The Rainbow Bridge Oracle by Lauren Raine: February 2011

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

INTRODUCTION

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE

Oracular Cards Inspired by the Tarot

“You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because

the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round.”

---Black Elk

The great Dakota seer and Medicine Man Black Elk had a vision, when he was a young boy, he later called "the Hoop of the Nations". Although he saw the "hoop" of his own Lakota people broken, he also forsaw a future time, symbolized by a great Circle of interlocking hoops, when many people, from the world’s four directions, would come together to form a "great hoop". Black Elk's vision has been called by some the "Rainbow Tribe". The Rainbow, to me, represents the birth of this emerging global paradigm, which includes a multi-cultural vocabulary for the sacred.

As mystical traditions of East and West join with the teachings of indigenous shamans, Goddess ways, New Age, contemporary psychology, Quontum Physics and modern science, and the universal language of the arts, a RAINBOW BRIDGE is forming to unite humanity with each other, and with other dimensions of spirit.

The Rainbow Bridge is really an Oracle Deck, although it was inspired by my many years of reading the Tarot. In Tarot, the Higher Arcana is a progression through what mythologist Joseph Campbell called the "Hero’s Journey". The first card in the traditional deck is The Fool (Innocence) representing the openness with with we incarnate into this world.

The last card of the Journey is The World, the return Home.

For a 13 Card Reading

To see all the Cards

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

13-CARD READING

Like the Tarot, the Rainbow Bridge Oracle may be used for divination in many ways. I use a 13 card spread I created for myself, and I chose the number 13 because it was traditionally sacred to the Great Mother, as there are 13 lunations in a year. And so the 13th Question (or, the 13th Moon, the "home moon") is the Outcome. Shuffle the cards, and draw a card in response to each question, laying them out in a Circle.

13 CARD READING

1. What do I need?

(At the beginning of an endeavor or a quest, one gathers the tools and resources one will need to undertake the journey.)

2. How can I purify myself?

(Purification before any form of prayer or ceremony was important to Native American traditions. Before any "vision quest" can begin, inner preparation is necessary.)

3. What must I honor?

(This concerns the importance of recognizing the gifts you possess. Establishing a foundation of gratitude.)

4. What should my intention be?

(Clearly defining the Querant's intention, understanding one's essential purpose in this undertaking.)

5. What is hidden?

(What should the Querant be willing to investigate? What is the shadow in this situation?)

6. What must I do to improve my connection to Spirit?

(What spiritual practices will assist me?)

7. What must I sacrifice?

(Letting go of control and allowing vulnerability is not easy, and often requires leaving what is known behind. What needs to be released in order to go forward?)

8. Where am I going?

(This is not about an actual place, but how am I inwardly transforming?)

9. What do I need in order to be in good relationship with others?

(The growth of compassion, empathy, and skillful means in dealings with others. What practices might assist?)

10. What do I need from others to be in good relationship?

(What is necessary for me to fully engage with others - or conversely, what is unacceptable or destructive for me in my dealings with others?)

11. Where should I go now?

(In what direction is the Quest leading me?)

12. How may I serve?

(What service can I can make to life, community, and the Earth?)

13. The Outcome.

(Up to three cards may be pulled for better clarity.)

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THE CARDS In Alphabetical Order

ABUNDANCE

AGE

ANIMA/ANIMUS

CONTEMPLATION

FEAR

FRAGMENTATION

THE GODDESS

THE HANGED MAN

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

IMAGINATION

THE MAGICIAN

MANIFESTATION

SHAPESHIFTER

SOW

TRANSFORMATION

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THE STAR

The Stars are a perfect image of the constancy of Grace in our lives. To raise one's eyes to the vast azure sky at twilight, and behold the ubiquitous wonder of the stars is to find wonder, and inspiration that flows from the Source. The waters of Grace are eternal, and offer hope, healing and inspiration as they pour into the sustaining pool. The woman's nude figure further enhances this image; there is nothing to fear or to hide, no artifice in the grace that pours through her hands, cleansing and nourishing the soul, bringing hope and renewal.

Reversed, the card could mean that you need to reacquaint yourself with your source of Grace. The light of Grace, like starlight, is eternally present for you - don't be afraid to ask. You have become perhaps too exhausted, or despairing, to remember. Or perhaps you have come to believe, erroneously and to your detriment, that you are "unworthy". This is not true. Grace is available for all. Go outside, lie beneath the stars, and ask for the Grace that is unconditionally given to everyone.

