Meadowhawk Temple

Manifesting changes…

Today’s funny

Today’s cards

As Above

Ten of Fire: Stars
The Stars in night sky hold so much meaning for humans. We wish upon them, we use them to hold our stories, and we navigate by them. Astrology, the stars play nearly the same functions. As constellations, they represent the signs of the zodiac, which, remember, are the roles the actors (planets) play. They represent the people we wish to be or characteristics we dream of having They tell us who we are. They help guide us through life. There is some element of fate associated with stars, as if our futures were all written out across the skies.
But that's not quite right. The stars are more like a dealer in a game of poker. We are given a hand of cards and we can play that hand however we like. It is an odd juxtaposition: the role of fate simply serves to highlight the necessity of our choosing how to respond. It demands us to engage our freewill.
The Ten of Fire indicates that the events in question are cannot be changed and that there is a role that must be fulfilled or an action that must be taken. The actions we take in the face of unalterable facts define our nature and shape our character.
The shadow side of this card doesn't change the facts of the matter but instead indicates that we cannot see the stars, we have lost our focus, and feel directionless.

So Below

Ten of Wands
It is easy to assume what success looks like. Our expectations shape so many of our actions. There are times when we will have a lot to carry and simply must do it. But sometimes we should ask the question: do I really need to carry this all right now? Just to make sure.
Divinatory meaning: Carrying a large burden or many burdens.
Reversed: Letting responsibilities slip through the cracks.

Today’s cards:

As Above

Eight of Earth: Air creatures
Like trees, we imbue creatures of the air with so many symbolic meanings, both specifically and generally. As a group, they are associated with the element of air, of course, and therefore with thoughts and communications, particularly we think of them as messengers from the God and Goddess. With their ability to fly, we cannot help but think of freedom.
Specifically, crows and ravens are associated with the Goddess. Butterflies bring to mind transformation. Bees represent love, productivity, and the possibility of the impossible. With our sea creature brethren, we tend to think of where we came from. The creatures flitting through the air make our souls and mind sing with ideas of what we might become.
The Eight of Earth asks you to reach higher, stretch farther, and dream bigger. Whatever it is you are attempting, it is not even close to what is potentially possible. Slough off whatever baggage is holding you earthbound. Make yourself as light as possible by letting go of doubts and focusing on what you know is possible.
The shadow side of this card indicates that the Universe is communicating with you, but you are not hearing it or are misinterpreting it. There is a danger that you'll assume more than is possible, and like Icarus, attempt too much.

So Below

Eight of Pentacles
We usually work in order to obtain some result or other. But sometimes the work itself is the journey, the reward. We become one with what we are doing and strive to reach beyond our abilities toward something more.
Divinatory meaning: Working carefully.
Reversed: Doing sloppy work; not paying attention; brushing over important details.

Today’s cards:

As Above

Six of Earth: Trees and forest
Trees, both singly and grouped together, are fraught with meaning for us. In Celtic tree lore, specific trees have very definite meanings. Trees are used in journeying, as a starting place from which to access the underworld, the upperworld, and the otherworld. The life cycle of trees are a visible reminder of the Wheel of the Year while evergreens are a constant reminder to have hope and faith. Groups of trees can provide both places of safety and respite as well as places of danger and fear. The forest is the home of many creatures and we humans are not always comfortable in the woods. It is often dark and because we cannot see the horizon or even very far at all nor the sun, it is easy to feel lost and confused. However, in such a dark, confused mess, it is easier to see your path, should you be lucky enough to stumble upon it.
The Six of Earth represents moving from one place to another. This is something that helps you transition from one state to another state. It provides a touchstone that you can always return to when needed. It is a safe place that protects and also prepares you for what is to come.
The shadow side of this card indicates a dark and confused situation filled with unknown elements. They may likely be dangerous...and may just as likely not be dangerous. But, really, at this point, there is no way to know.

