Boxes of Wonder

wonder
Function: adjective : WONDROUS, WONDERFUL: as a : exciting amazement or admiration
b : effective or efficient far beyond anything previously known or anticipated

Archie Hair had a wooden box, the contents of which were a source of fascination. He called it his box of wonderment and in it he kept things that he had collected from the bush. He called the bits and pieces of debris that he gathered wonders.

The Arches, which lay on the Dargo Road, approximately eight kilometers outside Briagolong, in East Gippsland, Victoria was the enchanted world that I was privileged to regularly visit with my parents, brothers and sister during the 1950’s.

We headed off from Maffra, in the Austin, stopping briefly at the General Store at Briagolong to buy Mrs Hair an ice-cream. The Arches had no running water or electricity and my mother recalls that Edna loved ice-cream. It was a challenge to keep the ice-cream cool until we had navigated the winding eight kilometer stretch to reach the Arches, but it was a small gift compared to the gift of wonderment and enchantment that surrounded us during those regular monthly visits.

Archie and Edna Hair filled the void of absent grandparents.

The Arches were the home of Archie and Edna Hair, an elderly couple with a rare spirit of generosity.

Archie had a wooden box, the contents of which were a source of fascination. He called it his box of wonderment and in it he kept things that he had collected from the bush. He called the bits and pieces of debris that he gathered wonders. And wondrous they were! Archie held us captivated as he regaled a story that was associated with a rock, tiny fragments of pebbles, a prized birds nest.

Now, over 65 years later I have found new boxes of wonder. Tarot, Oracle, Lenormand and Playing Cards come carefully boxed. This feature honours the memory of Archie and Edna Hair and Archie’s Box of Wonderment. Links will take you to treasures that I find online and as a result of working in an Instagram community.

Dip Into My Box of Wonder

These projects are constantly in flux, are being reviewed and added to.
  • Graveside Readings I have had a long standing interest in visiting cemeteries and have visited some intriguing ones in various countries. Taking a Tarot deck with me when I visit the fascinating historic cemeteries in my region is a newer thing. It provides me with the opportunity to bridge the void between the present and the past, the living and the dead.
  • The Yule AdventURE Tarot Feature – Based on the notion that we learn best with play this set of 25 fun exercises can be completed at Yule or whenever you feel like bonding with your decks and growing your understanding of all the cards. Posts are regularly updated with additional material and samples of shared responses.
  • Bonnie’s Skool of Tarot Bonnie is a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo who befriended an old Crone (the Tarot Midwife) and set out on a Fools Journey with her and her other companions, Duncan an old Donkey and Cora, a mysterious Raven. You can follow their adventures and learn how Bonnie was inspired to set up a Skool of Tarot to help Australia wildlife learn about Tarot, an Apothecary and a unique Travelling Medicine Show. You will meet lots of distinctly Australian wildlife and even encounter Rosie, the Red Back Spider, a High Priestess who offers readings for members of the travelling troupe.