Ace of Spades: North Wind Cold and pure, coming from the Arctic, the North Wind speaks of decisiveness. Spirit is trying to guide you in your direction in life. Intense desire is involved, your spirit wants to incarnate its purpose; this purpose needs to be free of selfishness. An opportunity awaits you and also, insight. When you want to see clearly, you may, especially when the cleansing North Wind blows.
Two of Spades: Ice Frozen emotions. Breathing problems. Lack of communication. Fear or anxiety. Warmth is needed in this situation but it is difficult to release the warmth needed. Attempt to communicate however difficult it is. It is better than skating over the surface. As ice melts, waterfowl begin to make channels through. They can feed below the surface again. Look at the fear itself. Just as ice reflects sunlight you may be able to see something precious held in the fear. Can you tell what it is? Sometimes when we look at what we fear it turns out not to be as bad as we thought. Something seen with the corner of the eye can be distorted – looking face on we recognise it as something we can deal with
Three of Spades: Forget-Me-Not This card tells of loss. There is spiritual support for grief. Just as the beloved one is never forgotten they do not forget either. The blue Forget-me-not has a white eye in their centre. The white eye tells of clear vision and optimism through the grieving process. This is the legacy of all true love and what we must reach for.
Sometimes the loss is deeply buried and often it is not due to a bereavement but some other cause. Spirit is still supporting you. Grief especially affects the heart and lungs but, also, all other parts of the body. Minor losses can lead to colds a few days later. A love triangle may be involved. If you have had many on deep losses in your life, especially in your early life, it is hard to accept that loss is part of the natural rhythm of life. Acknowledge each loss and how each loss has affected you. With time, healing will meet your pain and help you release it.
Four of Spades: Hibernation/Winter Tree “When our thoughts escape our everyday lives Just as shadows escape from the trees”
Rest is required. There may be illness or mental exhaustion. During this period learn how to pace yourself. Recognise when you have energy and when you don’t. Do not overestimate your energy levels. Do a little and see how you feel after that before attempting more. Make the most of daylight hours in Winter, especially midday. Get sunlight to your Third Eye (without directly looking at the sun) to keep your spirits up. Get fresh air, eat health local food, get a little exercise and meditate to revitalise. If this doesn’t appear to apply to you there may be someone close to you this message is for. Everything in nature waxes and wanes. With time your energy will recover.
Five of Spades: Damselfly (Dragonfly) A Damselfly is a slender, delicate form of Dragonfly. Both the Damselfly and more robust Dragonflies are relevant to this reading. Dragonflies are often feared because of their appearance but they can not hurt us in any way. They have 360° vision and can fly in any direction so they are truly remarkable creatures! With the names Damsel and Dragon we are transported back to the age of chivalry. But they also take us back much further. A very ancient creature, they carry in their DNA the memory of the earth before any of our human ancestors were present.
This card may call on you to engage in humanitarian work. The whole planet is invoked by the vision of the Damselfly. It speaks of Deep Time as first explored by John Muir, among others.
Dragonflies are like living, flying jewels. But they may take several years to reach this adult form feeding in ponds and streams as larvae till big enough to climb a plant stem one early morning, break out of their ugly forms and unfold their iridescent wings. So this is another transformation card. This particular transformation may require you to speak your mind. You may need to take a difficult action but once completed you will feel better for it. Allow your whole body to emanate light like the Dragon and Damselflies. Be filled with purpose. Be a divine instrument.
Six of Spades: Speedwell, Stepping Stones and Heron This is a journey card hence there are several stages, that can be encountered in any order, along the way. The deep blue Germander Speedwell, Latin name Veronica, is a blessing to the traveller. Their name means “Speed-ye-well” i.e. have a safe journey. Hence the biblical reference in the Latin name to the woman who wiped Christ’s face for him as he carried the cross. So this card means that there is a blessing on your journey (and any children who may be travelling too).
The Stepping Stones also indicate nature helping you on your way. You may have to go a less direct route to find them. The Heron indicates insight that arises during times of silence and solitude. This is a journey of the soul primarily, rather than the body. Study is indicated. The mind is stretched and answers found within. This is a time of revelations, solitude but also building bridges (the stepping stones are also the beginning of this), of one person communicating deeply with another.
Seven of Spades: Ash/ The World Tree This is a very important card hence the long message for it! The Ash is a very tall tree with airy branches, big velvety black buds and enigmatic shiny “keys” for seeds. Their crown lets through lots of light, encouraging us to look up through its branches into the mosaic of green leaves and blue sky in summer. They are one of the most important trees in myth and legend. Three of the five magical trees of ancient Ireland were Ash trees.
The Ash is best known as the World Tree of the Vikings. The World Tree is the axis of the three worlds; the Underworld, Earth and Heaven. In the time sphere their roots are in the past, their trunk is in the present and their branches rise into the future. The whole of existence, all that has been, is and will be are encompassed by it. They have witnessed through all the ages the many sufferings humans have inflicted upon each other and other species. They have seen into the inner torments of the human soul across millennia. Yet they speak of absolute serenity and undauntedness, the triumph of unity and dignity.
The maypole had great cosmic meanings too – this too was an Ash pole. The wheel of Nemesis, shown as the Wheel of Fortune in the Tarot, was made of Ash and depicted the turning year but also the levelling out of fortunes that comes with time (from “Tree Wisdom: The definitive Guidebook to the myth, folklore and healing power of trees” by Jacqueline Memory Paterson). Achilles was armed with a magical Ashen spear by his Immortal mother which, after death, allowed him to enter and exit the realms of the dead, ensuring the sun rose again after each setting day.
