In the second half of the reading I explore the cards that were drawn for me on my journey from Lammas to the Winter Solstice this coming year. Things were not at all what I was expecting, and I think that has good and bad aspects. Good because I like my assumptions and pre-conditioning to be upset every now and again, and bad because of the portent that the signs have offered me. Read on to see where the signs point in the second half of the year.
Lammas – Amangons at The Green Chapel
By the time that Summer is in its full green garment we reach the festival of Lammas. It is at this point that I encounter the archetype King Amangons.
King Amangons signifies a counterpoint to Brigid
This figure represents a darkness – a despoiler of the powers of the virginal maiden Brigid (Bride). It is interesting that he is positioned at the opposition point of Imbolc – the time of Brigid. In this position I think he represents either the switch of that energy into its opposing force, or a deliberate move into a darker energy.
Excerpt from Caitlin Matthews’ book “Sophia”
I notice that Amangons holds a cup – the symbol of water, The Chalice or Grail, containment, fulfilment and emotion. This may signify an emotional change from a light to a dark emphasis in my work. It may also signify a material obsession that overshadows the spiritual.
“Amangons vanished into the heart of the Wildwood from where he challenges all who approach him to acknowledge the negative aspects of their journey” (John Matthews)
A fascinating reference to The Wildwood considering that this card was drawn for Lammas, and at The Green Chapel – both a time and place signifying the verdant abundance at the wild heart of Nature. Time to engage with The Heart of Darkness perhaps?
Autumn Equinox – the Pierced Heart at Avalon
So we come around to the final quarter of the year. Having entered the heart of darkness there is a strong image revealed by the next card – it is The Hero’s Path, but the symbol governing this path is the pierced heart. As you may know by now I don’t ignore coincidences, believing them to be a signpost to a synchronicity, and a means of getting meaning out of the vast tumult of information that passes by us each day, So, when I drew the card I drew back in shock. That very morning I had been reading Andrew Collins‘ “Black Alchemist” book, and at the very peak of the excitement Andrew had dug down into the roots of a tree in a churchyard to find a special deposit left by his arch-nemesis. He had pulled out a real heart with a dagger pushed through it!
Dagger through the heart is a message
This was too coincidental to ignore. I was being given a warning, or a message that I need to be aware of around the time of the turning year. Was it heartache? Sorrow? Loss? Betrayal? Subsequent information suggests loss.
Samhain – Merlin at Castle Mortal
Merlin and Mortality
By the time the veil between the worlds becomes thinnest I will be encountering my old teacher Merlin. As my tutor in all things druidic I am expecting that the lesson here is that there is a lesson to learn from my recent experiences. The significant word here is “Mortal”. I cannot ignore the message that is being offered. When I asked how I should prepare for this I was told to brush up on my Death Eating skills. It will be a test. The correct absorption and grounding of death energy will be a key factor in my work around this time, it seems. What can you do but prepare to act with honour and fortitude?
Winter Equinox – The Flame at The Grail Castle
A beacon for a grail
Like a funereal pyre ablaze for all to see the path leads to a shining beacon at the final point in my cycle around the year’s stations. I see it as a beacon of hope, a celebration and a shining light in the darkness that seems to foreshadow the latter half of the year. I take the signs for what they are. They have never been wrong yet, but of course, like anything related to a future event that has not been realised yet, all these signs are open to mis-interpretation. Besides, every event is an opportunity to learn, to grow and to help others. That is my service and my path, and I chose this way. I am thankful for the insight. Let’s see if the tarot is right again?