As part of my celebration for the pagan festival of Imbolc, I did a short Tarot reading. I asked for a message that was relevant to me at this time, and that would also resonate with people who are on a similar spiritual path as myself. That will be anyone who is currently finding their place in the world, who is perhaps trying something new, whether that be in their personal lives, their career, or even their family. I drew two cards; one represents the recent months of winter and the other represents the coming months of spring.

 The first Tarot card I drew was the Nine of Wands. I used the Gilded Tarot because that deck is really representative of my feelings at the moment. It is romantic, mythical and colourful. To me the images alone represent so much power and energy that I feel wonderful just handling the cards. The Nine of Wands tells me that we have been carrying a heavy burden of responsibility and repressive attitudes. Now we have crested the hill, which felt more like a mountain, and we have set down our baggage. We have picked out just one item that is of special importance.

 Resting for a moment, we can take a breath and know that all the other burdens can wait. They might all clamour for our attention, and have so far taken a lot of energy and strength from us. Now we can take stock of our situation, and realise that those burdens are really not that important. They can wait, and they will wait. Our battle is over, and we can rest and prepare for the next phase of our journey. They sky is clearing, the storm clouds are blowing away, and the grass is green and fresh. Everything is waking up again, with renewed vigour and energy.

 The second Tarot card I drew was the King of Cups. He represents a culmination of our endeavours. We have reached a temporary peace. Our accomplishments have manifested, and we are now resting easy and enjoying the results of our hard work. This phase is temporary only because we will eventually grow bored of it. Then we will strive for something else, a new adventure and a new challenge. For now we are comfortable and content, secure in our achievements.

 Having embraced our dreams and actively fought to make them real, the King of Cups shows our rewards. We have our place of delicate beauty, built of our own hard work. But its very fragility reminds us that life is precious. We should appreciate what we have now, and enjoy it without guilt or worry. Our strength has been recognized and rewarded. Life is happy.