Category: WRITING

Today’s three cards have one thing in common: fire. Chiefly, the reading seems to be talking about our inner fire, or our personal oomph!

Card one refers to Leo and fiery Lion Energy. Card two features the equally fiery Aries energy. It also shows the sun, and what could be more fiery than that?! Card three shows a depiction of inner (spiritual) fire.

Before you listen to the audios for each card, below, you might want to view the cards first and see what the images suggest to you, (before hearing what they suggest to me)!

Card One AUDIO:

Card Two AUDIO:

Card Three AUDIO:

Further thoughts

Card One:

The circle of women, ‘dancing the lion awake’ are awakening the sleeping lion and all those positive Leo-like qualities.

However, it’s impossible to miss the large lion to the right of the card, who is very much awake, and his power and strength are clearly visible to us. Personally, I wouldn’t want to mess with him!

The fact that there are several women, holding hands, working together to awaken the lion, may suggest a group that you are part of. It could be a coaching or business group that offers mutual support, or it could be friends and/or family.

Perhaps you have a common goal, or purpose. Perhaps the positive Leo-like qualities I mentioned in the audio would be useful for you to embody at this time.

Do you need to stand in your own power, or assert yourself in some way? Or do you just need more courage, or stamina, to do what you have to do?

The positive Leo qualities I mentioned in the audio, include:

• Confident
• Self assured
• Sense of humour
• Warm
• Generous
• Sociable
• Strong
• Sunny disposition.

And, personally, I’d be happy to embody all of those!

I would also say Leo-types are resilient, and are often (at least seemingly) fearless – possibly because they are so sure of themselves and their own capabilities.

And being sure of yourself is no bad thing, in my view. Because, for one thing, it means you get things done! You don’t waste time dithering, because if you want something, you go for it.

Card Two:

The Ram (Aries/Mars energy) is gazing forward, strong and stable. This ram seems to be looking ahead, to the future, with confidence.

What would the ram say, if we gave it a voice? To me, it seems to be saying, “I know where I am heading, and I am determined to get there, in my own time, in my own way”.

Today, I came across an mp3 I had made about this card, some time ago. The message I received then, regarding the Buddha-like figure, was quite lengthy – and surprising! I had recorded it onto mp3, and have included the transcription below.

I am the one who sits with legs crossed and arms gently resting in my lap, holding the vessel that contains the sacred substance. I am looking straight ahead, seeing into the future, and imagining the best, for all. 

I see the beauty in death and in life, and I know the secrets of these. And, like the crow, we are working together to create the continuation and balance on this beautiful Earth. 

Mankind cannot destroy this planet. It will not be. For there are forces of good that will work together to ensure all remains as it should. 

Gently evolving, and at times, through more seemingly catastrophic means. But rest assure ... rest assured, there is no death. In fact, there is only Life. And, most of all, there is Love. 

This card reminds you, you are nourished by the light of the sun and by the light of spirit. You are cared for and provided with all you need for your life, for your tasks, for your chosen activities, projects, and experiences. 

Trust, that all will be provided, and all is working in perfect balance. Step forward with confidence on your chosen path. You do have all the resources you need, and all the strength and stamina within.

Well, I don’t think I can add anything else to that!

Card Three:

I’ve discovered (via trusty Google) that the mudra I spoke of is called Gyan Mudra (thumb and forefinger touching each other, other three fingers relaxed and extended). Amongst other things, this mudra is said to be good for concentration and bringing peace and calm.

I haven’t mentioned the woman in the centre of the card, who seems to be some kind of observer. Yes, she is naked – my metaphor for someone who is open, honest, authentic, and happy in her skin.

Perhaps she is the embodiment of that Leo self-assuredness, and self-confidence, featured in the first card.

It’s interesting that this naked woman is taking centre stage in the card – something Leo energies love to do! Certainly my Leo father loved to hold court (often down the pub), and also loved to sing to an audience. Luckily, he did have a very good tenor voice. I remember at every party, his friends used to call out, “Give us a song, Peter!”

Regarding the woman wearing what looks like a fur coat: I initially thought this might signify wealth (and perhaps ignorance)! Then I remembered a card I had made, many years ago, as part of my SoulCollage(r) deck, that features a bear.

By the way, my SoulCollage(r) deck is very different and separate to my oracle decks. I’ll talk about the difference in a blog post – soon!

Anyway, the card I was reminded of, pictured below, is called Brown Bear.

In the image, you can clearly see this Native American Brave, embodying the power qualities of Bear through wearing a bear-skin, and becoming Bear.

So, I wondered, perhaps the fur this woman wears, suggests her embodying a Power Animal of her choosing. In other words, taking on the strengths and positive qualities of a particular Power Animal.

