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The Magpie may indicate seeing the future or altering it in an entirely "normal" way, as well as to deeper powers. Sometimes what is going to happen is just obvious, and sometimes we can do something about it. Because they are often seen in groups, the number of Magpies you see may be significant. However, if you only see one, there is a remedy. You must say something like "Good morning, Mr Magpie. I hope you are well, and that your wife is also in good health." This is supposed to dispel the bad luck. (However, I can tell you that I've seen every number of magpie, many times, and still haven't had any children!) So, you see that the magpie is associated with prediction, and also with being able to change what is going to happen. Isn't it interesting, too, that the thing which is required or us here is a kind word! "Seeing the future," is the reason many people turn to divination. Obviously, I believe it is a useful tool, but I strongly believe in our ability to alter the course of the future, also! Sometimes, having a better attitude to those we meet is a good place to start.  The Thieving Magpie by Dan Grzeca The question of mistrust should not be taken as a value judgement. The Magpie is disliked because it eats the eggs and young of other birds. However, it would be a mistake to say that it is doing "wrong". This is the "right" behaviour for a magpie, who is doing exactly what it should be doing - behaving like a magpie! The other birds will not be happy about it, though! Sometimes, just being ourselves upsets people, and they have their right to avoid us, just as we have a right to express our nature. At the same time, being humans with a wide variety of options, we might like to consider whether we can be less hurtful in the process. Those who love songbirds are now concerned about the encroachment of Magpies into their garden. While their concern is legitimate, it has never seemed to me that it is the Magpies themselves who are out of balance. They are still just following their nature. It is the situation in which they find themselves which has altered. Ultimately, the card isn't about what the Magpie does, but how it is perceived by others. To arrange a reading, or ask a question, you can send me a message. If you'd like to help me continue my work with the cards and with my writing, you can make a donation here. If you enjoyed this note you might also like Rooks (It's a tribal thing) I decided to grow a few vegetables this year. It's not something I've done a lot of in my life. I had a large garden for a year or two in the 1980s in Scotland, and I've been around various friends' and family gardens, helping out a bit. My father's family were all keen gardener. Anyway, it was high time. I'm a bit unsure about growing veg in this climate, though. Extremely hot and arid. If you're gardening in somewhere like the UK, you might think that sounds like heaven. There are no slugs or snails, that's for sure, but the challenge is keeping the heat from killing things, and keeping them well enough watered here. So that's where I'm at. I decided I didn't fancy being on my hands and knees, so I created some raised beds out of old tractor tyres. Yes, I've heard the concerns about whether they release bad stuff into your soil. From what I can gather through research, the jury is still out on that one. I figure that this danger is more than offset by the fact that in other ways the garden will be more or less organic. Fresh organic produce is hard for us to get here, so it has to be a bonus. I've known that I should be reading up on the climate, suitable varieties, planting times, buying seeds, etc. but somehow I never got around to any of that. I finally grabbed a bunch of organic seeds from a whole food shop on a visit to the big city, and bought a few industrially grown plants from the village shop. It's a start! Then I fenced off the area around my beds, because no green plant will survive the onslaught of thirty some chickens attracted by moist soil for more than about ten minutes around here. I liked the effect of the fence - it seemed to create a nicely defined space that felt very good. On that trip to the big city, I also acquired a couple of books. One has been on my reading list for awhile, based on a recommendation, but I knew little about it. It's called "Behaving as if the God in All Life Mattered" by Machaelle Small Wright. I haven't finished it yet. The first part tells a tale of the author's truly awful childhood. I admit, this held a sort of morbid fascination for me (no, it's not about sexual abuse) partly because my childhood was pretty crappy in parts, too. Also, I liked the non-judgemental way in which she writes about the facts of this. Then, strangely, the book morphs into a sort of gardening book. (Yeah, I know.) It's just the kind of gardening advice you'd think I'd be interested in - a spirit for everything: carrot spirit, cabbage spirit, mole spirit, etc. It turns out that I'm actually pretty resistant to these ideas for some reason. However, the book is very sincere. Something has told me to keep reading, even though I find some of the author's stories pretty fantastic, just keep reading. I think I'll get what I need to get from this. Sometimes I get a very delayed reaction from things, so we'll see. One thing I did like was her way of being open to these spirits advising her how to proceed with things like when and where to plant, and how to take care of the plants. I definitely haven't heard quite the kind of clear, personal communication from my garden that the author reports, but I have tried to be very open to inspiration and guidance, while taking the basics into account. Sometimes, I feel that it's coming through. The other day, I went out with my seed packets, an offering of fruit juice, a candle, and so on. I created a small ad hoc ritual and opened myself to any requests my plants might have for me. I planted one bed with greens - lettuce, spinach, rocket - laying them out like the spokes of a wheel and putting them where it felt right to do so.The ritual and the time I spent planting these left me feeling really good. Since then I've prepared some extra containers for strawberries and eggplant/aubergines but am now waiting out a last little spell of cold weather to plant them out. Those of you who have been following my journey the past few years may know that I've been struggling with the change in climate and landscape since my move from Scotland. In spite of having 160 acres or the stuff, I find it hard to feel close to the land much of the time. I've really been working at all this, and things have been slightly better lately, but I feel that creating my little garden space is taking me in the right direction. The fact that I've had to enclose it with a fence has created something that feels personal and manageable and slightly private. It feels like somewhere I might enjoy spending time outdoors.
