The Crone, The Owl, and The Cocoon

The Crone sits and takes a deep breath, The Owl rests on her shoulder.  A battle still rages on, although she's fought long and hard.  The Owl gently ruffles it's feathers, and The Crone acknowledges that the battle is far from over.  But as the bitter winds blow cold over this Samhain Eve, The Crone is tired and battle weary.  While her bones ache, it's the heaviness in her heart that hurt the most. 

She knows this battle is hers alone.  Long and hard fought, with no end in sight.  The foes are those who seek to destroy Truth.  To destroy Honor.  To destroy Justice.  Their troops outnumber The Crone in so many ways. The prize they eye is coveted by so many.  Power, glory, fortune and perhaps fame.

The Crone seeks none of these, she seeks only to heal.  The wisdom of The Owl is her guide, her map.  It's curious to her, how many will follow false prophets, only to be used and abused over and over again.  She asks herself why she fights this battle.  And with wisdom of the ancients, and the insight of The Owl that is unfailingly true, The Crone knows the answer.  Truth.  Honor.  Justice.  No matter the price.  Her mission in life was mapped out in ancient times.  She bows to the Goddess and whispers, "Your will is mine". 

The battle, long fought -  will never be over.  But The Crone will fight until she takes her last breath.  For now, she descends to the Underworld.  A place of respite - a time to heal.  She lays her head down, a tear slides down her worn face.  The fire within will keep her warm, and in her Cocoon she will rest.

The Hidden Path - uncovering the mysteries within, and without.

If any of you have ever considered using The Hidden Path cards by Raven Grimassi & Stephanie Taylor, but weren't sure if they were for you - this is the place to start.  Each week I'll be posting a card and offering my thoughts.

Today's card is "Tree in Winter".  My first thought when this card came up was "No!! I'm not ready for Winter!".  As usual, however, the Divine has an important message for us all.

This card represents:  Endurance, Preservation & Stability.  These are key concepts with the approach of winter.  That's the physical world aspect of this card.  The spiritual aspect of this card tells us that when we feel far removed from our spirituality, divinity, friends & family, and even ourselves - it's a time to preserve what's left.

Even in our deepest, darkest hour - there is a glimmer of light.  It's that light, no matter how dim, that we preserve.  And we prepare to accept what will come.

The barren snow-covered tree does not worry about the cold or loss of it's beautiful foliage.  It stands proud, embracing what comes naturally - waiting patiently for the renewal it knows will come.

Endure the times in your life that seem cold and barren.  Preserve the inner light that connects you to Divinity. Find your place of Stability.  These things are all part of the cycle of life, and when we learn to work with what we have, we end up with more than we realize.