The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Hela/Death; Algiz and Sowelu; Unn/ Eight of Cups.

You must let go of what’s dead. Leave it in the past. Turn and see the light ahead, and look carefully to see what it illuminates in the Web of Wyrd.

Algiz reminds us that we are vulnerable in this time of transition, and to keep strong boundaries in place as we move into the light.

Today overflows with deep magic. Proceed with curiosity blended with caution. Great changes can start from small actions today.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Narvi & Vali/Ten of Swords; Berkana (reversed); Billing/King of Coins.

Well, yes. It is as grim as it looks.

The Ten of Swords in most decks is not a happy card, and The Giants’ Tarot version is no exception. Treachery, betrayal, trickery, and coming from those you would never suspect. Or is it your own treachery inflicted upon someone who trusts you? Or are you sabotaging yourself? Whoever is the perpetrator has much to answer for–even if they feel completely justified in their actions, what they are doing is simply wrong.

Berkana reversed isn’t helping. That growth and new life carried in Berkana is stuck, frozen, perhaps even permanently damaged and unsalvageable. Right now, there is pain and anger and hurt and loss, and that’s just where you are.

Billing, as the Hidden Influence, is our encouragement. Billing advises us to look at what remains, what we still have. Even if we feel we have lost all that is truly important, some resources remain, even if they seem scant and insufficient. If nothing else, right this moment, you are alive–and that makes everything else possible. All may seem lost, but some things of value remain, including your Self.

Look within to find the survival instinct to help you through this dreadful situation. Berkana will turn upright, and life will go on.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Utgard-Loki/Emperor; Inguz; Mani/The Moon.

Two Major Arcana cards and a transition rune – welcome to the Solstice!

A lot is going on under the surface, for you and for everyone around you. Keep this in mind as you move through your day. Utgard-Loki emphasizes the need for rational thought and practical action today. Make lists, check things off as you do them, have a plan for the day and follow it. Be diligent in the performance of your duties and finish your work on time. Tonight you can go home and indulge in all the moon magic and soul work you desire in sync with the Solstice–but until the evening, you need to be grounded in the here and now.

Inguz is ready for you when you are ready for magic tonight. The door to the Other Worlds, to your soul depths, to your magic, will open tonight. Enter it calmly, prepared for adventure. Who knows what you will find? The implication with Inguz is the recovery of some part of the Self, something you already knew, but lost track of and it fell out of your life.

What do you need to bring back into your life? What do you need to incorporate back into your Self, your way of being, your daily life? Something that was precious and laid to the side is waiting for you to reclaim it, to integrate back into your self to be more whole.

Wishing you a joyous and soulful Solstice!

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Gjalp & Griep/Five of Wands; Inguz; Loki/The Magician.

And here we have the Universe presenting another Learning Opportunity.

Inguz shows us the possibility for growth and change, and energizes us to walk that path. But not everyone shares our opinion on what is the right thing to do, or what the desired outcome actually is.

Loki inspires us with His silver tongue to master our own words and eloquently resolve the dispute. “Use your words” in the most persuasive way possible–coax, cajole, appeal to reason or emotion–whatever it takes to get the other person to see things your way. And do so truthfully. No little white lies, not even the tiniest of fibs–win honestly and graciously.

Be smart, not sly, or you will lose in the long run.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Mengloth/Page of Cups; Sol; Groa/Nine of Wands.

Groa appears in the Hidden Influence position, as she did yesterday when paired with Rind, the Page of Swords. Today, Groa appears with Mengloth, the Page of Cups. We shift from thoughts to emotions, continuing under Groa’s wise instruction.

Mengloth is a renowned healer, shown in her work room, creating healing potions. Mengloth encourages us to look at ourselves with kindness, to see where we are hurt, and to make an honest effort–no matter how small–to begin healing ourselves. We cannot care for others if we do not first care for ourselves, and Mengloth gives us both permission and reason to take better care of ourselves, to treat ourselves with the kindness and compassion we usually confer on others.

Sol, the Sun goddess, brings us the light and energy we need for the work. Sol, too, brings us healing and hope, giving us the energy to move on once we are healed.

Groa’s fiery wisdom and deep experience reinforce the message to believe in our abilities, both the ones we have acquired thus far in our lives, and our ability to learn new ways of being and living in order to be more whole and more authentic.

Continue the good work begun with yesterday’s reading, and remember the Buddhist teaching, “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Rind/Page of Swords; Kenaz; Groa/Nine of Wands.

You have come far and learned much. You have acquired skills and knowledge, and can feel good about your mastery of your experience. And now it’s time to learn something new.

Rind encourages us to apply critical thinking and focus to the light and energy which Kenaz brings us. Making our choices and taking action based on the wisdom and experience represented by Groa, with the curiosity and openness to new ideas embodied in Rind, we find new solutions to old problems, new ways of thinking about the same old situation so that we can take action and make positive changes in ourselves and our lives.

