Tarot of the Crone

Our Collective Feelings – Day 940

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
9 of Cups – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

Our Collective Feelings

If you’re feeling edgy or antsy, I want you to know you’re not alone. Not by a long shot. If you feel like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop or perhaps sense some inchoate dread percolating just under the surface, you’ve got company. And the weather – I swear, it’s mirroring the reality of what so many of us are experiencing emotionally. The heat of summer is here too soon. It’s breaking records. And the humidity is oppressive, plain and simple. Our collective feelings are on display for all of us to enjoy.

Realizing we’re not in this alone can be helpful. There is comfort in shared concern.

I decided to ask the Crone to share some wisdom with us tonight. Of course, I’m referring to my Tarot of the Crone deck by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince.

As usual, my question was straightforward: What is our best strategy to navigate what we’re about to encounter?

I chose the 9 of Cups, with the IX Hermit underneath, giving the entire situation context.

The first thing I notice is that both cards are 9s, which generally represent completion and endings. And we’ve had this card appear to us before (last July).

Nine of Cups ~ Healing

“I am the Many and One

I am whole who has been broken

I am the power of redemption

I am the renewal of creation

Two unusual beings, with ribbons of red life spiraling through the serene lavender of their skin-like cloaks, touch and twist and merge in the creation of something wonderful, whole and new. The Nine of Cups represents healing of the heart and soul: when what has been separated comes together again, when feeling flows free and true, when you are aligned with your greatest good, when you become more than you believed you could. The authenticity of your self is not subsumed by bonds with others, but is enhanced through acting with integrity and love.”

Underneath this card that’s enticing us to embrace a state of healing is the Hermit card. I love the perspective on this card that the author/creator gives us:

IX – Hermit – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

IX – Hermit

“I speak

No one listens

But I know what I know

The Hermit is a bag lady rejected by and rejecting comfortable society. She stands on the street of a faceless city, her own face exposed and eloquent. Her dress is a blue that recalls the depths of ocean and sky and the boundlessness that lies beyond their shallow edges. She carries her bags in both hands because she’s learned that balance gives her endurance. She is alone but her isolation is the result not the goal of her journey. Where she goes, others cannot follow. She seeks the mystery at the core of life, at the core of herself. She looks for the magic that exists even in the most artificial environment. She seeks answers to questions that have not yet been born.
The Hermit says look to yourself for the answers, look into the worlds inside you and the uncharted realms within, behind and beyond the ordinary. There are secrets only you are meant to discover and truths only you can divine.”

My Take

We’re all in this together, and if we recognize the power of our interdependence, we can heal the pain, discord, and chaos we’re creating. Yet we’re each responsible for our own perspective, as well as the decisions that flow from how we interpret all that’s occurring around us. This is a time for all of us to step up and take responsibility for ourselves and, yes, each other.

We can do this. It’s time to end the insanity. But in order to achieve a state of healing we need to sit alone with ourselves and take an honest look at what lies within our core – each one of us, individually. It’s time to discover the secrets we’ve been hiding from ourselves. Only then can we move forward together.

(T-171)

On the Horizon – Day 929

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Grandmother of Wands ~ Matriarch, Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

On the Horizon

It’s been a while since I chose a card for us to contemplate. The intense astrological aspects taking place in the cosmos right now are influencing all of us, whether we ‘believe’ in them or not. As a result, I thought it might be beneficial to see what my Tarot of the Crone might have to say in counsel to us as we navigate the wild unpredictability I sense on the horizon.

The total eclipse of the full blood moon on Wednesday sent powerful ripples of revelation out into the world. Truths are being uncovered. Relationships exposed. Treacheries revealed. We’re being asked to review, reflect, and readjust over the next few months.

Pluto (planet of transformation, death, and resurrection) and Saturn (planet of boundaries, limits, foundations, and conservatism) have both gone retrograde recently. A cursory look at what those two planets influence make it obvious that some big stuff in our lives is going to be demanding our scrutiny. And Mercury (planet of communication, electronics, and technology/mechanical things) goes retrograde tomorrow.

