New hobby - Geocaching!

This weekend my other half let my excitement carry us to a new hobby, geocaching. So as we were preparing for a day in the city, I searched for caches close to where we'd be. The first was a green space I'd not known of close to where he games sometimes on the weekends. Periodically I go in to Calgary with him and go to a few yarn stores, then sit at the game store and knit while they play. I wanted to check it out so I could possibly knit there instead of in the store. The second, I admit was a great point of interest for Mark: the military museum, hehehehe. I chose it so he wouldn't get bored or to spark his interest, little did I know he was hooked with the first find.

I was too quick to feel defeat, and did not realize zooming in with the GPS was what I needed to do. As soon as I zoomed in, I decided to keep at it. The clue was there, it HAD to be there. Could that dirty bag under the leaves really be it? I sat quietly with what could be garbage in my hand or what could be my first cache! With trepidation I opened the nescafe can and thankfully was rewarded with the site of a log book. Whew, what a relief that was! Other geocachers came up as we where looking though the find, I felt bad and immediately wondered if I'd broken a code or done something totally wrong. lol Who'd have thought in all the cache's someone would be coming to find the same one, in an unknown corner of the world.

The second was tricky and another huge learning curve. I had flipped a number in the coordinates, it was 772m, a had recorded 722m! Thank goodness I'd checked the clue before leaving home! It was in the parking lot, a big tank up on display. We dare not crawl on top, instead we look low, in the tracks, behind the tracks. Then I spotted a number that looked kinda like the clue number but a little off! Coming from a background of overhauling military equipment, I knew exactly what it meant. We found the right wheel and I dared to reach behind.. success!

What did I learn?

• Check coordinates carefully
• Some coordinates get you close, but not right on top of the cache
• Stop and think, clues are just that .. clues.. they aren't big neon flashing arrows
• I need better shoes

I learnt alot, we had fun, we succeded! (I'm pretty sure we'll do it again, we've already picked out a few for today near home). I didn't take pics yesterday, I will today.

Tarot Study - The Suits

I have seen and read (in books and online) about using the numbers on tarot cards for study by understanding common themes. Two references would be my MerryDay companion book and a book in Mary K. Greer's series. I've read it being called "Constellations". There are also references online for the art of reading with a 52 deck of cards, using suit and number, called cartomancy. The next few tarot blog entries will be about using suit and number to add finesse to your reading, the best place to start would be to understand the suits (and relate them back to a 52 regular playing deck). This may also help with the court cards.. we'll get to that after the numbers.

Look at your deck and decide if it matches the common elemental associations. Please look carefully at Wands and Swords because sometimes the elements are reversed and Air is used to represent Wands while Fire is used to represent Swords. If your elements are reversed for these two suits, your general meaning will follow element not suit. Yes, yes, not all suits are named exactly, I've put the other names below as well to help. If you come across something different than below, I'd love to hear from you!


Fire = Wands/Staves/Staffs/Baton = Clubs
The red firey tip on some decks wands brings me back to learning color. Red and Fire represent the energy and passion or fire within. Your drive and motivation to journey, to excel at work, spirit or creativity. Something you put your own personal energy into.

Water = Cup/Chalice = (you guessed it) Hearts
Water soothes and heals, it's a conduit for electric energy and connects us to the divine. The tides ebb and flow as do our emotions. Cups represents love, I see it as loving others as well as loving ourselves and the earth we inhabit along with her creatures and creations.

Air = Swords = Spade
The air carries our words to others. Words can cut like a blade. Swords are about thoughts, ideas and communication.

Earth = Pentacle/Coins/Discs = Diamonds (mined from the Earth)
From the earth we are born, from the earth minerals are mined and refined. Pentacles is of body and tangible things of this world, including money. This extends to business matters as well, I see it as business bringing in cash wealth.. or not.


Cups as water, that's a pretty easy element association, a chalice holds water. A sword slices through the air. Coins or pentacles are mined from the earth. Wands sometimes have a red (fire) crystal at the tip. I have thoughts on remembering the element if your deck has Swords and Wands reversed, but I don't want to confuse them, so I'm going to leave them out.

