Storyteller Spread Day 8: Key

I'm on Day 8 of using Dianne Sylvan's Storyteller spread, today pulling the card for the eighth position, representing The Key.

The Key is what will unlock the Treasure (Card 9), the reward or gift that results from facing the Dragon (Card 7) and overcoming that challenge. It represents the evolution of the Dream (Card 2) - how the hero's motivations have changed during her journey and it offers divine guidance on how to move forward.

The card I drew for this position was the Four of Cups - arguably the first "negative" card of the spread. I'm not sure how to interpret this card in this position. In this deck, the card depicts a mermaid, and the artist tells the story of one who has grown bored with the constant monotony of the sea and its beings, so she swims higher than she's ever gone before and hoists herself out onto land. For a moment, lost in thought and day-dream, she has a glimpse of a realm of sky and sea blended, the water a perfect mirror of the sky so that the horizon seems to disappear - and for the first time she sees her own reflection and is able to perceive her beauty. Then this day-dream is disturbed as she reaches out to touch her reflection in the water, and she realizes the strange denizens of the air are watching her and she is not as alone as she thought. She begins to feel the cold dry air on her skin and longs to slip back into the ocean and return to her watery home.

The number four represents stability and form, but it is often interpreted among the suits as an expression of stagnation and fossilization, becoming trapped in patterns - in the case of Cups, becoming emotionally disengaged and bored, wallowing in self-indulgence and old emotional habits or patterns. Yet there's also a kind of echoing dualism in the number four (2 + 2 and 2 X 2) that creates the potential for dynamic tension that can raise the energies of the suit or card to a new level. It seems like this is what the artist of this deck was exploring when she depicted the story of the mermaid who sought the surface - though there is self-indulgence, there is also an opportunity for real introspection and a glimpse of the self that has never been seen before (which I guess makes sense - if we can take a step back and recognize emotional patterns or habits as they are and perhaps see where they come from).

I'm not entirely sure if this card is showing me a "negative" truth, the realization of which (and so the avoidance or transformation that may result) is the "key" to unlocking the treasure.... or if the card is meant to represent some more obscure but positive "key." Is the key here what I should avoid, or what I should come to appreciate as a blessing in disguise? I'm just not sure.

I drew two supporting cards seeking clarity on this question, and the two that I drew were the High Priestess (II) and the Chariot (VII). Again, two major arcana cards supporting a minor arcana card - and as in previous spreads, both major arcana cards face in towards the center, towards each other and towards the primary card of the spread. Both of these cards express a certain duality in them. The Chariot, for obvious reasons: the mastering of two wild charges who both want to go each their own way, who have been brought into relationship and mastered - this card, I've always understood, represents the mastery of will and self-discipline, and to some extent the conscious mind, over the wildness of the subconscious with its urges and desires (and fears and uncertainties). The goddess of victory tames even the depths of the sea, which calms for her as she rides her chariot across it. The High Priestess is also a card of duality: the card is numbered II (although technically its the third major arcana card the way they're normally organized), and the High Priestess herself stands between the two pillars which, in this deck, are depicted as the forking limbs of a mighty tree. She spread her two arms wide, creating a kind of chalice of her body. She stands upon the threshold to the mysteries, especially the dark mysteries of the subconscious realm. So these two cards, in addition to representing dualities in themselves, also reflect two aspects of a central duality: the balance between subconscious and conscious mind. In each, a goddess aspires to the heights of her power, the epitome and very embodiment of her realm. Even their postures seem to mirror each other - the High Priestess raises her arms and lifts her hands above her, while the Chariot goddess throws her arms down and back, hands outstretched to her sides.

I'm still left wondering what exactly this Key is. If this is meant to be an evolution of the Dream - the Ace of Cups - perhaps it is the maturation of the vision seen reflected in the gift of the chalice, this time brought into manifestation and form. If the Four of Cups represents not only a certain risk of boredom and stagnation but also an opportunity to push beyond that to the next "level" or plane, then it seems the energies of the major arcana cards are supporting that effort with all the power they can muster. I'm just not sure how this will manifest in my life - perhaps taking on more public roles as a podcast and as a volunteer teacher will give me a chance to step back and see myself for the first time, even if I have to push myself "out of my element" every once in a while. What strikes me about the Four of Cups is that, though there are four chalices carried by the air sprites, the ocean itself could be thought of as a fifth chalice. And while the mermaid may ignore the other four, she gives her full attention, as well as her longing, to that far vaster and deeper chalice of the sea - and she can always go back to it whenever she likes, there is nothing forcing her to stay on land but her own will and determination. Considering that I began this journey with the Nine of Cups, utterly submersed in the watery realms, perhaps the "key" that this latest card represents is just the reminded that the vision, the dream, is still alive and it is possible to return to that vision for renewal and a refreshed, revived sense of motivation whenever I need it. And maybe by doing so, I'll step more fully into the roles of High Priestess and Charioteer alike, both sovereign of my own conscious mind and will and devotee to the deeper mysteries of the subconscious realms of the soul

