Journey – Stop running and enjoy the scenery

Today’s card is "Journey" from the Magical Empowerment cards by Jody Bergsma. I needed a kind, gentle and uplifting message today, so I was very pleased this deck was still in my collection. It has been on my “decks to let go” list but somehow I find it very difficult to part with decks which have supported me throughout various phases of my life. So I keep them in a box for when I want to revisit with them again. And in that box, I found this deck …

The message of the card is to focus on how far we have come instead of how far we still have to go. Everything we have experienced up until this moment has brought us to where we are right now. Looking back on my life I consider this one h*ll of an accomplishment. But frankly, I never pay much attention to this feat.  I’d rather make to-do lists, research ways to improve myself, try to fix other people’s problems, run my daily life and move forward. But life has its own way of saying "enough!": Sometimes by sending you the flu or in my case dumping too much on my plate. 

So for today, I will keep myself from running towards the finish line and take some time to be proud of myself and to be in this moment, on this day and frankly, without expecting anything, it has become a good day, a very good day....

Graveyard – Unnecessary Fear

Today’s card is “Graveyard” from the Halloween Oracle. There is something about graveyards at night which makes the hairs on our neck stand up. An unspeakable fear creeps up on us, mostly caused the countless ghost and horror stories we have been hearing throughout our lives.

Logically speaking there is no need to be afraid of the resting places of the dead. It is just our mind who likes to tell us differently. The Graveyard card reminds me of everything I have put to rest: old projects, withered relationships, lost jobs and neighbourhoods, secrets and regrets and so much more. As long as I haven’t buried them properly, they sometimes still try to haunt me but when I am sure I’ve closed the lid of the coffin and filled the grave with dirt and the occasional flower, my mind will be at peace again and what I have buried will decompose and make the burial ground even more fertile than it was before.

The Three of Earth elaborates a bit more on this subject. Here we see someone planting his seeds in the fertile ground of our graveyard. He has to sacrifice his acorns in order for a tall Oak tree to grow there. Without death, there is no life. And so we come full circle. No, death shouldn’t frighten us but rather make us curious about what comes next.  What does life still has in store for us? Yes instead of letting ourselves being haunted by the past we’d better sow our seeds for a promising future

Zombie – Control is an illusion

Today’s card is “Zombie – Control” from the Halloween Oracle. On a moonlit night, a dead body comes to life. His hand is already above ground.  He is not emerging from his grave by his own free will. No, he is summoned by some kind of sorcerer to do his bidding.  A small fragment of a living soul has been put into this body for a specific cause.

This card is asking us how much we are in control of our own life.  Are we living the life we want or are we buried beneath the demands and expectation of others? And in return, how much are we, ourselves in need of controlling the lives of others. Or are we capable of letting them walk their own path, only to help when asked? I think every form of control stems from fear, one of our four basic emotions. Letting ourselves being controlled by others might be caused by a fear of taking responsibility and accepting that change is a vital part of life. And change often hurts…

Controlling others, on the other hand, could stem from a fear that if we don’t interfere, things are bound to go sideways. We know best, so everybody should do as we would do in a given situation.

When we are busy controlling and letting ourselves being controlled, life passes by and we loose fragments of our soul by shying away from a more authentic life, filled patience trust and love.

Today, thirteen years ago, my life changed dramatically and I learned that control is indeed an illusion…

Night Song – Here goes nothing

Yesterday evening I pulled Nightsong – Hidden Talents from the Halloween Oracle and this morning I decided I wanted to write about this card instead of pulling another one. We see a beautiful red colored bird sitting on a branch at night just before he is going to burst into song. Because it is quite rare for birds to sing at night, it was often seen as a bad omen.  But for the more positive minded people, it could be a sign of good fortune too. A bird singing at night could also be considered to be “able to direct us towards discovering our talents and true purpose – a kind of guide in the darkness leading us to the dawn.”

This got me thinking about my own hidden talents and I couldn’t come up with anything. Of course, I know I can draw and write but that’s nothing new. This card is about the hidden talents. Then I thought:  “Let’s draw some more cards about it” and I drew three cards for three talents. (Perhaps a bit presumptuous?) The cards were quite positive but still, it didn’t feel right and I went to bed and stopped thinking about it. This morning when I saw the Nightsong card again, little by little it dawned on me because now I realize you cannot go searching for hidden talents or draw cards to reveal them.  No, you have to do the work or better said you have to start playing with the mindset of “Here goes nothing”, just like when we were children.  If I had never picked up crayons and paper when I was a child, I would have never have discovered I had a talent for drawing and painting. Somehow along the way, a lot of us have lost the open-mindedness of a child to try out new things without expectations. And now, as adults we seem to walk in darkness, frantically searching for our authentic self. Perhaps if we would try to relax and enjoy playing and experimenting more, then who knows what treasures we might find, hidden in some dark unexplored corner of our soul.

