Warning and Perspective

Wisdom of Avalon cards by Colette Baron-Reid

From the guide:

The Wasp

anger, retaliation, jealousy

The Wasp has a stinger that hurts with poison when confronted. Be mindful of how you address the world when the Wasp appears on your path. If you're not careful, you may sting or be stung. The Wasp reminds you that pain is a choice, so don't waste your stinger on a petty quarrel. Are you jealous or envious or the victim of someone who is? Jealousy and envy are the children of fear and lack---send love, light, and compassion, and stay clear of the sting. Mind your own business today, and save it for a life-and-death situation. Chances are that whatever comes up today is smaller than you perceive it to be in the grand scheme of things. On the other hand, when you feel the sting of a wasp, be smart and swat it away! Defend yourself! The wasp sends an omen of warning to protect yourself as well.

What is it that I need to face the day tomorrow? That was my focus question as I chose the card for today. I was stunned to silence by the choice. What? Me? Wanting to retaliate? Well ~~ truth be told, there are moments when I want to 'get back at' someone for an injury or wrong I believe has been committed. When I feel that way, I'm not always careful with my words or with my actions. I'm attempting to snatch back something that was never mine in the first place or something that, under other conditions, I wouldn't care to have. Usually, it's my sense of the spotlight or recognition or acknowledgement. Most of the time, I don't care if people notice or acknowledge anything I do. I do what I do for another reason ~ because I want to do it or because it's the right thing to do. Occasionally, I want the spotlight that is focused on someone else to be focused on me. When that happens, my words and actions can sting ~ and once I recognize what I'm doing, I regret it. The sting comes back to me.

Then there's the sting I receive from others. I've experienced someone recently publicly taking me to task for something about which she did not have full information. Others saw, heard and steered clear of the chastisement. Although I felt affronted by the verbal slap, I knew it came because she did not have control of the situation and was stung by that herself.  It's not easy to take a step back and recognize those injured feelings ~~ and turn around to wish the person well, to send love and light, to recognize that whatever that person is feeling, whatever is causing the lashing out, is his or her own pain. I am only the target, and perhaps the trigger, but not the creator of the other's pain.

The sentence from the guide that jumps out at me is: Chances are that whatever comes up today is smaller than you perceive it to be in the grand scheme of things. It's a variation on a question I was asked by a mentor years ago: In a hundred years, what of this will matter? Most of the time, I can reduce it to: In five years, or even next year, what will this matter? Perspective makes all the difference. So for now I will heed the warning to protect ~ and defend ~ myself and not go looking for someone to sting!

What is your response when you feel attacked? What warns you that there is an attack? What is your preferred method of retaliation? If you're being honest, how do you respond when you feel jealous or challenged? Have you developed a practice of taking a step back? of adjusting your perspective? Try doing it consistently for several days. How does it change your responses?

Wait Out the Storm

The Enchanted Map by Colette Baron-Reid

From the guide:

Now is not the time to engage in any activity that brings unwanted chaos or drama into your life. This kind of storm can be destructive, and you'll regret your actions later. Hurtful words will be carried on the wind and bring a tornado of betrayal, anger, and unnecessary angst. Find shelter. This turbulent weather will pass, and your house will be untouched. Say no to drama. Wait till the storm blows over--only then will you be heard.

When I was a child, we lived in a place where there were many fantastical storms. Other than winter snow, most of them blazed with thunder and lightning. My mother would gather us and take us into the basement, where we would weather the storm. We had games there and snacks and a radio. It was a quiet, peaceful time.

It was more difficult to gather us if I got outside as the fireworks of the storm began. I loved the lightning shows and the booming of thunder. I would stand at the back door of the attached garage and stare across the yard and into the whirling dark sky. Storms entranced me.

In college, I worked for and with a woman whose 25-year-old son loved to chase tornadoes. We lived in Tornado Alley. Several tornadoes formed and some touched down every Spring/Summer. Talking with my boss gave me pause to recall my childhood fascination with thunder and lightning.

