Mystical meaning of Playing, Oracle and Tarot cards

Mystical meaning of Playing, Oracle and including the history of Tarot Cards.

The first writer to bring the Tarot to the attention of occultists was the French author Court de Gébelin (1724 or 1728-1784), who first published his theories in 1781. Therefore 1781 may be thought of as the beginning of this second stage of Tarot history. The Tarot’s supposed Egyptian origin, its transmission by Gypsies, and its connection to the Egyptian sage Hermes Trismegistus, the Hebrew alphabet, and the mystical Kabalah are all ideas that were first introduced by Court de Gébelin.

Right or Wrong

 Is the Outcome Right or Wrong?

As a Tarot reader, do you ever ask yourself the question, "How many readings did I get right today?" or "how many were wrong?" Right or wrong, who told you which, the client, another Tarot reader, yourself or don't you know? Whatever the outcome of any one individual reading then only the future can answer the question but if the reading is divinatory then surely the client can make the relevant changes on the advice given to them from the reader. Therefore any choice's made by the client may be entirely different from the outcome of that one individual reading. Free will could raise its beautiful head and the client may approach the question or issue from an entirely different angle after having a reading and the outcome could be completely opposite from the reading and yet very positive for the clients' outcome.

If it is a predictive reading using oracles, for example, using a Lenormand deck, the outcome must be accurate otherwise the outcome or answer would be incorrect and so would the reading. How many readers get accurate and honest feedback from every client and every reading they have ever done? I would say, very few and if they do or did, how can they prove it.

Far too many people treat the Tarot reading as a throw-away gesture these days, it has lost its history and background to modernity, today's society can have a tendency to use once then throw it away and get a new replacement, which is near enough everything that we use. Tarot readers are ten-a-penny, if that one doesn't work then try another one or is it more like, if that one doesn't give me the answer that I want, there's another dozen on the same street or website.

When you go for your next or even very first Tarot reading just give some thought to why you need a complete stranger to know your most inner feelings and worries, who is the most experienced, honest, reliable, hard working and will give you the time and effort that you deserve.

When a Tarot reader gives advice to the client there will always be consequences.

The Chicken or the Egg?

What came first? The Tarot or Playing Cards.

I am often asked this question and it is very difficult to answer as there really isn’t an answer, purely because, nobody actually knows unless they could travel back in time and solve this puzzle. Many, many writers and scholars of the subject believe they have the answer to which came first and can prove it but then along comes someone else who says they can disprove it and this will carry on until the end of time. That is, unless time travel is invented and I am pretty sure that nobody will travel back in time just to find out who was right and who was wrong.

Therefore I am going to give some historic facts and theories to try to put people's minds at rest and let them decide for themselves.

Let’s go back a few thousand years to the Egyptians, Indians and Chinese peoples of our plant. Many of the Taroists of the 19th century believed through their own research along with fellow colleagues of the time that some kind of symbolism was being used in religion, spiritualism, magic and other occult systems and it was also used for the foretelling of the future, things to come, and fortune. Now as we all know, nobody can see the actual and factual future because if they could then they would be very rich and famous, and certainly rule the human race. This is fact and undoubtedly reality. I am a realist and believe in nothing except the truth, facts, seeing, touching and communicating with reality. If I honestly believe something works to improve someone's life in any way then I would use it. Back to the subject in hand. I said that I would give you some historic facts, well I could copy and paste thousands of words but I’m not, instead I will give you as many links as I know of that will explain how and where Tarot originated. These links will give you the information required to not only understand the theories these occultists believed in but also how they themselves argued amongst themselves ultimately trying to be the first one who could prove that they had found the answers to all the questions.

Links and References

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot

by A.E. Waite [1911]

This is the essential Tarot reference by the designer of probably, the best known Tarot deck.

The Tarot of the Bohemians

by Papus; tr. A. P Morton, [1896]

This is a detailed study of the esoteric roots of the Tarot. I have some suspicions about the actual claims that Papus makes in this document.

The Tarot

by S.L. MacGregor Mathers [1888]

This is a short essay on the Tarot, by a prominent occultist of the 19th Century. Mathers also wrote The Kabbalah Unveiled.

The Symbolism of the Tarot

by P. D. Ouspensky [1913]

An evocative inner journey through the Major Arcana of the Tarot.

