The Hanged Man – Tarot Deck Unknown

“I sit before flowers, hoping they will train me in the art of opening up. I stand on mountain tops believing that avalanches will teach me to let go.”…Shane Koyczan

I recently read this quote in my Free Will Horoscope (the brilliant Rob Brezny). It has been pressing upon my consciousness for several weeks now. While it immediately made me think of the Hanged Man in the Tarot, the card of Surrender, to me it seemed to be more about what happens when we are able to allow the art of opening up and believe we can learn to let go.

We have all been there; dealing with a life event of pain, suffering, guilt, loss, anger, shame, or whatever it is that has bound us, trapped us, left us hanging out to dry. We try to process it, work it out, understand what happened and “what next.” Friends, who may be tired of listening to the story repeated to them say, “just let it go.”  I always felt that if I only COULD let it go – if I only COULD move on. I wanted to. I tried to.  I could not.

The Hanged Man tells us there are other realms, other ways, other opportunities if we can but trust. It is not an overnight process. I like to think of this card as when we are up all night pacing the floor back and forth, filled with angst. While we pace, we run the same old story over and over through our head but no inspiration or answer is found in that rut of linear thinking. Then something just trips us up, pushes us over the edge and we experience a sort of fall; we just can no longer hold that unresolved pattern any longer. And as we fall, we find we are supported, held by an unseen force or power. We drop out of that linear realm where we are trapped and find ourselves suspended into a new dimension – a void – where we have room to just fall apart and come loose. In that place of hanging we drop into silence, into a place of non-action, of suspended animation. Our resistance is futile. We are held, we are hung out, and we finally let go.

And out of that other dimension we start to hear the answers, feel the hope return, find ourselves again in space, realigned to our higher self rather than trapped in our limited mind set. It is not a matter of degree or why or judgment; whatever has brought us to the Hanged Man did so because it was time to accept, time to fall, time to let go. Time to receive grace.

There are many levels of the Hanged Man. Sometimes we are launched over the edge without any warning by a disaster. Sometimes, fed up with what is going on, we run yelling and screaming and jump over the edge. Anything is better than this! But the quote about the flowers and avalanches felt to me more like an unraveling rather than a surrender; a graceful coming apart inspired by beauty, wisdom, and the magic of life itself, opening up to an expanded awareness.

The featured card shows a person held by the tendrils of a lotus blossom hanging down through an egg shaped enclosure filled with the night stars – the field of unlimited possibility. In the surrender the aura expands and the chakras open revealing a pendulum of balance. There is a sense of true power here, of discovery and even freedom. In this suspended time and space we come to know that anything is possible; even to be able to let go.

May flowers and avalanches guide you.

…Kathryn Ravenwood  3/23/16

 

 

THE TOWER OF DESTRUCTION

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

2.11.16  

From the Rider Waite Deck                      

                            

The Tower of Destruction. Just reading or speaking those words elicits fearful images of gloom and doom.  Lightning strikes a tower, people fall from it in certain disaster.  But is it really so bad?

A Tower event is typically when the Universe pulls the rug out from beneath our stubborn feet. We have had plenty of hints and warnings that the way we are doing things is not working out so well. Maybe we are “stuck” in a job we hate or a relationship that is sucking the life out of us. We have procrastinated taking any action for any number of reasons – fear, lack of vision and planning, or not mustering up the energy to move on. Finally divine intervention occurs; the heavens unleash their fires and finally the stuck energy is released in a catastrophic fall. But this is no fall from grace. This is a fall from that which has been holding us back, restricting us, keeping us separated from the more highly spiritual evolved being we are becoming.  

We gradually build up our Towers. Maybe they arise from self protection, our fears or habits. But rise they do. Brick by brick we mortar our towers higher and higher. We get used to the view from up there. We think we are safe and protected in our established routine, treasured practices, and mindsets.  We think these bricks are supporting us and, maybe for awhile they do, but eventually we have locked ourselves into a restricted place far above the needs and realities of our present lives. After all, they are bricks, solid, immovable, blocks with no flexibility. 

