to set up an altar. If you go online, you’ll find that there are as many ways to build an altar as there are people who use them for their spiritual practice. Orthodox Christians will often have a corner or cabinet in their homes filled with various icons, while Catholics may have a space dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary or a particular saint. For some Protestant Christians it may be a space set aside for daily Bible reading and prayer. For my mother it was always the living room sofa early in the morning before getting ready for work. Many neo-Pagan practitioners have a variety of altars or shrines dedicated to one deity or another or to their ancestors. While some people have a space dedicated to devotional practice, others will use the same chair they watch TV from. For some that space may be the car, bus, or train on the way to work; I’ve played recordings of morning prayer from various sources during my 30–45-minute drive to work on several occasions. The takeaway from this is that there is no one correct or proper way to do this, so if you’re getting hung up on “the rules” you can breathe easy and concentrate on finding something that works for you.

Some General Principles

What religion or tradition are you practicing?

This may seem obvious, but it bears thinking about. Are you practicing Gardnerian Wicca, Russian Orthodox Christianity, ADF Druidry? If that’s the case, those traditions may have very specific guidelines for setting up your altar and you should follow those. But what if your path isn’t as clear? What if your practicing eclectic witchcraft or, in my case, Christian Druidry? Following on that, what element is dominant in your religious practice? Are you an eclectic Witch with an emphasis on Alexandrian Wicca? Are you a Christian doing Druid things or a Druid doing Christian things? Taking some time to ponder this question may help clear up any confusion. In my case, I’m a Christian doing Druid things; to complicate things a little more, my Christianity is a mashup of Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Celtic. What follows will be from this perspective since that is my experience and I cannot presume to speak for someone with a different experience.

Why do you want or need an altar?

When I first started exploring Wicca, I was tied up in knots when it came to doing rituals or magical workings. I was so scared of setting up my altar the wrong way or using the wrong color of candle or any number of things that I didn’t do anything for a long time. While decorated altars, candles, wands, athames, incense, and the like are great tools for focusing your prayer or ritual workings, you don’t need any of it. Everything you need is already within you. Don’t get so caught up in the external trappings that you don’t actually do anything. I’m a visually oriented and artistic person whose best experiences of church involved lots of color, symbols, as movement, so these things are important to me in my own practice. In fact, creating the physical space for my work is a key part of my practice. Other folks find all my stuff distracting. My partner actually commented that I have “way too much shit.” If you fall into that category and just having a quiet space is enough for you, then that’s all you need and you’re good to go. If you’re like me and find the visual aspect important, that’s great, too. In either case, please read on.

Where will you have your altar?

I have a room that I can set aside as a sacred space, but I’m aware that’s a luxury a lot of people don’t have. Regardless, here are some things to think about.

Is there a dedicated space for a permanent altar setup? This can be a table or cabinet in a corner, or a shelf in a bookcase?
If you live in a small place where space is at a premium, if you like to go out on a balcony or to a park, or if you travel a lot, you can create a “portable altar” by keeping a small box that is easy to carry around with you, a wooden box with a hinged top or a cigar box work well for this. It’s actually possible to use something as small as a mint tin or a small sewing notions box. If you’re crafty, you can use decoupage, paint, a wood-burning tool, etc. to personalize it. I keep a cloth, some LED candles, a small standing cross, a set of small icons, and a vial of holy water in mine.
It would be great if we lived in a society where everyone accepted everyone else unconditionally, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Maybe you live with others who might not understand or approve. I live in a hotbed of red-state fundamentalist evangelicals who are convinced that everyone who is not them is practicing devil worship, even other Christians. What they think of Druidry or witchcraft is pretty evident, so I understand the need to be somewhat careful with how open you can be. In that situation you might want a set up you can hide. This is easy to do by using a cabinet with doors or even a trunk or storage ottoman.

What’s important to you?

Everyone has different emphases for spiritual practice, even those who follow traditions with specific rules. When exploring what items to place on your altar, keep in mind those things most important to you.

