Centaur Tarot Spread

As promised in my previous post, here is a Tarot Spread I designed for use with Centaur or Sagittarius energy.  It's perfect for today's Full Moon!

As with before any reading or ritual, please remember to ground and center, and set up protections in whatever way you do.  Calling on Archangel Michael, or asking for a ring of angels to protect you, or calling the quarters and elements and setting a circle of protection by visualizing a shield of light around you.  Whatever feels comfortable and safe to you.

Tarot Spread - Lesson of The Centaur
Make sure you read the post all about Centaurs.  There I cover the three gifts or lessons of the Centaur which are; Knowledge/Wisdom, Victory/Assertiveness, and Healing.

With this spread you will use Temperance as a Significator card. Simply find this card in the deck, and place it in front of you.  Meditate on the meanings of this card and the Centaur's lessons.  Use the affirmation, "I enthusiastically manage my needs and resources to bring about health and harmony".  Think about the meanings of the Temperance Card of integration, balance, moderation, and transformation.  Think about the Centaurs and how they teach us integration of Healing, Intellect, and Passion.  In what ways in your life do you need this integration and balance? 

Prayer (while shuffling the cards)
"I call upon the mighty centaur: warrior, hunter, healer, seeker of wisdom, and great teacher.  I call upon you now, be my teacher.  Show me what I need to know at this time and teach me to inte body, mind, and spirit."

Divide the deck into three stacks.  Take the first stack from the top of the deck, and place it in position one.  Take the second stack from the deck, and place it in position 2.  The remaining cards go in stack 3.  Just let the cards naturally divide themselves into these stacks.

You will turn the top card of each stack over.

 

 

 

Card 1 is Centaur's teaching or lesson for you at this time concerning your healing. Picture the Centaur handing you a cup of a healing elixir.  The card will show you what area of life this elixir will help you to heal.  This could be for your physical health, or emotional/spiritual healing.  Take this gift with deep gratitude.

 

Card 2, the scroll, is Centaur's message to you about wisdom and learning.  This shows you where in your life you need to apply your intellect.  It could be something you need to learn more about, or an area of life in which you need to apply wisdom and logic rather than force or action.

 

Card 3, the Sword... this is where Centaur is offering you help in the form of action.  Your passion and assertiveness will help you in this area of life.  This is also where the centaurs will offer to help fight for you to obtain victory in your goal. 

 

Meditate and journal about all three of these cards.  Be sure to interpret them through the lens and lessons of the Temperance card, which reminds you that each of these energies of the cup, scroll, and sword need to be used in moderation, balanced with each other, and integrated into your life with patience.

 

Thank the Centaurs for their lessons.  You may wish to leave them an offering of some kind (food or drink - they really love wine or alcohol if you have any to put in a small cup or bowl to leave for them in gratitude for their help) or at least sincerely thank them for their help.

 

 

Blessed Be!

Centaurs ~ Fire Elementals ~ Sagittarius

We have the full moon in Sagittarius coming up on Saturday May 21. With the full moon in a Fire Sign I felt like it would be a good time to connect with Fire Elementals, and specifically the Centaur.  Most people wouldn't instantly think of Centaurs as Fire Elementals - so let's examine Sagittarius energy traits alongside the personality traits of Centaurs and you'll see why I feel like they are definitely Fire Elementals!!

Temperance from The Celestial Tarot

SAGITTARIUS
Sagittarius is the masculine, mutable fire sign of the zodiac: energetic, ambitious, generous spirits who love and value freedom, enjoy challenges and intellectual pursuits. Ruled by Jupiter - the planet of expansion, higher education, growth and travel. Sagittarians are generally open to new ideas, exploration and seeking knowledge. Sagittarius energy is active, ambitious, passionate and sexual - embodying the element of Fire.  Positive traits are: optimistic, outgoing, expansive, ethical, freedom loving, exploratory, and honest or being straight forward. Negative traits can include: domineering or controlling, opinionated, judgemental, blunt, competitive, and overindulgent.  Sagittarius' fiery passion combined with a strong intellect and quest for knowledge creates an energy signature that is constantly seeking balance between wisdom and instinct. They will fight when necessary (and even be overly aggressive if their goal is slipping away from them) but in turn they can also be that intellectual and spiritually wise person you know.
This balance between competive instinct and rational intellect is evident in the stories and legends of Centaurs.