The effect of Mercury retrograde will probably be more personal and also more fleeting. Nevertheless, it can be a pain. It would be a good idea for all of us to back up our computers. And try not to have a meltdown when your tv acts like it has a mind of its own or your appliances conk out.

Long Weekend

It seems to me that the coming long weekend will give us an ideal opportunity to hunker down and engage in some juicy personal reflection so we can navigate these turbulent influences with grace. Not only do we have a holiday weekend encouraging this inner work but many of us will also have rainy and chilly weather pressing the issue.

I do want to mention again one other planetary aspect that’s influencing all of us this entire year, but especially now and heading into the next two weeks (culminating on the 14th of June): the Saturn square Uranus transit. It’s essentially the old vs. the new. Tradition and the way things have always been done vs. new, radical ideas and approaches that turn things inside out, upside down, or just utterly transform.

It’s no surprise that we’re being asked to remember the insurrection of January 6th and deal with not only its aftermath but also – crucially – its planning and purpose. There’s a lot going on right now. Responsibility and accountability are two big words that have yet to be meaningfully invoked. And the tensions are only going to grow. Thus, we must prepare ourselves.

Request for Guidance

I asked what we maybe should keep in mind over the coming long weekend – and beyond. I chose the Grandmother of Wands: Matriarch (again, from the Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince). The wisdom that’s shared with us when we only ask never ceases to amaze me:

Grandmother of Wands ~ Matriarch

“It is time to have a talk

And time to have a listen

Time to recognize our common bonds

With honest standing

With Goddess guiding

We create our culture

By how we treat one another”

“In a cave of light under a cover of dark, many figures gather closely around a fire. One figure looms larger than the rest; this is the matriarch. One of the group, she is also its heart and its strength. She speaks, she leads, she ensures all are heard and considered. She weaves individual strands into a tapestry, creating common ground and common cause. With warmth, rectitude and respect, she creates space for group magic to happen. She is tradition and invention in one. She is the fullest integration of your spirit. Embrace it; her power is yours.”

(T-182)

Walking Through Mud – Day 789

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Muddy Upstream – Photo: L. Weikel

Walking Through Mud

So, how’s 2021 working out for all of us so far? Honestly, this first week of January has felt like the emotional equivalent of experiencing an entire year (of horror) in warp speed. And yet the past two days have felt, to me, like I was walking through mud.

I have to wonder if I’m the only one who’s experiencing this paradoxical sensation.

I’m feeling incredible outrage coursing through me as I contemplate the audacity of the people who stormed our halls of Congress. It would appear at first glance as though they’ve perpetrated this assault with impunity, although I’m aware there are many arrests yet to occur and crimes to be charged. As we witnessed the mob violence unfold on Wednesday, though, it was beyond upsetting to see the marauders almost stroll out of the Capitol with admonitions to honor the 6:00 p.m. curfew.

When we subject ourselves to the images of that fateful day (which are admittedly hard to avoid in the aftermath), how do we reconcile within our own psyches the hundreds upon hundreds of bodies streaming through those marbled halls, smashing windows and battering down doors with the reality that only 15 arrests were made that day? Yes, more have occurred since then. But the sheer incongruity of it all, especially after witnessing the predominantly peaceful protests following George Floyd’s murder this past summer and the oppressively militaristic response to them is overwhelming and depressing.

Bar the Doors

Ever since I woke up yesterday (Thursday), I’ve felt as though I were living in a different world. Accomplishing the tasks on my agenda the past two days has felt like it took Herculean effort. Again, my movements – heck, even my thoughts – felt like they were struggling to swim upstream, pushing against a thick current of despair and revulsion prompted by the chaos and malignant intentions unleashed on the symbols and representatives of our government.

It feels as though something needs to be done to protect us from the worst impulses of the current occupant of the White House – and they need to happen immediately. Even taking a ‘wait until Monday’ approach feels perilously risky. I feel as though we need to bar the doors and grab the oxygen masks – all while running through waist-high mud.

