Faeries Oracle

Card 15 - The Journeyman

Adventure. Independence. Polishing of skills. Travel.

All of the great ones - the saints, the bodhisattvas, and all of those who are filled by the spiritual light - have been on this journey. They went into the wilderness, stepping, like fools, off of the safe paths, into the waiting hands of their gods and goddesses. This is the journey of life, a pilgrimage that begins in ignorant trust, passes through all of the doubts, fears, ups and downs, probably all of the delusions, and certainly all of the confusions. Through it, we learn slowly, painfully, a new kind of trust, a trust in the process, detached from the goal.

Our young Oengus Journeyman, bless him, is stepping out on the journey of life, positively glowing with enthusiasm. Even his toes sparkle. Bright, handsome, and educated, he has completed his apprenticeship in faery crafts and magics, but he has not yet achieved true mastery of his trade. To accomplish this, he must leave the protection of his master and step out onto his path as an independent journeyman craftsman. He is testing himself and his knowledge in the world. He hopes to eventually achieve the status of Master Maker (Card 22). Right now, he knows a lot of facts, has all the basic skills of survival - bartering, persuading, selling, buying wisely, enjoying life, making friends. At least he doesn't need to learn how to iron his own shirts.

Oengus still has lovely playful, childlike qualities. An Oracle online group member notes that Oengus is playing "Balance the ball on a stick" with the Moon, and adds that he seems to have no constraints, sets no boundaries on what he can do. And because he is magical and doesn't set such limitations on himself, he is able to walk on air or water, or through the hills, all with the moon nicely balanced both on his stick and in the sky. Our young Oengus must learn to care for himself. No one is looking over his shoulder to see that he does his work right and eats properly. Oengus may take chances and even make mistakes sometimes, as we all do, but this is how we learn. He is now confronting (and being confronted by) the real world. Here, he will discover that excuses don't buy bread and that the quality and integrity of one's work and actions are what counts, but he has been well taught and pretty well knows this already.

Don't tell him I told you, but Oengus sometimes wears a false moustache, hoping that it makes him look more mature. He has romantic dreams of being a great hero, of becoming the supreme master of his craft, and of winning a faery princess. Some of these dreams will come true - perhaps even all of them.

Here we see an innocent being walking trustfully into a situation for which he is not fully prepared (and indeed, cannot be fully prepared) or for which his preparation is as yet untested by reality. He is innocent of previous practical experience of the path he is now treading or the realm of life into which he is moving. This card could be called Innocence Encounters Reality - which is by no means a bad thing.

His faery godmother is lurking somewhere, just out of his sight - as faery godmothers tend to do. Her expression is both gleeful and worried. Her hair is already whiter than it was before he began, and she is keeping her wand fully charged at all times. Although this is his journey and he must undertake it himself, almost everyone needs (and is given) a little faery godmothering from time to time. Good-natured innocence attracts faery guardians; it attracts helpful beings on all planes and in all worlds. It may also attract those who would abuse that innocence; but as long as our intentions are good, our guardians will offer good guidance. We are blessed and cared for - if we allow ourselves to be.

The world is before Oengus with smiles and teeth. Oengus has optimism, cheerfulness, magic skills, and a diligent faery godmother. Oengus grows within us when we step bravely into the unknown, developing our potentials with hope and optimism and an open heart.

Starter Reading

Adventure. Independence. Travel. A long path ahead - we hope. This card speaks to the need to perfect skills in working and living, but it acknowledges having a sound grounding in the basics. Optimistic, innocent, and willing to learn, Oengus also shows us that intuition serves us well - but only if we pay attention to it.

Sometimes, we are operating from theory alone, and our knowledge may or may not be well grounded in reality. This card does not necessarily refer exclusively to beginnings; it can also signify a progression along a path, moving into the unknown from the known, a new phase in an ongoing process. The card may also represent untested concepts or ideas, and suggest a need for balance between the intuitive and the rational as one approaches the unknown.

Consider where you are going. What are your long-term goals? What are you doing that is helping you to move toward them?

Reverse

When this energy is blocked, we may feel unable to move forward. There can be two reasons for this. It may be that such a journey is inappropriate at this time and should be delayed until certain conditions are met, or it may mean that we are delaying ourselves with our own fear. If you are satisfied that the journey is in the right direction for you, prepare for it carefully and, once you have done so, go for it. Waiting will not make it easier. If it is just fear holding you back, take a long draught from the Chalice of Courage and step out boldly.

Twisted, this energy can involve pretending to ourselves that we are moving forward but in fact, taking a dozen inappropriate paths in order to avoid the one truly right path. The name of the game is distraction and misdirection both are a kind of false magic that gets us nowhere.

At its worst, this card reversed can indicate an inappropriate journey, possibly even as undesirable as the path of destruction (for self or others). Consider carefully where you are going here. Consider your major, long-term goals in life and ask yourself how this journey helps you to move toward them. Is it perhaps a distraction, a detour, or a fatal stepping off of a cliff? Only we ourselves can decide whether or not we really want to take another step in this direction and why.

The Sidhe