From The Cosmic Tribe Deck

In the Cosmic Tribe Tarot Tower we see the Tower is made of televisions which are all on fire.  The figure falling has a look of peace and bliss. This is one of my favorite Tower cards as it is a strong visual of just how easily we can create these towers of ours. We believe what our favorite programming tells us; we keep running the same stories over and over like a summer season of bad re-runs. Finally, we experience the Tower and are given the opportunity to have a fresh look at things.

What bricks are in your Tower?  There is no judgment upon them. They are there for a reason and have probably served you well; but beware! Get ready for a fall as the Cosmic Lightening strikes, offering up another danged growth experience - er - opportunity!  That opportunity is the next card in the deck  - the Star. After the Tower falls, the dust settles, and the smell of brimstone begins to wane, we look up and realize our lofty view had been blocked by the very habits we thought were supporting us. We see that getting fired from that dead end job was really about freedom; that the breakup from the unhappy relationship was a lesson in self trust,  that allowing our current notions of spirituality or lifestyle are now outmoded, that Spirit is calling us to be more, to look up and step up to our Higher Self and our  Guidance, to remember that isolating ourselves in a narrow tower is holding us back. It is time to be more.

And yes, sometimes Tower events really are an “act of God”… illness, death, the total destruction of a home or family. I am not addressing these in this article as they are not mine to explain. Why do really wonderful people die in a car crash and some “drunken low life” lives through it?  We may never “get over” these kinds of events but hopefully, at some point, the Star of understanding is revealed. I pray it is so. 

So if the Tower has toppled for you lately, look up and reconnect with the Star of your higher wisdom.  If you can’t see it, call on Spirit to guide you. Sometimes we forget to do this until things are really bad.  Are you working from a blueprint of impending disaster?  Every day is a chance to begin anew.; and maybe, just maybe, you will be able to say “bring it on! Let it fall! I am ready to move on, ready to move upward!” 

….Kathryn Ravenwood 2.11.16

LIFE AS RITUAL - 

Written for Goddess-Ink. Blog

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood - January, 2016

You are preparing to do a ritual, maybe for the New Moon, Solstice, or to invoke a special goddess. You sit with Spirit, asking to know what is wanted of you. You set your intentions, visualize and assemble all the items you need to make the altar – the appropriate colored cloth, candles, incense, statues, offerings of the elements. You choose or write a chant or song, and plan each detail of the ritual. You gather your smudge supplies and your regalia. Before the ritual you carefully prepare yourself, perhaps with a ritual bath and sacred oils, to step forward as Priestess of your Circle. You take time to center, to be sure you are aligned with Spirit and the intention of your ritual. You invoke your Guides to be with you to serve the Circle, the Goddess, and this ceremony to the best you are able. When it is time to begin, you gather the Circle together, call in the Directions, and enter into the realms of ceremony. After everyone goes home, the altar is taken down, the candle drippings cleaned up, and you are finally alone again, you give your thanks to Spirit for the inspiration, guidance, and for being able to safely hold space for all the participants. You go to bed with that wonderful feeling of having done something beautiful, powerful, and transformational.

And then, in the morning, you hit the snooze alarm three times, finally get up and realize you are going to be late, rush around getting ready to go to work, grab some coffee and head out the door. The traffic irritates you and you find your patience waning. You arrive at work frustrated and jump right in to the pile of tasks awaiting you. You might wake up to a family member demanding help on a task they could easily do themselves. Maybe you get your tea and settle in to your email or morning news on the TV. About half way through the morning you think, “what happened to that Priestess from last night? Where did she go?”

We seem to forget that we are the Priestess of Our Own Life and the ceremony goes on 24×7. This most powerful of all rituals is constantly in need of intention, awareness, preparation, celebration, and Divine Guidance. Like all rituals, we have created altars to support our life: we may have a Directions altar or one for our personal guides. We might remember to sit and draw a Tarot or Oracle card for inspiration, to pray or smudge the house at least a few times a week. These altars seem to be the ones we are more able to bring conscious awareness to.