Undressing of a salad - Keeping our balance at all cost?

Today’s card is “Undressing the Salad” of The Faeries' Oracle and it features a bluish young faerie juggling his balls with a little help from the crouching faerie on the head of large gnome who is looking in two directions at once. A strange name for a strange card but for today I will focus on whether or not it is possible to always maintain our balance, in every moment, whatever it may bring. I think not. In my humble opinion balance is something we can strive for, experience it for a while and eventually, we fall out of balance again. This cycle will keep repeating itself as long as we keep striving for balance. Maybe this cycle is also a sort of balance or perhaps even more a rhythm of life with its ups and downs; of breathing in and breathing out. It definitely sounds more natural to me than maintaining our balance at all cost, all the time.

So for today I will take it easy because the last few days were quite busy.  For me a perfect  way to live a balanced life J

Ehwaz and The Faun – Come dance with me

While shuffling The Faeries’ Oracle for my daily draw, I suddenly felt the urge to pull a rune first. The rune I got was Ehwaz, the rune of movement, progress, and change.  I didn’t have the faintest idea what this rune would mean for me today, so I shuffled my deck again and drew: The Faun, an ethereal and translucent creature. Its keywords are "Natural wisdom" and "Natural magic". Still no clue. Then I read the guidebook and my eyes fell on the cursive phrase: “Come dance with me” and it all came together.

Since Autumn has begun I feel I pull towards a more magical inclined way of living but I don’t really know how to make that happen and so I, as good Queen of Swords befits, I hit the internet and my books and lost myself in other people’s findings and experiences, which have nothing to do with who  I am: I don’t need spells and potions etc, I just want to feel the magic moving around me, in me, through me etc and maybe I even want to direct it intentionally towards something I feel strongly about as a blessing of sorts. I think my understanding of magic has a lot to do with being mindful but perhaps spiced up with a bit more “woo woo”.  And that’s where the energy of this Faun comes into play: put away the books and go outside, commune with nature and with your own inner wisdom. Move, change, play, dance, be merry and open yourself up to the healing and nurturing energy of the trees, the wind, the sun and let your magic flow freely with the currents of life.

P.S So after writing all of this, I went out for a walk and I was amazed how magical it was. I even met a little frog (or toad?) who was sitting just there, where wanted to put my card for an IG picture! He was so perfectly camouflaged I had hardly noticed him but thanks to The Faun I did J

Singer of Courage – Be brave, be free

Today’s card is the Singer of Courage from the Faeries’ Oracle. This card is all about the courage to face our fears and transform the energy we invest in those fears into action; in moving forward and living our lives as bravely as possible. 

Mind you this is not a call to play the hero. Our day to day life is fearsome enough to need our courageous actions. Every moment when fear starts to act up, it is up to us to look in the eye and decide if it is a true fear or a veil over a deeper rooted issue. Often our most primal are fears are buried deep under many layers in the dark borrows of our mind.

Fear has been for most people a lifelong companion and it presents itself in many forms. When we start to address the less dreadful fears, we will eventually learn how to transform our deeper more ingrained fears.

And so I asked what energy might be helpful on this journey? And I pulled Myk the Myomancer. When you look closely you see all kind of little creatures hidden in the foliage of the forest. But Myk knows they are there; he is attentive to every little detail around him...

So be mindful of the seemingly insignificant opportunities to show courage. This way we can strengthen and practice our bravery muscle and learn to have faith in our courage.  Little by little, we will break the bondage of fear and set ourselves free.

In the world, not of this world

After my last post I have been thinking a lot about how to stay true to myself and today I wanted to ask this question to one of my decks. The sacred Rebels Oracle seemed to be a perfect fit for this question and it replied to me with: In the world, not of the world.

