It has been a long time since I have written for my blog (not since March or so, I believe). I have written in my personal journals although it has been a while since I took a walk with a Tarot deck! I have missed it. Between the hustle and bustle of work and home, I haven't been making these walks a priority although I absolutely should! There is something about being immersed in nature on a walk while shuffling a good Tarot deck, fresh air moving in and out of my lungs, that just feels good!
As I walk, I let my thoughts come and go. If I see something that is just cool looking or stands out, a question may come to mind that I draw a card for. Today, I took my family with me to walk in a wooded park in the late afternoon, enjoying the warm weather and the beautiful way the sunlight filtered through the branches on the trees. We recently had Winter Solstice so, with each day, we gain more sunlight. Even though the world is predominantly brown, nature is only taking time to rest and sleep before she dawns her beautiful tapestry of green leaves on the trees, green grass, and adornments of a multitude of flowers and birds. It totally makes sense that I drew the Four of Cups as I asked for the main theme or takeaway for consideration:
I love the playful imagery with this card and deck! I used the Flower Child Tarot by Kira Cyan. With the Four of Cups, there is stability. However, it is realizing that now is not the time to think about what's next or even the upcoming New Year's resolutions in January. No, instead it is a time to be rooted and grow at our own pace in our own time. With the cups that are upright, it reminds me of all of the many things that I already have and am grateful for: 1) I started a nurse supervisor job in September at a school and absolutely enjoy it! I am inspired by the resiliency of the children who attend the school and enjoy working with my coworkers. 2) Maddie got accepted to Mizzou for next year. It is hard to believe that she is approaching the end of her Senior year of high school. Where has time gone? 3) My husband and I celebrated 21 years of marriage yesterday which is pretty cool. We have had ups and downs like any relationship although we have weathered them together. 4) Noah continues to make good grades and has made friends at school. Life in general is good right now. There are just too many things to put here as far as what I am grateful for but those are some of the big ones.
Birch trees are some of my very favorite trees. They are a beautiful, stark, ghostly white and have a bark that always appears to shed away the old. Not only are they beautiful but they are symbolic. Not just during the end of the year or a New Year, we are shedding people, places, and ways of being that we have outgrown to make room for the new. I would occasionally see branches with a leaf holding on for dear life although it was brown and dead. Even so, the branch held onto this leaf. The leaf served its purpose. However, it would be time to release the leaf to make room for a new one to grow in its place. You see, trees and people have things in common. And like trees, we need strong roots to weather the storms and a strong bark to continue to grow and branch out in various directions.
This insect trap looked cool. I couldn't help but wonder what, exactly, the insect trap was trying to catch and why it had been tied to this particular tree. However, it was pretty cool looking. At first, I thought it was a bird house.
A Grateful Dead sticker: This was a random, cool find. I often listen to the Dead when I am driving or doing a Tarot spread at home so it is pretty cool that I stumbled upon this sign which was made even cooler with this sticker!
Remember how I mentioned growing tall similar to a tree with its strong roots? The Tower is a card that can reflect an end although it does leave room for a new beginning. Just like the downed log still has a purpose in providing shelter to various critters and insects, we can rebuild to begin again.
When I questioned how to best rebuild amongst the turbulence of The Tower, I got The Lovers. Simply put, we are not alone. One of the hardest things is to ask for help. We are stronger together. I thought about my husband and me being the froggies, both tending to a flower. That, and the beautiful, bright sun in the background! With most things, a little careful, loving, patient tending can go a long way! I believe the hard part would be having patience! Like an old saying goes, good things come in time.
As I ended my walk, still very much admiring the blue birds and the sun held within tree branches, I felt happy and grateful. I am happy where I am in life and look forward to the things to come. I got in over 10,000 steps today between cleaning my home and my nature walk so I ended the day feeling rather dapper and fit! I hope that everyone has a happy Winter holiday and a safe and healthy New Year!
Sincerely,
Kat