I was thinking about the upcoming July 4 holiday here in the US, when I pulled this card. Once, again, a serendipity comes through in the cards. The EAGLE is our oracle card for July. It is the national symbol for the USA, and holds a significant place in the cultures of many other nations.
Read MoreI found myself in the middle of Bloomsday quite by accident; and what a lovely accident it was. I had an extra day in Dublin, was staying at Trinity College summer lodgings and came across a number of folks, young and old alike, dressed in Edwardian costumes. As I walked down Grafton Street, I realized that this was a city-wide celebration of some sort, not just collegiate and people were having a great time pub crawling literary row in their summer finery.
Read MoreOnce again, there is serendipity in our monthly tarot card draw. The message to Get Unstuck serves us well as we emerge from the cocoon of Covid. What better challenge than to get unstuck from our holding pattern, unstuck from our old ways and unstuck from what blocks us from embracing the change we promised ourselves we would make if we survived all the craziness and fear of 2020.
Read MoreI came upon this intriguing statue strolling through a park one day in May a few years ago. I had to ask a local who the man was that was represented sprawled across a rocky crag---in color no less.
Do YOU know who he is?
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreI had never seen a bonfire built so elaborately. The huge mound of were for wooden doors, one in each direction, each with a beautifully painted animal representing that direction. While the fire was awesome, as soon as the painted creatures caught flame, there was a gasp from the crowd and a tear came to my eye- a tear not of sadness but of appreciation, appreciation for the seasons of our lives.
Read MoreThe cycle of life comes to life in the spring. The Celts celebrated Imbolc (lambing) followed by the spring equinox Eostre (eggs and bunnies) and then Beltane (livestock driven through fire to cleanse and increase fertility). They were not only celebrating Nature bursting forth in new life but trying to assure that it be bountiful.
Read MoreI have a small red fox who runs through the woods with me during shamanic journeys. He is playful, quick, and game for adventure. These are qualities I need when I begin a journey and so I really appreciate his arrival and support.
For many years, when visiting western states, I would look admiringly at the tiny stone fetishes in glass cases. They were all so precious, but none spoke to me directly. I liked the idea of a spirit or power animal. I just didn’t know how to identify one. I tried meditation, I drew animal tarot cards, and I stayed alert for a roadrunner or other creature to pop up in my path announcing itself; but to no avail.
Read MoreThe image of a forest in Ireland, the words from an American poet, both conjuring up the magic of a walk in the forest. And what better time than spring. Longfellow said it all in the first stanza of Evangeline.
Read MoreOur card for the month of April is The Well of Segais from The Celtic Oracle Deck by John Matthews. It represents the element of water and reminds us of the power and critical importance of water. As April showers prevail this month and will grow May flowers, perhaps the card is asking us to take time to be grateful for water, to find ways to protect its purity and stop its waste. There are a number of Irish legends about the Well of Segais. All are meant to remind us that wisdom comes from understanding the interconnectedness of life and honoring the nurturing elements Nature has given us.
Read MoreCities throughout the world have come to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with great fanfare huge parades, and lots of green beer. And, although the St. Patrick’s Day parades in Dublin, Kilkenny and Killarney are now major tourist attractions, there was a time when parades in NYC, Boston and Chicago were much larger. St. Patrick’s Day for the Irishman who had left his beloved Ireland for America or Australia or some other part of the world became a day celebrating his Irishness and mourning his loss of home.
Read MoreHere I am kissing a (not wee) leprechaun in the National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin, a great place of fun for young and young at heart as well. I took my Celtic Spirit Tour group there a few years ago and it was a great uplift after a visit to the Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship along the quay.
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