This month’s card is drawn from the same deck as last month’s card: The Branches of the Celtic Tarot by Kristoffer Hughes  and Chris Down. I always enjoy a new perspective and am finding the author’s treatment of ancient Celtic archetypes very engaging. The book design and illustrations are also top notch. (The illustrator is Chris Down.) The card I chose for us is The Merlin. The Hermit is its traditional tarot equivalent.

Magic, mystery and mysticism are associated with Merlin. Legends of his shapeshifting, his long-life and many feats abound. Yet, he is best known as the mentor to King Arthur. In this deck, the card represents guidance, introspection and solitude. All great prophets are said to have spent time alone in the wilderness as a means of gathering strength and wisdom for the path ahead of them.

It is fitting that this card follows our series of blogs on the four elements. It is a message to stop, take time to observe and work with the essentials of life. There is a profound simplicity at the heart of wisdom. It can be achieved through contemplation. Learning to live joyfully in the present and co-create with the elements comes only through the inner peace of introspection and solitude. One cannot  guide others without knowing oneself.

Take yourself to a place in nature where you can connect with the elements:

You may take a short walk outside your home-five minutes if nothing more. Breathe in the air, feel the ground beneath your feet. Let the light and warm of the sun penetrate your skin. If you are near water, watch its movement; if not, at least allow the moisture in the air and in the plants to seep into your consciousness.

Sometime during the month, walk in the woods or along a body of water taking in a deeper experience of the four elements.

Ask them for their guidance. Experience the resources that they bring to all your endeavors.

Perhaps, you can picture Merlin speaking for them, offering his wisdom and insights. He will guide you as he did Arthur if you listen carefully through the rustling leaves, the blustering fall winds, the babbling brook or the birdsong. Magic is afoot when we stop to listen and experience our surroundings.