Wheel of the Year for Dummies
Now that I begin this journey I find that the study of this Wheel deserves careful and painstaking attention. Not that it is incomprehensible or overly intricate, like some interminable calculus formula--but rather moved by the desire and need to truly grasp this concept in the most simple and lasting manner.
So I thought that if this is agreeable to those interested--the Iron ones and the Fluttery ones alike--we could take this step by step until it is properly assimilated--a bit like medicine
starting with the first portion in the book which talks about the Time of Arrows.
In this tarot, the Arrows is the equivalent of Air and Swords thus: new thought, clear thought, excellent wording/communication, cutting through fluff, analysis, waking up, worldliness, brain vs. emotions, cold bloodedness, efficiency and all other related concepts.
The Wheel is divided in sections like a pie chart each pointing to different periods of the year, which is not too hard to "feel" since most of us live in a temperate zone and have weathered several (many lol) seasons and years already. The 2 main turning points or major divisions in the year being that of that are sun/moon. cold/hot--Midsummer Solstice and Midwinter.
Also we find 3 layers of awareness and being deeper and then going outward. The main guardians being the Shaman, The Seer, The Wanderer and the World Tree. I suppose these represent the most key figures in the Archetypal game of life and death?
We start at Imbolc, 1st of February at the time of the new moon. Springtime is on the horizon with all it's usual signs and signals. According to this system, the Ancestor is the right archetype to greet us here.
Why?
There is an explanation in the book, p. 27 which makes sense but to me but only after reading the book...I wonder if left on my own, this is the archetype I would have chosen. This question could probably lead to too much thinking and second guessing so I think initial trust and acceptance in learning this system is key here.
Moving on then. We have in the Ancestor a guide and and guardian which is very appropriate since the still Nature is still asleep and buried in snow, but now we have arrived and are ready to follow the new path, Spring.
There are several layers to this Wheel, the innermost being more yin and the outer ones being more yang if you will.
In the same section we now find the Star, which works with the outer conscious layer.The Pole Star is there to encourage us to carry on-(-the February Blahs being upon us and hard to weather if one might think a bit along those lines for a moment) This so we do not loose hope that Spring is real and will come soon, no matter how many clouds and flurries remain.
I think I will stop at that for now, to give us a chance to digest this and chime in with any additional insights and of course corrections! There is much food for thought and it won't do to gulp it all down in one sitting....these are concepts which for the most part have been totally forgotten by humanity and even if it might be in our collective conscience, or unconscience, retrieving those files is a feat in itself! In my dirty, gritty, satellite-ridden city you can't even see the stars anymore!
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