CENTAURS
Centaurs are half man, half horse, representing the marriage of animal instinct and strength with human intellect and wisdom. (Some may say that the horse aspect is what represents their kind, gentle, and wise nature while it is their human side that brings in the aggressive nature. Food for thought). In Greek mythology, Centaurs were a wild and unruly lot; who liked to drink and fight, what we would call today a "macho man". They have a lot of passion, a strong sexual energy, and are certainly interested in conquest of all kinds. (Look out ladies, the Centaur will probably flirt with you and try to show off his strength to get your attention!) Can you begin to see why they are Fire Elementals?!?
However, legends also revere Centaurs as great teachers, healers, and guardians - so they've got that Sagittarian balance between instinct and intellect. On the Illustration of the Centaur card from the " Mythical Creatures Oracle", Sky Cybele has depicted the Centaur holding both a club and a scroll - symbolically the Sword and the Pen. She says if you were to ask a Centaur, "Which is mightier, the pen or the sword?" Centaur wouldn't know the answer as he sees them both as equally powerful and necessary. (Pictured below)
If you choose to work with Centaurs, you can ask them to help you achieve balance between instinct and intellect. There are times when energy, action, and assertiveness is necessary - and times when those traits are certainly not appropriate! Alternatively, there are times intellect, wisdom, and learning are necessary - and times when instinct and gut feelings are better than "book smarts". Centaurs love to teach and guide others, and can help you know when it is best to be seeking the route of wisdom and learning, or when it is best to be active and assertive or follow your passions.

Centaur from The Mythical Creatures Oracle by Sky Cybele

CHIRON
It is also important to know about the King of the Centaurs - Chiron.  Chiron was known as a very wise leader and teacher - perhaps not as prone to aggression as his fellow Centaurs. Son of the Titan God; Saturn, and pupil of the God Apollo, Chiron was friend and confidant to both Gods and Men. (Again, a strong connection of balance between the Higher Realm of consciousness and the Lower Realm of physicality) The Gods taught Chiron about hunting, medicine, music, and prophecy - and in turn Chiron taught these things to men. Among Chiron's famous pupils were Hercules, Achilles, Jason, and the twins Castor & Pollux.
Here is the story of Chiron's injury and how he became a constellation. Some say he was hunting a wild boar with Hercules, others say he was with Hercules (his friend) when a battle broke out among some other Centaurs. Either way, he was accidentally struck on the leg by Hercules' poisoned sword. Since Chiron was immortal this wound did not kill him, but the poison made the wound very painful and impossible to heal.  Chiron's suffering was great, and he set himself to the task of searching for a cure - or to find a way to die to escape his suffering. Hercules went on a quest to help his friend find a way to die, while Chiron studied medicine and healing. During this time, Chiron discovered many cures and healing practices (none of which cured him) and he passed those cures and the healing wisdom on to others.... So here we see Chiron as the archetype of the Wounded Healer - a powerful archetype for healers to work with, especially those who are chronically I'll or disabled and yet drawn to the path of healing others.
Hercules, on his journey found the suffering Prometheus who was chained forever to a rock where an eaghle tore at his eyes, kidneys, and liver every day. Jupiter had cursed Prometheus to suffer until someone of their free will offered to take his place. Hercules told Chiron of Prometheus. Chiron was already suffering in anguish every day, and had all but given up on his search for a cure, so he agreed to take Prometheus' place. Thus, Prometheus was freed from his curse. For his sacrifice, Chiron was awarded by the Gods and allowed to die - Thus relieving his suffering at last too. Jupiter further awarded Chiron by placing him among the stars -  as the constellation now known as Sagittarius.
Within Chiron's story we find the traits of a great healer, a teacher, and a compassionate, self a sacrificing, and loyal friend. This is Sagittarius energy in it's most balanced and enlightened form - one who has mastered the competitive and macho energy of fire and masculinity, and transmuted it into generosity, ethical asmbition, and knowledge seeking not just for the self but for the greater good of all.

Temperance from the Radiant Rider-Waite Smith Tarot

TEMPERANCE
In the Tarot, Sagittarius is embodied in the Major Arcana card Temperance. Key words for this card are: Blending, Balance, Timing, Discipline, Self-Control, Compromise, Moderation, Alchemy, Healing, Distillation, and Flexibility. You can see how the meaning of the Temperance card relates to the story of Centaurs, Chiron, and Sagittarius energy. You can meditate on this card or journal with it to help you connect with Centaur and Sagittarius energy. Also, if this card comes up for you in a reading, perhaps it is a sign that the Fire Elementals Centaurs are near and want to work with you to teach you moderation and balance.

