As mentioned in the previous blog post after my dream of the bee in the spiral shell I wanted to consult the cards and see what additional information I could obtain from this image. The leading card was that of The Piper. The Piper connects with the heart and the key words are order, harmony and empathy. From the book associated with the deck called, The Faeries Oracle by Brian Froud and text by Jessica MacBeth, they write “Pay attention to the subtlety of others expressions, feelings and ideas. He plays melodies in our dreams which may be filled with meaning and importance and then leaves it up to us to understand”. This validated for me the importance of the bee in the spiral shell image in my dream. I needed to continue to interpret and understand the meaning of this symbol and why it presented itself in dream time.
A card with a key message about connecting with the heart parallels that of the meaning of the honeycomb described in part 1, which is that it represents the heart chakra. For me personally, I have been on a journey of self-discovery and expansion. I try to approach decisions with the heart at the forefront rather than using the mind, specifically the ego. Learning to hear the whispers of Spirit or intuition can take time for some but it is something that grows with practice.
The Piper seemed to lead a group of cards that I will fondly refer to as the “Power of 8”. These were cards that jumped out due to the numbers on them. I have written before that there are energies associated with numbers. This group all had the number 8 or drilled down came to the number 8, as in the Sun which is a 53. If you add the 5 and 3 together, you get 8. The number 8 is a powerful number when laid on its side is the infinity symbol. It represents the constant flow of energy and power. I previously wrote that the dream and the corresponding reading occurred over the Easter holiday weekend. What is interesting about the timing of this is that the number 8 in the Bible signifies resurrection and regeneration. In Numerology, the number 8 is the achiever and a symbol of balance with its symmetrical shape. The cards in the “Power of 8” were: The Sun, Emotional Withdrawal, Singer of Courage and Strength.
The Sun card is from the Mystical Shaman Oracle Deck and Guidebook by Alberto Villoldo, Collette Baron-Reid and Marcela Lobos, and from its associated guidebook, the following message springs forth, “The Sun allows life to sprout from the dark, feminine Earth. Have you been hibernating? Have you been introspective? It is time to come out of your cave and savour the life-giving light of our star. The Sun rekindles your passion and your creative energy. Life is calling you to shine your light and to add your lightness and humour to the seriousness around you. Get out and play!” To my delight, this message brought me back to the message of bee which is to work hard but to also play hard and ensure that you stop and smell the flowers.
The Emotional Withdrawal card which is from John Holland’s deck, The Psychic Tarot, speaks of taking time to pause, reflect and heal. He writes, “Commune with your soul and give the power of Spirit the opportunity to restore your energy level, giving you the vitality to move forward in a positive direction. Number 8 is infinity, passion, control and power. This is your time. Use this opportunity to tap into your heart and soul in order to find the courage and strength to continue your journey into that wonderful, undiscovered territory.” I am always amazed at the synchronicity of messages from different decks. Here we have another card about the heart, how to nurture it, and the resulting vitality we feel when we move in alignment with the heart and soul.
The Singer of Courage, another card from The Faeries Oracle defines courage as, “Someone once said that courage is not the absence of fear but that which enables us to experience fear and not be stopped by it. It is also what enables us to do what we believe to be right even when there is pressure from others around us to do otherwise. It is what enables us to go ahead into the unknown or the perilous, where there are no guarantees of safety of security. One of the keys to courage is to consider the fear and find a way to let the energy of the fear itself power the action. That is true courage. To open our hearts to the risks and vulnerability of joy and trust requires courage. Have we the courage to discover and break through our fears and self-limiting beliefs, awaken to greater possibilities and go for our objectives?” This message was an A-HA moment for me. For most of my life, I talked myself out of my grandest dreams because of fear. Fear of failure and fear of rejection are very common ones that many people experience. I made the decision to power forward with this website, start a Reiki practice, write these blogs and face those fears. Yes, I feel vulnerable in doing so but at the same time I feel great joy in my heart knowing that I have met those fears and was able to pass through them and and accomplish things that were previously thoughts, wishes and dreams. I am learning much in the process and for this my soul is singing!
The final card in the “Power of 8” group is the Strength card from The Good Tarot by Colette Baron-Reid. The key word with this card is Endurance. From the guidebook, “I can go the distance and know everything occurs in divine appropriate timing. I have courage as I manifest miracles. When I allow Spirit to work through me, I am strong enough to move mountains and overcome any obstacle, inside or out!” I love the lion depicted in this card that seems to bellow this message across the land. To have courage is to have strength, they walk hand in hand.
I previously stated that I believe this message is one for the collective as we encounter many changes in the world around us. These are times that call for heart rooted action. It is time to set aside that dog eat dog mentality and embrace oneness, working alongside others for the highest good of all. The bee brings this message to us and to remember to play, as if you were a child again. Ignite that joy in your heart by taking a leap of faith towards something new.