Is devotion to a deity, saint, local spirit a priority in your practice? If so, you may want to place statues, drawings or paintings of and/or symbols associated with them on your altar. Some people have several altars, each dedicated to a different being or purpose.
If your altar has a devotional focus, you may want to think about using objects that help you focus your prayers and/or other offerings. Such objects might include candles, incense, water, journal, prayer book, bell or chimes, or a singing bowl.
Are there particular symbols that are symbolic of your faith? For example, Wiccans may want a pentacle, Druids an awen symbol, and Christians might want a cross of some sort.
Other items might include some sort of altar cloth and seasonal decorations or symbols. This can be anything and it’s fun to think outside the box. For altar cloths, I’ve used tablecloths, table runners, decorative towels, and placemats. Seasonal elements can include flowers and other plant material, a cornocopia in the fall, gnomes, Tarot cards or saint cards. Again, it’s fun to think outside the box and let your creative impulses run wild.

What’s the purpose?

Altars can be permanent with changes made according to season or they can be temporary, like a memorial altar to honor ancestors at Samhain or All Souls. They can be dedicated for a specific intention and dismantled when that intention is satisfied. If you’re setting up a space dedicated to praying and/or making offerings for a special intention, you might want to do a little research into colors, crystals, incenses, and so forth associated with that purpose.

What does this look like?

What follows are some photos of my space as it currently exists. These photos are from shortly before the Fall Equinox (Alban Elfed or Mabon).

My primary altar

This is my main indoor devotional altar, constructed on the top of a shelving unit with drawers that I use to store supplies. On the wall in the top center is an awen symbol I made using a grapevine wreath from a craft store and three feathers. Under the awen symbol is a Celtic cross. The four pictures are saints that are important to me. On the top left is Hildegard of Bingen, Holy Wisdom is on the top right. The lower left is occupied by an icon of my personal patron, St. Francis of Assisi. And on the lower right is a print of Brigid.

The centerpiece of the altar is a diptych of the Theotokos and Christ Pantokrator. An icon of the Holy Trinity sits to the right. That icon changes according to the season or occasion. My communion cup and plate are beside that. At the very front I have a vessel of holy water and a smaller bowl with salt, both symbols of purity. Other than a lot of candles (I may have a problem), there are seasonal decorations, in this case a cornucopia and a fall floral arrangement. I’m using a red tablecloth as an altar cloth. Not in the picture is a stand holding my prayer book and a Bible.

Directional Altars

The elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth are an important part of my spirituality and figure prominently in my devotions and rituals. Each element is associated with a direction – Air/East, Fire/South, Water/West, Earth/North. A quick search will reveal many concepts and objects that correspond to each element. My directional altars are small shelves I’ve hung on the walls in the four corners of my room and have at their center an icon of an Archangel surrounded by various symbols and objects I associate with that direction. [Disclaimer: I have the Archangels in different places than the “traditional” directions; basically, I swapped Raphael and Gabriel because their traditional placement doesn’t make sense to me.]

East

Starting in the East, this altar represents Air. Among other things, Air is the realm of communication. It also represents wisdom and intellect. At the center is an icon of the Archangel Gabriel, who most often shows up in the Bible delivering messages. I have a feather and several musical items: egg shakers, a tuning fork that belonged to an aunt, and various music-themed prints hanging on the wall around the shelf (including an image of St. Cecilia, patron of musicians).

I have a small owl figurine as a representation of the sacred hawk of dawn (because I found a hawk yet), the animal associated with the East in Revival Druidry. There is also a yellow-ish dragon, yellow being the color corresponding with Air and because I have a thing for dragons. I have a large singing bowl on a shelf in an adjacent bookcase.

South

Moving clockwise around the room, we come to the South, the realm of Fire. The Archangel Michael centers this altar. I have a representation of the Sun hanging above, an incense burner, two stones – citrine and sunstone, and a playful little lizard who never made it out to the garden this year. A red dragon and a stag, the Druid animal association, round out this altar.

