Another Great Quote

"Far away, there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." ~~ Louisa May Alcott

Today's Question: In what way will my dream come true?

From the Radiant Rider-Waite The four of pentacles

I have to trust in my gifts and talents in order to make my dream a reality.

Today's Question: What is it I really want?

From the Radiant Rider-Waite Page of Cups

The LWB (Little White Book) for this deck says the card means news, message, application, reflection, meditation. To me, this card means a message of love or emotions. Cups are emotions, and the page represents a message of some kind.

I guess I want to know that I'm loved and needed -- not taken for granted.

Today's Question: What is it that I need to revisit?

From the Sacred Circle Tarot 5 of Wands: Grounding

I'm taking this card to mean that I'm a bit stressed! I need to take time out: time to reflect, time to center, time to relax. The "on-the-go" speed that I've been running out is about to give way, and I'll be in some kind of tail-spin when that happens!

I need to make a better effort to find my center and live in it before I can take on any new projects.

Another Great Quote

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." - - Albert Einstein

Today's Question: What is it that is missing right now?

From the Tarot of Transformation

7 of Wands: Opening to Angels

I guess I need to remember to ask for help, and then to be open to receiving it. I must be missing the signs that the angels are sending or I'm missing my opportunity to ask them for help. Either way, I need to make an effort to receive what's "mine" from them.

Another Great Quote

"In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock." ~~ Thomas Jefferson

Today's Question: Who or what must I commit myself to?

From the Sacred Circle Tarot

9 of Disks: Gain

Interesting. This card indicates financial gain. One of my new year's resolutions is to save a certain amount of money by the end of the year, so I think I must really commit myself to doing that. I need to put a few extra bucks in the bank...

Wicca in the Celtic Tradition

Having read through the lists of Celtic Wicca, I feel very drawn to a number of the traditions, specifically the Deborean, Family, and Arthurian ones.

The Family Tradition appeals to me because it is the style of Wicca I was brought up practicing. My heritage is very much Irish (my mother's father was half-Irish), and a belief in the "little people" and the "fae folk" and the stories and traditions that encompass that culture were an important part of my childhood, thanks to my mother and grandfather. In my case, these beliefs and traditions were very much mixed with main-stream Christianity to the point that I didn't see a difference. Embracing the ability to see spirits, or speak with the dead, was one aspect. Leaving a cup of milk for the fairies was another. In my opinion, turning the Goddess Brigid into Saint Brigid (keeping her tale the same, bringing her out of hiding, yet still making her "acceptable" to share with others ) is yet another way. Even using specific herbs for a sore throat or making certain foods before a journey are more than family traditions because of the magical/mystical properties around the herbs and other ingredients. The people who practiced this form of Celtic Wicca kept their family's traditions and rituals by sharing with their children and their children's children.

The Arthurian Tradition also intrigues me. Based on everything I've been able to find, not only is this the most well-known of the Celtic paths, but it is also the one based upon King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Each of the main characters in the legends is a hero of sorts. Deep at it's roots, this is a story of women's rights and empowerment. I don't believe that the legend is without truth, since by definition "Legends are fabulous stories that have some historical basis." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend#Related_concepts) I refuse to believe that there wasn't a tradition of Celtic beliefs to follow Arthur and his quest for the grail.

Finally, I think that's what makes the Deborean Tradition so appealing to me. It's a way of combining so many of the Celtic traditions with the Native American ones. The Clan of the Forest Moon relies on Cherokee beliefs (http://www.paganspath.com/forestmoon/principles-clan.htm), but I think any Native American tribe's traditions could be used. While this tradition seems to have been founded in the Smokey Mountains (http://josef.theislandbase.com/Wicca/AlternativeReligion.htm#deb), I don't see why the same principles can't apply to the people of the Black Hills. Since there is a strong Lakota population where I live, I think we as people should and could learn from the people who have inhabited this land for so long before us. I'm drawn to the "old ways" and in a country not even 250 years old, those ways really belong to the Native Americans.

No matter what "minor path" you resonate with, though, I think the Celtic traditions are the most "real" for me. I found the following definition at http://josef.theislandbase.com/Wicca/AlternativeReligion.htm#cel that summarized Celtic Wicca.

This sect concentrates on the elements, nature and the Ancients. With their great knowledge of healing, magick and nature, including plants, animals and stones, this tradition is probably the closest in structure to the ancients. They are extremely dedicated to preserving the importance of traditional Celtic values such as honor, courage, truth, strength, wisdom, and eloquence. Aided by the fey, Celtic magick is full of fun, yet powerful.

To me, that's what this path is all about.

Today's question: What adventure am I ready to take on?

From the Sacred Circle Deck


The Chariot

I must be on the verge of an adventure -- ready to take off and make it happen! In this deck, the chariot driver is a warrior queen and the chariot is pulled by two horses -- one white, one black. Whatever the adventure is, there must be a struggle of good/evil that I (as the warrior queen/driver of the chariot) must face. The road won't be easy, but I'm ready!