Odin hung upside down on the World Tree for nine days to receive the wisdom of the runes. These are symbolised by the ash keys which hang in glossy green clusters in Spring and Summer, according to the Doctrine of Signatures. At the foot of the Ash tree is the Spring or Well of Urd where the Three Norns – Urdr, whose name means Fate, Verdandi who is Being itself and Skuld whose name means Necessity - maintain the smooth running of creation. They are an important aspect of Wagner’s Ring Cycle which in turn inspired The Lord of the Rings.
This card has a very strong association with the High Priestess in the Tarot which has been described as the highest and holiest of the cards. The runic alphabet of the Ash is also the Book of Knowledge which lies in the lap of the High Priestess. This card is the card of the teacher and helps students excel in their studies. Seek out the Ash tree if you need to overcome communication difficulties, whether in speech or writing.
Often this card speaks of difficulties. In this case, wells of hidden knowledge within you are waiting to be brought to consciousness. You are aware of deeper truths inside you but may feel unable to express them. When you try to find words, they don’t come. This could be because your mind has been controlled, that there are certain things you haven’t been able to say or think. You may have been silenced as a woman or by poverty or some other form of discrimination or violence.
Eight of Spades: Spider Goddess and Rowan Tree Anansi was an important Spider Goddess for Black Americans through the period of enslavement. With her eight legs and eight eyes she embodied the transformative power of this number. The Spider’s body also appears like the number eight for, unlike insects which have three parts to their body; the head, thorax and abdomen, the Spider has just two; head and body. The Spider’s web is also reminiscent of Nemesis’ Wheel of the Year. Seek out a Spider making her web early in the morning to meditate on her deep magical power.
This card is about finding your power and capacity for visualising your health and that of others. It warns against the limitations and dangers of the medical model of health. It connects with the Star in the tarot. We are all part of the web of life and therefore essential. Our fate or destiny can not be written out by others. It can indicate phobias and nightmares and deep rooted fears and obsessions that you need to let go of. Always reach for the light; this is one of the single most important lessons in life. This card also speaks of the need for networks. Seek others in the same situation as yourself through support of protest groups. Share what is deep and personal – other people may feel the same and your sharing may unblock energy more widely. You may also voice what is unknown to others, opening new streams for others to follow. Although what you are thinking and feeling may only seem negative it is still valid to voice it; nothing in your being belongs outside the circle of life.
This card carries a warning that all may not be as it seems. There may be a deceptive situation and the deception is likely to be different to what you suspect i.e. you may be deceived about the deception.
The other symbol for this card is the Rowan tree. The Rowan has leaves a little like an Ash, hence they are sometimes known as Mountain Ash, but their leaves are much more delicate and feathery. They have aromatic heads of creams flowers followed by bird-loved berries. Their feathery leaves and red berries gave rise to legends that the tree was born from the blood and feathers of the sharp-eyed eagle. Legend has it that the first man sprung from an Ash tree and the first woman from a Rowan. They are also known as Witchwood or the Quicken Tree and rule the equinoxes and solstices. At Yule, Rowan was dressed with stars to herald the coming light. At Midsummer, twigs of Rowan were carried for protection. The Rowan was planted by cottage doors as a protection against witches. Rowan boughs were used on farms to protect horses and cattle and Rowan crosses are carried for protection too.
Spinning wheels and spindles were made of Rowan and the Celtic Goddess Brigid was associated with this tree. The Rowan is particularly appreciated in Celtic lands and the North of England. The Irish Finn Cycle describes the fairy guardian of the Rowan as “think-boned, large-nosed, crooked in the teeth, with one red eye in a black face. By day he sits at the front of the tree, by night he sleeps in the branches.” (From “The Englishman’s Flora” by Gregory Grigson). Meditate on Rowan to open your Third Eye.
Nine of Spades: Lapwing Someone close to you, or possibly yourself, is suffering mentally. The Lapwing has many unusual ways: She feigns injury to draw predators to herself and away from her chicks. She performs amazing acrobatics in the sky and sings like the Clangers. The mind of this person may also feel strange right now but it will find its own ways of healing. S/he may need special help along the way. The cry for help is a divine instinct. The strange states of minds that may be experienced are ways of trying to protect and heal the self and this person’s autonomy should also be respected.
Astral travelling may be indicated. If experiencing a spiritual crisis the Spiritual Crisis Network may be able to help.
Ten of Spades: Seeds When all seems most dark, that is when the seeds of new life lay dormant beneath the soil. You can not yet see the beautiful flowers or life sustaining crops that will emerge beginning with tiny shoots. But the seeds are there. You planted them once. Spring is not quite around the corner but not far behind.
Jack of Spades: Jackdaw This card indicates writing, including journalistic ability. Wit and quick-thinking are shown. He has affinities with Autumn storms and can show a temperamental person. Be careful of what attracts you. Excitement can sometimes hold danger. This card can show there is too much change in your life, not enough stability.
Queen of Spades: Eagle The mind can never be conquered. You are called upon to have great strength of mind. There is suffering but eventual victory. Like an Eagle you will soar to the heights. You will not be alone there. No one is alone there. Try to record your thoughts and dreams. The Eagle is also a bird of justice. This card also has affinities with the Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon.
King of Spades: Raven and Old Father Time This card indicates a difficult person or challenge to overcome. Also, going beyond the personal, the Raven speaks of the dignity and honour of all life. He speaks of natural laws, Native American beliefs and practices and standing up for the oppressed.
Be aware of Treetime, Earthtime, time as measured by breaths, the breathing of all the living creatures of this earth. When did you last spy Old Father Time or wait and watch him pass. Have you paid him your respects lately? Remember, Old Father Time likes you to say ‘hello’. He really is your friend.