West

Continuing on, we enter the realm of Water, the West. The Archangel Raphael, the healer, is here. In the West, Revival Druidry calls upon the Salmon of Wisdom who swims in the sacred pool. A glass fish and a fish windchime made by one of my aunts represent her. I have a couple of seashells, a piece of rose quartz, and a blue dragon. The moon lamp was not originally part of my plan for this space, but after thinking about it, it makes sense because the Moon is associated with inner working and intuition, both qualities of Water.

North

The North is the realm of Earth, watched over by the Archangel Uriel. Druid symbols include a couple of oak leaves, an antler, and a black bear figurine. There are also a couple of small stones and buckeyes, along with a green dragon. Hanging above the shelf is a pyrographic print of the Celtic Tree of Life. On a table underneath (not pictured) I have a small statue of Cernunnos and a print of the Green Man.

Some concluding thoughts

Sacred spaces are very personal, and there are myriad ways to construct one. The important thing is that your space, whether permanent, temporary, camouflaged or otherwise, works for you. There is no right or wrong way. What I’ve shared here is fairly elaborate, but I’ve only recently been able to do this. I used multi-function, camouflaged spaces and kept my supplies in a box in the closet or in a drawer for a long time. Experiment and play around. You’ll soon find out what works.

One final pic – my Nerd Shrine, just for fun. My collection of Star Wars, LOTR, and Harry Potter knick-knacks with Marvin the Martian front and center.

Bright blessings and may peace be with you!

Celebrating America 2022

July 4, 2022

Today is the 4th of July, “America’s birthday.” Red, white, and blue banners are everywhere, the smell of grilling hamburgers permeates the air, and somewhere, someone is playing that damn Lee Greenwood song. People are shooting off fireworks, lining the streets to watch parades, and listening to bands and orchestras in parks all over the country. Folks are celebrating.

For many of us, the celebration feels very different this year. We’re celebrating a birthday, but it feels like the birthday of a loved one who has recently died. It feels like a wake.

Several years ago, I attended a professional conference in Arlington, Virginia. I took some time to go into Washington DC and do the touristy stuff. If you’ve never been to DC, there are monuments everywhere covered with quotes expressing beautiful visions for the country. These truly are lofty ideals for the America that can be. I was struck by the vision of these earlier generations of American leaders yet sobered by the realization that we as a country have not lived up to these ideals; that, for some, the lofty vision of America was not meant for them.

The poet, Langston Hughes, pleaded:

Let America be America again,
The land that never has been yet —
And yet must be — the land where every man is free.
Langston Hughes, “Let America Be America Again” from The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes.
Copyright © Langston Hughes, 1955

Throughout the poem Hughes states in a parenthetical aside that “It was never America for me.”

Despite our shortcomings as a nation, I (and many others) wanted to believe that we were learning, growing, and striving to be better, that we were working to realize the lofty ideals set forth in our founding documents. It is a dream that now lies in ashes at our feet.

For the first time in our history, the Supreme Court has turned its back on precedent and actually taken away rights. With the overturn of Roe v. Wade millions of women no longer have the right to control what happens to their bodies, making them, as some have said, little more than livestock. Justice Clarence Thomas has set his sights on other rulings based on the 14th Amendment: the right to contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage. Conspicuously absent from Thomas’ list of rulings that should be revisited is the ruling in Loving v. Virginia, which grants interracial couples the right to marry. Overturning Loving would invalidate his marriage.

The Supreme Court has been busy. They’ve issued rulings targeting the Establishment Clause, deregulating power plant emissions, and overruling state restrictions on carrying guns. Next term, it looks as if they’re going to hear cases concerning non-discrimination laws and how states decide election results. The latter has some deeply troubling implications.

It seems that every day brings news of yet another mass shooting, the latest one being today at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. School shootings, road rage killings, using a gun to end an altercation betray our cultural obsession with violence. Our first resort is to solve problems with violence and guns are the tool of choice. Even the obscene number of children shot and killed attending school doesn’t seem to get through to some. One politician even said that he was willing to sacrifice children if it meant preserving the 2nd Amendment. The 2nd Amendment has become our culture’s Moloch, a Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice, a practice strongly condemned in Leviticus.

