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From Stillness to Stirring: Deep Winter, Tarot & The Call Forward
21 Plays19 days ago
We've passed Samhain, we've passed Yule — so where are we in the Wheel of the Year right now? In this episode, Karen explores the quiet, gestating stretch of deep winter through the Tarot (hello, Hermit and Moon energy), then turns toward the first stirrings of Imbolc — The Star, The Magician, and the flame we're all quietly tending before spring.
Karen shares a simple at-home spread for checking in with what's still resting inside you, walks through the Tarot cards of Imbolc, and shares details on her upcoming half-day Imbolc retreat at Cindy's Yoga Studio in Wodonga on Sunday 9 August — original Tarot spreads, ritual, movement, meditation and journaling to mark the season's turn.
Links:
Imbolc Retreat: https://www.soulfulnwild.com/retreats
Beginner Tarot course: https://www.soulfulnwild.com/online-resources
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Transcript
Introduction and Personal Update
00:00:16
Speaker
Hello and welcome, Karen from Salson Wild here. Now it is actually an age, quite a long time since I um did an episode for the podcast.
00:00:29
Speaker
So today i thought what I'd like to do is I'm just going to start by picking a card, as you do. So... Hmm...
00:00:43
Speaker
Where are we at? Hmm...
00:00:49
Speaker
I've picked the Hermit, which is actually quite perfect because it couldn't be more perfect than this. This is exactly where we are located right now.
Celtic Wheel of the Year and Retreats
00:01:00
Speaker
For those of you who follow me on social media, you'll be aware that this year I'm doing half-day retreats. I skipped last year.
00:01:13
Speaker
don't know what happened, I think. Just life got busy and, i don't know, went off on a different tangent. But I'm back to doing them. And this year um the focus is really going to be on the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Now there are actually eight sacred days or Sabbaths, they're called, that make up the the Celtic Wheel of the Year, special days that we honour the shift of the seasons that happens in the world around us, quite in the physical world.
00:01:46
Speaker
But we understand, of course, that those shifts and changes occur on an inner level as well. no I'm not actually going to do all eight Sabbaths, I'm actually going to do four of them.
00:02:00
Speaker
The four ancient Celtic fire festivals. And we are currently in a space, I'll actually show you, for those of you are watching the video, this is a circular demonstration, I guess.
00:02:17
Speaker
um It's a circle of timber and it's got the eight Sabbath names on them with the dates here in the Southern Hemisphere.
Seasonal Differences and Reflections
00:02:24
Speaker
Now, for a lot of you who read books on these things or if you listen to astrologers or even tarot readers speak about the Sabbaths, I don't know that there's lots of them doing it, but if you do, you'll often hear a lot of these people are from the Northern Hemisphere from the US and the UK. And of course, it's like, um you know, Halloween, they have Halloween ah in October.
00:02:52
Speaker
Well, that's actually all Hallow's Eve. It doesn't happen in October in Australia. That's a Hollywood thing, but it's based on the Sabbath. And of course, here in Australia, it's the exact opposite part of the year.
00:03:07
Speaker
So just be aware of that. So for us, here we are, we've had Samhain which was in May, 1st of May I think it was. Let me just double check I've got that right.
00:03:23
Speaker
Yes, I think I've got that right. Yep, May 1st. Sometimes called our All Hallows Eve um which is what I was just talking about before.
00:03:39
Speaker
Halloween. We have it in May. other side of the world is the opposite side so it's October. And um so we've just passed that a few months ago. We've also been through the winter solstice, the deep, darkest, longest night, shortest day. It's the darkest point. So we went through that 21st of June. It falls between the 20th and twenty third most years.
00:04:10
Speaker
And so we are in this weird space right now. We're in the deepest, darkest part of the year. So we're past the winter solstice, but we haven't made it yet to that first flickering of new light, which happens at Imbolc.
00:04:30
Speaker
So it's very, you know, interesting sort of space that we're in so selecting the hermit card couldn't be more perfect because we are in a way in this space where there is no light at all except the light of spirit and it's from this place that was in this space should i say like a seed in the soil You know, everything is underground right now. Nothing is out there.
00:05:05
Speaker
It's all down underneath. And for us, that's true too. I don't know if you're feeling that. I know I am. Even in the garden, you know, if you go and have a look outside,
00:05:18
Speaker
I mean, in my garden, I've planted some plants specifically that will flower in the winter because I've got bees in the garden. But most gardens, traditional gardens, there's nothing growing.
