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This dream can be interpreted several ways—it all depends on the context and how it made you feel. Dreams about suddenly being able to jump really high can be exhilarating, but they can also feel scary. Jumping up high can mean falling very far at the same time, so if you jumped up in the air and were filled with sudden terror as you started to fall back down, this dream might mean you’ve set your goals really high and are afraid of letting people down. It can also mean you’re not able to handle the pressure you’ve put on yourself. On the other hand, if you are enjoying yourself in the dream, it means you’re taking the difficult things life throws at you in stride. Dreaming about jumping high can also be a symbol of newfound freedom or the relief that comes along with letting go of something that has been stressing you out. Maybe you’ve quit a bad habit like biting your nails, eating too much candy and sweets or you’ve ended a toxic friendship. Whatever it is, you’re starting fresh. If you are feeling bogged down in life, you can take that dream as a sign that you can and should try to release some of the things dragging you down so that you can live a more lighthearted, carefree lifestyle.

Why Tarot? Why not astrology? Or numerology? Or any of the other divination tools? Why did I choose Tarot?

I have been involved in occult and spiritual pursuits  since I was a child, performed rituals as a teenager, but my first attendance at a Pagan event was in 1978 so I count that as my start in the community. Next year will be my 40th year as a member of this community. In that time I have learned from peers, elders, students, spirits and God/des/es, and from close observation and contemplation of my experiences. I’ve owned and run a metaphysical shop twice in my time as a Pagan. The first time for 6 years and the second time for 10 years. Some of my most important lessons came to me from my role as a shop keeper.

I’ve been collecting wicker. Well, garbage-picking it actually. In my neighbourhood it’s gone out of style and so it ends up on the curb. And I can’t resist it: wicker hampers, baskets, bowls…nothing I need but everything I want. There is something enchanting about the weaving and wending, the writhing willow branches held in tension to create an object of beauty and use. I have to have it.

In homeschooling and parenting, some of the most difficult lessons to teach our children are those we struggle with ourselves.

For me, I've conquered some of my biggest struggles: I learned to ask for help, I learned to stop beating myself up for small mistakes, and I learned how to make sure I work on self-care.  But there are other lessons I still wrestle with, and even more I have yet to even recognize.

  In her beautiful book Celtic Devotional, Caitlin Matthews suggests a Lunar Meditation on the scent of flowers, one I thought perfect for the new season Litha has brought us. All around us flowers are blooming, delighting the eye and perfuming the air with fragrance. What better analogy for summer, and life, really, than the scent of a flower?

  Is there anything that compares? Yes, I suppose so: fresh peaches, the scent of a baby's hair. But flowers have a scent unrivalled by anything else. Sweet, but strong, faint but carrying.

I’m waiting here, on the precipice of another rebirth, contemplating what I’ve learned during this long, quiet gestation.  Any day now, I’ll be reborn as a mother of two, and this baby is already teaching me, and reinforcing lessons I learned from my first, like how to relax when confronted with things beyond my control. 

Today I find myself reflecting on the most important lessons I’ve learned since becoming a mother of one six years ago.  In no particular order, here are my top three.