Veritas: The Nature of Truth

It's funny how the word 'truth' gets bandied around as if it makes what came before it fact for all people. It's funny how people also hide behind their 'truth' and use it as an excuse for their actions or for why they have not evolved. 'I have found truth, I'm done!!' It's funny how people use their truth as a tool to judge, discriminate and hold prejudices against people, most often without proof or personal experience of any kind. Ok, so funny may not be the right word here, but you get what I mean... This has started my own search for the meaning of truth and an understanding of how it works and why it is so important to us as individuals and society as a whole.

For me, Truth is a dynamic concept, changing depending on circumstance, experience and position. It is what it is based entirely upon the individual's own perceptions and experiences. True, the ideas of the individual can be formed based upon the ideas of the whole, as with religion or cultural ideals, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the individual to perpetuate certain truths.

People use truth, or truths, as a basis for their life philosophies which affect their actions and interactions with others. It is part of my personal truth to honour the Earth and keep it clean, not out of any belief in a mother Goddess or the spiritual nature of the land on which I walk, but as a need to help keep it habitable for future generations. This in turn guides my actions - I am always picking up rubbish in the playground at school. I do this for the Earth first and foremost, the idea of being an example to the students is secondary in my mind. But the philosophy of looking after the planet guides what I do in my daily practice.

Truth can also give you meaning and direction. I had none before I discovered my truth relating to the spiritual nature of my life. My belief in Reincarnation and Karma has helped me to understand why I am here, what I did to create these circumstances (in this life and past ones) and a road map for correction. I do not want to repeat past patterns, and understanding where they came from and the lessons involved helps me to break these and work toward being a better person.

But this still does not address the issue at hand - what is the nature of truth? We know it is changeable, being affected by the perspective of the individual, but there is way more to it.

Truth is a very wide concept, covering both negative and positive aspects of society. Truth can:
- hurt as well as heal
- be hidden or flaunted, and every variation between
- be used to control or set free
- be manipulated or spoken freely
- willingly changed or stubbornly adhered to
- used to a person's advantage or disadvantage
- lived and experienced or ignored

I am sure there are many more variations to the above characteristics, but one thing remains certain for me - honesty is always the best policy. I have recently entered into a very adult relationship where we both speak our truth in every circumstance. We have agreed not to take it personally, but accept that the other might think differently and work within these limitations. There have been many times in recent weeks where I have spoken a truth (diplomatically, of course!) I would once have hidden for fear of hurting the other person, and how refreshing is it! To be able to explain to the person exactly where your head is at (or your heart!), to be completely honest and know that the other person will accept it. There have been times (and probably more to come) where my truth has been challenged (both from him and within myself - mostly because when I speak a truth it seems completely ridiculous and I immediately find another that makes more sense!), but it has been done in a respectful manner. I return this favour to him when I feel I need to challenge his truth. Either way, the main idea remains the same - It is not personal, it's just how I feel at this time. We both understand and respect the changeable nature of truth and work within these limitations as well.

I feel it is important to have a healthy respect for truth and an understanding of how it works. Knowing this can help you to be more respectful of other people while still honouring your own truth. It is also important to understand that another person's truth is not a personal attack on you, but an entirely individual way of looking at things. If it goes against your own truth, discuss it as adults or leave the relationship - one should never actively try to make another's truth fit their own. Here's hoping more people have this same healthy respect......

Personality Traits and Mirror Imaging

I know this is kind of cheating, but something came up recently that I feel I need to write about. A lot of people in this world will look at what others do and say or how they act and will react to this in a negative way. 'I hate it when she does this!' Or 'why can't he stop doing that to me!' It is interesting to me how any cases of this is actually mirror imaging!! How many times the traits that others exhibit are those exact traits they exhibit and secretly loathe about themselves.

A friend of mine has recently discovered that most of the men in her life don't hear her, won't listen to what she says and what she wants. Most of these men have since left her life, her ex-husband being one of them. (and they spent 32 years together!) She left him for many reasons, but this being one of them, and has since attracted more men to her that don't listen to her. The entire visit I spent 'fighting' to be heard by her, every time I started to speak she'd cut in with something about her. When she asked for advice about something she did not listen to what I said, mostly because it was contrary to what she wanted to hear, but the other part I now know is that her own inability to listen was glaring me in the face! And for someone so enlightened and spiritually aware it seemed weird to me...