The End and the Beginning

It feels like it might be a good thing to revisit the advice we received from The Crone just four short days ago. We are indeed living through ‘the End’ of a cycle. Perhaps over the next several days, those of us who have no real power or influence over what gets done procedurally or even practically in dealing with the imminent threat DT and his followers pose to our democracy might want to take some time to sit quietly and envision what we want to create.

How can we improve our country? Get the money out of politics? That might be a great place to start. How could we best accomplish that? Just imagining trying to bring such a reality into being might feel like we’re still running through mud. But what a difference this could make.

That’s just one thought that occurs to me this evening as I try to shift my thoughts from despair to a new day.

But first we need to get through the weekend.

(T-322)

Ask the Crone – Day 785

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Ask the Crone

Here we are again, at the beginning of a week that could have ramifications that extend from our own personal survival to that of our democracy, and indeed influence the balance of power in the world. Yeah, I know. It sounds hyperbolic. But if we’re honest, anyone who’s paying attention knows it’s true. So in order to give us some guidance and perspective as we navigate this week, I decided to ask the Crone.

I sat with my Tarot of the Crone deck and closed my eyes. I held within an awareness of the challenges we’re facing this week and started shuffling the cards. I could feel myself yearning for some kind of light, some indication from Spirit of what we should hold in our hearts as we witness the coming events unfold.

Where We Are/Where We’re Headed

I chose two cards. The first was to help us understand where we are; what we’re experiencing. And the second card I chose was where we’re headed; what’s coming; what’s in store for us.

Visually, just laying the cards out beside each other was stunning. They are remarkably similar at first glance, but the differences, while subtle, are unquestionably meaningful. And it’s not insignificant that I chose two Major Arcana cards. (Out of the 78 cards in a tarot deck, only 22 are Major Arcana and represent powerful archetypal concepts.) The fact that both cards are ‘Majors’ reinforces my sense of this week’s importance.

I also found it meaningful that Where We Are is only one card away from the end of the Majors. It is number XX, and in this deck its name is “Calling.” It doesn’t escape me that in traditional tarot decks, the XX card is called “Judgment.” We’re pretty much at the end game in our democracy. Our system is being challenged in ways the founders almost certainly never imagined. And yet…the Where We’re Headed Card is the very first card of the entire deck. We’re headed – hmmm. Back to the drawing board?  Back to “Go” so we can redefine a more perfect union?

Even beyond the Constitutional crisis we’re approaching, there’s the horrifying reality of the surge in the pandemic creating vertical spikes in numbers of infections, which will inevitably lead to spikes in hospitalizations and, ultimately, deaths. Add to that the discovery of several mutations of the virus – the most recent, I believe, being in South Africa – and once again the eerie appropriateness of the “Calling” or “Judgment” card is obvious.

Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince – XX Calling

Where We Are: XX – Calling

“Come

It is time for you to wear the cloak

Accept your power

And accept your responsibility

Come

Be with me now

Show me your power

The Crone holds up a red cloak, asking you to wear it, calling you to join her. She appears as a shadowy fantastical bird. The background is the rich blue of the deep sky. The red and blue represent power and justice. These are the colors and this is the card of the superhero. How an ordinary human can become extraordinary is the mystery of this card and it has nothing to do with anything you’ve been told before.

When you get this card, your life is changing, whether you want it to or not. From this change arises an opportunity to become greater in person and spirit, to step up to another level. Something is asked of you and you feel urged to respond. If your response is resistance, know it will take more energy from you than accepting the challenge would. This is your big moment. Take your courage, the strength of your heart, and fly.”

It seems to me that we are all being ‘called’ at this juncture to step up. To be superheroes for the greater good – to demand the right use of power and reinforce our belief in justice. This is big. History will judge us by our reactions and responses in the coming days.

Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince – 0 Fool

Where We’re Headed: 0 – Fool

“To know me, you must first know this ~

In the Beginning, as in the End,

There is Nothing

Behind your ordinary world

Behind all manifestation

Lies the Void

I am the emptiness surrounding the universe

I am the uncertainty of the electron

I am the nothingness hiding in your soul

In the Void you have no name

Words do not exist

You have no memory, no past or future

Time does not exist

You find no landmarks, you have no body

Matter does not exist

But You

You may still exist

A mere spark of awareness

But that is enough

That is where you begin

The Cloak of the Crone is all you hear, all you see, all you know of your everyday world. Only a Fool would try to see what lies beneath. Only a Fool abandons the known for the unknown and perhaps unknowable. Only a Fool risks becoming lost in the Void, becoming a tiny star in endless space.

