I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year “Give me a light that I may tread faithfully into the unknown”, and he replied “Go out into the darkness and put your hands into the hand of God and that shall be to you better than a light, and safer than any known way”.
May that hand of god guide and uphold you. By Minnie Hoskins
Four cards chosen for 2025. The first is from Influence of the Angels Tarot by Jody Boginski Barbessi and Karen Boginski. Here we have the Magician, number 1 of the Major Arcana. We see Michael whose name means 'to be like God'. He provides his courage, leadership and protection. He points heavenwards, with rays of light entering his body which he directs to the tools and chalk board table upon which he works and produces magic for our world through skills and intentions, focus, solving problems (not creating them), accomplishing goals. The message is: Pay attention to the difference between self confidence and overconfidence. Card number 12 Experience Rebirth page number 33
This current era signposts a path of inner transformation. Over the next few weeks you are offered an opportunity to review your life, and find out what is missing, and what is needed. You will find the time to be involved in this inner awakening process so you can delve deeper into your inner being and learn more about who you are, and where you are going with your life. You are asked to choose a new and slower path that involves the development of sensitivity and empathy, kindness and openness. This requires a level of inner growth that you have been yearning for and is an opportunity to review your life to remove old ideas, beliefs and ways of being that do not serve you. When you replace them with meaning, purpose and service to others, the old, irrelevant ways disappear from your life and you will embrace the new path of awakened faculties within yourself that you never thought existed. You might up chanting, walking in nature, find new friendships, take up a new course or new reading uplifting or challenging books or watch podcasts from thought leaders that will expand your mind and awaken your abilities.
Dear Wendy, can you provide a Christmas meal prayer please, Jenny S.
Dear Jenny, this is my suggestion, change it as you would like to!
I call upon the Godhead of all names and none, as I give thanks to those who grew, transported, prepared, packaged and sold the food and prepared and cooked it for today. Especially I give thanks for any animals that were involved in food production. I ask that the food is blessed so I can eat with love and honour, and can enjoy every mouthful and pray that it will renew and revive my health with good quality nourishment. I give thanks for my life and remember those who have not survived to celebrate this day. I remember those without food, comfort and kindness as we celebrate Christ’s birthday, as he was the one who said ‘Do unto others as you would be done by’. Amen.
Dear Wendy, can you explain the first verse of the carol of ‘Once in David’s Royal City’? Myra
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
The Gospel of Matthew describes how astrologers travelled to Jerusalem where King Herod met them. They told Herod that they had followed a star that prophesied the birth of the rightful King of the Jews, and they came to worship this baby. Herod was concerned about his own position as he was just a puppet ruler, and he asked the wise men to return to him when they had found the child. He called his scribes to him for information. In the Book of Micah, it states the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, birthplace of King David. The wise men continued to follow the star which led them to Bethlehem. We are unsure of the exact date of the birth of Jesus but a bright conjunction, supernova or comet could have been ‘the Star of Bethlehem’.
It might have been a conjunction (coming together) of two planets, one being Jupiter which is known to represent Kingship. (Jupiter is known as Sedeq to the Jews, a word which means righteousness - a title for the Messiah). Regulus might have been the other star - this name means, in Latin 'prince’, and in Arabic, it means 'the heart of the lion' because it appears in the constellation of Leo and also represents Kingship. These two stars appearing together would have been a meaningful sign to the star gazers of the Middle East (possibly Mesopotamia where astrologers were recognised since very ancient times).
David was born in Bethlehem many hundreds of years previously. He was a a young shepherd boy, guarding flocks of sheep on the cold hillside. These were unblemished lambs that were slaughtered by the High Priest in the Temple of Jerusalem for the remission of sins. Mary's cousin, Elizabeth's husband, Zachariah, was that High Priest. They were too old to have children, yet, when an angel appeared and Elizabeth became pregnant, Zachariah was struck dumb for his unbelief in this miracle.
All saviour gods have virgin mothers!
Mary and Joseph made a powerful team. Both of the royal line of David, the shepherd king, their first born son would have been a contender for the role of King of Judah. Like many female visionaries, Mary was around the time of her menarche when she became pregnant by an Angel. Angels at this time were not winged. They were always men and their meeting often resulted in a pregnancy. But this illegitimacy of Jesus may have caused him embarrassment. Joseph was not mentioned in the gospels after the childhood of Jesus. And what caused Jesus to be scathing and rude to his mother? She was a young mother, and maybe she was seduced and deceived by one who presented himself as an ‘Angel’. It dashed his chances of a bid for the legitimate throne.
