Tree of Knowledge Coven

As I sometimes do, though I have not posted anything for a while, my Coven or myself will often pull cards for the New Year. Here is what we did for 2020. (I use initials for my Coveners as it is not my place to “out” them as Witches!) It will be interesting to review at the end of the year to see whether these themes were prominent in our lives.

We used the Gaian Tarot (GT) by Joanna Powell-Colbert (JPC) because the cards have an affirmation we can focus on during the year and the Herbcrafters Tarot (HT) by Lathisha Guthrie and Joanna Powell-Colbert because they have actions we can take.

Most anyone who is a Witch and also uses Tarot is familiar with the suits as they follow quite well our Elemental correspondences. From the notes on the Gaian Tarot, JPC notes that the journey through the numbers are in three sets of three mini-dramas with 10 as a card of transition. The Ace through 10 Minor Arcana also corresponds to the Major Arcana card. 0 the Fool usually represents the alter-ego of the querent with Ace/Magician, Two/High Priestess, Three/Gardener (Empress in traditional decks), etc… The sets are: Ace-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9. The first card of each signifies a beginning (Ace, 4, 7). The middle card is a challenge (2, 5, 8) and the last card is a resolution (3, 6, 9) assuming one has met the challenge of the middle card. Each set goes deeper as we do in our lives as youth, adult, and elder and each of the challenge cards are specific: Two cards show a challenge of choice, Five cards depict a struggle with external hardship, and Eight cards reflect an inner challenge of transforming one’s vision into reality. To reach the Ten cards, one has been tested three times and has arrived with skills and experience to now transition to another turn on the Wheel. From JPC, “The Tens are like a dark moon: something dies, and yet in that darkness, somethings waits to be born and the cycle begins again.”

In the Herbcrafters Tarot, the suits are the Elements that makeup life, AIR, FIRE, WATER, EARTH and represent the skills acquired by the Herbcrafter: learning (AIR), creating (FIRE), nourishing (WATER), and giving (EARTH). The numbers represent how they contribute to the ecosystem:

1. Dooryard herbs and weeds
2. Plants that attract pollinators or feed animals
3. Plants that are easy to grow
4. Plants used for borders and hedges
5. Plants listed as endangered or threatened
6. Abundantly producing plants
7. Ancient trees
8. Root medicine plants
9. Fruit trees
10. Cover crops and composting plants

Now for the cards we pulled:

• St –
  • GT – Ten of Air – Transition, Transformation, Endings & Beginnings. It is a bittersweet time of letting go that you may not want to face. What wisdom do the ancestors have for you? Affirmation: I heed the inevitability of change and discover the gifts of letting go.
  • HT – Seven of Water – BIRCH – Ancient Trees, Initiation, Deeper Journey. Birch grows multiple stems from one trunk, and water extracted from the tree rids the body of toxins. Imagine the possibilities. Choose one option out of many. Open your heart to wisdom from Soul. Toast to a fresh start.
• Sh –
  • GT – 21. Gaia, The World – (Major Arcana) May all beings be blessed. This card is the best of all cards to get in a reading because it represents a culmination on your spiritual journey. It signifies wholeness and integration of your spiritual, emotional, and physical lives. Perhaps your joy is not as full as it could be. Offer prayers for others. Affirmation: All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. 
  • HT – Three of Air – Echinacea – Flourishing, Abundance, Harmony. Wild echinacea, a potent medicinal that once blanketed the prairies of North America, is now endangered. Echinacea remedies increase resistance to infection and build a strong body. Speak the truth about your heartbreak. Be the medicine that heals the pierced heart. Healing from grief takes time.
• K –
  • GT – Guardian of Water – (Queen of Water) Protecting and Nurturing the Community. The Guardian of Water is kind, gracious, and caring and has great empathy for those in need. She guides us to cherish our dreams, follow our intuition, and listen to our hearts. Affirmation: I trust the waters of love and compassion flowing from my heart.
  • HT – 7. The Chariot – Cedar – (Major Arcana) Cedar is both a spiritual vessel used in sacred ceremony and a literal vessel when it is used to make canoes. Move forward with confidence. Be disciplined yet flexible in your pursuits. Embody the journey.
• Lu –
  • GT – Elder of Air – (King of Air) Holding Wisdom, Giving Counsel. The Elder of Air offers the gift of inspiration, balance, and clarity. He shows us how to experience communion with the Great Mystery through worship, praise, or meditation, but loneliness, self-pity, or illness can cause one to forget how to commune with the wisdom of the world. Affirmation: I am a song of peace and healing for the world.
  • HT – Seven of Earth R! 11; Oak – Ancient Trees, Initiation, Deeper Journey. Oaks are slow-growing, long-lived sovereigns of the land. You don’t get old by being weak. Live by the rhythms of the earth. Work slowly and steadily toward your goal. Plant for the generations to come.
• A –
  • GT – Ten of Earth – Transition, Transformation, Endings & Beginnings. Something you thought had ended in your life is beginning to burst forth with new shoots. Perhaps the long journey to see your work succeed is finally paying off or have you allowed overwork and overwhelm to trap you? Affirmation: I know that my life’s work will benefit the coming generations.
  • HT – 18. The Moon – Datura – (Major Arcana) Datura has a long history of magic and lore with Witches and cunning folk. The potent seeds and flowers have been used by experienced practitioners to induce alternative states of consciousness. Face the unknown. Enter the luminous darkness. Open your eyes to night-blooming magic.
• La –
  • GT – Two of Air – Balance, Receptivity, Attraction, Test of Choice. You are learning to become so still that you can hear the quietest sound of all; the voice within your own heart, the voice of Spirit. When your mind is too busy, you can’t discern the voice of guidance. Make time and space in your day to sit in silence and allow insight to appear. Affirmation: I take time in my day to listen and be open to receiving insight.
  • HT – 9. The Hermit – USNEA – (Major Arcana) Usnea, also called, “old man’s beard”, grows long and healthy on trees where the air is clean. Rest and stillness are good medicine. Go within and listen for your own voice. Clarity is found in places empty of others’ thoughts and ideas. Withdraw into sacred solitude. Gather treasures from the darkness. Emerge with the light.
• Faelind –
  • GT – 8. Strength – (Major Arcana) Courage and Inner Fire. You are learning to embrace the wilder, more instinctual facets of your personality. You may be facing adversity in your life. (Who doesn’t?!?!?) Be alert that fears and anxieties do not take over a situation. Affirmation: I face adversity with peaceful courage and inner fire.
  • HT – Five of Fire – BLACK COHOSH – Threat, Conflict, Adversity. Black Cohosh supports the female reproductive system, alleviating pain and releasing stuck fluids from the body. Honor the fire that rises up within. Neither deny your anger nor let it rule you. Anger is sacred. Burn through the slumber of helplessness and complacency. Resist! Women’s rage is a force that will change the world.

You can find the Gaian Tarot here: https://www.gaiantarot.com/

You can find the Herbcrafters Tarot here: https://www.herbcrafterstarot.com/

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