Storyteller Spread Day 2: Dream

I'm on Day 2 of using Dianne Sylvan's Storyteller spread, today pulling the card for the second position, representing The Dream.

This card tells about the nature of the quest itself - it is the gift of a vision or dream about what the hero must set out to do, why she is called away from the Home represented in the first card.

The primary card I drew for this position tonight was the Ace of Cups, which seemed to me immediately to suggest this idea of the "quest for the holy grail." This beautiful goblet is the source of intuition and emotional fulfillment and connection, as well as of dream, creativity, fantasy and vision. The still waters held within the cup are a mirror that reflects the deeper, subconscious patterns of the world from which we can learn, and from the cup spring the sensual, physical manifestations of the senses. Like all Ace cards, the Ace of Cups is a gift that is offered freely, a gift of grace. It is also a card of beginnings, but in this case maybe not so obvious a beginning that might be reflected in the external world - more an opening to love in a broader sense, a going-within to seek for the vision and creative dreaming that allow us to discover self-love and love of life, and through this to discover self-acceptance and joy.

When I meditate on this card, once again I slip into the vision that the card depicts very easily - and the cup seems to be right before me. Unlike the image actually depicted on the card, of the cup set off somewhat in front of the viewer, in my trance work the goblet is right before me as though I'm holding it close between my two hands, peering down into its depths. So close is this cup to me that I can almost feel its waters sloshing and spilling out over its sides to wet my hands and splash me. The cup seems huge and heavy, but not so heavy so that it's hard to hold. Though last night's vision of the cup was of a glowing golden goblet (inspired no doubt by the way the cup was depicted in the Nine of Cups), tonight, the cup is silver and glistening as though illuminated by moonlight. I wonder if this is also an aspect of the quest, the journey I am to undertake - seeking by the light of the moon and stars, the light of night and twilight, the darker, more intuitive "inner light" - rather than by the overt, extroverted, bright and golden light of the noonday sun.

The two supporting cards I drew were the Eight of Wands (again!) and Justice. The Eight of Wands is clearly of great importance right now, emphasizing this message of casting my energy, efforts and hopes to the wind and trusting in the greater pattern of it all. The card of Justice speaks of balance and vision alike - it evokes this idea of justice as the harmony of right relationship, and far from being blind, the figure of Justice in this card can see with a vision that pierces even the darkest obscurity. She holds the feather as though it were a sword - and yet it is light and delicate - as butterflies flock around her and the scales that she holds. This is a card of balance of inner and outer as well, of conscious and subconscious. She holds one hand in towards herself while extending the other to hold out the scales - one of her wings is turned upwards while another turns down. To me, this suggests that an aspect of this quest will be to seek balance between my inner subconscious and my conscious, rational mind that is closer to the surface. I think this is a positive sign that I should not worry overly much about giving in to fantasy or day-dream as merely impractical or indulgent - that exploring the subconscious is perhaps something I have been somewhat remiss in before and the primary nature of the quest, finding that intuitive source and vision, is a process of bringing more balance and openness to my life and my work. Tempering the energy of wands (which are obviously playing a big role in this) and the sometimes harsh light of the rational mind who seeks to assign responsibility (but perhaps can too easily resort to placing blame, especially on oneself) - with the cooler, darker depths of the creative unconscious mind-soul.

Brighid and Poetry

A post I made on TC in the Cauldron Cill SIG, where folks were discussing Brighid's connections to poetry in response to this quote:

I'm with Juni in interpreting the concept of poetry to include all learning, education, wisdom, and arts. From what we know about the ancient Celts, poetry was mostly the domain of the druids, and so much of their learning and teaching was wrapped up in poetry.

