THE WEAVER

"What might we see, how might we act,  if  we saw with a webbed vision? 

The world seen through a web of relationships…as delicate as spider’s silk, 

 yet strong enough to hang a bridge on.”......Catherine Keller

A weaver  takes threads of many colors and skillfully weaves them together into a beautiful  tapestry.  We talk about "spinning a tale", meaning a storyteller takes "threads" of different characters and weaves them together into a good story with many inter-woven events.  

The name "Penelope" originally meant "with a web on her face", a term that was probably a title for an oracle, or perhaps a Goddess of Fate. But "webbed vision" can also have a contemporary meaning as  a way of seeing the world with a unitive eye, all people connected and in relationship to each other.  That kind of vision enables you to be a "good weaver" in your community, family, and life.  You are a person who helps others to "connect the dots" -  a true instinctual networker.  

Reversed:  You  may be having a hard time seeing the connections between people and/or events in your life, partly because you feel so disconnected  and isolated from others.  Get back "on line" with your life, and reach out to re-connect with whatever it takes.

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ALIGNMENT

Keeping the body in a state of balance, with  organs,  chemical balances, neurons, nutrient and waste systems in homeostasis  is necessary for vibrant health.   In the same manner, the Chakras, or energy body, must be in balance for emotional and psychic health by being well aligned. 

In Aryvedic medicine, the Chakras are rainbow points along the spine that form the "subtle body".  Energy  flows up and down  the base of  the spine to the top of the head through the Chakras.  Just as breathing is an exchange of life force with the planet, the Chakra system is an exchange of energy with the cosmos.  Each Chakra is  related to different ways that we perceive,  experience, and emphasize our lives.  The Base Chakra, for example, is identified with red, and is about physical vigor.  The Crown Chakra (white) is identified with cosmic consciousness.  In a balanced chakra system  neither  the upper chakras nor the lower chakras are over-emphasized.

When the  energy system is out of alignment it can create lives that  lack "depth perception".  It's been said that we have 7 brains instead of one, because each chakra regulated  how much energy we receive and give.  A closed Heart Chakra indicates an inability to receive love for example, and that energy imbalance will eventually bring about  disease.

Reversed:  There is a difficult misalignment, and you need to  create balance again.  You are, after all, a Rainbow.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

MELANCHOLY

Roman gardens often had a shrine devoted to the morose god Saturn. A place one went to be alone to brood, to grieve. A place to be melancholy.  The word "melancholy" derives from a word that meant "black bile" which was one of the four "Humours" whose balance was believed to determine one's emotional and physical state.   But in today's world we don't see "melancholy" as about balancing the humors, we see it as something inconvenient.  Depression is often viewed as an illness, and we want it to go away as quickly and efficiently as possible so we can "get back in the race".  

The pace of contemporary life leaves little room for the kind of Saturnine "composting of spirit"  that a good depression can give, the  cyclical return to the dark that is reflected in all organic systems.  To rot, fall apart, not know, slow down,  re-form and be re-formed by the organic, universal forces that are the cycles of  planetary life.  Why must we always "keep up"?  We all have responsibilities and obligations.......but inner life doesn't always respect such timetables.  Sometimes a depression is a valid response to circumstances:  loss, grief, work that is unfullfilling, a marriage that is no longer viable.  Sometimes a depression is trying to tell us something, and it's necessary for those who are "falling behind"  to go on a retreat (even if it's in the quietude of your own backyard)  in order to discover what it has to say.  

Reversed:  Depression may be becoming debilitating,  and you need to seek support and help.  Some of the problem may be physical and can be helped with diet and exercise.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

EARTHMIND

"Speak to the earth, and it will teach you".......Job 12:8

EARTHMIND  is included in this deck because today both science and spirituality have converged in our understanding that all life on planet Earth is  interdependent, a vast network of ecologies.  In 1979  James Lovelock, with Lynn Margulis, developed the Gaia Hypothesis, demonstrating that the Earth is one living,  self-regulating organism.  They named their theory after the primal Mother Goddess of Greek mythology, Gaia.