General Book of the Tarot

by A.E. Thierens [1930]

A system of correspondences between the Tarot and Astrology.

Fortune Telling by Cards

by P.R.S. Foli [1915]

Several methods of telling fortunes with a standard deck of playing cards.

The Tarot.org Library

An electronic library with some of the most fundamental Authors on Tarot. Loads more links in here. 

October to December 2020

 Introduction

This traditional Twelve House Spread includes astrological keywords (in parenthesis) for the houses, signs, planets, elements and qualities. Also included is the sun timing for entry into each house. I am focusing on the last 3 months of 2020 and have also produced a full 12 month reading which includes the first 9 months of 2021, starting in January. Because of the timing overlaps of the houses I have to show 4 houses, 7 to 10 inclusive which covers the last 3 months of 2020.

The Upright and Reversed Associations are based on whether the card is placed upright or reversed when dealing. All cards were dealt upright but both meanings are relevant to the house that it has been placed in and based on the Yin Yang principles of good/bad, black/white, right/wrong etc. When confronted with a dilemma such as Covid-19 you must take all aspects of the situations to determine some kind of assemblance out of the chaos which has been unleashed on the world. Once you introduce all the human aspects to these types of situations there is no guaranteed positive or negative outcomes, only more chaos.

SEVENTH HOUSE – Marriage and Partnership “I BALANCE”: The Seventh House (partnerships, marriage, conflicts, identification within a group), is an Angular House (action, motivation). It is ruled by Libra the Scales (balance, order, justice, sometimes unemotional), with the element of Air (communication, intellectualism) and is a Cardinal sign (outgoing, social, lack follow-through on projects). Libra is ruled by the planet Venus (romance, beauty, artistry, sociability). Timing: about September 23 - October 22.

Knight of Coins

Keywords: future projects and ventures, offers of some kind.

Description: The Knight or Prince of Coins has two meanings. The first indicates a young man who is very practical. The second indicates further development of a material venture which, if handled correctly, could bring about future projects.

Upright Associations: Practical, sensuous, patient, methodical, progress. Sensible course, dependability, industriousness, hard work, conviction. Beneficial science, finding meaning, nature.

Reversed Associations: Confusion, missing vision, instability, greed, indolence. Apathy, material preoccupation, inactivity, tiredness, necessary inner turning.

The timing is one of the main points of interest, in that it focuses not only on the 7th house but also the later part of September and most of October and so enters an entirely new era for each and everyone of us. The 7th has indicated "balance" which has not been around since lockdown was ended. If we don't heed the rules then the (RA words) above must surely come into play and if they manifest into reality then hope may be lost in our fight against this deadly virus. The (UA words) above are the positive outcome and are telling us what has to be achieved in the coming months. If we disregard this offer that the card offers then we only have ourselves to blame.

EIGHTH HOUSE – Death and Regeneration “I DESIRE”: The Eighth House (transformation, regeneration, sexuality, death and taxes, psychic ability), is a Succedent House (resources, stability). It is ruled by Scorpio the Scorpion (passionate, emotional, persistent, intense, obstinate, unyielding), with the element of Water (emotion, intuition) and is a Fixed sign (persistence, predictable, inflexible, stubborn). Scorpio is ruled by the planet Pluto (destiny, redemption, power, afterlife, good and evil). Timing: about October 23 - November 21.

Ace of Wands

Keywords: new beginnings, job possibilities, optimism, life start, promotion and new ventures.

Description: The Ace of Wands is the beginning of any creative venture or business pursuit. It indicates optimism and invention, as well as new opportunities and directions.

Upright Associations: A new venture, the initiation of prosperity, happiness, pleasure. Optimism, creative energy, potency, adventure.

Reversed Associations: A bad beginning, missing opportunities, need to wait, frustration. Creatively blocked, lacking energy, need to re-motivate.

Astrological Correspondence: None. 

Keywords: new beginnings, job possibilities, optimism, life start, promotion and new ventures. Description: The Ace of Wands is the beginning of any creative venture or business pursuit. It indicates optimism and invention, as well as new opportunities and directions.

By the time we reach the 8th house and nothing has changed for the better, if our situations are becoming worse, this card is giving us the chance to turn things around, it's not too late. Take a long look at the (Keywords) and (Description), we can reverse the negativity caused by this virus.

