Card Choice for March

Card Reading from The Hobbit Tarot by Terry Donaldson with artwork by Peter Pracownik: 

The Sun: Growth, harmony, self worth, recognition, benefits. Good luck. The road of life leads through Wilderlands when Mirkwood is close by or in the distance. In the forest, companions receive their initiations, spiritual teachings and become heroes by confronting their fears, addressing their limitations and learning new skills. Though things look peaceful and happy on the surface, there needs to be an awareness of potential contradictions and challenges! King of Cups: Bilbo is deep in thought as he returns to his home in the middle of an auction where he had to buy back his treasures that had been sold off. His sword, Sting, hangs over the mantelpiece, his coat of mail on the hall stand, his magic ring is his greatest secret. He writes his memoir and poetry. He gives and receives love, secure and emotionally centred, he keeps his head in a crisis and is therefore a positive influence and gets things done. The World: The Dragon Samug sits atop treasure mountain keeping it safe from sticky fingers and prying eyes. How has this vast hoard been amassed? Achievements, attainments, abilities appreciated. Hold onto the valuables that you have. Apply what you have learned, follow the way forward. 

What is Oneiromancy?

The study of dreams and their divinatory interpretation. From ‘oneiros’ a Greek word meaning dreams and ‘mancy’ meaning divination. The Oneiroi were winged spirits of the realms of sleep. They lived in Erebos, Land of Darkness, and contacted sleepers through one of two gates. One gate was made of horn, the other of ivory. Prophecy and prediction came through the horn gate, fantasy and delusion through the ivory gate.

Quote: I do not hesitate to affirm at the outset that occurrence of dreams foretelling a future event with accuracy must be accepted as certain. Camille Flammarion. Premonitory Dreams and Divination of the Future. 

Quote: Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than in the imagination while awake? Leonardo da Vinci.

Quote: Man is a genius while he is dreaming. Akira Kurosawa.

The Man Who Planted Trees

"Conservators have documented more than 60,000 different species of trees on the planet; of these more than 10,000 are under threat of extinction."
Some time ago, I read a novel titled ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’. Many years later it was made into an award winning not-for-profit film. The story begins when the narrator visits Provence in France during the early years of the twentieth century - a journey that led him into the foothills of the Alps. There, in a lonely and desolate place, a meeting takes place with a shepherd who is planting the acorns from the single oak tree that grows in the area. After the First World War, the war-weary narrator returns to this place and discovers a remarkable oak forest. The old man is in a home for the elderly but described his satisfaction and contentment that his contribution to posterity has a beneficial one.

Lourdes - Pilgrimage

Lourdes is a tiny riverside town that lies in the foothills of the magnificent French Pyrenees. Two thousand years ago, it was a Roman military base, and a Gothic castle stands in the centre of the town affording wonderful views. It is floodlit in the evenings. But this is more than just another historic town. It was a place of refuge during the Inquisition for fleeing Cathars and also for Templar Knights, and it provided sanctuary for Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in World War II. Franz Werfel was one of these Jews and he pledged to write the life story of Bernadette Soubirous if he and his wife survived the journey over the Pyrenees mountains to safety in Spain. His book was titled the ‘Song of Bernadette’ which was written when he reached safety and this book was made into a film of the same name. This town feels like sacred ground to many who come here and it is where a fourteen year old peasant girl had an incredible experience.  

Your Gift Meditation

With thanks to Erica Longdon for the voice over and video creation

Love! A Time of Connection

Love.... 

Our lives changed significantly due to the pandemic. Many people lost jobs, homes, friendships, some lost their health, others suffered from bereavements or think their futures were radically changed. We spent long hours at home, working or caring for family members, some were caring for and educating children, many were alone and missed social occasions. 

Love is even more important now than ever before! We need to concentrate on giving love in order to receive it. This is achieved through empathy, which is being able to feel what others can feel, to laugh with them when they laugh and grieve with them when they grieve. Love gives us a wonderfully energising feeling of connection, wonder and excitement. Love boosts our confidence and it has been found to be exceptionally good for our mental and physical health. Yet, it is full of difficulties because human beings are complex and we need to listen carefully and become aware of how the other is feeling, and be understanding. 

