We lead busy lives, always going somewhere, having to do something. It's stressful. No wonder the sad array of rages - air rage, road rage, queue rage, you-name-it rage, even phone rage.

It's time to have life occurring differently for us, more fulfilling, more harmonious, an okay-dom in the world. Or so it seems, and why not?

Sometimes it is good to contrast one divinatory practice or modality with another. I am thinking here of the tarot and the Runes.

So we have on the one hand, a picturesque, often lavishly illustrated deck of tarot cards rich in symbolism and imagery. On the other hand, we have the Runes, sharp-edged, a series of lines rearranged in a sequence to form a magical alphabet and system of understanding about the world, seen and unseen.

Again, colourful tarot cards, and then runes as symbols and letters simply etched on stone or wood.

And of course, you can buy Rune sets which have been illustrated and turned into cards, and powerful and beautiful ones, too, such as Silver Ravenwolf's.

Wonder.

It's an enticing word. When I say the word here I mean wonder as wondrous, marvellous, full of marvel. There's a less inspiring use of the word wonder too, where it appears in speech as slightly cynical or derogatory. for instance, it's a wonder he or she does anything! It's not that use of the word that I am referring to here.

To return to wonder as marvel.

How might we apply that to the study of tarot cards, to tarot card readings and even divinatory practices in general?

Just as acupuncture introduces us to a majestic world of balances, often poetically named, so too the tarot invites us into a world of pageantry, wisdom and wonder.

Thus the DruidCraft tarot calls the major Arcana the world of the 'inner mysteries'. It's at once a title or metaphor which beckons, making special and transformative what might otherwise be missed in the daily experience of life.

Sure, tarot card readings are about how things will appear for us in the future, and that's clearly important and the reason why we seek guidance.

The final tarot card in the major Arcana of the tarot is the World card.

It's the apogee of attainment, the completion of the journey, the successful outcome of whatever it is we have pursued in our lives.

Traditionally this tarot card shows either a female or hermaphrodite figure, naked and dancing and at the centre of egg or oval shape. Sometimes that is a wreath. Often there are symbols of the four elements at each corner of the four directions. And the central figure may hold a wand.

It's a tarot card which is exuberant, inviting, fresh and vital.