The Sun, High Priestess and Hermit
from Kyle Gray’s Angels and Ancestors Oracle deck
This month’s cards are from the Angels and Ancestors Oracle deck by Kyle Gray, with beautiful artwork by Lily Moses. I love this deck, although I haven’t used it for a while.
I had originally intended to share just one card this month, but three cards came forward, and as the reading unfolded, I felt they all had something important to say. Together, they seem to have a lovely message for us as we move into winter.
The Sun: Enjoy Success and Happiness
The first card was the Sun.
The Sun brings a sense of expansion, growth, joy and possibility. It reminds us to celebrate our successes, to enjoy the good things in our lives and to allow ourselves to shine.
It’s a beautiful reminder to embrace the light, recognise how far we’ve come and enjoy the happiness and abundance that life has to offer.
High Priestess: Harness Mystic Power
The second card was the High Priestess.
She’s holding something that looks to me like a tool for navigation, and this immediately brought to mind something I’ve been listening to today in Freedom Seeker by Beth Kempton.
Beth was talking about how birds navigate during migration. Although we still don’t fully understand how they find their way, we know that they use several different methods. They recognise familiar landmarks, orient themselves using the stars, and have an extraordinary ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field.
Beth relates this to how we navigate our own lives. We use the familiar landmarks of what we know, our experiences and the ways we’ve always done things. But we also have our intuition, that inner sense of knowing which can guide us even when we can’t quite explain how or why.
And this is what I see in the High Priestess.
She is deeply connected to her intuition, open to receiving guidance from the universe, from Spirit, and from that inner wisdom which goes beyond our logical minds.
When we’re in tune with ourselves, we begin to notice signs and synchronicities that can help us find our way. The path isn’t always logical or clear, but there is a sense of trust in what we receive.
The High Priestess also brings a message of focus and discernment. Where are we putting our energy? Are we listening to our intuition and allowing it to guide us towards what really matters?
And perhaps there’s a reminder here that we don’t have to do everything alone. We can open ourselves to guidance and support, trusting that there is something greater than ourselves that we can connect with.
Together, the Sun and the High Priestess seem to suggest that when we are connected to our inner wisdom, we can move forward with greater confidence, knowing that our actions are aligned with what feels right for us.
After the reading, I looked up what she is holding. It is an ancient eygptian sacred rattle called a sistrum, used by priestesses to connect with the divine through sound. I love that connection, especially given my own work with sound healing!
The Hermit: Retreat and Recharge
The third card is the Hermit, and I feel this brings the whole reading together.
How do we connect with that inner wisdom and harness our mystic power?
By taking time to retreat, to rest and to tune into ourselves.
Spending time in silence, meditation or simply being allows us to hear that quieter voice within. It’s in these moments of stillness that we can receive guidance, reflect and integrate our experiences.
I see these three cards as part of a natural cycle.
The Sun represents expansion, growth and moving out into the world. The High Priestess reminds us to stay connected to our intuition and inner guidance as we do so. And the Hermit invites us to retreat, rest and integrate, before the next period of growth begins.
We move through these cycles of expansion and rest throughout our lives.
And now, as we move towards winter, nature is reminding us of the importance of slowing down.
Perhaps this is a time to begin turning inwards, creating a little more space for silence, rest and reflection, and trusting that even when things appear still, something is happening beneath the surface.