Her correct name was Miriam and in legend, she was the daughter of Joachim and Anne. From the canonical gospels, we are told that Mary’s story begins when she was described as a virgin - a young girl before marriage. She would have been betrothed around the age of puberty and would have been living in an extended family in Galilee, such as the tribe of Ephrahim. She would have sat by the river bank, watching the water ripple as the breeze created waves. This Galilee sea is shaped like a harp - it’s a beautiful and romantic setting. Whilst engaged to be married to Joseph, the Angel Gabriel is said to have visited her and told her she would bear a son who would become the long prophesied messiah. Both she and her fiancé Joseph were of the royal line of Judah, and therefore their son would be the rightful royal heir. At that time, a ruthless puppet king, Herod the Great, sat on the throne who would do all he could to destroy the lives of Mary and Joseph.
The Angel Gabriel addressed Mary as a ‘most highly favoured lady’ and prophesied the life of the child she was to bear. We have one of the longest verbatim texts in the New Testament to describe this meeting. These are Mary’s extraordinary words and they show Mary’s early mature spiritual ministry: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour: He has looked with favour on his lowly handmaiden. From this day all generations will call me blessed: The Almighty has done great things for me and ‘holy’ is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm and has scattered the proud in their conceit, casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, to remember his promise of mercy, the promise made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children for ever."
The ancients observed the sun, moon and stars. They lived by nature and knew when to plant and when to harvest, when to feed the beasts and when to kill and salt. They would place a post in the ground to measure the length of the shadow cast each day. At midsummer and midwinter, the sun appears to stand still for three days, hence the name 'solstice' from the Latin 'stetit', when the sun appears to ‘stand still’.
Carvings on Long Meg in Cumbria are aligned with the sunset at midwinter. In 4AD the church changed the calendar so the equinox provided a consistent date. The date for Christmas was not changed. Many ancient stone circles are aligned with the sun festivals, such as Stonehenge, and Mays Howe.
The sun was thought by the Greeks to be hauled across the sky each day by Apollo in his chariot. Christmas falls on 25th December rather than on the winter solstice because in the time of Julius Caesar, the calendar was obviously out. As it was based on the ancient Egyptian calendar that was 3000 years old in Julius' day, he introduced in 45BC the Julian Calendar.
“The Advent moon shines bright and clear; my soul waits -
These Advent nights are very long;
Our lamps have burned year after year,
Advice from the Grandmother
This year I do not want the dark to leave me.
I need its wrap of silent stillness,
its cloak of long lasting embrace.
Too much light has pulled me away
from the chamber of gestation.
Q: Dear Wendy: Do you have any recommendation about enlightenment? KC.
Dear KC: Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
Before enlightenment, vacuum carpet, wash up dishes! After enlightenment, vacuum carpet, wash up dishes!
Dear Wendy: Four months ago, I split up from my partner, a woman with two young children from a previous marriage. She now has someone else in her life and I find I am missing her two children. Over the ten months we were together and I bonded with them, but now she is adamant that I am out of her life and cannot see her children. I feel embarrassed to mention it to my family. I am less likely to get involved now with anyone with children. Is this fair? DD
Wendy replies: Dear DD: Every situation is different and it does seem unfair from your perspective. I am sorry that you are hurting and that you are now feeling guarded with your next relationship, should it be with someone who has children. You are obviously a deeply caring person and your love will be appreciated by someone looking for kindness and commitment. But the mother must give her children priority and they now have their mum, each other, and a new parental ‘significant other’. She has replaced you, which is painful in itself and he would probably not want you around. I think you are grieving for the loss of this family structure. This type of loss is very common but goes unrecognised by many people so it would be useful for you to contact a caring counsellor who will understand what you are going through. I suggest: Cruse Bereavement Care: 0300 031 7757
The first card I have chosen is from Nature's Whispers Oracle Cards by Angela Hartfield with individual artworks by Josephine Wall. It is titled 'Expansion'. A human hand reaches out into nature and the hand of a flower reaches back. The scene is of natural beauty, a sunset, of mountains, animals and plants. The reading tells us that everything is evolving and going through cycles, rhythms and phases. This is a time of new beginnings, and of inner development. Environmental issues are especially important to our Spirit. Your rest and self care will be needed during times of integration and processing. Spiritual growth and maturity are the wisdom to seek. 