I'll let you know if I actually get any vegetables... The first and second parts of this piece have simply been a brief re-telling of the story of Becuma of the White Skin. There I have followed and quoted James Stephens' version of the story, which is considerably longer than my synopsis, but a very entertaining read. I believe that the oldest written source for this story is the fourteenth century "Book of Fermoy". Here is a link to a Gaelic transcription and English translation of the story. Unravelling the strands of the tale I have written a bit in the past about liminal places, and "Wild Child?" in particular, explores the meeting of land and water. There is also quite a good article on liminality in good old Wikipedia, if you don't feel that you are up to speed. Liminal times and places occur where two things meet. Land and water, day and night, two seasons, and so on. These points can act as thresholds to other worlds, and a beach is a classic place of liminal space. If we look at the behaviour of the three main characters in this story: Conn, Becuma and Art - each of them is in trouble, and each of them seem, instinctively, to seek out this liminal space in the hope of finding a solution, and of effecting change. Conn goes to Ben Edair seeking to get a grip on himself. He meets Becuma, gets distracted and makes a seemingly poor choice. While Conn has come from the land to the beach, Becuma comes from the sea, but why is she there? What does liminal space have to offer her, other than somewhere to land? Why does she call herself Delvcaem, of all the names she might choose?  Howth Inlet, by Dan Butler Howth Head, which is known in Gaelic as Ben Edair, is part of Dublin harbour. My theory is that Delvcaem is Becuma's other self, her true, or best self. A self trapped by forces she hasn't been able to overcome. Becuma has been unfaithful to her husband - something which might not be taken so seriously in a world other than The Many Coloured Land. Stephens tells us: "In the Shi' the crime of Becuma would have been lightly considered, and would have received none or but a nominal punishment, but in the second world a horrid gravity attaches to such a lapse, and the retribution meted is implacable and grim." So, while in one sense she may have little choice, her coracle takes her exactly to the place she most needs to go. For, in some ways, this is really Becuma/Delvcaem's story. By seeking the liminal space of Ben Edair, Becuma sets in motion the events needed to reclaim herself as Delvcaem, and to find her destiny as Art's queen, an intention she actually states on her arrival. Let's not forget that Conn's troubles exist because of the loss of a queen, after all. Both Conn and Art depart and arrive through this same liminal space repeatedly in the story. Perhaps the change they are really effecting is a transfer of power. Having lost Eithne, it seems that Conn's life force is on the wane, and no matter what he tries, things seem to get steadily worse in Ireland. In fact, when describing the fight between Art and Morgan, toward the end of the story, Stephens says, "But when the wife's time has come the husband is doomed. He is required elsewhere by his beloved." Perhaps the time has come when the best solution to Conn's trouble and grief is to hand power to his son. However, it is really Becuma's arrival which set the wheels in motion to make this possible. The quest provided by Becuma/Delvcaem transforms Art from an untried youth to a hero who has proved both his mettle and his committment to the kingdon of Ireland. The replacement of Becuma/Delvcaem with "the real Delvcaem" who is beautiful, virtuous and powerful, and who is willingly joined to Art, fills the final requirement for Art's successful kingship. The thing that Conn is now lacking. A suitable queen.
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 Beach - The meeting of two entities. The need for constant change. Departure on a quest. The arrival of something beautiful yet problematic. | To seek out the beach, or liminal space, is also to seek out the involvement of the gods. We do this because we seek change. Often, we complain that the gods don't speak to us, or that we can't hear them. Yet, when the communication is clear, very often we don't like the answers we are given. The truth is that we rarely end up at the beach looking for answers unless things need to change, unless we need to change, and change is rarely comfortable or convenient. We come looking for a "beautiful" answer, and before we know it, we're dealing with sea monsters and toads, and although they are largely an illusion, they are still scary. Stories like this one are here to show us the way, and most of all to give us courage. I believe that the best readings are also stories which should have this effect. That is certainly what I try to achieve when I do a reading. The Beach card in my oracle deck describes this process, this moment, to help us see what is happening. We are at a turning point, we are about to get some help, even though it may not feel like help at the time. We need change, even though we may fear it, or may feel resistent to the form it takes. We are being invited to put our foot in the coracle. |
The beach card in my oracle deck has always been connected in my mind to the story of Delvcaem, from the Book of Fermoy. I love the re-telling of this story by James Stephens, entitled Becuma of the White Skin. This is part 2 of my synopsis of this story. Unless you are familiar with the story, you may want to read part 1, because we are joining the action in the middle ...
Things dragged on in a bad state in Ireland, and a great enmity grew up between Becuma and Art. One day Becuma challenged Art to a game of chess, and having won the game she gave him the following forfeit:
"I bind you," said Becuma, "to eat no food in Ireland until you have found Delvcaem, the daughter of Morgan."
"Where do I look for her?" said Art in despair.
"She is in one of the islands of the sea," Becuma replied, "that is all I will tell you."
Art, as his father had done before him, set out for the Many-Coloured Land, but it was from Inver Colpa he embarked and not from Ben Edair.
