After Twenty Years
~ Fadwa Tuquan
(translated from Arabic,  translator unknown)

Here the foot prints stop;
Here the moon
Lies with the wolves, the dogs, and the stones,
Behind the rocks and the tents, behind the trees.
Here the moon
Sells its face every night,
For a dagger, a candle, a braid of rain.
Don’t throw a stone in their fire;
Don’t steal the glass rings
From the gypsies’ fingers.
They slept, and so did the fish and the stones and the trees.

Here the foot prints stop;
Here the moon was in labour.
Gypsies!
Give her then the glass rings
And the blue braccelets.

Draw May 8, 2016: Ymir/The Fool; Ziu; Gefjon/Ace of Coins

Draw May 8, 2016: Ymir/The Fool; Ziu; Gefjon/Ace of Coins.

Ziu throws a lightning bolt to jolt you into action. Take that energy and focus it, laser-sharp, on what you truly need to be doing today. Not what you want to do, not what you would like to do, but what you need to do today to start that new project, begin solving that old problem, to create the new life you have been longing for.

Ymir as the Active Influence understands that you are at the start of your journey, and may not have a clear map from here to there. However, if you don’t set forth, you can’t arrive. So start, already.

And just in case it wasn’t obvious already, Gefjon as the Hidden Influence says you need to do the work. Just do it. Today is the only chance you have to do things today, and you can’t do tomorrow’s work if you haven’t finished  what you needed to do to lay the groundwork today.

Get started, and get on with it!

Draw May 7, 2016

Draw May 7, 2016: Loki, Angrboda & Sigyn/The Lovers; Othala; Geirrod & Loki/Eight of Swords.

You have choices, but none of them particularly good. Geirrod & Loki as the Hidden Influence make it clear that you are damned if  you do and damned if you don’t, so you might as well. This may be a case of it being easier to ask forgiveness than to receive permission, or maybe you’re just in a difficult situation, and the least awful choice is the best you can do. Whatever it is, you will have to make amends and make repairs later, so be prepared for that outcome going into the situation.

The emphasis on choice is strengthened with The Lovers as the Active Influence. Loki’s wives are very different in temperament and character, and he is a very different person with each of them. You can have both, you can do a yes/and rather than an either/or choice, as long as you are willing to do the work to maintain both. Consider carefully the compromises which are necessary, and be certain you can live with them.

Othala brings some encouragement. The rune tells you to look at your inheritance fully, both the positive and negative qualities. Converse with your ancestors to see if they have any helpful advice. Even if they don’t, you may be able to transform their unworkable ideas into a doable solution.

Choose wisely, in full awareness of the consequences and requirements of your choice.

Reconciliation
~Else Lasker-Schuler

A big star will fall into my lap…
We want to wake the night,

Pray in the tongues
That are shaped like harps.

We want to reconcile with night—
So much of God overflows.

Our hearts are children,
They would like to rest, weary-sweet.

And our lips want to kiss,
Why do you hesitate?

Does my heart not verge on yours—
Your blood colors my cheeks red.

We want to reconcile with night,
When we embrace we do not die.

A big star will fall into my lap.

Draw May 3, 2016: Bestla/Ten of Coins; Cweorth; Gunnlod/Two of Cups

Draw May 3, 2016: Bestla/Ten of Coins; Cweorth; Gunnlod/Two of Cups.

Nature burns her forests and fields when they become overgrown. The land is renewed, and life again grows lush and luxuriant.

Today, consider what in your life is overgrown. Cweorth is the rune of the funeral  pyre, and consumes all it is given, reducing it to ash. Cweorth reinforces the readings of the last two days—you must give up something in order to move on. You cannot remain where you are, and you cannot move forward under the weight of  what you are carrying. Choose, and consign it to the flames. Remember, too, that fire is a wild energy, and if unwatched, will leap forward and burn everything in its path. Watch the fire with care, and be prepared for some collateral damage.

Gunnlod as the Hidden Influence suggests emotional connection, and at the same time cautions against trickery. (You can read Elizabeth Vongvisith’s wonderful telling of Gunnlod’s tale here.) You need to be honest about your motives, and be aware that whoever you are dealing with may not have told you their entire story. Proceed with eyes wide open, and if you must agree to an unsatisfactory bargain, do so knowingly and accepting of the consequences.

Bestla offers encouragement and a reminder that all things are possible. Don’t get too hung up on probability just now; today, it’s all  about the possibility. The tree is heavy with coins bearing the Othala rune, reminding you that the wisdom, work, and wealth (of all kinds) of your ancestors is a solid foundation for you to do your own work. The wooden throne bears the runes Nauthiz,  Perthro, and Berkana; Bestla tells you to figure out what you truly need, and then take the chance to achieve that goal through right action and growth.

Let go of what no longer matters, and focus on the way forward.