And I wonder, what animal would you choose, if you wanted to embody the positive qualities of an animal, or bird?

Personally, I can resonate with Bear. For me, a bear is slow and plodding, but can also move like lightening when it has to.

Bear is obviously strong and powerful, and we all have both of those qualities within us, even if they are buried deep, or only surface in challenging times.

In the winter, female bears find a place underground, or perhaps sheltered in a cave, where they can safely gestate, then give birth to their young.

This might suggest a need for you to ‘retreat,’ perhaps in order to plan or create something of value to you.

Or it might indicate a need to retreat in order to rest and recuperate.

Certainly, the couple who are nestling against each other, both seem to be in some kind of peaceful place; a place of rest, or (temporary) withdrawal from the external world.

Sometimes we need to rest up, before we can plough ahead. Strength and reserves need to be rebuilt, before emerging in the Spring.

The Winter can be dark and cold, but the Spring brings new life and new hope – and the urge to get back out into the world, and plant those new seeds.

Despite the relentless cold and rain, I can feel Spring is now on the way. The bulbs are pushing up shoots, the birds are singing, and I’m beginning to feel excited about all the new potentials and possibilities ahead. I hope you can feel it too. 💕

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This week’s reading is about rising up from the shadows into the light, (perhaps, even, into the ‘spotlight’). Cast off past shackles of guilt and shame. You are worthy. Accept the golden blessings being offered to you – and bloom!

AUDIO:

CARD ONE:

CARD TWO:

CARD THREE:

Further Thoughts on the Cards:

Card One:

It wasn’t intentional when I created the card, but it seems that the oracle card I named (intuitively) Underworld, could refer to the story of Persephone.

Persephone was taken to the underworld by Hades (God of the underworld). Her mother Demeter’s grief caused cessation of growth of plants/crops (winter/dying).

When Persephone returns to the world above, life and growth return (spring/rebirth).

The myth reflects life and death, dark and light, and might also be a metaphor for our light and dark shadow selves.

Most of us don’t want to acknowledge our dark shadow selves and try to keep them hidden.

Equally, we are often reluctant to acknowledge our light selves, (our blooming, our true essence) and may stay humble and hidden.

The right-hand side crystal looks like Smokey Quartz, so I did an online search as to its properties:

“A stone with a smoky hue that represents grounding, letting go, and surrendering old wounds.”

“Smokey quartz is associated with Hecate.”

* In Greek mythology, Hecate is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, and the moon.

* Hecate is goddess of wisdom, crossroads/transitions, and ghosts.

She is goddess of the occult and the dark moon.

She has power over the heavens, earth, and the underworld.

I noticed three points or corners of the woman’s veil.

Hecate is depicted as triple goddess: maiden, mother and crone (three phases of a woman’s life).

Or, as having three forms, back to back. This may represent her ability/power to ‘see’ all directions, doorways and crossroads.

Looking at Fool’s Gold, or Pyrite, it seems there’s not much it can’t do(!)

It’s said to be good for protection, confidence, grounding, and emotional healing as well as attracting abundance/prosperity.

Card Two:

In Card Two, when you listen to the audio, please note that I was not advocating murder!

I’m simply saying we are all capable of all things, both good and bad. Hopefully, most of us choose ‘harm to none’! Including, no harm to ourselves (which means not berating ourselves for past mistakes).

Also, in that card, Haunted by the Past, I was struggling to find the right words to describe Britain’s persona, all of those years ago, in the time of its ‘conquering all-and-sundry’ history. I was meaning the days of imperialism and the British Empire .

To end on a brighter note, this reading is about leaving the past and the ‘dark’ behind. Leaving behind shame and regrets relating to your past, and embracing who you are now.

I mentioned a woman playing a double-bass, but it could be a cello. Interestingly, both cello and double-bass can be used for (haunting or solemn) classical music, and also tango – take your pick!

Card Three:

The Midas Touch card is a great card to end with. It speaks of your new ideas and projects ‘turning to gold’ and your reaping rewards from all you turn your hand to (and turn your enthusiasm to, no doubt)!

The message is, don’t be shy, let your light shine. Bloom, in your true and beautiful essence.

You are capable of great things, we all are. However, in order to ‘get the gold,’ some courage is needed.

We have to do the thing, we have to try things out. And we can let it be heavy and hard, or we can let it be light – and fun.

(I know which one I prefer.)

So, blessings to you, this week and beyond, and to all your endeavours and adventures!

This reading is for the week ahead. However, if you’ve found this today and resonate with it, then it is meant for you, today.