At a certain time he passed from the rough green ridges of the sea to enchanted waters, and he roamed from island to island asking all people how he might come to Delvcaem, the daughter of Morgan. But he got no news from any one, until he reached an island that was fragrant with wild apples, gay with flowers, and joyous with the song of birds and the deep mellow drumming of the bees. In this island he was met by a lady, Crede', the Truly Beautiful, and when they had exchanged kisses, he told her who he was and on what errand he was bent.
"We have been expecting you," said Crede', "but alas, poor soul, it is a hard, and a long, bad way that you must go; for there is sea and land, danger and difficulty between you and the daughter of Morgan."
Crede described to Art in horrifying detail the journey he must undertake. It was going to be fraught with dangers of every kind and terrible monsters that would likely be impossible to overcome. In fact she advised him, in no uncertain terms, to give up his plan and stay with her. She promised him that he would forget Ireland and be happy there, but Art refused to stay and refused to forget Ireland, and so Crede gave him what advice she could and Art set out once again. He stepped into his coracle, even as Crede continued to describe the dangers and horrors that lay ahead.
"There is yet a danger," she called. "Beware of Delvcaem's mother, Dog Head, daughter of the King of the Dog Heads. Beware of her."
"Indeed," said Art to himself, "there is so much to beware of that I will beware of nothing. I will go about my business," he said to the waves, "and I will let those beings and monsters and the people of the Dog Heads go about their business."
| In the way of adventuring heroes, Art won his way through monster filled seas, hag infested woods, over slippery mountains of ice filled with venomnous toads -- there were giants, there were lions... and all these things were, in fact, illusions brewed up by Dog Head, mother of Delvcaem. Finally, he arrived at the beautiful fortress of Dog Head and Morgan, where the lovely Delvcaem was kept imprisoned atop a high pillar. Then, Art had to fight Dog Head. It was a hard fight, but he won it and freed the lady. They were about to leave when Morgan showed up, so Art had to fight him, too. That fight was equally hard. Finally, Art and Delvcaem (now affianced) were able to leave this place. And so, James Stephens ends the story this way: |
He did not tarry in the Many-Coloured Land, for he had nothing further to seek there. He gathered the things which pleased him best from among the treasures of its grisly king, and with Delvcaem by his side they stepped into the coracle.
Then, setting their minds on Ireland, they went there as it were in a flash.
The waves of all the world seemed to whirl past them in one huge, green cataract. The sound of all these oceans boomed in their ears for one eternal instant. Nothing was for that moment but a vast roar and pour of waters. Thence they swung into a silence equally vast, and so sudden that it was as thunderous in the comparison as was the elemental rage they quitted. For a time they sat panting, staring at each other, holding each other, lest not only their lives but their very souls should be swirled away in the gusty passage of world within world; and then, looking abroad, they saw the small bright waves creaming by the rocks of Ben Edair, and they blessed the power that had guided and protected them, and they blessed the comely land of Ir. | 
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On reaching Tara, Delvcaem, who was more powerful in art and magic than Becuma, ordered the latter to go away, and she did so.
She left the king's side. She came from the midst of the counsellors and magicians. She did not bid farewell to any one. She did not say good-bye to the king as she set out for Ben Edair.
Where she could go to no man knew, for she had been banished from the Many-Coloured Land and could not return there. She was forbidden entry to the Shi' by Angus Og, and she could not remain in Ireland. She went to Sasana and she became a queen in that country, and it was she who fostered the rage against the Holy Land which has not ceased to this day.
But hang on a minute. Let's back up. Delvcaem? Wasn't that the name Becuma used as her own? What really happened here?
In the final installment, we'll be looking at one possible interpretation of this story, and what we might learn from it. Why not take the time to think about your own interpretation in the meantime? More on Thursday!
The beach card in my oracle deck has always been connected in my mind to the story of Delvcaem, from the Book of Fermoy. I love the re-telling of this story by James Stephens, entitled Becuma of the White Skin. Some may be sceptical of re-tellings as opposed to direct translations from old manuscripts, but I believe that Bardic inspiration runs through many authors of many periods and is one valid way of finding deep meaning in mythology.
Due to the lengthy quotes, this article turned out to be too long for a single blog post, so I will present it in three parts over the next few days.
Due to the lengthy quotes, this article turned out to be too long for a single blog post, so I will present it in three parts over the next few days.
There are more worlds than one, and in many ways they are unlike each other. But joy and sorrow, or, in other words, good and evil, are not absent in their degree from any of the worlds, for wherever there is life there is action, and action is but the expression of one or other of these qualities.
After this Earth there is the world of the Shi'. Beyond it again lies the Many-Coloured Land. Next comes the Land of Wonder, and after that the Land of Promise awaits us. You will cross clay to get into the Shi'; you will cross water to attain the Many-Coloured Land; fire must be passed ere the Land of Wonder is attained, but we do not know what will be crossed for the fourth world.
This adventure of Conn the Hundred Fighter and his son Art was by the way of water...
A council has been called in the Many coloured Land to decide the fate of Becuma, who has been unfaithful to her husband, and it was decided that she should be banished to the world of men.
She stepped into a coracle, it was pushed on the enchanted waters, and it went forward, world within world, until land appeared, and her boat swung in low tide against a rock at the foot of Ben Edair.
Meanwhile, Conn of the Hundred Battles, high king of Ireland, was mourning the loss of his beloved wife, Eithne. He was a great king, and Ireland had prospered mightily during his reign, however his grief was now putting a damper on all that.
