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Ice Runes are most commonly used for questions about struggle, conflict, and achievement. Berkana represents the birch tree. The birch is frequently symbolic of renewal, rebirth, birth, growth and fertility. This rune is a joyous one, representing good outcomes from ventures undertaken. It is the rune of the family and of a good household. |
This Tarot Deck: Fantastical Tarot
For the accused heretics who were burnt at the stake for revering her in the 14th and 15th century, she symbolized the prophecy of the return of the Holy Spirit, which was perceived as the female aspect of the Holy Trinity.
In the sequence of cards in the major arcana, the High Priestess appears as soon as the Fool decides he wants to develop his innate powers, making a move toward becoming a Magus. The High Priestess is his first teacher, representing the Inner Life and the method for contacting it, as well as the contemplative study of Nature and the Holy Mysteries.
You may have to take a stand against a rather formidable person, but today it’s you who is the tougher cookie. Unfortunately, you might not be aware that you could hurt someone’s feelings because you are so determined to reach your goals. Nevertheless, you would be more effective if you didn’t push so hard. Soften your approach and consider how others may react before doing something you’ll regret.
Naturally, you want to follow through on your commitments, even if your schedule suddenly changes because of unforeseen circumstances. Unfortunately, other people don’t seem to have the same level of integrity and you may become angry with someone who falls short of their promises. Instead of adding to the drama today, be as compassionate as possible, shift your focus to finishing your own work and don’t be too judgmental of anyone else.
Your thoughts and emotions don’t mix well today. You may try to manage your desires in order to fit in socially, but you could grow resentful if you don’t say what you feel. Unfortunately, knowing what’s best doesn’t always mean that you will do the right thing. Instead of acting too quickly, think about the consequences of your actions before blindly following your impulses. You might feel differently tomorrow.
You may be upset today if someone promises one thing yet does another. However, you might withhold your feelings because you don’t fully understand what’s going on. It’s extra challenging if you cannot trust your senses, especially if others are sending mixed messages. Accept your dilemma as a temporary situation that will soon fade, for attempts to end a conflict now will only increase your frustration.
You quickly tire of a melodrama that reignites today, but this time it’s different because the crisis has passed its peak and you feel strong enough to handle it. Nevertheless, you still must show up and combat the threat with a concerted effort or it could reappear again sometime soon. Respond to the current situation with compassion rather than animosity to help everything return to normal as quickly as possible.
You may be amazed by how fast you respond to a difficult situation today. Normally, you would prefer to gather facts and then take some time to think about your options before swinging into action. But there isn’t enough time for such a rational approach now, so you must immediately process what is happening and use your intuition to reach a conclusion. Don’t hesitate to react without your safety net of logic because any delay lessens your current chances of success.
Family dynamics weigh on your mind today, possibly preventing you from doing what you want. You may be tempted to walk away from the domestic drama, but you might be under pressure to increase your involvement. Unfortunately, losing your temper is easy now, but won’t help your cause. Instead, consider what can be done to settle the tension. Your innate ability to understand both sides of an issue enables you to be gracious in how you handle this tricky situation.
You are determined to stay on track today as you push to reach your goals, even if you would rather withdraw for some precious time alone. But solitude might not be in your immediate future, even if it’s high on your personal agenda. Being flexible is more important than sticking to your plan, since it’s impossible to know where an interaction with a colleague might lead as emotions heat up. It’s not necessary to win an argument now; it’s wiser to set a course based on compromise.
It’s frustrating if you crave something but can’t afford to buy it. Maybe you want your partner or friend to rescue you now. But instead of getting angry when others don’t come to your aid, try a radically different approach to find satisfaction. Letting go is your best bet today, but this tactic requires some real soul-searching to detach your happiness from the current object of your desire.