00:05:31
Speaker
um The leaves are off the the regular trees. They've dropped, you know, and the leaves are sort of all in decay on the ground. It's moist.
00:05:46
Speaker
Everything's still. And actually that's exactly what we need to be doing right now.
Embracing Stillness and Creativity
00:05:52
Speaker
We need to be still. We really need to stop the push, stop the drive and just come into this place of of real genuine rest. And I invite you to really embrace that. and This is a time where self-care is really, really important.
00:06:16
Speaker
You know, eating nourishing foods. snuggling on the couch and and being warm under a blankie and reading that book that you that you've always wanted to read but have always been too busy rushing around to make space for. It's a great time for meditation.
00:06:35
Speaker
It's in the stillness, and I don't know if you've ever experienced it. I know sometimes when i when I get in the car and drive to Melbourne, There's this space, you know, between my world here and where I'm going to or whatever I'm going to attend up there or down there rather, up here in Albury and down there in Melbourne. I always give that back to the front. and that That drive is like a magical, it's a liminal space for me, just like this season between Solstice and Imbolc is, this dark, quiet space. That's where the creativity comes from.
00:07:14
Speaker
I often get amazing ideas when I'm driving to Melbourne, but I have to get still. There has to be a level of stillness for that to occur. and that's what we're up to right now, right now.
00:07:29
Speaker
So... um
00:07:33
Speaker
So at this time of the year, nothing is dead, not really. It's just gone into hibernation, even the bees in the garden. I mean, they're still doing their thing. Like right now today, um at this, you know, it's the middle of the day now while I'm chatting to you, and there's sun, there's no rain, it's a little warmer.
00:07:55
Speaker
And so the bees have come out of their hive and they're foraging. They're a bit hungry, but they're foraging for food. And so, but there's this real stillness around the hives.
00:08:10
Speaker
Just for this period of time while the sun is out where the temperature just gets a little bit better, they're out and they're busy. But for most of the day, late, late, late into the morning and early, early in the afternoon,
00:08:25
Speaker
they go back into the hives and they're still. And all they're doing is they're they're keeping things alive in the hive and you can't see it. They're fluttering their wings to keep the temperature at a level that will keep the baby bees, the brood, alive because if the temperature goes too low, they'll freeze and they'll they'll die. They won't ever hatch.
00:08:48
Speaker
So that work is happening out of sight. So for us it's the same. So what are the tarot cards that are relevant for now? The hermit is actually one of those cards.
00:09:03
Speaker
It's where we are on our own, where we must listen to spirit and we do our journey in isolation. Spirit is speaking to us now if we will only allow ourselves to settle into the quiet we can hear.
00:09:22
Speaker
And likewise, I'll see if I can find it. The moon card. I mean, there's a lot that comes. I'm just flipping through the cards here to see if I can find it. There are only 78, so we'll see. Oh, there it is. Good. um So this is another card that's really perfect for this time of year. Don't mind the dogs in the background.
00:09:43
Speaker
would be too hard to try and blank that out. and And there's a dog here. A dog. And...
00:09:54
Speaker
Is it a fox?
00:09:57
Speaker
Yeah. so in the moon, in this stillness, you know, there's this, you know, think about the moon. Like at at the moment when I get up in the morning, it's still dark because I'm an early riser, but um even up until about 9 o'clock, it's misty and there's the fog and that's very moon energy. There's light in the sky, but you can't really see the sun. And so you're looking through this this kind of film and things look a little unclear. And that's exactly what's going on for us.
00:10:39
Speaker
Things are coming up from the lower levels, but it's slow and it's steady. What else can I say about the moon? Let me have a little think about this for a moment.
00:10:52
Speaker
There's so many gifts here. And you can see in the card itself, if you've got a deck, get it out and have a look. um From the dam, you know, we're not in Australia, so the dam and the yabby.
00:11:12
Speaker
Yes. In other parts of the world, they'll talk about the crustacean, a much nicer term. But here in Aussie land, I call it the yabby and the dam.
00:11:27
Speaker
And it brings things up. It brings things up. So, i mean, the moon is really, it's all about what is unseen, what's in the background, what's hidden.
00:11:44
Speaker
I love that. Hmm. What's unseen, what's underground, What's instinctual?
