Too Dry
Cold weather
saps the moisture
from breath and air
and skin
as well
as forehead itches
and backs of hands
roughen
there’s not enough
lotion
in the world
to bring skin back
from this
chapped dry state
and still…
I try.
writing activity
Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Hermit
Prompt: “Pull the Hermit card from your deck(s). Compare the imagery between the card provided below and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?“
Tarot of the Hidden Realm – A crone in the wild among craggy mountain rocks, she wears a symbol of death in the skull over her heart and a hag stone for vision around her neck as she climbs among the rocky landscape. This card speaks of the need to spend time alone in reflection, but hones down into that reflection being about change and how we react to change. Self examination of our response to change can be a powerful thing, and in this card there is a need to consider our past reactions (the Hermit faces towards the past), why we react as we do, and how we can deal with changes in a more graceful manner.
Christmas Storybook Tarot – Rudolph lead the sleigh through the winter storm for Santa, and in this image his nose shines bright through a storm he treads through on hi own. This card encourages solitary reflection placed towards where hope lies in our hearts. What is the shining light that guides us forward, and how can we utilize that to our benefit as we move through the more difficult times we may be experiencing or need to confront moving forward (Rudolph faces in the direction of the future).
Snowland Tarot – Here again the Hermit faces towards the future, and while the path at his feet is smooth and easy, the mountains in the distance illuminated by his lantern make it clear it will not always be so. With the book riding his back and the direction he faces, I see this card as more about planning for the future than about reflecting upon self improvement. He looks outward, and seeks to see what is to come so that he can prepare, and this card suggests that the querent needs to do the same.
The Christmas Tarot – As in the traditional RWS that this deck is a clone of, the Hermit in this card faces towards the past with his head bowed and lantern held high. The staff provides stability while the Hermit looks within himself at his past, learning from his mistakes and getting to know himself better through introspection and self-examination. He seeks to take what he has learned from the past and sort through these memories and experiences in order to become wiser for the effort.
DECK USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, CHRISTMAS STORYBOOK TAROT, SNOWLAND TAROT, AND THE CHRISTMAS TAROT
Gideon’s Challenge
Chance Encounters
A moment’s pause
with treat in tow
a moment
to breathe in
the scent of snow
and look over
the world
with an
assessing eye
and enjoy the quiet
pit pat of new snow
then off to home
and a crackling fire
to settle in
and get warm
for a while
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Shower Time
Nerves sensitive
with sharp edges
and prickly moments
when others approach
dissolve
with a deep breath
of wet air
as rivulets of water
trail down
over scarred flesh
warm and soothing
they wash away
more than sweat
but help
ease nerves
and lower
unnecessary defenses
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
End of Day
Golden glow
pours
through windows
and spills
across tabletop
and crystal bits
and
collected detritus
coloring
the world
in the warmth
of day’s end
creating
a lazy moment
to sit in stillness
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Expectation Fails
More snow
I whisper
as I wait for flakes
to fall
and yet
it still
does not come
and my longing
for crisp air
and muffled sounds
of boots
through white
remain
Unfulfilled
Twisting the Leaf 