I tried out the Deity spread today.
I used the Book of Shadows Tarot: As Above variant.
1. Four of Earth (Pentacles)
Represents the Deity.
The book talks about stones and crystals being pieces of the Earth Herself, waiting for us to discover them and the energy She's stored within when we need them. I have tried in the past to connect to Earth Element via stone and crystal divination. The book says "This is a time to store, to save, to conserve. There will come a time when all that you've saved will come in handy." This brings up thoughts of a Gaia-type Earth Mother, or the Mother Bear Priestess from Sorgae. She's one of the Gods that's "claimed" me, as I was assigned to Her Direction and Element. When I was younger, in meditations I was often enveloped by a massive bear. I called Her Grandmother Bear then, and figured She was my own representation of Gaia, but She may well have been the Sorgae Goddess. So I suppose it could be Her. Hopefully the spread reveals more information.
2. XIX Litha
The Deity's personality traits.
Ok yeah. Litha is the name some Pagans use for the Summer Solstice. In Sorgae it's called Ardunahk, and Mother Bear Priestess claimed it as Hers. In this deck it's the equivalent of the Sun card. I'm going to disregard the actual meaning and take this as the confirmation. So it seems She is wanting to communicate at this time.
3. Five of Earth
The Deity's sphere of influence.
Like no shit. Go not to the cards for they will say "duh." "The situation started much earlier than you may think." What did I literally just say about Grandmother Bear being with me since I was young. It also talks about patience and consistency, basically staying the course and maintaining momentum to achieve goals. And She can give me the strength to keep going.
4. Three of Earth
Current relationship with Deity.
Normally I would start to think that the deck wasn't shuffled properly, but I checked it before I started and shuffled it more than it already had been. This card talks about teamwork and not going it alone. Which still makes sense, Mother Bear Priestess has always been adamant that we need more Witches. This feels like our relationship is at a point where She's trying to call me home, and maybe I need to be more insistent about starting to work with my Initiators again.
5. Two of Earth
How Deity had manifested to me in the past.
So maybe lack of decent shuffling is an appropriate pathway in this case. I'm not going to worry too much unless it stops making sense. The meaning in the book talks about balance, and the card in the spread is addressing the past. I'm brought to thoughts of how, when I was young, a lot of my spiritual experiences were very centered on the Horned God. He was the one who came to me most in meditation for a long time. It's important to note that He's a God of Death and a psychopomp. Whereas an Earth Goddess is one of life. Her appearance to me created a polarity. Also, Earth representing the physical and Water the boundary to the Spiritual. So Life and Death are not opposites on a spectrum, but adjacent spokes on a wheel. And West is another Direction I was placed in according to the Sorgae Gods, and that's where that pantheon's Horned God is placed.
6. Two of Water (Cups)
Deity's current influence in daily life.
I can extrapolate a bit. She's been insistent not only that there be more Witches, but specifically that there be more babies born into Witchcraft. She wasn't much concerned that the parents be in relationships though, just that babies happen. So I can stretch this to say all that. Or I can just accept that Her love is ever-present, and this card is just a way to convey that; Her love is why She wants more babies/Witches, because She loves us. And, more personal stuff, Water and the Horned God, right? In meditations He would *ahem* lay with me, years before I ever had a physical partner, and this card is in the suit of Water. I wondered at the beginning of this reading if the Earth suit could also represent the Horned God, since in Wicca He is also the God of nature and beasts and wild places. He's also at His highest power at Midsummer/Litha. So I'm starting to think this is about Them both, whether Sorgae or Wicca. [Added after the fact, if I take this now as representing the Gods of Wicca, this is rather obvious.]
7. Four of Fire (Wands)
Why I should work with Deity.
Yeah ok. Because I am passionate and I "want it." My HPS has described me as a zealot, a "true believer." When I accepted Initiaiton and took my Oaths, I was told that I spoke them loudly and clearly and with more investment and surety than most others that my Initiators had witnessed. Most other people they'd Initiated had sounded "small" or quiet. I'd known I wanted it, I had messages and experiences that confirmed this is where I should be. And my desire to teach and pass it on stays with me regardless of my ability to do so. Also, in Sorgae South/Fire is the place of Witches, I consider Scorpio (my Sun Sign) to be the Fire aspect of the Water signs, and my Rising Sign is Aries, a Fire Sign.
8. Elemental (Page) of Earth
What the Deity wants from me.
Prosperity, abundance, manifestation. Basically don't give up and make it happen.
9. Two of Air (Swords)
10. Nine of Earth
How I can best honor Deity.
The card indicates that I have the necessary information to make a decision, and that I should make it and be clear and decisive. I have several situations in mind that this could refer to. I'll finish the reading and come back to it.
How I can improve my relationship with Deity.
Satisfaction, there is enough of everything. The best course is to do nothing. Instead of contradicting the last card, I'm taking this as reinforcing it. I have what I need.
11. XVIII Samhain
What's important for me to know about working with Deity.
In this deck this is the equivalent of the Moon. That pokes me bc the Goddess of Wicca is publicly described as a Moon Goddess. Samhain also occurs in my Sun Sign, and is often a time to honor the Horned God. Looking more at what the book says, "Strong spiritual connections, communications between realms." Yep ok got it.
This last card is nudging me towards one possibility from the decision-making card (Two of Air). I'm going to pull an extra and see if that gives me more of a nudge.
I did two because Crone of Earth didn't give me much (lays the Earth to rest for regeneration, Winter dormancy, there is time for everything in life including death). But the Summerlands, being equivalent to the Fool and the first steps of a journey, and representative of the afterlife, ok, yeah, my nudge seems right. Gardnerian Wicca is a three-degree system. I am currently a 2nd Degree. I'm seeing I need to take the leap and commit to taking my 3rd Degree. (Also, the Crone of Earth representing Winter, now does connect back to the Samhain card, because that Sabbat is considered the (at least symbolic) beginning of Winter.)
Six of Air
What it's not (a position and pull from my personal practice in readings, bottom of the deck)
This card represents Familiars. When I was approaching Initiation, I had a meditation experience with the Welsh Goddess Blodeuwedd, about Whom I knew almost nothing at the time. She pushed me underground and chanted at me, "Out of the Earth, climb to your birth." In Her story, she becomes an owl, which is part of how Barn Owl came to be important to me. So I see this card as saying it isn't that. It's not that situation again. It's not the Owl energies this time. The person on the card has some physical similarities to me also.