In my home state of Tennessee, our governor has aligned himself with entities that want to dismantle public education, standing by silently while representatives of those entities disparage our teachers and our state’s colleges and universities.

This is just the tip of the iceberg; I could probably fill several pages with a list of all the problems we have. I will say that many of us are experiencing an existential threat. We make jokes referencing Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale but, deep down, we believe that it’s not a joke and we are terrified.

²⁸One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” ²⁹Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; ³⁰you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12: 28-31, New Revised Standard Version

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28, New Revised Standard Version

I keep hearing that we are a Christian nation, but what I’m seeing has little to do with the teachings of Jesus who came to show us a better way to live., the Jesus who told that the greatest commandments were to love God with all our being and our neighbors as ourselves. Instead of caring for the poor, the sick, and those without housing we demonize them and blame them and/or their lack of morals, character, and faith for their condition. Instead of caring for the strangers in our land as our own we lock them up, and often send them back to the dangerous and life-threatening conditions they were trying escape. What happens to a culture that forgets that all are made in the image of God, that we are all God’s children? How long can we ignore that what we do to one we do to all of us? Is there hope for us as a nation? Can America survive a descent into a Randian hellscape where everyone is only concerned for themselves, and fuck everyone else? I would like to believe so. It won’t be easy, and it will most certainly get messy. I leave you with the concluding stanzas of Langston Hughes’ Let America Be America. (The entire poem is here.)

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!

Attribution: The header image, under-distress-flag-upside-down by Susan Ackeridge, is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Turn Around and Look Again, You’re Missing Something!

April 30, 2022

A Reflection on the Five of Cups

Even though you have lost something, don’t become so wrapped up in your loss that you do not appreciate what you still have. If you focus on disappointment, sorrow, and regret, it will only lead to more loss …
All is not lost and good times will roll again; you will find yourself enjoying life as you once did …
Your hopes for the future are bright.
Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, The Concise Tarot Reader

Things Fall Apart

To say I have experienced loss and disappointment over the last few years would be an understatement. I wish I could say that that I’ve handled it brilliantly, but that would be less than true. Since what I say and how I say it is an integral part of my personal power, it behooves me to be honest in both my assessment and my speaking of my experience.

I’ve suffered significant health setbacks, dealt with the loss of a parent and the disappointment of the accompanying family dynamics, endured a what I thought was a career-ending betrayal by a trusted colleague. Suffice it to say that the last two and half years have kind of sucked.

The Man in Black

The Fives in the Minor Arcana all bear some elements of conflict and turmoil. When placed in the emotional realm of the Suit of Cups the Five presents a picture of loss and hopelessness, at least on the surface.

There is a man wearing a long black cloak standing forlornly pondering the remains of the contents of three overturned cups as they run off into the ground. His head is hanging and his shoulders are slumping, a rather pathetic figure. The castle representing his hopes and dreams sits unreachable across the river. All he sees are the dregs of whatever it was he had in those cups. His life’s work and passion are draining away.

Turn around

He is so consumed by what he has lost that he fails to see what lies all around him. Behind him, two cups are still upright and full. All is not lost; there’s enough remaining to make a fresh start. And though he can see no way to reach his goal before him, there is a way. It’s not the way he had planned to go but there is a way. Off in the distance a path leads to a bridge that crosses over the river and leads right to the destination. All he has to do is lift his head, turn around, and look and he will see the situation is not as hopeless as it seems. The goal is still attainable, though the way forward may actually involve a side trip.

What Are We Missing?

Loss is part of life; everyone experiences it. The Five of Cups acknowledges this. It also acknowledges that there is some sadness and grief involved. There may also be some regret involved, especially if the loss could have been prevented by making different choices. The emotions are real and it is important to take the time to grieve and evaluate how to move on. So we grieve, we might even get angry. And then, we step back and take stock of the situation. We take a long, hard look. We might even need to retreat for a time to discern a new path forward. The pain of loss can make us afraid to take risks, but eventually we move on.

