Card for the Day: Forest

I am pretty certain that for most of the upcoming weeks (if not months… ) I will be working intimately with my new Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle deck. I have had such great experiences with it over the few days I’ve had it.
Funny enough – repeat cards have been coming up.

One of the things that I love about getting a new deck is actually something I didn’t used to pay attention to. I never really spent time reading the accompanying guidebook with a Tarot deck. Tarot, I have memorized pretty good. However, Oracle decks are all very different and you need the guidebook to understand what the card is trying to say. The Yule deck was written by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz and I have spent a long time reading about how they created this deck. Part of their words are suggestions for spreads and pulls that might help you.
To get to know my new deck, I did their suggested ‘Interview Your Deck’ pull, which consisted of 7 questions to consider while working with the cards.
Interestingly, the card for today, The Forest, came up for me in response to the question ‘When should I call on you for guidance?’

We have had a good amount of snow over the past few days in my neck of the woods. I’m very lucky to live in the northern mountains of New York state and I love the winter. My family and I own 4 acres of property, almost all forest, and have access to another 20 acres of our neighbors land, more forest and access to a peaceful river. This card is reminding me to go outside and be with the trees, listen to the snow crunch, sit by the river and be still.
Grounding is so important… especially these days when we are all (mostly) up in our anxious minds.
Even if you live in a busy city, it’s so important to connect yourself with the earth, a single tree in your yard, for a few minutes even.

Enough of my rambling…
Here’s our interpretation!

Forest
#15
Keywords: strength, patience, grounding
Mantra: It is without question a place of mystery, whispers of power you’ve forgotten, let thy strength crawl from beneath the ground and remind you, dear child, you are Magic.

Meaning: It’s time to dig deeper roots, find your sacred soul and build a stronger foundation. Walk through any forest and you will see ancient trees reaching high into the sky. But they didn’t start off this way. Delicate roots had to dig deep into the earth to prepare these massive trees to stand tall for years to come. Even harsh winters and brutal storms couldn’t bring them down.
Forest guides you to build a stronger foundation and to remember that success takes time. Be consistent in your efforts, gather your resources, plan and reflect. Your goal is not something that can be achieved overnight but is on the path to success. The Forest card represents long-term planning but also lasting power and influence. Pulling this card is a positive sign that you will be recognized for your efforts and commitment. Furthermore, continue with what works. There’s no need to take risks at this time.