We see a woman with a shoal of fish. She jumps out of the water, clad in nothing but the locks of her hair. Although she used to be perfectly happy to be one of the shoal, lately it seems she has outgrown the mentality of the shoal and has started to make up her own mind about things. She knows this will make her extremely vulnerable so for now, although she is perfectly aware of her peculiarities and unique points a view, she still remains a part of the shoal. Perhaps for safety, community or just the need to belong to something more than herself.

This in between phase demands a lot of  courage and trust, in order to find a balance between being true to yourself and being part of this world; a constant weighing and questioning of when to swim with the shoal and when to jump out of the water,

As always balance is everything

Lakshmi – All shall be well

Today I felt really drawn to pull a card from my first oracle deck ever, the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards, which has been a birthday gift from my daughter M. Those first decks which have brought me so much pleasure and deep felt kindness are so easily buried under the great amount of newer and more trendy decks. Decks with more symbolism, gorgeous art, new systems and with such a rich and layered messages. I mean you have to be an awesome deck to compete with that. Somehow I do believe that every deck, every card can give us the message we need to hear, since it all comes from within ourselves or if you like from divine guidance.

So for today, I got Lakshmi - Bright Future:  "Stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine."  Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of abundance and is often depicted with the elephant god Ganesh, the remover of obstacles. Her message is not to worry about all the terrible things that might happen, to hush your fears and worries and trust that the Universe/God has your best interest at heart.

I don’t believe this aspect of the divine will shower us with money and other riches but more that She and her Companion will grant us the strength and whatever more we need to move through our challenges and reap the due rewards. Also, I believe that focusing on this benevolent energy we are more likely to notice what She has given us and to express our gratitude for the abundance of the little things we notice each and every day. This way we become more and more aware of the abundance she bestows and feel more prosperous day by day

                                                                                                                                                        

Big Bold Vision with a touch of makeup

Today’s card is “Big Bold Vision” from the Sacred Rebels Oracle. This card encourages us to dream big; to not hold back when you are visualizing the most amazing things for yourself. I mean look at all the winged creatures in this card; they fill her mind with the most wonderful ideas and fantasies. For most of us this hard because while growing up we were taught to have only responsible dreams and goals and leave our capacity to dream big and limitless behind with our dolls and crayons.  I mean who needs a mother of two, who dreams of being an explorer, an artist, a farmer or who secretly even dreamed of becoming a nun.  All those dreams are still hidden somewhere and this card prompts me to revisit them if only for old times’ sake and perhaps to add some new ones:

Today I will think about what I want out of life when anything is possible.

Another thing which stands out for me in this card is the amount of effort and self-love it must have taken her to look like this. She definitely knows how to dress to impress.  I got the distinct feeling she has taken all this time to make herself look this beautiful for anyone but herself. Because she is absolutely worth it to pamper herself and to look as gorgeous as she can be.

I don’t treat myself very kindly in this area. Often I tell myself I don’t have the time but it is more that I don’t see the point in doing it only for myself when I am cooked up at home all day. So for today, I took the effort to put on some lipstick and mascara; just for myself because I wanted to. And it feels good. It is such a minor thing but with a unexcited major effect

“I believe all women are pretty without makeup and can be pretty powerful with the right makeup” Bobbi Brown

Relax the hold of darkness and be at cause

My card for today is “Relax the hold of darkness and be at cause”  from the Sacred Rebels Oracle. We see a skyclad lady kneeling down on a huge tree stump. The forest is dark. She is all alone but she is completely convinced that this is the place she has to be because in her heart she knew to come here and wait. And while waiting she relaxes the darkness within her. Immediately the created vacuum wanted to be filled and a sparkling light surrounded her, lifting her up, illuminating every part of her being: body spirit and soul.  Moving from Fear to Love in a split second is in my belief a magical experience.

So what is “relaxing the darkness” and what does “darkness” mean in this context? In my opinion, darkness here stands for fear-based thinking which can result in doubt, procrastination, self-numbing, excessive worrying, overthinking etc: everything which keeps you from engaging with life and trusting Love.  The card is asking us to relax the hold this darkness has over us. Note: we are not asked to let go of it entirely, because the fear of not being able to, would be exactly what this darkness would like us to think. No, we are asked to relax and to breath and gradually we will open up,  ready to receive the energy we need to focus on what it is we really want and what is that would make us feel truly alive.

So for today I will relax my darkness and create that blissful emptiness, ready to be filled with loving and intuitive guidance. 