Kenaz shows us the way, shines light on the path we can take. Kenaz sparks the fire in our souls, reignites our passion for our art, our work, our lives, infusing us with the desire and energy to create. Create what? Art, music, a batch of cookies, a home, a relationship, a new life, a more authentic self. Dance in the creative fire, and let Rind focus the heat and energy into real action.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Bara/Nine of Cups; Ansuz (reversed); Hymir & Hrod/Five of Swords.

The tide is rising, the beach is receding. If you haven’t noticed before now, you really have to pay attention. If you’ve been in denial, or indulging in rationalization–time’s up. You can’t ignore this any more.

Bara’s powers of erosion continue to dissolve the protective walls and barriers you have relied on to keep the emotional tide at a distance. Yes, the situation is messy, and it will be unpleasant (or downright awful) to deal with, and it may not work out as you want it to–but you must deal with it. When the floor is gone, there is no point in throwing a rug down and hoping no one notices.

Hymir and Hrod encourage us to use our intelligence and to work with others to deal with the situation. What we know, what we are able to do, is necessary, but by itself is insufficient. We need to combine our knowledge and skills with the knowledge and skills of others to find the complete solution to the problem. We must be honest about what the problems are, what the possibilities are, and what we are able to do–pretending, dissembling, or refusing to cooperate are not going to help anyone. We’re all in this together, and we all have to do our parts to make the whole situation work.

Pay attention, focus, and do what you can do–then do a bit more.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Mjol/Eight of Wands; Gar and Ul; Unn/Eight of Cups.

Take a seat. There’s a lot going on here.

We have the balance of the Eight of Fire with the Eight of Water. Balance doing and feeling; channel emotional energy (in whatever form you are experiencing it) into productive action. Mjol carries a sense of rushing, of things moving quickly, and we need to keep up. Using our emotional energy to feed our actions will help, and will also keep us from becoming lost in emotional contemplation. Make the most of the resources you have, and look around you to discover resources you may have previously ignored.

Eight itself is all about balance. Eight turned on its side becomes a lemniscate, the infinite cycle of energy in the universe.

Then there’s Gar, with its two balance points, bringing in the energy of the Universe, of Wyrd, of The Nornir and Odin.

Ul is a rune of healing, of reclaiming personal power, of restoring personal balance. (So.Much.Subtlety.) This rune helps the user draw on their own energies to heal and to make themselves whole. Ul’s energies can also be directed to help the user turn a difficult situation around to their favor–tying back to Mjol’s counsel to make the best of where we are.

Balance, direction, and agility–physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual–are what you need to do. Do your stretches, meditate, warm up y0ur body and psyche for today’s sprints.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Logi/Ace of Wands; Dagaz; Gefjon/Ace of Coins.

Hey, you! Yes, you. Right there. See this? This is your permission slip to do what is right for you, to make the changes you need to make, so that you can live the life you want. Not the life your parents, or your high school counselor, or your spouse or children or you nosey neighbor want you to live–your life on your terms.

Logi is the creative spark, the fiery passion of your soul that rouses you to action, to creation, to change. Gefjon gives you the focus and will to do the work, to prepare the field and plant it and tend it.

Dagaz is all about transformation. Night turns to day, sorrow turns to joy, an idea becomes reality. You can make your ideas into your reality–start right now, right where you are. Not when you are less busy at work, or after the holidays, or once [fill in the blank with your favorite rationalization] happens. Right here, right now.

As we approach the Winter Solstice, the energy surrounding us supports this change. A brief moment, and things change-the darkness turns to light, and the days become longer, the nights shorter. Even if the change is barely perceptible, it progresses a bit each day, and suddenly it’s no longer dark when you leave work.

Likewise, with incremental changes, we can create the larger changes our souls are urging us toward. One idea, one step, one action at a time, we will transform ourselves and our lives so the Spring Equinox finds us living more authentic lives.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Hati & Skoll/The Chariot; Cweorth and Mannaz; Nine Maidens of the Mill/Nine of Coins.

Grab those reigns and steer! Things are moving quickly, and you have a lot to do before you reach your destination. You don’t have to control everything, even if it feels like you do. Do your part, and let others do theirs.

The fire energy of Cweorth feeds the movement of the Chariot. You have been releasing that which no longer serves (people, situations, habits, possessions, etc.) which lightens the load on the Chariot, and the load on your soul. Keep clearing, keep consigning to the funeral pyre all that is dead and no longer nurtures you.

The Nine Maidens of the Mill appear to remind us to Do The Work. Clean your house, organize your files, finish incomplete tasks, clear the decks. Next to Mannaz, the rune of the Self, I take their appearance in this reading to mean that the work to focus on is on our *selves* as much as it is about external responsibilities.

The cleaning and clearing we’ve done on the material plane absolutely affects us emotionally and spiritually. Take time to put your internal house in order while working on your physical environment. You can’t do everything all at once, and working on yourself is just as important as doing your laundry, even if you don’t end up with the tangible result of a neatly folded pile of towels.

Do your work, do your Work, nourish your body, nurture your spirit, and you will make a good journey of it, and perhaps have some fabulous stories to tell.