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“Letting go of the past means you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz
This Blog Hop theme is Beginning Again, and what a perfect time for fresh starts as we prepare for spring. Imbolc is the halfway mark between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Not quite winter and not quite spring, but at least we are moving forward toward the earth awakening, sunnier days, and warmer breezes. Having just celebrated the New Year and looking forward to a new start with the new year, most of us are optimistic about the future and thinking about new opportunities, making better choices, improving our health, and new/renewed relationships and connections.
We’re leaving the dark time of winter behind, and the days are getting longer. Not by much, but with each passing day the light lingers a little longer and before too long our day-light hours will be noticeably extended. For those of us in the northern hemisphere we have been cooped up inside and we’re looking forward to better weather that will allow us to get outside more. Also, this is the time of year many of us think of redecorating, clearing out, and cleaning up: i.e. Spring Cleaning.
Spring Cleaning clears out old, abandoned cobwebs, dust, and collected clutter. Why not apply this to a more personal application; Our thought processes, emotional baggage, and the spider webs and clutter that trap them.
I chose the Druid Craft Tarot for this Blog Hop and as I was shuffling the Rebirth card jumped out. Perfect.
We see a figure emerging from the temple on the morning of the Winter Solstice. The Priest has summoned the soul to wake up, to be reborn, to accept its life, reap its rewards and begin a new cycle. (pg. 161)
How better to begin a new cycle than by reawakening with the spring and wiping the slate clean? How else can we enjoy and fully appreciate the present, the dream that is happening now?
Brigid is the Goddess associated with Imbolc.
She is a fertility goddess. She rules the fire of the hearth as well as the fire of imagination through poetry and writing. She also blessed other skills that required the use of fire, like blacksmithing.
In the Druid Craft Tarot, Brigid is represented by The Fferyllt aka Temperance in traditional decks. Here we see Brigid at her cauldron with a faint glow from a fire beneath. Steam rises from her brew, perhaps a mixture of beginnings and endings that will result in that elusive clean slate.
Can the Goddess Brigid help me clear the slate and begin again? Will her potion of blended opposites create the circumstance to allow such a state? Well, I don’t know if that is the right context for this exercise. I’m not sure the slate can be wiped completely clean nor that we should try. I imagine that would create a type of amnesia allowing us to forget everything that came before, the good with the bad. Rather, I would want this brew to symbolically dust the shelves of my brain, clearing out the left over clutter and make room for the fresh start thinking to begin.
Beginning again should have a starting place, a place and time we decide is right for us. A time when we decide to no longer get in our own way with self-sabotage, self-doubt, fear and feelings of unworthiness. Beginning again is a new mind set, a gift and invitation to ourselves to forgive and accept who and where we are at this time. Give yourself permission to step back into your life and your own desires in this moment.
No matter how hard the past was, you can always begin again. ~Author Unknown
Beginning again is only possible when we use our past experiences and the sum of ourselves to decide the new direction we will take. A readied springboard of knowledge to carry us forward into this new unknown.
It is an ongoing process, an everyday process, sometimes a several-times-a-day process. Begin again in this moment, and the next and the next. No doubt some days will be easier than others, but you can always begin again from where you are if you feel the need. The important thing is you decide to do it, you have the courage to begin again in your life so you can show up for You wholeheartedly and attain your desires.
Welcome to your new YOU. Welcome to Beginning Again.
Beginning Again Tarot Spread
- Past – What major obstacle do I need to overcome to get out of my own way? Five of Wands: shows inner conflict and power struggle, the trick is not to allow it to escalate to the point I believe my own propaganda about who and what I am.
- Present – What is my most wished for desire? Four of Wands: the comfort and security of the hearth fire. Attributes found in the blessings of the Goddess Brigid and the basis for a content and happy home. This also shows stability and a support system.
- Future – What is my reward from Beginning Again? Death: Continued Transformation, clearing away of the old and making room for the new, the Cauldron in the foreground is reminiscent of the cauldron of the Fferyllt and we can see the glow of flames beneath it, signifying the transforming power of fire. Brigid is shown here in her Crone aspect, Ceridwen. Transformation and rebirth, Beginning Again in action.
“Don’t be afraid to start over again. This time, you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.” Author Unknown
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What a perfect deck and spread for Imbolc! I couldn’t resist trying the spread right away and pulled the Hermit, the Queen of Wands, and the Page of Cups for myself. Looks like it’s time for me to get my head out of my books and into a more passionate engagement with life—very fitting as we prepare for Spring. Thank you for this offering to our hop, Koneta!
This is an absolutely lovely spread and I am going to have to do a reading with it. I also love the DruidCraft tarot. It was my very first tarot deck and it carries such good memories for me. I may have to pull it out and spend some time with it.
Thank you
I almost pulled this deck out of hibernation for this edition of the hop, really glad I decided not to. Lovely to see someone else working with them and discussing what each card represents. I really enjoyed visiting your post and sharing your wisdom.