NINTH HOUSE – Mental Exploration “I SEE”: The Ninth House (philosophy, religion, law, long journeys, higher education, publishing, in-laws), is a Cadent House (diversification). It is ruled by Sagittarius the Archer (energetic, ambitious, generous, freedom-loving, an explorer), with the element of Fire (aggression, leadership) and is a Mutable sign (adaptable, too changeable). Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter (philosophy, religion, higher education, expansion). Timing: about November 22 - December 21.

Judgement

Astrological Correspondence: Pluto 

Keywords: judgement, resurrection, healing, music, good news, revelation.

Description: The Judgement card represents the judgement day or awakening call heralding a rite of passage. As one cycle comes to an end we need to prepare for a new stage in our development, the future is waiting. Now is the time when past efforts yield positive results, when we can reap the rewards, when we realise that we are drawn in a new direction and recognise our true calling. In it's positive meaning the Judgement card reminds us that through honesty and true reflection we can realise where we have erred on our path and that we need to forgive ourselves to regain a feeling of self-worth and accomplishment.

Upright Associations: Awakening, revival, the good life, health, mental agility, accomplishment, perfection. Summing up, spiritual calling, transformation.

Placed in a negative situation Judgement symbolises indecision, a fear of letting go, remorse, and regret, and imbalance, imprisonment.

Reversed Associations: Hesitation, denying change, poor judgement. indecision. Stagnation, closing off spiritually, needs to evaluate your direction.

This is our judgement for the past year on how we have reacted not only to this terrible virus but to one another. Disrespect, self-appointed righteousness and absolute disregard for others, this is our legacy to our future generations. If we don't change our attitudes then we have failed the children of tomorrow. You only have to read about what this card means to understand what is to become to humanities future.

TENTH HOUSE – Career “I USE”: The Tenth House (profession, status, worldly ambitions, people in power over you), is an Angular House (action, motivation). It is ruled by Capricorn the Goat (reserved, prudent, patient, cunning, acquisitive, determined), with the element of Earth (practicality, organization) and is a Cardinal sign (outgoing, social, lack follow-through on projects). Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn (discipline, responsibility, limitations, restrictions, karma). Timing: about December 22 - January 19.

Page of Wands

Astrological Correspondence: (Sagittarius)

Keywords: good news is on it's way, the messenger, friend, psychic message.

Description: The Page or Princess of Wands quite often indicates a young, energetic person will come into the picture to bring some sort of discord.

Upright Associations: Dependable, infectious enthusiasm for life, a lively disposition. Daring action, inventive, striking out in the world.

Reversed Associations: Bad news, a lack of decision, disruptions, rash communications, frazzled. Leaving safety for the unknown.

Finally the planet Saturn, our teacher, appears to warn of what could be, if all the right and positive changes are made. On a personal note, I don't think we have learned anything and the new year will be the same as the last and maybe even worse.

This is not a prediction it is just a warning for the whole of humanity.

Today's Oracle 3rd May 2020

Today's Oracle 3rd May 2020

Ace of Cups

Ace of Cups

Astrological Correspondence: None.

Keywords: love, birth, creation.

Description: The Ace of Cups indicates the potential for happiness exists in the
situation in question. The soil has been fertilised and now only loving care is needed to
bring about fulfillment. The start of love, inspired creativity that is nurtured by
fruitfulness and happy times. Artistic excellence, a love affair, marriage, betrothal or a
birth. All affairs of the heart will prosper.

Upright Associations: The beginning or essence of love, joy, inner beauty, or good health. Kindness, peace, sensitivity, art, poetry.

Today's Oracle 2nd May 2020

Today's Oracle 2nd May 2020

Daily Oracle the Four of Cups

Four of Cups

Astrological Correspondence: Moon in Cancer

Keywords: unsure, familiarity, false sense of security.

Description: Four of Cups is doubtful. The person in question is not sure of their feelings
and does not feel they will get their heart's desire. Having reached stability within a
relationship, what more can be achieved? This could be a case of familiarity breeding
contempt. There needs to be a new start to renew the spark in an old relationship.
New interests, activities and friends are required.

Upright Associations: Trouble in paradise, dissatisfaction, stuck in a rut. A time to re-evaluate, the morning after, apathy, discontentment. Need for contemplation re-evaluation or meditation.