Tarot and Inner Journey
00:11:54
Speaker
So it's just we're sitting here in this dark space, waiting, and things are kind of underneath but not quite happening yet.
00:12:10
Speaker
Now what I'd like to do is I'd like to offer you something to work with at the moment because this is a beautiful time to be very reflective.
00:12:22
Speaker
So going to give you two questions to ask and I would invite you to get your tarot deck out and actually shuffle the cards up and don't mind me, I'm just putting mine back together and giving them a little shuffle.
00:12:39
Speaker
And ask two questions and choose a card for each question or just ask the questions and and pull two cards, however you prefer to do it, right? and when you pull those cards, just sit with the cards.
00:13:02
Speaker
There's no real rush to answer or write down the answer, your interpretation immediately. I really invite you to just sit with them.
00:13:13
Speaker
and allow them to speak to you or just be with them. You don't have to come up with an answer, a response. There's no test here. And this is kind of um it's kind of the energy that that we need to work with right now.
00:13:30
Speaker
Just the being with, being in. So these are the questions. The first question is, of course, what is resting in me now?
00:13:42
Speaker
What is resting in me now? And the second question is, what is gestating in me now? Even though I can't see it, what is gestating in me now?
00:13:59
Speaker
So shuffle your cards. When you've shuffled them sufficiently, spread them out face down on the table in front of you, on the floor if you're sitting on the floor, on your bed if you're laying on the bed listening to this. And I would invite you to choose the cards with your left hand one at a time.
00:14:19
Speaker
And the reason for that is when we use the right hand, it's a lot more conscious. Now, you already know what you know. Using the left hand sort of moves you into a different space. So you're kind of drawing a lot more from the subconscious. That's the intention of it. So I really invite you to do that. So just just take a few moments and do that now if you can.
00:14:45
Speaker
So again, don't rush into this. Just sit with it. And actually, that's what I've been doing lately myself. I'm working on a...
00:14:56
Speaker
ah been working on a particular chapter in the book I'm writing, ah very much about the Sabbaths and the tarot cards that align with them. And so I've been sitting myself and really being with those and sitting in the energy of the Sabbaths. Very interesting.
00:15:16
Speaker
Very, very interesting. I'll share more with you about that a little later on. So, You might like to, after you've sat with your cards for for a while and you're feeling that it's the right time, you might like to get your journal out and actually write your thoughts down.
00:15:40
Speaker
Record for yourself what comes up for you. And, of course, it's not definitive. It's not that is it. You can come back to it later, have another look in a week and just check in with yourself. How is that now?
00:15:56
Speaker
How am I feeling about that now? Has there been movement? Or just be with it and see what comes up. Now, our next phase, I mean, we're about, Imbolc itself is on the 1st of August.
00:16:15
Speaker
So we're a few weeks out from that now. i think it's about three and a half weeks away. And, oh, maybe it's closer than that.
00:16:27
Speaker
Anyway, it's a little bit down the track. And that is the first stirring of light. Bridget, of course, is the goddess that shows up perfectly for Imbolc.
00:16:43
Speaker
And if we're not talking about a blazing fire. We're not talking about dramatic opening. At that point, when we get there, it's just the first stirring.
00:16:55
Speaker
And... um i'm going to be doing a half day retreat not actually on the 1st of August but on the 8th or the 9th I think it is it's the Sunday and I think it's the 9th of August yeah Sunday the ninth and it's from 9 30 to 12 30 what
00:17:14
Speaker
what we'll be doing in that phase is we'll really be working with identifying and beginning to work with that very first spark of light but for now enjoy the stillness enjoy the quiet
00:17:36
Speaker
now ah So for anybody who's really sort of resonating with this space of quiet, of stillness, and and really happy to enter into this, you know, the the half-day retreats might be a thing for you, it might be a match. And if you're they're happening across the river in Wodonga at Cindy's Yoga Studio there. So it'll be a small grouping.
00:18:00
Speaker
and If that's for you, you can go onto the website and tap in and get a bit more information about it, book if you want to come. um We will be going into the meanings of the whole season quite a lot and it won't just be the three-hour session, you know, in which I'm going to teach you a sequence of movement to actually activate your energy your physical and your energy energy spiritual energy clear the nadis or the the um
00:18:40
Speaker
said the chi clear your your energetic body so we're going to activate the body clear the energy and get you open so that you can really strengthen your intuition and have the space and the clarity to move into the light and allow the intentions that you set in Imbolc to really begin to move because they'll have the energy flow to take them where where you want to go.
