Plants and Dreams

I had a dream the other night that I needed some advice on.. I drew two transparent cards and they just didnt get me anywhere.

And the dream was still bugging me.. So i decided to draw on my DPO, as they were always so reliable when it came to helping out dream interpretation. I got Primose and Fir Club Moss. Now, these 2 both speak of new beginnings, initiation etc.. and I thought 'well this dream had nothing like that in it' But, there was a refusal in the dream, a wanting to step away.

And it occured to me, that even in stepping away from something, a previous phase overtly is a way of demonstrating that Im ready to accept something new. As if the Gods were trying, in my sleepy dream like state, were testing me on what my true feelings were about a previous phase, and I made them known. So maybe this means something new and exciting will come?

Gotta love the DPO for dream interpretations.

Druid Plant Moon - 15th March to 14th April

well I know Im being Transparent, but I felt like I should pull a card for the lunar month we are currently in.

So to recap the moons this year have been
Madder
Chamomile
Vervain
And now we are in Lady's Mantle moon :)

Now this is unusual as its a very gentle plant. But it could be a way remaining grounded with the surge of energy that comes with Ostara and as we start to move closer and closer to Beltane. It reminds us to be open, to be receptive and be watchful of what happens, to balance out that raging spring energy that can be overwhelming, were we forget to just be still and watch, feel and absorb.
The time over the equinoxes are my favourite times in the year, and they are so quickly gone, like a child that all too quickly becomes an adult. So Im going to treasure it. And indeed I have been by getting a few sunrises under my belt already this year :D

*sings* The primrose and the ivy!... oh well, I tried lol

Yes it was monday's card and its now Wednesday, but I havent been home to do daily readings or post about it since Monday. This is because I am a dirty-stop-out and I keep kipping over at my boyfriends after work.

So... Monday morning turns (after being up in the night pondering plants, as ya do!) and drew Primrose. Aww pretty I thought, and as I had read up about Primrose the other night as I had drawn it, just went to work.

Now since then I have really connected to things in my life.
For example.. I've started to work at a new place for 10 weeks. My first week (last week) left me with a few ups and downs. And it was solstice/xmas week and I was working etc etc so I had a few wobbles and nearly by the end of the week I didn't want to go back there ever again.
However, since then I've had really good days. Ive felt settled and able to talk to the people I work with, have a few jokes, get told and (surprised!) remarks from people about how im getting on. Its really put into focus the opportunities to learn and grow because I dont know a lot.

Its just given me a really good vibe for th coming year. Nothing spectacular, no one AMAZING life changing moment that brought deep clarity - but just that gentle repeated awareness and acknowledgment that Im actually doing ok!

Its taught me about what I find inspirational about my job, and what I find ethically grey about my job. But thats good too, because if I didnt appreciate the greyness, I wouldnt see the amazingness in it.

Im making no sense but the phrases in the book like 'a fresh way of tenderness...new beginnings... rising of creativity... love... birthing of wisdom... and what degree is your quest in life to find completion through another human being, or through yourself?' (although that last one isnt probably meaningful to me in the way that PCG wrote it).

And yesterday I got 3 gifts from my bloke.. like 3 drops of awen hehe.

Sooo.. tomorrows daily card is Ivy.
Hmm, new years eve, the time of year where we may be aware of what we want to be committed/bound too, and what we want to be free from - like making new years resolutions lol.
Although I am rubbish at making them and keeping them. But perhaps I will need to think on to what and who I have involved in my life.
Looking at the spiral motif on the rocks I think about how the two years are deeply linked, that 2010 isnt suddenly going to be radically different, but its energies will be because the spiral is in the other way. The first year (the bottom spiral) stirs creation WithOut, so changes in circumstance, relationships etc. The second year could be about working deeper magic and stirring creation WithIn me, in my awareness and progression in my spiritual journey.

Tomorrow is also a Full moon/Blue moon/Lunar Eclipse... WOW! And seeing the full moon in the card makes me think that this event tomorrow is going to cause a huge about of energy shiftings in the coming year. The book also mentions about Ivy, Bacchus/Dionysis connections and wine - well there will be plenty of booze quaffed by the world tomorrow for New Year! Maybe the DPO is just having a giggle with me in that being off my trolley is what i need to be aware of about tomorrow! lol

How fab!