Amazonian Rain-forest activist from the “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand!” John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus, proclaiming “Make straight his Paths,” “There is one who will come after me, whose sandals I am not fit to lace.”
We do not know very much about the teachings of the Baptist, but it would have included a vow of extreme poverty and humility. The character of the Baptist is thought to be modelled on Elijah who gave his cloak- a symbol for his responsibility - to Elisha upon his death. As Elisha succeeded Elijah so Jesus succeeded the Baptist who was of the Levite caste, of the line of Aaron and who served as Rabbis/High Priests. The rabbis took turns to attend the Jerusalem Temple, burning incense, sacrificing animals, tending the lamps, renewing shewbread, all pertaining to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. John could have continued the privileged work of the high priest, but he chose to baptise pilgrims in the name of forgiveness in the Jordan. This was another type of priestly work, unrelated to the purchase and burning of animals, he was called a prophet not a priest.
Just as Abraham and Sarah bore a son in their elderly years, and Samson, the hero was born also of elderly parents, the Baptist was born of an angelic miracle. His elderly mother Elizabeth, a descendant of the high priest, Aaron, was too old to have the child she had always prayed for. Her husband, Zachariah was the High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple, of the eighth class, that of Abia.
A lyrical ballad by the poet Alfred Tennyson is based on the medieval 'La Damigella di Scalot'. This lay tells the tragic story of Elaine of Astolat. She saw Sir Lancelot passing by the tower in her mirror and she couldn't resist looking out of her window. Then the mirror cracked! She decided to leave her lonely tower in pursuit of this beautiful knight. But she is rejected by him! The story tells us that she found a boat and climbed inside and sang mournfully as she sailed to her death! The curse was that she could never experience romantic love.
"A metaphysician is never off duty!" Erica Longdon
Erica Longdon is the author of the novel 'In Pursuit of Perfect Timing'. She is also a Multi-disciplinary Therapist, Healer and Metaphysician. She has kindly provided the presentations to many of my free YouTube meditations.
In addition to the novel 'In Pursuit of Perfect Timing' her new book is a masterclass in sound healing, titled ‘Vibrational Sound Healing’. It is available for pre-order including an option for Audible which Erica
has narrated.
Since the dawn of recorded history, healing has been considered a magical art. Healing was a secret known by shamans, medicine women and men, priestesses and priests, and the wise people whose knowledge was handed down the generations. Many people went on pilgrimages and learnt about the plants that grew by the wayside, how to cure a fever, attend to cuts, blisters, etc., and how to care for the animals that accompanied them on their journey. We know from ancient texts that the Egyptians knew many remedies for illnesses. Originally Egypt was called the Land of Khem, because they knew how to create and use chemicals. To gain more knowledge about their use, the alchemists of the Middle Ages were prepared to risk their own lives.
Today, we know a great deal about health care; we are told daily to cut salt, sugar and fat from our diet, take exercise, avoid over indulgence in alcohol, and long term stresses. Regular daily mindfulness and meditation are shown to provide increased concentration and greater relaxation. They can also help to deal with the difficulties that present themselves to us through bereavement, disappointments, poor health and relationship breakdowns.
The origin of playing cards goes back more than a thousand years to ancient China. They were carried by traders and travellers, soldiers and pilgrims through Mongolia to the Middle East and then into Europe. Cards provided games of chance, skill and entertainment and they developed as they passed from one hand to another. The casting of lots with sticks, bones and dice was common throughout many cultures and cards became yet another way to give advice.
Playing cards with 4 suits and including court cards in each suit with the 10 pip cards, created a card deck of 52 cards. Some believe that the cards were used to represent the weeks of the year and the four weeks of the month or perhaps the seasons, so cards may have been an educational value. Playing cards came to Europe in late 1300s and by 1440 there is a letter from the Duke of Milan requesting several decks of playing cards for a game known as ‘triumph’ which was similar to bridge and included the playing card deck and 22 extra picture cards. Around 1530, in Italy, these cards were called ‘Tarocchi’ and in France ‘Tarot’. By 1781, they were used in England for divination. During the Victorian era in England, there was a revival of alternative spirituality and occult pastimes became popular. From that time to the present day, Tarot cards have been increasing in popularity; the market has grown and developed with new ideas and understanding for using the cards in sophisticated ways for fortune telling, personal development and meditation, and are now made in their thousands with creative focus far beyond the original images, such as animals, angels and fairies.
