The Winter Bridge
Perched high above
a chill wind blows
and I watch
the icy waters
as they swirl and flow
and all I want to do
is be here with you
and hold hands
and close our eyes
as the air nips us
with frozen dew
and when the water calls
it’ll be just you and I
as we step off the edge
to see if we can fly
#DiscordTarotholicsDec2023 Challenge
Questions for December 16th, 18th, 19th
Where should you direct your focus to foster better understanding towards others?
King of Pentacles atop The Empress – Remember that in their minds you will always be the stable strength that nurtures them and creates for them a sense of security and stability as well as comfort. They do not see you in the same light you see yourself, but with eyes of admiration and love.
Where should you direct your focus this week to be more…
Kind – Queen of Wands – Encourage others to follow their dreams and listen to them when they share their excitement with you. Foster their desire to share these ideas and dreams with you.
Patient – Queen of Cups – Look at others as people needing emotional support, rather than treacherous landmines on the field of life.
Grateful – Seven of Cups – It’s a choice. You can cast your attention to those things that you have to be grateful for, and in doing so you become more grateful… or you can ignore these things and it will close you off more and more from others and your own happiness.
What aspects of your life could benefit from some grounding and centering?
Knight of Pentacles – It’s time to return to slow progress. The holiday rush is a time of chaos and things being so busy that there’s no time for anything else… no time to even breathe. Now that the holiday rush is at an end, it’s time to slow your roll. You’ll still be moving forward, but at a more manageable pace.
Page of Cups – It’s time to return to your emotions and the development of your emotional intelligence. Over the past few weeks you have had to tamp down on your emotions and close them away. Now is the time to open those closed doors and begin sorting through things and returning to the journey of learning you’ve been working on for the past couple of years.
December 16
Today’s meditation was skipped.
Nine of Cups – “Your kindness is the best present anyone could receive.” Strum up within you a wellspring of good cheer. Sometimes it takes time by yourself to look over all that you’re grateful for and happy about, but we can’t sit there and wallow in all that goodness all by ourselves forever. Make sure that you take that time… and then step out to share your happiness with others. Let them know how you feel about them, and how grateful you are to have them in your life.
December 17
Today’s meditation was skipped.
Ten of Wands – “Self-care the crap out of yourself and you’ll get through this just fine.” It can be hard when you’re feeling overwhelmed to make sure you are prioritizing your needs. Right now with everything so chaotic and busy, this is even more the case. Today’s cards are a reminder that you -are- in fact overwhelmed, and need to give yourself a bit of self care and understanding. In doing so, you bolster your energy, your resilience, and your mental health…. which allows you to keep going.
The finish line isn’t that far now. You’re almost there. Give yourself what you need in order to make the last leg of the journey.
December 18
Today’s meditation was skipped.
Queen of Cups – “You need to give yourself time to heal, no matter how long that ends up being.” When scheduling your time off, do the self-kindness of making sure to give yourself a bit of extra time. An extra thirty minutes at the coffee shop, an extra half hour early to bed or late to rise… an extra few days tacked on to the time off over Christmas. Don’t cut it short out of the sense of responsibility you use to beat yourself into submission whenever you are tempted to “act out of line”. Do something different and let yourself have that bit of extra time instead.
The Winter Solstice is coming up on December 21st! This holiday is (in essence) the Pagan equivalent to Christmas. Fun fact… when Christmas was placed on December 25th, the church chose that day to coincide with the pagan holiday of Yule (because as most know, Christ was actually born in the spring, not in December).
Although many of us have been feeling like we’ve been in it for months, the Winter Solstice is the “official” first day of winter, and marks its spot on the calendar not by its date, but by being one of only two days each year where the daylight and darkness are equal. In my path, this holiday marks a day of hope for the future, and candles are lit to celebrate the return of the sun as it begins to now become more and more prominent with each day that passes and every day becomes longer as the nights decrease.
Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months for each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of upcoming Imbolc at the beginning of February.
As the Sun is reborn, what is being illuminated for me on the darkest day of the year?
Offerings – A realignment of values is asking you to spend some time examining your intentions and goals. Having a clear focus and a path forward doesn’t happen automatically, it happens when transition is in play and you take the time to pin down where to go next.
What do I need to release and surrender to the Sun’s Fire?
Gatherings – Social obligations, especially those that feel like obligations, need to be set aside. If your social obligations are fun, or feel good? That’s great! But if they feel like a chore, it’s time to let those feelings of obligations, and the activities that come with those feelings, go.
With light beginning to return, what intentions should I set?
Mother Mary – Self care needs to be at the top of your priority right now. Give yourself the care and understanding that you have been withholding over the past few months. Now that the holiday rush is drawing to a close, it’s time to start plotting out how to incorporate self care back into your daily life again.
How can I hold space for the light to spread & strengthen my intentions?
Falling in Love – Spend time with Gideon and getting back the balance or rightness, comfort, and security that he contributes to your life.
What will manifest from my Winter Solstice intentions?
Gratitude – More and more to be grateful for is on the horizon. Reconnect with appreciating the little things as well as the big ones.
Message from the Sun.
Self-Care – You can’t care for others and effectively reach for your goals if you aren’t caring for yourself. Your cup is currently empty. Take the time and set the intentions needed to help yourself refill.
Message from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.
Merriment – Savor the holidays and every day. Find things to cherish and enjoy on a daily basis.
Transition is Coming
A moment to sit
and take it all in
set chaos aside
as it’s time to begin
enjoying all things
lost to the haze
of holiday rush
and the shopping craze
It’s almost time
for a little break
to leave work behind
and be sure to take
some time for yourself
and loved ones too
and shower self care
upon you
Be Kind
I remember
working retail
for the holiday season
with all the
harried people
aggressive
for no reason
and I can just imagine
how the
postal workers feel
when the package count
has climbed
until it feels unreal
how overwhelmed they are
when push comes to shove
and aggression rears
its ugly head
in their catch 22 rub
Twisting the Leaf 