9 PM and there is still light out! It was a beautiful night, and I was determined to make a batch of soap. In the kitchen I prepared the lye water needed for a 2 lb. batch of oatmeal/honey soap. I also decided that since it was solstice, I would put some sunny fronds of calendula petals on the top of the soap. But I was also seeking something else, a ritual if you will, to mark the day and honor the turning of the earth into the seasons. It is solstice!
While the lye water was cooling down, I turned myself out to the back yard and decided that I would do a medicine card reading. One done, admittedly, not perfect but as good as I could do from memory. I have never really practiced at a specific spiritual task before. Though I have studied and admired them, this was technically the first time I would do this for myself. I was given these cards as a birthday gift last year by a moon sister, dear to my heart in this world. I am using Jamie Sands & David Carson medicine cards, illustrated by Angela Werneke. I have quoted heavily from their text and thank them for sharing their knowledge so that I may come to understand what path I may be on in life.
I sat down on a swatch of Pendleton fabric in the quiet of the waning sun and I listened to the birds make their bedtime preparations. One robin in particular was very spirited in letting the neighborhood know that he was the only one still enjoying what was left of the first day of summer’s sun. He screamed at me the entire time!
I have chosen the Butterfly reading or the Butterfly spread for this reading. This spread is used to determine the outcome of projects or group enterprises. Four cards are drawn for each cardinal direction, indicating the phase of the project or activity towards its conclusion.
Facing East, I offered a pinch of tobacco to the earth and to my ceremony, a pinch of tobacco for the sage I plucked from my garden. Around me I placed the cards as I drew them from the top of the deck. First to the East, then to South, then to West, and finally to the North. Here is what the cards and the animal medicine revealed to me.
East card - is the Egg card or Egg position. It is the nucleus of your idea or activity. Allow this medicine to interact with the concept of your enterprise. The medicine in this card will suggest the value that lies in the inner core of your idea. Is it needed in this time or place?
The card I drew for East is the Opossum.
His greatest strength is diversion. His greatest protection is to play dead. Confuses many that the game is over. Opossum medicine uses great strategy. It has the ability to fight with teeth and claws but rarely uses these. The Opossum is a master in its ability to confuse. If Opossum has turned up in cards, you are being asked to use strategy - you are being asked to rely upon your instincts. Opossum may be telling you that you are to expect the unexpected and be clever in achieving victory. Opossum beckons you to use your brain, your sense of drama and surprise - to leap over some barrier to your progress.
What this card means to me:
I have it in my mind to make soap. The concepts that I have dedicated to this endeavor I have laid out before. They are to create a product that is natural using the most natural ingredients possible. To not use anything synthetic or that can be harmful to people or the environment. To re-use and re-purpose as much as possible, as many of my supplies and materials and basic needs that I can.
How Opossum Medicine is playing in my project:
I am using my smarts (the brain) and finding alternative ways of procuring items that I need, instead of going out and purchasing new ones. I have looked to my community for donations of jars, oils, herbs, etc. And, most importantly, advice. I have taken opportunities when they presented themselves to me, even though I may not actually be ready to take them on. Planning ahead can be beneficial. But I also have a sense of calm about my learning methods. I am still in the beginning phase of my creation, and I am learning many things. At the same time I am also making a lot of mistakes. But I am persistent in my endeavor and as I continue to grow in my knowledge, I will have to make adjustments here or there, or completely drop out of one concept or another to reach a state of confidence in myself and in my recipes. Being creative in these ways will allow flexibility so that I don’t have to tie myself down to one thought process or another in order to move forward.
That this medicine card shows up in this reading at this point of my exploration of handcrafting something natural and honest, tells me that my knowledge and abilities gained thus far are being put to use for the right reasons.
South Card - is the Larva card or Larva Position. This is the card that speaks to the early doings of your project. What needs to be done and how? Will the energies needed be great enough to overcome the obstacles to manifestation? The caterpillar sheds its own skin many times during growth - it has many struggles. Will the many egos involved in your project (or yourself) acquiesce in order to facilitate achievement?
The card I drew for the South is the Dolphin.
