Our grandbaby tells us now she’s not a baby. She’s a “big kid” (as if we need a reminder, from her). She turned 2 at the end of January. (TWO!) Yesterday she walked importantly out into the backyard with a pair of floral snips to harvest a handful of sweet-smelling plants.
Lilacs are truly the only part of this season that I like, and look forward to. She brought me some, as a gift.
As we seem to be in full Spring mode now, I am figuring out how to handle the current amount of heat, while knowing that it will get worse. Much like the ups and downs of our emotions and mental health (as well as SO many other aspects in life), when we have the proper tools, the job goes more smoothly.
What I’m hearing right now is how we’re
coping.
When we receive bad news, when we hear a terrible tale, when we see a disturbing image, our reaction is the key. In my case, I cannot always control what happens, physically as well as where my feelings take me.
It’s where we go from there which is what the Universe wants us to focus on. We are in charge of how we allow negativity from the outside to influence us. Or not.
It is up to us to manage. Or not. When we are depleted (no rest, inadequate food, dehydration, mental exhaustion, general stress), we are more susceptible, we are more at risk.
I harp on and on about SelfCare, but I do it for a reason. We simply do not take good enough care of ourselves on a regular basis. It is something this broken culture has gotten entirely wrong.
When we nap, when we pray, meditate, or simply sit quietly, when we care for ourselves in a loving and nurturing way, we have proven our value, we have told ourselves and the world that we are worth the time/energy/money/effort. And when we are well taken care of , we are strong. We can cope, we can heal, we can thrive.
It’s time to use our tools, it’s time to take care of ourselves. It’s time for us to bloom.
I certainly hope that every one of you in JulieLand jumped at the chance to DO shit yesterday, because the cards are saying now, maybe we weren’t as daring as we could have been. No, I did NOT say “should” have been, because shoulding all over the damn place just creates guilt, and we ALL know how I feel about THAT sneaky bastard.
At first I was hesitating over typing out this entire definition, the stories in this deck can be long. But I’ve been convinced (just call it the radio signals) that it’s necessary at this time. So that’s the way we’re going. If you remember it from another occasion when this one appeared in our rotation, just skim on through. There’s a Foreign Plate Report (pictorial version) along with your standard (near daily) dog photo at the end.
“Rabbit ~ Fear
A long time ago – no one really knows how long ago it was – Rabbit was a brave and fearless warrior. Rabbit was befriended by Eye Walker, a witch. The witch and Rabbit spent much time together sharing and talking. The two were very close.
One day Eye Walker and Rabbit were walking along and they sat down on the trail to rest. Rabbit said, ‘I’m thirsty.’ Eye Walker picked up a leaf, blew on it, and then handed Rabbit a gourd of water. Rabbit drank the water but didn’t say anything. Then Rabbit said, ‘I’m hungry.’ Eye Walker picked up a stone and blew on it and changed it in to a turnip. She gave the turnip to Rabbit to eat. Rabbit tasted it and then ate the turnip with relish. But still Rabbit did not say anything.
The two continued along the trail, which led into the mountains. Near the top, Rabbit tripped and fell and rolled almost to the bottom. Rabbit was in a very sad condition when Eye Walker got to him. She used a magic salve on Rabbit to heal his great pain and mend his broken bones. Rabbit didn’t say anything.
Several days later Eye Walker went searching for her friend. She searched high and low but Rabbit was nowhere to be found.
Finally, Eye Walker gave up. She met Rabbit quite by accident one day. ‘Rabbit, why are you hiding and avoiding me?’ the witch asked.
‘Because I am afraid of you. I am afraid of magic,’ answered Rabbit, cowering. ‘Leave me alone!’
‘I see,’ said Eye Walker. ‘I have used my magical powers on your behalf and now you turn on me and refuse my friendship.’
‘I want nothing more to do with you and your powers,’ Rabbit countered. Rabbit did not even see the tears his words were bringing to Eye Walker’s eyes. ‘I hope we never meet and that I never see you again,’ Rabbit continued.
‘Rabbit,’ Eye Walker said. ‘We once were great friends and companions, but no more. It is within my power to destroy you, but because of the past and the medicines we have shared together I will not do this. But from now on, you will call your fears and your fears will come to you. Be on your way, for the sweet medicines that bound us together as friends are broken.’
Now Rabbit is the Fear Caller. He goes out and shouts, ‘Eagle, I am so afraid of you.’ If Eagle does not hear him, Rabbit calls louder, ‘Eagle, stay away from me!’ Eagle, now hearing Rabbit, comes and eats him. Rabbit calls bobcats, wolves, coyotes, and even snakes until they all come.