When I saw this card, Reversed as it is, and read about the possible coming storm, all those memories flooded in. Many happenings in my life, my world, could easily turn into chaos. Especially if I act impulsively or incautiously. People around me in some of those situations are on edge, wound up, feeling overwhelmed. It's time for me to hunker down, find shelter, be judicious with my words, and let the storm roar past. No tornado chasing for me.

Can you relate to the storm scenario? How do you hunker down when life gets stirred up? What settles the storms for you? Are you attracted to tornado chasing, in all its forms? How do you resist that when it would be unseemly to engage in the chase?

Changing Your Story

Colette Baron-Reid, Wisdom of the Oracle

Self-criticism; the wounded ego; unnecessary dramas

Guidance

The Oracle's message: There is a story woven through the imperfect fabric of life that tells of hurt and loss, rejection and humiliation, self-loathing and arrogance, and all manner of suffering born of unnecessary dramas. It is the old story whose refrain is that you cannot do this, must not go there, should not say that - lest your world come crumbling down. .... Distorted guidance is preventing you from being true to yourself. You are not your story, and the narrator is simply the voice of your fearful part, small and vulnerable and easily soothed.
Relationship message: ...Right now you have an opportunity for important healing, but you must reflect on the stories you weave.... Not only do you need to begin a new story; you need to forgive yourself for telling yourself the old ones.


What are the stories we tell ourselves? How long do we choose to hold on to them? What good do they do?

Anyone over the age of two tells stories. Once language begins forming in us, so does storytelling. It's part of our nature, part of our connection to others. We determine how we fit into our communities through our place in the stories.

So when we begin to tell our personal stories, we place ourselves in relationship to the rest of our world. Stories are words, and words carry power. The old playground adage of sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me is a falsehood. Words hurt us far more than any physical wound. This is true for the stories we tell ourselves as well.

I'm in the process of rewriting one of my personal stories. The details aren't important, but the feeling they created is. It was one of those "poor me" stories. You know the ones: I'm so left out or I've been hurt so much or I'm so misunderstood. The themes are constant and recurring even as the characters change. Even though I cannot change the past, again with the details, I can change how much energy I put into it. That energy drains me ~ and I wind up having less of it for the more positive stories in my life.

The difference for me at the moment, as I work on making the changes, is that I am in relationship with some of the characters in one of the tales. Currently, we are in dialogue about those past moments ~ and working cooperatively to face and make the changes, to own what was our personal reactions as opposed to what was true (not a good word choice in stories) or perhaps what was happening inside the mind and heart of the other. It's a blessing to have this opportunity.

That said, even without those moments of connection with the other, it's about learning how to forgive. Forgive the other. Forgive the gods. Forgive myself. Because holding onto the negative energy of those stories can be a killer in the end.

What stories have you told yourself? Have you changed any of them? How have you done that? How does the energy of those stories effect you? What can you do to begin the process of change? How can you learn forgiveness?

Nonjudgmental Reflection

Wisdom of the Hidden Realms by Colette Baron-Reid

From the guide:

The Lady of the Mirror is both Ally and Challenger, asking you to see yourself in the mirror made by the events in your life. She represents the powerful force of the Law of Attraction and reminds you that what you are is what you attract. .... Certain events are fated to test our faith. Rather, find yourself within the web woven through your life, your relationships, opportunities, desires, seeming failures, and successes. Observe how you've responded to life's challenges, great and small, and be aware of what is familiar in the present. Release all judgment, and accept things exactly as they are with love. The Lady of the Mirror asks that you honor every part of your story as essential to your highest unfolding. 

This card comes at the perfect time. (Isn't that always the case?) I've been touched by several new experiences lately. My deepest reaction was non-blaming and nonjudgmental ~ and it surprised me. It's as though I already started on the path of the Lady of the Mirror.