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MAGICIAN

The Magician stands with his arm raised in the classic gesture of inspired invocation. He draws the white light of universal energy (the Above) through his skilled hand, his will, and then through his heart, to manifest on the physical plane (the Below). As his creative energies manifest, they are broken into the "rainbow" components of the physical world in all of it’s lovely diversity.

The Mage is an artist in every sense of the word, for his magic arises from a skilled and disciplined understanding of the tools he has to work with, his intention, and a connection to the infinite realm from which all manifestations originate.

The Magician card urges you to remember that you are the artist - the Mage - of your life, and now is exactly the time to manifest what you desire. There are many talents and resources at your hand, and you may "invoke" your potential now through wise use of will, vision and inspiration.

Reversed: The card can indicate an inability to manifest, and a lack of creative ability, due to any number of conditions, including lack of self-esteem, discipline, or necessary education. You may also be rendering your "power" over to others, and the card may indicate the presence of an individual displaying an egotistic abuse of power, or an urge to manipulate others, that lacks both spiritual understanding and contact.

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LOVERS

The Lovers stand beneath "Axix Mundi", the World Tree, a symbol that reminds us that we are connected to the above world and the below world, the future and the past, at every moment. The man offers the woman a flame to ignite their shared passion, which she reaches for with delight. This card can be about Eros, erotic and romantic love, but it also is simply about Love, the sacred union of kindred souls and the "flame" that their union ignites in both hearts.

If this card has been chosen, you may soon have love entering your life and "lighting your fire"; you may also be encouraged by this card to bear that "flame" to the one you love, warming the connection between you to a new level of love.

Reversed: Let your heart assist you in making decisions. What do you truly love as you consider a new course? This card reversed could also relate to poor timing, poor communication, and frustration of mutual understanding in your relationships. This may not be the time to rush in, and you may not be entering into a love relationship a the present time for the best or clearest of reasons. Don't rush in because you feel lonely - learn to love yourself now, and when you least expect it, the right partner will arrive at a more auspicious time.

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DUALITY

DUALITY

We are all divided beings, with conflicting impulses and multiple personae. To give too much emphasis to one aspect of ourselves, is to give as much power to the other, unconscious, so-called “shadow” parts, which have a way of manifesting with as much force as that with which they are denied. According to Jungian therapy, parts of the psyche that are repressed, denied, or negated too much will be projected onto others, or appear as "uncontrollable" behaviors that often seem inexplicable. Like the oriental Yin/Yang symbol, the key is to seek balance, to develop a non-dualistic appreciation of life. The poet Kalil Gibran wrote that "The well of your joy is as deep as the well of your sorrow".

Reversed: This card reversed indicates a strong tendency toward being overly judgemental and intolerant, of others, or perhaps to yourself. Cultivate the philosophy of non-dualistic thinking, of holism, to balance this tendency.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2012)

BALANCE

In the traditional Tarot, this card was called Temperance. The androgynous angel of Balance holds two cups, dark and light, pouring water into each, representing the energy of a continual harmonious exchange of opposites. The "rainbow bridge" issues from this exchange, which is the practice of creating Balance. In addition to the meaning of temperance or moderation, this card can be interpreted as symbolizing the blending of opposites.

The rainbow is the visible spectrum of the whole of white light. The rainbow may also represent the "rainbow bridge of the chakras", which in Hindu philosophy represent the different energy and perceptive systems of the human subtle body. Balancing the Chakras is to balance the energy system, thus maintaining spiritual and physical health. If you've chosen this card, continue to develop this virtue and insight in your life. Reversed: You are out of balance, and must seek ways now to bring about harmony, be it physically, psychologically, or even socially.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

SACRED

SACRED - Reclaiming the Sacred in Everything

What is sacred?A better way to put it might be, what is sacred to you? How do you have the experience of “seeing in a sacred manner “ now, not tomorrow or yesterday or in Church, but now and here? What practices refresh your sense of reverence, even as you pursue the most mundane tasks of daily life? If you’ve drawn this card, you are infused with a delightful, and infectious, capacity to appreciate the Sacred in everything. Every where you go, you create little shrines, icons, rituals and ceremonies - to the inspiration of so many others. Or the card may be gently reminding you to refresh your daily acquaintance with the sacred dimension of your life.