Working with Centaurs as Spirit Guides
You can connect with these powerful fire elementals any time you want to. Make sure you ground and center yourself, and set up protections - though Centaurs aren't malevolent or mean spirited, they can be strong-willed and they like to play rough. You can call on Archangel Michael for protection, as well as setting clear boundaries about what you will and will not allow (this is a good idea for working with any of the elementals and fairies) You do this by simply and clearly stating your intention at the beginning of your ritual or meditation. One way to invoke a Centaur is to have a fire (in a safe fire pit in your back yard or campground), play some upbeat music or drum beats, and leave an offering of wine or alcohol (the centaurs enjoy drinking) and invite the Centaurs to join you while you meditate on their lessons. You can set up an altar - this can be placed near the outdoor fire, or indoors to be used if you can't have a fire outdoors - as a place to honor them, work with them, and meditate with them.  Some suggestions for your altar: candles for the fire element, a picture or small figurine of a centaur, an image of the constellation Sagittarius, pictures or figurines of horses, a book and pen to represent wisdom & learning, a knife or sword, or bow and arrow (or small figurines or pictures of these) to represent their battle skills and hunting abilities, the tarot card Temperance, and symbols or representations of health, healing, and medicine.
You can meditate at this asltar to meet your Centaur guide, or ask for their assistance in your life. The centaurs can help you in manifesting a dream to go to school or get a scholarship, or to help you study and get good grades in school. They can help you manifest a good doctor or help you in finding a healer, energy worker, or medical practitioner to help you with healing. They can help you attain your goal of becoming a healer and assist you in your healings of yourself and others. And most of all, Centaurs can help you find balance, be more assertive, bring passion to your sex life, and help you in challenges and competitions.
My Centaur altar for Full Moon in Sagittarius;

My Altar for Centaur

I will be sharing a tarot spread you can use while working with centaurs, and I am working on creating a guided meditation to help you meet the centaurs. Check back here at the blog for updates!
If you enjoyed this blog post, please leave a comment! If you would like to continue seeing more blog posts like this, consider supporting me by buying a reading or jewelry from my etsy shop! Your support helps me to be able to create more blog posts like this one. Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy meeting the Centaurs!

Faerie Friday - What does it mean to believe in Faeries?

As I am taking the Fairyologist course and reading many books about Faeries and working with them, my own understanding of them is deepening and expanding.  In discussing Faeries with others, I am often asked the question; What are the faeries?  Well, I think they can be different to everyone!  Depending on what your beliefs are, your experiences with them, and what your preconceived notions of faeries are - your experience of them will be different.  The first step in experiencing the Faeries, is believing in them!  Here is a journal entry I wrote yesterday as I meditated on the concept of believing in faeries.

What Does It Mean To Believe in Faeries?

     To believe in faeries is to believe in the unseen spirit world of plants, animals, water, air, earth, and fire.  It involves a basic animistic belief system which defines all of nature as having spirits - humans, trees, animals, and even rocks - and then a step further from animism even, to acknowledge the existence of other Nature Spirits; unseen entities who are closely bonded with the natural world, yet separate from it in the sense that they lack physical bodies.  These etheric beings can interact with the natural world, yet exist in a slightly different vibrational realm from what we see and know on this physical plane. I should note that I use the word "faeries" as an umbrella term for many different kinds of unseen Nature Spirits, and am not solely referring to beings known as "fairies".
     Believing in Faeries is to awaken and embrace your Inner Child - seeing magic and wonder in all things around you.  For it is with this sense of wonder and mystery that we experience the world of faeries.  Believeing in faeries is to embrace the stories, myths, and legends - knowing that not only is there a grain of truth to all the old fairytales; but that the stories themselves give a shape and pathway for all the spirit beings to come to us and interact with us.