A force beyond your small self opens a new space in your soul. You are impelled to start on a new path. One in which you cannot predict the final destination, or possibly even the next step, but feels inevitable all the same. Can you truly trust the Universe? In the Void, where there is no up and no down, you can do nothing else. Remember there is a part of you that wants this, that welcomes it, because it knows becoming formless and timeless is what you need to create a new future.”

It seems to me that where we’re headed is uncharted territory. This is the time when we have the power and responsibility to create and hold a vision of what we want to manifest as our future. We really are at that crux in time when our choices, our values, our vision matter most. What do we truly hold dear? How passionate are we about the importance of truth, honor, accountability, integrity? What kind of a world do we want to create going forward?

We hold the future in our hands.

(T-326)

Shamanic Caravan – Day 780

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 3 Comments
Mesa and Rattles – Photo: L. Weikel

Shamanic Caravan

If you’ve been following my 1111 Devotion posts, you may vaguely recall that in late August I asked Spirit what ‘we,’ as a collective, might be wise to bear in mind as we entered September (and all that came with that, from kids returning – or not – to school, keeping an eye on the unfolding development of the pandemic, the final two months of the election season, etc.).

As you can read about here, I selected an intriguing card from the Mystic Art Medicine Oracle Deck: Perception.

As some of you who’ve worked with me in the Merkabah Medicine Program know, for a couple thousand years, most people have been taught to live in and relate to the world through the lens of Precept or “law and order.” When living through precept, we are told: “Live your life this way and you’ll go to heaven, be a success, stay safe. Break the rules and you’ll fail, be punished, or otherwise find things not working out well for you.”

Perception

The way of shamanism, however, encourages experiencing the world through the lens of Percept – perception and attention. How we choose to perceive the world both within and around us can change our experience dramatically. Living life based on perception encourages all of us to take more responsibility for our lives.

Our perception, how we choose to perceive ourselves, our circumstances, the world, and our role in it, holds incredible power and opportunity. Yet few people know how to shift their perception in order to gain access to ‘new’ concepts and realities that lay waiting only to be discovered. Fewer still practice engaging in perception-shifting methods that provide them with direct access to guidance, wisdom, and answers to their own unique set of circumstances.

Guidance

The very day after I chose the Perception card and wrote about it, I received another powerful nudge from the Universe via the Tarot of the Crone, reminding me (and ‘us’) of the importance, right now especially, of minding our perceptions. I definitely got the impression that these messages were more than a passing reminder. They were a push to take responsibility for ourselves.

As I watch the events continuing to unfold not only here in our country but all over the world, I can feel the yearning so many of us have for answers and reassurance, for guidance about what we can, should, or would be wise to do – not only to keep ourselves ‘safe,’ but also to move forward in our lives with confidence and excitement. And the wisdom and necessity of going within – seeking and securing guidance tailored specifically to our unique talents, skills, and purposes in life – is what keeps coming back to me again and again.

Listening Retreats

One of the benefits of attending my Listening Retreats was learning how to take a shamanic journey. Journeying is a powerful practice that shifts your perception and grants you access to your unique guides, guardians, and allies.

Given the pandemic and the likelihood that I won’t be offering any Listening Retreats (in person, anyway) anytime soon, I feel it’s important to teach this skill to as many people as possible. But just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean you necessarily take the time to do it.

After knowing how to journey for over 30 years, one thing I can tell you is this: the art of journeying is just like any other skill. It improves with practice. And a corollary to that? It’s almost always easier to journey, especially as we’re becoming comfortable with the process as a practice, when we journey with other people. That’s why I enjoyed teaching people how to journey at my Listening Retreats.

