Diving for Light

For today I've pulled “Diving for Light” from the Sacred Rebels Oracle. We see a beautiful dressed and coiffured lady, who has taken the leap and plunged herself into the waters of her subconscious. She has wheat in her hear and seahorses as adornments. For me it says that she is still awake and aware while being guided on her spiritual journey.

This card calls us to find our inner Light deep inside us, in places where we will expect to find them the least: In the dark corners of your heart, in the shadows of your soul and the cobwebs in your mind. The places you've “forgotten” all about but still have a strong grip on you during your daily life. Each difficult experience and period of your life brings also gifts beside the grief and the hurt they carry. All too often these gifts get overlooked because we are so busy trying to coop, to forget or to repress.To discover  them we have to find the courage to dive deep, to accept the darkness, embrace the pain and gather the gifts.

Yesterday I felt inspired by Kerry’s post on Neopagan Priestess where she told us she was inspired by me talking about mandala’s.  Right there and then I picked up a piece of paper and started drawing too. First I drew three concentric circles and a few lines as guidelines but  I found the courage to skip the drawing of a “perfect” mandala with pencil and started right away with paint and crayons and colored pencils. It was so much fun to do . 

Feeling creatively blocked is kind of a dark place for me. Not feeling good enough, feeling unsecure and afraid of failing is always lurking in the corner of my mind. I feel like I have dived deep and found a little fearless gem by making this mandala. J

Restore and Replenish

Today’s card, “Restore and Replenish” from the Sacred Rebels Oracle is all about  taking some time to get back on your feet again after a period of stress and anxiety or  perhaps after being worn out from the demands of daily life.

We see a woman all curled up in a fetal position, protecting the fragile parts of her body and trying to shut out the world  She is resting in the center of a mandala, the point where everything comes from and where everything will return again; the perfect place to find you center again.

This card is telling us to take it slow for a while. But it's more than just rest and sleep, which of course can feel very pleasant and satisfactory. This card urges us to break away from daily routines and try to find a way to get physically active so you will be able to stop thinking, worrying and planning. Doing something is a perfect way to quiet our mind. Take walk, ride bike or when it is pouring outside like here today, bake something delicious or clean out a closet.  Trust yourself you will know best what is the right thing for you to do.

I am inclined to go full steam ahead after I've declared myself `recovered`. So this card is  a good reminder to  take it one step at the time and really look after myself.

Follow Your Own Rhythm

For today I've drawn “Follow Your Own Rhythm” from the Sacred Rebels Oracle.

A woman is graciously moving to the music of her body and soul. Her twirling skirt is blending  into the background. She is totally at ease with herself and her surroundings.

How often do we adhere to a tight schedule without given our own needs a second thought. We rush through the day, tick of our todo’s and in the evening, when we are exhausted, the only thing we want is to sit in front of the TV and eat crisps.

How much more healthy would it be if we would follow our own personal rhythm. Going with our own flow. When we pay close attention to that rhythm we can feel when it is time to act and when it is time to rest and recharge; when is time to play and create and when it is time to fill our well.

The same as with reconnecting with our inner voice from yesterday’s post, dancing to you personal rhythm is something which has to be regained step by step, moment by moment. With each step you will be more aligned with your inner rhythm. It will feel more natural each day to listen to you own heart beat, your body movements and you soul’s song.

I've only recently experienced how it feels not to listen to that rhythm. So often we keep going until it is almost too late. As if we don’t deserve to breath out, to take a pause. I wonder why we are so strict with ourselves when at the same time we are so loving toward others?

Inner Trust

Today´s card is “Inner Trust” from the Sacred Rebels Oracle. We see a woman, cloaked in white, against a dark background. All we really see is her face, her eyes are pulling us in, her soft lips are about to whisper. It looks like she is waiting for us for us to engage with her, to acknowledge her existence. 

She is the representation of our higher self, our inner voice, the vessel of our hidden wisdom. As long as we are telling ourselves we can rationalize us out of any problem which comes along, we do not get to know her and we leave her waiting deep down inside us. But when we dare to trust this voice we can be surprised at how strong and courageous this part of us is. Then it is time for her to shed her cloak, and step into the light and show us her true strength. Each time we listen to her she will grow stronger, more confident, more clear, more outspoken.

