Raindrops
Damp trickles
tickle the skin
a cool kiss
on the nape
that slips
to lick down
between
sharp shoulder blades.
One drop
then another
creates a shudder
of pleasure
as droplets warm.
Month: November 2020
The Fae… and the Loa
I’ve been reading a book called “The Good House” by Tananarive Due recently that is a fictional story about a Baka Loa (not 100% sure I’m saying that right) that took offense to a bokor (voodoo witch) woman’s pride and decided to snuff out her whole lineage. What struck me is the quote on page 419 that I’ve included below.
“When you have reached a place of spirits, your bones know it. You feel their company in the gentle call of the wind, in the laughter of the creek, in the silent conversations between the trees. I have been to many such places. Grandmère took me to bayou a few miles from our home as a child that was thick with spirits, harboring one in each water moccasin, in each dragonfly, in the fissured trunks of the saltbrush trees, in each lick of the marshy water, even in the whining mosquitoes. There, she introduced me to my forebears, calling their name, one by one, and although I could never see them, I knew they were embracing me.”
“The Good House” by Tananarive Due
I found this really interesting, as the way that she describes the spirits in her faith is very much the same experience that I have with the Fae. There are places in the forests that are just like this. The creatures and plants and topography is different, but the essence is the same as what is described above. This sense of rightness in the bones and touch of life in the air upon flesh are how I feel out where the liminal spaces are. And those spaces are the playground upon which I spend the large majority of my time with the Fae.
It was so uncanny to hear this described through the view of Voodoo and the Loa, and it made me wonder if there isn’t some sort of connection here. Perhaps a different language for the same thing… or a similarity that has gone unrealized.
I don’t have the answers in this, as I have very little knowledge of Voodoo and the Loa. But, it did raise some interesting questions to muse about.
Confidence and Caution
Today’s meditation was just over eighteen minutes long because I needed a little extra time in my piriformis stretching this morning. The hike in the rain yesterday was just what I needed I wish I could have stayed out there for hours and hours on end. But my muscles did not like the hard exertion in the cold rain, nor the sudden heat up of a shower that came after. So… I’m a bit sore today.
The topic of the guided part of my meditation was about techniques in hearing criticism and dealing with being confronted with anger. It was about finding a way (in this meditation it was about identifying instead of personalizing) to not soak in what is being said. Not allowing it to be taken personally.
Today’s draw is the Page of Wands, which is traditionally a receptive omega energy in the area of one’s passion projects, drive, and inner spark. Like all the wands, this isn’t about emotions or intelligence, nor eve where a person’s ambitions lie. Instead, it is about the fiery spark of passion that creates your ambition. That burning feeling of a spark within that drives us forward.  In the light of a receptive omega energy, this is often about learning something new that strikes your interest and passion, or exploring old passions that have come back into our lives for a breath of new life.
What stands out the strongest to me in the imagery of this card today is the walking stick and the approaching train. The figure in this image looks either highly distracted, or possibly blind considering that the walking stick looks an awful lot like one a blind man might use. The train has steam billowing out of its chimney indicating it is moving full speed ahead. The tilt of the man’s head indicates confidence in their progress, and yet the train is clearly coming.
The message in today’s card is about moving forward with confidence… and caution. You need both in order to succeed.
DECK USED:Â TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE
LionHart’s As Above So Below Challenge Prompt
Moon Question: Where am I asked to listen to, or follow, my gut feeling?
I split this reading into two questions, because, at least for me? Listening to and actually following are two different things. You can absolutely listen and decide to do things your own way while taking something else under advisement. That is difference than actually following through on information provided.
Where am I asked to listen to my gut feeling?
Queen of Wands and Four of Cups – Don’t allow your uncertainty over what’s going on with this holiday rush to dictate your actions and cause you to retreat into yourself. Instead lean into what you know and have experience with, and apply that to where you want to go.
Where am I asked to follow my gut feeling?
Two of Cups and Page of Swords – Learning new ways to connect with and communicate with others in a helpful way that creates unity and agreement. Expressing your emotions is not your greatest of skills, but there are other ways to build bonds and let people know that you care.
DECK USED:Â RIDE OR WAIT TAROT
#DiscordTarotolicsNov2020 Challenge Prompt
Question:Â Cleanse This / Ground This / Release This
Cleanse – Seven of Pentacles – It’s time to declutter so that you can make sure that there is room for more sustainable long term growth. Mentally, this means keeping your expectations in check. Physically, this means pruning out a few things that are creating distraction.
Ground – Princess of Swords – Again, we look at your expectations. You need to make sure that you’re open to changes and open to new ideas, because things just can’t stay the same all of the time, no matter how much you’d like them to. Clever adaptation will serve you well. Also, note that her feet are bare upon the ground, which is a reminder to make sure that you’re getting out to bond with nature.
Release – Four of Cups – Your lackadaisical attitude and lack of motivation to get on top of things needs to be let go. Don’t be so disenchanted by what’s not happening, but rather look for solutions and act upon them.
