Two of Swords reversed/Queen of Pentacles. In an upright position, that Two represents chosen stalemate, but since it is reversed, today may be a day of releasing of boundaries and road blocks. The Queen of Coins is Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts) of Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes) and both of those elements are passive and tend to pull or contract inward. She is an expert at experiencing and sensing the physical world, and she wants to share the joy of her experiences with everyone she meets. The image on my Welsh Queen is one of a royal woman seated on a throne beneath a tree bearing blossoms but not leaves; sounds like Spring. Today I may find that I am experiencing the events and effects of the day in a very inner, experiential fashion, even though the many events and effects are very much of the physical world.

My Thoth card is the Five of Wands reversed. “Strife” reversed, so perhaps the challenges that do appear today will not make me uncomfortable. I need to remember that every phenomenon is a sacrament and every sensation is proof of life, and I need to remember that sometimes, while I may prefer that Strife **not** be apparent, I benefit more from being challenged a bit.

My Legacy card is the Three of Wands reversed. I am not quite ready to leave behind the balances of the Two of Wands. The Three of Wands to Marchetti seems to almost have a wistful yearning about its energies; yes it is looking to the future with optimism, confidence, and an awareness of the work it has taken in order to get this far, but the goal is still ahead and not quite reachable. Today I am being told to not spend too much time thinking about what is to come. Today, I need to enjoy the pleasures of the “now” to be found within my own energy field, rather than the pleasures of anticipation.

I am going to begin a new method today; on every Sabbat and Esbat, I will also pull one Pearls of Wisdom Tarot, and interpret the card directly relating to the energies of the day. My Pearls of Wisdom Ostara card is the Two of Swords reversed!! The Pearls of Wisdom Two of Swords in an upright position tells of the need for action and the need to find answers within, but the inability to achieve both. Because the card is reversed, I am a bit more optimistic that by the end of the day I will be pleased, both by the things I have accomplished in my physical world and the things I have accomplished within the universes of my mind.

My 6-digit date number is 6, the number of Balance. How appropriate is that??!!

My horoscope for today: “A new business opportunity may come your way, Sagittarius. You aren't likely to want to commit to a permanent involvement, but you might take it on temporarily simply for the sake of the money. Perhaps you want to make some changes in your home, such as new furniture or paint. Whatever comes your way, you'll probably put a lot of energy into it and accomplish it all. Go for it!"

I am sitting in my living room at Cape May, and I just opened the windows even though I am still in my pajamas. Hey, it's Saturday! I get to be a slug for a bit!! I am very much feeling the energies of Spring today, especially after the lovely and powerful Ostara ritual which I shared with my fellow students last night.

Ostara and Mabon are traditionally for me Sabbats of pause. They are Lesser Sabbats, not "less" in the sense that the Greater Sabbats are more powerful, but instead "less" because they are a time of changeover, of transforming the energies of Winter into the energies of Summer. And like The Hanged Man of the Tarot (LOL, sorry, but I always think in Tarot symbols), I am suspended at this Equinox between the deeply inner focus of the Winter darkness and the mostly physical and very active focus of the Summer light.

I think about my blessings at both of these Sabbats as well, but I perceive these blessings from a different perspective at Mabon than I do at Ostara, for Springtime is a time of anticipation of things to come, rather than the review of Mabon.

And so, as I breathe in the warm air, tinged just a bit with damp, fertile soil bursting with fertility and the sweet/sour tang of ocean air, I think about my dear friends, my fellow students at Sacred Mists, my much-loved Pagan Brain Trust, and I think of my family, both of blood and of the heart, and the strong and rich connections that have been forged by love. I feel a deep and overwhelming gratitude that each of you is in my life, whether you are someone I have helped or someone who has helped me, whether you are someone who was born to my family or chose to connect with me through your heart. I see you each as a Spring flower, bud tightly closed because it is still cold at night and the tender petals need to be protected for a little bit longer, but filled with the potential to bring glorious pleasure and beauty.

Last night I felt very connected to Cernunnos. He came to me in a meditation, as the younger version so I knew that He had an important message for me. He led me through a woodland path at dusk; all the trees were still bare and the ground cover was lifeless. We came to a steep, rocky hill; Cernunnos climbed easily but I struggled a bit; finally I reached the top and stood next to Him. Below was a salt marsh, and the setting Sun on the horizon. We both stood there silently and watched the glory of that sunset, and then Cernunnos turned to me and said very simple words that truly resonated to my core. He said, “You belong to Us, Daughter of Danu. Know this in every fiber of your being, for it is true. The Path ahead of you is not an easy one, but the seemingly insurmountable challenges will be Balanced by joys and ecstasies the likes of which you cannot imagine. Through it all, We will be with you.”

This morning, I am very aware of the presence of my Lady Danu. I feel Her, I feel Her renewed energy, and I feel the warmth of the catalyst that is the love of the Goddess and God for each other. I am Balanced because I feel the Sacred Masculine and His focus upon experiencing life through living in the physical realms, and because I feel the Sacred Feminine and Her focus on feeling, and on experiencing the Divine.

Ostara Blessings!! May the warmth of the Spring sun and the serenity of Balance fill the day!!

Winter's barrenness has subsided,
From the death of Winter
Springs new life.

Spring is coming to the land,
The days grow longer,
Warm breezes begin to stir.

All around us we see signs -
The growing things are beginning anew.

It's the resurrection of the dance of life.
The dance of the stems and stalks
As they push forth from the Earth.

It is the season of creation.
Growth has turned outward,
The land has become fertile again.

The Earth is caressed by
The loving touch of the Mother,
Where her hand passes.

Atoms twine together to create growth.
Buds burst open.
Leaves and vines unfurl.

She creates a vision of the green beauty.
Beauty so breath-taking after
The dark solitude of Winter.

It is this vision that we celebrate
On Her day of Ostara
The world recreating itself--

Returning from the death of Winter,
Into the new life of Spring
Through the love of the Goddess.

~author unknown

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