One phrase from the guide caught my attention: "...what you are is what you attract." If ~ and when ~ I'm tense or nervous or stressed, what arrives on my doorstep is usually something reflecting those same qualities. It becomes a downward spiral ~ or even a slide! People around me respond accordingly as well. They show more agitation as a reflection of mine.

On the other hand, when I am calm or reflective or joyful, what shows up around me is generally much the same. I feel more positive and more upbeat in my responsiveness and those around me often show up with the same upbeat manner.

I was also attracted by the final statement to "honor every part of [my] story as essential to [my] highest unfolding." In truth, there are some pieces of my recent experiences and story that I would prefer to leave behind. Yet these words speak clearly to me about every part of the story being significant. Each piece, whether or not I find value in it, has value to the greater picture. I continue to breathe in this nonjudgmental moment. This does not always come easily to me. My human instinct is to evaluate, and with that evaluation, to judge events and the people in them good or bad, right or wrong, helpful or harmful. These past few days, I have had the pleasure of nonjudgmental reflection and reaction to my experiences.

How does nonjudgmental reflection show up in your life? Are you exactly where you need to be on your path? Do you love what you see in the mirror? Can you perceive your part in your reactions and the motives behind your current inquiry? How honest are you with yourself?

Creative Spark Igniting

The Enchanted Map oracle cards by Colette Baron Reid

From the guide book:

You are a clear channel for Divine creativity.

There is a spark of creativity in you, and you have every reason to move forward with optimism and hope. Open yourself to inspiration and allow life to show you its beauty and your part in co-crating it. This is the perfect time to give birth to an idea, start a new relationship or job, or begin any endeavour. Attraction is high as you connect with others who can co-create joyous experiences and join with you in expressing the finer aspects of life. Watching a spark turn to a flame and stoking that fire is a gratifying activity.






In my journeys of the past two weeks, as I drew from this deck of 54 cards daily, this particular card showed up three times. I shuffled each time. My traveling companion also shuffled and drew cards. Still, on three different days, twice as a single draw and once as part of a patterned layout, Spark turned up. It was the only card that showed up 3x.

Significant? Certainly, to me. "There is a spark of creativity in you." The voice inside my head responded, "No duh." I write: in blogs, as a freelancer, in book reviews. I do crafts that I give as presents, use as exchanges for other work, or sell outright. I compose and tell stories online and in videos. All of these take creative energy.

Yet this card arrived in my hand three times. Why?

Maybe because even though I know these things, even though there is actual evidence that the creative spark glows within me, I deny it. Or I find ways to diminish or discount it.
"Anyone could do this."
"But her story is so much better!"
"There's nothing original about my work."
No need to go on ~ my creativity abounds in my denials!

As I return to work ~ and to the routines that bind me to that work, I plan to maintain the essence and the memory of that card: Spark. At times, it may feel overwhelming to remember ~ and I may forget for a while ~ the joy of creativity. I promise myself: I will remember!

How do you diminish your own creative spark? What is one joyous way you can help yourself remember it? If something shows up in your life 3x in fairly rapid succession, what do you think? how do you choose to respond to it? What is your next step on your creative path?

Resurrection Reversed: A Call to Allow

Colette Baron-Reid, The Hidden Realms

With a focus on What do I need for today?, I 'drew' a card electronically from Colette Baron-Reid's Wisdom of the Hidden Realms deck. For the first time, the card appeared reversed. I felt myself shudder. I recognize the expression of the card is a challenge and it's calling me to change.

From the guide book:
"When the Phoenix challenges you, ...let go and let what doesn't work fall away. Maybe ... you're more comfortable with the familiar, even if you know it's not the best you could create for yourself.
Fear of change is a crippling experience, .... The task at hand is to allow for an ending, as it's timely and right that you do so for the highest good of all. In surrendering to the fundamental purposeful change, you will most definitely find yourself in better circumstances. The action needed is allowing. A rebirth is assured."