Taking Another Look

The health issues and the job loss were a double blow that did require me to retreat for a while, helped by the COVID-19 shutdowns. I learned a lot about myself during that time. The ongoing health issues are a constant source of frustration, but I’m learning to listen to my body and learning how to make better lifestyle choices, especially where food is involved. I’ve used the down time to deepen my spirituality. I’ve also picked up some hobbies (who knew I could be so crafty!?) I’ve also gained an interest in permaculture and sustainable gardening. And not being able to work has allowed me the time to develop these interests.

The betrayal by a colleague was real and it still hurts. Almost immediately after being dismissed from that position, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off me. My relationship with my boss was always a little antagonistic and I was always on the defensive. It took being away from the job to realize he had been gaslighting me for years, causing me to lose confidence in my abilities and to question every choice I made. Fortunately, that combination of abuse and betrayal did not end my career, just moved me in a new direction that I’m enjoying immensely.

The lesson of the Five of Cups is that while loss and regret are part of living, there is a way forward if we just step back, turn around, and look for it. The way ahead may lie in a vastly different direction or it may be a slight detour. Either way, it helps to remember that the trip is just as important as the destination. Who knows? The journey might be better than anything you’ve ever dreamed.

Bright blessings!

No Challenge, No Drama

January 18, 2022

Three of Pentacles from the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck. — RWS Three of Pentacles

Sometimes a daily Tarot card pull can be a nice reminder or affirmation of what you already have. No challenge, no drama, no deep concepts to engage. When life seems determined to challenge you in every way, it’s nice to get a gentle acknowledgment that you really are in a good place.

No Challenge, No Drama

January 18, 2022

Tarot for the Year, Part 2: The Deep Dive

January 10, 2022

We’re now a week into 2022, and it’s already been … interesting and it seems like the joke that 2022 is pronounced “2020, too” is already an all too accurate description. 2019 and 2020 saw some major changes in my life, mostly involving loss. 2021 was all about coming to terms with those changes, a process that will continue in to 2022, which brings me to reflecting on Tarot readings for the year. My year cards for 2020 and 2021 were challenging, indicating some upheaval and sacrifice, as well as a need for me to withdraw. As it turns out, upheaval wasn’t all bad; I did land a really cool job that was just what I needed.

Moving into 2022, the year cards indicated something more encouraging, although at first The Lovers and The Hierophant combo confounded me. As I wrote last week, this combination of cards indicates that while following my heart is good, I need to ground myself in tradition to build a solid foundation. I wanted to explore a little deeper, so I went to the Interwebs to look for different year spreads. I found one that resonated with me at Angelorum (The Year Card Tarot Spread (angelorum.co). My personal year card, The Hierophant, is the starting point for this divination.

Seven card Tarot spread using the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

1. Year Card – V. The Hierophant (top center)

This card is firmly grounded in tradition and established practice. The person depicted on the card even looks like a Catholic bishop, or even the Pope, and it’s hard to find anything more rooted in institutional traditions than the Roman Catholic Church. For many of us, this type of tradition represents an oppressive religion with strict rules about how to stay in the good graces of the institution, one reason many Pagans reject attempts to codify our beliefs. Tradition can be a good thing, though. It gives us a framework on which to build our practice and our spirituality. At times, we need a teacher. At other times, we are the teacher. In this spread, the Hierophant sits between the Six of Cups and the Three of Cups, Father Time’s Scythe and The Young Child, respectively.

2. Father Time’s Scythe – The Six of Cups (top left)

The card in the number 2 position represents what needs to be cut away to make room for new growth. I drew the Six of Cups. The Cups suit is associated with the element of Water and represents emotions, relationships, dreams, and so forth. The Six of Cups represents memories, the past, old relationships, nostalgia. What from my past is present here? This card in the second position in this spread indicates that something in my past is holding me back from growth and I need to, in the immortal words of Elsa, “let it go.”