So Below

Six of Pentacles
It seems that nobody ever has everything they want, so deciding how to use the resources you have is important. Decisions are not always clear and Divine guidance may feel absent. Trust the Universe and make your decision.
Divinatory meaning: Sharing material resources, prioritizing needs and wants.
Reversed: Not having enough to do everything you want.

Today’s cards

As Above

XX: Initiation
Everyone walks their own path. And everyone hears their spiritual call in their own way. For the witch, once she hears the call of the Divine, of the Goddess, and of the God, she commits herself to honoring them. It is like the old chants that medieval monks sang, with a call and a response. This card is about this relationship, this agreement. We are called to a specific life and we promise to live our beliefs has best we can. Mostly, we promise to stay in right relationship with the Divine so we can hear the needs and guidance of our deities with the same clarity with which we heard our original call and so that we can answer with the same passionate intensity.
Divinatory meaning: spiritual calling, living with a higher purpose, leaving an old way of living.

So Below

XX: Judgement
If we ask, the Divine will answer. The key, though, is not only asking but also listening. After posing the question, keep your spirit calm enough to hear the response. Actively seek it, look forward to its arrival. And, by all means, prepare to act on it, for it will undoubtedly change your life.
Divinatory meaning: Receiving and hearing a spiritual message.
Reversed: Ignoring signs from the Divine.
Being afraid of doing what's right.

Today’s cards

As Above

Mother of Fire
The element of Fire is passion, creativity, spirituality, energy, and perhaps most importantly, of our will. It is the element we incorporate when we want to pump up the volume, light off fireworks, or lose ourselves in our work. It is assertive, even aggressive. Powerful. Dangerous. Exciting.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to incorporate the Element of Fire into your magical work, ritual practices, or spiritual observances is through the use candles. Candles can be used as a focal point for meditation. To more specifically focus your intent by selecting certain colors of candles to light, by anointing your candles with specially chosen oil, or by carving runes, symbols, or words into your candles.
The Mother of Fire tends the fire. She nurtures the gifts of fire within your life and helps them to grow.

So Below

The Queen of Wands encourages expression of passion within a safe environment.
Reversed: Surrounds self with others in order to be the center of attention.

Today’s cards:

As Above

Mother of Earth
The tangible world - our mother and our teacher. Solid. Practical. The manifestation of our thoughts and feelings. The Earth supplies food for all parts of the human experience: body, mind, and soul; it engages and delights all of our senses. Earth gives physical form to our spiritual journey and helps us connect concretely to the Wheel of Life. From the promise of birth and Spring, through blossoming, fruition, and harvest, to the final pause of death and decay until the cycle begins anew, we see and experience the cycle on the physical as well as spiritual planes.
We focus on the Element of Earth when we seek security, boundaries, sensuality, growth, abundance, and pleasure. Earth provides stability and grounds us. It provides us strength and gives us somewhere to release unneeded or inappropriate energy. Earth is a very comfortable elemental. Be careful not to get too comfortable or stagnation may set in.
The Mother of Earth takes her place as Mother Nature, providing a rich harvest. She nourishes our bodies and our souls with the best of Her creation.

So Below

The Queen of Pentacles teaches others how to relate to nature and the physical world in a personal way.
Reversed: Cares more about appearances than substance.

Today’s cards:

As Above

III: The Goddess
The God and the Goddess are the first division of the Divine that we encounter. Even these concepts, the entirety of all that is female and all that is male, are so vast, containing so many possibilities, that we need further compartmentalization. And so, the God and the Goddess become to us like diamonds with hundreds of facets. Each facet shows a different archetypal face. For the God can be a Father, a Sun God, a Wise Old One. The Goddess can be a Mother, a Huntress, a Destroyer. These archetypal images go a long way in helping us understand the complexity of the Great God and Great Goddess.
Showing the Triple Goddess - that is, the Goddess in the form of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone - is one of the most popular depictions, and a very powerful one. It shows, in one image, three main archetypes of the Goddess and also highlights her changeable nature. While the God is associated with the sun and takes about 365 days to go through a cycle, the Goddess is associated with the moon and goes through her cycle in only 28 days. So in this image, we see the variety of the Goddess forms, power, and gifts.
Divinatory meanings:
Creativity, birth, abundance, fertility

