The cards have once again given us a new light source to illuminate our travels. We had The Moon, then the Tower’s bolt of lightning and today we have The Hermit’s small lantern giving us a very particular focus. Seeing these 3 cards, I’m reminded that The Solstice is only  4 days away. The longest night of the year ushers in the beginning of Yule and invites us to take stock of the previous year whilst setting intentions for the return of the light. It marks the rebirth of the sun. The light is coming.

But we’re talking cards here. I’ll start with The Hermit and what he’s shining his light on. The Hermit is one who has chosen the solitary path of self reflective soul work. He has left the comforts of society for this purpose and yet he isn’t completely inaccessible to others. He knows that the inner work he does for himself is also for the world and so he shines his light as a guide to help other travellers in their Work. In the Mystery traditions he represents The Adept and so holds a level of inner mastery that we should all strive for…theoretically. Of course, in this card his beard and robes remind me of the old style St. Nicholas, skinny Santa. (Let’s just hold that thought for now).

What would The Hermit like us to see?  He’s being pretty blunt here and shining the light specifically on our emotions. A key word associated with the 6 of Cups is pleasure and this card brings to mind memories, experiences and things that bring us pleasure. It is also associated with sunlight so is a very fit reminder that the light is soon returning and we will have cause to celebrate.  The Hermit however is saying look a bit closer…there’s a disconnect. Three perfectly aligned cups sit on either side of the line of vines, covered in flowers, yet completely straight. Isn’t something a bit too perfect here, a bit too ordered?

The 10 of wands, tightly interwoven in a heavy dark diamond pattern represents the burden of keeping order, holding onto fixed ideas of what should be. They are saying ‘Whoah! This is hard work!’ In fact the Hermit has turned his back on them. In the Tarot, 10’s indicate the completion of a cycle. It is time to ease our journey by lightening the load – getting very honest with ourselves about our  In the focus of The Hermit’s lantern we see that every moment of inauthenticity, every time we don’t deeply honour our desire, involves a transaction we make with ourselves. There is an internal value judgement. Is it worth it? Am I worth it? Or is it easier to press on with the standard program.

What are you giving to others, what are you giving of yourself, that might be too much to carry?

Look at your boundaries, especially this time of year when there can be so many obligations and expectations to fullfill from family and friends. The Hermit is asking, look closely is your heart really into this? Or are you pushing away some difficult feelings because it just makes life easier. What kind of Christmas do YOU want?

Here’s a common Christmas experience. Maybe you can relate to it. You decide to invite friends and family over for Christmas dinner. You envisage the perfect place settings, scrumptious food, sparkling wine, laughter, music, effortless Christmas joy. You will be a Christmas domestic god(dess)! Except it’s bloody hard work and nothing goes exactly right. The turkey is slightly dry, you don’t have enough wine glasses for all your guests, the cat climbs the Christmas tree, the kids are sulky and you end up feeling oppressed and deflated by the responsibility of it all.

The Hermit reminds us to look in that space in between what we feel and what we think we should feel.  You might find there’s a huge bypass in there.

If this reading had a song it would be Anthem by Leonard Cohen:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There’s a crack in everything
That is how the light gets in

Does Christmas wine served in a glass with a chipped rim taste as sweet?

And Another Thing

This reading speaks to me of cooking. We have a bit of water and the pots and pans (The Cups). We have a heat source (10 of Wands). And we have a cook (The Hermit). The Hermit has agency, the final ingredient in creating our alchemical stew. There is an opportunity, for dropping the burden by integrating our conscious and suppressed emotions.

Which ties in nicely with today’s honey jar spell!

Now It’s Your Turn

1. Pull 3 cards asking, Which feelings am I bypassing and what is the cost to myself?
2. Look at your cards, reflect on what’s come up for you over the last three days and note any one person, or obstacle in your life that needs to improve over the holidays in relation to your intention.
3. Work The Spell (See below)
4. Share Your Results

About The Spell

For the last ten years of her life Greatmother would inform guests that she wouldn’t be here much longer and she would urge us to write our names on the back of anything in the house that we wanted. When she was gone our claim would be staked. After she died relatives turned up from far and wide to collect their things. Unfortunately, my uncle had beat them all there by a day with a large bed pickup truck and the house was virtually picked clean. All that was left were the really weird things. For instance, no one claimed the bird cage with two perfectly preserved little dead finches attached with garbage bag ties to their eternal perches. She used to bring the dead birds out of the shed every day to get a bit of light. 

Which makes her honey jars seem a bit less weird in comparison…

The jars were found in various places around the house and garden. Some were half buried under trees. Others were in the back of cupboards or behind family photographs.

The Sweetening Spell

Most spellwork can be classified as either spells of increase or decrease. For example,  a prosperity spell for more money  is a spell of increase. Bindings and banishings reduce negative influences in our lives so they are spells of decrease. In general, when the moon is waxing, we work spells of increase and when it is waning we work spells of decrease. The sweetening spell, however, can be worked at either time. In hoodoo sweetening spells are ones that curry the odds in your favour. That is they are spells of increase but they can also be a way of countering people or situations that you want less of. For example, if you have a difficult relationship with your boss at work you could bind or banish them so they can’t harm or influence you. Alternatively you could work a sweetening spell to improve the relationship between you.  As many Grandmothers have said before, ‘You’ll kill more flies with honey…’

What You’ll Need

1. An old jar, any size will do.
2. Honey or syrup. If you use runny honey or syrup the spell will work faster.
3. Herbs or oils that are associated with Christmas or your intention 
4. Your intention and the name of any other person involved written on paper.
5. Optional: Any other items that you feel correspond to the situation or bring the intended energy.

Example: My intention is to improve relations with my sister. In my honey jar, I am placing: Honey, a penny for protection & luck, rosemary and marigold (for friendship & remembrance), a sprig of holly to mark this season, orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves for warmth, and an iron nail for commitment – mine and hers. I’ve written her name and my intention on a piece of paper and placed them inside with a photo of the two of us together.

*  NB: All of this can be simplified. For example a candle set on a plate surrounded by honey or sugar will have a similar effect.

How to work the spell

1. Open you ritual space by lighting incense and your tower of power.
2. Gather your materials and assemble your honey jar while envisioning your intention.
3. Seal the jar and stare deeply into it imagining that you are sweetening the obstacles between you and your intention. Visualise how lovely it is to improve this situation, really feel this in your heart, and how amazing it will be when you have manifested your intention. Hold a sense of kindness in your heart .
4. Put some movement into it, holding your jar, shaking it, dancing it. Honey crystallizes when it sits still for too long. And this is after all a spell for change.
5. Light a tea candle on top of your jar.
6. Speak your intention out clearly and loudly, calling upon any guides, ancestors, spirits or deities to hear your prayer.
7. Gaze into the jar while the candle burns and know that the spell has already worked.
8. Every day you will light a tea candle on your jar and shake it up to keep things moving.