The Day's Initiate

This week I'll be working with the Crystal Reading Cards by Rachelle Charman and the Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso. My blogging week will be truncated as we head out for the workshop towards the end of the week. And with that workshop in mind I was happy to see this oracle card as my first draw and theme for the week...

Fluorite ~ Learning ~ Crystal Reading Cards

The crystal in this card is Fluorite and it appears in a range of purples, greens and yellows. In this deck each crystal corresponds to a particular chakra and in this instance Fluorite is associated with all of them. I'm not knowledgeable in either area so I'll leave that to the gods to work with.

Some of the qualities of this crystal are ::

~ stimulating the mental realm and decision-making process
~ balancing mind and body (are they separate?)
~ offering perspective

I don't know about all that but I do know that fluorite is the mineral form of calcium fluoride which is related to the fluoride that goes on teeth to harden them. Many cultures correlate the development of teeth in infants with a certain stage of development in the mental realm so I'm drawing some inferences here between fluorite, teeth and the mind which line up ever-so slightly with this mineral's qualities according to the card. Works for me!

This card has personal and immediate relevance because of my upcoming workshop. The LWB encourages me to feel the presence of the Fluorite Devas supporting my wish to deepen my knowledge base through life experience and study. I'll gladly take their support, needing all the help I can get!

King of Pentacles ~ Death ~ Crystal Visions Tarot

Seeing these two cards together I'm struck by their polarity. On the one hand we have a figure who represents abundance and wealth in the material world, someone for whom the body is an instrument of empowerment and mastery and on the other hand we have a figure for whom emptying is a theme, for whom the body is an offering made to the earth. With Learning as the bridge between these two I sense there is a palpable opportunity here.

Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso

This King of Pentacles sits confidently beneath a solid and ancient-looking tree that is healthy and full of greenery and strength. His throne is carved into the tree itself attesting to his comfort in and mastery of the earth realm. His crown is made of antlers and leaves and his hair flows freely down his back suggesting his strength and passion is also something fluid, sacred and active.

He holds a crystal trident in his right, active hand and various crystals are scattered about his feet. The beautiful roots of the tree are visible as thick ropes of support attesting to lineage and transmission, stories and power of the earth.

Seeing him here today I'm encouraged to be practical and active in my doings and to see some of the mundane prep work for this retreat as the actual work of the retreat--organizing dog and bird care, food shopping for the road, prepping the house for our sitter. The heart of the retreat begins long before the class starts. With this King in mind I can approach these tasks with the idea of spiritual mastery as an aspiration rather than as a list to get through.

Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso

From the mastery of the earth realm we move into mastery of the ether realm, the realm that contains all the elements.

This Death card is a slightly different depiction than the traditional RWS yet retains the idea of transition and transformation with the butterflies, the greenery, the lilies. A dark angel watches over a figure whose time has passed. Her body is draped over a rock inscribed with the words, Vita Mutatur, Non Tollitur, latin for Life is Changed not Taken.

This is an end to the status quo, a release of limited thinking. The dark night atmosphere suggests a descent into the underworld which is to say into the unconscious realms where the ego will undergo the necessary changes and transformation required for rebirth and renewal of vision and identity. I sense I'm being asked to release some old patterns here, old identities in relation to my limited view of what I feel I know or in this case, don't know.

Crystal Visions Tarot ~ Crystal Reading Cards

Together this trio feels very supportive. I shall view myself as an initiate today, someone for whom learning is first and foremost as I aspire to mastery in the earth realm, checking things off my to-do list. But supporting that I'm hoping to remember the spaciousness and renewal that comes with release as I hold the ether realm and transformation in my mind, being aware of habits and worn-out views that might want offering up.