“Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward.“
E. E. Cummings
For this weeks in-focus look at The Oracle of Change, I have drawn The Root of Fire, which in this deck is the equivalent of The Ace of Wands.
I leave in the knowledge that there will be no path through the wilderness that lies ahead, and that there will be no advice, save that which I find within my own heart. I leave behind me a life well cared for, one that I thought would be mine for always, but one that felt cramped and suffocated by the word “always”.
Images of The Root of Fire by Aia Leu
Written over the space of three years, and prompted by all the usual devastating life situations that affect us all, in 2015, I embarked on a voyage into my own personal darkness to discover the creatrix who was hiding there. I was searching for the person that had got left behind along the way in the confusion of the years passing; mislaid in motherhood, put down and then abandoned as the speed of life moved on without her; I had lost the woman I was, finding myself dislocated and confused, voiceless and afraid.
Although I had discovered both tarot and astrology over thirty years ago, it was the latter that had always been my main focus, but for this particular voyage, however, I turned to the cards. Allowing the beautiful coloured images of the Crowley-Harris Thoth Tarot, with its astrological signatures, Hebrew and Kabbalistic associations, alchemical symbolism and sacred geometry, to work its magic upon my psyche, I made an intuitive exploration into each of the seventy eight cards, writing about what I found there.
I always love drawing this card, as I feel that it is an indication of the scent of something new in the air, a potential arising, an opportunity that is just waiting to be found. Beginnings are always so exciting, but also rather scary, and sometimes, the adventure is not really wished for at all at the beginning, as was the case with the journey that began when I started to write this book. By the time I reached the end of it however, five years later, I could see in retrospect that the journey needed to be made, but as with many difficult journeys, ignorance of what lay ahead was a blessing in disguise, because I am sure that if I could have seen what was going to befall me in the months and years ahead, I would probably have made some very different choices.
Tha painting of The Root of Fire illustrates the willow tree that I discovered within the vision, rooted in a lake of molten lava, representing the endless cycle of creativity, the rutting urge of Springs first rush, and the endless cycle of rebirth and renewal. I found it fascinating that I found such a beautiful feminine tree rooted in a lake of molten fire, a theme of the reconciliation of opposites that I was to find continually through the cards.
The Root of Fire symbolises creative new beginnings, the divine spark of inspiration needed at the start of any journey and the beckoning finger that asks you to voyage forth into the next adventure. Be attentive to the opportunities that present themselves; the chance meeting, the easily missed remark, the messages written between the lines or a half remembered dream; all these may be leading you to the beginning of your next journey
Thoth Journey-The Oracle of Change
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Full Colour Illustrated Book with Gilt Edged 78 Card Oracle Deck
A new age is dawning, with a need for a new wisdom, one that comes from the heart. This book is dedicated to all those who find themselves, for whatever reason, in darkness; given with love, this work, is a product of our times.
My name is Joanna Grant, I am an Astrologer, Tarot Reader and Writer, who lives on the beautiful Beara Peninsula in the South West of Ireland. I can often be found at home, deep in arcane research, or practicing some new form of divination whilst burning the dinner! My children probably wish that I was “normal” but may well remember my eccentricities fondly when they come to face the challenges of their own paths. My long knowledge of Astrology leads and informs my practice, in offering guidance, empowerment and healing, helping others to lead a more authentic and magical life. You can read more about me here.
Joanna-Kate Grant 