Change is a natural part of life. We watch children grow and change. We comment on their changes. We comment on the changes in a person's appearance after getting married or having a baby. These are changes we deem 'good' because we see them as life-affirming. When the changes are grey hair or glasses or divorce or moving, we are not so sure of the blessings in them. As we face those changes, we need to allow them to flow in our lives, to break us down, to break through our defenses and barriers. Allowing for that also allows for the creative energy that redesigns and rebuilds us, that molds us into stronger, more exquisite forces of nature.

I'm in at least one of those places right now. There are changes on my horizon and I find myself challenged to allow the flow of those changes so that a new, creative me can be birthed. The birthing process is messy and painful and intense; the result is always worth it. The reversed Phoenix card is reminding me of that.

What change is coming (or has come) in your life? Are you allowing the change to flow? or are you resisting it? What creative result do you want to birth? How can you assist or allow that creativity to happen?

Be Teachable

Colette Baron Reid ~ The Enchanted Map

From the guide book:

Wisdom comes from participating in life, not just reading about it. This card suggests that you might not have enough knowledge about what you seek, the direction to take, your circumstances, or the nature of your inquiry. Important information is coming. Note is the time to go to school, ask a person who might know more than you do, or find a teacher or a course of study so that you can more clearly understand what the next right action must be. Sometimes life unexpectedly sends you to an unfamiliar school, and you must learn by experience. Now is a time to be teachable, open to changing your preconceived notions. Be a student, and be willing to say the most powerful mantra of all: "I don't know ~ yet."

When I first saw this card, I thought, "Of course. So fitting for a teacher." Then I read what was written in the guide book. Ahhhh. Quite a different story. This is about being humble and accepting the education as it is presented. More of a wake up call than a pat on the back.

To reinforce this particular lesson after drawing this card, I read a friend's post on Facebook about an experience she is having and we shared a private exchange about the lessons she is learning. My head leans toward saying this kind of experience couldn't happen to me ~ it nudges me in that direction. My heart and my soul know a different story. I ache for the pain my friend is experiencing. I hold her in my prayers. I bow in thanks to be a support and to honor the teacher she is being for me.

I have preconceived notions of my strengths ~ and they are being tested. My pride is currently being challenged to the point that I am being redefined by it. I have a definition of who I am that is being redesigned and charred to the point that I am not sure I will recognize it when it's done. I am learning about what is most important, and what is not. I am a student once again.

Are you in a space of being teachable? What or who in your life has a lesson for you? Are any of your preconceived notions being challenged? How will you face that challenge?

The Wind Faery

Thoughts, Words, Intellectual Analysis

The Wind Faery whispers that the power of thoughts manifests the unseen into the physical. Take time to observe your predominant thoughts. Are they positive? Do they reflect empowering concepts? Or are they negative and disempowering? When you tune in to how your mind is focused, you will surely see the relationships between your environment and the thoughts you're thinking. To change the world of outer conditions, you must first change the way you think. The Wind Faery also reminds you of the power of intellect, as this is a good time to use the power of your analytical mind. Think before your act; this is not the time for impulsive action. A well-thought-out strategy will yield a positive result.

My question when I drew this card: What strength will be present on this day? Thoughts, Words, Intellectual Analysis. I couldn't find more precise terms than that. How utterly amazing. What I need is to be aware of my thoughts and insure that they stay in the realm of positive. I will draw to me whatever it is that I am thinking. I choose to maintain peace.

I love this image of the Wind Faery. Eyes closed, allowing the wind to blow hair and garment, to carry and uphold both. She is clearly at peace, no matter the circumstance. She is also unabashed by setting herself into alignment with the wind. With her closed eyes and calm demeanor, she exudes confidence and grace.

What do you see in the Wind Faery? Which of her traits calls to you? or do they all? Why is she visiting you now? How will you change your thinking?

Who Am I Today?

