The blackberry harvest has been abundant this year. It began a few weeks ago with the thornless variety, originally present in only the neighbour’s backyard, but well established in mine now, after growing under and up the fence. Two to three weeks later it came time to harvest berries, and a few small wounds, from the very thorny wild bramble I leave to grow in one corner of the yard. The bramble’s survival instinct is incredible – if I didn’t cut it back it would devour the whole garden, and then some.
Blackberries are a favourite fruit, a taste nurtured during sun-filled days picking berries with a pie-and-cobbler-baking auntie. At this time of year, we would hike up to a power line, where the forest was cleared. It was there that we found good access to the blackberry bushes that grew along the edge of the clearing. We frequently spotted black bears, who were out and about for their share of the berries. Foraging alongside wild animals added to the adventure, and certainly offered a life lesson in how inter-connected our lives were.
When I first flipped through The Herbcrafter’s Tarot, written by Joanna Powell Colbert, illustrated Latisha Guthrie (U.S. Games Systems Inc., 2019), it amused me to see Blackberry as card number fifteen, the Devil. Perfect! While harvesting berries this year, I was reminded of this Devil card, which led me to having a look at other decks. The word ‘integration’ appeared a number of times. I clearly saw that the Goddess of inspiration was encouraging me to take the idea of integration to a deeper level.
A few key words for the Devil card are struggle, trapped, materialism, decisions, potential, awakening. I’ll be more aware of the opposing forces as I work to find wholeness, and for me that means being able to, in turn, channel the creative forces that flow through me, outwards again.
Brigid's Creel 