Hierophant - The Tarot

The keys represent entry to a holy place, a place of wisdom and truth. Access to spiritual authority. There  is good life guidance and a path of integrity and caring. The hierophant is a man of power, standing and authority but one should be wary of being misled on account of looks and the honour that others give. The 3 tiered papal crown denotes faith, hope and charity, the spiritual, material and intellectual worlds, the mind, body and soul. He wears a cloak and has his right hand raised in blessing. The columns represent rigour and mercy. King Solomon’s Temple had 2 columns. 

Lead by example. Be a guide to others. Meditate on balance, understanding and integrity. 

The Green Knight

 The film above is set in the 14th century when this story was originally written. 

King Arthur sits with this Queen and his retinue in his Christmas court in Camelot. His nephew, the gallant Sir Gawain is also in attendance. An enormous noise occurs at the entrance of the baronial hall and a green giant makes a dynamic entrance on a horse. The giant offers his axe and makes a wager with King Arthur. He says that whoever cuts him will face the same cut a year and a day from that date. Sir Gawain steps forward. He has waited a life time to prove he is the most loyal protector to his uncle, King Arthur. Immediately, Gawain strikes the green giant across the neck, slicing off his head. Red blood flows over green cloth! This story is about life and death. How easy it is to behead someone with such a sharp sword! But the green giant is not killed. He picks up his head and rides out of the baronial hall, out of Camelot, and into the far distance! 

What do you make of this part of the story? The green giant is similar to tree pollarding and if you chop its head off, another grows! Green is related to nature and nature’s ability to recover after perceived death in winter. Humans are not able to recover from death, so the story is about the vulnerability of Sir Gawain, who was after all, only human. The story might be related to the advantages of agriculture and what can be achieved with knowledge of plant husbandry. Green was related to plant life so it is likely the contest with the Green Man was a contest with the harsh and chaotic realities of nature, of the need to survive the harshest of times. 

Why is the Raven black?

Great Spirit decided it was time to give the winged (the birds) their colors. Before this time all of the birds were gray. Their feathers did not carry the beautiful colors they do today. Great Spirit told all of the winged to gather at a special lake which was hidden high in the mountains. All of the winged flew to this magical body of water. Great Spirit told them to dive into the water and they would emerge with beautiful colors in their feathers. Brave little Hummingbird dove in first. He didn't stay long but when he came out he was a beautiful green and had ruby on his throat. Jaybird was next. He stayed a little longer than Hummingbird had. When he emerged he was a bright blue and had a white throat. He wore a black necklace low on his neck. Wren splashed into the depths. When he got out of the water he was brown with a golden chest. Cardinal flew into the lake. He stayed in a bit longer than the others. When Cardinal broke the surface he was bright red and beautiful. Bluebird splashed into the water and stayed for a while. He came up blue with his beautiful red breast. Indigo Bunting dived in. He stayed linger than any of the previous birds. He came up such a beautiful blue that the other birds gasped at his gorgeous color. 

Judgments!

Pray! Don’t find fault with the man who limps, or stumbles along life’s road. Unless you have the shoes he wears, or struggle beneath his load. There may be nails in his shoes that hurt - though hidden from your view, Or the burden he bears, placed upon your back may cause you to stumble too. 

Don’t be harsh with the man who sins or pelt him with words or stones, unless you are sure, yea! doubly sure, that you have no sins of your own. For you know, perhaps, if the tempter’s voice should whisper as soft to you, as it did to him when he went astray, it may cause you to stagger too. 

Don’t sneer at the man who is down, unless you have felt the blow, that caused his fall, or felt his shame  - as only the fallen know. You might feel strong, but remember those blows, if dealt to you, in the self same way, and at the self same time, it could cause you to fall too!  

An Indonesian Island - A Story

 

Nyall Watson's book 'Gifts of Unknown Things' is a favourite of mine, since it was published in 1977 to great acclaim. 

The book ends with a remarkable story from the island of Nus Tarian, which, at the time he visited, received very few travellers. The story describes his meeting with Tia, a young girl who had special powers, as many young girls have been known to have before their menarche. She was a loner, as many feared and misunderstood her. She saved a man from certain death, and when an elder of the village died in a fishing expedition, she brought him back to life. She was a remarkable dancer, lithe and subtle. She had clashed on several occasions with the Imam who was a friend of her father, but even her father could not control her gifts. The Imam wanted to send the girl from the village but her powerful father was too insistent she stay, however, after one particular confrontation, she fled and as she did so, the mosque caught fire. As harvest time arrived, there was a traditional celebration of the rice where nine aspects of a harvest rite were to take place. 

My Soul has a Hat - A Poem

 MY SOUL HAS A HAT

I counted my years & realized that I have

Less time to live by, Than I have lived so far.

I feel like a child who won a pack of candies: at first he ate them with pleasure,

But when he realized that there was little left, he began to taste them intensely.

I have no time for endless meetings where the statutes, rules, procedures & internal regulations are discussed,

knowing that nothing will be done.

I no longer have the patience To stand absurd people who,

despite their chronological age, have not grown up.

My time is too short: I want the essence, my spirit is in a hurry. 

Getting to Know the Goddess Course 2:2

In this lesson from Goddess-Pages online course, we hear about The Maiden, the young Goddess, one who, I think, is often trusting and adventurous - such dangerous combinations! 

The tragic story of Jesus strikes me as being true to that of a child of a very young girl, who appears to have little support at a desperate time in her life. When pregnant, she visits a cousin. One wonders where were her siblings, parents and close family at the time when she appears so alone and vulnerable and lacking confidence, support and protection! 

I have a fascination for Mary Magdelene and was an early reader of the Holy Blood and Holy Grail and have read around this topic for many years. Perhaps she was a priestess, from a pagan land, who blessed his feet with her perfumed oil prior to his trial and death. New excavations in the Holy Land and historical investigations, provide new thinking about the title 'magdala' which means 'tower'. The Magdalene provided the disciples with money, and was first to visit the tomb after the burial of Jesus, so therefore, she had a privileged position within the family that would have been granted to only those women who washed and prepared the body of the deceased. 

Labyrinths and Mazes

A labyrinth is a single route to a central place, such as one sees upon the floor of Chartres Cathedral, whereas a maze is a puzzle with many possibilities that lead to the centre, such as the hedge maze at Hampton Court. Labyrinths are dotted across the world, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, some extremely ancient and many are modern. They can be made of turf, brick, tiles or anything to demarcate the route that one must travel.

Healing

The word ‘healing’ comes from the root word for hearth ‘HALE’ which means whole. To be whole, we avoid self deception, we engage with others with authenticity, kindness and understanding, empathy and goodwill. When we are disturbed or distressed this affects everything in our life - our work, health, relationships, et cetera. 

Know Thyself was written on the temple of Apollo 2500 years ago along with Everything in Moderation. Knowing yourself means knowing what you are doing to yourself and others. Freud stated that therapy could only replace ‘hysterical misery’ with ‘common unhappiness’.

Portia’s speech - Shakespeare

You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand, Such as I am: though for myself alone
I would not be ambitious in my wish, To wish myself much better; yet, for you
I would be trebled twenty times myself; A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich;

That only to stand high in your account, I might in virtue, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account; but the full sum of me Is sum of something, which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractised;

Happy in this, she is not yet so old, But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn; Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed, As from her lord, her governor, her king.

Myself and what is mine to you and yours Is now converted: but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants, Queen o’er myself: and even now, but now,
This house, these servants and this same myself Are yours, my lord:

I give them with this ring; Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

The Caring Marine - A Story

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious to her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.