So slow down and take it one step at the time. Whenever you feel hurried and stressed, you can almost always be sure you aren't listening to your intuition, In fact you are dismissing her, denying her and taking away her strength. 

So  for today my intention is to slow down and to is to listen to my heart, to follow my gut instinct and to really find out what it is I want, I feel, I know….. 

Focus on the Light

Today’s card: “Focus on the Light” is all about how to stay tuned with Light, in whatever way we perceive it. The woman in this card is holding the Light in her hands while she is also encircling it with her braid. She is determined to hold it close to her.  Her face is illuminated and like a sunflower she is following and bathing in this everlasting Light. This way she will keep her heart and her intentions pure and clear.  Light will disperse her fear to shine. It is so easy to be captivated by the darker emotions like fear but it is our birthright to stay in tune with Light and Love and to be happy en enjoy our daily lives.

So how do we stay focused on that Light? As always it is so simple to write it down and so difficult to practice. In my opinion the most pure form of acknowledging this Light is to practice gratitude for everything we receive. I say everything because often the greatest challenges turn out to be the most wonderful gifts. By giving thanks we are set out to find that Light during the day and remember it when we light a candle in the evening and write in our gratitude journal.

“Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.”

Desiderius Erasmus

Release the Dark Wound, Let Love Live

For today I've drawn “Release the Dark Wound, Let Love Live” Card number 15 from the Sacred Rebels Oracle Deck.

We see the releasing of a beautiful fish in the water. Look at the colors and shimmering of his scales. And do you see how the bones are coming to life again in both the fish as in the one who lets go. I imagine that is how old wounds look like when released in the ocean of Love.

When you are holding one to those old wounds you might notice they are all connected; rooted in one deep primal dark wound: “The Death grip of Perfectionism” . Feelings of unworthiness, fear of failure, guilt, regret; all these pains can easily be backtracked to the need for a perfect life.

I can relate to this. I mourn my losses but I also mourn the loss of what never has been but what possible could have been. And believe me that is something wonderful and blissful. And it hurts to let go of this just as much as it hurts to let go of grief from the past

This card urges us not to let ourselves be defined by our wounds but to heal them with Love and experience how much energy and vitality is gained by letting go of our sad stories.

Look at how eager the fish is to swim and bath in Love. Let’s free ourselves of the need for perfection and watch how we start to shine!

"In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism."

Hannah Arendt

Healing with the Sacred Rebels Oracle

Yesterday my copy of the “Sacred Rebels Oracle, Guidance for Living a Unique & Authentic Life” by Alana Fairchild and Autumn Sky Morrison arrived in the mail. What a lovely Equinox surprise this was because I hadn't expected it until the end of next week.  I've bought this deck as a get well present for myself. After I did some online research, I've learned that the major themes of this deck are how to live an authentic life, to rediscover your creativity and to reconnect, o.a. through his regained creativity , with the Divine. Al these issues are very applicable to my current situation.

When I opened the box I was in awe.  As always the cards are in real life so much more vibrant than any picture you will find online. There is a great variety in the cards, by color scheme, technique and subjects. Each card has something to teach on how to find lost parts of ourselves and how to find the courage to embrace those parts again. At the end of each card description in the guidebook there is a small section on how to use the card for your healing process. I hadn't expected this but of course I was very pleased with it.

The first card I drew was: Going beyond Normal. We see a priestess like woman radiating a purple halo filled with gears and button and coins. On  her forehead we see a clock which is also the center of the halo. A chain, with a key attached to it, is dangling from her mouth.

To me is it obvious that now the time is right to do something out of the ordinary. To shake things up a little. Of course right away my Ego starts to fill in what I should do. How I should pick up my brushes and start painting again, so the problem is solved and we don´t have to change anything. But that is how I would go about it normally.  And I want to go beyond normal. To find out what I really want to do I have to turn inward; listen to my intuition and find the golden light bulb.

For today it was so simple. Instead of meditating for 15 minutes in my room, I put on my coat and sat outside in our garden, enjoying the flowers, listening to the birds singing and watching the sun peek out from behind the clouds. I let my mind wander and felt how it came to rest  all by itself without effort. And that is beyond normal for me.