I use visualization to remember the playing card associations. I couldn't resist putting my association for Pentacles and Cups above in brackets. That leaves Wands and Swords, for those I have images that dance in my mind. I see a club held over a caveman's head, as if in a dream he morphs into a wizard carrying a wand, both are tools and can be held above the head to "assert" their power. I see my mom digging in her garden using a spade, she's one tough woman that in days past I could see overcoming stereotypes and looks and jeers to become a knight carrying a sword! I tell ya, I never wanted to mess with her!


My personal decks in relation to the elements
MerryDay has the suits in the following order and element: Swords (Air, Spring), Wands (Fire, Summer), Cups (Water, Autumn) and Pentacles (Earth, Winter). The pictures in the Mystic Faerie do not show seasons, only one suit story (yes, each suit has an enchanting story, bringing the fae and the deck alive) tells of a season, the one element is also not very prevelant within the images. For the Mystic Faerie: Wands (Fire, Summer), Cups (Water), Swords (no apparent element by deduction Air will suffice) and Pentacles (Earth). By deduction I can assume the Swords are air, but honestly there's nothing on the pictures to classify it. The swords are represented by thorns.. not very airy to me. My Faery Wicca deck is named from cities, I'm leaving those out to avoid confusion. My other decks are newer and will require more study later, they are very quirky in their own right and I think two work for examples to give you something to work from and relate to your own deck.


*online references include IvyRose Holistic Resources and Thirteen's Tarot Card Meanings online at Aeclectic.net .

The Moon

Like the phases of the moon, I shall return to gaze upon the her again. A quick look was all I could stand. I felt as if I intruded and dare not face her wraith

I spoke with The Moon today, ominous as she was. The eerie shadows almost scared me off, but I stood with my feet grounded and saw a beautiful sight...

My instant reaction to this card was one of mistrust. I cannot decide if she is sad or feeling anger and seeking revenge. But the wolf trusts her...

The wolf, acting on instinct and intuition...

Her hair lively and beautiful, her intent consistent. I have found a few sources for meanings of this card that include the crayfish. Personally the symbolism doesn't spark with me, maybe another night it will be all I see. But for now she looks just past me, as if not seeing me as her vision narrows and she spins a creative picture in the trees I hide amongst.


(I believe my perception engulfs the nature behind the card. She's known to represent dangerous illusions (how I see her from my hiding spot) and letting intuition take you (the wolf).

Quote!

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
~Annie Dillard~

What a gown!

I can appreciate the magic of brides and the energy it takes. Personally for me, not something I want to go through, but this gown and story made me stop in my tracks. How fitting a shepherdess!

8: Strength

Today I call on Strength.

The sun settles and begins its departure. Magic buzzes for those celebrating the coming eve.
She quietly steps through the cracking leaves,

Fingers caress the trees, wisps of energy stream from fae and tree as she passes,
Some young and full of green life, some old and stoic, both are treasures,
Energy flows from tree to fae and fae to tree,
Both are living in the moment, she whispers "Just be".

Gracefully the trees part along the path and she glides out in open space to meet a kindred spirit,
Of it's dangers and wild spirit have always been writ,
A majestic dragon, one with the earth and knowledge of ages past
In the presence of her love and understanding it basks.

She breathes deeply and centers on the fire within, a spark flutters to life, tendrils of red and orange heat begin their dance. Her heart surrounds the flame, accepting it for all that it is and all that it was. All that it can be requires her tender care and a constant awareness for balance, she cannot allow the flame to consume her. She calls upon her inner calm and tranquility to surround the flame, leaving it room to breathe.

In this clearing I've come to learn,
This quiet control of the flame of life is what I yearn,
I caress each tree as I wander quietly away,
And value, with time and desire, I will survive to see the day.

Tada!

Here I am, blogging again after a few years of .. err.. not blogging. Let the yarn and faeries fly!

What could you see? Knitting of course, Faeries of course, tarot study, rants, poems and otherwise mash of verbage.