Dolphin is Manna. Dolphins speak to the breath of life. Oxygen is the source of our sustenance. Within breath we encounter energy of all life. By changing our breath we can tap into the energies of other life forms or creatures. Very easy way to connect with the divine energy coming from the Great Spirit, as well as your own rhythms. Dolphin is the keeper of the sacred breath of life, teaches us how to release emotions. Dolphin creates rhythm - and you can use these teachings to ease tension and cause relaxation. Manna is life force present in every atom, the Essence of Great Spirit. Dolphin teaches us to use life- manna through our breath. Revitalizes each cell and organ and breaks the limits and dimensions of physical reality to enter Dreamtime. In a creation story Dolphin was given the gift of the primordial tongue - a new language which is sound language, communication through patterns and rhythms. Dolphin is the carrier of the message of our progress. If Dolphin appears you are to be a link to some solution for the Children of the Earth, a time of communication with rhythms of nature. Put on notice to be mindful of body rhythms/energy being fed to you from the Great Creator. Imitate Dolphin and ride the waves of laughter, spreading joy in the world. Break existing barriers and connect to the Dreamtime or Great Star Nation. Know that we are whole in the eyes of the Everliving One.
What this card means to me:
I feel so fortunate to draw such a powerful medicine at this Position in the butterfly reading. Life force - Manna - is strong in the Larva Position in my project as I believe it should be. I have to keep going forward. Just as the caterpillar will shed its skin many times to reach adulthood I must remember to keep breathing life into my project. If I become stale or run out of ideas, it is best to breathe, relax and try again, or, realistically for me - to keep going! Will the energies needed be enough to keep your project going to fulfillment? Well, it speaks naturally to me that the breath of life can keep feeding the energies that are needed. That it in fact, it will keep feeding the energy needed. Also, by changing our breath, using Opossum medicine, being adaptable and cunning, we can tap into other energy forms and connect to the divine energy.
How Dolphin Medicine is playing in my project:
The part of this reading that deeply spoke to me is this: If Dolphin appears, you are to be a link to some solution for the Children of the Earth. I have a very deep love and connection to the planet and its inhabitants. I have spent the last 16 years of my life devoting myself to environmentalism in the best way that I know how. I believe that I was given a blessing in birth, that I have a covenant with the natural world to serve as its steward. To protect it, to honor it, to bless it, and to leave it so that others may enjoy it. This is the basis for one of the most important aspects of me deciding to make soap: to help rid the world and its people, (especially the children) of harmful chemicals, pollutants, toxins and wastes. I believe that the decisions we make on a daily basis, even the small ones, can have quite a large impact. Not just on ourselves, but also to those who live around us, even in other countries. I chose not to use harmful chemicals on my body that someone, somewhere in the world is harming themselves just by making them.
I wish to share with people the knowledge and understanding that I have gained through my education, and through my life experience, of the deeper connectivity of all things. So that they can make better decisions as consumers of tangible goods in this society and have control over their health and chosen lifestyles. Knowing that we are whole in the eyes of the Everliving One.
West card - is the Cocoon card or Cocoon position. It speaks of a higher purpose, where the highest transformation takes place. When viewing this card ask yourself: why you have joined the activity or project. Was it to serve the Great Spirit and the tribe or to serve yourself? If simply self serving it will probably backfire on you. The family, the clan, the people and the Great Spirit are to be served.
The card I drew for the West is the Beaver - the builder.
Beaver is the doer in the animal kingdom. Akin to water and earth medicines it incorporates a strong sense of family and home. Beaver always leaves alternative escape routes in its building. Beaver teaches us a lesson in this: do not paint yourself into a corner, not to eliminate alternatives. Characterized as industrious, beaver knows that limitations cancel productivity. To accomplish a goal means working well with others, the group mind is harmony in its highest order. When each partner honors the talents of others and knows how to complete the part of the puzzle that belongs to them, a sense of community is achieved and unity ensues. If Beaver appears it is time to put your thoughts into action to complete some project. Beaver asks you to look for alternative solutions to life’s challenges and to protect which you put your love and energy into.
What this card means to me:
Again, I am completely aghast . The positions in the butterfly reading and the medicine cards that I picked for each seem to be weaving their own story of how rightly connected they are to one another. Its almost as if I am reading (or writing as it may be) a novel. One medicine naturally flows into the next. The Cocoon Position directs me to look into myself and ask why I am doing what I am doing, and for whose benefit.
How Beaver Medicine is playing in my project:
Of course, I do get immediate benefits from making soap: I get relaxation, time to be creative, time to measure and stir, time to be mindful of my actions, time to be reflective and prepare, and time spent in waiting to see what I have created. And, in the end I get a result that is tactile: I get yummy smelling, gently cleansing soap! But as I have just stated, I feel in myself an inherent sense of stewardship towards the earth and its inhabitants and I seek to honor that in the best ways that I can.
