Mother and Child

I drew today's card randomly, as I normally would, and came up with this one; it is card #32, entitled Mare. The horse in the card protects her young and provides nourishment. She gives it warmth and gifts wisdom, reminding me a little of the tarot's Empress.

This card also reminds me of the deity Epona. Epona was a goddess of horses, honored by the Celtic tribe known as the Gauls. She was one of the few Celtic deities who were celebrated by the Romans, and they celebrate her in an annual festival every December 18, which has obviously just passed. The Festival of Epona was a time when worshipers paid tribute to horses, erecting shrines and altars in their stables.

Legend holds that Epona was born to a white mare who was impregnated by a man. Apparently, he “loathed the company of women”, and so decided to focus his desire on the mare instead. In many sculptures, Epona is represented by symbols of fertility and abundance, such as cornucopias, along with young foals. She is typically portrayed either riding (usually side-saddle) or taming a wild horse. Many households, particularly those who kept horses or donkeys, had statues of Epona on their household shrines. Epona is venerated in other areas; the Welsh Rhiannon is an adaptation of Epona’s role as goddess of the horse.

The relationship between this horse and foal has relevance today. Every time I see a card like this, I wonder if my old mate Jane is about to go into labour, but equally, the card reminds me of motherhood and her relationship with the child on a more general level. It obviously regards the relationship between the goddess and her son on this eve of the Winter Solstice, but it also makes sense elsewhere for me. I saw one of my friends in the supermarket last night, and she told me that her mother had collapsed. This morning, I have heard that she has been transferred to a speciality unit in London. This is obviously a concern and I see the relationship between mother and daughter in this image. My friend is a mother of three herself, so where she would sit in this image is transferable.

Today is one of visitors. My mate is arriving at midday with her daughter and little dog. She is bringing some bits and pieces for lunch, as her little girl wants to see the new house. While shopping last night, I picked up some things for today, since my mum's friend is also coming over. I have found my reading up on Yule, it's history and customs, really interesting, so while there, I bought a Yule Log cake to go with some mince pies as a treat (whether I defy Pierre Dukan and have a piece remains to be seen). It says in the brief statement of the accompanying book to this deck that the card can reflect children, so it makes sense for little Eva to come visiting. At this time of celebration, the card is about relationships with others and how we can help make them more nourishing and warm.


Illustration from The Wiccan Oracle by Chatriya Hemharnvibul