Daily 3 Card Spread 2nd May 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 2nd May 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
28 - GENTLEMAN / MAN
This card stands for the person asking the question if it is a man, and so it is the person card for men. If the person asking the question is a woman, the card represents her present or future partner, i.e. the man she feels closest to.
Friend, husband, significant other, boyfriend, love. Also action, aggressiveness, logic, will-power.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
13 - CHILD
This card symbolizes your own child. It stands for a new beginning, but it can also express that a matter is small or that a person has a childish, naive disposition. Furthermore it can stand for children, teenagers, your daughter, your lady lover or a young woman.
Naive, young, playful, a child. Trust, friendliness, children.

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
Recent influences: Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
16 - STARS
Another card of luck! Depending on the questions asked, it indicates that a matter will succeed. It is the card of success. It also stands for intuition, spirituality, psychic powers and astrology.
Cosmos, Universe, the point of life/being, the laws of the universe, spiritual aspirations, the melancholy of dreams, eternity, the call of angels.

Daily 3 Card Spread 1st May 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 1st May 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
20 - PARK / GARDEN
The park stands for places open to the public, for society and any place where a lot of people come together. This can be a concert, a hospital or a fair. Depending on the questions asked, this card is an indicator that many people are involved.
Creativity, meeting, party.
Society, connection, peace from thoughts and worries, multi-levelled feelings, get-togethers, gathering places.
Social network, the public, nature of the crowd.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
11 - WHIPS
The whips card brings arguments, i.e. scathing disagreements. If the card lies next to card 10 (SCYTHE), there is an increased danger of accidents.
Cleansing, two/dual, consequences, call to cleanse the soul, arguments, heated debate, strife.
Strife and conflict, arguments.
Self-discipline, self-punishment, feelings of unworthiness

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
25 - RING
The ring is the classical card for partnership, marriage, a relationship or a connection if the card lies on the right of the person card. If the card lies on the left however, it can indicate that a relationship is going to end.
Karma, group work, monotony, cycles, connections, contracts, protection.
Marriage, partnership matters.

Daily 3 Card Spread 30th April 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 30th April 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
21 - MOUNTAIN
At the place where the mountain appears there is a blockage. An obstacle has to be overcome and nothing is working at the moment. The card can also be an indicator of a powerful enemy.
Obstacle, danger, block, frustration, coldness, hard work.
Large, momentous.
Fixed, long-lasting or permanent.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
4 - HOUSE
This card stands for your home, the place where you feel comfortable, a secure place. In combination with card 17 (STORKS) it denotes moving house.
The home, fruitful projects.
Stability, the home, family ties, responsibility.

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
34 - FISH
The fish is the classical card for money. Everything to do with finances and money is indicated by this card. It can also stand for a businessman.
Intellectualism, material success and wealth, also: instability, excess, drugs, alcohol.
Excess, luxury, wealth, money.
Trade, exchange, sales, business matters.

Daily 3 Card Spread 29th April 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 29th April 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
29 - LADY / WOMAN
This card represents the woman asking the questions and is therefore the person card for women. If the person asking the questions is a man, the card symbolizes his present or future partner, i.e. the woman he feels closest to.
Friend, wife, significant other, girlfriend, love. Also intuition, passiveness, instinct, patience.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
2 - CLOVER / VIOLETS
This card brings luck and hope, if it is close to the person card. If it is close to card 6 (CLOUDS) however, you won't be lucky.
Hope, good luck and wealth. Lucky happenstance.
Hope, Simplicity, Luck, all things Natural.
Magical, Opportunity, positive vibrations
Denotes speed and quickness (the antithesis of the slow/gradual MICE)

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
6 - CLOUDS
The clouds card always points to an unclear, unfathomable situation. It is essential to look closely at the cards around it. The light side of the card brings an improvement, the dark side a deterioration of the situation.
Obstacles and unpleasant events.
Secret worries, doubts, fears and weakness, negative period of time.

Daily 3 Card Spread 28th April 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 28th April 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
20 - PARK / GARDEN
The park stands for places open to the public, for society and any place where a lot of people come together. This can be a concert, a hospital or a fair. Depending on the questions asked, this card is an indicator that many people are involved.
Creativity, meeting, party.
Society, connection, peace from thoughts and worries, multi-levelled feelings, get-togethers, gathering places. Social network, the public, nature of the crowd.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
24 - HEART
The heart stands for love, the love of life and kind-heartedness. In combination with cards 8 (COFFIN) or 36 (CROSS) it denotes lovesickness.
Love, happiness. Love, feelings, the heart, the heart of something, connection, God-love.