Wisdom of Avalon cards ~ Colette Baron-Reid

From the guidebook:

When the Water Faery swims up to you with her liquid magic, she...asks you to consider how you really feel about things, and why. She also reminds you that you are not your feelings; you are the one experiencing them.
Remember, feelings are the fuel for manifesting. Be certain that you want to create what you're feeling. Allow your feelings to pass through and focus on the positive.

When I decided to draw from the Wisdom of Avalon deck, the query that popped into my head was a surprise even to me: Who am I today?

I stopped shuffling the deck. Really? WHO am I? My brain almost reworded the question. Instead, my hands began shuffling again and I focused on the question: Who am I today?

The Water Faery showed up. Of course, She was perfect. Occasionally, I need to be reminded that I am not my feelings, but the one experiencing them. Because of that, I have the power to change how I react to them, how I allow them to express through me.

That expression piece can get to me. The one written about the most is anger ~ don't react in anger; don't allow anger to express in mean or nasty ways. There are other feelings that capture me too: sadness, self-pity, fear, playfulness, exuberance, humor, to name a few. Even feelings that are labeled good can reach beyond the gentle flow of the water and into flood stage.

It's about choice. Who do I want to be? Today, it's the Water Faery.

What feelings are strongest for you right now? What feeling can capture you the easiest? Does it take you in a positive flow? Who do you want to be? How will you choose?

Mythic Storytelling

Wisdom of Avalon by Colette Baron-Reid

I truly enjoy the art of divination: shuffling a deck with a question in mind, then choosing a card. Over the course of many years of doing this, I'm a believer. It's amazing how much I've learned through this method!

My question: What strength will I dance with tomorrow? I shuffled the deck through several repetitions of the query. I felt a nudge to finish with my shuffling and split the deck which I gladly followed. I was left with two choices, the 'bottom' card (the one shifted to the bottom of the deck when the cut is made) or the 'top' one. I wanted it to be the bottom one, but kept feeling that insistent nudge to choose the top one. So I did.

What a surprise! I got The Bard: music, poetry, myth, history, the enchantment of storytelling. What a hoot! I love myths and am a storyteller. My focus is reworking and reclaiming the myths that shape our lives and our world. I call it re-mything. More than that, I am participating in a writing workshop tomorrow where I am certain the mythic will show up. It always does.

Now if you're thinking is anything like mine, I wanted to check out the 'bottom' card to find out if the concepts were similar. That card was The Horse: accepting help from another, delegating authority. Very different messages.

What I recognize is that like most things, the choice is always mine. I can follow my instinct which made one choice or my mind which made a different one. The differences are not always so radical. Other factors often pop in to change it up even more: emotions, memories, chance. Whatever I follow is my choice. I love my choice this time. Nothing against The Horse. I'm simply thrilled with The Bard!

How do you make decisions? Is it different if they're big decisions or not-so-big decisions? If it's something as simple and non-crucial as a divination card, does it matter?

The Eye of the Beholder

Colette Baron-Reid

From the guide:

Examine your perceptions. Do you see the world as perfect and beautiful? Can you retrace your steps from your past to now and see the perfection in the way reality has been created? Truly, perception is everything. The Eyes of Beauty remind you that if you move forward with conviction, all is well now and always will be. You will see true prosperity as a result. Expect to see beauty and you will attract prosperity as a result. Expect to see beauty and you will attract your highest good.

There's a commonly used phrase that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." If that's as true as we claim, then everything is in the eye of the beholder ~ beauty, grace, joy; and, of course, their opposites. Our perception is the most significant decision-maker for us. We have choice as to how we see people or situations we encounter. 

The other day I saw a friend I hadn't seen for awhile. He was rubbing his eyes, his head down, his face looking solemn and kind of scrunched up. I said, "Tired?" He picked up his head, looked at me and said in a mock hurt tone, "Thanks. Do I look that bad?" I explained why I thought he was looking tired. His response was that it was allergies making him rub his eyes. The remainder of his appearance was part of the reaction to the allergen. 

