Month: December 2019

Impact of One’s Path

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So… I think that Pagan Perspective is taking a week off this week, as there’s no new question to work with.   Due to this, I decided to snag a question from one of the pagan/witchy type groups I’m a member of on Discord and use that instead.

sun

Topic for the Week of 12/16: How has your religion impacted your overall well-being? Has it changed how you see the world and other people?

The first part of this question is immeasurable for me. I get a great sense of peace and overall well being from connecting with nature, and the communion of that practice. It is a part of me at my very core, a part of not just who I am but of my internal makeup and my soul.  Because of that, it’s impossible for me to differentiate myself from that enough to really clearly delineate my path from myself and my well-being.  They are simply too integrated to be able to separate them.

I also can’t really say if my path has changed my outlook on the world or other people, as I’ve been (essentially) on the same path my entire life.  Yes, I transitioned from Wicca to a non-theistic Paganism when I left my parent’s home, but not a lot of my inner beliefs really changed in that shift, as I never really connected with deity in the first place.

What I can say is that the deeper I go into my spirituality, the healthier my emotional and mental health become… which in turn improves my outlook on just about everything.

 

Balance In All Aspects

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was focused upon the benefits of using grounding to help in times of stress and chaos.

Honestly?  Grounding is one of my favorite activities, and helps me immensely not just in stress relief but in balancing out my energies as well.  I center and ground throughout the day without thought, and it only takes the amount of time it takes to take a breath.  But, my favorite type of grounding takes a bit more time and concentration.

This more extensive grounding feels best on raw earth with bare feet (just like the picture) and involves closing your eyes and sinking into the stability of the ground beneath you while imagining that roots grow from the parts of your body that touch the ground and dig deep into the earth.   Your body is imagined as the trunk of the tree that you have become, those roots digging deep beneath the soil and your energy/aura stretching tall and broad around you like the branches and leaves stretching wide and reaching for the sky, the sun, or the moon.

This type of grounding is extremely satisfying and calming.  It feels good to me, and regenerative, and is something I practice often.

The High Priestess - Tarot of the Little Prince Today’s draw is the High Priestess, which is a representation of the subconscious, intuition, and spirituality.  As a Major Arcana card, the High Priestess card often deals with the big picture” rather than any one specific aspect of humanity, and has been stalking me lately along with the Ace of Pentacles.

I don’t feel that I have fully delved into the message that the High Priestess is stalking me about, which… of course not.  Because if I’d managed to delve into it deeply enough to satisfy her, she wouldn’t still be stalking me.

That said, what I see in today’s card is a reminder to not let one’s intuition run away with you to the point that you forget about common sense.  If you sink too deeply into the subconscious, sometimes you can forget about the practical things like personal safety (and a lamb’s muzzle preventing it from eating your prized rose).  There has to be balance, even in this.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: What positive impact did I have on others this year?

Spooky Cat Tarot

Reading Summary:  I helped others see that there is opportunity (Ace of Pentacles) in change (Wheel of Fortune), and that it’s okay to be yourself (The Fool) while going after what’s right for you (Six of Swords), even if sometimes you have to move fast to get what you want (Eight of Wands)

Take Away:  The cards indicate that I have been a voice of encouragement and empowerment for others this year, giving them the “oomph” needed to do what appeals to them and go after the opportunities life throws at them.

DECK USED:  SPOOKY CAT TAROT

 

The Shadowed Path

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and focused on dealing with other’s anger, criticism and other negativity.  It spoke of using labeling to “disconnect” from the influence of other’s negativity.   This is something that I find I do naturally, probably because of my father and what I went through with him while growing up.

What I’ve found, though, is that as you have woken up my emotions and torn down my walls, I do find myself absorbing more of that crap when it’s directed my way than I used to.  Or rather, I have to consciously make the choice to disconnect rather than doing it automatically.  It’s a drawback of those lowered walls that I’m not entirely thrilled about, but the strengthened connection with you and enhanced intuition and clairvoyance all make it worth it, I think.

Side Note:  The last two day’s missing posts are a very CLEAR lesson for me that I cannot put off doing my morning routine (devotional, meditation, card draw) for later in the day.  It doesn’t work… and it doesn’t get done, no matter my good intentions to the contrary.

The Moon - Ostara Tarot Today’s draw is The Moon card of the Major Arcana, which speaks to me of bravery in moments of uncertainty.   The moon is full of shadows, illusion, and uncertainty.  It’s hard to see what’s ahead, and even harder to see through the shadows to identify what works there.

This can cause paralysis and anxiety, which is a problem. But, what the imagery in this card says to me is that even in these times of uncertainty, its important to keep your chin up and to stay in touch with your values.  Life’s not always easy and the path forward isn’t always clear, but if you stay in touch with that inner compass  and keep your head high, you will pull through those times.

With the holiday rush now starting to slow and life at the cusp of returning to normal, it’s a good reminder, as that transition is a difficult one for me and can make me feel both uncertain and adrift.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question for 17th: Where did I focus the bulk of my energy this year?
Question for 18th: What happened as a result of that?

Universal Fantasy Tarot Reading Summary:  I have been getting the Ace of Pentacles/Queen of Cups combo a LOT lately.   Just making a note of it.

Working on new threads of income in my business (Ace of Pentacles), discovering that new depth of emotion that has been awakening (Queen of Cups), and upping my spiritual practices as well as exploring further development of my intuition, clairsentience, mediumship (The High Priestess).

