The COW has popped up our oracle card for May. I was surprised that there were domestic animals in this deck: The Wisdom of as Avalon Oracle Cards by Colette Baron-Reid, but why not? And it certainly is timely after Beltane when the livestock were cleansed in the bonfire and fertility rites abounded.

Keywords:  Nourishment, abundance, asking and receiving.

I grew up in an area of upstate New York with rolling hills of grassland dotted with black and white Holsteins and I even had a few friends who had to rise early to milk cows on their dairy farms. I also am old enough to have been visiting a neighbor who brought in warm milk straight from the cow for their breakfast. I was used to  homogenized milk in a bottle so that was quite a shock.

Jean Houston tells the story of family friend, Margaret Mead, taking her to a farm one time when she was a young girl growing up in Manhattan. Jean remembers being asked where milk came from and replying “that’s easy, the store.” Margaret Mead then gave a dissertation on how modern people have no concept of process or the middle, only of outcome. The trip to meet the cow and learn the source of the milk she drank stayed with her as an illustration of the interconnection of all things.

 And I love the calming stare of a cow chewing its cud quietly and steadily. I know how central the cow is to daily life.  The quiet, constancy of this animal as it provides us with daily milk, butter and cream is rather astonishing when you think about it.

Besides the oracle card picture of the cow above, I thought I would add two others:

The first was taken on the Ring Road in Kerry, Ireland. Note Killarney has over 1 million visitors  a year, and most will have driven this iconic stretch of road. Despite the traffic, this farmer and his cows take their time heading out to pasture.

The second picture is of the Highland Cow. I don’t remember what Scottish road I was traveling when I finally was able to stop for a close up of these shaggy creatures. I just remember being proud of myself for snapping it.

What images or memories does the Cow oracle card bring to your mind?

Are there aspects of being nourished and offering nourishment that need your attention this month?

And what about the reciprocity of asking and receiving? Do you have a balance of both?