What a lesson! What I'd intended as a comment of sympathy turned into a misconception. I realized that it was my interpretation of what I saw. That gave me the opportunity to re-evaluate how I see things, how I interpret what I see, and my choice in how I react.

What story do you have of your own misperception? How did you handle it? What did you learn from it?

Unexpected Visitors

Colette Baron-Reid, The Enchanted Map

From the booklet:

“If you expect the unexpected, you’ll be prepared for miracles.”

Detours, surprises, and paradigm shifts . . . expect the unexpected. No matter how detailed your plans are, and how clear you believe the road ahead to be, there are times when the best plans are waylaid by unforeseen circumstances. At first, detours may seem inconvenient, but a surprise turn of events signals that the adventure of life is beginning to get interesting. No one can plan for synchronicity—for fate and destiny to meet—except Spirit, who knows what you can’t comprehend for now. Life is full of surprises, so stay on your toes and enjoy this exciting new adventure you weren’t expecting. There is a plan for your life that may not match up with your agenda.

What irony ~~ looking for a card for my coming week, only to draw Unexpected Visitors. Recent experiences culminated with paradigm shifts ~ unexpected movements rock my world. Awareness blossoms regarding all the changes in the offing right now. Family changes; professional changes; personal changes. Even though I stumble through the newness and feel raw from the transformations, I feel the deep inner peace of blessings on the way.

I see this card as more of a reminder than a response... Remember! it cries. Remember your experiences. Remember how connected you are. So connected that you synchronously pulled the precise card to provide that message!

What unforeseen circumstance has shown up at your door recently? How have you allowed for the synchronicity? How do you deal with the emotional shifts that come with the changes?

Light on What is Concealed

from the booklet:

The Shadow Queen ... has come with a lantern to help shed light on what is concealed within you or your situation.  .... The Shadow Queen asks ... that you have the courage to ask someone in the know to shed light on your circumstances. She promises to send that person to  you. Beware of moving too quickly in the dark ....

Have you ever moved forward on something only to discover you didn't have all the information you needed to make a good decision? Or, to later meet someone who had relevant, pertinent information?

As I drew this card, my question was: Considering all that's happening in the world today, what strength or gift can I bring to the world? Drawing the Shadow Queen lets me know that at least part of my gift is patience and continuing to gather information or knowledge. When looking at the 'bigger picture' would also mean reminding others to be patient, to continue to seek answers and information, to proceed with caution. That's often good advice for any of us!

I ponder the facet of this ally that is 'manipulation' ~ who and what is being manipulated?  and why? Is the Shadow Queen manipulating the world around me? preparing it for what is to come next? or is she manipulating me?

What questions do you have of the Shadow Queen? How do you respond to 'manipulation'? What do you want to see done in the world? What is the Shadow Queen telling you?

Commitment

The Enchanted Map by Colette Baron-Reid

Commitment

"A true commitment is a responsibility of the heart, mind, body, and soul. This is a good time to make one."

My question, prior to drawing this card, was: What strength to I bring to my day? What can I share with others?

Commitment as a strength. In every relationship. Commitment is also about constancy ~ being there for someone else. Staying the course with that person. Awareness of what commitment means ~ saying 'yes' when I mean 'yes' and 'no' when I mean 'no'. Staying the course with myself. Being true to who I am. Being clear about the promises I make and fulfilling them to the best of my ability.

Commitment is also about Spirit. For me, that means diving deep into the Substance of Life. Walking with one ear attuned to the Guiding Voice, one eye watching the Directing Star. I need time alone to readjust to the rhythm of the Ineffable One. I can use a thousand thousand terms for God because no one of them is enough to call forth the entirety of my commitment. It is always a good time to make that commitment.

What are you committed to/ How do you describe your commitments? What's most significant about them for you?

Industrious Sweetness

Wisdom of Avalon ~ Colette Baron Reid

I love bees. Over the years, I've learned much from observing them. Some societies, ancient as well as current, revere them.