3. The Young Child – The Three of Cups (top right)

The Young Child represents the mental attitude I need to cultivate in order to take full advantage of what The Hierophant is telling me. The Three of Cups exudes joy. There are symbols of abundance all around and the three women pictured are celebrating with a pretty exuberant toast. They’re practically throwing those chalices up in the air. From their posture, they are dancing! Joy! I need to cultivate joy. There are likely some deeper ideas involved, but they will reveal themselves in time. In the meantime joy is a good starting point.

4. The Hour Glass – Eight of Wands (bottom left, underneath)

I can stop right now and have a pretty good notion of the direction I need to be going. But let’s keep going. The card in the Hour Glass position is what will bring the energy of the year card front and center. I pulled the Eight of Wands for this position. This card presents eight wands (or staves) in flight with the implication of speed and forward movement. The angle suggests they are about to land. It’s important to note that the staves are not guided; they were aimed and then launched, but there’s no real control where they’ll land and what will happen when they do land. Forward motion is good, and I’m glad that it looks as if it will happen but being overwhelmed and at the mercy of whatever other forces are acting to alter the trajectory is probably not so good. So, it looks like there is potential for me to move forward rather quickly, but I need to be careful that I don’t move too fast. And that brings me to the next card, The Moon in the Challenge position.

V. The Challenge – The Moon (bottom left, crossed over)

This position is exactly what it sounds like; what is going to challenge the circumstances suggested by the Hour Glass? My Hour Glass card presents its own challenges, but how will that energy be affected by the card in the Challenge position? The Moon card is in the Challenge position in my reading. The challenge of the Eight of Wands is to move forward without losing control and becoming overwhelmed. The challenge of The Moon is the opposite; fears, inhibitions, lack of goals or clarity, and old patterns of thinking and acting can arrest forward motion and actually send backwards, right back into that Six of Cups. Instead of allowing Father Time’s Scythe to cut away those past attachments, I might find myself wallowing in them and avoiding any growth at all. What advice do I need; what action can I take?

VI. Advice/Action – Seven of Swords (bottom center)

How can the Seven of Swords possibly present any advice or appropriate action? I mean, this card is all about sneaking around, deception, theft … you get the idea. Am I supposed to lie and pretend I’m learning and growing? Should I present a fake face to the rest of the world? Not at all. While this card can be, and often is, interpreted negatively, there is another possibility. It takes a lot of work to be sneaky and deceptive; one really has to think through the deception and carefully plan how to carry it out. There needs to be a strategy and one needs to be proactive and plan for contingencies to pull off a successful scam. There’s also a need for stealth; it’s not good to broadcast what you are doing. The lesson to be taken here is to set a goal and make a plan to reach it. Plot out the steps and plan for when life happens and the universe seems to be laughing at your plans. Just be careful not to let the Moon energy get you so bogged down in planning that you forget to execute. The instructions for the spread say to read this card in conjunction with the number 3 card. According to that card, I need to cultivate joy. Luckily, I enjoy setting goals, planning, and organizing. I don’t always enjoy the execution, so maybe it’s time to take that on.

VII. Father Time’s Gift – The High Priestess (bottom right)

Father Time’s Gift is what out come I can expect at the end of the year if I follow through with all of this. Enter the High Priestess. She is a woman who is confident in her own strength and knowledge. She is a powerful figure who trusts her intuition to provide the answers she seeks. The title of High Priestess implies that she has some responsibility for the training and development of others; it also implies some sort of community leadership. I need to become more confident in my own ability, knowledge, and inner strength. A priest whose fears and insecurities make him unable or unwilling to lead, teach, or advise is not going to be effective in anything. So my goal, or one goal, is to become more confident and trust in my own power.

Conclusion – Tying it all together

As I mentioned earlier, the tone for 2022 seems to be more encouraging for me, indicating that the time for withdrawal and sacrifice is coming to an end. The Hierophant indicates a need for a firm grounding in traditional teachings and practices – maybe time to actively embrace formal coursework I keep putting off. I can be a powerful practitioner and priest if I quit sabotaging myself. The first step is to let go of the anger and resentment because of stuff that happened two years ago. I’m in a much better place now, and don’t need that shit dragging me down. I’m learning to take joy in simple, everyday things: kittens playing, the wind moving through the trees, the laughter of children, and sitting around the table with family. I have recovered my love of music-making.