Mars’ opposition to passionate Pluto in your sign dredges up intense feelings about someone or something standing in your way. Even if you are determined to reach your goals today, you need to be careful about riding roughshod over others to get what you want. The intensity of your current ambitions may create more problems than solutions now, and scaling them back just a bit might be the most sensible thing you can do.
You might be unusually ambivalent when asked about your plans today. Whether you’re considering a new path at work or in a relationship, it’s hard to make a commitment now. It isn’t that you don’t care; to the contrary, you care so much that you want to be absolutely certain about your choice. Even if you’re feeling pressure to decide, take a few more days before letting others know.
You don’t mind the idea of working today, but your ideal is far from the reality, prompting you to start planning your secret escape. But you could get into a disagreement with a friend or lover if he or she tries to coerce you into some activity that you would rather skip. Don’t play the role of a martyr by agreeing to drop your plans for someone else’s. Take responsibility for what you want and don’t give in. Prevent problems later on by being very clear right from the start.
SPELL TO AVERT EVIL
Valerian was named for the physician Valerius, one of the first to use the plant medicinally. Around the eleventh century, Anglo-Saxon leeches recommend its use in battling menstrual cramps. It was called Amantilla during the middle ages, and there is a recipe which recommends the use of a tea made from “the juice of Amantilla id est Valeriana,” to bring about peace between warring factions. Chaucer refers to the plant as Setwall.
Traditionally, valerian was used more often for medicine than magic, but there are still some uses for it in spellwork.
Valerian may smell raunchy, but it’s also known as a plant of love and protection. Hang it in your home to protect against natural disasters, such as lightning strikes or fire. If you’re a woman, pin a sprig to your shirt to attract men your way. Quarrels can be resolved in a home by placing valerian leaves around the perimeter of the house.
If you are fighting with a family member, try putting a sprig of valerian in each corner of your home. Putting it over each door will prevent strife and discontent from entering — but be warned – some people find that the smell of valerian reminds them of cat urine.
Other Names: All-heal, Heliotrope, St. George’s herb, Amantilla, Setwall
Gender: Feminine
Element: Water
Deity Connection: Aphrodite, Venus
Planetary Connection: Venus
If you’re a gardener, valerian tends to attract earthworms, which are great for your soil. This has to do with the levels of phosphorus produced by the plant’s roots, so if you need wormy dirt, plant some valerian.
When she was 56, Angela Merici said “No” to the Pope. She was aware that Clement VII was offering her a great honor and a great opportunity to serve when he asked her to take charge of a religious order of nursing sisters. But Angela knew that nursing was not what God had called her to do with her life.
She had just returned from a trip to the Holy Land. On the way there she had fallen ill and become blind. Nevertheless, she insisted on continuing her pilgrimage and toured the holy sites with the devotion of her heart rather than her eyes. On the way back she had recovered her sight. But this must have been a reminder to her not to shut her eyes to the needs she saw around her, not to shut her heart to God’s call.
All around her hometown she saw poor girls with no education and no hope. In the fifteenth and sixteenth century that Angela lived in, education for women was for the rich or for nuns. Angela herself had learned everything on her own. Her parents had died when she was ten and she had gone to live with an uncle. She was deeply disturbed when her sister died without receiving the sacraments. A vision reassured her that her sister was safe in God’s care — and also prompted her to dedicate her life to God.
When her uncle died, she returned to her hometown and began to notice how little education the girls had. But who would teach them? Times were much different then. Women weren’t allowed to be teachers and unmarried women were not supposed to go out by themselves — even to serve others. Nuns were the best educated women but they weren’t allowed to leave their cloisters. There were no teaching orders of sisters like we have today.
But in the meantime, these girls grew up without education in religion or anything at all.
These girls weren’t being helped by the old ways, so Angela invented a new way. She brought together a group of unmarried women, fellow Franciscan tertiaries and other friends, who went out into the streets to gather up the girls they saw and teach them. These women had little money and no power, but were bound together by their dedication to education and commitment to Christ. Living in their own homes, they met for prayer and classes where Angela reminded them, ” Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve [the poor] than they have of your service.” They were so successful in their service that Angela was asked to bring her innovative approach to education to other cities, and impressed many people, including the pope.