He grew more and more despondent, and less and less fitted to cope with affairs of state, and one day he instructed his son Art to take the rule during his absence, and he set out for Ben Edair.
For a great wish had come upon him to walk beside the sea; to listen to the roll and boom of long, grey breakers; to gaze on an unfruitful, desolate wilderness of waters; and to forget in those sights all that he could forget, and if he could not forget then to remember all that he should remember.
He was thus gazing and brooding when one day he observed a coracle drawing to the shore. A young girl stepped from it and walked to him among black boulders and patches of yellow sand.
So they talked and Conn was easily bewitched by her beauty. She spun him a yarn about being in love with his son Art (based on his reputation alone) and told him that her name was Delvcaem. Conn was jealous, wanting her for himself. The upshot of all this was that she consented to marry Conn, but made him agree to banish Art from the kingdom for one year, to give her time to get over her infatuation. This was done, but during the year Ireland suffered from poor harvests and starvation, where once there had been plenty. The bards and druids told Conn that the only solution to this problem (caused by Becuma's presence) was the blood sacrifice of "the son of a sinless couple". So when the year was up and Art returned, Conn left the kingdom in his hands and set out on a quest to look for such a person.
He went to Ben Edair. He stepped into a coracle and pushed out to the deep, and he permitted the coracle to go as the winds and the waves directed it.
Conn's sea journey was long and dangerous. However, eventually he came to an island
fragrant with apple trees, sweet with wells of wine; and, hearkening towards the shore, his ears, dulled yet with the unending rhythms of the sea, distinguished and were filled with song; for the isle was, as it were, a nest of birds, and they sang joyously, sweetly, triumphantly.
He landed on that lovely island, and went forward under the darting birds, under the apple boughs, skirting fragrant lakes about which were woods of the sacred hazel and into which the nuts of knowledge fell and swam; and he blessed the gods of his people because of the ground that did not shiver and because of the deeply rooted trees that could not gad or budge.
Here he found the lad he sought, called Segda. Conn asked Segda's parents for "a loan of their son" to which they reluctantly agreed, with many provisions for his protection. So they sailed back to Ireland, Conn being aware that he'd put himself in an awkward position.
When they got back, Segda understood why he was there, and at first refused to be killed, then seeing the plight of the starving people, agreed. However, he was rescued by his mother, who tricked Conn's druids and prophesied that the real cause of the problem was Becuma. She took her son, and left, leaving them to think things over.
Things dragged on in a bad state in Ireland, and a great enmity grew up between Becuma and Art. One day Becuma challenged Art to a game of chess, and having won the game she gave him the following forfeit:
When they got back, Segda understood why he was there, and at first refused to be killed, then seeing the plight of the starving people, agreed. However, he was rescued by his mother, who tricked Conn's druids and prophesied that the real cause of the problem was Becuma. She took her son, and left, leaving them to think things over.
Things dragged on in a bad state in Ireland, and a great enmity grew up between Becuma and Art. One day Becuma challenged Art to a game of chess, and having won the game she gave him the following forfeit:
"I bind you," said Becuma, "to eat no food in Ireland until you have found Delvcaem, the daughter of Morgan."
"Where do I look for her?" said Art in despair.
"She is in one of the islands of the sea," Becuma replied, "that is all I will tell you."
And so we will leave them there, for today. In my next post, I will share the rest of the story and then we can begin looking at what I think it means, and how we can use the information. Stay tuned!
A look at the Gull card in the Go Deeper oracle
When I lived in Edinburgh, I used to love waking up to the raucous (and extremely loud) cries of the chimney pot gulls that perched and nested on the 3-4 storey tenement buildings that make up so many of Edinburgh's streets. The echo created by the narrow paved streets, stone buildings and slate roofs amplified their laughing cries to a window rattling volume totally unlike anything you hear at the sea shore.
| Of course, there was a down side. The city organised its rubbish collection via plastic bags picked up by the council "bin men" and in some areas the gulls made quite a mess ripping these open to extract the contents before the bags could be collected. The birds also sometimes nested on roofs, and became territorial about the ground level space around their nest area. In one house I lived in, we had a gull's nest on the roof, and it was not unusual to hear the rush of air as this bird flew within inches of my head as I got in and out of my car in the driveway. As far as these birds are concerned, the world belongs to them. They require cliffs on which to nest and raise their young, and a good source of food nearby. They don't worry about natural vs unnatural or who the cliffs belong to. These things are for everybody, right? It's just a question of boldly taking what you want! |  Gull - A free spirit. A laughing intruder. |
Another inhabitant of my world in Edinburgh was my friend Jonathon (yeah, that wasn't really his name). He was also a free spirit. He was a musician of the highest calibre. I'm sure that Jonathon possessed a piece of the Dagda's harp within his soul -- for he was one of those rare musicians who could cause his listeners to laugh, cry, dance, fight or be lulled into sleep with his music. Being a musician myself, I enjoyed his friendship very much, and we also enjoyed a similar, taboo-free, sense of humour that is rare to find.
Of course, there was a down side. Jonathon was one of the most irresponsible people I have ever known. He was the house guest from hell. He drank too much, smoked too much, messed up people's houses, seduced their wives if he could and was difficult to get rid of. He got barred from pubs as routinely as other people do their washing. He had a home to go to, but that wasn't nearly as much fun! Most of us put up with this, to whatever degree our patience allowed, because of his talent, because he was a lot of fun, and occasionally because it was just easier than the alternative.