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
21 - MOUNTAIN
At the place where the mountain appears there is a blockage. An obstacle has to be overcome and nothing is working at the moment. The card can also be an indicator of a powerful enemy.
Obstacle, danger, block, frustration, coldness, hard work.
Large, momentous. Fixed, long-lasting or permanent.

Daily 3 Card Spread 27th April 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 27th April 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
13 - CHILD
This card symbolizes your own child. It stands for a new beginning, but it can also express that a matter is small or that a person has a childish, naive disposition. Furthermore it can stand for children, teenagers, your daughter, your lady lover or a young woman.
Naive, young, playful, a child. Trust, friendliness, children.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
23 - MOUSE / MICE
The mice bring about loss, sorrows and theft. If the card lies next to the person card, there's something nagging at the person. In combination with card 8 (COFFIN) it can be an indicator of disease. It can also stand for a thief.
Secrets that nibble away at a person, obstacles, losses, hidden enemies, old debts, deep level instincts.
Theft, losses. Worries, anxieties.

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
19 - TOWER
The tower represents the authorities. It can also indicate isolation and lonliness. Sometimes it is an indicator of a separation that is yet to come, or of a long life. Above all, it can stand for a person in a leading position who has a lot of power or influence.
Stability, success, aloofness, remoteness, the elevation of the spirit.
The course of your life, long life, someone or something from the past, protection.
An institute of authority, a company or business.
Governmental institution, particularly when paired with MOUNTAIN.

Daily 3 Card Spread 26th April 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 26th April 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
24 - HEART
The heart stands for love, the love of life and kind-heartedness. In combination with cards 8 (COFFIN) or 36 (CROSS) it denotes love-sickness. Love, happiness.
Love, feelings, the heart, the heart of something, connection, God-love.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
19 - TOWER
The tower represents the authorities. It can also indicate isolation and loneliness. Sometimes it is an indicator of a separation that is yet to come, or of a long life. Above all, it can stand for a person in a leading position who has a lot of power or influence.
Stability, success, aloofness, remoteness, the elevation of the spirit.
The course of your life, long life, someone or something from the past, protection.
An institute of authority, a company or business.
Governmental institution, particularly when paired with MOUNTAIN.

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
1 - RIDER / CAVALIER
This card brings good news. If however, card 6 (CLOUDS) lies between the horse rider and the person card, it is bad news. The card also expresses that something is set in motion. Or it can stand for a young, mostly sporty man.
News from a foreign country or from far away.
Thoughts, news, hunches, dynamic processes. This is a positive card, a good messenger, whatever you intend will go well. 

Daily 3 Card Spread 25th April 2020

The Daily 3 Card Spread 25th April 2020

1st Card

Any recent influences that may impact on the day.
18 - DOG
The dog stands for friendship, for someone you can rely on. If card 6 (CLOUDS) lies next to it, you ought to be cautious and incredulous. The card can also symbolize your son, brother, a young man or a lover. Reliable friendship.
Follower, faith, Belief, simple spirit, friendliness, connection, friends, finding one's place in the world. Reliable, loyal, friendly.

2nd Card

This is the DAY CARD which reflects the present situation and implications over the whole day or 24 hours.
8 - COFFIN
With this card something comes to an end so something new can come into existence. Next to the person card, it indicates disease or sorrow.
Completion, serious illness, large loss of money.
Transformation, major change in a a situation, endings, secrets uncovered.

3rd Card

Card 3 reflects on both cards 1 and 2 and may provide answers to any outcome over the coming days.
10 - SCYTHE
Danger is lurking from where the tip of the scythe points. However, if there are good cards nearby, the danger is alleviated. The scythe tells us that something will happen suddenly. This can be both a sudden ending and a sudden new beginning.
Break-up, great danger, accidents.
Renewal of inner knowledge without the fundament of understanding that knowledge, experiencing something one does not understand... a card which says to be careful, something that happens quickly and can bring much pain. It can also point to a harvest though.

