The Blessings of the 7 Rays ~ Winter Solstice Tarot

The 7 Rays of Creation reach us via the Great Bear constellation, their alchemical resonance moving through and influencing everything they touch. I had no idea that they would also be influencing this Winter Solstice reading. When I drew the three cards from the Wildwood Tarot last evening, I was thinking, what is it going to take for sanity to return to our country? During this holiday time of Winter Solstice, four days before Christmas, 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed from their positions or will have to work without pay until the shutdown is over because the current occupant of the White House caved to “conservative” pundits, going back on his agreement, and refused to sign the continuing resolution that would have prevented a shutdown. Now, 800,000 Americans will have their ability to pay bills and feed their families drastically affected.

But as has already been established via a fashion choice, the First Lady doesn’t care given that she and her son have already, at taxpayer’s expense, traveled to Mar-a-Lago for their annual Christmas holiday. Spare no expense for the wealthy, federal workers, be damned.

The 7 of Bows, The Shaman, and The Great Bear comprise the reading and I had to laugh a bit when I first looked at the cards and immediately thought, the 7 Rays of Creation must be blocked from reaching those in power. And then I took a second look and realized that’s exactly what’s at the heart of all of this. A choice to not feel the Creator within. Because it is a choice to not align with Source Presence and to ignore the voice of Spirit within our own consciousness.

A side note: I’m a student of esoteric astrology, hence my awareness of the 7 Rays and their effect upon all existence. The premise in that school of thought is that it’s not the planets that affect us but the seven Rays as they pass through them, gaining additional influence as they continue on to influence human expression. The seven stars of the Great Bear constellation happen to be one of the locations the rays pass through to reach our solar system, the planets within, and then us. So as I see it, there is an inherent balance within the reading. Seven from the 7 of Bows in alchemical balance (The Shaman) with the implied seven of The Great Bear. And as the twentieth card of the Major Arcana, The Great Bear brings strength to that alchemical balance.

The authors of the Wildwood Tarot changed a few things about their deck giving it a Celtic or Druidic flavor. Court cards are represented by wildlife and the Major Arcana merges humanity with nature in depictions that are simply stunning. I love this deck, but then I apparently have Bran The Blessed in my lineage resolving why Druidry has always resonated in an unspoken way for me.

As a fire burns brightly, a bow lays broken on the ground, its cord loosened by the damage. A small ax leans against a boulder while six limbs, newly crafted, lean against a tree awaiting their completion. Replacing Wands in traditional decks, cycles and purpose come through in this card. Elemental Fire, creation and destruction, birth and decay. All things pass and are replaced by that which is new. Allow the process. Allow the rays to reach you and make clear what belongs to ego and what belongs to Spirit.

The Shaman replaces The Magician illustrating the primal nature of alchemical creation. We see representations of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth in his tools on the stone table below, incense rising signaling his connection with Spirit. Witches and magicians still use the same in their own alchemical traditions as they too understand the expression of the Rays in casting intention. The Shaman aligns with The Great Bear’s Rays as he uses a bearskin as a headdress, the bear’s claws visible on each side of his long, flowing white beard signifying strength and wisdom. Holey stones hang from his garment suggesting vision and magick, the spiral nature of existence visible on his arms.

The Wildwood Tarot provides more than simply a way of looking at the tarot. The authors include in their accompanying text interpretations from a pagan perspective. They also place everything on Wheel of the Year. Their placement of The Great Bear in the position of the Winter Solstice suggests again that Spirit is controlling this reading given that I drew the cards on the night of the Winter Solstice. Coincidence? No.

We see a white polar bear climbing over the top of a stone burial mound. The 20th card of the Major Arcana, the theme of duality is present with the two gnarled yew trees framing the scene along with the two stone pillars in front of the gravesite. Transformation and renewal are traditional themes of this card, also known as Judgment. Other decks retitle this card Aeon and Rebirth while this deck does away with all traditional interpretations favoring the esoteric over the exoteric.

In other words, we receive continual opportunities for rebirth from the 7 Rays of Creation as they pass through the Great Bear constellation on their trek to manifest humanity. After that, it’s up to us whether or not we pay attention to their influence. With an overall numerology of one or new beginnings and unity, the Rays align well with this idea as they continually replenish existence. Harmony is preferable to conflict and if some had paid attention to that fundamental truth, no one would even consider creating fear and uncertainty over building a wall on our border to keep out people fleeing poverty and violence. They act like the devil is at the door when it’s toddlers in diapers and parents who only want something better for their kids sending our military…our military…in a show of force to string razor wire. Razor wire.

The Creator is All That Is. Viewed as the Great Mother, she breathed out life and until she draws life back to her, we rest in the Great Mother’s breath. The least we could do is be loving to each other while we do that.

Blessings on this Winter Solstice as we remember who we are…