Four of Swords - Time for recovery

For today, instead of drawing a card I picked the tarot card for this post myself and it is the Four of Swords from the Universal Tarot. This is the card to symbolize recovery and healing. The last couple of days I am not feeling very well. I think I've got a touch of flu or a cold. So it is nothing serious but it is enough to drain me from my the last bits of leftover winters'energy. I do read everybody's blog but that is about it for now. My own cards are safely tucked  away, waiting for my recovery. I think it is good to step away from the cards when you're not feeling well.  I guess they would mirror my apathy more than anything else.
I don't know how long this will last; maybe a few days maybe a bit longer. I just wanted you all to know there is nothing to worry about and I hope to be back soon!

Kenaz and the Queen of Pentacles - Enjoying the sunshine

The rune for today is Kenaz or Ken (torch), the rune of fire and illumination, of knowledge and cunning, of inspiration and creativity. Kenaz is about the physical fire like for instance the hearth, as well as  about the spiritual fire we see displayed in the suit of wands.

The Queen of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite Tarot has come to share with us her wisdom about the wonders of her earthly realm. 

Kenaz and Queen together remind me of the cunning woman in the forest. She has no need for book knowledge because she reads nature as her ”book of life” and she distills not only potions and ointments from the herbs she finds but also deep embedded truths from the lessons learned by observing the turning of the wheel and all its wonders.

I could dream and fantasize about such a life for hours and hours but that won’t bring me much fiery energy in today’s life. So for now I am going  to finish my coffee and then I will take my bike out for a spin to enjoy the sun on a early Spring day. 

Laguz and the Hermit – Follow your bliss

The question for my Daily was: what can I do to follow my bliss and live authentically?

The rune to show me the way is Laguz (Water) this is the rune of intuition, our unconscious, emotions and feelings, introspection….all the attributes we assign to the element of water.

A very appropriate rune to pull because introspection is a doorway to our true self. When we are opening  up to what we feel and being brave enough to fully embrace who are, we might find our hearts desire on the bottom of our inner lake. Meditating, walking in nature; spending quality time with ourselves is the perfect way to discover what make us really happy.

When I drew my tarot card from The Original Rider Waite Tarot I felt like I've just got a beautiful gift from my deck. I think you all know the feeling when you pull a card and it is almost too good to be true.

The Hermit will be our guide to our inner realm. He will shine his light over all the parts of ourselves we have forgotten, neglected  and/or denied for so long. Let’s go on a treasure hunt with the Hermit. Dust of those beautiful, unique aspects of ourselves and shine our light over them to see how gorgeous we truly are.

“Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”  ~Joseph Campbell

Berkano and the Five of Pentacles – Self-care is so important

Today's Rune is Berkano (Birch), the rune of the Divine Feminine, the archetypal  mother, creativity, fertility and growth. The corresponding tarot card is of course The Empress. But this is not the card which I drew for myself today. That would be the Five of Pentacles. This is almost the opposite of Berkano: poverty and stagnation, insecurity about ourselves and about our circumstances.

So what is the message for today? Berkano urges us to wrap ourselves in a warm soft cloak of self-care when we feel low. I suppose a lot of us, including myself, are a bit worn out by the enduring cold, wet and grey weather. When I feel like this, I  do have a tendency to neglect myself and focus even more on the welfare of others. There is just not enough energy for me left.  Maybe it should be more the other way around. First get myself back on my feet and when I feel good about myself, I would be so much more able to be there for others. Sometimes it only takes a rune and a tarot card to show me what is really important for me now:

Ways to take care of myself:

Take a long shower with soft scented lotions

Make a nice hot cup of coffee

Light some candles

Listen to music

Eat milk chocolate with hazel nuts

Flip through my favorite deck

Meditate

Moisturize my skin

Take a walk

Make art

Read a fantasy novel

Watch a movie

Apply some, (not too much) make up

Any more idea’s???

Isa and Strength –Beauty puts her Beast on Ice

Today’s rune is Isa (ice) Some of its keywords are: quiet peace, end of a period, retreat for recovery, reflection and contemplation, patience, isolation and self control. It is not so hard to imagine the Vikings had a rune for Ice. When the waters were frozen, there was nowhere for them to go but wait at home for the thaw. They had lots of spare time to recover from their wounds and ailments and also time to make plans for the future.

