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So, an interesting trifecta with the Moon’s energy, just in time for the festival of Brighid of the Three Fires and the hope for spring that is Imbolc (which is tomorrow). As many have no doubt heard online, we have a combination of a Full Moon, Blue Moon (second one in a single month), and lunar eclipse all at once.

Here in southwestern Oregon inside the coast range, we did arise at 4 pm in hopes…but alas, the daily fog that blankets our area in winter won out over the Moon and its eclipse. Not a sign of dear Luna did we see. But, hey, there is always the Internet! I got out my trusty iPad and headed over to NASA.gov for the live feed from southern California. And I have recorded it here for you, as it was when I did my draw for the Hop this morning.

Background from our Wrangler, Aisling, on what the card draw is about: “We are celebrating a “Solilune,” a combination of a Solar (Brighid) and Lunar Festival, and it’s dedicated to a Deity who Herself is represented in Her Celtic realm by three Elemental locations, Land, Sea, and Sky, and three characteristics of the Inner Flame, Poesy, Smithcraft, and Healing, as well as shedding her beneficent influence on three areas of human life, Body, Mind, and Spirit . This day also represents a Secret Gift of Spirit, the Blue Moon, representing those things that are rare and precious. Therefore, we will be creating a pattern of triplicity in our draw and layout for this Hop.”

And herewith, the full draw (three rows) from this morning from the Osho Zen Tarot (which happened to be kept in a bag with the Moon on it):

The Reading

1) The Foundation: You will draw three cards, one representing Land (Body), one for Sky (Mind) and the third one for Sea (Spirit). These will indicate for you the physical, mental, and emotional/spiritual focus of your year-to-come. These cards honor the Solar Festival of Imbolc and the Three Fires of Brigid.

The Lovers, Playfulness (Page of Fire/Wands), Beyond Illusion (XX Judgement)

The Lovers here represents the Body, and in the Osho Zen, this card is interpreted in three(!) levels as sexuality, love, and compassion, with the idea being to move up from the first to the third, of course. But still, staying with the sexuality/body aspect, it leads quite nicely into..Playfulness, which corresponds to the Mind here. Play with some sexy ideas and add fire to your inspirations, because this could be a path to seeing through any Illusions that may be holding you back from true compassion and connection to Spirit. Don’t discount the power of Play.

2) The Construction: This Moon, according to the Celtic Tree Calendar, is the Full Rowan Moon. This tree is sacred to Brighid, and represents “Protection from Evil Enchantment.” So the three cards you draw for the second level, the Lunar energy of the year, will represent the answers to the following three questions:

• What is the energy of the new path that presents itself? Adventure (Page of Earth/Pentacles)
• From what will I need protection on this journey? Turning In (Four of Water/Cups)
• What energies of my own or of spirit will guide and protect me? Conditioning (XV The Devil)

Let’s go! The Moon gives us permission to set off toward the rainbow path as a child with all her innocent curiosity (Adventure). And where is she going? Into herself, it would seem (Turning In) to quiet the mind (or at least pay the Mind no mind), for the endless chatter is my spiritual nemesis. The story behind the last image (Conditioning) in this row is that of a lion (interesting since this Moon is in Leo) who grows up with a flock of sheep and thinks he is one, until another lion shows him his true reflection. So, the protection I see is that of knowing Who You Really Are from your adventures, turning in to hear that genuine voice, and then allowing yourself to be visible as You, with no disguises, no compromises.

3) The Surprise: Once in a Blue Moon, wonderful things come forth. Draw your final three cards connected with Body, Mind, and Spirit, in that order, to see what treasures the Universe has in store for you. 

Flowering, Aloneness, The Burden

Well, at least it starts out fun! My surprise gifts include more sexy fun with the Queen of Water/Cups (Flowering) to remind me of the first row and playtime. The Mind, however, is working its own inner light (Aloneness/IX The Hermit), so I’m not seeing a social sexiness going on. And in Spirit, the surprise is that the responsibilities of spiritual growth can sometimes feel like a burden and a slog through multiple attempts at inner healing (The Burden/Six of Air/Swords), and it’s time to shed my egoic passenger and her fears and find a more joyful way to continue my spirit journey (back to Flowering and Playfulness!).

The Verticals

Just ’cause I love all pattern directions, I noticed some interesting messages flowing from the verticals in this draw as well, from bottom to top:

1) Left column (the Body, the new path): Allow the Flowering of your mature, sexy self and step into Adventure as the innocent you are, for at the end of that path is a great partnership with love and compassion.

2) Middle column (the Mind, the challenge): Know thyself (Aloneness), Turn In and tune in to the silence and away from the chatter, and then you will know just how to play (Playfulness) a new tune.

3) Right column (the Spirit, the protection): Shed your ego Burden, then your Conditioning restrictions, and you will emerge from the Illusion into Enlightenment.

Meanwhile, the sun has lightened the foggy sky, and soon that cloud will lift. I’m sorry I missed the Moon this morning, but glad for its guiding energy in this draw.

Let me know what you learned in the comments and don’t forget to visit my neighbors, Karen Sealey (prepare to laugh), and Jay Cassals (prepare to go deep), and all the other great writers in the Hop.

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