It also has reminded me that tomorrow I want to do some sort of year ahead/moon focused spread with the DPO. Something a bit adventurous for me as I am a one - three card girl usually with the DPO, so I should try new things with the new energies around tomorrow night. Im off to ponder that some more :)

On another random side note, I can OFFICIALLY be part of the PDR on the AT forums, the mods have said yes :D DOUBLE GROOVY

How best to learn and be with my DPO

Okie.. so on AT there is a lot of talk about Individual Deck Studies and Primary Deck Reflection exercises. A few years back I took part in the One Deck Wonder experiment, committing myself to using one deck and no others for reading etc, and I found that such a rewarding exercise. It deepened my love of tarot, opened me up to what tarot really is rather than just pretty cards and working out what the message of the reading is (although that helps a lot!).

However, I dont know if it will be really beneficial to do something like this with an oracle like the DPO. Do I keep to one oracle and still flirt with other tarot and oracle decks? Am I limiting myself in a way that the plants won't like?

So I've drawn a card from the DPO to shed some light on this riddle - What advice can you offer me on how I learn and be with the DPO that benefits us both?

Well, as I was shuffling Primrose fell out, but the top card from the pack was Bramble.

Primose - A new cycle, a new development, a new spiral on the circles of Abred. I feel here that the Primrose is suggesting to me that being with the DPO and learning with it is the best way to be with it.. for to learn and be with it you have to use it!
The book also suggests the idea of 3's, the 3 drops of Awen from Ceridwen's cauldron, so perhaps I could keep 3 decks about me? lol maybe Im just deck greedy! lol

Bramble - a plant that suggests boundaries and restrictions... how keeping to them can protect what you are creating, so that the fruit can grow.

I feel that whilst Primrose is suggesting to just USE the deck, read with it, ponder with it etc, that Bramble is saying that you need a bit of an idea of what you want to do, what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. The romantic idea of spending time with the deck (Primrose) needs plans so that you a)actually do spend time b) dont get so caught up in the rules of it that you dont play with it at all!

So.... with that in mind I have guidelines (well, the Creirwy DPO Code)

• I hope to have this oracle as my Primary Deck for a least the whole of January. On Febuary 1st I will think over what I have achieved (if anything, this might be my only post you never know!) and how I want to move the project forward.
• I can use other tarot and oracle decks during this time, but any readings for myself I will try to use the DPO and post it here, but wont get too hung up about it if I use other decks.
• I will post a reading here once a week, be it just a daily draw or (as I wont have time to draw and post here as Im busy with work and studying etc) something more complex. These will be readings for me. Any readings I do for others with the DPO on the AT forum will not be shared here, even if the reading was openly done on the forum.
• I can freely muse about the deck and the plants as often as I like, including any insights I have got about the deck and how to use it when I've read for other people
• Any 'deck study' wafflings I will post on the AT forum in the study group, rather than here. I want this blog to be about musings and practical workings with the deck, not just pondering about plants. This is to focus on the use of the deck as an Oracle, not about herblore (although that helps!)
• If I use the deck in magic or meditation I will share here what I have experienced if I can :)

And if something crops up that isnt address in the Code, then I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

So I guess that reading counts as my first reading on my Blog! Groovy!

First post - What this blog is about

2010 is the year of lots of things... but one of them for me is to use and learn more about the Druid Plant Oracle (DPO) by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, the artwork by Will Worthingtom

I have already done some readings, even created spreads and facilitated (although not very well) some reading circles based on the DPO. However, this blog is going to be about my own musings, readings, ideas and general fabness about this oracle.

I love divination and especially tarot, but sometimes I can even out-tarot myself (ssssh thats a secret!) and it would be good to really work on my own relationship with the DPO. I often use it to read for other people and yet never work with the deck for myself. And this deck offers a lot... it offers healing and a deep connection to the plants, to Nwyfre or the lifeforce and is just wonderful. I have tried to use the Druid Animal Oracle, but for me it never really 'clicked', however this one does work for me if I put the time in to learn and share with the plants.

So in true planty style I am putting aside linear time, opening myself to the mysteries of the plants and I hope they share some of their healing and inspiration with me (and a jolly good giggle as well!).