From the Wisdom of Avalon guide:
"When the Bee buzzes onto your path, it's a reminder that hard work and a firm commitment to building your dream, a sweet outcome is assured. ... effort is essential as you progress along your path in order to make your dreams a reality. The Bee is an industrious, busy creature that's always making honey. The Bee 'gets busy,' and that honey will soon be yours. The Bee is always a fortunate omen."

Sometimes I act as though things will happen even if I don't do anything. Like expecting dinner to prepare itself. Like wondering why I'm out of socks when I haven't done the laundry for weeks. Like wanting to take an inexpensive trip without actually checking for cost and availability of flights.

Sometimes things do fall into place without my doing much. A friend invites me to dinner. A last minute space opens up in a workshop I want to attend. A co-worker mentions having an extra ticket to a play I wanted to see. These are all strokes of luck ~ luck is also a gift from the Bee.

I've noticed as I continue to do these blogs daily ~ it's been more than 3 months now ~ a sweet, soft feeling comes over me when I sit down at the computer to compose them. I've begun to reveal more of myself ~ discovering more of my personal sharing and writing style as well as my creativity. Being industrious, setting myself a daily writing goal and accomplishing it, brings its own sweetness.

What do you find joy in doing? What do you resist? What brings sweetness to you when its accomplished even though you first resisted? What does Bee bring to you?

Freedom

Wisdom of the House of Night, Colette Baron Reid

Letting go. What a wonderful image of all the flying things ~ butterflies, moths, dragonflies ~ as they rise from what could be captivity. Yet letting go doesn't apply only to things with wings. Ha! Much of the time for me it applies to emotions and concepts even more than to people ~ or butterflies.

There's a saying: If you love something set it free. Letting go applies to those we love as well as to the thoughts and fears we bear within us. This image is a reminder that freedom itself is important.

What happens when I let go of the concepts I have about others? That frees me to be able to see them as they truly are ~ in that moment. What I need to remember is that it frees me. Other people aren't bound by my concepts, I am. They usually don't know, or perhaps even care, what I think.

What happens when I let go of my notions of myself? my own descriptions of who I am? or of who I am not? I free myself to express facets that I may not have expressed before. I can care or love or act in whatever manner is most genuine in that moment.

What happens when I simply let go? when I breathe deeply and release all the fear, anxiety and grief? when I recognize that everyone in my life is his or her own person? I sleep better. My shoulders go down. I laugh more. Energy and love fill me. Letting go improves my life.

What about you? What do you carry around that would be better let go? How does freedom feel to you? Who and/or what benefits the most from your letting go?

Authentic Purpose

As March ended and April was about to begin, I drew three cards from the Wisdom of the Hidden Realms deck by Colette Baron-Reid. I focused on a different question for each draw. The final query: What strength/gift do I need as I step forward into April? The card I drew? The Mapmaker of Destiny.... even the name sounds auspicious!

From the guidebook:
"At birth, each human being is given a unique map with myriad paths that intersect with one another. Your Map of Destiny shows all the places you're meant to visit, places where you will be challenged to evolve into the highest aspects of the Self. ... Fate is transformed into Destiny according to how you respond to your circumstances. ... Pay attention as your map unfolds now. And remember that Fate makes the map, but Destiny is determined by the manner in which you engage your journey."

I like the subtle twist on the difference between Fate and Destiny. It grabs my imagination and ignites my intellect. Fate is what is handed to you by life, heritage, environment; Destiny is what you do with it all, how you act, react, interact.

As I've been Practicing Lent, I've paused to reflect on the past year, the past five years, the past twenty years, the past thirty-five years...... in short, on the whole of my adult life. It's hard to reflect on my childhood because there are so few choices I could make simply by virtue of my age. But once I became an adult, able to make my own choices and follow through on them, there was an element I could reflect back upon from the distance of time.