Today's question: How can I remain disciplined in my pursuit?

From the Llewellyn deck:

Page of Cups: Imagination, artistic abilities. Compassion and understanding

I need to use my imagination, but not be too rigid. Open up to the possibilities before me.

Another Great Quote

Life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Today's question: What will bring me a rush of creative inspiration?

Again I drew from the Tarot of Transformation.

The Chariot. This card is beautiful. Heck, this entire deck is wonderful!  This card shows a woman driving an ancient chariot pulled by three(?) horses through the cosmos.  They're surrounded by starts and you can see a world off in the distance.

This tells that that in order to get that rush of creativity, I need to get out of the world I'm in (that of wife and mother and housekeeper and bill payer and dog walker....) and into a space of my own.  In other words, sit down and do it!

Another Great Quote

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today's question: What will keep me steady on my path?

I got a new deck, the Tarot of Transformation, so I opted to use that for today's question. I drew the Crone, The Light of Introspection. I guess I need to do more meditation. I need to "get back in my head" a little more. I need to make time to get away from the craziness that seems to be surrounding me.

Oh, in other decks, this card is called the hermit. Interesting.

Followup to the Jan. 9 question

Sometimes, you just have to wonder at how the Universe works, don't you?  Let me tell you how the cards I drew for yesterday played out in my life.

Monday (Jan 7): I signed up for an online writing class about plotting a novel using Tarot cards.  This is something that was right up my alley!  Awesome!

Tuesday (Jan 8): The critique I'd been waiting for from the Mystery Writers of America finally showed up. I ripped it open and was crushed.  The guy who did the critique really knew nothing about my sub-genre or paranormal cozies, wasn't in my target audience of women 18 and older, and did the entire critique in red pen.  All I saw at first was his "bleeds" all over.  Didn't help that he really wasn't very helpful in his criticism, either.  I decided I must be a lousy writer and was wasting my time even trying.  I asked the Divine Force of the Universe to give me a sign.  An UNMISTAKABLE sign, of course.

Wednesday (Jan 9): I had somewhat calmed down, although I was still awaiting that unmistakable sign.  Amazingly, in my inbox I start to get the information from that course I signed up for on Monday.  Assignment number one was to pick the deck you want to use for the purposes of the class.  So I go on a hunt.  I finally decide upon a deck (the Tarot Lenormand), and post an introduction along with my first assignment.  As I continue to check my e-mail I get the daily card drawing question from another list and do the drawing that made no sense.  Oh well.  All will be revealed and all that, right?  Moving on, I keep checking e-mails, going through the posts from the class.  I get an e-mail with the subject "Off-line" or "Off class" or something of the like.  The author of the e-mail wanted to know how much I'd done on my novel.  Would I be interested in an online critique group for MYSTERY AUTHORS?  Where at least one other (the author of the e-mail) actually wrote PARANORMAL MYSTERIES?   Sweet!!!  So I was given the opportunity to have an advisor on this project (the Hermit) and to share my writing with a group who's mission is to give me helpful feedback in an effort to get the book published (the 8 of Chalices movement of goods).  

Like I said before, sometimes you just have to wonder at how the Universe works.

Today's question: What good news is on its way?

I selected the Tarot Lenormand deck and drew the 8 of Chalices. Meanings for this card are travel, movement of goods, pleasant trip.

A movement of goods? The novel I'm working on? I received some bad news about that yesterday, so is there some good news on its heels? Will my husband surprise me with tickets for a cruise? (OK, probably not!) I'm interested to see how this plays out today.

As a side note, I drew for this twice as husband was "helping" me by holding the cards...tight... when I drew the first time. That card was the Hermit, meaning meditation, discretion, experience, and wise advisor. I didn't (and still don't) see how that card meant good news was on the way, hence the second drawing.

Another Great Quote

"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers." ~~ Maya Angelou

Today's question: What will head me in the right direction?

Once again from the Fantastical Creatures deck (my most recent purchase). This time, I drew Judgment. That tells me I have to be patient (I HATE that word!) and persistent, but if I continue in this direction -- which must be the right one -- my problems will be easily solved. Or else I'm seeing problems where there really are none.

Today's question: Where do I begin?

I drew the Moon from the Fantastical Creatures Tarot. This card has a unicorn standing on a hill in the moonlight with an owl in the background. I begin this year by embracing my dreams but also by having a plan to realize them. I must look beyond the illusion and magic of the unicorn and see the truth and wisdom of the owl.

My bad...

I seem to have missed a uploading new assignments to the Magical Circle School so now I have to re-do those assignments. I don't know if I will. I'm thinking of it, but maybe I'll just "press on" and start new courses.

I will pray about it and see what answers I get....

2008 Card

I drew a card last night for the upcoming year. It was the Star: success against opposition.

Could be an interesting year...