Though she turned him down, perhaps the pope’s request gave her the inspiration or the push to make her little group more formal. Although it was never a religious order in her lifetime, Angela’s Company of Saint Ursula, or the Ursulines, was the first group of women religious to work outside the cloister and the first teaching order of women.
It took many years of frustration before Angela’s radical ideas of education for all and unmarried women in service were accepted. They are commonplace to us now because people like Angela wanted to help others no matter what the cost. Angela reminds us of her approach to change: “Beware of trying to accomplish anything by force, for God has given every single person free will and desires to constrain none; he merely shows them the way, invites them and counsels them.”
Saint Angela Merici reassured her Sisters who were afraid to lose her in death: “I shall continue to be more alive than I was in this life, and I shall see you better and shall love more the good deeds which I shall see you doing continually, and I shall be able to help you more.” She died in 1540, at about seventy years old.
In Her Footsteps:
Take a look around you. Instead of just driving or walking without paying attention today, open your eyes to the needs you see along the way. What people do you notice who need help but who are not being helped? What are their true needs? Make a commitment to help them in some way.
Prayer:
Saint Angela, you were not afraid of change. You did not let stereotypes keep you from serving. Help us to overcome our fear of change in order to follow God’s call and allow others to follow theirs. Amen
by Terry Matz
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Jade Runes are most commonly used for questions about love, friendship, and relationships. Laguz is the most strongly feminine of runes, representing water. Deep sexuality is suggested by this rune. Through Laguz, water is seen as the ocean – vast, uncontrollable, ever-changing, and vital. When interpreted as the returning tide, Laguz can also predict the inevitable return from a long journey. |
General Meaning: Ambitious undertakings are not in order now, but attention to small matters brings progress. Such is the case of a person whose resources are meager, but who, through modesty and perseverance, rises to accomplish great things.
The key to success when small potential influences the larger scene is to avoid pretentious ambitions and grandiose goals. The power of the small is served by slow and steady advancement, and succeeds through an honest awareness of its own limitations, without reservation.
Modesty stemming from recognizing your limitations is a fine quality, but it can be seen as weakness if it is not accompanied by conscientiousness. It is important to understand the demands of your situation, and not to expect success in big things right now. The wise person recognizes the nature of the time. So, know your own role, carefully attend to details and act with humility, and you can achieve your goal even with few resources
Strong, clear energy and the possibility for major opportunity exist today. Focus on work and planning, and avoid the emotional cobwebs of others. Your intuition is strong, so rely on what you know and don’t take someone else’s word for it.
About the Number 4
Theme: Form, Work, Order, Practicality, Discipline
Astro Association: Aries
Tarot Association: Emperor
This Tarot Deck: Winged Spirit Tarot
At the birth of Tarot, even a gifted healer who was not an ordained clergyman was considered to be in league with the Devil! For obvious reasons, the line between fooling the eye with sleight of hand, and charging the world with magical will was not clearly differentiated in the early Tarot cards.
Waite’s image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with the spirits of the elements — with its formal arrangement of symbols and postures — is a token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our spiritual politics without fear of reprisal. The older cards were never so explicit about what the Magus was doing. It’s best to keep your imagination open with this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul.
There may be too much happening today to process everything, especially if you’re hearing conflicting stories. However, you’re not very receptive because you are afraid of being misled by someone else’s agenda, especially when you are on your own mission. It’s tempting to defend your right to maintain your individuality, but there isn’t as much at stake as you think, so pick your battles carefully before jumping into a fight.
You may feel as if you’re in the middle of someone else’s struggle today and you don’t want to be distracted by another melodrama. You might consider avoiding the conversation completely, but you realize that you can actually have a positive impact on the situation. You don’t need to come up with a solution and then sell your idea. In fact, all you have to do is listen to both sides of the argument. For now, sufficiently airing an issue could be enough to dissolve the tension.