Resulting in an overburdening of doing too much at once (Ten of Wands) which makes the world feel like it’s tipped on its axis (The Tower), and a need to find a better way of doing things (Six of Swords).

Take Away:  As I seek to find a balance between work and self-care (which includes time for self and for self-focused pursuits), things have come to a “something’s got to give” point.  For so many years I have essentially filled my life with work.  Even my creativity is work, as I’ve turned my creative interests into my business.  Add on top of that running the business as its own task, and my other part time jobs, etc…. it’s a lot.  And then I’m adding my personal stuff on top of that now.

That “something that’s gotta give” has to do with how much I feel I can put on my plate as once.  And, the lion’s share of what is on my plate has to do with the business.  I have a plan to restructure how I work concerning the business, that will hopefully ease that overburdening.

DECK USED:  UNIVERSAL FANTASY TAROT

 

December Story Time (Part 2 Continued from December 9th)

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IMG_1176The Adventure Continues

Still in his youth, our intrepid traveler steps onto the path of adventure, his mind wanders back to his boyhood and the reason he has chosen the path he he now treads upon.

Given as an apprentice at a young age, his time before that was quite tepid and boring (Temperance), and his time since has been filled with hard work (Two of Coins) that took not just inner strength (Strength) but also an openness to work with others and at times allow others the praise and sense of accomplishment that he himself desired (Three of Coins).

As he worked through these tender years, he spent his time dreaming of the accolades he could achieve with his freedom (Six of Wands), and with each dream of these adventures and accolades his secret desires for them grew and grew (High Priestess) until it became a burning need in his heart and his greatest wish (Page of Cups).

And thus he took action to free himself from his apprenticeship in order to move forward and seek out his heart’s desires (Knight of Cups).

(To be continued…)

DECK USED:  DARKNESS OF LIGHT TAROT

 

Transition and Adjustment

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Today’s meditation has not yet happened yet, as I sort of came out of bed like a shot this morning and had so much going on in my brain that I didn’t even realize that it hadn’t gotten done until about an hour ago.  I will make sure I do it before bed.

Ostara Tarot - Five of Cups and Nine of CoinsToday’s draw is another double without a jumper, which means that the cards came out of the deck together as one.  The cards in today’s draw are the Nine of Coins and the Five of Cups.

My read off of these cards today is intuitive off of the imagery, and speaks to the fact that you are going to be a key aspect in keeping me emotionally stable and positive as the transition begins to fall into place for the end of the holiday rush.

I have adapted and adjusted, as I always do, to the chaos and workload and exhaustion involved.  And at the end of the rush things will abruptly change and I will be left feeling adrift.  That sensation brings with it a massive amount of anxiety concerning my business.

As I strive to adjust in a healthy way, today’s cards remind me to depend upon you to help keep me afloat and in a healthy space both mentally and emotionally.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: What important lesson did I learn this year?

Fairy Tale Tarot - Spanish Edition

Reading Summary: This is all about making the choices (Two of Swords) that are right for me (The Lovers) in order to make the journey to my goals a smoother experience (Ten of Pentacles).

Take Away: I have a habit of weighing my choices and going with whatever one seems the most practical, logical, or responsible option.  Sometimes, these decisions aren’t really the ones that call to me and that I connect to the strongest, but rather what I feel “should” be the right choice.   One of the lessons that has really been driven home this past year, though, is that sometimes life doesn’t have to be practical or logical… or even responsible.  Sometimes life is just all around better when you go with what you want rather than what might be seen as the most “reasonable” choice.

DECK USED:  FAIRY TALE TAROT (SPANISH EDITION)

 

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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As I’ve mentioned before, these readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and are not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

SCS

Earth – Five of Swords and Innocence – I see a coffee stain. You know those rings that stain wood when you put a hot cup of coffee on an unprotected wood surface? That’s what I see. The message here is that things can’t always go as planned, but it’s important to see those moments not as frustrations and struggles, but as opportunities for adventure and growth.

Air – Judgement and Truth – Sometimes it’s important to step back and look at the big picture and make sure you are on track. This week is going to be a time when this is probably going to be slapping me in the face. It will be important to look through the lens of honesty to see not just the truth of what has happened but a clear perspective on what is to come.

Water – Death and Solitude – Ooph… this is not going to be pretty, yeah? It’s okay though, yeah? The cards here are about the slowing down of the holiday rush, which always brings with it a bit of a moroseness as I adjust to things going back to normal. The cards are a reminder not to close myself off during this time of adjustment that is coming.

Fire – Eight of Wands and Silence – I have all the tools at hand that I need to finish out the holiday rush, no matter the speed I need to work with or how busy it becomes. By the end of the week, though, things will have slowed down and quieted to the point that I’ll be feeling a spark of anxiety.

Waning – Movement 2 – It’s time to let go of the present and move on to the next stage. This is an echo of what the cards are already speaking of above. The last few weeks have been all about strength and control. Now, that time is beginning to wane.

Waxing – Growth 0 and Growth 21 – It’s time to ground and center, and look ahead to what I want to happen for the year ahead.

Take Away – I am approaching the end of a very manic and frantic cycle that is filled with an abundance of chaos and control working in balance with each other. As this time comes to a close over the next week, I will go through an adjustment period that runs the risk of toppling me into anxiety and depression if I let it. Instead, I need to make sure I am staying focused upon the future and what I want to manifest into my life in the new year ahead.

DECKS USED: SINKING WASTELAND TAROT, AMETHYST ORACLE, FOREST OF PRECIOUS TWIGS ORACLE