Sabbats, Seasons, and Tarot Spreads

Did you know that mistletoe — a familiar Yuletide sight — is actually a parasite? Its sticky seeds are often carried and placed onto trees by birds. Once on a host, the seeds germinate and put out roots, actually stealing food and water from the tree’s tissues while its new leaves become green. It forms into distinctive “ball-like” clumps, and its survival depends upon its host.

In a similar fashion, our spiritual survival depends on our connection to the divine. Our ability to grow, to bring forth new ideas, to express ourselves and live life to the fullest requires a strong spiritual support system.

Here’s a gentle meditation that focuses on the ideas of connection and support, as well as on the popular “kissing custom” we associate with mistletoe. So, take a moment to relax. You can read through the meditation first and then quietly envision the experience, or you can turn on your “text reader” and have the meditation read slowly as you enter a quiet, reflective state.

MISTLETOE MEDITATION

Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Let your body relax, and allow your thoughts to settle. Bring your attention to the stillness inside you — it’s not a void, but a place of waiting… waiting in the stillness. Envision a seed within that stillness. It is small, but it is complete. It can grow to fullness if planted and tended. It is the seed of an idea, an intention, a new beginning, a creative adventure. It can be the seed of whatever you need to manifest in your life. It is a seed of possibility.

Now picture the mistletoe — green and vibrant on the bare winter branch. It, too, is a seed-bearer. Not rooted in soil, but in trust. It lives in the cold, sustained by light and air, carrying life through the longest night. It is a sign: even now, growth is possible.

Feel the connection. The seed within you is no different. It is held securely just as the mistletoe is securely held in place by its roots. The seed is nourished, even though unseen. This seed is protected, even in the darkness.

Now, imagine the presence of the divine — not distant, but near. A presence that sees this seed, honors it, and blesses it with love. Feel the divine bless you with a gentle kiss on your forehead, like a soft whisper. Here the divine promise: I am with you.

Let that kiss warm you. Let it strengthen your assurance that this seed will grow, and that one day it will open and bloom.

Remain quiet. Breathe deeply. Stay in the stillness for as long as you wish, remembering the blessing you’ve been given.

When you’re ready, open your eyes and gently return to the presence knowing that you have been kissed by the divine beneath the Yuletide mistletoe.