Forest - Breath

For today I've drawn “Forest” from the Earth Magic Oracle by Steven Farmer. In the guidebook we read:

" Your breathing is too shallow. Although it may feel natural, it is an unhealthy habit that causes this shortness of breath. When you subconsciously shorten your breath, no matter if this is habitual or triggered by some event or circumstance, it activates certain physiological signals that prepare your system for “fight or flight.” Another conditioned response to perceived danger is to hold your breath. This is your survival response, although it does not serve you to do so.

So… breathe! Inhale deeply, regardless of your concerns, worries, or problems; then let it go. Next, allow yourself to breathe a little deeper and slower a few times. Remember that every breath you inhale is a gift, and every breath you exhale is a gift. The forest is a clear reminder of how this works."

This is definitely happening to me lately: I feel more anxious than usual, and I can’t put my finger on the cause. I am tired, and I’m feeling a bit under the weather and maybe I've just got some mild summer flu. Who knows. The fact is I don’t feel so good. Breathing will definitely help. And of course I am  skipping my meditation sessions so picking up that will be a good starter to focus on my breath again. I will try not to fight this phase but damn I wish it was over! 

Clearing my altar

A few days ago I’ve written some  thoughts about the Seven of bows – Clearance from the Wildwood tarot. Especially about how hard it is to clear away the old for something unknown to take its place. That’s just plain scary. This has lead up to my decision to clear my altar. Over time is has been gathering more and more symbols, and all sorts of clutter and its very representable for my own spiritual confusion and uncertainties

My cleared altar

 So yesterday afternoon I took a basket and put everything that was on my altar in it.

Then I put a white clothe over it to represent a new beginning.  The most important is the candle in the chalice which represents the Divine and the cards. For now these are: “Wide open” From The Enchanted Map Oracle and “Wolf - Instincts” from The Earth Magic Oracle. I’ve picked them face up. Some crystals and shells to represent my openness for change and last, but certainly not least my skeleton key for opening doors.

Perhaps over time I will add something but only if I feel  I really have to. It is so strange and unfamiliar in my room but I am glad  I've done it. This altar gives me a sense of space and peace which is very soothing for now

Rainbow - Count your blessings and your strengths

Earth Magic Oracle Cards

My card for today comes from the Earth Magic Oracle Cards and is called: Rainbow – Blessings. This is a “sigh card” for me. It gives me a sense of calm because its message is a gentle one. This card it all about counting your blessings. Something I am inclined to forget when I need it the most; in times of trouble. It’s so easy to be grateful when everything is going your way. But when storms are raging through my life, I have to admit I don’t write in my gratitude journal. J

“The storm has passed, and it is time to enjoy the refreshing beauty of this cycle, even though it has been difficult to appreciate any sense of purposefulness in what you have endured lately. You can now, as they say, count your blessings. Do not just look at the “brighter side” adhering to some academic mantra that has no heart or depth, but do so slowly and with genuine gratitude that is expressed up close and personal.”

For me this is certainly true. I am happy to say, things are settling down again.

Today I want to focus on gratitude with a slight deviation.

 I've recently read a beautiful post from Kelley Ann (The four Queens): “connecting with your personal power”. Among others she gives us the advice to make a list of “our strengths and attributes. Where have you shown them? When did you put them into action? As you search your life for traces of your qualities and abilities, you'll find them hidden in long forgotten corners and in places you never even thought to look. When you see them, stop for a moment and acknowledge them, appreciate them and vow to pay attention to them in future.”

Since I'm rather forgetful, I think it will be an empowering  experience to make such a list. And I'm certain this will make me so grateful for everything I've achieved in my life and at the same time it will make me so proud of myself. Perhaps it is especially affirming to write about this before the stressful events around the holidays so you will know your own strengths and be able to recollect those memories when you need them the most.

Island - Solitude - Beware of the clouds

Earth Magic Oracle cards

After the “Slow and Steady” card from yesterday this card from the Earth Magic Oracle looks like an appropriate follow up.

Since The hermit is my most favorite tarot card, you won’t be surprised that I like this card very much too. I need to have regular alone/ me time otherwise I get easily stressed out or just terribly cranky. This card is reminding me of the importance to take a time out and to meditate. My god(ddes) how long has it been since I've done that? Yesterday was a day of slowing down and enjoying on a sensual level. I’ll hope today I will be able to withdraw myself from the daily business and to nourish myself more spiritually. The island appears barren but look at the tree with the purple (spirituality) blossom bathing in the sunlight….

What does the guidebook say?

"The solitary tree on this island surrounded by the glassy sea can evoke different feelings depending on one’s perception and beliefs. The tree, which is in full blossom, stands out amid the relative starkness, and is illuminated by a beam of light emerging from the otherwise dark sky.