So Below

III: The Empress
The Empress expresses herself beautifully in the physical world. She helps things grow by making them comfortable, by feeding them what they need to become strong, and by healing injuries. She loves and comforts and blesses all that come within her realm.
Divinatory meaning: Abundance, nurturing, and creation.
Reversed: Smothering or controlling someone or something in the name of love.

Today’s cards:

As Above

The Seven of Air: I Ching
The I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese text containing the divinatory meanings for each of the possible sixty-four hexagrams. Hexagrams are six stacked horizontal lines, which are determined (traditionally) by the tossing of yarrow sticks, although sometimes coins are used or even a random number generator. The outcome of the sticks or coins determines a line of the hexagram. A line is either solid or unbroken line (called Yang) or a broken or open line (called Yin). The sticks or coins are tossed a total of six times to create the hexagram that contains the message or answer for the seeker. While the divinatory fortunes generated by the I Ching may certainly prove useful, what is more interesting to note is the concept of Yin and Yang. This concept, represented by the undoubtedly familiar Yin Yang symbol shown on the Seven of Air, explores how apparently contradictory forces or ideas contain within them the seed of their opposite. Although this is an oversimplification, Yang can be thought of as active or masculine and Yin as passive or feminine. But both are needed in order for each to exist or survive.
The Seven of Air reminds us that, just as Yin exists within Yang and Yang within Yin, so your answer lies within your question. Examine what you are asking and find the wisdom and guidance that dwells there.
The shadow side of this card indicates that the answer is not within the question because it is the wrong question. You should be asking something else.

So Below

Seven of Swords
Trust can be breached in many ways. When we take what is not meant for us, we are behaving in a way that is counter to the truth. Because like attracts like, expressing untruthful energy attracts the same and creates more in the world. Whatever we create, we are responsible for.
Divinatory meaning: Someone taking something that doesn't belong to them.
Reversed: Having something taken from you.

Today’s cards

As Above

Ten of Earth: A full day
As we've noted before, the world seems solid and firm to us, but it is really moving quite quickly in a number of different ways all at once. Probably the most notable one is the Earth's rotation on its axis, causing the experience of day and night. The division of our time on this planet into lightness and darkness is also one of our most persistent and common metaphors: yin/yang. Everything carries the seed of its opposite. The night sky has the moon, which reflects the sun, the orb of the day. The day casts shadows, seeds of night under the sun. And yet there is a sense of eternity, for the stars shine always, whether we see them or not. The combination of opposites reminds us that there is a time for everything. Work, play, sleep. Activity and rest. Planting and sowing. Giving and receiving. Sometimes we play one role, sometimes another. But always and eternally, whether we notice or not, the God and the Goddess shine and flow through it all.
The Ten of Earth denotes a special awareness of the balance of time. There is an appropriate time and place for what you want to do. Right now you are able to tap into the universal flow and know exactly when that time is. Honor what you know to be true and practice patience, as you may be tempted to move ahead of time.
The shadow side of this card indicates that now is clearly not the right time. You are not in a position to judge the proper time at the moment. Wait things out a bit before acting.

So Below

Ten of Pentacles
A family gathers in celebration. Generations represent the cycles of life and connections between people through time. The older generations cared for their homes and taught the younger. The younger, in their turn, will continue the traditions and care for the elders.
Divinatory meaning: Stable and abundant life.
Reversed: Having a stable life but finding it confining and a burden; staying in a place out of habit and security.

