Yesterday evening as I was going to bed I carved out space to draw cards before sleeping. I don't have a list of pre-created questions, rather I've been allowing them to occur to me naturally, and usually in the same moment that I sit down to shuffle. Last night I asked: "Loki, how can we best work together?" I drew the Hermit, inverted (the second time this card has appeared in connection to him, in fact!). When I asked the same question for Odin, I drew the World. Generally I've been using the Giants Tarot for this exercise - sometimes Das Germanische Götterorakel. Last night I was drawn to use the Prisma Visions Tarot*. When I drew the World, I was immediately pulled to the center of the card - an eye gazing outward.
The World has some connections with Odin: it's been correlated to Odin's identity as sky god, sitting on his throne overlooking all of the worlds. The RWS World image shows a woman "dancing" - her legs are in the "number 4" position which mirror that of the Hanged Man, another card very closely aligned with Odin (his sacrifice on Yggdrasil to earn the wisdom of the runes). A few days ago I pulled a card asking about the nature of the prime divine force (some call it God or Goddess, others Great Mystery, Olodumare, Allah). I drew the World. Highlighting concepts of synergy, completion, wholeness, integration, and even travel, it was a fitting and beautiful card to see. So then, to pull it again here for Odin was interesting and thought-provoking, to say the least.
I was standing in a mostly empty bedroom on the second floor of my mother's house, and it was daytime. A large black bird came to the windowsill and I couldn't tell whether it was a crow or raven, though its beak shape led me to think it was the latter. As I watched it, it called to me. It didn't speak in a human voice - it was definitely a bird-like utterance - but it clearly said, "Come here." At the same time it nodded its head toward the window, and the combination of its voice and gesture was an unmistakeable beckoning. I walked to the windowsill and saw that he (the bird felt masculine) had brought me an eyeball. I was supposed to eat it, and naturally this was slightly off-putting. I picked up the eye to examine it, and found that it wasn't really human; perhaps animal or some other creature. I carried it with me to a convenience store where I thought it might be easiest to simply swallow it down quickly like a pill. I couldn't find a drinking fountain, but I did eventually find a sink with a short faucet that was partially hidden. When I released some of the liquid into a cup it was orange-colored. I thought it was rusty water, and poured it down the drain. But then I realized that it was hot, and that it was actually tea, not rusty water. So I refilled my cup. I carried it around the store not consuming it because I knew it was too hot to drink down the eyeball with - it would scald me and the eyeball would sit in my mouth longer than I'd like. Eventually the dream ended and I don't recall having consumed the eye, though it was certainly on my agenda.
When I woke up I felt like the dead center of my head was buzzing and tickling. I felt like the raven was inside of me. For the first time in ages, I immediately pulled out my journal to write it all down. As I was doing so, I remembered that back in February I'd dreamt of a raven or crow, and had mentioned it in one of my blog entries at the time. I had written:
"I was visited by such a bird in my sleep. It was large in size and I only recall being uncertain if it was a crow or raven, but based on its beak shape I'd been fairly certain that it was the latter. Perhaps it was a messenger."
Hm! That sounds awfully familiar! It was almost identical to what I'd written this time about the beak shape and the bird species identification. I remember that dream because nothing really happened in it. I was in a room in a building at night, and the bird flew in through an open window. I recall that it was quite large - larger than what would be considered "normal" in real life. And that was all. No communication, no other actions took place. It was just a fragment in time. But having had this dream last night, there seems to be a correlation, a developing thread. I know something more about this bird now - I can feel its essence, even now as I think of him. He spoke to me, as a guide or messenger would do. He brought me an eye!
Ravens and eyes are two of Odin's symbols and figure large in mythology. I know that there is significant meaning here. Several hours later my crown is still buzzing away.
*Art by James R. Eads
Wow what intense spiritual experiences your are having this month. Perhaps because you keep it so personal you are allowing yourself to immerse deeper.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's been very interesting so far, to be sure! I do think that it feels better to keep some things in the "inner domain." I will share a bit more over the next few weeks as I keep pulling and pondering :)
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