My Path

On another blog, I noticed a reader mention that she never reads the accompanying book to a deck straight away. She said that it inhibits the relationship that we form with the cards, or words to that effect. It's been kind of difficult to not dip into the two volumes that came with this set, but at times, what is written in them is little help to my interpretation. Summaries can sometimes be a little whimsical or vague, leaving me wondering what the point of the card actually is. One of the most enlightening paragraphs in the first book is as follows, suggesting a similar idea to that of the other mentioned blogger -

"One of the many unique features of this deck is that you can customise the meaning of the cards to better reflect your own individual symbolism. Since these cards are not those of a tarot deck, you can easily choose any meaning for them that appeals to you. The images in this deck are rooted in very old symbols and concepts. They represent universal imagery related to archetypal patterns. How you relate to these images may be different to the meanings we have provided in this book. Once you have looked at the images on each of the cards, then you can decide whether the assigned meaning fits your personal feeling for each card image. If not, you can join your own inner roots and personal symbolism with these images, which will allow you to form new meanings. This will help create a powerful and personal system that relates to you on a deeper level"

from 'The Travellers Guide to The Well Worn Path' by Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor

Ah, so we have permission to do our own thing? This prospect may scare those who fear that they won't be doing things right or using the deck in the way that it was designed. I find it quite liberating as I always rolled my eyes at those who suggested a manual was needed for every deck they bought. I think the clue is in the title here, since the path we tread on, whether it be the well worn one or the hidden one, should readily become our own.

So what of the Book of Shadows in today's draw? The first obvious thing to notice is that it is shut. Due to the ornate titling and lock, I would expect that whatever is inside to be of value and importance. I have kept diaries since I was a kid. I had ornate ones like this with locks. I wrote about my days in them, penned letters to the boy at school I fancied but would never send, and wrote what I really thought about my friends within it's pages. I used to hide it under my draw or within the chamber of a cut away book on my shelf. Things haven't changed so much. I think that is why I took so naturally to blogging. However, these days, I don't hide my diary away, but share it on the internet for all to see.

One of the things that strikes me about this book in the card and a blog such as mine, is that even though it holds wisdom from the past, it also has space for more to be written. It is a path in itself, which we have walked and are still to walk. We must live if we are to complete more pages of our own personal Book of Shadows.

After recognising my place at the crossroads yesterday and understanding that a lot of the past needs to be cleaned away, I made a few phone calls regarding the Maths GCSE I briefly spoke of here. I am too late to get on a course at the Adult Education Centre but I have an appointment this afternoon with another service, which claims they can teach me the equivalent. I don't necessarily need the qualification itself, but need the knowledge to pass an equivalency test to enter university. I am hoping that after my initial assessment, these people may be able to get me through that stage of my path. With this in mind, today's card shows me at the point between what has been written and what is yet to write.



Illustrations from The Well Worn Path by Mickie Mueller