So, the next time you are faced with a trait that you find irritating or frustrating, before going off at the person and causing conflict, ask yourself - Does this person's trait annoy me because it is annoying or do I do this same thing and not like it about myself? I have done this many times since discovering it and I am now a better person (hopefully) for identifying and rectifying the situation when it arises. For one, I try not to be too opinionated as it annoys me when others are! This is the first of many I have already changed and not the last to be changed, I can assure you...

Personal growth is exhausting, but in the end worth it!!

(P.s - Sorry it's late!)

Tarot vs Oracle Cards - What's best for me?

This week is T for the Pagan Blog Project and I thought I'd write about the Tarot. However, since I have been asked on several occasions what the difference between Tarot and Oracle cards is, I thought I'd address it here, just for a little twist.

Ok, so the first step is to explain how they work. Basically, each card has a meaning that is interpreted based on a) it's position in a spread (if you use one), b) my own intuition and c) the question asked. I don't always need a question, but sometimes it helps me to clarify the message or guidance being given. I also use my intuition a lot as it helps to provide a deeper, more specific message for the client. I use this same process for both sets of cards, but I don't always use a specific spread unless I am drawn to it or the client has a specific question that a certain spread can help to answer.

Sounds easy right? Well, it is in a sense, but there are differences between Oracle and Tarot cards that make it a little less so. The main difference between Oracle and Tarot cards are the meanings. Tarot cards, while most decks do include specific meanings, usually have universal meanings to draw from. For example, the Hierophant will mean the same in the Rider-Waite deck, the Nefertari deck or the Celtic Tarot deck etc etc. This means you can give a general reading using any deck, even playing cards! (Considering that playing cards are modeled on the original tarot, this is just as well!!) Oracle cards will come with deck specific meanings for each card, usually because they have very different themes and reasons for being created. Each deck will serve a specific purpose for which individual card meanings are necessary. this is not a bad thing, it just means there is often less study involved! Further to this, I have found that Oracle decks (other than the simple past, present, future layout) don't come with a wide variety of spreads to work from. True, Tarot spreads can and are used when reading from Oracle cards, but for some reason the authors don't see this variety as a necessary component of readings.

These are some of the cards from the Doreen Virtue, Angel Therapy cards I use. I have been drawn to them for a long time and absolutely love them!!

Both have their individual benefits. For the Tarot, once you know the universal meanings you can read any deck effectively. They also come with a variety of spreads to cater to any question that will lend greater depth to the reading. There are also Tarot specific symbolism, i.e. colours, images etc, that you can draw on for even deeper meaning, but these are not exclusive to the Tarot. Once you have this knowledge you can apply it anywhere, even Oracle cards. On the other hand, Oracle cards help to strengthen your intuition, in my experience more so than Tarot cards. The main reason is that you can read them based entirely on what image or colour you are drawn to and use general symbolism as interpretation for the messages. These cards usually have a sentence or two on the bottom of each card as a general interpretation, which helps as well. There is far less study involved as well, which can help for people who are (for some reason or another) put off by this. For both decks, reading the book is optional (though recommended) and I know a few who have never read a book and rely solely on their intuition, but for me a Tarot reading without the knowledge is much less deep and meaningful than one with it. But that's just me...

This is an example of the simple three card spread: past, present, future. 

Oracle cards were a good starting point for me, allowing me to strengthen my intuition and connection to spirit and I sometimes revert back to them if I feel I am relying too much on knowledge rather than intuition. Oracle cards gave me confidence to read more and the foundation I needed to move up to the Tarot (for which I always had an interest). Neither one is more effective than the other, in fact having a working knowledge of both serves to deepen the readings I do now. Despite this, I do prefer the Tarot because of the general meanings, but like to employ general symbolism and my own intuition as well when reading for someone.

Working with Colour - Red

This week's Pagan Blog Project is R, which for me was easy as I am really into colour and its vibrations and benefits etc etc. I started out with a very clinical approach to this blog, but just didn't feel it. I had read something this morning from another blogger which got me thinking about my own blogs - are they real? Are they what I truly believe in my heart or what I have read in books? I hope it is the former as I always try to be authentic, but this morning it just felt clinical. I had a formula based on previous work with colour and it wasn't working for me. So, as I am learning to be more spontaneous (which is anathema to my 4 vibration) I thought I'd just sit and write and see what happens.