Nightingale - Trust

Walking in the park. Picking Bluebells and Buttercups. Feeling Summer in my heart and on my skin. This morning I have also meditated for 15 minutes which was a great accomplishment as well. All in all, today is starting out to be a good day. Al this has inspired me to pick up an oracle I’ve never used before, although I have it my collection for ages: Too light, too simple, too fluffy. But honestly I could use a dose of light and fluff. So I shuffled my cards and I pulled Nightingale – trust: My word for the year and a confirmation that all things will be well.  After each night the sun will come out inevitably so why not sing to instead of fight with the darkness.  All these smalls tokens of hope and trust, like my walk, my mediation, creating an art journal page, enjoying coffee with a bonbon and last but not least, writing this blog post after so long; all these things  are bright shining stars guiding me on my journey and ensuring me that wherever I am, I am never lost.

Oracle used: "The Cards of the Elves" by Tiziana Mattera

Waterfall and Calendar - Tick tock, tick tock…

Today’s cards are Waterfall and Calendar from The Chronicles of Destiny Fortune Cards. 

In our present society we are mostly ruled by the clock and our calendar. We make appointments and try to keep them. We implement routines and schedule our obligations until little white space is left on our to-do lists and in our diaries. This habit makes it even more important to plan some time for ourselves.  And not just ten minutes or  a spare hour somewhere between the dentist and  a meeting but I was thinking more about an evening, an entire day or a weekend; enough time to be able to just flow with the hours instead of keeping track of them on your watch. Together these cards emphasize the important of replenishing your soul on a deep level; to let ourselves be revitalized and healed thoroughly. Take enough time for yourself . You are so worth it. The Calendar card reminds us there is a big difference between a morning shower and a bath by candlelight.

The Singer of healing – Start Hummmmmming

Today’s card is The Singer of Healing from The Faeries’ Oracle.  This card is all about healing of body mind and spirit. Much like a holistic healer this singer sings his song over every part of our being, to heal our injuries and restore our balance. But before he can sing for us we have to accept there is something amiss.  The next step is to be willing to receive healing. To open ourselves up; to ask for help. Perhaps this is the most difficult part of a healing process; admitting we need help.

Sometimes we aren’t even aware we do need help. We have become so proficient in hiding, denying or numbing our pain to a point that we have become unaware that there is something wrong .

I have discovered that accepting I need healing  in an early stage of my affliction is definitely speeding things up  for the better. I am more susceptible for advice and suggestions on how to move forward and away from my feelings of depression.

This time around I have been (at first reluctantly)participating in an IG challenge to create your own oracle deck. by Kristen from @otmoraclecards

It was  a bit scary because I hadn’t painted in months. Then it became almost addictive and I painted several cards a day. Now things are settling down again and I feel  so much more confident and less downhearted.  Again, I had to make the decision get better, to start painting  but after that The Singer of Healing started to hummmmm….

Indi – But, what if……?

Today’s card is Indi from the Faeries’ Oracle. This fearie is finding it very difficult to make up his mind, to choose and to commit.  His mind races back and forth, from left to right and up and down, gathering every “what if’” he can find. When you look at this card, you can only feel sorry for him, because he isn’t going anywhere. He is afraid of making the right choice,of making a mistake and it is making him question his own self worth over and over again.

One thing I have learned over the years is, if you don’t make a decision by yourself, someone or some situation is bound to make it for you.  The only way to avoid becoming a victim of circumstances is to take matters into your own hand. Is this difficult for me? Oh, yeah! But I know how it feels otherwise.   

So for today Indi will remind me to make my own decisions; probable about the little things in life like what to do, to eat, to say…  Yes,even making these minor, more insignificant decisions will definitely add to our own sense of self confidence. And for the major ones? We always can reach out for help but in the end we are responsible for our every decision we make.

The Sage - Pay a visit to your inner Wise One

Today’s card is The Sage from the Faeries’ Oracle by Brian Froud. He is the Wise One from this deck. The hermit, the teacher, the shaman. And he is also old; very old. He is painted with the colors of the many seasons he has witnessed. And from every experience he has been through, he has absorbed  a spark of insight.  He has one blind eye which allows him to see into the other worlds and to turn a blind eye towards mistakes and failures. Those are better met with compassion than with harsh judgment.

I usually look for this kind of wisdom in all kinds of books and online articles about religion, philosophy etc. but today it seems The  Sage is asking me to turn inwards and look for wisdom there.  I have seen many seasons too, but I don’t  consider myself as wise. Maybe a tad wiser than before, but Wise with a capital W no, not nearly.

