Each week I pull Tarot cards to inspire practice that cultivates soul wisdom for readers of the blog as a group using the Gaian Tarot. (If you want to read more about the process, check out Sacred Practices of the Gaian Tarot: The 3 P’s).You are invited to use the cards below to inspire your practice, and, if you like, share your reflections in the comments. You are also free to draw your own cards and share them in the comments.
PATH: Use Pile 1 / Majors and Aces to pull a card for the question: What path would it best serve us to walk this week? THE MOON invites us to walk this week on pathways of …
- Honoring natural cycles, particularly those which the moon shows us of dark to new, from waxing to full, from waning to back again to dark. (MoonCircles is a favorite site of mine for moon cycle information).
- Remembering that one stage of life always succeeds another, and that a time of darkness is always followed by renewal” (quoted from Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot companion book).
- Tuning into the realms beyond through dreams, connecting with the ancestors, letting the natural world be your guide, or recognizing psychic messages.
PRACTICE: Use Pile 2 / numbered cards for this question: What practice(s) will best serve us to move along this path this week? SIX OF EARTH invites us to practices such as …
- Graciously giving your gifts to others and humbly receiving what they give back to you in return.
- Paying attention to how your shopping habits impact the earth. You might think here of the eco-guidance of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (which I did develop into a spread for personal sustainability).
- Gratitude for the abundance of food that comes from the earth, which might express itself as saying a prayer over your food. Here is a favorite for mine from Thich Nhat Hahn: “In this food I feel the presence of the whole universe supporting me.”
POSTURE: Use Pile 3 / People cards for a question such as: What attitudes and behaviors will be most helpful to undertake this practice and walk with path? EXPLORER OF EARTH invites you to follow your path and practices with attitudes of …
- Commitment and intensity
- Knowing that there are gifts in the wild places waiting for you
- Grounding yourself fully in the earth so you can listen for what is below the surface or coming from Spirit realm.
- Pausing to pay attention to quieter and smaller messages that may offer great gifts.
OVERALL MUSINGS: The receptive, feminine Moon and active, masculine Sun is the celestial couple that captures our attention most dramatically. They stand next to each other on The Fool’s Journey. The moon and the earth, both most often perceived as feminine entities, are a couple, too, but in a different way. More like mirrors each to the other, they stand in closer proximity, form a little community. They are more like friends. They moon circles the earth, teases her tides, brings a gift of cyclical change that offers each 28 days, the hope of renewal. The earth – and her creatures – admire the moon’s special light. Respond to the invitations of her changes. This week you might contemplate this special relationship and tune to the subtle call of the moon into the earthly reality of your life. What is being offered? How will you respond? How can you be grateful for what springs from this fruitful friendship of moon and earth?
If you are interested in exploring how the moon and the dark might show their love of earth and you, join me on October 31st here in the Pioneer Valley for a Wisdom of the Seasons Retreat on Dark Love’s Dawning.