The good people of Edinburgh were often up in arms about those annoying gulls, and various plots were hatched to get rid of them, but I often found myself siding with those noisy, messy creatures. They weren't very good neighbours, admittedly, but their wild laughter and free spirited approach to life filled my heart. I can be shy, reserved and overly cautious much of the time, but I see that the world needs wild freedom, too. Wild freedom rarely has much regard for the comfort of others. It stirs things up, it makes a lot of noise, and messes up our tidy lives.
I believe that having contact with free spirits is good for us on several levels. It teaches us to loosen up, to have a good time and stay up late and have some fun once in awhile, even though it's Tuesday. It teaches us that we can't control the behaviour of others all the time, and that we don't always need to. It teaches us that we can find creative strategies to protect our territory sometimes, and that we'd better learn to live with it when we can't.
Rooks - Intelligence, communication and problem solving come naturally. The society of the tribe is important, and the individual flourishes within it. Loss of these qualities brings ill. Change and death may be frightening, but can also be foreseen, and guidance found to pass through.
Photo by foxypar4
Rooks are monogamous birds who live in a close knit but rather casually organised society, in colonies known as rookeries. The males are great fathers and mates. The picture above shows an adult male and a youngster spending time together.Rooks look very similar to crows, and there is an old adage "A rook on his own be a crow, and a group of crows be rooks" which drives home their tendency to like to be in groups with their own kind. The Rook card says to me that you can find your domestic bliss, and that it will be within a wider supportive "tribe". The intelligence of the crow family is well known, as is its relationship to death (or change) both as a harbinger and a guide.
Ravens and other covids are often associated with death in literature and popular culture. Because of this, some people find them "creepy" or "evil". Nothing could be further from the truth, and it's also worth remembering that (just like the "Death" card in Tarot) death is most often a symbol of change and letting go of the past. Rooks, seems very positive to me. Intelligence and the support of a wider group are good keys to success. Problem solving abilities, and the resources to deal with change or loss are also to the fore. Learn to recognise and appreciate this big supportive family when it presents itself in your life. Going it alone doesn't seem to be the way to go here. Intelligence - either your own or that of others - will play an important part in this, and should be valued. There is a wider "family" that you belong to. Stay a part of this and you will be nurtured and encouraged to find yourself
The Rook way of living as a society is very beneficial to the individual. It allows for self expression and change to happen with friendly guidance. "Loss of these qualities brings ill." Is this significant for you?
Rooks are monogamous birds who live in a close knit but rather casually organised society, in colonies known as rookeries. The males are great fathers and mates. The picture above shows an adult male and a youngster spending time together.Rooks look very similar to crows, and there is an old adage "A rook on his own be a crow, and a group of crows be rooks" which drives home their tendency to like to be in groups with their own kind. The Rook card says to me that you can find your domestic bliss, and that it will be within a wider supportive "tribe". The intelligence of the crow family is well known, as is its relationship to death (or change) both as a harbinger and a guide.
Ravens and other covids are often associated with death in literature and popular culture. Because of this, some people find them "creepy" or "evil". Nothing could be further from the truth, and it's also worth remembering that (just like the "Death" card in Tarot) death is most often a symbol of change and letting go of the past. Rooks, seems very positive to me. Intelligence and the support of a wider group are good keys to success. Problem solving abilities, and the resources to deal with change or loss are also to the fore. Learn to recognise and appreciate this big supportive family when it presents itself in your life. Going it alone doesn't seem to be the way to go here. Intelligence - either your own or that of others - will play an important part in this, and should be valued. There is a wider "family" that you belong to. Stay a part of this and you will be nurtured and encouraged to find yourself
The Rook way of living as a society is very beneficial to the individual. It allows for self expression and change to happen with friendly guidance. "Loss of these qualities brings ill." Is this significant for you?
This fun piece was originally posted as a Facebook note about a year ago. I still think it gives a good flavour of what a Go Deeper reading can be like, and how the client might process it.
The following is a made-up reading, but I hope it will allow you to see what a Go Deeper reading is like, just for fun! I thought up the scenario, and then drew three cards and wrote them up, just as I would for a real person. By the time I'd done that, the totally imaginary "Susan" had taken on a life of her own, and decided to write down her insights! While this is all very lighthearted, it is much the way real readings seem to go. In real life, I would then reply to "Susan" and we might correspond a bit more. However, that seemed a bit too much like having an imaginary friend, so I quit while I was ahead!
To set the scene: Susan has been amicably divorced for five years and has a thriving business (a florist shop). Her son is studying for his history degree 500 miles away. He's doing well, and it seems that the apron strings have been cut now. Her friends are all telling her how lucky she is to be free and financially independent, but she's restless. She's always wanted to paint. Her sister moved to Italy awhile back and she loves it. Now, Susan's wondering about doing something similar, but afraid she'd be giving up too much good stuff for an uncertain future, just to indulge herself. So she asks for a reading...
To set the scene: Susan has been amicably divorced for five years and has a thriving business (a florist shop). Her son is studying for his history degree 500 miles away. He's doing well, and it seems that the apron strings have been cut now. Her friends are all telling her how lucky she is to be free and financially independent, but she's restless. She's always wanted to paint. Her sister moved to Italy awhile back and she loves it. Now, Susan's wondering about doing something similar, but afraid she'd be giving up too much good stuff for an uncertain future, just to indulge herself. So she asks for a reading...