So, for me, when I think about poetry in the context of Brighid, I think of learning, education, and wisdom, as well as written poems and other kinds of creative writing. And even performing arts. (Dance = "poetry in motion")

I tend to take a broad view like this of all of Brighid's traditional associations. Healing is so much more than curing an individual's physical illness or injury. Smithcraft can encompass many kinds of shaping, creating, joining together, etc. That's how I arrived at the idea of Brighid as a "patron" of social justice and advocacy. Advocates look at the parts of society that are broken and work to fix them through joining with other groups, forming coalitions, and developing better policies and laws. That process includes -- in a metaphorical sense -- healing (fixing society problems), smithcraft (building coalitions and creating policy), and poetry (learning about problems, educating the public and policy-makers about issues and solutions, crafting legislation and supporting material).

I couldn't figure out what to quote from your post, Aster, because all of it seems to relate really well to what I was going to write!

I've been thinking a lot about Brighid's triple character. (Cosmological tangent: So, for me, Brighid has different... levels (eh, I don't like that word but it's the best I can do right now). At one level, she embodies a kind of polarity or duality, fire and water, light and dark intermingling. At another level, she has this triple aspect or character, that for me is related somewhat to the three Druidic elements (nwyfre, gwyar and calas, which I think of as force, flow and form) and the three realms (land, sea, sky). These aspects find expression in the "ten thousand things" of the natural world, human culture and experience, etc., but they also lead back to or are a part of an original Mystery of creativity or unity as well, giving her a kind of primordial/cosmic nature. Sorry if this doesn't make any sense... I'm only just beginning to articulate it.) So - where was I? Oh yeah! In thinking about Brighid's triple character, I see poetry, healing and smithcraft as kind of metaphors or symbols of three broader aspects: inspiration, integration and transformation.

For me, poetry is a symbol of inspiration. Inspiration is like the sudden spark of insight or vision, the in-breath of spirit or deity into our lives. It can be completely disruptive and transgressive, coming in and tearing down our assumptions about how the world works and how things fit together. I think the best poems are the ones that juxtapose radically different ideas or images, that play with the sound and meanings of words in ways that allow us to see and hear them in completely new ways. In modern poetry (in a literate society like ours), another defining feature of a poem is often its structure or format on the page - it's set off in verses and stanzas, so that the white, empty space of the page makes a kind of frame around it and sets it off as something special, not just ordinary prose. Oral performances of poetry are a kind of performance art themselves, in which the voice of the poet weaves a vision out of surrounding silence for those who are listening. This is like inspiration - it can come unexpectedly out of an empty sky!

So when I think about Brighid's aspect as patron of poetry, I think of it in this broader sense - whatever is inspiring and allows us to see things in radically new ways. Music, art, storytelling, education and learning all fall under that aspect to a certain extent.

But I also see inspiration - because it is something radically different, something that can seem to come from "outside" ourselves - as being part of a process, and integration and transformation are the two other aspects of that process. With the in-breath of divine inspiration, we're left with a rift in our old worldview that requires us to seek healing (even if only metaphorically), so that we can establish a new sense of wholeness or completeness that now includes the insight or vision we've gained from inspiration. When we find that new wholeness or integration for ourselves, we can then bring that vision out into the world around us - we become active participants in transformation, changing and shaping others. When we do this, though, we are actually creating new opportunities for inspiration - we bring something new and unique to others that might become a spark for them, and we also will face new challenges that will be new sources of inspiration for ourselves, so there's a cycle or process there that feeds itself.

Inspiration that isn't followed by healing and integration, on the other hand, can lead to madness. I think that's why there's such a strong link between poetry and madness in Celtic mythology, with divinely inspired poets and seers being driven mad and fleeing society to live in the wilderness among the wild beasts. It's almost as though the vision and insight of divine inspiration breaks open the ordinary human mind.... and maybe spending time in solitude out in the wilds is actually one way of coping with the necessary process of healing and becoming whole again (especially if you're seeking a wholeness which remains open and doesn't require you to shut back down, which I think sometimes living in "civilized society" with its laws and restrictions and social boundaries can cause people to do).

Anyway, so that's my rambling. :) I don't know if it was helpful or not... I tend to think that anything that helps us break open our expectations of the world and inspire new insights into how things are and how we fit into it all is an expression of Brighid's "poetic" side. :)