And so it begins…

First steps are always foolish. We start journeys with ideas of where we might go and how we might get there but nothing is for certain. Some steps feel more supported than others (like knowing that there is a structured path of learning ahead), but it doesn’t mean that every step will be that way (what you learn about yourself, no matter the structure provided, is unpredictable).

I have learned in my years of practicing magick that one doesn’t walk this path because they’re seeking certainty. But, if one is persistent and more than a bit foolish, you can gain a certain amount of resiliency and the ability to love the unpredictability of life, of hearts, of the path ahead. It is the unpredictability of the world that allows for the most profound of healings to occur. We think, “the heart is too broken and can never be well again” and somehow, strangely, and without reason the heart begins to mend and grow back differently, but it’s still our heart and we find joy still lingering within it.

Tarot is not so much a tool of prediction (though it certainly has its moments), but one of preparation or, even better, prevention. Esteemed tarot reader and scholar Mary K. Greer has a great quote on the top of her site about tarot's powers:

Tarot helps you meet whatever comes in the best possible way.

I couldn't agree more.

And then there are our plant allies. With plants we re-enter into a sacred relationship with the green world and our place within it. In a spirit of shared wisdom and intention we can work with plants to restore our sense of wellbeing. And people who feel well and cared for are better able to turn and care for others, including our plant kindred and the places they grow.

So tarot helps us to prepare and plants work with us in the process of preparation in hopes that we realize that this journey of healing we’re on leads us right back to the heart of the matter - our whole, resilient, wildly free, and beautifully complex selves.

In Part 1 of The Tarot Apothecary we’ll meet the Fool, learn more about tarot as a tool of healing, find out about the healing path of the Major Arcana, connect with the amazing Angelica (Angelica archangelica), and have some fun discovering our personal cards of power.

Before you begin, get comfortable and take a deep breath in and out. Ask yourself:

What is beginning inside of me?