Reversed: You have fallen into the rut of a life that is too "mundane", and lost your contact with what is personally and universally sacred.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

FAITH

Image is by Catherine Nash

Taking the Leap of Faith:

In this image by artist Catherine Nash someone takes a leap of faith from a high and dangerous ledge. Hidden in the recesses, in the shadows, is another figure, a frightened soul clutching a narrow perch, too terrified to even watch as she flies. Sometimes (after doing some level-headed research) it's necessary to gather your courage, say your prayers, trust your intuition, have faith, and just do it. Take the great leap of faith into the unknown, with the confidence that the universe will support you.

If you've chosen this card, you are being encouraged to "take the plunge". The time has come to go ahead and make that great leap of faith to the next evolutionary step, the new adventure or enterprise you've been longing for.

Reversed, the card may caution you against recklessness: you may need to examine your resources so that, when the appropriate time comes to leap, you are well prepared and confident. Conversely, you may also be encouraged to examine your fears of falling and failing , to take a long hard look at the fears and lack of confidence that "keep you on the ledge", creating a lack of faith in yourself and in your world.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

DORMANT

DORMANT

The Season of Rest and Renewal
To everything, turn turn turn
There is a season, turn turn turn

An embryo appears beneath the ice of a snow-clad pond. Winter’s child, sleeping beneath the frozen surface. She is the yet unborn child of a spring that will come when the time is ripe. We are cyclical beings, participating in ever expanding circles of life. There are personal cycles that are unique to our own life impulses, and there are collective cycles as well. There is a time to be active, and there is an equal need for times of rest. Dormancy is a word we’re uncomfortable with in our busy lives, but slowing down, rejuvenating and becoming receptive during the dark months of the year is part of nature‘s wisdom, necessary to new growth.

If we are not continually achieving we often feel something is wrong.But the achievements of soul work do not necessarily adhere to the clock or calendar. A depression may be a wake-up call, reflecting genuine weariness or an authentic need for change. Perhaps you need to grieve for someone or something that has passed out of your life, and you‘ve never given yourself the opportunity to do so. This card can indicate the need now for you to accept the healing season of dormancy, to slow down, empty out, dream and rejuvenate.

Reversed: It's time to get real about being exhausted. You could be running on empty. Maybe now is the time for long overdue rest. Accept it, and stop fighting. Spring and new life will come eventually.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

THE DANCER

THE DANCER - Ecstasy

The Fire Dancer is a perfect image of ecstasy, of the flame of joy. Consumed by the burning energy of the moment and the music and the heat of life, the dancer gives herself entirely to the dance. There is no past or present, only the ecstatic moment, and all awareness is concentrated in that brilliant, illuminated leap. Like the Fire Dancer, give yourself to the dance now, to consummate joy and immersion in the present moment. You've been working, like the dancer, for a long time. Now be ignited.

Reversed: Come into the moment and seek your joy. Whatever it takes, deal now with the depression that has kept you from being more fully alive.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

IMAGINATION

A woman sits in a "house of doors" - the walls that surround her are transparent to the vast possibilities of her imagination. Everything comes into manifestation first through the creative power of imagination. Can you also imagine that you are the artist of your life? With the power of your creative imagination, you can begin to manifest the life you desire, change habits and limitations, and improve your health and fortune. By what we imagine, collectively and individually, new worlds and futures come into being, and you are urged to use this great power wisely and fully.

Reversed: You may have narrowed your horizons far too much, and are living an unimaginative personal myth or story, which will insure you an unimaginative life. Or, this card reversed may also indicate an "over-active" imagination, inventing things that aren't really present in your circumstances or relationships. Take a good, realistic look at the situation, and get some honest outside advice.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

FRAGMENTATION

This card was inspired by the traditional Tarot card "The Tower", and is about the shattering of the familiar, and the loss of stability. Things are falling apart, and now it completely necessary to not deny the fact.