My name is Susan, and I would like a general reading on the next stage of my life. I'm a single mother with an empty nest, and I'm thinking of making some changes!
Hi Susan,
Here is your reading. The journey it describes is primarily an inner one. It may be accomplished over a period of time, or very quickly in your inner understanding of something. I have meditated before drawing these cards, and I believe that they are chosen for you at this time.
In the reading, I give you the position of your cards and a short meaning that doesn't change from reading to reading. It's the fixed meaning of the card, if you like. After I list these, I'll go on and expand a bit, and what I say here does vary from sitter to sitter, based on my intuition about the person and reading as a whole.
The way to get the best from this reading, I believe, is to center yourself with a few moments of meditation, or whatever works for you, before reading it. Keep in mind that it is not advice, as such, nor a prediction. Think of it as a way to take a fresh or a deeper look at your situation. Think about this reading over the next few days or weeks, when you have some quiet time, and feel free to come back to me and ask for clarification. When you're ready, here goes...
The first card, which describes your current situation is Rain - Rain is essential. Where rain falls the landscape becomes lush and abundant. We may find the rain frustrating, depressing or inconvenient, but it's lesson is "Wait for better things!" as well as "Accept the gift of life."
The second card, which refers to your destination in this question, is Rooks - Intelligence, communication and problem solving come naturally. The society of the tribe is important, and the individual flourishes within it. Loss of these qualities brings ill. Change and death may be frightening, but can also be foreseen, and guidance found to pass through.
The third card, describing your journey to this destination is the Hare - Elusive and independent. Those wishing to approach are tested fiercely before being accepted. The balance tips toward the light and fertility.
I love it when Rain appears in a reading. Things are bound to get better!! This might be telling you that you need to recognise the good in something more than you do. It is an invitation to be thankful. It's okay when we have weather we don't like, it's okay not to like it, too - just like it's okay to feel that somehow we are not who we wish to be - yet. Just don't be afraid that you won't be able to go on living because of it. When we are not who we wish to be there are two paths - change (which will always come anyway) and acceptance (which is always advisable). It's win-win!
The place you are in right now is probably a lot better than you think. It is preparing the ground for growth and abundance. That is what the Rain card says to me.
Now, there is something about the cawing, black Rooks that makes people think they might be negative. Nothing could be further from the truth! In case you aren't familiar with this bird, it's in the crow family - big and black with a loud voice. You'll notice that the card is in the plural. This is very important. Rooks are extremely social, and build their nests in colonies, in high trees, usually overlooking fields or pastures. We see some kinds of birds all moving as one, as starlings do - like a school of fish. Not rooks. They are very much individuals within their own society, but they do stick to that society and enjoy being together. I certainly wouldn't mind knowing that I was headed to a Rooks destination! The other aspects of the card - death (which represents change), intelligence, skill in communication I also see as positive. It sounds like a wonderful place of learning and feeling empowered that you are headed to!
The female Hare (which is much the same as the American jack rabbit) tests potential mates with a fierce combination of boxing matches and chases. (Before naturalists understood this, it was believed that it was males fighting over the right to mate that was being observed, but now it is understood correctly.) Unlike true rabbits, hares are mostly solitary animals who live out in the open and depend on their speed and cunning to survive and raise their young. Although they don't mate and reproduce with the enthusiasm that rabbits do, it was hares which were originally associated with springtime and fertility, and gave rise to the Easter Bunny, not rabbits. Fertility may refer to childbearing and so on, but equally to creativity and nurturing. "Mates" might include ideas and people in general, I think, as well as romantic or sexual partners.
When you first read all this, I know that it is a lot to take in. It may feel like too many words all at once, or it may even provoke some strong emotions. You may want to assign a meaning to each thing very quickly ("A = my job, B = Geraldine, and C means that bloke at work fancies me" sort of thing.) You don't have to digest it all at once! Let the images work their way in slowly. You might like to spend time contemplating just one card, or one aspect of a card in a session. You might find it helpful to look at images of these things, or to visualise them in your mind's eye and see what stories they conjure.
Do let me know that you received this email, but don't feel that you have to say a lot, unless you would like to. If you have questions, I will do my best to answer them. If at some point you would like to offer me some feedback - anything at all, positive, negative or just exploring meanings, that is very welcome, but it's optional. The majority of people seem to enjoy talking about how the meanings unfolded for them, but it often takes quite awhile before I hear from them, and that's fine.
Kris
Here is your reading. The journey it describes is primarily an inner one. It may be accomplished over a period of time, or very quickly in your inner understanding of something. I have meditated before drawing these cards, and I believe that they are chosen for you at this time.
In the reading, I give you the position of your cards and a short meaning that doesn't change from reading to reading. It's the fixed meaning of the card, if you like. After I list these, I'll go on and expand a bit, and what I say here does vary from sitter to sitter, based on my intuition about the person and reading as a whole.
The way to get the best from this reading, I believe, is to center yourself with a few moments of meditation, or whatever works for you, before reading it. Keep in mind that it is not advice, as such, nor a prediction. Think of it as a way to take a fresh or a deeper look at your situation. Think about this reading over the next few days or weeks, when you have some quiet time, and feel free to come back to me and ask for clarification. When you're ready, here goes...
