The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Mengloth/Page of Cups; Isa; Ran/Queen of Cups.

More water, more emotions. Ran is going to raise the emotional tides again today, so be prepared for waves of emotions sneaking up out of nowhere.

Isa tells you to set strong boundaries to give yourself space for dealing with the energies so Mengloth can help you heal. Feel the emotions, heal the emotions, and be real with your emotions.

Isa also helps you set strong boundaries so you don’t take things out on others around you. Be aware of your energies and their effects on others, and practice consideration—everyone else is dealing with their intense emotions today, too. Let’s all cut each other a lot of slack, and manage our expectations accordingly.

This ties in nicely with today’s poem for Hela. Be kind to yourself, and those around you.

Today’s poem is an evocative meditation on beauty. I hope it brings some beauty to your day as well.

She Walks in Beauty

~ George Gordon, Lord Byron

The Mediaeval Babes did a lovely recording of this, which you can listen to here.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Sunna/The Sun; Erda; Jord/Queen of Coins.

After yesterday’s strong emotions, today’s energies are grounded in practical, earthy matters and the realm of the mind and creativity.

Sunna gives you light to see things clearly—your situation, other people, and your own self. Go high to see the Big Picture. It’s easy to become so bogged down in the moment that you forget what your long-term goals are. Take today to remind yourself of them, and revise your plans—or your goals—as needed.

Jord represents the Earth Mother, also known as Erda. Erda just happens to be today’s rune. Jord and Erda encourage you to focus on the abundance around you, as well as the future abundance you are creating through your work today. You may have resources you have overlooked, or not made full use of, and today is a good day to bring those into play.

Erda is an Othala shape with tails added at each side. The tails encourage you to reach out to the greater world, solidly grounded in the foundation of your inheritance in all its forms.

Be grounded in yourself so your Self can fly high.

Today’s poem is mostly sweet, a little melancholy.

The Joys of Love

The joys of love
Seem like a moment or two.
The pain of love
Endures the whole life through.

Your eyes kissed mine.
I saw the love in them shine.
You brought me heaven right then,
When your eyes kissed mine.

My love loves me.
And, ah, the wonders I see:
A rainbow shines in my window,
My love loves me.

But now he’s gone
Like a dream that fades into dawn;
But the words stay locked in my heartstrings
My love loves me.

~Giovanni Martini

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Bylgja/Three of Cups; Hagalaz; Svipdag/Knight of Cups.

Today is all about your emotional state. Hagalaz is going to bring up emotions you may not want to deal with, but you have been repressing or ignoring for so long, there’s no containing them any more. This upwelling of energies may (actually, very likely will) disrupt your day. Be patient with yourself and the energies. Let yourself feel the emotions, acknowledge them, process them, and recover. You aren’t going to be able to focus on your work until you deal with these energies, so just sit down with yourself and let your heart speak openly. You can’t stop the tide, so don’t try.

Bylga, the Wave Rider, encourages you to use the emotional tides to make needed changes in your life. Whether that’s rearranging the furniture, finding a new job, or exiting a toxic situation, the change is overdue, and there is no reason to wait another day to start making that change. The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago; the second-best time is now.

Svipdag reminds you to operate from a place of love. Truly loving yourself and treating yourself with the kindness you show to the ones you love will make a huge difference in your attitude and behaviors. Treating those around you with love and kindness will make a difference in their attitude and behaviors. Yes, even the rude person on the bus who cut in front of  you to grab the last seat—send them some kindness and a blessing. It helps you, and may help them. At the very least, it’s a good practice for your soul, and it does them no harm.

Acknowledge, bless, release, and move forward.

Today’s poem for Hela is especially powerful. I hope you enjoy it!