Today’s cards:

As Above

Ace of Fire: The Sun
There is a saying about people who are very self-centered; we say that such people think that they are “the center of the universe.” In the case of the Sun, it is somewhat true, for this heavenly body is the center of the solar system. The power of the Sun keeps the planets in their orbits. Everything is, therefore, directly related to the Sun. Besides being an intense gravitational provider, the Sun is the solar system’s source of heat and light. Its existence is defined by its ability to shine. Astrologically, the Sun highlights what area we wish desire to excel at. It identifies our core personality, shapes our sense of self. The Sun shines a light on who we think we are.
The Ace of Fire represents strong personal energy at work. This card is something we wish very much to do not just well but excellently. It is a hotly burning desire that can be directed and used to light a project, large or small, and has the potential to create glorious fireworks, or even just delightful sparks.
The shadow side of this card represents a more dangerous or perhaps only disappointing outcome. Ego, self-centeredness, selfishness are possible. There is the danger of energy burning too hot too quickly and thus burning out either without any useful effect or with a destructive, scorching result.

So Below

Ace of Wands
All of the Aces represent gifts and opportunities. Although the strength of our will is always within us, at times we need a boost. Just when we need it the most, the Divine lights a fire and sends a little energy our way. When that happens, our actions are touched with magic.
Divinatory meaning: An opportunity to take action.
Reversed: An action does not yield the expected results. Rethink the plan.

Today’s cards:

As Above

XV: Lammas
The first of three harvest festivals, Lammas recognizes the sacrifice of the Oak King to feed the earth. The Holly King begins his reign as father and protector. Thankfulness for the first harvest, represented symbolically by loaves of bread, and acknowledging that everything has a price are important aspects of this holiday. While pagans are grateful for the harvest, they know that it comes with a price - the eventual death of the God and the coming of darkness. As the end of the growing season draws closer, there is an air of celebration and wild abandon. Games are played, wagers made, and bread and beer enjoyed. This card is associated with the god Pan, and hence is an appropriate match for this holiday, although the beverage of choice is more often made of grain than grapes. There is almost an "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" sensibility. There is utter enjoyment without thinking about putting anything by for the future.
Divinatory meaning: enjoyment of the physical world, indulgence or perhaps over-indulgence, taking chances that may pay off or taking risks with too high a price.

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XV: The Devil
Not matter how pretty or appealing a thing is, if it controls your will, it is not worth it. Everything is relative, so even something normally "positive" may not be in your best interest if it is the wrong time or the wrong amount or for the wrong reason.
Divinatory meaning: A choice, action, or situation contrary to your best interest.
Reversed: Mistakenly judging something as bad, negative, or wrong.

Today’s cards:

As Above

Elemental of Air
Lithe and quick, sylphs are often associated with air. Air can be light and refreshing as a breeze. It can be strong and quick, like a spring wind that raises a kite. It can also be powerful and destructive, like a tornado. Keeping this in mind, we might remember that our words and our thoughts, also associated with the Element of Air, share these qualities. We can utter words that destroy or lift someone up. We can think thoughts the sooth our mind or work ourselves up into a frenzy. It is really quite amazing how powerful invisible things like thoughts and air can be. In addition to what we think, this Element represents how we think. That is, our world view, philosophy, or outlook on life. World views can be simple, as in yes or no, black or white - ideas that can be expressed or decided with a pendulum. Philosophies or ideas can be extremely layered and complex, like a tarot reading. The Element of Air is changeable and can be swift, sharp, and intelligent or just as easily gentle, uplifting, and refreshing. Turn to the Element of Air when you want to solve a problem, learn the truth, and communicate with someone.
The Elemental of Air blows a bit of fresh insight into a situation. There is the potential for it to help cut to the chase and resolve things or add layers of complication. Be aware of it and use as best you can.

So Below

The Knave of Swords experiments with ideas, thought systems, and philosophies.
Reversed: Suspicious, prone to gossip, and sometimes untruthful.