Tarot Tuesday

In this card, we can see the Hermit standing alone on a mountain top with a  lantern in hand. The Hermit has attained his spiritual goal and is ready to share his knowledge. Astrologically, this card is represented by Virgo (detail-oriented, strong analytical faculties, perfectionism.) It is numbered 9 in the Major Arcana and represents accomplishment, wisdom, the attainment of goals as well as the search for truth. 


In symbolism... the lantern represents the Lamp of Truth containing the star of wisdom and the staff  is the patriarch's staff which is the symbol of the narrow path of initiation. The snow at the Hermit's feet represents the heights of spiritual attainment and he wears the grey cloak of invisibility.

 In readings, the Hermit represents the need to slow down and absorb more of a peaceful and quite life.  He finds his knowledge and wisdom through exploration of the inner self rather then the physical world around him.  The Hermit separates himself from the more unimportant aspects of life in order to find true self-awareness. He does not just experience life but he uses that experience to understand why things are the way they are.  


The Hermit is learning about the self and the motivations behind his own personal actions and thinking.  He often represents a more meditative state of mind that  focuses on one's purpose. The Hermit is more self-conscious, so he has become more aware of any negative patterns or cycles he is repeating and strives to improve them for the benefit of everyone.


When the Hermit turns up for you, some helpful questions to ask yourself are... "When was the last time I stopped to take a break from the hectic daily schedules in my life...? "Am I  able to be quite and listen to my inner voice...? "Is the current path I am on still as significant as when I first started out?  Maybe this is a key time to stop and meditate on your goals and inner truths, take notice any negative patterns that might be hindering your progress.

Something To Believe In

I listened to Ariel's podcast last night and wow...what a great podcast! (of course they're all terrific as well as powerful.) Anyhow, one exercise he spoke of in his podcast on "Building your power base- the Water Body" was to take note of where we are placing our faith, in other words, what do we believe in? What a powerful question..."What do I believe in?" I'm not sure that I've ever paid attention to what I actually do believe in until confronted with a situation that is contrary or challenging to those beliefs. Just where does my faith lie... what are the places that I put my faith in daily, without even realizing it...where does that foundation of faith stem from? My head is spinning just trying to think of my beliefs...so, here it goes...

What I believe in:

~ The sun will rise every day and set each evening

~ There is always an answer, always a solution and always a choice to be made in every struggle

~No matter how dark life can get, there is hope...light at the end of the tunnel

~ The Universal Intelligence ( God, higher power, goddess, god) is around me all the time, present in all living things

~ No matter how long it seems to take....truth has no other option but to surface

~ Children are a privilege not a right

~ All living things deserve respect and compassion...yes, even people too

~ There is wisdom to gain from our elders

~ Most animals make better people than some people do

~ Say "I love you" to your loved ones as often as you can

These are just a few of the things that I believe in...what does that say about my faith? I think it simply reassures me that the path I walk... this journey I take, is the correct one for me. What are some things that you believe in...what foundation does your faith spring from?

P.S.- You can find Ariel's podcasts "The Witches Primer" on iTunes podcasts, I encourage you to listen.

The High Price of Denial....

Today I find myself angry and feeling as if I have egg all over my face, it seems that my entry about Yancy yesterday has proved to be somewhat incorrect, well.... let me amend that... steeped in decades of denial. When I wrote my blog yesterday, I had just received a yearly update letter from my family in eastern Washington ( you know, the kind families send every Christmas to keep everyone updated as to what has occurred the previous year) and was very saddened to read about Yancy's death. Earlier today I found out that the part written about his passing was not entirely what really happened. It stated that he was serving in the National Guard in Iraq (which he had been) and had "died suddenly" however it failed to mention the fact that Yancy was on leave and at home and had decided to take his own life. My father's side has a long history of addiction and mental illness and of choosing suicide as an answer to life's rough patches. Family members down through time have come up with little excuses for these devastating decisions such as: "Auntie was reaching into the nightstand and the gun accidentally went off "... or..."He/she was so depressed, they just didn't see another way out"...and..."He/she always was the black sheep of the family." Why can't we see through the denial and teach our future generations that there are ALWAYS choices, we might not like what they are but suicide should never be one of them. Bring the shame out of the shadows for it cannot exist in the light. Mental illness and addictions are not topics to sweep under the carpet but to acknowledge and treat so our children and their children's children do not face the devastating results our family members have experienced before us . Such a high price for denial....