Tournaments carried the oriflamme banner, the royal standard at the Battle of Poitiers where Geoffrey de Charny (1300-1356) died.
What was dubbing? It was an accolade of knighthood. It involved giving a blow with the hand or a strike with the flat of the sword in church. The knight would confess his sins to the priest, take a bath and spent the night in vigil.
A proposal to a publisher needs to include what qualifies you to write the deck (your journey), and why you have chosen your illustrator and what media the illustrator works in. What is a typical purchaser or seeker for this deck. Describe them! Why did you chose the theme? In what way will the cards help with life’s problems, what type of guidance is described, what type of direction or life path? Any omissions or gaps in the overall theme package or have you worked with it sufficiently to know it covers sufficiently the theme?. Upright only or upright and reversed meaning given. Backs of cards, mirror images on backs or not? How many images have been produced and how far along you are with writing the book. How many images still to produce? Most important in your proposal, is how you intend to promote the deck when published, eg., use it yourself for client readings, have a website, promote it on your YouTube channel, promote it on your blog, etc. For beginner or experienced reader? For self or others? Any other similar deck on the market? What is your USP? Do you have suggestion for packaging, such as a mat or bag?
Cards: image, title, subtitle, white border? Astrology, Kabbalah, symbolism, metaphor, elements, numerology, etc.
The guidebook should include:
The importance of the theme and the benefits. How to use the cards? Blessed? Prepared? How stored? How shuffled? How laid out? Titles for Spreads. Sample reading for one or two spreads. Upright meanings only or reversed also? Alphabetical order? Title, subtitle, keywords, affirmation, symbolism meaning, divinatory guidance, channelled message. Additions could be ritual, exercise, creative activity.
According to Andrew Collins an AK was a similar to the Lord of Missrule, his name had become rendered as Jack in such a mischievous mythical sprites as Jack Frost, Jack-in-the-Box, and Springhill Jack. He may have been in the equivalent of the Nordic guard Loki Loki was the trickster of the guards and an energy of him was born each year at the start of winter to stay off his unruly influence during the cold days ahead.
In ancient times, a fool or jester was burnt on a bonfire at the beginning of November in many parts of Britain. In 1605 after Guy Fawkes was arrested at attempting to blow up the houses parliament, the same tradition of lighting a fire at the autumnal time of year lived on. If AK could be similar to Loki, a wise fool that was believed to be beyond the influence of cause and effect.
A pilgrim on the road to Santiago de Compostela was called a ‘jack’.
The name Jack features in folk tales and children’s stories as ‘everyman’, an ordinary man, perhaps an uneducated and perhaps unskilled man, we might immrdiately think of Jack Spratt, and Jack the Ripper. In days gone by, anyone with the name of John was likely to be nicknamed Jack. It was a name for a country bumpkin, as the Coventry, and the Townley Mystery Plays describe just an ordinary boy and girl, as Jack and Jill. Jack is sometimes a fool, such as the comedic character who goes up a hill to fetch water rather than down to the river. In fairy stories, he is sometimes a crafty, or aggressive opportunist, who, by guile and trickery, gets rich rewards without ethics. He can wed the King’s daughter by making her laugh with a stick that beats people upon a command, a bed with a lovely singing voice, and a fiddle that plays by itself. In Jack and the Beanstalk, he is sent by his widowed mother to sell a cow, and he returns with magic beans that grow so tall he can climb up to a giant house in the sky where rich ogres live.
In India, resins, woods, spices and fragrant flowers are used for ritual, medicine and personal adnornment. Many wonderful aromatics grow there, including frangipani, hibiscus, sandlewood, jasmin, patchouli, gum benzoin, vetiver, aloewood, pepper, cardoman and connamon, and the sellers from the main centre for perfumery, Ghazipore, near Benares, are called 'gandhika'. The art of distilling the essential oils was brought from Arabia by the Moghuls. The Indian book of sacred love, the Kama Sutra, prescribed fragrant oils to enhance allure and sandlewood and musk was rubbed on the body as an aphrodisiac. Indian cashmere shawls were steeped in patchouli, a heady scent, which had the added effect of keeping out moths. Its shredded leaves preserved the cloth during the long voyage to the west. 
