Gaian Tarot Artist's Journal

Nine of Fire - Kundalini Rising

As I mentioned with the Nine of Air, the Gaian Tarot Nines depict the qualities of mastery, solitude and wisdom as seen through the elemental suits.  In this case, I have departed quite a bit from the RWS 9 of Wands.  

This is a man who carries enormous personal power and uses it responsibly and competently.  He has retreated to a redrock cave, a sacred spot where energies gather, in order to replenish his own life-force.  He seats himself in meditation and soon the kundalini serpent begins to rise.  He is radiant with inner fire, connected to heaven and earth.  He knows himself as a being of light, as well as a being of flesh and blood and bone.  Because of this spiritual practice, he is able to handle anything that comes his way with peace and equanimity.

Just Past the Peak of Summer . . .

My island herb garden, last night at sunset.  This is the essence of Lammas to me:  the best fresh produce of the year, to be sure;  but also, the herbs and flowers peaking then beginning to wither and brown.  Here we see Lady Lavender just past her prime and ready to be cut and bundled.  Sister Thyme is ready to bloom and likewise Elder Mugwort, with flower heads so heavy the stalks are falling every which way.  Sister Echinacea is proudly purple but beginning to fade; only Queen Goldenrod stands in her prime. 

Not seen in this photo, but there nonetheless, is a thriving patch of Lover Sweetgrass.  And last night, by full moonlight, my island sisters and I braided the hair of the Goddess, then cut and corded her tresses to take home to hang and dry.  In the deep midwinter, when days are short and cold, we will burn the blessing herbs of Summer.

Creating Tarot Community

Our Bellingham Tarot Meetup group met the other night.  I have to say that I'm so happy that I took the plunge and decided to start this group late last year.  I love my Tarot conferences, like BATS and LATS and the Readers Studio, but I wanted to create Tarot community here at home.  And it's happening!

We have all levels of Tarot aficionados at the meetup, from complete beginners through seasoned professionals.  The more experienced people are happy to share what they know, and the "newbies" get to see all the different styles and methods and opinions out there.  No Tarot fundamentalists allowed in our group! :)

We have a loose structure for each meeting:  a check-in where we go around the circle and each person shares a Tarot "new and good"; a time for questions and answers; a topic that includes a bit of teaching from me or someone else; and time to practice reading skills.  This last bit is either breaking up into partners and reading for each other, or doing a big group reading.  Lately we also decided to meet an hour earlier, so that the first hour is socializing and potluck.  This works really well too.

Now Holly Voley has joined us, and I'm thrilled.  

Nine of Air, Nine of Swords

We've made it to the Nines!  Some of my favorite cards!

The Gaian Tarot Nines depict the qualities of mastery, solitude and wisdom (like that other #9, the Hermit) as seen through the elemental suits.

The RWS Nine of Swords is often called the "nightmare card."  In my own experience it has almost always represented deep grief.  In this image, we see a woman who is grieving, on a much deeper soul level than the distress of the 3 of Air.  Storm clouds billow behind her, mirroring her inner turmoil.  Yet she has gone to a sacred spot, and embraces a standing stone as if it were her mother.  She goes down deep into a trance state, letting her sorrow ground into the body of the earth.  And with her inner vision she sees the face of She Who Watches — the One who watches over her with love and compassion, always.

(Note:  She Who Watches is a petroglyph found near the Columbia River on the border of Washington and Oregon.)

Afternoon Visitor (there's a house in her backyard . . .)

Celebrating Lammas, the First Harvest

(Photo:  the head and hair of the Bread Goddess)

I'm home from the third annual Northwest Lammas Festival, a homegrown affair started and sustained by some of my mermaid sisters and brothers. (We thank you deeply for your hard work throughout the year!)  My mind and heart are filled with images and sensations of heat and cold, mist and sweat, intricate drum rhythms and laughing babies. The first fruits of the harvest:  the gathering of the tribe and the sharing of the fruits of our hands, hearts and minds.  Waverly said it so much more eloquently than I can on her blog this morning.

But I have photos to share!  (Last year's photos are here.)

A New Moon Spread

I love New Moon spreads.  I've designed a few.  This one came to me a couple of weeks ago and I shared it in my last Gaian Tarot newsletter (if you haven't yet subscribed, please do — see the form in the right hand column to sign up).  Today's New Moon, as you probably know, is in Leo — that playful, royal sign; and it’s a Solar Eclipse (extra juju); and it falls on the solar holyday of Lammas, the first of the three harvests. I’d say there are some powerful energies to work with today.

Rainbow Cottage House Blessing

The weekend was graced with good friends, great food, music, laughter, healing and love.  We are blessed.  And Rainbow Cottage, now vibrating with the warmth of the weekend, is truly home. (It takes the presence of good friends and family to make a house a home . . .)

A few more photos after the jump.

Have you registered yet for the Readers Studio 2009?

 I can't believe I forgot to blog about the opening of registration for the Readers Studio!  Here's what I wrote in the Gaian Tarot newsletter I sent out yesterday:

It's time! It's time already!! to SIGN UP FOR THE 2009 READERS STUDIO! I'll be there, vending and doing readings and having a jolly old time. My mermaid sister DragonSong is coming along with me this year. Won't you be there too? Like I’ve said before, this is the one Tarot event I will not miss for anything! The dates are April 30 - May 3, 2009 at the Sheraton Newark Airport Hotel, NJ. Registration started last week, and it's expected to fill up very quickly. So check it out, and say you'll meet us there!

Here's my account of this year's Readers Studio, just to whet your appetite a bit more .  . .

Last Night's Full Moonrise

We sat on the beach for three hours or more, watching in awe as the huge orange orb rose in the southeastern sky.   She shimmered and danced for us as the tide went out in ripples and waves.  Her reflection on the water sometimes looked like an undulating snake and sometimes like a bellydancer,   We sang to Her, and in response Sister Heron came flying out of the darkness to circle round between Her in the sky and us on the beach.  Later we were graced by the presence of Owl and Bat and Mouse.  We lifted our stones nestled in a clamshell up to Her and asked for boons to be granted.  We thanked Her for the blessings of our lives.  We giggled and laughed and played in the warm water.   We left before midnight with our hearts very full.