Friday Tarot: Ace of Swords

Starting what I hope will become a regular thing, I’ll be posting a new one-card tarot reading every Friday.

Today, I pulled the Ace of Swords.

Symbolizes: honesty, justice, integrity, fortitude, intellect

A clear understanding of the past, present and future has taken root in your life, but you may not know it yet. It shows a beginning of possibility in so many ways – justice, truth, clarity, intelligence. The outcome can materialize in any form, from a great idea, to financial security through an important decision, to a breakthrough in relationships around you.

However, sooner or later life throws a curve-ball that you’ll either catch, or miss. The Ace of Swords is a reminder to meet these issues with an honest resolve, standing strong, keeping to your ethics.

The Ace of Swords encourages you to look to your current situation, and how a focused mind and energy could work towards your personal goals. If you maintain personal honesty, integrity and insight, this card will help you focus on achieving your desires.

Yule-Creating New Pagan Family Traditions

The girls and I have been working on the former chapbook project off and on for some time now. In the last week, we’ve polished up the Yule selection, and it’s now available through Kindle and in multi-format ebook through Smashwords.

ierne (Morrighan Corvidae) of Glas Celli presents a short handbook to introduce traditional pagan information, ritual, meal plan and activities for new pagan families.

Yule, also known as Saturnalia, Alban Huan, Sol, and Midwinter, is celebrated at the winter solstice, on or around December 21st.

It is the time of darkness, and yet a returning of the light. The night of the solstice is the longest period of darkness each year; with the breaking of dawn, the light returns a little more each day, until the summer solstice in June. It is now that the Oak King returns to defeat the Holly King, symbolically replacing the aging deity with a younger, stronger self. The son replacing the father to become the son once more, the circle of life – the wheel of the year – facilitated by the Great Mother. She has given us her greatest gift, and in exchange, we honor both herself, and her son.

I honestly can’t say when the next one will be available, but when I get a few moments of spare time, I’ll probably try and re-format the Litha chapbook for official publication as well. Should all go well, I hope to have the next one done and ready for Beltaine (which would be the Beltaine collection…)

This is also a bit of an experiment for my formatting skills… I’ve never included images in the ebooks for Belfire or myself, and Yule has an abundance of them. I’m hoping to get some constructive feedback through reviews etc.

I have to admit to having some fun tracking down open source, easy to customize coloring pages!

What a Child Learns

I found this today in my gran’s little black ‘cookbook,’ a small binder filled to bursting with old wives tales, recipes, kitchen tips, rhymes, alternative healing methods passed down from her mother and aunts, and notes about life in general. I have several of these little binders of hers, and each one is a treasure in and of itself.

This particular piece is uncredited, a snippet of age-yellowed newsprint cut from the weekend edition, or perhaps the old farmer’s magazine they used to get once in a while.

What a Child Learns

If a child lives with criticism,
    He learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hositility,
    He learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule,
    He learns to be shy.

If a child lives with shame,
    He learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance,
    He learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement,
    He learns to have confidence.

If a child lives with praise,
    He learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with fairness,
    He learns justice.

If a child lives with approval,
    He learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
    He learns to find love in the world.

Author unknown.