     The tiny Nature Spirits that watch over flowers existed long before the popular artistic images of tiny human-shaped beings with butterfly wings.  But the human imagination and capacity for story telling encountered these beings and felt their presence - and likened the essence of that presence to the image of a light, fluttering and delicate butterfly on the breeze, flying from flower to flower.  Through stories and art the "picture" of a Flower Fairy grew.  The image aligned itself with other people's intuitive encounters, and then became broadly accepted because it worked!  The imagery fit with what others' intuitive and empathic encounters with these Nature Spirits felt like.  So, through story and art; a fairy-shaped niche appeared in the cosmic consciousness and these Flower Fairies (Nature Spirits of flowering plants) found a relationship with humans. 
     The same pattern can be applied to all the Elementals or common Nature Spirits of the Faerie Realm.  The Faerie Royalty felt similar to our Gods and Goddesses, so those Fae took on the shape and form of Gods and Goddesses.  The dragons spirit form existed before humans, and indeed before humans described them as large, powerful, reptilian creatures.  Encounters with Dragon Energy leave people feeling awestruck; something that could only be described as "Big, powerful, wise", maybe "temperamental," and certainly "not human" - thus the dinousaur/reptile shape of the story rather than the small, humanoid story.  And thus, a dragon-shaped niche entered the human consciousness and gave us a way to describe yet another kind of Nature Spirit we encountered.
     As the human relationship with nature has changed, so did how we see the Nature Spirits.  When nature was something wild and untamable and humans struggled to survive vast forests, harsh winters, and were still heavily connected to agriculture and farming or hunting - this was refleceted in the way people saw Faeries / nature Spirits.  They were beautiful, respected, revered; and also feared.  The forest is beautiful and enchanting - but if you don't respect it and understand it - you can easily become lost, wounded or even die. (That sentence almost perfectly describes many ancient tales of the faeries)  With the growth and expansion of Christianity, our relationship with nature changed.  It became popular belief that the salvation of your body from the harsh winter was less important than the salvation of your eternal soul; and that salvation came not from your relationship with the land and an animistic view, but from the forgiveness of a far-away God.  As Christianity spread, the old beliefs were frowned upon so the darker side of the faerie stories were used as "proof" that the Fey were demonic beings doing the workings of the Devil.  What may have once been a story of a deep connection and respect for the land and nature, became twisted into a warning to not stray from the emerging Monotheistic faith and it's sole ability to save your soul. 
     Then as humanity advanced further into an industrialized world with technology and science - we further separated our consciousness from Nature and the natural world.  I think it is very interesting that as nature became something humans "conquered" with massive agricultural growth, shelter from the elements, and less direct dependence of the land (we still need the land, but our consciousness has separated from it as we can go to the grocery store for food instead of hunting for it) ; this is when the popular image of fairies as small, delicate creatures of flowers and wings became popular.  Nature became something we saw as under our control or less harmful and needing our care instead of something mysterious and even dangerous.
     Today, I think our relationship with nature should be a blend of respectful reverence and nurturing caretakers.  Thus, the way we see Faeries and relate to the Nature Spirits should also reflect this.  If we allow ourselves to experience the broad range of nature's moods and personas we should encounter an equally broad range of types of nature spirits.  As we garden and care for the land in loving, nurturing ways, we will encounter the small Flower Fairies, pixies, and nymphs.  As we walk in wonder and reverence in a wild place such as a forest or mountain, we can encounter larger beings that share the wild deep untamed nature of that forest or mountain - such as Faerie Queens, Green Man, Dragons and Elves.
     To believe in Faeries is to look at the fairytales, myths, and legends in a new light - to see the truth and magick in them - and to make and tell our own stories!  Recognizing that story-telling and creating art is another way of communing with these spirit beings and welcoming them into our lives though imagination and inspiration. 

     To believe in faeries is the see and experience faeries!  Our beliefs shape our reality, and someone who doesn't believe in faeries or says; "those are just stories and myths" will likely not experience encounters with the fae - as logic and ego can explain away the movement in the trees as a "breeze" and the light in the corner of our vision as "just a bug".  But those who believe in faeries will see these things - Bugs and Breezes - as part of how the spirit world interacts with the physical world.  When you expect magic and believe in magic, you'll see it and feel it all around you!
     Mostly the fae will appear to you in the way you believe that these encounters will happen.  Some people report actually seeing fairies, gnomes, leprachauns etc - an image that they swear is a being right there in front of them!  Some people may feel the presence of faeries and see them in their mind's eye, or encounter them in meditations and dreams.  Other people may see faeries as encounters with nature itself; the feeling roused by a certain breeze, a feather or leaf falling in their path at a certain moment, a bird swooping close overhead or some other animal encounter.  All of these are valid and real ways of seeing and encountering faeries - and believing in faeries will mean that you are aware and in-tune enough with the natural world and the unseen Spirit realm that you will see, feel, and hear the faeries often!

Faerie Friday: Meeting The Faeries

Faerie Friday Blessings to you!
I recently signed up for a new course by Doreen Virtue; Fairyology!  It is a video course and certification.  I am so excited about having another Certification - and I know in the future I will be leading workshops, teaching classes, doing readings and many more things because of the relationship I am developing with the Faeries and all I am learning.  I want to share some of my thoughts and discoveries with you every week so I will be trying to post a new blog every Friday (Thus; "Faerie Fridays" is born!) 