How would we live  if we truly experienced  Gaia as mother, friend,  as self?  We are the Earth, and it's important that we live and act sustainably, and with reverence,   for the benefit of  all beings of the Earth.  Future generations depend on us.  Thank you for your caring, and your efforts.

Reversed:  Without caring, effort, and work for a sustainable future,  the outcome is reversed for everyone.  We're all together on this one.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

ANIMA/ANIMUS

Visionary psychologist Carl Jung created the concept of the Anima and Animus.  Within each man or woman there is the human archetype of the Anima or  the Animus, the male and female "self".  We are powerfully identified with gender , but the soul is  neither and both.  Anima is the feminine aspects of a man -  for example,  the tenderness, intuition, nurture, etc.  Animus in a woman may be understood  as possessing the qualities of  assertiveness, the will to take charge and fight, and  so on.  Because we are personally and culturally deeply identified with being  "male" or "female" almost from the moment of birth, it is difficult for each sex to express and experience the qualities that are seen as "other". 

In patriarchal culture, so-called masculine qualities are glorified, and feminine qualities denigrated.  Men are forced to suppress their sensitivity  and their nurturing qualities, and  women have been socially conditioned to be passive and dependant. Our cultural dismissal of the feminine, of  the collective Anima, has resulted in a world dominated by the glorification of  war, and the vast loss of human potential in both men and women who are unable to integrate or to  express their innate wholeness.  This card encourages you to continue to get to know the Anima or Animus within as you continue to achieve Balance.

Reversed:  You have, as many if not all do, a "wounded" Anima or Animus.  Make every effort to heal and get to know the "opposite" qualities within your life, and your spirit.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

SOW

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"   (Gal. 6:7) 

In this image, the "eye in the hand" represents both the eye of  human wisdom and experience, and the "Divine Eye" inherently within each one of us.  When we sow a seed, we begin a garden  with the potential to grow beautiful flowers, healing herbs, or nourishing vegetables to feed the hungry.  Our lives are a garden, and so are the communities that sustain us.  If we sow seeds of discontent, alienation, anger or any other number of negative emotions,  ultimately that is what will be harvested.   Blessing the seeds we plant and asking for the Highest Good to work through them, whether they are tomato seeds, zinnias, the first day of school  or the first page of a book project,  is important.

Hindus and Buddhists believe in the law of  Karma, cause and effect, which is similar to the Biblical quote above.  They believe Karma can be expressed  across lifetimes.  But Karma is also a very pragmatic thing to understand.  Kindness and generosity seed more kindness and generosity.  Sow seeds of joy and beauty in the world, and it will return to you many times over.

Reversed:  You need to take a look at your habitual thinking about others, which may be more negative, and pessimistic,  than you realize.  Unconsciously you may be sowing seeds of disharmony.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

GUIDANCE

We all need guidance, and we have received it from friends, mentors, and parents.  We need help at all stages of life - guidance as to what options are best.  This card encourages you to seek guidance, and seek widely with an open mind.  Conversely, you may also be finding yourself in the position of being a guide for others - take it seriously, because it's a privilege  to assist others along the road of life. 

Guidance can also come from what journalist Bill Moyers called "invisible means of support", and virtually all world religions have beliefs in angels, spirit guides, animal powers or ancestors that are available to offer spiritual advice.   If you believe that "this is it", and there is nothing beyond the physical dimension, this idea no doubt seems fanciful to you.  But even so, it's likely you often consult your dreams, or your "hunches" when confronted with difficult situations.  Many people also follow the mysterious threads of synchronicities that occur to them when seeking guidance.

However you envision it, ask for guidance now, and you will receive it.