So, Red? What do I use it for? What does it mean to me?

I love red, have done so for a while now and it is probably my favourite colour after orange. To me, red is about passion, vitality and life. When I wear it I feel sexual and sensual (especially as a lipstick!), confident and ready to tackle anything - dare I say bullet-proof?

I also feel like me... I am not a pastels girl, and never will be, so wearing strong colours is part of who I am, wearing the standard rainbow colours gives me strength I can't describe. It also fills me with hope, hope that today will be a good day, hope that maybe I can achieve anything, hope that I will get through the day and whatever challenges it may bring (and as a casual High School teacher, these are many!).

I would love to say that I use red for grounding, but until recently I didn't think specifically of grounding techniques so I would be lying. I guess I naturally moved towards it without understanding it properly. I have owned and worn a read pair of boots for a few months now and I love them and wear them any chance I get! I now realise I may have been doing this instinctively as I desperately needed grounding and was unaware of it - I live in my head and have recently discovered my inability to understand the earth element reflected a deep need to be grounded, but that is another story...

In my travels (Inna Segal's book again!), I have learnt that red can be good for improving the circulation (which I often have trouble with), healing wounds and blood disorders, constipation, sciatica, increasing the sex drive and helping with weight loss but I have not had the urge to use it for these issues... probably should see what happens the next time I cross my legs for a period of time in my red boots! An interesting experiment... I may yet have cause to test the other theories out along my journey, but today they remain untested!

I do, however, use it for balancing my base chakra, which I am assuming is common practice. If I have money troubles or issues concerning the home or security, I will wear my boots or another piece of clothing to help balance this chakra. I will also meditate with a red jasper at my base or wear a garnet if the mood strikes me (or if I have the flu, as garnet is great at helping to assist with flu-like symptoms - to this I can attest!). I have also recently 'learned' that red is the numerological equivalent of the number 1, being about all things physical and how you relate to the world around you.

To me though, it is a colour of passion and vitality! I always feel a little sexier when I am wearing it, a little more confident and able to meet the challenges of the day. I do feel just simply better... Blue also does this, but for different reasons... Red is just such a strong colour to me, it gives me strength and for that I am forever grateful.

Q is for Quarters

I have just finished reading the other posts about quarters, and I thought I'd just add my thoughts... A friend and I were discussing this the other week and we both pretty much said the other's was wrong. I realise now, as I did shortly after the discussion, that there is no right or wrong, it is all up to you as your interpretation.

Still, as a traditionalist I struggled with this for a time. All the books, as has been said many times before, say certain things which I just didn't get. Why would I put water in the west, when I am on the east coast of Australia and the Pacific Ocean is right there! Why would I put earth in north as to my west I have the Great Dividing Range and thousands of square kilometres of desert? It just didn't fit. So I thought about it, read some more Southern Hemisphere focused stuff and came up with the following:

North - fire, because of the heat of Northern Australia and the equator being up there. This is also the direction the sun travels across the sky. 

East - water, mostly due to the location of the ocean, there is little more thought than this...

West - earth, again little more thought than the thousands of square kilometres of mountain range and desert... (Sarcasm intended!)

South - air, at first it was placed here due to a process of elimination, but upon further reflection I realise that this, other than east, is where the wind comes from mostly in this part of Australia. The southerlies are beautiful and bring the cool in summer and the chill in winter.  

So there you have it, correspondences according to me! hehe I know that if I moved to Western Australia it would change, well east and west anyway... It may even change if I moved somewhere on the east coast where there was a river to the west and a large mountain to the east, depending on how I felt at the time. The key for me is that it is purely a personal thing and each person has a right to choosing their own correspondences. The hard thing is doing a ritual with people with different views!!!! 

Queens in the Tarot

I don't know why I didn't think of this for P and K week, as these are generally the cards I have the most trouble with. I'll do one for Pages, Knights and Kings anyway as I really feel I need the extra experience with them. It's more that I am unsure of the universal meanings of the court cards and how they relate to the other cards and their elemental affiliations. When I am doing a reading I usually rely on my intuition for these cards, but I also feel that getting the hang of the universal meanings would benefit me greatly. I have used the 'Tarot Revealed' book to help me here, but also my own intuition and understanding and interpretation of the cards based on elemental knowledge and personal experience.