What I found was that no matter when or where or how, every chance I got, my heart, mind and soul always turned toward the Divine Essence. Every time. I found reasons to be grateful. I found reasons to rejoice. I found ways to express the awe that lived within and around me. I continue on that journey, using that glowing map of Destiny ever leading me toward the Ineffable. That connection, alive and vibrant, is what I need as I continue forward on my journey.

What draws you forward in life? Is there an overriding theme to your life? Have you taken the time to look for one? What would that time look like for you?

Hope

Wisdom of the House of Night: Colette Baron-Reid

From the guidebook:
In the darkest forest, the moon can hide to make it hard for people to see their surroundings, and some are blind to the next step and find that they give in to fear that there will never again be safety or light. ... Have hope, and only good will come of it. Take one step towards your dream.

During darker times of my life, I've felt abandoned by friends, by family, by lovers, by nature, by God/Spirit/Goddess, even by my very self. No light shines, nothing visible by which to see a path, a way forward or a way out.

I made it through these dark times and found one of the most important things carrying me through, waiting for me to allow it to shine light for me was Hope. Hope dwells in that deepest part of me ~ so deep that I often forget its existence; I certainly forget its power.



Emily Dickinson said it most beautifully:

"Hope" is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
Ans sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
....
I've heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Hope is always within our grasp ~ even closer than that ~ it 'perches in the soul' whether or not we acknowledge  or even notice it. In many versions of myths from around the world, it is hope that truly saves the day. Hope that allows brightness and light into the darkest corners so we recognize our own way out.

How has hope appeared to you? When you have allowed hope in, what has changed for you? How important is hope in your day-to-day life?

Sacred Vision

Colette Baron-Reid: Wisdom of the Hidden Realms 

After pulling yesterday's card, my question shifted to "On what do I need to focus for the coming week?" The Altar Priestess showed up.

From the Guidebook: "(T)he Altar Priestess brings the ritual of reverent interaction with the mundane world. You're being required now to see everything as sacred..."

My personal practice of Lent has been to re-connect and re-member that everything around me is holy, that everyone is a blessing to the world. That's not always easy. There are a variety of incidents in the world that often do not appear to me as holy ~ as a matter of fact, they feel downright horrible: war in Syria, mudslide in Northern Washington, train derailment at O'Hare Airport, 'disappearing' Malaysian flight. What of these situations is holy? What about those injured, killed or left behind? It's easy to see the holy in an opening rose, the smile of a baby, a fresh cup of coffee. It's not as easy when we know that pain is involved. I don't know how to see it any differently than it is. I continue through this week praying for the gift of sacred vision to be able to see the holy moment.

What do you see in those most difficult and challenging situations? In those moments, how do you find the holy? Is sacred vision important or relevant to you?

Connections

Colette Baron-Reid: Wisdom of the Hidden Realms

As I've continued with Practicing Lent, I find myself often feeling solitary. My immediate family, friends and close associates are either not Catholic/Christian or are not observant of the season of Lent.  I jumped at the chance to share the ins and outs of the practice, yet even that remains a fairly singular experience. I'm noticing the deep and amazing sense of solitude in this practice.

Imagine, then, my surprise upon drawing the Web Weaver card this morning when my question was: What will serve me  this day? From the guidebook:
"Just when you need to make a connection, like magic, synchronicity occurs. Music reverberates through the web and plays in harmony with your  own. This is the sign to trust in the connectivity between all events. magic is afoot for you!"

Throughout my life, I've believed in synchronicity, in the coming together of the Fates to produce magic and teaching that is beyond compare. As "Hannibal" Smith of the A-Team repeats, "I love it when a plan comes together!" For anyone who hasn't seen the A-Team [especially the TV series version], usually the plan he references has gone wildly wrong ~ and somehow still works. My life occasionally works that way too.

How does the plan of your life come together? How does synchronicity play a part? What is the flow in your life between connection and solitude?