Welcome to the Hop!
one link back to: Bettina for Ardor Fawkes
One link forward to: Chloe for Celtic Lenormand
Yule
the trees
they reach their silver arms up to the sky
hoping for a glimpse of sun
yet the sky
cold grey
offers no solace
their roots are buried in frost
we crave light, they cry
suddenly
the sun cracks the sky like an egg
sunlight spills across the joyous trees
melting into every leaf
new life blooms
Winter Solstice
Here we are, once again, at the shortest day of the year, and the longest night of the year.
In the dark of winter, we review the previous year and wait for the returning of the light, the return of the Sun King.
Venus Retrograde
This year, not only do we have the sun appearing to stand still, but Venus stationing (standing still) on the very same day, Dec 21, 2013.
Venus will station and then retrograde (move backward) for 40 days in the sign of Capricorn.
The Tarot card that has an affinity with Venus is The Empress.
With Venus turning retrograde, this is similar to the Empress reversed.
This Yule season, we have a double duty to turn inward, reassess, and review.
For the next 40 days, sit down and have a chat with your inner mother. Review any negative comments she has for you, give yourself a break, and practice radical self care.
Re-evaluate your relationships and withdraw if you need to. Yes, it’s the holiday season, but they (whoever they are) will get over it.
Revisit family traditions, or the lack thereof, and plan for new structures to support you throughout 2014.
The Empress is not necessarily the bright, shining and open woman we are used to seeing. She’s a bit colder, a bit distant, and not so responsive. And that’s okay. She is practicing radical self care and asks the same of you.
Next up: Chloe for Celtic Lenormand
If you’re moving retrograde: Bettina for Ardor Fawkes
You can find the master list here.
Self care is so important! You can’t help others if you can’t help yourself and if you aren’t at your very best! Thanks for this!!!
Very lovely poem and I definitely am savoring the Empress rx energy this week!
Thank you for a great message! I’ve been getting messages every day from the cards to” be still” and look within. In fact my card of the year for 2014 is The Hermit.
Love love love….Much needed message for me now. I needed to step back and “withdraw” from all the Christmas celebrations because my dad just suffered a stroke a few nights ago and got hospitalised. I was feeling so down for awhile but realised i had to pick myself up to attend to what matters most – dad. Everything else and everyone else can wait. Fab post.
This post appeals to me for a number of reasons, but especially I like “practicing radical self care.” Loving the world begins with loving oneself. Radical self-care is often necessary for us to be strong enough to do good in the world.
Thanks so much! Fit right in with a 2014 projection reading I just did for myself, which turned up the Empress as focus card, although upright in that case. I like the radical self-care interpretation of the more distant EmpressRev. Short, sweet, and excellent advice!
Radical self care – that’s an interesting term, it makes it sound like major surgery… I think it reflects how people often can’t distinguish self care from being selfish… It would be nice to see a shift to where people talk about routine or regular self care as part of any everyday concept for everyone.