The Oracle — Intuitive Inspiration & The Uniting Thread
Lessons from the Ace of Wands & Temperance
~ Welcome to The Oracle, a monthly divination to open the archetypal field through a blend of tarot and dreamwork ~
There was a time in my early studies of tarot where I felt quite mystified by the whole process. Although there was always an allure and great sense of potency when I picked up a deck, I typically ran up against frustrating limitations.
The reliance I had on the guidebook and looking up definitions…
Drawing a blank as I attempted to gather insight and meaning from a reading…
A sense of overwhelm when there were too many cards to interpret…
I always felt as if I was lacking, wondering when I would arrive at a place of comfort and ease. Then, one fateful day, a friend of mine asked me to pull some cards and read for them. Diving head first, I agreed, and found myself staring down a spread of cards and a rising panic in my chest.
I took a deep breath and just began talking. I entered into this strange liminal state. Here, but not here. Present, and yet connected to something else beyond. The cadence of my voice shifted and insights flowed from the stream of the unconscious with ease.
That day I learned that the tarot is a gateway into the archetypal realm, a psychic portal that allows you to descend to the unconscious and to receive what flows from it readily.
The art of reading the cards must be squarely situated in this truth, for it schools us in the language and power of symbols—how they move us beyond conscious states and into the depths.
I also realized that my ability to do this was reinforced by the learning I had been engaged in: pulling apart the system of tarot, its structures and patterns, its images and feel. Becoming a fluent tarot reader was the merging of a strong educational base with the ease of the diviner. This month, I seek to guide you through a similar path in The Art of Tarot Interpretation.
To begin, let us turn towards The Oracle’s words as guidance for the weeks ahead…
Inspiration and Integration
Ace of Wands: A creative spark ignites; sensing intuitive potential and flows of inspiration; the stirring of passion and possibility
Temperance: Blending and integration; dialectic and its resulting reconciliation; alignment between opposing or complementary forces