Maybe it is time to turn a blind eye to my fearful insecurity and stop  berating myself and expecting too much of myself. Yes, maybe it is time to embrace the silent Witness within and sit and chat with her for a while.  Perhaps, when I give her space and time, she has more to share than I give her credit for…..

Details, details…..

Today’s card is “ Details, details”  from the Enchanted Map Oracle cards. As is to be expected, the depiction is very detailed too. We see a tiny mouse with a magician’s head sitting on a looking glass. He is searching for “clarity” and “important notes” In the background many stars brighten  the study room. I wonder if he notices them...A compass is situated in the foreground.

It feels to me like the assignment of this card is to find a balance between paying attention to the details and not to get lost between them.  It is so easy to keep searching for more convincing reasons to stay where we are or to travel to the next phase in our life. Often searching for more reassuring details and is keeping us from experiencing life as it is presenting itself to us. It is often more tempting to keep searching for clarity in the books or on the internet than to take a walk outside, enjoy a sunny day and breath in nature’s wordless wisdom.

Cycles – Trust the process

Today’s card is Cycles from the Magical Times Empowerment Cards. “We are all becoming. Surrender to your changes. Release your fear. Trust this powerful process.”

This last week  it feels like I am in a kind of a spiritual Winter or  a standstill. I don’t feel “it” and during this season the pressure is quite high to feel “it”, with everybody talking about the Christmas Spirit and so on.  In the depiction we see two dragons chasing each other, which tells me there is always movement in Cycles, even when we are not aware of it. This card resembles the Wheel of Fortune, which also teaches us that life has its ups and downs. Nothing ever stays the same; everything always changes. So I just have to trust this universal law and accept where I am right now, knowing this too will pass.

But I wouldn’t  be me if I didn’t  want to  help the universe to speed things up a little and preferable before Christmas. Yes I do have own my time schedule to consider too, so I pulled a rune for an assisting energy in this matter.

I pulled Jera, the rune of Cycles and Harvest.  Two divinatory systems telling me exactly the same thing.  How cool it that. Now I understand how speeding things up can ruin my harvest of this experience. We have to follow the rhythm of sowing, growing, weeding, harvesting and yes, also of resting. Each activity has its own season. This is the natural cycle of life. So it is actually not that strange to find myself in a spiritual lull these days. Maybe the cold winter does that to a person sometimes.

For now I will pour myself a hot cup of coffee and try to accept what is and sit with that, without giving in to my need to fix things quickly and trying to find a shortcut out.

I wish you all a wonderful Yule

Eight of Cups - Breaking through resistance

Today’s card is the Eight of Cups from the Wild Unknown Tarot. Our eight cups are shattered, broken beyond compare and a dark almost impossible to climb mountain is blocking our way. When we find ourselves on the dark side of this mountain, it is very hard to imagine there could be light on the other side and trees and flowers growing there.  So what to do now in such a precarious situation and I pulled a Soulcard. At first glance I would say: Stay put, don’t change and pretend to be happy where ever you are right now. But I have been playing this game too long to fall for this initial thought. The message today is to open your eyes, acknowledge your broken cups, feel you fear and start climbing. Fear is a devourer of energy. So face it, name it and disempower it and feel a jolt of energy being released from its shackles. And you're lucky, for there is no need to pack because inside, you already have everything you need for the journey. Bon voyage! 

Miss Spiderweb - Slowly beginning to work on my web again

First and foremost I would like to thank all of you for your kind and warm comments and get well wishes on my previous post.  They really meant a lot to me.

Today’s card is Miss Spider Web,  from the Oracle of The Shapeshifters. This card is all about making new connections and rekindling old ones. Strengthening the parts of our web which are meaningful and  supportive and taking down those parts which are worn out and not adding anything of importance to the intricate structure of our web.

This morning my neurologist advised me to really take it slow and also to keep in mind that the recovery from my neck hernia will take a at least another six weeks or more. I was allowed to do the things I love the most but in only really small amounts of time. So this blogpost is done in several sessions of five minutes.

But at least I can start weaving and working on my online web again. Please understand that although I am doing the best I can,  I will not be able to leaves comments every day on the most beloved strings of my web but I do enjoy reading my favorites blogs each day.

I see this post as the beginning of my healing process for which I am ever so grateful.