Bird Cards – Cormorant

Today, I decided to do a draw from The Bird Cards. While I was shuffling I was thinking about how “weird” I felt today – it feels strange not to be worried about something pressing. All last week, it was so busy with my Mom here – it took all sorts of energy to be running around and visiting and listening. For two weeks before that, I cleaned like a demon every day getting ready for her visit. For several weeks before that, I worried endlessly that I had to get myself in gear and clean up the house.

Now, I just kind of feel at a loose end – I’m not sure where to go from here.

Anyway, I ended up drawing two cards rather than one.  When I cut the deck, the card on the bottom of the cut didn’t want to come off the little lap desk I was using to shuffle – so, I thought it must want to be seen along with the card on top. The card that stuck to the desk was the Cormorant – I’ll talk about it today and the other card tomorrow so this post won’t be so long. Both the cards are very relevant to how I was feeling today.

Here is an excerpt from the book about the Cormorant card:

“Cormorant energy is the perfect energy for someone who is stuck in an uncomfortable place emotionally; it can give the boost that is needed to get life moving again. It is as if the person needs to recognize that the old life he or she has been hanging on to is actually over and has to be let go of.

You may have chosen the cormorant card today because you yourself are the one who needs the help to move out of a stuck place. Fear is always the energy that keeps us moving forward. Identify your fear – look it full in the face – and then invite the overlighting consciousness of the cormorant to help you lift yourself out of the prison you are keeping yourself in – high enough to see the endless vistas of see and sky and beautiful earth, that are yours to play in.”

After I read about the Cormorant card – I could understand better why I’m feeling like I am. I don’t want to go back to the old status quo of my life – where I’m afraid my husband won’t see what I do with keeping the house clean and organized so I just let it go. It is so disappointing to work so hard at something and then to not even be noticed – it is easier to let things go because it saves the disappointment.

I need to move out of this stuck place. Either, I have to quit caring if he notices what I do or I finally have to get across to him how important it is for him to praise what someone does instead of just noticing things which can be criticized.

This is the affirmation for the Cormorant card:

“I ask the overlighting consciousness of the cormorant to assist me to shift out of the fear that is keeping me locked into this unhappy situation. I acknowledge that it is time to let go and move on.”

Every time I’ve drawn a card from this deck it has been very meaningful and helped me come to terms with myself.

The book also explains the artwork for the Cormorant: the bird stands on a rock at the waterside, and looks at an illuminated passage between two huge candles leading to “the light”. The passage is edged with a rainbow as a border between the darkness and the light. Above is the violet flame of transmutation. 

Tomorrow, I’ll write about the other card that turned up today – the Bluebird of Happiness.

Bird Cards – Canary

Today, I decided to do another draw with The Bird Cards. The last time I used this deck the card I drew was so appropriate for how I was feeling and really helped me feel better. This time the Canary turned up.

This is another one of those “Wow!” draws! While I was shuffling, I was thinking how upset I’ve been about some company that is coming to visit the week after next. I don’t know how I’ll ever get my house ready in time, it needs so much cleaning and some redecorating, as well. It was making me very depressed that the family I’m expecting for company can’t accept things the way they are not criticize the state of my home.

Here is an excerpt from the book on the meaning of the Canary Card:

“If you have chosen the Canary card today, then be optimistic. Assume the best possible outcome for your particular situation. Allow the lovely canary yellow to warm you and give you hope. Hope automatically brings balance back into your situation and allows you to see your position realistically and without the blinkers of gloom and despondency.”

Reading the message of the card has made me feel so much better. It makes me realize that I’ll just have to do the best I can with the house and if that isn’t good enough – so be it.

The Canary meaning also discusses some other good things – it says Canary energy is sun energy. It is the bright life-affriming energy that warms all things, it can help you rise above whatever dreariness that is dragging you down and can lift people out of melancholia and back into harmony with themselves. One part of the meaning that really struck a chord with me – that the Canary energy helps with feeling unconditionally accepted. I think this is what upsets me the most about the whole company coming/cleaning house thing – that my company can’t accept me unless my house meets their idea of clean.

The affirmation for the card is very good, too:

“I ask the overlighting consciousness of the canary to be with me now. I allow its optimistic energy to put me back on the path to joy. I ask God to bless my situation and help me to move forward. I know there is a solution and that I will be shown the way.”

So far, both times I’ve chosen a card from this deck, it has been just what I needed to hear and has helped me feel better. I’m going to print out the scan I made of the Canary card - I can fold it up and carry it with me so optimism and hope can drive away the gloom and doom!

It is a good thing that the book also explains the symbolism of the artwork on the cards. I really puzzled about what the little clumps of stuff with fire on them were until I read about the symbolism. This is what the book says: “The canary sits on a translucent green crystal and is radiating like a sun, from which a lighted path appears. The path is lit by burning amber (a symbol of inner vitality and joy), so that it can be followed with full trust.” I would have never guessed it was burning amber.

Bird Cards – Blackbird

Today, I drew a card from my newest oracle, Bird Cards. The full name is Bird Cards, The Healing Power of the Bird Kingdom. It comes in a boxed set with 55 large cards and a nice, larger sized paper back book that describes the cards and how to use them.

They are what I think of as an Inspirational Oracle rather than a divinatory type of oracle. Since I really enjoy things like bird watching and feeding the birds in my back yard – I decided I’d like to try these. The book is very well done – very good introduction on how the cards came about and how to use them. The cards themselves are large, the artwork on them is really lovely. However, they are on fairly thin cardstock. They come packaged in two cello wrapped packs in the box – one pack was slightly bowed and the other wasn’t which makes them all kind of “fluffy” when you shuffle the packs together. Right now they are resting under something heavy to squeeze them all down and flatten them out.

While shuffling, I was thinking back on what a difficult day I had yesterday – not pleasant at all. I drew Card 9 – Blackbird. Wow! What an appropriate card – after reading the meaning in the book and thinking about it, I felt so much better. In the book, there is a full sized greyscale picture of each card along with an affirmation for that card right under the picture and then an essay about the meaning on the opposite page.

This is the affirmation for Blackbird:

“Today I re-establish my own personal boundaries. I call upon the overlighting consciousness of the blackbird to help me achieve this. I reaffirm that only those people who hold my best interests in their hearts can enter my private space. I am absolutely safe.”

Here is an except from the meaning:

“If you have drawn this card, this is a day when you need to be bold and fearless, and prepared to defend your turf. Don’t allow predatory people to overstep the boundaries that are appropriate for you. Make your response quite unmistakable so that the line does not get crossed again. You have an opportunity today to set up the energy structures that will allow you to feel safe. Use the blackbird energy to establish your boundaries clearly, so that you cannot be imposed upon again.”

This is such an appropriate message for me today, it has made me feel better to read it and think about it – and act upon it.

I was kind of puzzled about the significance of the artwork on the card. Luckily, there is another section of the book that actually explains the meaning of the artwork on each card. This is what is says about the Blackbird:

“The blackbird is surrounded by a protecting circle of sharp crystal points, but the doors of the inner gate are wide open, where one is welcomed in by the warm, pink light of love.”

That really helped clarify the meaning of the card.

So far, I really like these cards. Today, they gave me such an appropriate message that has made me feel much better.