The young page stands in a desolate landscape, mountains visible in the distance. He holds an upright wand with both hands, gazing at the top of the wand. In rich clothes, the Page of Wands wears a hat with a feather. His yellow cloak is emblazoned with salamanders. Wands are related to our creative energy and our mental ‘fire’ – […]
Page of Wands
Ten of Wands
A young man carries ten wands. He is walking away from us, head buried in the wands as he carries them. In the distance is a village. The weather is calm. The Ten of Wands is all about successful hard work. We have toiled and laboured, had our difficulties and challenges during our path through the suit of wands but […]
Nine of Wands
A man stands leaning on a wand, eight other wands are standing upright behind him. A bandage is wrapped around his head. In the distance are mountains. Not for the first time in the suit of wands do we see an image depicting strife, resilience or determination. The Nine of Wands has all these. We have come through a battle, […]
Eight of Wands
Eight wands protrude from the left of the card. A dwelling on top of a hill is depicted to the rear, a river meandering in front of it. One of the more abstract cards of the Rider Waite Tarot is the Eight of Wands. The wands are zipping through the air, almost as if someone had thrown them.
Shen
Shen is the ”spirit” in Traditional Chinese Medicine (tcm) and is one of the three treasures that constitute life. The other two are Qi (life force) and Jing (essence). Shen in TCM takes in not just spirit but also emotions, mental health and consciousness. Shen is said to live in the heart where it retires to sleep at night.
Seven of Wands
A young man holds his wand as if fighting off six other wands protruding from the bottom of the card. He is on top of a small hill or mound and facing the other wands directly. He wears two different shoes. The Seven of Wands is all about battling onwards, perseverance, determination and an ability to fight alone. The young […]
Chives
One of the easiest herbs to grow, chives never seem to make it into the list of many gardeners, herbalists, shamans or witches which is a shame because for something so easy to grow we really should be making more use of them. To grow, stick them in a pot of compost and water in. That’s about it! When needing […]
Six of Wands
A King or prince is mounted on his horse. The white horse is draped is royal colours. The prince holds a garland atop his staff and wears another on his head. Alongside him walks a crowd, also holding wands. After the turmoil of the Five of Wands we are finally on the move again. The scene in the Six of […]
Flat Bread
Flat bread is great. It is so easy to make, cooks quickly and is delicious straight out of the pan. Making your own bread is always going to be a win-win. It will have no chemicals added to it and it won’t have extra fat injected into it to prolong shelf life. I am constantly amazed at how something so […]
Qi
Qi or Chi (pronounced ‘chee’) is an eastern concept used in traditional chinese medicine (tcm) and philosophies. In a literal sense qi means ‘gas’ or ‘breath’ but it is viewed as the force that gives form to life. It is more than the western concept of spirit because in Chinese medicine it has a profound and real effect on blood […]