Osho Zen Tarot: Clinging to the Past, Maturity, Celebration
Medicine Cards: Buffalo, Butterfly
Mayan Oracle: Universal Movement, Harmonic Resonance, Organic Balance
Ancient Egyptian Tarot: Prince of Disks, The World, Six of Disks
Aleister Crowley Deck: Ace of Cups, The Fool, Princess of Swords
Healing Earth Tarot: Grandfather of Feathers, Three of Feathers, Two of Feathers
Words of Truth: Immortality, Expansion, Dullness, Inappropriate Time
On January 25, the beginning of the new Chinese Calendar year, we entered into the Year of the Metal Rat. That is significant to me personally because the last time we were in the Metal Rat was 1960, the year I was born.
The message of a Metal Rat Year is that we need the intelligence, cunning and persistence of a Rat to navigate the extreme times in which we find ourselves.
So we complete the circle and begin again, revisiting the energies that motivated the iconic 1960s.
This year will be a time of transformation and bizarre contrasts. In the 1960s it was a time of flower children, assassins, idealism and alienation, rebellion and backlash. It brought acts of defiance that defined the civil rights, anti-war and feminist movements. The youth of the time staged “sit ins” and cultivated a growing sense of rebellion against the status quo.
I find similar feelings and emotions bubbling up from the young people once again. There is a new generation that intends to be a force for good. They are actively choosing to confront the evil that lives in the souls of men, governments and institutions.
The Metal element in the Metal Rat reminds us to become self-reliant—in this case, self-reliant in regard to power and progress. Metal energy is about caring for others in a respectful way. While metal energy can be reserved, it can also be forceful and unyielding as it fully awakens. This year we are being asked to find our backbone and let that confidence and determination chart our course from here.
The force that awakens the full power of a Metal Rat is Grief. Who knows what will catapult humanity through the stagnant present state of affairs into persistent and unyielding courage?
This should prove to be a very interesting year.
This month, the Grandfather of Feathers is attempting to heal a global illness that has taken over. Each of us is called upon to see into the darkness—including the darkness within ourselves.
This darkness is a toxic hate that generates chaos and promotes self-destructive habits designed to distract you from the root cause of the illness.
Grandfather of Feathers reminds us that he is connected to Owl medicine. Those with Owl medicine can go into the darkness and seek out the truth. This card says you must go on a personal journey to discover what has caused such horrible confusion.
Past, present, and future are not tenses of time, but tenses of the mind. The past is no longer before the mind and the nostalgia makes the mind long for that which seems lost. The present is slipping out of sight and a person fears the loss of what is in this moment.
Everything this month is about finding and maintaining a type of balance where a little foolishness combined with a little wisdom might be perfect.
The Butterfly teaches us that change requires a type of courage. When the world outside does not match the inside values, it’s time to change the world in a way that aligns with truth and the values of your life. You are a part of that change but you will have to step up and step in to make that happen.
Buffalo reminds us that you cannot give or receive when your hands are in a fist, ready to fight. External conflicts that manifest may not be exactly yours but you will have to find a way to come to peace with them regardless. Internal and external worlds have to find a place to meet, to work in harmony with each other.
We are being asked to make love more powerful than hate—not an easy assignment but one that is more essential now than ever. This world is in a position where unexpected changes are the norm and unseen forces are at work above and below the surface. It’s up to you to allow this energy to give you the power to connect to your destiny. Openings are possible if you are willing to let go of your old reference points and allow that same destiny to actively move you into the new realms.
This month, some things will require you to look at them objectively in order to make a clear choice, a choice not based on fear or the past. Observe, respect, connect to, and find movement where it is offered. You may have to look hard and long to find those precious moments. Do not let any of them pass you by. Grab ahold and appreciate them when they show up. Do not let a drop of goodness go to waste.
See more from Suzanne Wagner at www.SuzanneWagner.com/blog/