Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Beltane Blog Hop: "The Fire tends to all"

Hello everyone...Blessed Beltane to all of you! 


This post is part of the Beltane Blog Hop, and at the end of my post you will see Donnaleigh de la Rose's blog address; she's next on the blog hop list! I hope you'll take the time to visit the other blogs on the hop. You've got some amazing tarot minds in this list and I know you'll get a lot out of their posts! (You can see the one before mine here.)


Fire is "the spiritual element", and it burns inside all of us. Sometimes it comes out as the confidence of knowing you're in the right place, spiritually, or the courage to ask for help making positive changes in our lives. It's that inspired feeling of knowing that our lives are more than just the hectic, day-to-day rat races that they can devolve into. 


How many of you have come away from a spiritual gathering--ritual, retreat, or class--and have felt like the Divine was cheering for you? That's the power of fire. When we engage in spiritual activity, by ourselves or with others, we stoke that fire and make that very personal connection to the Divine even stronger.


While we have the fire inside us, we also help others keep their own fires going. Anytime you do anything for another without regard for reward or repayment, that's a spiritual act. When you go see a friend who's just lost a loved one, or going through a messy divorce, you're helping keep their fire going. The same is true when you volunteer your time, energy, or money for a cause you believe in that brings good into the world; help another person find their way spiritually; or lead any type of spiritual event. 


Fire can be a negative thing, too. Stress, irritation, and rage can overtake us if we're not careful. But what I find most interesting is that many people learn more about themselves spiritually when they are challenged to do so by fire-related events. Many people realize the need to control their stress level, and use many different spiritual techniques to remain calm. Others have difficulty expressing anger in a healthy way, or even at all.


You can often see these events in tarot readings. The 7 of Wands, for example, is a fantastic card to represent the power of fire. There are times in our lives when it is necessary to stand up for what we believe in or what we feel is right, especially when it is unpopular or when others around us disagree. That impetus to stand our ground, to hold fast despite the opinions of others, comes from fire. 


Often in readings I see the 10 of Wands come up. As important as it is to do for others, it's vital for us to tend our own fires. The Rider-Waite-Smith imagery in this card shows a man with 10 wands, way too many. He's taken on too much responsibility and is overburdened. Maybe he needs to ask for help, or maybe he needs to stop being so nice and doing shit for other people! So when that card comes into play, it's important to think about which of the wands you can drop. :)


The Spirit--that fire in all of us--inspires us to be better people by helping ourselves and each other.  I hope this Beltane you will look inside yourself and find ways you can improve your connection with Spirit, on your own and by helping others. 


Thanks for stopping by! Please visit Donnaleigh's blog here for the next stop on the blog hop! 

10 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed your post John :)

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  2. I really enjoyed your POV on ways to deal with that 10 of Wands. :D

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  3. Thanks Violette! I appreciate it very much!

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  4. Thanks Arwen! For some reason that one is coming up a LOT in my practice these days. I've even had it come up once or twice in my daily readings.

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  5. Yes, that 10 of Wands is so instructive, and not what you'd expect.

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  6. 10 of Wands does really point out to us that we're Not Doin' It Right.....tending to one's own fire is something that we sometimes forget to do, we're so busy tending to other people's!

    Ali x

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  7. Love your comment about fire being that feeling when we connect with the divine - the Ace of Wands just popped into my head: connectedness, passion, union, fire. I also enjoyed your take on the Seven of Wands - stand up for your truth :)

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  8. Thanks Inner Whispers! I truly appreciate it! Thanks for stopping by. :)

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  9. Thanks for your comment, too, Ali! Yeah, 10 of Wands is most assuredly not doin' it right. ;)

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  10. Thanks Claire-Marie! That 10 comes up so often in my practice... :)

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