It was a slow and confusing start around the Burrow today. Empress came by with Max, but he wouldn’t sit still for a nice portrait shot, instead you have to look at him as he looks at the floor.
I know how he was feeling, some days you just sit in a chair and wait for the next thing to come along. In his case it was a huge black police dog, but still, we all have moments like this.
There was another piece in the guidebook from that new Crystal Oracle deck I wanted to share here. It’s an interesting topic, one that has come up for me as well. I really like how he explains this subject.
“I often get feedback from people who have used my oracle cards telling me how accurate a message was for them, inferring that I have some kind of magical power that gives them the answer to their questions. However flattering this may be, it is simply not the case. As I have explained so many times before, it is not the creator of an oracle set that has the power of prophecy but the individual user. Each time you pick a card, you are intuitively guided by your own energy field to pick the most appropriate card for you at that exact moment. It is your soul which, through the medium of the oracle, helps you see, hear, or feel that which will be of greatest benefit for you at that time.”
It’s like me being the radio, here or when I read cards for someone. The tuning in is the key. Any time anyone has a deck of cards, a pendulum, or any other divinatory device/method in their hands, they are opening up to that channel on their own radio. Some of us just have nicely pre-set stations that come in quickly. It takes time and energy to find the stations, and get the messages through a clear channel, but we all have the basic gear to listen, or pick up, what is being broadcast.
Our card today is from that funny little deck called The Celtic Shaman’s Pack, and it reminded me of this today. Our talents and our strengths are all so very individual, as are we. But when we share those skills, the ones that come easily to us, the ones we are drawn to, it helps everyone in our lives. We share the power and it deepens, it grows by the very act of spreading it around. The more we give, the more we get back.
“The Stag ~ Strength.
A great stag looks out from the picture. Behind it is an ancient stone painted with images of the ancestors. A second stone is at its feet showing a sacred circle of twelve directions. A globe of light is caught in its horns, on which is depicted an ancient symbol of the stag.
In Celtic tradition the stag always represents strength, virility, and the freedom of the woods. The Stag is a powerful ally to have when journeying into the depths of the otherworld or in facing some problem which requires particular strength and stamina. The symbolism of the hunt is also important here and may be seen as perhaps representing a sequence of death and rebirth.
Journey: travel to the forest and there, amid the great trees, meet with the Stag, who invites you to mount upon his back and ride with him through the woodland to the place where he may impart his knowledge and wisdom to you.”
You may have noticed that we are still in the virility mode here too. An aspect of nature that is kind of all around us, it being full on spring and everything (or so the calendar tells us). This was made abundantly clear to me when I was driving to see Skye last week. ”Nature” -it’s just freaking EVERYwhere. As much as I hate to admit this, I DO know that there are things beyond my control. Traveling along at high speeds (or as high a speed as my Wee Walnut is capable of) on a dark rural highway has its hazards. Gawdamn virile nature is just one of them.
As I tootled along, I had the image of a deer in my mind, and I thought, “uh yeah, please… let’s not HIT a deer tonight, ‘kay?!” Not a mile down the road I came in to a long curved turn, and sure enough, at the very sharpest point in the corner, there were the deer. A nice huge clump of them, mostly in my way. I am a pretty careful driver in circumstances like this, and since it was a route that was unfamiliar to me, I was being extr-y aware and careful. Even so, one very small deer could have done a huge amount of damage.
There were no cars coming in the other direction, and the nice deers stood safely still while I went around them. My anxiety shot through the roof, but as I kept going, I distinctly remembered the Dr Jill trick of 90 seconds. I allowed the physical manifestations of “holy freaking crap!” fear to wash over me, then I distracted my mind by punching the CD player so that it started a new song. (I was listening to the Michael Franti music Tracy gave me the entire trip over there, it must have played through that album about six times.)
This evening, as I went over the small hills in my neighborhood, there were two fawns and a mama crossing the street. I waited for them, and the guy on a bike who was coming up in the other direction slowed down too. We both smiled and waved, acknowledging how lucky we were to live in this area, and get to see stuff like this so close to home. (I know he lives around here because I’ve seen him before.) I don’t know what else he was thinking, but I was also feeling very grateful that the deer in my life are so politely well behaved as to not bash in to me. And just show up when I need them to. Giving me gentle, but strong reminders, and lessons that don’t actually hurt.
So glad you didn’t hit any deer! You are lucky you live somewhere so close to where they live.
Nature is bursting out all over with us too, so we have been in the garden all week morning to evening trying to manage it a bit. I could certainly use some of the stags strength today my arms are complaining about muscles I didn’t know I possessed!
We have had breaks in the rain so I make Dan run out and yank a few weeds. We need to “manage” our yard too!
Much Stag strength and healing for your poor tired arms. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water though… stay well hydrated. (Why I always feel the need to say that is beyond me, but I do.
)
Because we don’t drink enough water, and drink too much other stuff. Although it is possible to drink too much water, it is almost impossible (without a tremendous amount of effort) to drink enough. So, the reminder for hydration is always a good one.
I believe that we don’t give water enough credit for handling our body’s toxins, some of which our minds produce…
Ah well thanks. I love how you always have such common sense answers. Also, good to see that you are up and about and heading off to Mayberry. All healed and healthy I hope? Have a great and safe day Deputy. I am now going to bed.
I am better. Mayberry was interesting today…I’m sure your beloved will have interesting stories to relay what I did…
Got some good tuba playing in this evening. And, just as you’re starting your day, I am off to bed!
Living in Illinois, I fell in love with deer. I never came close to hitting one, largely due to a freaky sense of when an animal was going to be on the road in front of me, and I wanted to cry whenever I saw one that hadn’t been lucky. One late night, I even did u-turn to check on one who was struggling to stand by the side of the road. I sat with her head in my lap for almost an hour, just crooning to her until she was calm and resting. When I went by there the next day, she was gone. I still hope that her lack of visible injuries means that she eventually got up and went on with her life.
We lived with our property backing onto a forest preserve for a while. Several deer mothers saw our backyard as a daycare. I can’t count the number of times I looked out the window to see several fauns dozing in sunny spots with no visible parents. And when I moved to Montana, they ran wild everywhere, even almost knocking me down once as I walked home.
Sorry for the post hijack.
Can you tell I miss deer?
That was supposed to be “fawns.” As in baby deer, not men with horns and goat lower-halves.
Gotta admit, I love the idea of fauns lounging in the sunny spots all over your yard.
Sierra, no worries, hijack any time. It was totally valid, and certainly on topic.
I like deer and elk. You see them at the Coast, too, even wandering thru the yard eating the flowers. I have great stories about the battles between deer and my mom, my grandma, and even the neighbor. Ah, deer.
But they don’t remind me of virility. Except that elk stag we saw once, with his group. That was awesome.
That’s all I got today.
I think of them as being virile, just because they seem to be so prolific.
Sierra, I have always been partial to fauns myself. And Sweet Babou is happy to report that The Snip does NOT impair virility. Although he said he’s concerned his antlers will grow in smaller next year.
Good to hear that all is going well in the House Of Fokker.
We don’t actually see deer very much here so whenever I do get to see one it’s extra special. I actually saw one the other day trying to blend in with some horses in a paddock.
Ah, the elusive Stealth Stag… nicely spotted!