DECK USED:Â DRUIDCRAFT TAROT
Heal & Transform November Challenge Prompt
Question: What blessings have I or am I blinding myself to?
Reading Summary: The fact that I am bombarded with new ideas all the time (Ace of Wands) is not a bad habit or a disgrace and should not be viewed as a inconvenience (The Beast), but rather it is something I need to embrace (imagery in the Six of Cups).
Take Away: Writing down ideas so I didn’t feel like I’m losing them all one after another when I can’t act on them immediately was a brilliant idea that I can credit to Gid. But the thing is? I can write down ideas all damned day and STILL have more to go. And more. And more. I want to do them all and it sometimes messes with me that I can’t. It used to mess with me even more as I felt super bad when I couldn’t.Â
The thing is? I need to stop looking at this constant trickle of ideas as an inconvenience just because I can’t do them all right now, or might never get to all of them. They’re still good and just think how drab and boring it would be without them.
DECK USED:Â TAROT OF THE UNKNOWN 1ST EDITION
#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What do I think makes a successful life?
Reading Summary: Trusted bonds with friends (Two of Cups) that help you through the uncertain times (The Moon), and the independence and autonomy (Chariot) to choose your own path forward (The World).
Take Away: As much as a loner that I am most of the time? Being alone… truly alone with no one to love or care about? Can be fucking miserable. I don’t have this problem, and having those few people in my life that I cherish, and that cherish me in turn? It makes life immeasurably better.
Independence and autonomy are something I feel extremely strongly about. The ability to choose your own path and make your own decisions is important. I really can’t imagine that a life could feel successful without this factor.
DECK USED:Â CATHARSIS TAROT
Gideon’s Challenge
Good Morning
Gray days
start with
heavy clouds
and
foggy mornings
that muffle
sounds
to a whisper
and wash away
color
to create
misty mysteries.
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Paying Attention
Today’s meditation was about forty minutes long, and took place at the dentist’s office. I have a really difficult time at the dentist’s office due to my synesthesia. So many of the sounds that take place in that chair are unpleasant on a level that goes far beyond sound. Some of them aren’t bad, others I don’t have a reaction to at all. But there are a few that really make dental work difficult and painful.
For example, the sound of the magnetostrictive ultrasonic scaler, which causes muscle spasms in my left pec which combine with a sensation of a long, thin needle piercing between two of my ribs in the back at an angle to points to exactly where that muscle spasm takes place.  For a moment, this sensation is painful but might cause a gasp before you take a breath and move on. Over a continuous length of time, it leaves a lasting soreness that carries beyond the drawn out intensity in the moment.
Today’s draw is the Five of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of tests, trials, or conflict in the area of one’s thoughts, education, intellect, communication, or ambition. This often comes across in the form of competition, arguments, or can communicate a determination to win no matter what.
What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card is the person in the lower left side that is crying in the background, and the fact that the helmet of the main figure in the card covers their eyes.
There is a reminder here to pay attention to what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Are you hurting people and ignoring it, or just ignorant to it? Why are you not focusing on this aspect? What was the motivation behind whatever hurt this person? Was there a better way to handle things?
This card’s message today is about being aware of what you’re doing, and those you affect with your actions (or inaction).
DECK USED:Â TRADITIONAL MANGA TAROT
LionHart’s As Above So Below Challenge Prompt
Moon Question: How can I best work with, or work around, the current vibes?
Reading Summary: Stay open to new opportunities (Ace of Pentacles) and reach out and grab them by the balls when they appear to you (Chariot). Now is not a time to stay comfortable and safe in your nest (Four of Wands Rx).
Take Away:Â There’s been a good deal of warning in the cards lately about business being a bit slow this holiday season. The cards here indicate that in order to counteract that, I need to be open to the possibilities and opportunities that may arise, and jump on them immediately rather than hemming and hawing about it as I often end up doing.
DECK USED:Â DARK WOOD TAROT
#DiscordTarotolicsNov2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: Is it possible to truly experience anything objectively?
Reading Summary:Â A king on his throne sees the world as his playground (The Emperor), a couple on a beach basking in the sun sees the world as a perfect slice of heaven (The Sun), and someone with the spark of inspiration nipping at their heels sees the world as filled with potential adventures (Knight of Wands).
Take Away: The cards here indicate that it is not possible to truly experience anything with complete objectivity. We can do our best to be objective, but our emotions, our relationships, our history, and our experiences all create a foundation for which other new experiences and perceptions are built on. There is no such thing as a “clean slate” in humanity, as emotions flavor everything we do, even for amnesiacs.
I agree.
DECK USED:Â PUPPET THEATRE TAROT
Gideon’s Challenge
Mine Now
Did you need
in here?
But I’ve claimed
this spot
as my own.
Later,
after my nap
maybe
you’ll be able
to steal away
with the contents
of my new
treasure box.
Twisting the Leaf 