Happy warm sweaters, pumpkin spice and cute boots season!
I'm so excited to share the Mabon reading. Prior to doing the reading I set out on a lil harvesting walk. If you follow any of my other SM, you'll know that I'm trying to get in 10,000 steps a day, so I thought it the perfect opportunity to venture out and see what was available to me in my "backyard".
I found some gorgeous stuff out there, right? Take a moment, close your eyes, and take enough deep breathes to feel connected. When you feel calm and collected, have a look at the cards and the elements that I choose for each and choose the one you're most connected too.
I found some gorgeous stuff out there, right? Take a moment, close your eyes, and take enough deep breathes to feel connected. When you feel calm and collected, have a look at the cards and the elements that I choose for each and choose the one you're most connected too.
I decided to work with my Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan. This is not yet a go to deck for me, but She is gorgeous and really speaks well to Mabon, the Autumn Equinox pagan celebration.
I took the time to look into the properties of each of the elements of the and came up with a very common them: protection. Looks like some of you are letting in some bad energy... time to sage, salt and cast.
Did you connect with your element?
Okay, so my first observation is extreme distress. Understandable. This is a chaotic time for most of us. The magic of the long days of summer are quickly coming to and end... and we're kinda coming to the end of the year, and we're looking over our shoulders trying to figure out if we've accomplished anything. The Autumn Equinox is actually part of the Wheel of Year (which was actually a card I pulled in the reading... #bigmagic). At this point in the rotation of her journey, we should consider our past behaviours and look to our future ones.
To get an overall message I grouped the cards. With five Cup cards making up more then half, there is a shit show of emotions going around. Big emotion. The energies presented are very loud and clear and I place an emphasis for those of you who struggle with addictive personalities... now is the time to make changes.
I have three Majors, the key to their message being change is going to happen, and it would be well advised to stay steady and set some very strong boundaries. Death is at the end of it, so make sure you choose wisely. Unfortunately with the 10 of Swords hanging out on the sidelines, I see a "death by stress" kind of energy. Meaning, and all is not lost, you will finally find the energy/emotional drive to move forward, but not until after you've really hit that point in your life where moving forward is the only option you have.
You've been warned. The beauty of working with Her is balance. With every warning, She provides Advice:
Card 1. Pine Cones - The Seven of Cups: You've been given the gift of playtime and choices. Are you feeling overwhelmed with indecisiveness? Feel like you have a lot of options and can't decide what you want to do? Like it's a bit of a jungle gym out there? Write all your ideas down and separate pieces of paper, fold them up and drop them in the jar. Let the energy of the Universe do her thing, and pick one. You must commit to picking just one and forgetting the rest. If you have a space, burn the notes you didn't choose and let the smoke roll, taking with it any attachments you have. Just remember, smoke can burn, it can turn in the wind and fill your eyes and lungs, clouding your judgement and decisions. It can make you question, and have you digging through the ashes to salvage thoughts and ideas you're not yet able to let go of. And at this point sweet friend, will you find yourself deep in the addictive nature of materialism and procrastination. They are both a friendship you should avoid. The 7 of Cups is opportunity, many gorgeous choices, but you must decide and move on. Keep the smoke of seduction behind you, and invest your everything until you can, with conviction, decide to move forward or move on. It is easier to balance one cup in a time of turbulence, then trying to manage seven.
Card 2. Bush Cranberry - The Wheel of the Year: Lucky you. You've come to the end of some major learning curve and the Wheel is starting to make Her ascent back up. Take the time to really focus on one major issue, idea, event or plan has started to fall in place (pun intended), and focus. Put all your energy into and stay committed. You're almost there. You're a survivalist. The magic with this particular berry (which by many is considered edible - but don't try it), is that it is sweeter after the winter. It grows, bares fruit, turns to a plump juicy filled berry, and dries in a clump hard and withered, and yet that is when it is at its best. So should you be considering your life, you're just at the juicy plump part of things as it were, in the Mother aspect of the sacred triple. A lot yet to happen, wisdom still to be had. You are filled now with a purpose, or getting very close to one. And when you decide, ah, this is it...it will become your souls purpose, and the path ahead will bumpy, but clear. Keep pushing, the uphill battle is almost won. Soon you will enjoy the wind in your hair as you speed down the track with ease and comfort.
Card 3. Dogwood - The Page of Cups: Well aren't you full of romantic notions, and dreams of a better tomorrow. Yes the tide is on your side, but please prepare for the ride. Know your limits, and as is the common theme, set your boundaries early and make them non-negotiable or you'll find yourself drawing in disappoint. The Page of Cups, always creative and full of positive energy, generally doesn't want to consider "what if?" You'd be wise to consider a few "what ifs", in an effort to stay as flexible as the waves you're currently riding.
Card 4. Rose Hips - Death: It's over now. Thank the Goddess. Take this time to dust off expectation, disappointment, negativity, useless habits and difficulties. What a beautiful time to receive this card, I must say, as we're heading into fall and winter. Everything around us is dying... but it is dying with purpose. It's getting ready to bloom again in the new year. It's time for you to do the same. There is an ending you must accept, as you've been holding on to it far to long and it's been stressing you out, killing you. It's not worth it, and I promise you, if you let it go... you will find the breath of new life. You will feel the power of Her energy. You will bloom again.
