When the Wheel of the Year Turns So Do I
Back at Midsummer I wrote a blog post about using Tarot with the Wheel of the Year. I got the idea from Liminal11 and their spread called the Wheel.
Looking back, Midsummer feels like an eternity ago. With COVID-19 and our many in-and-out of lockdowns, this past summer could have been years ago. I felt I really needed to revisit the Wheel of the Year, this time only looking at my own significator and the wheel’s turn from Yule (Dec 21-Jan 1) to Imbolc (Feb 1-2), 2021. For some reason, trying to see the whole year feels a bit futile as we’re facing so many unknowns. But in reality, aren’t we always?
This time I drew the Page of Wands as my significator from now (Dec 21, the Solstice) until February 2. What might this youngster be telling me about this period of time?
The Page of Wands Stands Atop the Wheel of the Year
This is the Page of Fire. He is learning how to handle hot topics without getting burned. In the Robin Wood Tarot deck this Page has a string of firecrackers attached to his belt. Hopefully he’s learning, or has learned, to keep matches away from his body. In the deck I’m using today (Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot), the Page is a young blond man wearing red tights and yellow boots. His tunic is covered with salamanders and in his blue cap is a red feather.
Importantly, he has just discovered that he has the magical power to create. (His phallic-shaped wand is sprouting green leaves). He is pretty damned proud of himself, wouldn’t you say?
What this means for me is that as I through the time from Solstice to Imbolc, I’m learning how to create in ways that I’ve never tried before. For someone (me) who doesn’t enjoy working inside the box, this is a happy message.
Yule to Imbolc – as the Wheel of the Year Turns, Tarot Speaks
My card for Yuletime is the King of Pentacles while Imbolc comes in as the Queen of Swords. Don’t you think it’s interesting that both cards are Courts? Although this is going to be a strange Yule and Christmas it appears that I’m in a position of gratitude (and I am). I have a place to live, food on the table, friends, family, and the things that give me happiness. I am that King of Pentacles.
As I move towards Imbolc (the transition into Spring), I become the Queen of Swords – the truth teller. The one who may be too blunt for her own good (that’s me too), but who will always deliver the news with honesty.
Although not part of the original Wheel of the Year Tarot Spread, I wanted to draw a card that would provide me with a bridge from Yule to Imbolc. Not surprisingly I drew the Hierophant (Major Arcana V). He is one of my birth pairs , and I have to admit he’s the one that tries my patience. (Aries Moon). The bridge for me – and this is something so important for me to remember – is to walk my talk, honor the sacred, embrace the mysteries, and be open to a new lesson. (Hierophant is from the New Palladini Tarot)
Come back in February. Hopefully by then I’ll feel it’s safe enough to finish the rest of the Wheel of the Year.