Caravans

That week at the end of August began with two powerful nights of being reminded by Spirit of the power of perception and the importance of shifting our perceptions. It was clear from the cards presented that it is incumbent upon each of us to do our part to reclaim our individual power – and in so doing, create a greater and more diverse world in the process.

As I contemplated how I could foster putting into practice the shifting of our perceptions, the word and concept of caravans popped into my head. I balked. There’s a word that could use some shifting, eh? But the message kept coming to me. “Caravan. We need to create a caravan.”

So I looked the word up. And of course, I had to smile at Spirit’s crafty ways.

Merriam-Webster.com – caravan: noun 1. a company of travelers on a journey through desert or hostile regions.

Dictionary.com – caravan: noun 1. a group of travelers, as merchants or pilgrims, journeying together for safety in passing through deserts, hostile territory, etc.

Yes! Confirmation that we are being called to create an environment that embraces accessing our own unique inner support network, while engaging in that practice in the company of fellow journeyers! And goodness knows, 2020 had us traversing a desert or hostile territory.

Creating a Shamanic Caravan

And so it is coming to pass.

I am offering 90 minute sessions (called ‘wagons’) at varying times each week. During these wagons, I will create sacred space, go over the ‘rules of the road,’ and then rattle or drum you on a journey. Each traveler will set their own unique, private intention but will be supported by and benefit from the fuel of the group energy.

I’ll initially limit each wagon of the Shamanic Caravan to 8-10 travelers, providing an opportunity to share our journeys (although that’s never a requirement) within the 90 minute time frame. As our work unfolds, if there’s time for a second journey during any particular wagon, we’ll take it.

Travelers can shift between wagons or be a part of lots of different ones. In other words, you can choose one day/time and stick with that on perhaps a weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly basis, or you can try a couple different days/times and see what works best for you. The early adopters (yes, we’ve been experimenting for a couple of months now) have gravitated to preferring a few favorite days and times.

Journeys

With respect to specific journeys, sometimes we’ll get very specific advice or guidance. Other times we may receive warnings to steer clear of certain activities or be given information that surprises or delights us. And occasionally people will find that our allies lead us to a place where we can just ‘be’ in a place of utter relaxation and respite, where we can rest, clear our minds, and replenish our energy.

Every journey is different. You will discover this for yourself once you start making journeying a regular practice in your life.

You’ll cultivate true relationships with your allies, be they power animals, guardians, guides, nature spirits, angelic beings, ascended masters, or whatever, whomever, or however they appear to you. You’ll also cultivate relationships with your fellow travelers, your compatriots in this Shamanic Caravan.

Pricing and Frequency

I’m initially offering this service – providing a safe and private space for like-minded people to journey together, sharing the collective power that comes with focused intention – at the price of $20 per wagon, $35 for couples.

You will receive unique invitations to join each Zoom wagon you request, (provided there is room).

Wagon reservations will be filled on a first come – first serve basis, with payment in advance required for a reservation.

I will be offering the ‘Wagons for the Week’ via email. Ideally, we’ll discover our rhythms and identify particular wagons that work for us on a long-term basis. I am currently exploring implementation of a monthly calendar accessible on my website. But until that happens, I’ll be making the weekly offerings via email.

Who’s With Me?

I believe the Shamanic Caravan concept provides us with the best of both worlds: accessing our own unique inner knowing and guidance while cultivating a community of fellow travelers. Together we’ll navigate these tumultuous times with unique insight, respect, awe, and a powerful shift in perception. Hopefully, we’ll also find some laughter sneaking in as well.

I’m really looking forward to providing fellow travelers with a framework to shift your perceptions and access your power, as well as a convenient means of bringing a little discipline and regularity to your practice.

Email me to let me know you want to be a Traveler in the Shamanic Caravan. Put “Shamanic Caravan” in the subject line and we’ll get this Caravan on the road as 2021 begins.

