Today is Mothering Sunday, more commonly known , especially to our USA based friends, as Mother's Day.
Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. It originally had little to do with our own mothers but was a day to honour Mother Mary and the motherly love of the church. Going to a special service at the 'mother church', or largest church in the area, was known as 'going a mothering'.
The day began to focus more on our physical mothers as house staff and other workers, who could be as young as 10 years old, were given the day off to visit with their own mothers.These reunions often came with cake and flowers.
In 1908 Mother's Day was first celebrated in the USA ad since then the two celebrations have evolved more into one with less emphasis on the church.
There is theory that Mothering Sunday is based from the far earlier Greek and Roman Mother Goddess celebrations for Rhea and Cybele which were also held around the Spring Equinox.
In the story of Demeter, Spring returns to the world around now as her daughter, Persephone returns from the Underworld until the next Equinox.
The Mother Goddess archetype in Tarot is of course, The Empress. She is nature itself, giving life to us all and nurturing us as we grow.
She represents physical motherhood as well as the creation or 'birth' of new ideas. She asks us to connect with our inner Goddess ( yes you chaps reading this have one too! ) and love ourselves as we are. She is beauty, sensuality and free spirit. If the High Priestess card is our intuition and soul, the Empress is our physical body and heart.
Pondering on these thoughts this morning over a cuppa and a bacon butty along with my own experiences of mother hood I created a little spread.
1. What do I need to birth at this time? - Are you holding on to something its time to share with the world? This could be an idea, energy or ideal.
2.What is holding me back from releasing this? Your creative blocks.
3.Something my mother taught me about self love - This could be a spiritual mother or physical one.
4. How can I better connect to my inner Goddess? - Advice to get that 'baby' moving!
I hope you have a wonderful day Empresses (and Emperors!). Please let me know if you use the spread.
Sandra