The card which I drew to accompany this rune today is Strength from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. Although we see more often The Hermit as the tarot counterpart for Isa, Strength is also a very good match for this rune. Strength is all about restraint and patience too:Waiting when the time is right for the beauty to call upon her beast for help. And look how he is so eager to jump to her rescue also when it is not that appropriate. So very often Belle has to put him on ice and she does is in a very compassionate way because she truly loves her beast. They are two parts of one soul. Tied together with an unbreakable eternal bond. She has to be careful though not to subdue him too long. Ice can start to move slowly without noticing and he might find a weak spot to break free too strong, too fierce to be controlled by  his lady. Wording your opinions with persuasion and conviction is a way to let your lion softly roar and that is what he wants the most: to be heard.

Elhaz and The Lovers – Protect what you love

The Rune for today is Elhaz (or Algiz) which means Elk. The rune stands for protection and guarding what you love and what is rightfully yours.  It is all about setting safe boundaries and deciding who or what is worth your effort to protect.

With that in mind I pulled The Lovers from the Original Rider Waite tarot and was immediately struck by the posture of the angel which is exactly the same as the Elhaz rune. The angel is the protector and guardian of The Lovers. This is a card about every form of Love you can think of. It can be about love between two people (not necessary romantic), about self love (very important) or about the love for a line of work or hobby etc. It is also a card about choice. You have to choose in who or what you will invest your love. Although Love itself is infinite, we do want to choose what we love and what it is we are willing to protect and to fight for. Yes fight for! before I became a mother, I thought I was incapable of any form of aggression. Now I know differently.

But although setting some protective boundaries is a wise thing to do, I want to open the door for new love and new opportunities because to be honest, it has been closed to for too long and it is time for some fresh air

“Where there is love there is life”.  Mahatma Gandhi

Eihwaz and the Knight of Pentacles - Let go and make room for a new season

Today’s Rune is Eihwaz. This is the rune of death, transformation and of letting go. This rune is connected  to the Yew tree, a symbol of eternal life and to the Yggdrasil, the World tree; the axis between heaven and earth.

Eihwaz' meaning is similar to the Death card in tarot and is also almost never associated with actual death. Today for me, it is also a very apt rune to mark the change of the seasons, now we move from Winter into Spring.

I pulled a card from my Original Rider Waite with the question: what do I have to let go of in order to move freely and energized into the coming spring? And I got the Knight of Pentacles. Although I see lots of attributes in this card which would be very helpful for me to enter the coming season, the question was: what do I have to let go of?

The knight is holding on to his precious pentacle as if it was his reason to live. His horse is almost rooted in the soil and the Knight has no intention to do anything else but watching how the grass grows. It feels like I have to shake of the laziness and the boredom of Winter and wake up from my hibernation. Maybe I could change some dull routines and do something totally different than usual. Only then I can  embrace the more positive side of the Knight of Pentacles, like being responsible and showing up to do the work needed for the intention he has set for himself as yesterday’s Magician.

A very practical reminder of this card is to buy some seeds for our garden J

Ansuz and The Magician will help me to keep it simple

After feeling a bit lost yesterday and having talked with some of you about the beauty of a simple life, I thought it would be a good idea to focus with my daily draw on how to keep life simple. I’ve decided to use my rune stones for the main part of the answer. This set of runes was my first divination tool. A few months I bought myself a deck of Rider Waite cards. Today this deck will be giving me some additional things to think about.

From the Runes I pulled Ansuz (mouth - God): the rune of speech, communication, inspiration, hopes and promises and creative solutions. It is the Rune of Odin who, after having hung 9 days from the branches of the Yggdrasil, discovered the runes, their meaning and their magic and shared his wisdom with mankind

Today this rune is telling me to be careful how I word my promises and intentions. To what extend can  I keep my word and when does it become more a chore than something which fulfills me and makes me truly happy. On the other hand, how much do I let spoken and written words influence me? Do I know what is really important to me or do I swim with the tide?

Then I pulled The Magician. Well if anyone knows what he wants, it this guy and he doesn't need much to achieve it. He is also all about declaring a vision, just as the rune Ansuz is: speaking the magic words and sending his intent into the universe. In my tarot journal I noticed that I had already connected the rune Ansuz with his card a very, very long time ago. 
So everything is coming down on being very specific and authentic on what it is  I really want to manifest in my life. Although I belief everything is possible when you set your mind to it, for me personally it is better to take it slow and  enjoy every step which brings me closer to how I want to live a simple life.