Deaf Pagan Crossroads

This is the second in my series of posts examining my Year Card for 2011 and the role it has to play in my life throughout this year.

My favorite tarot deck is the Sacred Circle Tarot, created by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason.

This deck is different from many others in that it replaces the quasi-Christian imagery of  such decks with a Pagan viewpoint, and thus the cards are interpreted from such a perspective. It might appeal particularly to those who follow a Celtic path, since the cards themselves are heavily influenced by the history, myths, and legends of Ancient Britain…not to mention the scenery. The images on the cards are a composite of photographs taken of various sacred sites around the British Isles, combined with computer generated artwork and traditional drawing to create a deck that is quite beautiful to look at.

Because this deck utilizes a Pagan approach, the Major Arcana differs somewhat from a traditional Rider-Waite deck. The Fool becomes the Green Man, the Magician becomes the High Priest. The card of Justice converts into The Web, showing the Weaver Goddess of Fate who spins the threads of destiny. Temperance is replaced by the labyrinth card of Initiation, symbolizing the Pagan concept of death, renewal, and rebirth.

By the same token, my year card of The Hanged Man becomes the card of Sacrifice. This card shows a corn dolly – also known as “the man of corn” – being offered as the life of the corn spirit, sacrificed so that humankind might eat and thus survive. Corn dollies are especially popular at harvest time…particularly around the time of the Sabbat of Lughnasadh (often known as the “grain harvest’), during the first week of August. They were traditionally made with the husks from the final stalks of corn that were harvested, which are woven into a figure that can safely preserve the corn spirit until the next year, when the dolly is “sacrificed” by plowing it into the fields to assure a good crop. They can also be made from stalks of wheat or straw, created and utilized in much the same way.

The divinatory meanings of this card surround the whole concept of sacrifice – a letting go necessary for the greater good. It is a voluntary sacrifice…a willingness to give up something important and meaningful to you in order to instigate change. Pagans recognize that such sacrifice is sometimes necessary – in taking our lessons from the laws of Nature, we learn that one thing must die in order for another to live. To eat, we must take the life of an animal or a plant… or potential lives dwelling inside the eggs, seeds, and fruits we dine upon. As we mature, we must sacrifice certain aspects of our childhood in order to take on the responsibilities of being a grown-up.

Sacrifice is an important part of creating change – for change cannot occur until one learns to let go. One might need to let go of possessions, such as giving up some cherished items when moving to a new place; let go of relationships, such as a couple filing for divorce when they realize that they are no longer compatible for one another; or simply letting go of attitudes, perspectives, and behaviors when one realizes that holding on to them is not conducive to personal growth.

Sometimes sacrifice involves letting go of a long-held dream, recognizing that it may no longer be realistic or achievable, and is only standing in the way of pursuing other more beneficial goals. Perhaps a father has long dreamed that his son will take over the family business, but eventually comes to realize that the son would rather do something else. It is to everyone’s benefit that Dad sacrifices such a desire from Junior, and accepts that perhaps a current employee would actually make the better successor.

It may be that one needs to give up certain “outer trappings” in order to discover inner peace…such as the person who gives up a well-paying but very demanding job in order to remove worry and stress. There is the sacrifice of income and social position, but the rewards of more freedom, more time, and more pleasure in one’s life.

By its very nature, the concept of sacrifice – as utilized in this card – requires us to take a good hard look at our feelings about control. The person with a strong need for control isn’t going to be very happy about making sacrifices… for sacrifice often requires a willingness to give up control. Sacrifice requires risk. Sacrifice requires a willingness to venture out into the unknown, sometimes without a roadmap.

But with such sacrifice comes new opportunities, and new discoveries.

As the Green Man (a.k.a. The Fool) continues his journey through the major arcana of the Sacred Circle Tarot, the 12th card of Sacrifice serves to remind him that sometimes intelligence and action are not enough. To achieve greater consciousness and full enlightenment, he must surrender himself – he must sacrifice all that he has done and all that he has known to something greater than himself. He must take that leap of faith, and allow the forces of the universe to do with him as they will…trusting that such forces will bring him to that which he truly desires.

In my next post I will begin delving deeper into the meanings of my Year Card, and asking some of the hard questions… and hopefully coming up with a few answers as well. Stay tuned!