{queen of wands}

i designed the image above in honour of my sister-in-law, deb, whose birthday it is on wednesday. wanting to give her something personal, i decided to draw a tarot card, and picked the queen of wands. i smiled, as i immediately knew how befitting it was for her ~ she is the queen of wands personified.

a strong woman; the queen combines feminine and masculine energies to produce an intoxicating blend of sensual power. as a confident woman, who embraces her femininity without diminishing her strength, she is a natural leader commanding authority through an equal blend of gentle kindness and dogged tenacity. she applies high standards to those around her, but expects them from herself too; and is the perfect friend to turn to for some sensitive but honest advice. warm and outgoing, this queen doesn't hide behind any facade, so you know what you get is real and genuine.

when i talk to deb, or read her emails, i am often in awe of the woman she is. she excels as a mother, wife and friend, and carries the responsibility of important and serious work with the australian breastfeeding association. she leads by example, by stepping into her fear; and shows me you can be scared but, by challenging yourself, you can succeed too.

she exemplifies the element of fire which is the recurrent theme in the suit of wands. because fire symbolises passion, imagination, energy... all the necessary ingredients for great ideas and big dreams. it is the fire which sustains you when the going gets tough and all you have are those dreams to get you through. it is the fire which burns bright, lighting a path of transformation.

she holds these dreams. for herself and for her family. she nurtures them, allowing them to gestate. and when they are ready to be birthed, she delivers them into reality.

happy birthday deb, you rock.
xo