Today's Oracle 24th April 2020

Sacred King (The Oath)

The sacred king represents the successful union of the sovereign goddess with a mortal king. If the king is faithful to his oath, the people prosper. The sacred king signifies honourable and responsible actions.

Invoking the Qualities of honour and Responsibility.

If the royal cloak fits him, the royal chariot obeys him, the Stone of Fál at Tara shrieks at his touch, and the goddess joins with him, a mortal man will be chosen king of Ireland. Bound by sacred oaths, geissi, to govern wisely and protect his people, the king's authority is carefully constrained and obliged by duty. The destiny of the king and his reign and the land and its bounty depend on the king's fealty to the royal oaths. The sacred king signifies honourable and responsible actions.

In former times, before the Norman conquest of Britain and coastal Ireland and Wales, Celtic kings were chosen by the sovereign goddess who granted the new king otherworldly powers so as to reign justly and wisely. To find the rightful man among the young men of the royal clan, the candidates were watched and tested by the druids for signs of providence. Niall of the Nine Hostages was born by a well, a sacred threshold to the Otherworld. Later, he meets and couples with the goddess there and is elected king of Ireland.

The tests of honour for the rightful king remain much the same throughout history. The king must show exceptional virtue, as though already appointed by the Otherworld. In Ireland, according to tradition, the royal cloak must fit him, the royal chariot must obey him, and the Stone of Fál at Tara must shriek when he touches it. Then, the sovereign goddess of the land must accept him as her own choice from among the others. In myth, their union is sexual: the exchange of primal energies bringing fertility and greenery to the land. Recorded in the twelfth century by the Roman chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales) was the ritual bath of the Ulster king in the broth that boiled the butchered flesh of a white mare, symbolizing the sovereign goddess. At the royal court at Tara, the heart of legendary Ireland, their union is ritually reenacted. Ériu, a goddess and namesake of Ireland, offers a gold goblet of red wine to successive kings, symbolizing their union and her promise through this union to bless the land with ceaseless bounty.

Once elected, the king is bound by sacred oaths and strict rules of conduct, securing that his reign will provide for the well-being, prosperity, and protection of the people. He is not free to do as he pleases and follow his whims. He is bound by rules of fealty and honour, the betrayal of which signals his individual ruin, a lackluster reign, the failure of crops, and the demoralization of his people. His only honourable choice, once king, is to govern wisely and justly, speak only the truth and keep his promises, show impartiality, provide protection to the weak and the strong alike, render hospitality, take up arms to defend the people from enemies, and in his noble conduct set a standard for all to follow.

IF YOU ARE DRAWN TO THIS ORACLE, your actions must be especially honourable and unselfish. You are in a situation of responsibility asking you to protect the well-being of others. Your sense of honour and duty demand that you put aside personal inclinations to serve others.

In order to be successful, your actions must be honest and impartial. In the present situation, your personal likes and dislikes, or impressions formed in the past, may be untrustworthy. Make decisions based on what is valid and invalid, on the weaknesses and strengths inherent in the specific circumstance. Tell the truth and keep your promises. Accept responsibility graciously. Extend generosity and concern, especially to those who are less fortunate in your community. Be mindful that your personal life is now an aspect of your public life and that your actions set an example for others.

Today's Oracle 23rd April 2020

Mother goddess Carrying Children/Food (Well-Being)

The goddess of care-giving provides comfort, ease, and contentment in the home and wherever she goes. Her qualities provide for daily nurturance and the necessities of life and support for our physical and emotional fulfillment.

Invoking the Qualities of Comfort and Contentment.

The mother goddess in her aspect of beneficence gives nourishment, food, and well-being to domestic life. Her mothering tends to the immediate and personal needs of daily human life. She cradles and nurses infants, is surrounded by children under her care, and carries fruits, ears of corn, grains, cakes, breads, goblets of wine, kegs, pots, baskets and cornucopias spilling over with fruits, grains, and breads. Her dependable and soothing attention provides comfort and contentment in daily life.

Images of the mother goddess of well-being are found throughout the Celtic territories. As a local maternal sovereign, she attends to the everyday needs of life by sustaining the local crops, blessing the harvest, nursing the babies, comforting the sick and the dying, pouring out the wine, and dispensing the fruits of the harvest. The passing of life, the cycle of birth and death, and the vicissitudes of day-to-day existence are her concerns. Her presence is familiar, homey, and soothing. Amid the insecurities and dangers of life, she blesses life with comfort, constancy, and contentment.