Sorry about the faint ‘chirping bird’ on the audio; it’s my smoke alarm, telling me it needs a replacement battery! I shall do that today, of course. But first, I wanted to get this post out for the upcoming week. (Gotta get my priorities right!)

Please scroll down for images of the three cards. The transcript is below the audio player.

AUDIO:

TRANSCRIPT:

So, this is a reading for the week ahead, and I’m just shuffling the cards.

I’m using the deck called, A Bridge Between Worlds, and I’m going to choose three cards.

The first card, I thought, would be about where the current energies are.

The second card, the coming energies for the week ahead; what’s coming in.

The third card, I thought, would be, ‘What do I need to know? What do I need to most know or remember?

So let’s choose the first, at random, just take a card out of the deck – that one. Then, I’ll just choose a second, at random, and a third. And I’m just choosing very quickly.

The First Card:

Okay, so the first card, this is current energies.

Before I say anything about the card – although I’m intending this is for the week ahead, I’m also intending that it’s a reading for anybody who comes across this at a later date. So, if someone is surfing online and they find this reading, and it resonates with them, then it’s meant for them, at that time.

The first card is called . . . (?!) Now, I can’t remember what I called this one (Afraid To Look Deeper). All of these cards are relatively newly made. I made 200 of them in quick succession, so I’m not familiar with most of them.

But I named them all, intuitively, I immediately named them, as I completed them. And although I can’t remember the name of this, I’m just going to say what it appears to be saying to me.

There’s a woman who is hiding her face. She seems as though she might be either in sorrow, or she’s just taking herself away, quietly, to – it’s almost like she’s hiding away, or she can’t deal with what’s out there, what’s outside, what’s going on.

She doesn’t want to look at it. And even, what looks like an angel, on the right-hand side, is hiding her face.

So perhaps the angel, or Guardian Angel, is suggesting we don’t have to look at, or focus upon, what we find distressing. (Unless we can help in some way?) But, if we can’t help on a physical level, we can at least pray for, or envision, a beneficial outcome.

So, it’s (about) not wanting to look at something in particular, or just what’s going on in the world in general – and yeah, that’s understandable.

Then, there’s another face, of a girl, who is behind the naked woman, and she looks as though she’s thinking about something. Her mind is thinking about something, she’s probably deep in thought, she’s mulling things over.

(I’m amused that I said, ‘Her mind is thinking about something,’ because sometimes, it’s as though our mind takes over and runs away with us. As though we have no control of our own mind. And it takes practice to quiet our mind, or quickly nip in the bud those negative or troubling thoughts.)

Then there is the face of the man – part of his face is revealed, to see his insides. So, he is revealing what’s inside of him. Even he – they’re all looking ahead. He looks as though he is thinking, he looks as though he’s thinking about something too.

So it’s (about) what’s going on in the mind, and not wanting to see what’s going on in the outside world.

And that certainly mirrors what I was saying previously (in another blog post), about wanting to know, wanting to be informed as to what’s happening in the world. But in another way, really, not wanting to see all this bad news, disasters, and things that make us feel uncomfortable. (Or fearful, or despairing!)

Okay, so the only other thing, that I think is worth noting, is the lion.

And the lion always makes me think of strength and courage, and self-sovereignty. And, for me, Leadership . . . (yes) it reminds me of leadership, also.

So this is about what’s currently going on, that first card.

The Second Card:

The second card is . . . okay.

I think I may have called this something to do with The Ancestors, I’m not sure. (The card is called, Connecting with the Ancestors.) Obviously, when I post the cards on the blog, I’ll put the names up there.

This shows people from the past.

Possibly, the image of the Native American, he could be ‘in Spirit,’ because he is all in white. (Shining with a Heavenly Light!)

There are a couple of people playing instruments. So, they’re making music.

Then, there is an eagle who is being nourished, by somebody.

Now that immediately makes me think of the Perspective of Eagle, which is where you look at the Big Picture. You rise above the minutia, you rise above your own life, even, and see the bigger picture of what’s happening as a whole, in the world, or on the Earth. Seeing your issue, your problem, from a different perspective, a higher perspective.

And sometimes, seeing yourself as that little ‘speck,’ in the entirety of the Earth, can sometimes help, and put whatever it is that you are worried about, or dealing with, into perspective.

And to realise that it’s actually a small thing, in comparison to the largeness of the Earth, the Universe, and . . . all of the beauty, really, of the planet. And sometimes, it does put it into perspective (or proportion) to take that view. Sometimes, it helps.

So the second card, the coming energies next week.

The little girl is lightly – almost dancing, almost skipping along.

So she has a playful energy about her, a light-hearted energy. Maybe, both that (playful) energy and the energy of taking the higher perspective, is the way to go.