Moving forward, I want to concentrate on deepening my knowledge and skills in my chosen spiritual path. I need to be deliberate in my approach to my coursework and spiritual practice and I need to enjoy the process and not just rush headlong to the end result. I look forward to seeing where I go this year.

Bright Blessings for a happy and prosperous 2022!

Tarot for the Year, Part Two: The Deep Dive

January 10, 2022

1. Year Card – V. The Hierophant (top center)

2. Father Time’s Scythe – The Six of Cups (top left)

3. The Young Child – The Three of Cups (top right)

4. The Hour Glass – Eight of Wands (bottom left, underneath)

V. The Challenge – The Moon (bottom left, crossed over)

VI. Advice/Action – Seven of Swords (bottom center)

VII. Father Time’s Gift – The High Priestess (bottom right)

Conclusion – Tying it all together

Bright Blessings for a happy and prosperous 2022!

Tarot for the Year, Part One

January 3, 2022

It’s 2022, and 2021 ended in a chaotic state with new, more contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus that has dominated our lives since early 2020. December 31, 2021 also brought the sad news that one of our most beloved celebrities, Betty White, died peacefully at the age of 99, far too soon for many of us. On a more personal front, I’m still dealing with a wounded foot that has been part of my life since mid-2019. I had surgery right after Christmas to remove a small bone that was putting pressure on the wound from inside, preventing it from healing. As a result, I’m bringing in the new year on the couch with my foot elevated. Perhaps the most disturbing thing is the weather. It’s January 1, and the temperature was in the mid-70s today. Tonight, we are under severe thunderstorm warnings and a tornado watch, when ordinarily we would be concerned with wind chills and the possibility of ice and snow.

Even with all that’s going on, and there’s a lot going on, I decided to spend part of today reflecting on the coming year. I don’t really do resolutions, but I do try to determine a direction for the year. For the past several years, I have used tarot to help me focus my thoughts and discern pattens of behavior and thinking that are helping or hindering me. I go about this in two ways: a Tarot card for the year (both universal and personal) and a more specific spread to explore ideas about the coming year.

The Year Cards

The year cards use the Major Arcana, the cards representing archetypal images and large-scale life events experienced by most people. The specific card is chosen by adding the individual numbers in the year for the universal card. For the personal card, add the number of the month and day of your birthday to the year.

Universal Year Card – VI. The Lovers

Love is in the air! The numbers in 2022 add up to 6, The Lovers in the Major Arcana. This card is all about relationships, communication, and heart, a generally positive card. This is a good time for relationship building. Theresa Reed at thetarotlady.com says, “If you are considering getting involved with someone for love or business, this is a hell yeah!” Of course, there’s also the chance that wedding bells may be ringing for you this year. Go with your heart!

My personal Card for 2022 – V. The Hierophant

By adding the month and day of my birth to the year and doing the necessary reductions, I come up with the number 5, corresponding to the fifth card of the Major Arcana, The Hierophant. This card (to me, anyway) absolutely SCREAMS establishment, hierarchy, tradition. While many see these ideas as repressive, they also represent teachers, advisors, and counselors, as well as an established framework for working through issues. Maybe it’s time to turn to tradition and established rules, or maybe working with a teacher or a counselor is in order.

Follow Your Heart, but … Rules?

At first glance, these two cards seem to contradict each other, forcing a choice between one or the other because surely there’s no way to combine the two. Right? Well … for me, the two cards complement, not contradict, each other.

I have resisted following established traditions and practices because “I need to do what works for me.” Following my heart has taught me a lot, but it falls short when I need to address an issue and I don’t have the resources for it. In those times, I find comfort in established practices and approaches. This is true in all aspects of my life. So this year, the key for me is rooting myself and building a solid foundation, so that I can follow my heart.

The other aspect of my yearly divination addresses this in more detail. I did a seven-card spread with my year card, The Hierophant, as the starting point. More on this in the next installment, although I’ll tease you with a photo of the spread.