Whether depicted as a single goddess or in groups of two or three representing her magnificence, the mother goddess in her aspect of loving care carries symbols of well-being, security, and prosperity intended to bless and provide for life's daily needs. In image after image, she holds fruit, grains, ears of corn, bread, pots of honey and mead. Ordinarily, she carries babies and is encircled by toddlers and older children seeking her attention and perhaps her good counsel. In this lovely image from the Rhineland, she carries two enormous cornucopias, signifying her bountiful presence in providing food and sustenance throughout the years.

The goddess of the home and locality is immortalized in the words of the ancient poet Amergin:
"I am the womb: of every holt, I am the blaze: on every hill, I am the queen: of every hive, I am the shield: for every head, I am the tomb: of every hope."

IF YOU ARE DRAWN TO THIS ORACLE, you are attracting physical and emotional comfort and well-being into your life. You may be in the midst of a challenging situation, or the mundane activities or weariness of life's struggles may be tiring or exhausting your reserves.

Drawing this oracle is a wake-up call to nourish yourself with soothing activities and relationships. A complete rest is not necessary. Nonetheless, you are asked to focus your attention on your immediate and personal needs for comfort, nourishment, and well-being. What activities would soothe you? Is your diet supporting your life? Do the people around you give you comfort and reassurance? Is there a way to receive more physical or sexual contact and comfort? Do some people and activities unnerve you or deplete you? Even seemingly minor activities can be enormously tiring or rejuvenating. Look for patterns, especially in your home life. Write them down, even if they seem unimportant at the time. Since the mother goddess is devoted to tranquillity at home, it is especially important to consider ways to bring more ease, contentment, and security to your domestic life.

Even amid trying situations, it is possible to support your physical and emotional well-being. Small signs of joy, acts of kindness, personal prayer, meditation, and attention to diet and exercise are essential. The presence of this oracle gives hope that the nourishment and comfort you need is available in your immediate environment.

Today's Oracle 22nd April 2020

Faery Hill (The Hidden World of Faeries)

By legend, the faeries are the descendants of the Tuatha De Danann, a godlike race who once inhabited Ireland. They now reside beneath the ground inside hills and mounds in the countryside. Their presence signifies inspiration.

Invoking Inspiration.

The faeries, the people of the goddess Danu, live as neighbours in the hills and mounds of the countryside. Having yielded the land's surface to the Celts, the faeries now inhabit the Otherworld, beneath the ground, where they live merry and carefree lives. Their supernatural presence brings a lively, nostalgic, and passionate feeling to the landscape, especially enlivening the poetry, music, and song with a sensuous and haunting lyricism. Faery hills, in particular, denote unique sources of inspiration from the faery realms.

With the coming of the Celts to Ireland, the powerful Tuatha De Danann, the people of the goddess Danu, eventually retreated from the Middle World on the earth's surface and yielded the land's surface to the Celts. They gently slipped into the Otherworld, where they now live fanciful and merry lives as neighbours in a parallel realm to humans. Living in certain hills throughout the countryside, often ancestral burial mounds called sidhe or sí (pronounced "shee"), the inhabitants of the sidhe are known as faeries. At night some faery hills are seen as ablaze with sparkling lights and alive with merrymaking and music. On certain nights the doors between the worlds open, particularly Samhain (now Halloween), marking the beginning of winter, and May Eve, marking the beginning of summer. On these nights, faeries are often encountered travelling about in our world and may lead humans to gateways to the Otherworld. Familiar caves and cliffs may open, revealing splendid faery castles within. While kindly observers and visitors may be rewarded, interfering with faery hills or castles invites reprisal.

A typical story from Donegal in Ireland tells of a man stacking turf on the bog. Returning at nightfall, he comes upon "a big black hole with mud lying on the surface ... and a kind of big opening down into the ground. He stuck his stick into it." When he tries to pull the stick out, "what did he do but take a jump into the hole. He went down until he hit hard ground at the bottom and began to walk until he reached a castle where there were many people singing and great entertainment and eating and drinking. He sat in amongst them but he did not eat anything" because he might never return home if he ate or drank.