But what about the other altars all over our homes that we are not consciously working?  There is the altar of the refrigerator door, the bedroom floor where we have casually tossed a variety of offerings, and the altar of Facebook, which seems capable of overpowering all others. Have we forgotten our songs of praise and instead chant a litany of complaints and excuses? Do we keep an altar of our past mistakes? Are we immersed in mindless routines, forgetting to be aware of our actions or intention?

How do we find balance with “real life” and “priestess life?” We must stop separating and integrate the two. We are the Priestess of Our Own Life and  ritual is what holds us on that path. We all have obligations to meet; work, family and relationship challenges, friends to keep up with, chores to do.  Life as Our Ritual requires attention, intention, action, invocation of higher wisdom, gratitude, offerings, and time to clean up the candle drippings of our messy, complicated lives.

Take time to visualize what you need and want in your life in the present time. Do you need a forgiveness altar? Is it time to invoke a deity to help you clear out what is dead and no longer serving you? Visualize, purify, make an altar that you actually will work and pay attention to. Take down the ones whose energy has gone flat. Write sticky notes, make a vision board, smudge often, sing, chant, dance and pray. Practice being aware of how you are moving through your day.  Priestessing our life ritual is a lot like correcting our posture; we have to be aware we are slumping, have sat for three hours without a break, and we need to move. Are you gulping your food? Be aware and stop and chew slowly, bless it, thank the beings who gave away so you can have it. Bless your body – however it is today – listen to your words, feel your heart.

Life is a process we learn as we go along. We are never perfect, never finished, but we can refine our life with presence of mind, an open heart, and conscious ritual.  Blessed be!

Kathryn Ravenwood is a Priestess for the Water, a ceremonialist, shamanic guide, and teacher, author and reader of Tarot.  She has studied the Mysteries for over 40 years and offers personal consultation for spiritual growth.  

Find more information at http://www.kathrynravenwood.com

THE PAGE OF WANDS

From the Hanson Roberts Tarot

Original writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

The Page of Wands has been showing up in a lot of readings lately. Whenever I see a card “trending” for many people, I think it is a good idea to pay attention to the message it brings. In this case, it is perhaps a double message as the Pages of the Tarot are often called the Messengers of the Tarot.

This Page is dressed for traveling; staff in hand, a disc of the sun around her neck. She is full of enthusiasm, energy, and seems undaunted in calling out her message even though it seems no one but the mountains are there to hear. No matter; the Page of Wands is inspired to share her passion and joyfully does so.

To me, this Page is calling on us to reconnect with our vitality. No matter our age, we occasionally feel a resurgence of our purpose and are inspired to have a fresh start. The card prior to the Page is the 10 of Wands, the card of burdens and hardships. We may have been caught in great struggles and have felt there was no going forward when the energy of the Page comes upon us and we are suddenly ready to get out there again, go for it - whatever “it” is. We find ourselves energized and, as the song says, “on the road again.” 

Are you shouldering so many burdens you are unable to lighten up, shake loose and go exploring? If the Page of Wands called to you could you hear her? Maybe you are one of those who has heard the call. How have you responded? Have you embraced the new energy or have you muffled the message and continued to plod along, toting the weary load? 

Pages are the beginning of the Mastery or Court Cards of the Tarot. Pages are eternally young, love to learn and do new things. They have not yet gained enough experience to be judged too harshly for mistakes. They are encouraged to actively play, learn, experience life. They are beginners, not masters – yet. As Normandi Ellis reminds us, we are always in a state of “eternal becoming.” As long as we are alive, full of the Fire of the Wands of the Tarot, we have the hope and will power to apply that sacred fire to the sacred path of our life. 

I encourage you to call on your Page of Wands and connect with this vital and joyful energy. Get out there. Do something new. Shake up the routine. Explore. Play. Have some fun. You might discover and new calling in your very soul that will inspire you to become more than you knew you could ever be.

…Kathryn Ravenwood  1/14/16

2016: The Year of the Hermit

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

The Hermit – from the Cosmic Tribe Tarot, Stevee Postman/Eric Ganther

The beginning of a new year brings us a turn on the wheel of the Tarot. The numbers of 2016 add up to 9: the number of The Hermit in the Major Arcana. What this means is that for the entire year the Hermit will be an energy archetype for us. Notice that the Hermit does not carry a huge spotlight to point the way. Rather it is a small lantern illuminating only  the space around him. A slim crescent moon above leaves the night mostly dark. The Hermit is poised at a doorway indicating a passage is at hand.