The first card, which describes your current situation is Rain - Rain is essential. Where rain falls the landscape becomes lush and abundant. We may find the rain frustrating, depressing or inconvenient, but it's lesson is "Wait for better things!" as well as "Accept the gift of life."
The second card, which refers to your destination in this question, is Rooks - Intelligence, communication and problem solving come naturally. The society of the tribe is important, and the individual flourishes within it. Loss of these qualities brings ill. Change and death may be frightening, but can also be foreseen, and guidance found to pass through.
The third card, describing your journey to this destination is the Hare - Elusive and independent. Those wishing to approach are tested fiercely before being accepted. The balance tips toward the light and fertility.
I love it when Rain appears in a reading. Things are bound to get better!! This might be telling you that you need to recognise the good in something more than you do. It is an invitation to be thankful. It's okay when we have weather we don't like, it's okay not to like it, too - just like it's okay to feel that somehow we are not who we wish to be - yet. Just don't be afraid that you won't be able to go on living because of it. When we are not who we wish to be there are two paths - change (which will always come anyway) and acceptance (which is always advisable). It's win-win!
The place you are in right now is probably a lot better than you think. It is preparing the ground for growth and abundance. That is what the Rain card says to me.
Now, there is something about the cawing, black Rooks that makes people think they might be negative. Nothing could be further from the truth! In case you aren't familiar with this bird, it's in the crow family - big and black with a loud voice. You'll notice that the card is in the plural. This is very important. Rooks are extremely social, and build their nests in colonies, in high trees, usually overlooking fields or pastures. We see some kinds of birds all moving as one, as starlings do - like a school of fish. Not rooks. They are very much individuals within their own society, but they do stick to that society and enjoy being together. I certainly wouldn't mind knowing that I was headed to a Rooks destination! The other aspects of the card - death (which represents change), intelligence, skill in communication I also see as positive. It sounds like a wonderful place of learning and feeling empowered that you are headed to!
The female Hare (which is much the same as the American jack rabbit) tests potential mates with a fierce combination of boxing matches and chases. (Before naturalists understood this, it was believed that it was males fighting over the right to mate that was being observed, but now it is understood correctly.) Unlike true rabbits, hares are mostly solitary animals who live out in the open and depend on their speed and cunning to survive and raise their young. Although they don't mate and reproduce with the enthusiasm that rabbits do, it was hares which were originally associated with springtime and fertility, and gave rise to the Easter Bunny, not rabbits. Fertility may refer to childbearing and so on, but equally to creativity and nurturing. "Mates" might include ideas and people in general, I think, as well as romantic or sexual partners.
When you first read all this, I know that it is a lot to take in. It may feel like too many words all at once, or it may even provoke some strong emotions. You may want to assign a meaning to each thing very quickly ("A = my job, B = Geraldine, and C means that bloke at work fancies me" sort of thing.) You don't have to digest it all at once! Let the images work their way in slowly. You might like to spend time contemplating just one card, or one aspect of a card in a session. You might find it helpful to look at images of these things, or to visualise them in your mind's eye and see what stories they conjure.
Do let me know that you received this email, but don't feel that you have to say a lot, unless you would like to. If you have questions, I will do my best to answer them. If at some point you would like to offer me some feedback - anything at all, positive, negative or just exploring meanings, that is very welcome, but it's optional. The majority of people seem to enjoy talking about how the meanings unfolded for them, but it often takes quite awhile before I hear from them, and that's fine.
Kris
Hi Kris,
I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get back to you. I've been busy with my business, and some family stuff came up a few days after I got your email, so I kind of shelved things for awhile. I used to meditate quite a lot, but life got it the way... but I decided to dust that off and after things settled down with my elderly uncle (long story) I started doing that again and it's been good. So that was a bonus from your reading. I'm glad, because you were right, it helped it all make sense. When I first read it, it seemed like a bunch of animals in the rain, and I thought about just giving up on it. Now I'm glad I came back to it. It's helped me see things VERY differently, and in a good way.
You are right, I get really impatient when it rains, and I'm impatient now. I got divorced 5 years ago - not my idea, but it worked out okay. I feel like I've been biding my time for too long, but it has prepared the ground and I've been lucky to have a solid business and a good income all this time. Talk about abundance! You hit it!
It's funny about those Rooks, because I've been wondering about moving to Italy, and my sister's already there. I've been thinking about all the things that could go wrong. What if we don't like living near each other, or I'm in the way with her and her husband. But we've always gotten along and I like your tribe idea. I see that this is part of what I'm looking for, a real support network. My girlfriends here are all a bit superficial in their thinking. They can't see past me making a lot of money here and think I should just live it up, but I want something more from life. My sister and her husband think more like I do, and it sounds like they have friends where they are now who do, too. It's a lot to think about, but at least I'm clearer on what I want.
Well, it's funny you should mention creativity, because the thing I've always wanted to do is paint! I do, a little, but I just never have time. Maybe I'll never be good enough to sell a painting, but I just feel like I have to let something out by painting. So those are the easter eggs I want to hatch - lots of nice pictures. But I get the thing about challenging "mates". I ended up with my shallow girlfriends because I didn't do that enough. I want more than to just "do lunch" and gossip. Now I'm going to check people out before I call them my friends, and I'm going to check out my own ideas a little better, too.