It’s an elegant reminder of how even in what might appear to be relatively barren circumstances, there is still beauty and growth. Although an island like this can be a metaphor for isolation and desolation, the thriving tree proves that even in the harshest of environments, there is Life. We can see the tree’s spiderlike roots spreading out along the rocks, seeking nourishment from the moist soil. The sense of peace and solitude depicted in this image provides nourishment for the soul

Lo Scarabeo Oracle

 As a grounding more practical advice I've pulled  three Lennies: woman + clouds+ clover = when I detach myself from my daily activities I have to be careful not to get too broody on my own and to stay aware of the little things in my life that make me happy. I like that as a warning not to stay in my head to long. It’s striking that both decks have given me a cloudy card. Perhaps meditating more regularly will give me more clear skies J

Ocean - Ebb and Flow

October 28: If a fallen leaf decays you can clearly see its veins. They form a dense network which has kept the leaf alive. What intricate network keeps me alive?

Earth magic oracle cards

Water  appears to become a theme in my daily draws. From lake, to Sea storm and now with Ebb and flow from the Earth Magic Oracle cards by Steven Farmer.

He writes the following in his guidebook: "An important aspect in the art of living is to move with the ebb and flow of your emotions, joining their fluidity but not being captured by it. It is also not necessary to become obsessed with any particular fluctuation in mood or feeling. They are simply emotions, often activated in ways that are completely beyond your understanding. When you neither minimize nor exaggerate the intensity and importance of your emotions, you then have a greater sense of when and how to express them." (If) "You have been fighting the ebb and flow of your own feelings -- denying your hurt, anger, or sorrow -- by either attaching yourself to one or the other and nurturing it as if it were a nursing child, or else smoothing over your feelings with practiced responses that deny and hide what is going on beneath the surface of your expression. When you attempt to constrict yourself from experiencing your emotions, it is much like trying to stem the tides that grow even more forceful with every attempt humans make to try and control them. Allow yourself to swim with these variations rather than resisting them." "Earth Magic Oracle Cards" by ©Steven D. Farmer

What can this card tell me about the intricate web that keeps me alive? For me this card is all about how you feel about yourself and the life you are living. Feelings and emotions can be a so confusing and entangled. But they're also making life beautiful and colourful. Without our emotions our life would be dull and plain. Since their ebb and flow are inherent to life, it’s up to us how we ride the waves. We have to trust the tides of our feelings; ebb is always followed by flow. Like breathing in is always followed by breathing out. Again this card is a reminder to stay close to my inner self: To really feel what is going on in the undercurrent and what is causing the spring tides.J

This cards also remind me of my youth when I lived near the beach. Whenever I my feelings where heightened, whether sad of happy, I would go there and stand at the seaside sharing my feeling with the waves.  

Lake - Stillness

October 26: In October it’s getting dark earlier. We make it cozy inside, lighting candles and we turn increasingly inward. What is center of my house?

 Earth Magic Oracle Cards

For this question I've chosen the Earth Magic Oracle from Steven Farmer. This is a beautiful deck which I tend to forget for no particularly reason at all. I've drawn Lake – Stillness. Following is an excerpt from the guidebook:

“The tempo of life these days has sped up considerably, and there seems to be no end to this quickening pace. Immersed as we are in the technological whirlpool, there seems no escape. However there is no need to be a prisoner to the ‘hurry up’ syndrome , nor is there a need to feel trapped by the awareness of the  collective intensities that massive numbers of humans are experiencing these days.
No matter if the noise is from your environment or your seemingly non-stop thinking, it is critical for you to seek  stillness. Find it in your world, whether it is a special place in your home or a place in nature that is far from man-made noise. Of particular importance is finding it inside yourself, which can be made easier by being in a quiet place in a natural setting. Doing so not only relaxes your mind, but also heightens your awareness and senses.”

I know it is very important for me to seek out silence because a quiet mind doesn’t come naturally for me and my surroundings are often rather distractive. Fortunately I have a bedroom for myself with my altar, my most precious books and al my decks and so forth. If I need some time and space alone I can go there.

Basically a sound advice but when I further look into it then I wonder if it is me who  is the center of my house. A house can be the physical building you live in but it's also the body which is carrying you. When you read lake that way it is so important to find you inner lake, take the boat and go there in times of turmoil.

I´ve learned through experiences, if I'm okay my family benefits from that. So it is in my opinion not wrong to be selfish or egocentric as long as you don´t intentionally hurt or deprive other people by this attitude. This goes against everything I've been raised with.

So of to my room with a cup of coffee because me daughter and her boyfriend are watching TV now. For the next hour it’s me myself and I. J