That passage is the journey inward and the Hermit is our guide. After a year of exploring Strength (card #8 from 2015) in ourselves, in those around us, and in the world, we have, hopefully, achieved a deeper level of self-understanding about what makes us strong, what our weaknesses might be, and possibly how we (or others) misuse strength to compensate for those weaknesses.

Now it is time to  go within, shining the Hermit’s light of wisdom for our own enlightenment. Each of us must evaluate and understand not just our strengths and weaknesses, but our very  essence, our true self. We must contemplate the passage of our own life so far. The outside world is less of a focus now. Yes, we still have to live and function “out there” but the Hermit calls us to discover the inward landscape. This is a journey many avoid. It is not for the weak - thus we have been given a year of Strength to prepare us.

The Hermit explores the underworld of her own nature. She is accompanied by Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the entrance.  As Eric Ganther wrote, “two of her heads look forward, keeping distracting thoughts of the future at bay, a third looks behind to keep ghosts from past situations from interfering.”  Discovering the truth of who we are requires us to be focused and present. We all need time out to discover the wisdom that awaits us beyond the walls of daily routine, mindlessness, disruptions, and pre-conceived reality. But within those walls is a dark doorway – the doorway the Hermit must walk through. 

The Hermit carries a light in one hand indicating others might follow close behind, but the real light shines within. This is perhaps my favorite Hermit card of all the decks. While standing in the dark, unable to see very far beyond the small lantern, the Hermit is illuminated with all of life within her. It reminds us that we are the center of life, we are the embodiment of the Divine, we are each a beautiful landscape giving hope, light, and solace to those who still seek their way in the darkness. Truth does not lie in the superficial realms. It is not an easy prize.  It is not “microwave enlightenment.” Truth is a process that takes our whole lifetime. There is always something else to discover, another season to explore in the landscape of our private existence. 

Honor the Hermit in you. Get to know her/him on a deeper level this year. Follow the lantern of truth to explore the underworld of your darker realms.  Take some time out.  Go to your favorite place and spend time alone, just be-ing with yourself. Make time and space for Spirit to reach you. Ask and listen. Dim the lights, turn off the electronics, soak in a soothing bath, take a long walk, spend time with your altars. Enjoy some solitude. (When was the last time you really did that?) There is nothing so dark inside us that the beautiful nature of who we really are cannot shine through and illuminate.

Kathryn Ravenwood – January 1, 2016  (www.kathrynravenwood.com)

2015 and Strength

From the Paladini Tarot

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

2015 is coming to an end.  It has been an “8” year, the year of the Strength card in the Tarot.  Looking back it seems that strength exerted a strong-arm hold on us and went out of its way to be noticed. The news has been full of violence, retaliation, terrorism, politicians exploding with bully language, and an ongoing litany of push-and-shove attitude and attention getting antics. 

Is this strength? Unfortunately, it is the dark side of strength. The side that uses power to impose personal will upon others for gain that is used abusively. But strength is far more than this. It has its light side as well. Many of us used it this year to flex our physical and spiritual muscles to dig in deep and discover what powers lie within us. We have applied this effort to accomplish positive personal goals, to overcome grief, hardships, and to help others. We have found strength to create, to carry on, to be vulnerable enough to expose our weaknesses and fears, so that we can move forward in meaningful living and celebration of the divine.

We are humans living in duality with free will to express ourselves as we choose. Part of finding balance within ourselves is to come to understand the true nature of Strength.  In the Paladini Tarot card above, we see a woman and a lion fused as one. The infinity sign above her head reminds us of the divine nature of our human and spiritual duality working together. We are called to understand that strength and power are tools given to us to expand the divine through our actions. It is perfectly good and right to use our power and strength to improve our lives and to be the best we can be. What makes us strong is then called upon to be in service to help others be strong.