Bernadette Soubirous

The Casterot family lived in the Boly Mill in the poor town of Lourdes which lies in the foothills of the Pyrenees. When Father Casterot died, he left his wife and daughters with their home within this working flour mill. Mother Casterot was keen to marry her eldest daughter to a man who would maintain the family wealth by taking care of the mill, home and entire family - including her - and take her husband's place as head of the household. Francois Soubirous, a local mill worker was chosen to wed the eldest Casterot daughter, Bernarde. However, he refused her in favour of her younger sister, Louise, and despite the large age gap of 18 years, Mother Casterot agreed to the marriage though Bernarde had been groomed to be the matriarch of the family was slighted to be refused by this illiterate workman which lost her inheritance and power base. Bernarde owned a tavern and lived with Francois, who had rejected her, and her youngest sister, Louise, who had been chosen over her, and her mother, who had endorsed the marriage! Within an exact year, in 1843, a little girl was born, named Marie Bernarde, known as Bernardette. Within a few months of her birth, Louise burned herself so Bernadette was sent to a wet nurse in Bartres, a considerable journey from Lourdes. 

Templars!

The Templars had great success in defeating the poor peasants of the Holy Land, but Templars were trained warriors who fought on large and heavy armoured horses. The Crusaders wielded expensive swords and wore expensive armour, how could the poor people of these areas fight and win against them? God was said to support the Crusaders as they rode through the countryside, many hundreds of miles, taking from local peasantry whatever they needed in terms of food and other necessities, sometimes they returned home with great stolen luxuries! Over the course of 200 years, the local people gathered and trained themselves to fight against these Crusading intruders. Losses occurred, and God no longer supported Crusader successes! This would lead to the downfall of the Templars. 

The Templars honoured St John the Baptist and also Mary Magdalene, who were saints, but neither featured in the Christian Creed. Templars were dedicated to both these prominent saints but not instead of Jesus the Christ or his mother, Mary the Theotokos, Mother of God. There were two pillars of the church, John the Baptist and Jesus. Both had a powerful ministry. 

The Temple Church, London

A baptismal invocation survives in the Bible of the Temple Church in Holborn, London. It  reads: 

Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light!

The prayer of this church states: 

“Most gracious God, we give you the most hearty thanks for all such liberties and rights as are held well and peacefully, freely and quietly. Most gracious God, we give you the most hearty thanks for all such liberties and rights as are held well and peacefully, freely and quietly, fully and completely by ourselves and all in our land. We pray for all who serve in the maintenance of our laws, that they shall serve faithfully to your glory and to the present and future welfare of our nation, shall truly and indifferently minister justice, and shall so order all things brought to their care that peace and happiness, truth and justice shall be established among us for ourselves and for generations yet to come. All this we ask through the mediation of Jesus Christ, who shall return to judge all humankind.” Amen. 

Valentine’s Day

How do we know that we are loved and how can we best express our love to those closest to us? Because love and loving, in all its many forms, is not taught in schools while we are growing up. We imbibe from our parents and extended family many ideas about love which might not be healthy and usually we don’t have good role models. Romantic films, books and popular songs do not help our understanding either. When two complex people come together to communicate their love for each other, there is often a mismatch. In life partnerships, one might want move to the country, the other might want to stay in the city; one might want a busy social life, the other might be more solitary; one might be very ambitious, the other laid back. How are these conflicts to be resolved? Does one partner always get their own way and the other acquiesces? Does one manipulate while the other becomes angry? Does one partner have staying power while the other is prepared to leave? Many of these questions are hard to answer but talking about needs for affection, attention, caring and thoughtful consideration and co-operation are part of a good and wholesome loving relationship. Negotiation is usually the answer, where both parties receive some of what they want whilst honouring the equality of the needs of the other person.