The presence of the faeries living close by animates the landscape of the earth with lively activity. Along with nature spirits particular to trees, flowers, and features of the landscape, the Otherworld of the faeries imbues the natural, human world with movement, exuberance, and passion. Our world mirrors theirs.

IF YOU ARE DRAWN TO THIS ORACLE, you are attracted to the spiritual forces around you. These spiritual forces, whether faeries or nature spirits, are sometimes the special friends of poets, artists, playwrights, musicians, and the inventive and creative ones of every trade or profession. The presence of the faeries and nature spirits gives the landscape around you its wondrous qualities, and you are attracted to its supernatural qualities.

While the Celts are unusually attentive to the presence of otherworldly beings who share the earth with us, the earth is sacred wherever you live. If you live in nature, especially in secluded places where supernatural beings are more at ease, you may be especially aware of their presence and passionate, spirited vitality. Quite unlike contemporary notions that portray the faeries as fearful and meddlesome, the faeries would much rather cooperate with us, especially sharing inspiration, visions, frivolity, song, and music. Unfortunately, the faeries - and other nature spirits - have become wary of humans, so attracting their support requires respect and care for our natural environment and the spirits who dwell there.

Today's Oracle 21st April 2020

Water Horses (Magical Encounters)

Water horses, are magical horses riding over the seas or appearing from the depths of inland lochs. Water horses appear magically and swiftly. Their presence signifies masculine strength and beauty.

Invoking the Union of Strength and Beauty.

Water horses appear riding across the seas or arising from he depths of lochs. Like sky horses drawing the sun's chariots across the skies in prehistoric drawings, mythic water horses convey the chariots of the god of the seas, Manannán Mac Lir, and his entourage across oceans. In folk stories, swift and radiant water horses arise from the depths of inland lakes to bring prosperity to those who respect and provide for them. The water horse represents strength and beauty crossing into our lives.

Crossing the seas or arising from the depths of inland lochs, water horses bring a bright union of strength and beauty. Glistening in the sun, they combine the strength and vigour of a horse, the radiance of sun in swift flight, and the mystery of its origins beneath the sea. In The Voyage of Bran, a mythical sea horse conveys the chariot of the god of the seas, Manannán Mac Lir, and his company to meet Bran and his sailors, who are in search of the enchanted isle. As Manannán comes closer to the boat he begins to sing:

"Bran's boat shims over calm waters.
Bran's ship is revelling in a clear sea, but to me, in my chariot, it is a flowery plain.
In my gentle land, the home of Manannán Mac Lir, sea horses glisten in the sun, and rivers pour forth honey.
Flowers are growing where Bran sees waves....
Row steadily, Bran, row steadily over my kingdom and you will reach the Land of Women before the setting of the sun."

Manannán and his chariot disappear beneath the waves and Bran and his sailors row on.

Water horses radiate strength and beauty in popular tales from Ireland and Scotland. Many of the stories tell of a poor farmer whose farm is near a lake or the sea. One day he discovers a foal in his field and she grows into a magnificent mare. She is beautiful, of "fine limb and graceful form" and as "swift as the wind and had no equal." Many years later, he mistreats her and she disappears with her foals back into the sea. In a typical story from County Sligo in Ireland, a poor farmer encounters a foal grazing on the shore near his small house:

"One morning when he got up he went out to the well for a can of water for his tea. To his great surprise, he saw a young foal on the shore. He went down to the shore and brought the foal in. The foal grew to a mare and every year she had a foal. This continued for seven years and after some time he was a rich man.... But one morning a strange thing happened. The man went out to the stable to let out the mare. When he was letting her out, he hit her with her bridle. As soon as he did, the mare neighed seven times and the seven foals came galloping up to her. They all turned in the direction of the sea and swam out into the water. They were never seen again."

IF YOU ARE DRAWN TO THIS ORACLE, you are called to renew some aspect of your life with the joining of beauty and strength. Perhaps your life now feels too familiar, routine, conforming, or emotionally flat. Your daily activities may lack spontaneity and vigour. Male or female, the depths of your masculinity may long for opportunities to explore new strengths and capacities. You may wish to express your outward authority, mastery, and leadership in tender and gracious ways. If so, new challenges and experiences may be drawing close. Your judgment and skill will be tested. Opportunities to explore the unknown may enter your life. By joining beauty to strength, you have the opportunity to break out of the overly familiar and experience vigorous and harmonious ways of living and acting.