Aligning Growth with Nature's Cycles
00:19:14
Speaker
So I'll be sharing with you the sequence of movements that that I will help you stay on track with. I'll teach you that. We'll do some meditation. There'll be some storytelling. There'll be cards,
00:19:30
Speaker
um journaling. It'll be a really lovely experience, actually. And what I'm going to do is I'm going to support people who come to that.
00:19:41
Speaker
um I'm going to support you on going through the season. by i'll send you emails and touch base with you to keep you on track because I know for me life can be very busy you know when you're working and you've got family and you've got all sorts of social responsibilities it's hard to keep your own spiritual journey on track honestly it can be a trick right so there'll be some touch points through the season to help you stay focused on your journey and I mean
00:20:18
Speaker
What's the big deal about the Wheel of the Year? It's simple. We are a part of this planet. What is happening on the planet, what's happening with the seasons in nature, it's happening with us.
00:20:32
Speaker
So when we honour the earth, when we honour the shift of of season, we're also honouring and allowing the shift and flow within ourselves too. It's really a win-win situation.
00:20:49
Speaker
And what it's really doing in so many ways, from my perspective anyway, i mean, this is the stuff that keeps me balanced and stops me from being cray-cray. For me, my feet settle firmly on the earth.
00:21:05
Speaker
I stay grounded in my body and in my mind because I'm an Aquarian. I can be very airy-fairy and go off on tangents and get lost and go down rabbit holes and all sorts of things. But it's these very simple practices, this honouring of the seasons, the observation of what's happening in nature that keeps me on track.
00:21:27
Speaker
And it helps me to do the things that I'm here to do. So I've always wanted someone to keep me on track. So I'm going to help you guys. For those of you who want to play this game, um to stay on track with it too. Now, you don't actually have to come to the retreat to do this, obviously.
00:21:48
Speaker
You can just stay on point. I will share some things on socials as well. There'll be blog posts and things like that.
00:22:00
Speaker
So there's a few different ways that you can tap into this. But really, truly, it's not complicated. Watch what's growing in the garden. Start to pay attention to the sky.
00:22:12
Speaker
All sorts of things. Yeah. So now for those of you who would love to come, but there's just no way you're in Addis Lovovia or something like that, um and you and you want to stay connected, i do have a pre-recorded, very full tarot training course that you can do in bite-sized chunks and that's available on the website. You can check that out if you want to. I'll put a link to it in the notes for this podcast.
00:22:46
Speaker
But, yeah, invite you to join me with this Wheel of the Year.
Seasonal Guidance and Comforting Recipes
00:22:54
Speaker
it's It's actually been wonderful. I've been looking at the gods and the goddesses, the the the the mythic side of things, um herbs that relate, all sorts of stuff. it's it's It's so deep. These things, you know, they appear to be simple.
00:23:12
Speaker
Seasons, tarot cards, two things, but you can go deep, deep, deep. deep deep right down niche right down and there's so much that can um support us okay well i've sort of talked at great length about this really probably a bit longer than i'd expected to but um yeah I invite you most genuinely just to really look at what's happening in the world around you and use that as a mirror to come back and see how is that happening inside you.
00:23:51
Speaker
And the seasons do offer you guidance. So we are in that deep, dark space right now. This is a time for rest. In rest, we get regeneration.
00:24:05
Speaker
When the light comes, we are renewed. We're in that dark phase right now. So rest, get your sleep, remember to drink water. Now, just one little tiny thing.
00:24:18
Speaker
Somebody reminded me just last night um about this gorgeous, gorgeous, and I brought these things out I have a bottle of rose water in the kitchen cupboard and, of course, in the spice rack there are ground chillies.
00:24:39
Speaker
If you want to give yourself a really delicious treat on a cold winter's evening or even a Sunday afternoon when you really want to snuggle and you just need to be deeply nurtured, a little bit of rose water and some ground chilli with some real cocoa powder, not that rubbish stuff, tiny bit of honey and some warm milk.
00:25:06
Speaker
Oh my goodness. That is deep, deep nourishment for the soul, for the spirit, for every part of the being. so have a think about taking care of yourself and treating yourself with something as delicious as that.
00:25:22
Speaker
All right. That's it from me for now. And, um, lovely to connect with you and, um, Hopefully I'll be talking to you again soon. Take care.