Mountain, Lady, Heart – Put obstacles in everyone’s way so that nobody can get the love, support, and understanding that they need from others. By breaking down the connections between people, everyone ends up feeling isolated, alone. The obstacles look bigger and bigger the more alone the are, which perpetuates those feelings of isolation.
Narf!
Gentleman – It will affect you as well. You are not immune to the need for others in your life and the love and support that they offer you. What affects them will affect you as well.
Next Step
Scythe – Scrap the plan and try something new. A bit of self blame and flagellation would not be unheard of.
Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and one of the eight holidays that I celebrate throughout the year. This day marks the ‘official’ transition into summer and a shift from days that become longer and longer through the spring into days from here on out will grow shorter and shorter for the next six months.
This holiday is often called Midsummer or Litha, although I usually just refer to it as the Summer Solstice. On my path, it celebrates the turning point of summer, where the build-up of creative energy from the spring crests into a time of abundance as we travel into the depths of summer in much the same way that the growing energies of the full moon crest before beginning to wane each month.
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 on each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be 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 the First Harvest (aka, Lughnasadh, Lammas, Lughnasa, Lugh) on August 1st.
NOTATION: I did not finish interpreting this spread here on the blog. I got some of what I needed from it at the time of the reading, but I just never got around to writing it all down.  Regardless, I want to place this on the blog to make sure I have a record of it to look back on.
Theme of the Season – Summer Solstice, Waxing Gibbous, Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)Â – Break down each card individually, then…
When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here is
Earth – Nine of Cups – I’m feeling very secure emotionally I’m really enjoying a quiet time with less stress in the area of the home and health and finances.
Air – King of Swords – Focus on taking ownership of your thoughts and directing them where they need to go. Now is a good time for strategizing and solidifying your knowledge and ambitions.
Water – Six of Cups atop Ten of Wands – Watch out for feelings of overburden in the area of familial responsibilities.
Fire – The Devil – Don’t retreat from those overburden feelings by turning to work and trying to bury yourself, as is your usual habit of dealing with things that are unpleasant. Now is not a time to be burning yourself out with these things.
Waning – The Dusk Child atop The Priestess –
Waxing – Offering –
Take Away –
DECKS USED:Â LITHA SABBAT ART CARD, PAGAN UNDERWORLDS TAROT, COMPENDIUM OF WITCHES ORACLE, HEALING HERBAL CARDS VOL 1 & 2
The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“Go outside, and sit in the grass, in a space where the nature knows you (your yard, a local park, etc.) Do two different three card spreads. Each spread should have one card for roots (taking in nutrition), one card for stems (moving things into position), and one card for flowers (future plans, what people notice). Do one such spread to ask your local nature what it would want or need, and a second to ask it what it sees you needing.”
My Local Nature
Roots – Community effort has been lacking lately which has caused a bit of disappointment. Although the area is clean of litter, there is a sense of lack of upkeep and neglect. The people come… but the tending to keep things in healthy balance is not happening.
Stem – As summer continues, more people will come to visit this area. It will bring about a sense of community among those that love nature and the area as a whole. It will set the scene for those that care to band together and begin to tend to those things that are being neglected.
Flower – Noticeable change to a more harmonious state. Everything is moving in that direction and a harmony between those that visit and the nature in the area is around the corner.
Me, Personally
Roots – This is where I belong and I need to spend more time in the area making sure I am taking advantage of what nature and the earth can offer me. Find a way to structure this time among the trees into my life on a more regular basis and it will strengthen my foundation as a result.
Stem – Talk with others and find a way to arrange it so that they can support your need for this time. You can stretch short visits over a long period, and still get what you need, but as you are already aware, without this time in nature you will not flourish.
Flower – You’re too possessive of your responsibilities and obligations, and it is causing you to miss out on the amount of time in nature that you need. This is a hurdle you will need to continue working on overcoming in order to get what you need.
Prompt: “What elemental system do you ascribe to? What are the correspondences of the elements in the system you use? What is associated with the elements? What are some other systems you know? Do you ascribe to more than one system, and if so where do you use/incorporate which?“
My faith is a four elemental system.
Earth is plants, soil, growing things, material things, the physical world, manifestation of items to the physical plane by creativity or spellwork. It includes our earthly pleasures like food and wealth. Its direction is to the North. The energy is solid and calm. The element of Earth is dark and still, nurturing and heavy. Grounding lives here among the tree roots. This element is the one that is most within our control and is filled with foundational strength.