Also, these people who are ‘playing their instruments,’ perhaps it’s about playing your own tune. They both seem – certainly the chap in the centre there – seems to be very much concerned with his own instrument, his own music, his own . . . yeah, making his own music.

So, perhaps, again, it is about just getting on with your own stuff. And, not worrying about things that you can’t control.

But there are things you can control. You can – play, your own instrument, play your own music, make your own song. And that is within your power.

The Native American, the Spirit (Being), I think this (card) was something to do with ancestors. He seems quite . . .  wise. Calm. Someone to be relied on (trusted). Almost like that feeling – the (sense of) All Is Well. All is Well.

You know, ‘We’ve got this!’

You may not know why all these things are happening. But those who are in Spirit, those who are in that place (or plane of existence) know the reasons for whatever is going on, and how it’s going to – how it’s playing out, why it’s playing out.

To me, this about just trusting.

‘Don’t panic, Mr Mannering!’

Just trust that it’s playing out as it should. I get the feeling it’s playing out as it should. And we don’t know why. And we can see things that we think are going completely wrong and people are suffering, and we don’t know why that is (at least, in the grand scheme of things, even if we think we know, on a practical and ‘obvious’ level.)

We can’t see the Big Picture. As, I say, we need to nourish that Eagle and try and see the bigger picture, the higher perspective – or just trust that there is one.

And try and be as Light as we can be.

Then, in the background, there’s the dark night sky, with the stars, representing the bigger universe, the Beyond-Beyond. The things we know exist, but we don’t know all the answers, and we can just really deal with whatever we’re dealing with in this moment, now, in our own lives, in our own (immediate) world. And have faith that all will work out.

The Third Card:

The third one is just a reminder: What (do) I need to most know or remember?

Let’s have a look. Now, this one. It’s showing a Wild Woman.

And, she looks like she’s in a place of surrender. A place of giving up, opening to perhaps a ‘higher power,’ or a place of trust. A place of, as I say, letting go, release, surrender. ‘What will be will be.’ ‘What is, is. It is what it is.’ And, yeah, Trust and Surrender.

And there’s the little girl there, who is just standing very still, and looking, almost looking out to us. In a place of trust – perhaps vulnerability – but hoping that, whoever is responsible for her, looking after her is looking after her, is caring for her, is going to keep her safe!

And, the Goddess figure, who I think I named, Lilith, in another card, another kind of Wild Woman: strong; independent; capable; equal; balanced; powerful.

And again, the self-sovereignty; not being bullied by anybody, not being forced to do anything she doesn’t want to do. In her own power, in her own strength, and her own authenticity.

As I say, every time there is a naked being in one of my cards, I see it as a reminder of our real self, our true self, and our authenticity.

And then there is a woman there who is sleeping. I might have called this (card) something like, Wild Woman Awakening. I’ll be interested to see, myself, what I called it! See whether it bears any resemblance to what I’m describing here. (Almost! ‘Wild Woman Awakens.’)

But, as with all the cards, they don’t have just one meaning. I may have named them, but whatever I named them can have several meanings.

And certainly, the images within each card can have different meanings, depending on the question, depending on the time. Depending on what’s happening. Depending on where you are, or what’s happening in the world.

And there are things that you might see, that you haven’t seen before, that are significant and that you can read, in terms of whatever the metaphor, or symbolism is.

So, what do we need to remember?

We need to remember our own power. But also, we need to trust, and we need to surrender to whatever is going on, and not necessarily fight against it, but flow with it.

There is a lot we can do. Because we have that personal power. We have choice. We can choose our perspective – and that is very powerful. A perspective that makes us feel stronger, safer, hopeful, positive.

And, perhaps the sleeping woman is also just reminding us to rest and take time, to recuperate, recharge, maybe review where we are.

And yeah, Trust is a big one, with the little girl there; trusting that those ‘in charge’ know what they’re doing (!) and have her best interests at heart.

And, in the other card, with the (Native American) spirit with his spear, and drum and feathers, knowing more than we know about what’s going on.

And the little girl, who is stepping lightly, and skipping her way through her life. Perhaps oblivious of much of what’s going on. And, the better for it, really. Because, what good would it do, if she knew?

(Because, her knowing, her being aware, of all the doom and gloom – that is not in her control – might crush her joy. Might crush her light and playful spirit. And for what purpose would that be? For what useful or beneficial purpose?)

So, I hope that’s resonated on some level!

And I think I’m going to leave that there for now. If I think of anything else, if anything else occurs to me, I’ll add it at the end of the blog post (or within it!)

Okay, that’s today’s (this week’s) reading. Righty ho!

Wishing you a Beautiful Week.