September Tarot Card THE SOW

Labor Day here in the USA is rolling around again. And, again, I have that sinking feeling of summer being over and school starting up. I loved school. I love fall. But, the end of summer still makes me sad.

I choose The Druid Animal Oracle deck to lighten my mood as I prepared to write this blog. The cards never fail me, nor do they cease to amaze me. The card I drew for us this month is Sow. According to our authors, Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, the sow was sacred to the goddess, often called “grandmother” in Scotland, the Welch had a divine sow “Henwen, and the Hill of Tara in Ireland was called “Pig Island”. Who Knew? This illustration by Bill Worthington and thoughts of little piglets lightened my mood.

There is a lot more to be said about the Sow and the lore around her.  But let us focus on the meaning of the card: Generosity, Nourishment, and Discovery. When we are nourished, we in turn can nourish. When we recognize and believe in the cycle of life and its abundance, we can be more generous. The fertility of the pig, the sustenance they provide, and their hardiness were critical to the Celts. Connecting the sow to the goddess was a reminder of what a gift the animal was to all.

Discovery has to do with seeing the value beyond the first impression. This funny-looking, mud-wallowing, seemingly dumb animal is nothing of the sort. The Celts got that. This card reminds us to do so as well.

There are so many idiomatic phrases about pigs even today. I will spare you a list, but if you are bored or can’t get to sleep try counting them. Clue-there are lots!