The Queen of Pentacles - The Queen of Hygge

 

The perfect card to draw today, the Queen of Pentacles. She is very down to earth, loving the abundance of the simple pleasures of life, and she loves to share with others.

I've learned a new word that describes the kind of happiness that can come from the enjoying and sharing those simple pleasures in life and sharing them with others. It's something the Danes call Hygge, pronounced Hoo-gah. 

Demark is reportedly the happiest country in the world, according to the UN report on happiness. Not surprizingly because of their attitude toward what constitutes happiness, they seem to have done a lot of things right and hygge, which is defined as meaning cosy, well being and enjoying the simple pleasures in life I sure certainly helps I'm sure.

 Hygge is a word that has it's origins in Scandinavia and Denmark, dating back to the 18th Century and it's something that is cultivated in a serious way by the Danes.

Meik Wiking in his book The Little Book of Hygge, is a beautiful illustrated study of why hygge brings the Danes so much happiness.

Meik Wiking, the CEO at the Happiness Research Institute and studies happiness. His TED talk explores the dark side of happiness which is very insightful.

Like the influential Queen of Pentacles, I believe Denmark is an example of how to cultivate happiness through the simple pleasures of Hygge.

The Empress - The Queen of Nature

I always feel happy to draw the Empress, Demeter the Earth Mother, matriarchal goddess, mother of Persephone. She is a welcome site and gives me the sense, all is right with the world, especially after the big storm this week. This card makes me feel very grateful, hopeful and optimistic for the day, and for the future.

The Empress lightens my heart, and brings thoughts of sunshine, flowers, growing things and the Spring. She has  pomegranates decorated on her dress, and she is obviously carrying a child, signifying her fertile nature, and the creative growth within.

The water flows in the background which is life and spirit affirming symbolizing, flowing feelings and fertility. She wears a necklace with twelve stones, representing the astrological signs, and wearing her crown that represents her as ruler of nature and instinct.

The Empress embraces and cares for the good earth, and she is a creator, encouraging and urging us to do the same and to take good care of the earth and of ourselves, mind, body and spirit. She cares for all vulnerable creatures. Without her we cannot appreciate our physical selves and we are disconnected living only in an intellectual world.

A new creation whatever it is, needs patience and nurturing, in order for it to grow to full term. The Empress symbolically reflects the mothering experience, not necessarily in a physical way, but on an inner level.

Nurturing and caring for ourselves like a mother would, is probably one of the most difficult things for us to do, as women are often much more comfortable mothering, nurturing and caring for others. It is essential that we learn how be a mother or to re-parent ourselves, because if we can not care for ourselves, we not only short change ourselves, we are not able to fully care for or be present to another. We can risk burnout, may become resentful and bitter, because we are constantly giving to others, feeling that we are being taken for granted, revealing the dark side of Demeter.

Wild Woman Singing Over The Bones Egg Tempera, Catherine Meyers 2013