He Fumbles at Your Soul

He fumbles at your Soul

As Players at the Keys —

Before they drop full Music on —

He stuns you by Degrees —

Prepares your brittle Nature

For the Ethereal Blow

By fainter Hammers — further heard —

Then nearer — Then so — slow —

Your Breath — has time to straighten —

Your Brain — to bubble Cool —

Deals One — imperial Thunderbolt —

That scalps your naked soul —

When Winds hold Forests in their Paws —

The Universe — is still —

~Emily Dickinson

As part of my devotions to Hela, I read a poem to Her each morning. I have seen more than one source say She enjoys poems as offerings, and it’s also good for my soul to start the day with some verse. I’m posting them here on my blog as a means of inspiring others who might be searching for some verse for their soul. I hope you enjoy today’s poem.

On A Visit to Chu’ung Chen Taoist Temple I see in the South Hall the List of Successful Candidates in the Imperial Examinations

Cloud capped peaks fill the eyes
In the Spring sunshine.
Their names are written in beautiful characters
And posted in order of merit.
How I hate this silk dress
That conceals a poet.
I lift my head and read their names
In a powerless envy.

~Yu Hsuan-chi

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Hronn/Five of Cups; Fehu; Ran/Queen of Cups.

Hronn is back, and She is in the Active Influence position. Hronn represents the fear and loss of balance of being pulled into a whirlpool, the panic at loss of control and losing your grounding.

Her mother, Ran, is the Hidden Influence. Emotional tides are extremely high today—again. You must deal with them constructively. Collapsing into your fears and pain, or your rage, or whatever you are feeling, is not going to help anyone. Acknowledge the emotions, but do not allow them to run you ragged or push you into poor decisions.

Fehu in the middle is your grounding point. It provides a stable base and gives creative energies of abundance. Once again, you can focus on your worldly responsibilities and plans to help you channel the intense emotions. If you are feeling frightened about your financial circumstances, acknowledge that, then consider what options may exist for improving things. If you are feeling frightened about your relationship with your partner, acknowledge that, then consider what is creating these feelings, and how you can deal with them.

Think of new possibilities; rehashing the same circular thoughts that create the fear and panic does not help. Start by thinking of completely outrageous possibilities, then refine them to practical actions you can do. For example, if you are worried about your finances, one possibility is to run away and join the circus! But that may not be what you truly want to do. (And if it is, go for it!)

Take the outrageous idea and examine what is appealing and workable, and refine that to a plan that is appealing and workable. Running away to join the circus may be appealing, but not workable; however, taking a job on a cruise ship may be just the thing that is both appealing and workable.

Make a plan, or review your existing plan, and take one action to move things forward.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Kari/Ace of Swords; Chalc, reversed; Mimir/The Hanged Man.

Chalc, the chalice of emotions, is overturned. The cup is empty. Whatever emotional storms have been occurring have cleared themselves. There may be a lot of clean up to do, but the drama is over (for now, at least).

Kari tells you that you must use your intellect today. Use the sharp sword of clear thinking and wise reason to navigate the day. Look at your day, your work, your life with calm onjectivity. What is truly important? What are your real priorities today? Cut away anything that is not essential. Today you must focus on what is truly important, not simply what is urgent. If you’re not sure where to start, there is all that clean up from the emotional storms earlier this week.

Mimir reinforces Kari’s message. This is not a day for grand gestures or sweeping statements. You may find that there is actually very little you can do today to deal with things in the big picture. Focus on what you can do. Kari has already helped you update your to-do list and clear away what is not necessary. Mimir counsels taking the actions you can, and leaving the rest to happen in good time.

If you can’t move to a new house you like better, clean the one you are in. Tidy up, rearrange the furniture, paint a wall, change the pictures you have up. This applies to your metaphysical house as well, not just your dwelling place here on this planet.

If you can’t do a large thing, do a small thing, and do it with intention.

As part of my devotions to Hela, I read a poem to Her each morning. I have seen more than one source say She enjoys poems as offerings, and it’s also good for my soul to start the day with some verse. I’m posting them here on my blog as a means of inspiring others who might be searching for some verse for their soul. I hope you enjoy today’s poem.

Giving