You want to share your feelings with a trusted friend, but your harmless disclosure could inadvertently elicit an explosive reaction. You understand the necessity of exercising self-restraint today because you can sense the delicate balance of power. However, you’re still not interested in changing your mind now. Unfortunately, your current lack of flexibility might make a difficult situation worse. On the other hand, trying to meet another person halfway could produce mutual benefits.
You may be feeling an upwelling of anger today, yet it seems more intense than the situation would normally warrant. Although you want to express your frustration, you don’t want to deal with the emotional fallout. Play it cool and sidestep confrontation for now. Or ride your passion and say what’s in your heart no matter what. There’s no right or wrong answer; ultimately, it’s your decision to make.
You might not show your feelings today in an attempt to avoid a possible meltdown, as your emotions pull you into the shadows. You are more accustomed to the light, making it challenging for you to figure out what’s currently happening. For now, don’t worry about making your point. It’s more important to concentrate on your emotions and to process them in real time, rather than wasting time explaining yourself to others.
You aren’t happy with the role that your friends have put you in now and you’re not sure how to get out of it. There are no quick and easy solutions to your dilemma, even if you are in touch with the group dynamics at play. You may be tempted to internalize another person’s struggle and treat it as if it were your own. However, it’s smarter to just steer clear of any melodrama that isn’t yours. Don’t worry about disappointing others; they’ll get over it sooner than you think.
Others know that you excel in the department of negotiation, so it’s no surprise that they would call on you for assistance now. As much as you might want to help, you have your own decisions to make today. Nevertheless, there’s still time to practice a bit of shuttle diplomacy, shuffling back and forth between the disagreeing parties. Your success depends on not getting too attached to any of the messages that you deliver.
Your two key planets, Mars and Pluto, are pulling in opposite directions, placing you in the middle of an intense tug-of-war. You cannot just express the anger of warrior Mars because unrelenting Pluto will quickly even the score. Unfortunately, you cannot just walk away from the conflict, either. Ultimately, you must be as flexible as you can to get you through this tricky time.
You don’t want to be drawn into an emotional squabble today yet it becomes more difficult to stay neutral, even if you try. You aren’t interested in choosing sides, for this tactic will only fuel an unnecessary conflict that wastes your time. Be an outspoken community member and talk about the pitfalls of supporting fearful negativity. Follow your own brand of spirituality and let your love light shine.
A relationship may be a major source of stress now as battle lines are drawn, making it harder to remain civil. You might prefer sorting out your differences through cool and calm communication, yet you can easily slip back into engaging in the needless drama. Instead of being forthright and expressing all your feelings today, act judiciously. A little bit of discretion goes a long way to settle everyone’s frazzled nerves.
It’s not easy to maintain objectivity today, even as you try to see the pros and cons of a co-worker’s plan. You think that you know what’s best and you aren’t afraid to tell everyone who asks. But rather than judging others, you are wiser to clean up your own act first. Making small improvements throughout the next several days is a better idea than wasting time blaming another person for your dilemma.
Your friends may think that they’re helping you today, but you believe that their behavior is too controlling. However, it feels awkward to come right out and tell them to back off because that would just alienate your most supportive allies. Still, it may be time to dig in your heels by setting clear personal boundaries that enable you to feel truly independent.
Tuesday and Wednesday, August 9-10
Tension rises with Mars catalyzing aspects to astrology’s most transformative planets. Electric Uranus and powerful Pluto are moving toward a series of exact squares in 2012-15 that has the power to reshape the world. Mars interactions with this pair can trigger a sense of uncertainty and provoke impulsive behavior. Taking a calmer approach to crisis, though, can lead to innovation and learning how to manage the pace of change.
Witches Of The Craft® 
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