Air is air and ether, wind and turbulence, strategy and thought. Communication and ambitions live here until you act upon them (then, once action is applied, they move to Fire). It’s direction is to the East where ideas rise from the depths of our mind like the sun rises over the horizon. The energy is ever moving and never still, restless. Although we can control our thoughts to a point, there is an element of lack of control here that is not present in the previous element.
Water is for wet, and is refreshing and welcoming. Comforting and soothing. Its direction is to the West. Emotions and the flow of creativity reside here, as well as intuition and the subconscious. Spirits of those that have passed often linger here in this energy. As emotions are far less easily controlled than thought, so Water becomes the third element as we get further from the earthly plane and closer to divinity. Centering oneself lives here in the depths of still waters and quiet calm among pondweed and cattails.
Fire is for flames, heat, and enthusiasm. It’s direction is to the South. It is what lights us up from within and pushes us to act. Too much fire will burn your life to the ground, too little leaves your life empty and listless. It’s energy dances and sparks, for it is through action that this element is most commonly expressed. It is the fervor of our lives, and is where our ethics and principles stand tall. Pride also lives here. Within this element, we have the least control, for it is where our soul sings out to speak of what is right for us… and what isn’t.
You will note that although the four elements above climb a ladder from what is most in our control to what is least in our control, there is no element here for divinity. Each of these elements holds their own spirituality within them. Divinity, for me, resides beyond and “above” these elements and is best defined as the energies of creation, evolution, and balance. I do not feel that it is an element, so much as the beginning and end of all things… and all that lies between those two points as well.
Having been raised Wiccan, I am of course very familiar with Wicca’s five-element system (earth, air, fire, water, spirit) of that faith. I am also familiar, through my father and research, with the Japanese Gogyo system of five elements (fire, water, wood, metal, earth). Although the Wiccan system is similar to what I use now, I don’t use either of these systems in my practice at this time.
Ten of Cups – Because happiness is important and you deserve it. It influences and affects not just you, but everyone else as well. Investing in yourself makes not just your own life better, but the lives of others better too.
Where I should invest my energy.
Justice – It’s time to take a look at what you value most and what you work towards. Make sure your actions align with your heart and those things you value, and isn’t being driven by greed or other outside influences (like your past).
How I should invest in myself.
Three of Pentacles – One of the ways you can invest in myself is by allowing others to take on a more active role and a more balanced share of the work and responsibilities. You’re doing good with this, but there’s a great deal further you could go.
What will come if I choose to invest in myself.
Two of Cups – Choosing to invest in yourself will bring a closer and more aligned connection with others that are closest to you. This echoes up to the Ten of Cups and the influence that your own self investments has on others.
How will this change my daily life?
Ace of Pentacles – There is a great deal of potential for new growth and opportunity that could stem from investing in yourself. This connection mentioned in the Three of Pentacles plants the seeds for something new and wonderful to sprout.
Something I need to learn about investing in myself.
Two of Wands – Investing in yourself is going to take some deep reflection and soul searching. Connect to your true self. This echoes back to the message in the Justice card of this reading and examining what in life is valued most and if your actions align with those things.
Why I’m worthy of this investment.
Five of Pentacles – You are uniquely talented and are blessed with great creatively and manifestation abilities. You put your heart and soul into your connection with your spiritually and with the earth, and you will always be able to find comfort and strength in those things.
Heart – I wrote the other day about having one’s heart on their sleeve in a poem that was specifically about Gideon, but the truth is that mine is on my sleeve as well. I may not flash as bright and bold, but this card tells me that I express my love and dedication to Gideon, as well as my care and love of others, just fine.
What is blocking you?
Garden – Social obligations. When you spend too much time around other people, you naturally begin to close down a bit on your clairsentience, as otherwise you risk sliding into overwhelm and ending up too drained by the experience. In other words, your intuition requires a certain amount of alone time that you’re not getting right now.
Advice to remove blockage.
Stork – Lean into change. You’ve been forcing stagnation in order to avoid letting go. You need to instead let things go and let the changes happen. They’re even changes you -want- thus, the avoidance is even less helpful.
What is beneath the surface?
Tree – A long standing attachment to the way things have been done, and a connection to a spiritual path that you need to re-connect with. Start doing the things you know keep you balanced and centered.
Divine guidance.
Man – Suck it up buttercup. Grow a set and get your ass moving on the changes you need to lean into, and the spiritual habits and self care you need to reconnect with.