Psychologist Stanislaf Grof has coined the term "Spiritual Emergency", which means times of fragmentation of the self that, although painful and frightening, are nevertheless spiritual crises. Often precipitated by outer events, these times can be breakthroughs into new lives that have previously been repressed, denied, or unripe. "Work with it" is the meaning of this image, don't run away from this dark time of fragmentation. This time of loss can also be viewed as a breakthrough time. Don't try to deny the powerful emotions, and the insights, that are now emerging. Journal. Find a counselor. Read. Talk to others. Seek spiritual and psychological guidance. See this experience as an opportunity for transformation and change. Reversed, the card can mean that you are overwhelmed. Seek help, find a safe place where you can heal, and seek the truth of your internal experience.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

INCUBATION

INCUBATING THE NEW

New life quickens in the sleeping Earth dreaming beneath the roots

Just like Mother Earth, incubating spring beneath the roots of the surface world, you are pregnant, even if you're a man. Not necessarily with a child, but certainly pregnant with an idea, a creative project, a new life. When a mother is incubating something, its important to take very good care of herself, to be sure that everything she does is in service of nourishing herself and her growing, unborn child. She also must put her thoughts into preparing a harmonious, beautiful home and nurturing environment for the immanent birth growing within her.

If you've drawn this card, the same advice applies to you. Prepare with for the birth you are incubating. Let your instincts, and your world, nourish its joyful growth. Who knows, you may even have twins! Reversed: You may not be taking care of yourself, you may not be protecting and preparing your emotional, physical, or psychic "womb" for the new life that is fragile within you right now. Be careful, lest your pregnancy be stillborn.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

DESIRE

Without Desire, nothing is conceived. All that birth of new life, new possibilities, new hope begins with desire the for union, for experience, for pleasure, for knowledge. Desire is the engine of creation, and profound, authentic desire is profoundly connected to the life force. But desire can be sublimated, denied or perverted into lust or superficial acquisition, even hoarding where authentic desire has become mistrusted. What do you truly desire, deep in your soul? Real love, meaningful work, engaging creativity, beauty, travel, knowledge? This card encourages you to connect with that deep source, and like a rose opening to the sun, focus on your true desire and make it manifest in your life.

Reversed: You have become far too resigned to never getting what you desire or truly want. You are dangerously close to becoming an angry and disappointed person, a scrooge of the heart. Stop it right now, and re-connect to your true, and sacred, desires.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

AXIS MUNDI

AXIS MUNDI - The World Tree

Also called the "center of the world", or the "world's navel", Axis Mundi is a universal symbol that is often represented by a tree or a mountain. The World Tree symbolizes the connection between the sky and the earth, the access point between the above world and the below world in shamanic terms. Information from lower realms may ascend to higher ones and blessings from higher realms may descend to lower ones to be integrated throughout. This concept of "as above, so below" is expressed in many ways, but represents a profound image of the interconnection between the inner and outer selves, the unconscious, conscious and transpersonal mind - the macrocosm and the microcosm.

Remember the meaning of "as above, so below" within the "tree" of your own life. Find ways to know your roots, and reach for the stars at the same time.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

ABUNDANCE

What could be a greater image of Abundance than the amazing tail of a peacock? Their iridescent colors, and huge fan when the male peacock chooses to display, is almost too much color and magnificence to behold - one is left wondering at the awesome spectacle of Abundant Beauty that nature is offering to us every day. And, like the Peacock, free of charge, given and given and given. Take a cue from the dancing Peacock, and make a point of not only counting your abundant blessings, but enjoying them. And more is on the way - just be sure to count on it, and be grateful.

Reversed, this card is reminding you of a kind of "scarcity consciousness" in your environment. Take a look at it - are you really so impoverished? You may need to be careful to not think like a pauper, but rather, count your many blessings, fully expecting more to come your way.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

CONTEMPLATION

Walking between two trees, this figure holds two cups, both dark and light, in steady balance and deep contemplation as he proceeds slowly along his path. From the two cups issues the rainbow, a symbol of the beautiful union of all colors in the spectrum of life. Reiterating the meaning of Balance, this young man examines the deeper meanings of all that he encounters along his path now, seeking to understand beyond surface appearances to the essential unity and relatedness of his experiences, making wise choices for the future based upon wise and open contemplation.

Reversed, the card can warn against dualistic or reactive thinking, impetuous action, and a rash and possibly disastrous course undertaken without first contemplating all possibilities.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)

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