April 2015: Monthly Oracle Study: Daily Draws and Readings

I'm starting this thread for the monthly study group. Several of us will be using different decks but will try to weave in the idea of guardians, protectors or other sources of support and comfort.

Please feel free to join us. Use this thread to post your daily card draw with your deck of choice and/or any readings you might do using the deck you are studying for the month.

Daily Draw April 7, 2015

I didn't really have a deck to use that is guardian based so I decided that "divine purpose" was guardian enough for me. Therefore I will use the Enchanted Map during the month of April.

Today's card is Home #27

When I look at the card itself, its a door nestled in what looks like a hill side but might also be a ancient tree. Above is a window with a cross that has light reflecting on it. There is also an owl, a clock, what I am assuming is a cat and some other objects. Are they protectors of the home?

The book talks about it as a card of love and comfort, of being comfortable in your own skin, of knowing where you belong and surrounding yourself with like minded people.

I would purpose that being home is all of those things plus a connection to your inner self, spirit, your soul, whatever it is that you want to call that aspect of yourself.

This is an interesting card for me to draw as in the other thread about our monthly study I wrote about how our inner self could be viewed as a guardian. Coincident that I now draw this card about being happy and comfortable with who you are?

I look forward to reading others draws and hearing about their decks.

It's a lovely card . Perhaps the owl, fairies etc. are trying to lead you to this place of peace and stability or help you remain grounded there if you've already found it?

I recently used a spread from here about spirit guides which was encouraging, so in the hope of having a "guardian" of this sort I asked "Is there a representation of my primary spirit guide in this deck?". I'm glad I used both decks as combining the interpretations has come up with a picture that makes more sense to me .

The Ancestor of Memory from The Shaman's Oracle shows a cave painting of a bison, so must be going back in time a very long way, at least where I live . I need to look at the guidebook for this deck but it's a good message. The group or suit of Ancestors are the "source of all knowledge and wisdom" which is just what one would want in a guide, and the Ancestor of Memory specifically knows all that has ever happened, helps one to learn ancient truths, and guides one back on to the correct path.

I can read The Chess Queen from Wisdom of the Hidden Realms more from the image and keywords (trust, strategizing) on the card. At first glance it gives the impression that the human like figure is the guide, but I think this is misleading. She's inside a dim, shadowy room looking down at the black and white squares of the floor, planning her next move, and also hugging herself protectively as if holding on to her sense of self or ego. It appears to be a very human created scene, but she's surrounded by a cloud of bright light that has come in to the room through a slight gap in the door along with bright green ivy. This ivy also is also present behind her, but in a blurry way, overlaying the background of the room as if it's in the process of materialising from some other realm. I'd therefore say that this light and vegatation represents the actual guide, helping the human subject decide what to do next.

The Ancestor of Memory talks at one point about the "collective memory of our species", but from the two cards together I am getting a sense this guide may be older and not necessarily human - it's a very human conceit to see themselves as the end point of evolution and any higher beings as basically human with more developed powers, and this may be a bias incorporated into the decks, particularly Wisdom of the Hidden Realms which is full of humanoid images .

Wednesday April 8, 2015

I do like your idea of the guardian being something that transcends human experience.

I liked your question about if there is a card that could represent a guardian from this deck so I decided to use it. !!!!

#51 Moonlight. It shows a faery like creature standing on the balcony with a full moon over her. There is a vague image of an owl like creature nestled into the colored shading of the moon.

I will first start with what comes to mind without looking at the book.

This is interesting to me for a couple of reasons.

One I have an intense interest in the moon and its effect on our lives, the energies that the moons cycle brings to us and in particular the full moon energies. The full moon always seems to give me peace, knowledge and energy.

Second, I love the faeries. Froud's original faerie deck was the first deck of oracle cards that I explored. This makes me think I need to go back to reading with them on a regular basis. They are like old friends.

The book:

"You intuition allows you to see beyond the mundane, logical, and analytical. Follow it." Come and trust your instincts, don't second guess, etc.

Wow once again I find this in line with my thoughts about the guardian study and in line with the first card I drew as all seem to focus on the fact that "we are our own best "protection." Second guessing is definitely something I need to work on.

I think the card is saying, that you can depend on those things that guide you whether its the moon, faeries, or one's on inner "knowing."

I am intrigues that everything from this deck so far has pointed in the direction of self, inner knowledge, trusting intuition etc...

It is an owl, but a bit hard to see as its wings are down in front of it. So that's two cards you've drawn, and two owls .

My decks do seem to be working well together. I drew The Spirit of Initiation which is an otherworldly guide introducing one to mysteries and teaching the way to wisdom, plus The Resting Tree(patience, stillness), and interpret the pair as advising me to practice quieting and stilling the mind.

Hmmmm...two cards...two owls...I hadn't even thought of that....what does an owl symbolize to you?

Some ideas from the Druid Animal Oracle Owl thread I did back in the January study group -

"...linked to the Moon, a mysterious creature of the night, shadow and dreams, able to visit other, hidden realms beyond everyday reality, the possessor and possible communicator of secrets to those able to attune themselves with it... the Owl knows the keys to the mysteries but only reveals them a little at a time because it’s for own own good, the pure knowledge would burn us out".

In The Shaman's Oracle the Owl appears as The Ancestor of Knowing who can help you see clearly, beyond superficial appearances to a much deeper level of really knowing that fully appreciates the true meaning of your experiences.