So this past week has been intense but beautiful.  I started watching the video course, but also felt guided to read more books to my studying.  My guides encouraged me to take this course deeper, learn on a very deep and personal level from more than one teacher.  So I downloaded several other books and have been reading those as well.  (I will be sharing more on those books later on.)

I have worked with Faeries and Elementals before, but am going to spend more time developing a closer working relationship with them, and getting to know the particular Faeries of the land where I live.  For Clarification - let me define who I feel the faeries are.  I use Faerie as an umbrella term for Elemental Spirits and Elementals.  Elemental spirits are spirits connected to nature.  (Not ghosts!)  They are spiritual beings that don't quite live on this physical plane, but they do interact with it.  Some of them are like guardians of certain areas.  Rivers, lakes, and forests might have a strong Elemental guardian, as well as many "smaller" elementals living in that area.  Elementals are called such because they are related to the Four elements, or Forces of nature; Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  There is a large variety of these nature Spirits and are many names for these:  Elementals, Nature Angels, Fairies, Elves, Gnomes, Pixies, Sylphs, Salamanders, Dragons, Plant and Tree Spirits... the list goes on and on!

One of the first things I did was create a Faerie Garden!  I chose a spot in my herb garden near the front door to make a faerie ring and add decorations.  I spent some time pulling weeds, pruning the plants, picking up trash and debris, and really just working outside a lot.  The first step in connecting with the spirits of nature (faeries of all kinds) is by connecting directly with nature.  The faeries appreciate your efforts to help them care for the land and the planet.  Here are a couple pictures from my Faerie Garden;

I was blessed with such a feeling of satisfaction and love after spending a lot of time working on my garden!  In fact, I was so drawn to being outside that I hardly worked on my video course at all - just doing reading at night and gardening all day!  (Again, my faerie guides have told me this is what they want me to do in developing a deeply personal relationship with them)  And I do feel like the Plant Faeries of my garden are very happy with this place made just for them!

Then, on Beltane Eve, I prepared and went out to the forest by my house to a particularly magickal feeling place by the creek, and did the Beltane Eve Fairy Spell (from my blog post about Beltane)  I brought the Faeries gifts of flowers, fruit, tea and honey and spent a lovely time meditating, listening to the forest, and celebrating.

While I was there, I became aware of many Spirit beings in the forest with me.  Several Tree Spirits and Plant Faeries, as well  as other Elementals and Nature Spirits.  They were delighted that I came and brought them food to share!  When I first entered the forest, I asked permission to join them.  There was a sense of surprise and also wariness; a human had never asked permission to walk on this land before.  At least not in many, many years.  I told them I brought food to share with them, and wanted to celebrate with them and the mood instantly lifted!  I felt like I was surrounded by laughter!  The rest of my time sitting out there that Beltane Eve, I did have other encounters and revelations, but those are not for sharing at this time.

I have had a couple other moments this past week in which I just felt the presence of the Faeries and magick in my life!  I posted this in a facebook group I am in on Tuesday;

"My life is immersed in magic and fae energy. Watching a couple videos here and there, (but I'm still only on video 5 lol) and reading a few different books on faeries at night. In the day just connecting with them as much as I can. Today I was sitting in my kitchen, making jewelry (I'm vending at a craft fair on Sunday so I was busy making sparkly things) I had some of my favorite music playing and was feeling especially happy while I made a fairy necklace with rainbow fluorite. I kept seeing movement outside and looking up to see the wind blowing the trees, birds, butterflies, etc. I saw a huge blue dragonfly! I've always associated dragonflies with faeries!! It flew by the sliding glass door three times! So I went and opened the door and felt the faeries cheering "we like your music"! So I turned it up and left the door open so they could hear it. The dragonfly came back and was just swooping in crazy circles all over the yard like it was dancing! Then another one joined it, and another... Until there were 5 blue dragonflies dancing around my yard! I sat on the porch watching them and laughing. I looked up to the trees and clear as day saw Green Man's face in the tree looking right at me! I looked away because I saw a bird or something, looked back at the tree but now the face is looking sideways instead of at me. Then I notice another face in another tree, and another! Look away and look back - they're all gone!"

I'm so excited to see what else I will learn, and what other encounters and Adventures I will have in working with the Faeries and Elementals!

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