Do You Believe in Magick?
I am a mathematician by training, always demanding proof of everything. But my association with someone who does believe in magic (often spelled with a K in the pagan tradition) has made me wonder about a lot of things.
When I see her on a professional basis, there are always two decks of Tarot cards available – the traditional deck with the cups and swords and other symbols about which I know nothing and then another deck of the Druid Animal Oracle cards. For the longest time, I ignored those cards thinking they were just the tools of a palm reader, who could make up a good story. However, about a month ago, I started picking a card from each deck every time I visited. I still don’t get the cups and swords thing. But the animals have been uncannily correct in depicting exactly what is going on in my life. Here are my last two animals:
Bee -- Beach -- Community, Celebration, Organization
Ask the wild bee what the Druids knew:
Beach invites us to celebrate. You may have a special reason for celebration, or you may simply need to celebrate the wonder and mystery of being alive. You may like to enjoy a glass or two of mead, which--if it has been made in Scotland--will carry the scent of Heather, and will bring you closer to the spirit of the Highlands. In the Druid tradition there are occasions to celebrate every six weeks or so. As human beings we need to have time when we can come together to enjoy each other's company. The bee tells us that we can live together in harmony, however impossible this may sometimes seem. By being at one with the natural world, by paying homage to the sun, by centering our lives around Spirit or the Goddess, we can work together in community.
Goose -- Gèadh -- Vigilance, Parenthood, Productive Power
Swarms of bees, beetles, soft music of the world, a gentle humming; wild geese, barnacle geese, shortly before All Hallows, music of the dark torrent
Gèadh brings creative and productive power. It allows you to open to this power, secure in the knowledge that your relationship or family or working partnership will provide a stable environment to act as a crucible for your creativity. Raising children is one of the most joyful and worthwhile activities we can undertake, and the goose, with its strong attachment to its family, combined with its ability to fly extraordinarily high from one continent to another, shows us that it is possible to be both grounded and spiritual in our daily lives.
These two cards so completely describe my relationship to other family members and my efforts to reach out and embrace the greater community that I was simply bowled over when I drew them randomly from the deck of 33 cards. Maybe, just maybe, this magick is starting to make sense.
Then there’s this little issue of my blood, which has had a dramatic turnaround in just a week. Last week my blood test showed little progress toward the ultimate numbers that I needed for my medical treatment to move forward. During my last session, the practitioner concentrated on my blood and this week I’m a 30.
I can always fall back on probability and chance, but maybe, just maybe, I’m becoming a firm believer in magick! What an exciting and intriguing thought!
When I see her on a professional basis, there are always two decks of Tarot cards available – the traditional deck with the cups and swords and other symbols about which I know nothing and then another deck of the Druid Animal Oracle cards. For the longest time, I ignored those cards thinking they were just the tools of a palm reader, who could make up a good story. However, about a month ago, I started picking a card from each deck every time I visited. I still don’t get the cups and swords thing. But the animals have been uncannily correct in depicting exactly what is going on in my life. Here are my last two animals:
Bee -- Beach -- Community, Celebration, Organization
Ask the wild bee what the Druids knew:
Beach invites us to celebrate. You may have a special reason for celebration, or you may simply need to celebrate the wonder and mystery of being alive. You may like to enjoy a glass or two of mead, which--if it has been made in Scotland--will carry the scent of Heather, and will bring you closer to the spirit of the Highlands. In the Druid tradition there are occasions to celebrate every six weeks or so. As human beings we need to have time when we can come together to enjoy each other's company. The bee tells us that we can live together in harmony, however impossible this may sometimes seem. By being at one with the natural world, by paying homage to the sun, by centering our lives around Spirit or the Goddess, we can work together in community.
Goose -- Gèadh -- Vigilance, Parenthood, Productive Power
Swarms of bees, beetles, soft music of the world, a gentle humming; wild geese, barnacle geese, shortly before All Hallows, music of the dark torrent
Gèadh brings creative and productive power. It allows you to open to this power, secure in the knowledge that your relationship or family or working partnership will provide a stable environment to act as a crucible for your creativity. Raising children is one of the most joyful and worthwhile activities we can undertake, and the goose, with its strong attachment to its family, combined with its ability to fly extraordinarily high from one continent to another, shows us that it is possible to be both grounded and spiritual in our daily lives.
These two cards so completely describe my relationship to other family members and my efforts to reach out and embrace the greater community that I was simply bowled over when I drew them randomly from the deck of 33 cards. Maybe, just maybe, this magick is starting to make sense.
Then there’s this little issue of my blood, which has had a dramatic turnaround in just a week. Last week my blood test showed little progress toward the ultimate numbers that I needed for my medical treatment to move forward. During my last session, the practitioner concentrated on my blood and this week I’m a 30.
I can always fall back on probability and chance, but maybe, just maybe, I’m becoming a firm believer in magick! What an exciting and intriguing thought!
posted by Barbara at 12:36 PM
2 Comments:
I would never ever spell magic with a k. Just so you know.
Here's the poem I've been reading, thinking about your upcoming descent. I love you.
.............
by R.M. Rilke from the Book of Hours
God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don't let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand.
Thanks, Reya. This is really beautiful and comforting as I walk into the unknown. I've been thinking about my new name and when it might occur to me. Right now I'm just thinking about how half-dead I feel. I think the plan for all sorts of therapy that kills things off in your body is to bring you way down before you can climb back up again. I'm still on the descent and sinking. Your presence is with me. I love you too.
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