(T-331)

Expansion of My Yet Again – Day 661

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
XXI ~ World  – from Tarot of the Crone – Photo: L. Weikel

Expansion Of My Yet Again

A few days ago I wrote a post that described an additional message I received through two cards I chose from my Tarot of the Crone deck. As I was writing my post that night, sharing the astonishing synchronicity of the messages I received on my walk that night with the card I’d chosen for ‘all of us’ the night before, I started pushing up against my ‘witching time’ of having to post by 1:00 a.m. As a result, I chose to leave out a paragraph from one of the card descriptions, figuring it wasn’t as important as the paragraph I did include. Well, that card appeared again today, and in re-reading it, yet again, I feel it’s important for me to create this expansion of my Yet Again post.

I’m hoping you’re allowing my posts on Perception and Yet Again to percolate within your consciousness as this week unfolds. There’s a lot going on in our lives and in the world, and it’s important for us to be mindful of how we’re perceiving it all.

To that end, you may recall that the primary card I chose a few days ago was the World.

I’m getting the sense that it’s important for our contemplation to consider the entire reflection on this card, so I offer it here:

XXI ~ World

I am all you have been

And all you will become

 

I am the exercise

Of your power

 

And the key

To your future

“In the World, a large black figure holds twenty-one smaller figures within her. Each of the smaller figures has a face colored to represent the special power she possesses. The face of the larger World, however, is transparent. Through it and haloed around her is the swirling blue and white of a beautiful brave new world. The overall shape evokes a keyhole, outlined in a glow of blue against rich black.

The entry to a new world and your ability to create it, is in giving all that you are a place, Devil and Empress and Fool. Forget none of their lessons. Give up none of your power. Within your World, all of them come together and create a whole more than the sum of any amount of parts. More than a balance, more than integration like some locking together of pieces, when you are all, you are on another scale entirely.”

My Perspective

As I read this card yet again today against the backdrop of so much that we see unfolding in our country right now, it was obvious to me that the highlighted paragraph, above, is an essential component of the process of shifting our perception that we’re being called to undertake. Not only must we claim and integrate the various and unique powers we hold within ourselves, we must also honor, claim, and integrate the unique powers and identities of those with whom we share this planet.

I hope this adds to the richness of your reflections this week.

(T-450)

Yet Again – Day 659

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Ace of Swords Tarot of the Crone – Photo: L. Weikel

Yet Again

I found the appearance of the Perception card* in last night’s post thought provoking. The encouragement it gave us to pay attention to how and why our perceptions influence what we see and hear and are influenced by what we experience or believe was powerful. I found myself circling these ideas all day. It seems Spirit felt the need to reinforce these ponderings, though, because I received the message yet again – but from an entirely different source.

I love it when this happens! It’s harder to deny the existence of interconnecting and unifying threads within our lives when these types of experiences occur.

Another Walk

Karl and I were taking a walk early this evening, luckily managing to get two miles in before raindrops started splattering around us as we approached the house. Not only had we managed to get all the way around our shorter loop, but we’d also managed to pick cards from another one of my favorite decks, Ellen Lorenzi-Prince’s Tarot of the Crone.

Karl’s choices were clear entreaties for him to continue exploring and honoring his creative process. My choices, on the other hand, were such obvious affirmations of the message I received and shared last night that we both just shook our heads and said, “Wow.”

The foundational card I chose (i.e., the ‘bottom’ card) was the Ace of Swords. I offer you the author’s words, verbatim, because YCMTSU**:

Ace of Swords~Thought

In my Sight

In my Mind

Is the Power to Perceive

The One or the Many

Worlds of Creation

 

“A great blue eye shines with stars within and reaches out to a piercing point. The Ace of Swords, the root power of the Mind is Thought. See now with fresh eyes. Hear with new ears. Perception is a power not to inhibit or to take lightly. Strive now for lucidity. Foresee what may be and speak your truth. Settle for nothing less than original thought. What is your vision? It is time to share what you see, what you know. Let the world not be diminished by the lack of your voice.”

Perception. Its power. Seeing with fresh eyes and hearing with new ears. The power inherent in the words we choose.

78 Cards

It occurs to me that it might be worth remembering that traditional tarot decks contain 78 cards. While certainly the suit of Swords in any deck is associated with the element of air and the powers of the mind and thought, it cannot be said that every person ‘reading’ the Ace of Swords would necessarily utilize the word ‘perception’ in this way or urge us to refresh and renew the lenses through which we perceive the world.