Bright Blessings and a happy, prosperous, and healthy New Year to you.

Samhain

November 16, 2021

The Wheel turns, Summer ends, Winter begins.
The harvest is gathered as Earth to her rest settles in.
We gather ‘round the hearth with friends and kin,
For warmth and comfort as darkness closes in.
The veil between worlds grows thin,
Even those without sight may glimpse within.

We remember and honor those who’ve gone before
As we welcome them to the table once more.
Slowly fades the light, giving way to dark of night.
Warmth gives way to cold snow and rain
As Winter approaches once again.

Hail and Welcome, Holy Uriel, Greeter of those who cross the veil!
Hail and Welcome, all you Holy Ones!
Hail and Welcome, friends and family, near and far!
Hail and Welcome, all who travel this road together!
Hail and Welcome, Ancestors!
Hail and Welcome, Winter!
Hail and Welcome, Night!

Child of the Light

June 22, 2021

A Reflection on Alban Hefin, the Summer Solstice

At 11:32 pm EDT on Sunday, June 20, Earth reached the point in its orbit of the Sun where the Sun appears at its northernmost point. In the northern hemisphere this is the longest day of the year, the time when there is the most light. Because of orbital mechanics and other science-y stuff, the Sun appears to stand still for a couple of days before apparently reversing course and heading back south. From this time on, the days will start getting shorter, although here in East Tennessee, we won’t reach the height of summer until August.

The longest day is a time of great mystery and power. It has long been known that without the Sun there would be no life on Earth, prompting veneration and worship of the Sun, or at least a deity who represents the Sun or controls its track across our skies. For agrarian communities, this has profound practical significance as the summer sees fields start to grow and produce a hopefully bountiful harvest in the coming weeks. The light has ample symbolism for us: life, sight, power, warmth. For some of us, the June solstice means that the hottest and most unpleasant part of the summer is about to hit us hard, sending us either running for air conditioning or to the lakes and beaches for relief from the heat. Then, of course there are those hardy souls who crave the sun and spend as much time outside as possible during the summer. (I am not one of those; give me snow and ice any day.)

Today we see earth-lovers, Druids, neo-Pagans, and others gather at Stonehenge and other sacred sites to welcome the Sun as it rises on the longest day. Christians also welcome the coming of the light by celebrating the birth of John the Baptist on June 24. The Gospel of John describes John the Baptist’s role in this way:

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1:6-9 (NRSV)

Malachi 4:2 refers to the Sun of Righteousness who rises “with healing in his wings,” a figure many see as Jesus.

During the week leading up to the solstice, I have turned once again to David Cole’s The Celtic Year during my morning prayers. This is a nifty little book of devotional readings and prayers built around the eight-fold cycle of the Celtic year. For the week of readings around the Summer Solstice, the focus is mainly on light. Beginning with the creation of light in Genesis, David Cole leads the reader in a reflective journey on light, beginning with the creation of light in Genesis and ending with the saints who have gone before us to light the way. Here’s a summary of what I’m taking away at this point.

We need light to see; what we see and how we see it are largely determined by the source of light. The world looks a lot different when we see it by the Divine Light of God. What light do we see by?
Jesus is the Divine Light in human form. Following Jesus means that we try to be like him. How does the Divine Light of Christ guide us in our journey? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us to make us better reflections of the Light?
Jesus said that we are the light of the world. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we not are not just Light Bearers; we are Light Projectors.
Sometimes the Light shows us things we don’t want to see. For Saul, the Light was blinding and revealed an entirely new path for him that was radically different from the one he had been following. Are we willing to let the Light show us new paths, or do we block it out so we can carry on with our plans?
Not only do we have a community of believers to accompany us on our journey, we have the example, the light, of all those who have gone before us, especially those whom we revere as saints. Their lives and work are a light that inspires us to this very day. This is an immense community and when we take our place within it, we shine brightly for all to see.

I want to walk as a child of the light,
I want to follow Jesus,
God set the stars to give light to the world,
The star of my life is Jesus.
In him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the City of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
--Kathleen Thomerson