General meaning of the Queens

For me, the queens are about the feminine qualities of feelings and emotions, intuition and nurturing and correspond to the element of water. They can describe a woman over the age of 21 or someone with the specific qualities inherent in the card. For example, the queen of cups can also relate to a young male who is very aware of his emotions and family oriented. 

Each of the suits corresponds to a particular element which has an effect on the specific meanings of the cards. I will go into detail in the next section, but as I recently discovered no element is independent of the other, so there are always going to be elemental overlap! The basic gist is as follows:

- queen of cups: watery part of water, which is equal to 100% emotion.

- queen of wands: watery part of fire, which is emotionally directed passion or passion for emotional fulfillment. 

- queen of swords: watery part of air, which is analytical approach to emotions.

- queen of pentacles: watery part of earth, which is practical application of emotions or someone who is grounded in their emotions.

I like these correspondences, and feel that an understanding of this connection will add depth to my readings. 

Specific suit meanings

As unsaid earlier, I have used the book as the basis for my research but have applied my own perspective and intuitive interpretation to it in places, making connections for myself that will help me understand the cards better. 

Queen of Wands - success through inner strength and acting upon emotions.

This combines the fiery, passionate and enthusiastic characteristics of fire with the emotional nature of water. These people love a challenge and can use their intuition to manifest their desires. The watery aspect of the queen lends patience to an otherwise impatient element. They are usually very strong and independent, with a tendency to speak their mind, often void of diplomacy. They mean well yet get lost in the moment. They are enthusiastic, energetic and outgoing and happy to help in any situation but can overlook the fact they were not asked for it! The lesson in this card is to find a balance between relationship and career, as these queens tend to focus on one at the cost of the other. 

Queen of Cups - success through listening to your feelings and intuition; employing creative imagination.

As the watery part of water, I'd describe these queens as pure emotion. They focus on their family and relationships and get more out of emotional fulfillment than any other aspect of relationships. Their focus will be on unions and true emotional intimacy. These women can be over emotional if not disciplined, but this sensitivity allows them to be great listeners, often taking on the counselling role. When this discipline is mastered they will be able to direct their emotions and inherent creativity to create something of beauty. The lesson of this queen is to listen to your heart and intuition when making decisions and planning a course of action. 

Queen of Swords - success through clarity of thought. 

As the watery aspect of air, these women will apply their intellect to their emotions and try to make sense of them. They are analytical and logical in all things, preferring the rational to the emotional. They have developed an intellectual understanding of life and tend to be able to see above emotional turmoil as a result. They welcome new experiences but analyse that which approaches. They have a quick wit making them excellent talkers, but you must be listening in case you miss their subtle sense of humour. These queens are the 'watchers' of the world. They will try to discover the reasons for people's behaviour through an analysis of their mannerisms and actions. As a result, they are often the best judges of character as they often see that which other people miss. Their shrewd understanding of human behaviour and their own experiences allows them to give the best advice; it is founded on rationality and deep thought. Their relationships will be based upon an intellectual match and you will need to challenge them on this level to keep them interested. The lesson in this queen is to observe opportunities as they approach and focus on gaining clarity of thought through careful consideration of your emotional reactions to guard against repeating last patterns.

Queen of Pentacles - success through trust in your own abilities and practical and realistic approach to emotions and intuition.

As the watery aspect of earth, these reliable, dependable women will be down-to-earth in their approach to their emotions. They look at what is real and assess their emotions on a practical level and discard any that are of little use. They enjoy all aspects of the physical world, from animals and plants to good food. As a result they will take pride in their bodies and look after them, eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. These women love routine and physical contact, becoming disconnected in a relationship without it. They have tested the limits of their abilities and are confident within them, having gained an emotional understanding of herself. These women have an excellent business sense, usually with a little near egg off to the side for a rainy day. Not given over to spontaneity, they work hard for long term gains in over and career. The lesson of this queen is to work towards lasting success in relationships and career and also to be grounded in your emotions when making decisions for success. 

As a cusping water/fire sign, I have as yet not gained a deep understanding of he element of earth, but this had helped on what I would call a superficial level. If nothing else it has highlighted a need for me explore this element more. 

Still, the above exercise has helped me to see the deeper aspects of the Queens and to understand how they are different. I hope it has helped you as much!! Feel free to add any comments below that will help deepen my knowledge!