We were out and about today, so I have much to share. I dragged Daniel to a quilt show. Not as bad as it sounds for him though. This one is held at the fairgrounds, in our local historical museum. Which means that I got to visit my favorite wee building again, and it was still daylight, so I could take more pictures. 
From up close (and with my arms through the bars) and then, from afar, so you can see how really very small it is.
It is the little tiny white square blob above that silver car. Sure the trees are pretty huge, but still, you can see why I am so enamored by its diminutive size. (Click on the picture, it should give you a better image, or at least that’s how it’s supposed to work.)
This is where I like to start when I come to this place. 
And here is the informational placard you can see in that shot (it is the white rectangular thing).
Oh right, we went there to see the quilts. Underwhelming for the most part, but here is one I knew everyone would like.
Sea horses are some of this planet’s most beloved and endearing creatures to me. I adore them in a strange and powerful way (have even researched different types because they are so special). And cute! Deargawd they are delightful. The woman who made this one (Terri Krumm) really did such a nice job.
Now look at this one, it was not super attractive at first glance, but when you hear the story it means so much more. 
It was made by a woman named Eileen Parchen and she wrote in the guidebook, “I received fabrics from relatives returning from New Zealand that depicted the flora and fauna of both islands. That started a quest for fabrics of other countries. All 7 continents are shown plus islands and oceans, surrounded by the solar system. There are more than 800 pieces of ‘fussy cut’ fabrics in this quilt.”
And here is me. Standing in front of Dan’s truck (also known as The Testosterone Machine) for size perspective. This pick-up is not altered, it does not have a lift kit, but it is 4 wheel drive (although we haven’t actually used this feature much over the years, so I’m not even sure if it works properly). 
We have to address a correction from yesterday. I thought (and so did many other people) that The Sun Dancers were two people. They are not. The illustration depicts ONE person (except it still looks like she has three hands or something). Here is a close up, to prove Delia correct (again). 
For some reason it also looks as though she has an extra leg. I don’t know people, I am merely the radio, I didn’t paint the damn thing. If we want more of an explanation we’ll have to track down the artist and ask what the hell this is really supposed to be.
One more thing, then we can get on with our daily draw. London Mabel mentioned liking our Special Occasion deck, and ordering it for herself, although she did not know “anything about using them.” No worries on that account. Every set of cards I have ever purchased, or that have been given to me, has come with some sort of instructions or guidance. (Except that tiny one of Sylvia’s.) The biggest part of working with oracle cards or the Tarot, is intuition and listening to the messages you receive. Specifically with oracle cards, there are suggestions made by the folks who put the decks together, but there are no set-in-stone rules.
This is one of the best parts of living a Magical life, the only true law is that of approaching all with love, and doing the right thing. Harm none, that was how we raised the witchlings. Don’t hurt anyone’s feelings, stuff, or body. It’s as simple as that. If you feel like you’d be interested in learning more about your cards, let me know. But I can pretty much guarantee that once you have a deck in your hand, and you open up to what is around you, you’ll do great, and get a whole lot more information and joy than you first expected.
This afternoon we are back to my working deck. (I don’t know if I ever explained this or not, but I have two sets of these Robin Wood cards. One I use for readings and this one that is on the altar, it’s newer, less tattered, and that’s the one I put into our rotation.)
Seven of Swords ~ reversed.
When this card comes up, you want it upside down. It is not a Challenger in this position, it simply means that you have moved past the worst of it. The guy depicted here is not our friend. He does not have our best interests at heart, in fact he may cheat us if we aren’t paying attention.
Since we all now know that Swords are really Words, we can see that in this situation the worst of our Word worries are moving behind us. What ever it was that was holding us up, be it documents, writing projects, confusing messages, all of that can be safely said to be nearing completion. We can move forward with a clear conscience. We did our best, we finished as honestly and sincerely as we possibly could, and we have let the wind take care of the rest.
As we have talked about before, the number 7 is powerful, as well as mystical. It carries the weight of our ancestors. Here is what I just wrote about them last month:
“Seven is a very spiritual number, like nine, in the higher echelons of numerology. Reaching for that spiritual perfection, being very thoughtful and conscious. Like the saying ‘be here now’ or striving for a more thoughtful way to be spiritual. The number seven deals with Magickal forces. Sevens are esoteric, they symbolize the scholarly aspects of Magick.
The number seven is representative of intellectual activities, mystery, and the focused search for esoteric meanings. Sevens deal with the activation of imagination and manifesting results in our lives through the use of conscious thought and awareness. Ruled by Saturn, seven can represent impractical dreaming, but with a deeper understanding of the aspects of the number seven, we can learn to utilize its Magickal vibration in a beneficial way.”
