This months card reading, where I pick a card with the intention that something in the card’s message will be what you need to focus on this month, is the page of cups from the Mary-El tarot deck. A relatively new deck with influences from the major tarot deck styles, Thoth, Rider Waite Smith and Marsellies. I am finding it powerful working with the inner realms of ourselves.
The image on this card is of a young person turned away from the viewer, looking towards perhaps a boat as we can see sails, his or her back is bare with the image of a flying fish painted on it.
I am seeing a reflective quality in this card and a sense that this month is about reflection on inner feelings, how we really feel we are. Are we ourselves to ourselves? Do we listen to the depths? How much are we ourselves with others? What does the innocent, child-like, part of ourselves feel in situations? and perhaps how can we honour this part of ourselves more in the coming month?
As we answer these questions and send this side of ourselves love so we embrace the loving gentleness, the playfulness and the connection our inner child has with our spiritual selves.
The lack of hair and clothes on the page suggest to me a feeling of openness and vulnerability. It is easy to get caught up in protecting ourselves from what sometimes feels like a harsh world outside. This month however is more a time for being aware of our own center of feeling, our vulnerabilities and what we truly want , need and feel inside ourselves. It is time to take time to listen to ourselves in safe spaces and act as our own positive parenting force internally if there is need. We can see one ear here and this connects with the idea of listening being very important with this card, more so than seeing with our eyes, the eye is barely seen. Sometimes what we feel and hear are more accurate than what our eyes tells us. Listening deeply to our intuition, feelings and instincts can provide us with more understanding and knowledge than we can gain from our eyes alone.
With the awareness in ourselves of our feelings we can be more transparent and open in many situations, which paradoxically affords us more protection than when we are defended.
It also marks a time where we can extend great empathy for all people without taking on their problems we are able to be loving and giving, understanding with a smile, a light touch, or a knowing look. Action is not needed only the ability to be, to stand next to and witness another’s experience, as it is, without judgement.
On an external level this card represents children, particularly sensitive children, those who are very in touch with their feelings and able to be very empathic with others. As we approach Christmas we often are made aware of children’s joy, their suffering and our own inner child’s suffering. Loving children at this time helps us find the love we need ourselves for our own inner child, for the suffering we experienced as children and compassion for ourselves in the past where we felt overly sensitive and unheard or misunderstood. There is a sense of loving acceptance of ourselves and others at this time. Feeling the unconditional love from a young child warms our heart and enables us to rediscover our own innocent wonder.
The sails that catch the wind can be seen as the thoughts being caught by the emotional self, and causing movement. This connection shows us that we need to be mindful of our thoughts – both to ourselves and to others (who are reflections) putting energy into the thoughts that are in line with the life and world we want to create and casting out thoughts that are in opposition to our true path, out truth and our values. Meditation at this time helps us know we have control over what thoughts we listen to and act upon and which thoughts we merely observe impartially, without judgement. It is not that we control the stream of thoughts any more than we control the wind, but with skill we can manoeuvre ourselves using the energy of the wind, with it behind us or tacking into it. In the same way we do not need to try and stop any thoughts at all, merely allow our sails to be filled by the ones that will take us to our chosen destination.
This month activate your thoughts that are in line with your goals and ideals. Set the way forward by this, even if the pathway twists and turns gathering information and momentum, allow your heart to guide you in what thoughts will bring you to the destination you ultimately seek.
Pages are also connected with new beginnings – the starting out on a new journey, and the idea of the novice. Fresh energy and excitement, new ideas and positive expectations. As we have the page of cups here I feel it is a time of renewed, and completely new, friendships – a time to meet people with an open heart to find the common ground and see the differences as exciting richness rather than obstacles to connection. Extend love and acceptance to all you meet, every person is living their life to the best of their ability, and has talents and skills both active and developing that benefit the world as a whole.
I feel this month is a good time to use affirmations, simple rituals of intention and to send yourself, other people and the Earth good wishes, love and healing.
Extend unconditional love to yourself and to others, even if in some case physical boundaries need to be in place on the earth plane, know you can still extend spiritual love and compassion for others and care for yourself too.
Allow yourself to spend time enjoying simple pleasure of life and in becoming like a child, appreciating the magic of the snowflake, the crack in the pavement, the robin at the window.
I wish you all love and joy, peace and a connection with your deepest being this season of Solstice, Christmas and New Year. May any challenges quickly become gifts for you. Blessings…