Seriously. What are the chances that perception would be the prominent, foundational message of the cards today?

Quite honestly, it makes me a little uneasy. The power of our perception is being emphasized so profoundly that I worry that I’m not quite ‘getting it.’ It feels like Spirit is saying, “Yeah, you get that this is a powerful concept. And you understand – to a point – the power all of you hold to shape and create your individual and shared worlds. But do you really get how big a deal this is at this particular moment? Do you really comprehend the point at which all of you find yourselves, collectively, at this moment?”

Goosebumps

Which leads me to share the top card I chose as we walked today. Unlike the Ace of Swords, which is only one of 56 cards that comprise the four ‘suits’ of the Minor Arcana, the main card I chose was a ‘Major.’ The 22 ‘Majors” in a tarot deck are the archetypal representatives of the story of our spiritual evolution.

The card I chose on top was the World – the final card of all the Major Arcana – the culmination of our evolution.

World – Tarot of the Crone; Photo: L. Weikel

XXI ~World

I am all you have been

And all you will become

I am the exercise

Of your power

And the key

To your future

“(…) The entry to a new world and your ability to create it, is in giving all that you are a place, Devil and Empress and Fool. Forget none of their lessons. Give up none of your power. Within your World, all of them come together and create a whole more than the sum of any amount of parts. More than a balance, more than integration like some locking together of pieces, when you are all, you are on another scale entirely.”

We are such complex, creative creatures. Our realities are like tapestries woven by the warp and weft of what we perceive and what we create as a result of those perceptions.

This feels big. We have a huge responsibility right now – to ourselves and to each other.

* Mystic Art Medicine Oracle Cards
** YCMTSU = You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

(T-452)

Message for Friday – Day 613

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Sunset 16 July 2020 – Photo: L. Weikel

Message for Friday

I felt drawn this evening to choose some guidance from a tarot deck I work with quite a bit, the Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince. It felt like we might benefit from a message for Friday that could give us something to contemplate and reflect upon as we head into the weekend.

While I’m hoping there won’t be some egregious ‘Friday night news dump’ that will send us all screaming into the night, at this point we all know there are no guarantees.

As it turned out, the cards I chose and the lovely, thoughtful prose written by Ms. Lorenzi-Prince is worthy of our attention and, in some unique way we might figure out for ourselves, implementation:

I chose the Nine of Cups on top with the Grandmother of Wands underneath, providing the foundation or context.

Nine of Cups – Tarot of the Crone (Ellen Lorenzi-Prince)

Nine of Cups ~ Healing

“I am the Many and One

 

I am whole who has been broken

I am the power of redemption

I am the renewal of creation

 

Two unusual beings, with ribbons of red life spiraling through the serene lavender of their skin-like cloaks, touch and twist and merge in the creation of something wonderful, whole and new. The Nine of Cups represents healing of the heart and soul: when what has been separated comes together again, when feeling flows free and true, when you are aligned with your greatest good, when you become more than you believed you could. The authenticity of your self is not subsumed by bonds with others, but is enhanced through acting with integrity and love.”

Grandmother of Wands -Tarot of the Crone (Ellen Lorenzi-Prince)

Grandmother of Wands ~ Matriarch

“It is time to have a talk

And time to have a listen

Time to recognize our common bonds

 

With honest standing

With Goddess guiding

 

We create our culture

By how we treat one another

 

In a cave of light under a cover of dark, many figures gather closely around a fire. One figure looms larger than the rest: this is the matriarch. One of the group, she is also its heart and its strength. She speaks, she leads, she ensures all are heard and considered. She weaves individual strands into a tapestry, creating common ground and common cause. With warmth, rectitude and respect, she creates space for group magic to happen. She is tradition and invention in one. She is the fullest integration of your spirit. Embrace it; her power is yours.”

 

Spirit Speaks to Us

I stand in awe of how the messages come through for us. There’s nothing I can add to these two cards; they have such obvious application to the division and strife we’re currently witnessing, yet hold out an incredible vision of the power we have to create something even greater – together.

(T-498)