I associate February with Imbolc, the Sabbat and Holy Day in between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Imbolc usually takes place between February 1st and the 2nd.
Imbolc is a day that honors the Celtic Goddess Brigid. Brigid is the goddess of the waterways, wells, of poetry, and the forge. She is fiery but also a healer, a contradiction for many reasons. She shows up to teach us about inspiration, holding many things at once, and being in our power.
Sometimes, when I want to connect with this creative space, I reach for an oracle deck or a tarot deck. I feel like decks can help us divine and work with different archetypes in our art and creative practice.
Stories say that Tarot originated in Northern Italy between the 14th and 15th centuries. The oldest set is thought to be from 1440. These cards were created for a game that was called Tarocchi, which was popular among people of affluence.
Tarot has been used by so many people across centuries to access the subconscious, communicate with the beyond, and to practice divination.
To find a deck, look for one that resonates with you. Decks can range from the traditional to the experimental.
I have a few different decks, but today I used Archetypes by Kim Krans and I drew The Hunter archetype, which is the second day in a row I’ve drawn this card. The Hunter is about precision like an arrow, the hunter asks us to pay attention to what we’re tracking.
Kim Krans writes, “Study the Greek Goddess Artemis and notice her nuanced relationship to the moon, the earth, and the feminine. The predator honors its prey with a precise and skillful hunt. The hunter deeply reveres the life it aims to take.
All archetypes have a shadow side, and a side when they’re in the light. When I’m divining I like to pay attention to imagery, colors, mood, and the well that the stories are pulled from.
Then, after I take note of these details, I attempt to alchemize these stories, and thread them into my writing. We all are carrying so many myths and stories inside of us. Divining allows us to pull from that well (much like that sacred space of Brigid).
For this month’s prompt, grab a deck. If you don’t have a tarot or oracle deck, try exploring the Major Arcana and seeing if any of the characters stand out to you as an archetype or image you’d like to explore.
These seven line poems are meant to walk you through the creation of a poem and create a scaffolding, or a container for us to write into. Take what resonates with you in the process and leave the rest.
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Title: Insert Name of a Tarot Card/Oracle Card Line 1: Speak your first impression Line 2: Draw a line to your life Line 3: Thank the archetype for visiting you Line 4: "Learning means, _____" Line 5: An element from the card itself Line 6: "I call on ______" Line 7: "These cards,_____" |