Reversed:  You seem to be stubbornly determined to not listen to the advice and guidance you are continually  being given.  Your angel is virtually banging on the door.  Open up and notice the feathers all over the porch.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

MANIFESTATION

"Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it" is an old folk saying that has much truth to it.   We have all dreamed of having great wealth, or being with the best looking boy in school, or any number of  wishes.  And sometimes we do get what we think we want, but in one of the great ironies of life, our happiness can soon turn to misery and disappointment.  Sometimes getting what we think we want can be the worst thing that can happen to us, because what we want is concentrated on desires that are  immature, addictive, vindictive, greedy, or even unconsciously self-destructive. 

 The "Law of Attraction" demonstrates that we attract that which we focus upon,  and consciously (or unconsciously) what we  concentrate upon can manifest.  Loving and generous wishes attract loving and generous results. Negativity and pessimism just manifests more negativity and pessimism, creating a self-fulfilling cycle.  Bearing all of this in mind, now is an excellent time to begin to manifest!

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

DREAM

“Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths.”

 Joseph Campbell

Do you keep a dream journal?  If not, it might be a good time to begin one. Dreams are "soul language".  They come from outside of mundane time and space.   Dreams can reveal so much about our interior life, advising  about the most troubling problems  that we would otherwise avoid,  or are just plain oblivious to in waking life.   Deciphering the symbols within  dreams is akin to learning your own private interior language, the hieroglyphics of your unconscious.

While there are many books and systems of interpreting dreams, ultimately, the "language of dreams" is a private matter.  For example: flying  may have certain universal dream meanings of freedom  - but if you are  terribly afraid of flying in airplanes, or of heights, flying in a dream could represent a longing to overcome  some very deep  fears.  It's too easy to dismiss  dreamlife, and thus remain ignorant of one's deepest struggles, hopes, and desires.   And when we speak of  "dreaming" of something in waking life (like travelling to exotic places,  or learning to paint) we should pay close attention as well - before all our "dreams" pass us by.

Reversed:  Don't let your dreams go unnoticed, or unappreciated.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

FEAR

"Where there is fear there is power"

Starhawk

One's greatest fear can mask one's greatest strength.  Fear has great energy, and by facing what we are most afraid of enormous reserves of strength are often discovered.   Fire is a symbol of transformation, and for this woman there is no way out except through the wall of flame she confronts.  Pushing the boundary of a  deeply ingrained fear can get more and more intense, until it feels like we are going to die.  But often the truth is that a kind of death is in order to free yourself and move on.    We refuse to let go of  "the way it is"  so we don’t have to transform into who we could be without "it".  Don't run away from what scares you, unless you can realistically evaluate that it is, indeed, life threatening and dangerous.  If not, empower yourself in  relationship to the  source of what you fear.  If you can name it, and talk about, you have taken the first step to passing through the "wall of fear". 

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself"  Franklin  Roosevelt said  in 1933.  Fear is infectious.  Roosevelt  spoke to the power  fear has  to paralyze a  nation as he encouraged Americans to meet crisis.

 Reversed:  You're living far too dangerously.  There are a few things you should definately be afraid of.

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)         

VISION

Among the Lakota, long preparations were made for the Vision Quest.  Those who sought  initiation fasted, prayed, and prepared themselves  to  "call for vision".  They then went to a special place in the wilderness.  When a young man returned with  a vision it was shared with the tribe,  and sometimes examined to see if it had prophetic or ceremonial significance for not only the individual, but for the entire tribe. 

This is a tool we have largely lost.   True visionary experience is "soul language"; like dreams and synchronistic experiences, a vision has multiple layers of meaning, and transcends  time as we understand it.   Visions, like dreams, communicate universal truths, and whether unintended or intentionally induced in some way, can  catalyze a spiritual path or a life's work. 

You are encouraged to "call for vision" in your own way. Do it in a sacred manner, and share and discuss your vision with others of like mind. 

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All artwork is copyright Lauren Raine MFA (2021)