Beaver Medicine also incorporates a strong sense of family and home. Soap making is a time old tradition, done in many parts of the world for a very long time in human history. As I grow older, I wish seek out ways to connect to my ancestors and to the current members of my family. I want to lighten my footprint on the planet by going back to a simpler time. A time when things weren’t all that simple, really, it was much, much harder to scratch out a living. But to those times when life was gathered more honestly. Making soap by hand reminds me of my ancestors because they also made soap by hand. But for them it wasn’t a way to be creative and interesting. It was a hot and dirty chore. It was not a hobby or a means of making a profit. It was necessary.
This medicine card tells me that the spirits feel and see that I am doing this for the right reasons. The highest transformation takes place in the Cocoon Position and in actually doing, in actually making soap and carrying on in trusting my instincts- believing in my self, my education, and honoring my family traditions- I am capable of giving it the energy it needs to bring itself forward.
North card - is the Butterfly card or Butterfly position. This position is likely to tell you if the Great Spirit has walked hand-in-hand with your project. Look to this card to tell what sorts of rewards can be gained, can you make a fortune? It may seem odd to look to Spirit - North- to find this answer but as every medicine person will point out to you, matter follows vision and spirit. It is the law. This card is the place of manifestation.
The card I drew for North is Turtle - Mother Earth.
Turtle is the oldest symbol for planet earth. Personification of goddess energy, and the eternal mother from which our life evolves. We are born from and to her we will return. Turtle asks us to be mindful of the cycle of give and take, to give back as she has given us. Tuttle teaches how to use protections. If you choose Turtle you are asked to honor the creative source within you, to be grounded to the earth and observe with motherly compassion. Use water and earth energies, which represent Turtle’s two homes, to follow harmoniously with your situation and place you feet firmly on the ground in a power stance. In learning to ground you place focus on thoughts and actions slowing to a pace that assures completion. When given the chance to develop at it’s own rate, in its own season, the sweetness is shared by all. Turtle teaches you to develop your ideas before bringing them to light. Turtle is a reminder of the ally you have in Mother Earth. It doesn’t matter the situation you created, ask for her assistance and abundance will follow.
What this card means to me:
This is the position of manifestation, of fruition, of completion. This position means everything to me and is the most important. The Position of Butterfly asks: Look to this card to tell what sorts of rewards can be gained, will you make a fortune? People have asked me why I specifically chose soap to be my project? I have always told them that I felt it was something I could do in my spare time that would provide a creative outlet, while at the same time allow me to put my education to use. (And then maybe make some money in the meantime.) I want to use the knowledge I have gained of the natural world and its systems and put that into my soaps. The Turtle Medicine says, “If you choose Turtle you are asked to honor the creative source within you, to be grounded to the earth and observe with motherly compassion.”
How Turtle Medicine is playing in my project:
Several months ago, just after the beginning of the year, I was holding back from making any soap. I was spending too much time doing research and not enough time making soap. I was thinking that I couldn’t do what I had set out to do. I thought that I wasn’t prepared. I thought that I needed a business structure, official papers and official recognition that I wanted to- and was able to- sell my soap to the general public. I couldn’t figure out how to get the money I needed to expand my inventory a little bit so that I could at least learn more about my craft. I wasn’t quite ready for all that then, and I am not any closer to being that ready now. But I have come to realize that I have a talent. I have a natural curiosity and a natural investment in the successful outcome of at least the creation phase of this endeavor. Time remains to tell if it will be financially successful. I have reached out to my community, my tribe, and have asked them for their support, and for their guidance and advice.
The rest of the lesson pretty much speaks for itself. When given the chance to develop at it’s own rate, in its own season, the sweetness is shared by all. Will my project turn out to be a success ? This card is the place of manifestation. It doesn’t matter the situation you created, ask for her assistance and abundance will follow.
It turns out, that, yes, the medicine of the animals is in fact a narrative. A narrative that I have written by simply asking them to speak to me. In this card I see the manifestation, the blessing of the Great Spirit, to carry forward. That what I am doing, they way I am doing it, and the reasons for my doing it are all blessed by the animal spirit medicine, Mother Earth, my ancestors, and the Great Spirit.
Having marked the Summer Solstice of 2012 with such a meaningful conversation with the animal spirits around me (including that one enthusiastic robin in the tree) filled me with such a sense of calm and balance. It filled me with that sense of knowing that even though your eyes are closed, you are walking deftly on the path that was meant for you at this time. It left me more grounded and connected than I have ever felt before. It left me knowing honestly, that in my heart- through this reading- the Spirits were smiling upon me. Giving me their blessing to carry on.
And so I did. I went into the kitchen and made a batch of soap!
(Thank you)
© Kristen D. Vineyard, 2012