Card 5. Crab apple, the heart of the Divine - Ace of Cups: The Cup is a symbol of the Divine Feminine. The apple is considered the Fruit of the Gods, the Womb of the Goddess (cut it open and you'll find the star of the Pentacle) It is also considered the food of the Dead, an offering of life to Death... a full cycle of the Wheel of the Year; all cards which have been pulled... oh yah, and it is said that unicorns live under apple trees ;) BIRTH. GROWTH. LOVE. If you chose this card, especially with the apples accented to it, you my sweet friend have much to be thankful for. So much emotional growth and healing has been taking place. At times you were the 10 of Swords, feeling like you were being pinned down to the earth with no hope. Exhale. Each of those swords are about to fall out... one by one. Unfortunately they're not going to all fall out at the same time, however, the reprieve is coming and with each loosened sword will you be filled with emotional grace. Now IS the time for you to engage in a mediation ritual, you will be rewarded immensely as you start to connect with that voice inside. PS - that voice inside will no longer be filled with the intensity of despair. PPS - I would highly recommend drinking 8 glasses of water an everyday thing, you will be magically rewarded.
Card 6. Mushroom, Queen of Cups and my personal pick (surprise, earlier this year I picked her as my Mentor): Your dreams have been intense and psychic (having you been playing around with magic mushrooms???) You've been noticing that everyone and everything around you has behaviours based on your mood, energy and emotions. Wake up in a bad way, and everyone around you is pissy. Wake up with the sun skipping at your feet, and everyone seems to be energized by your light. This is amazing and awful at the same time. There is a feeling of needing to be on all the time, as you know you'll suffer ten fold if you have to account for everyone else's bad energy. And when you make that connection that you can single handily affect the energy around you, you're not going to know how to handle it right away and/or how to avoid getting overwhelmed by it. You are a natural lover and healer, and you must learn to incorporate water into your everyday rituals... long baths of relaxation and meditation, walks by water sources (I don't live by the ocean, but I am surrounded by gorgeous fountains in my neighbourhood man made lakes, oh yah, and the Riverside is incomparable.) Nightly showers with essential oils are perfect, as it allows you to wash and cleanse the day away.
Card 7. Rose, Four of Cups: You've come to the end of a road, and you've not arrived to the destination you thought you were heading towards. In fact, you ended up in no mans land, and now you're having a temper tantrum. When you stop rolling around and look at your surroundings, can you see that this is your doing? You put yourself here, no one else. Yes there are things above and beyond our control, but those are usually the things we are able to work through out of necessity. It's the other things, the mundane everyday that you need to put some effort into changing. Let me be blunt, in an effort to see the kind of change you're looking for, you must earn it. In order to earn it you must commit to sacrifice and being uncomfortable. Unwrap those folded arms and put them to use. Turn that frown of bitterness and disappointment and into one of determination. It doesn't matter how you got to this situation, what matters is that you're dwelling in the fact that it sucks, and that you feel everyone is doing better then you. What you don't realize is that you have access to all that you need to get up out of your funk. The longer you sit in your nonsense and let emotion take over, the harder the mud around you is going set And it's not quick sand either that I'm talking about, the kind of sand a friendly hand can pull you out of quickly. This is cement type shit that's going to take a village to help you out of, so don't even put yourself in that situation. You're at the end of the road, and nothings there, so fucking what? Jump over the goddamn fence and find a new adventure.
Go buy yourself some roses, and let the magic of their beauty fill you with love and set your mind to make a life changing decision. Don't worry about how, just know that you will. When the life of your roses finally bloom out, start to make those changes, big or small.
Card 8. Oak Leaves, Ten of Swords: Ouch, so you're the one falling apart at the seams. So you've decided to ride into the sunset until not a sliver of light is left. Be careful where you find yourself when the light is finally out. You once thought yourself strong and mighty like the ancient Oak, and now you lay amidst the falling leaves and the dying decay of the glory days of summer. Your purpose is lost in the night, and all these swords are keeping you pinned to the ground, unrelenting and unwilling to release you from your thoughts of defeat. Consider this, sweet child, as the wise owl looks down at you in your grief and torment... is it not the rot and waste on the forest floor that covers, nurtures and protects all the magic that is happening underneath? New life will spring again, but only if it is protected from the harshest of winters that may come. Your body is in need of great care, as your thoughts have broken it down to its barest of abilities. Acupuncture, a massage, reflexology, reiki... hell, an amazing mani and pedi, whatever your flavour, book it soon and relish in how you feel after. Tension release, if but for a moment, will help you gain back that sense of self that is deeply hidden in the shadow of death. You must crawl before you walk, so take care to heal piece by piece, literally, until you feel whole again.
Card 9. Cat Tail, The Emperor: Fun fact, the Cat Tail is a fiery, lust filled masculine energy. Imagine if you can, a man of state, protective, steady, smart and by the book, is holding his Cat Tail sceptre, white knuckled. Do not given in to the hidden desires of the 7 of Cups. Now is not the time to gamble, with anything. You'd be wise to observe and assess. You are not normally run by your emotions, but with that damn Cat Tail in your hand, and all the energy of the cups around you, you are really feeling tempted to let your hair down and tell the world, "I'll be damned, I've done everything by the book... it's only one night, right?" Sure, but have you seen 'The Hangover'? When you wake up from that 'one night of bliss', don't be surprised to find your ass pinned to the ground with 10 self-inflicted swords of loss and anxiety. Your time is coming my friend, it's just around the corner... remember what I said above, assess and reset. And like the seeds dropped after the harvest is collected, will you too bloom, all in due time. Let the Wheel turn.
I hope you enjoy your reading. Don't forget to share if your card resonated with you... feel free to read through them all, as maybe it is the collective message that has meaning for you.
Finding Duende,
xo, Amanda