In the Egyptian pantheon, Sekhmet is the lion-headed goddess of power. She is the goddess who maintains the order of Ma’at – the sacred balance of the universe. Stories of her strength and even her rage are legendary. What is often forgotten about her is her fierce compassion, her ability to use her strength and power to serve that higher purpose.  Sekhmet’s fierce compassion is the kind that when a lioness’ cubs are threatened in times of severe draught or no food, she will kill one so the other can live. That is fierce indeed. The other side of Sekhmet is often shown as the goddess Hathor, who is known for her celebration of love, life, passion, and sensuality. Look again at the card above and see Sekhmet and Hathor living as one great being, sharing consciousness and experience in divine balance.

As we come to this year end, take some time to contemplate your strength. How did it come up this year?  Did you honor it and use it wisely? Did you hide from it or give it up to someone else’s power plays? Did you celebrate your unique powers and share them with others?  Did you take time to lick your wounds and learn to heal?  However Strength played out in your life this year, may its lessons continue to guide you to embrace your unique and precious life. As you come to find that higher balance within you and have the strength to use it to better yourself, you  help to shift the world and bring a little more light to the darkness. And we need that. We need you.

…Kathryn Ravenwood December 2015

THE THREE OF PENTACLES

From the Rider-Waite Tarot

Original Writing by  Kathryn Ravenwood

Getting on track with our goals is sometimes a challenge. We have lots of ideas, maybe even try out various things that interest us, but we don’t seem to get much done. We can get distracted by unfinished projects that are stacking up, other people’s opinions, procrastination, and that pesky buzz kill - perfectionism. How are we supposed to get anything accomplished?

Hard work pays off. When we apply our talents and creative abilities to a project, keeping our intention and focus present on our goal, we get into that creative process of doing our work.The Three of Pentacles is the time when we apply ourselves, start the project that pays off later, use our sometimes nascent talents to later become the master craftsperson. We learn as we go along. We spend devoted time to our goal and it eventually is accomplished. Applying our creativity to our work inspires us in unknown and unexpected ways that are a pay off in themselves.

Artistry and hard work are evident in the above picture of a section of a beautiful cathedral. The artist has stopped work to confer with his apparent patrons who are most likely paying for the project and possibly coming in with yet another change order requiring the artist  to shift plans and redirect her efforts. The work is obviously long term; a cathedral is not likely to be completed in one artist’s lifetime and certainly not by one person alone. Yet each artist who contributes to a part of it has her work displayed for the life of that building - perhaps hundreds of years. The project that started with a chisel or paint brush has paid off with durability, beauty and serves as influence and inspiration to others who might just be starting on their own creative path.

And what about that perfectionism I mentioned earlier? I don’t know about you, but that is one of the biggest reasons I don’t get anything done! Before I even get started I am hung up on it not being good enough. It is not that I think I am not capable  - I do - but I am my worst critic. Maybe it is just an excuse not to do the work.  After all, the Pentacles are about working and manifesting in the physical realm. All our ideas and opportunities get us no where unless we actually apply ourselves in the work. 

The threes in the Tarot are all ruled by Empress , card three of the major arcana. The three’s are about creating, not perfection. When we give birth to an idea or project it is like  a child- we are not sure what it will be like when it “grows up.” The joy and gift of it is in the doing, the experiencing, and the act of making it happen. Perfection comes later.  A writer has to first draft an article to get started; the proof reading, editing, and fine tuning come at the end of the process. But without that first draft, the manuscript never gets done.

If the Three of Pentacles is speaking to you, get out the tools of your trade, your cookbooks, pots and pans, your computers and notepads, your paints and crayons, your fabric and scissors, beads and wire, and get started. Be in the creative moment and enjoy the process. And repeat often! You might just find your skills and talents amaze you. They might even propel you to do more. The discipline of the practice will lead you ever forward. Even the master craftsman has to get started, has to show up at the workbench, has to keep her work fresh and interesting, and stay engaged. 

So enjoy the process, apply your skills, get discipled and have a good time. Beauty and truth need your hands and eyes for expression. 

…Kathryn Ravenwood 12.6.15