That was a big "insight" I had when I meditated yesterday. I've been thinking it's black and white. Stay here in Boston and run the store forever, or go to Italy and risk quite a bit, so that I can have a nicer life and paint. I got unstuck from that thinking today. That rabbit must have kicked some sense into me. Now I've got a bunch of ideas about how I could stay here and work less and paint, or go to Italy and just test the waters for awhile, or even that I might like to move to New Mexico instead! I've been stuck thinking I just had these two choices for about a year now. Duh!
This really helped me.
Thanks! Susan.
If you are interested in a reading you can visit my Readings page.
When I'm asked how my own spirituality, or path, grew up, I admit that I find it difficult to articulate. I had a spiritual yearning from a very young age. When I was small I enjoyed church, but as I got older I questioned it. There was something else - something in nature, in the earth, in place which touched me. I had a strong attraction to Scotland, and to the British Isles, that I couldn't explain. I was following a trail of hints, of surges of feeling, that I found in music, in images, in literature. That trail always seemed to lead me, if I let it.
When I finally arrived in Scotland, it didn't take me long to realise that while I might finally be "home" I also had much to learn. So for years I let the country fill me. I let the countryside speak to me. At first, I was most deeply involved with the music, but the land was always calling me. I took daily walks on local hills, smelled the gorse, touched the stones and marveled at the profusion of plants, at the incredible birdsong -- and the ever-present rain. I absorbed greenness into the pores of my sight.
I travelled throughout Scotland and England a great deal in those early years. Ancient monuments of every kind filled me with wonder and with that strange longing we all experience in such places, but simple things often had the same effect. The bleating of lambs, a hedgerow, a bridge, a cottage garden or a green valley -- all these things can be equally moving, and perhaps that is what I have tried to capture in the Go Deeper oracle deck.
Later, my increasing involvement with horses enabled me to engage with the land in ways that neither gardening nor hillwalking do. I became aware of grasses and other pasture plants, of the rhythm of the farming year, and of the doings of the birds and mammals around me, in a new light. I began to see herbalism in a more intimate way, and to find meaning in the landscape and weather, in culture and folklore, at a deeper level.
Today, I meet many people who are drawn to the nature, to the gods, to the spirit of the land of Britain and Ireland. Perhaps this is due to heritage or ancestry. Sometimes it is just due to a longing that can't be explained. Some respond to this call by making a systematic study of the past, others are prone to wander is a realm of fantasy fuelled by exciting but inaccurate portrayals of history, mythology and culture. Others are doing their best to follow their inner guidance, and looking to all kinds of sources for inspiration.
What I feel would help them all is a better understanding of place, of the land, of the nature and the culture of the land that is connected to their yearning. If we are called to a path which has a strong sense of place, then surely many of our questions will be answered by understanding that place better. We must also engage with the land on which we stand, but when our soul's yearnings are toward the soul of a particular place, we need to sit up and listen to our souls, and listen to that place.
What I feel would help them all is a better understanding of place, of the land, of the nature and the culture of the land that is connected to their yearning. If we are called to a path which has a strong sense of place, then surely many of our questions will be answered by understanding that place better. We must also engage with the land on which we stand, but when our soul's yearnings are toward the soul of a particular place, we need to sit up and listen to our souls, and listen to that place.
Online course starting April 21st I have always loved to teach. When I realised that I had already created a way to help people connect to their Celtic longings, I knew I had to share! I believe that the natural world that prevails in an area is inextricably linked to the culture, to the spirituality, to the myth and folklore of that same area. It's called context. Without it, nothing is grounded, and with it things take on a new depth. There is nothing stopping you from going a little deeper into whatever Celtic path you long for. You can do this. I'm holding out my hand to you as a friend. Let's go! Let's set our feet on this path and read the signs together. I know that we will all experience wonderful changes in ourselves, and look back on our journey together from a new viewpoint of confidence and wonder. |  |
The Go Deeper course on The Three Realms of Land, Water and Sky will run from 21st April to July 7th. The weekly plan will include -
~ A weekly audio guided visualisation and conference call. Participate live or listen later on line when it's convenient.
~ Photos of the week's study cards for you to look at on line or download, and their meanings.
~ Daily discussions available in a private Facebook group for participants, I will be available there to answer your questions about the study material. This will give us a chance to get to know one another better, but will also be an important vehicle for the teaching element.
~ An opportunity to purchase a copy of the Go Deeper oracle deck, which is not otherwise available for sale. (This purchase is not required)
~ Interpretation of the Go Deeper oracle for personal growth and guidance
The fee structure is very flexible.
For more information on the course click here.
~ A weekly audio guided visualisation and conference call. Participate live or listen later on line when it's convenient.
~ Photos of the week's study cards for you to look at on line or download, and their meanings.
~ Daily discussions available in a private Facebook group for participants, I will be available there to answer your questions about the study material. This will give us a chance to get to know one another better, but will also be an important vehicle for the teaching element.
~ An opportunity to purchase a copy of the Go Deeper oracle deck, which is not otherwise available for sale. (This purchase is not required)
~ Interpretation of the Go Deeper oracle for personal growth and guidance
The fee structure is very flexible.
For more information on the course click here.
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Kris Hughes - writer, musician, horsewoman, cartomancer, cat whisperer.
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