This week I opened up the box of The Guardian of the Night Tarot to find a message inside the lid. It read:

WITHOUT DARKNESS

THERE IS NO LIGHT

I read and reread these seemingly simple words but was met with many complex thoughts.

It prompted me to reflect upon my journey with Paganism and what drew me to it in the first place.

As someone who is not afraid to explore the light and the shade, I was reminded that paganism is very balanced. It celebrates the cyclical nature of life - the good and the bad, the darkness and the light, the abundance and the lack. It doesn't shy away from those parts of life others would care to gloss over. It acknowledges what sometimes others will not. 

The Sabbats (or festivals) are a perfect example of this. There are moments throughout the wheel of the year that encourage reflection of both realities. Mabon is a perfect example of this. Mabon celebrates the autumn equinox - when day and night are equal in length. 

This deck is all about meeting the darkness and the light equally. There are images full of joy, warmth and plenty; equally there are images denoting characters rising up to adversity, hardship and absence.

Paganism in my view, is not for the faint of heart. It requires deep soul searching and acknowledgment of pain, sometimes known as shadow work. But it is only through exploring the depths of true darkness, can we bask in and appreciate the glory of the light. 

This deck is now available in the Rooted Crystals UK shop.