As this story shows, Rabbit medicine people are so afraid of tragedy, illness, disaster, and ‘being taken’ that they call those very fears to them to teach them lessons. The keynote here is: what you resist will persist. What you fear the most is what you will become.
Here is the lesson. If you pulled Rabbit, stop talking about horrible things happening and get rid of ‘what if’ in your vocabulary. This card may signal a time of worry about the future or of trying to exercise your control over that which is not yet in form – the future. Stop now! Write your fears down and be willing to feel them. Breathe into them, and feel them running through your body into Mother Earth as a give-away.
Contrary:
The paralyzing feeling which Rabbit experiences when being stalked is Rabbit in the contrary position. If you have tried to resolve a situation in your life and are unable to, you may be feeling frozen in motion. This could indicate a time to wait for the forces of the universe to start moving again. It could also indicate the need to stop and take a rest.
It will always indicate a time when you need to re-evaluate the process you are undergoing, and to rid yourself of any negative feelings, barriers, or duress. Simply put, you cannot have your influence felt until you rearrange your way of seeing the present set of circumstances.
There is always a way out of any situation, because the Universal Force does move on. It is the way in which you handle the problems that allows you to succeed.
Take a hint from Rabbit. Burrow into a safe space to nurture yourself and release your fears until it is time again to move into the pasture, clear of prowlers who want a piece of your juicy energy.”
As was made abundantly clear in yesterday’s comments, you guys think I’m too hard on my wee self elf. So, I’m taking the Rabbit message to heart and letting go of those feelings now. (Or, ya know, TRYING to.) Thank you all so much for your support, and for your votes! The results are still coming in, so I’m just leaving the poll as it sits. Maybe forever. Or maybe I’ll take it down at some point.
Dan also thanks you for the kind words about his knitwear. (Yes, Megan, most of those hats are For Sale.) He and I walked in the rain today (nearly three miles), to pick up my car. The Wee Walnut now has functioning brakes.
We saw ducks, and joggers (South Eugene High School’s cross country team practicing), and full gutters, and other wet wanderers on the park path. Were passed by some hobos on bikes. Plus this Alaska car. We were going to take Max with us, but it was WAY too torrential and he is VERY close to the ground. (Also, it seemed too far for him, so I was trying to figure whether I could put him in a backpack or not……)
Warm and Dry, safe in Nana's chair.
Turns out we made the right choice, because now it’s starting to snow. Not that it will stick, but it does mean that the temperature is dropping. Better that he was here to greet us when we arrived home.
Today’s Deck:
Medicine Cards ~ The Discovery Of Power Through The Ways of Animals by Jamie Sams and David Carson, Illustrated by Angela C. Werneke
Here’s the warning, before we get going tonight: at the end of this post there will be a picture of a (recently fed) large snake. You’ve been alerted. And are now free to skip that part as you scroll down the post.
I rode the bike this afternoon in VERY wet weather. It did not kill me. Now that we know my “route” is around three and a half miles I can kind of gauge how far I go each week. Not like it matters, but ya know, information and wisdom and all that shit.
If you happen to have some extra healing vibes hanging around that you aren’t using, and maybe feel like tossing a few my way, I’d really appreciate not spending close to four miles in pain tomorrow. Just a thought. Thank you in advance.
Earlier today I sent Kate and her girls a small sized quilted bag, and picked up a zipper so I can make another one, also purple, for someone else who generously e-mailed me with a request. Sorry Robin, I could not find where in this heaving mass of a gazillion freaking words I had previously talked about my tote bag obsession. So I took some new pictures and will just update the info now.
Here are all that I currently have left. One large, two medium, and two smalls. They are machine pieced and quilted, all 100% cotton. They can be just thrown in the washer and dryer. I assembled them my own wee self elf, because I love totes and bags and purses and carry-alls and satchels of every flavor and style. I simply cannot keep all that I make. (You may recall the sweatshirt purse idea.)
Each one is completely individual and different and they all have plenty of pockets. In the above view you can see the large and medium bags turned partially inside out, the better to gaze at and appreciate the handy pocketage.
Here’s a shot of what the littlest ones look like from the back, with my phone as perspective. Sure, I could have given you their sizes in numbers, but that would have taken some forethought, and ya know, a measuring device. When I sold others like these to a guy at the mall, he paid me 15, 25, and 30 dollars, for the different sizes. No idea what he charged his customers later, but they sold out in days.
On our card altar this afternoon we are back to Gay’s deck of Saints & Angels. It’s very nice, and it is definitely the type of positive message we like to see around here. (No, Dan and I have not done anything about the table or the new deck yet, he had some training at the office or some damn thing, so we will get to the drilling and incorporating in another day or so.)
“Sweetness ~ Guardian Angel ~
Your guardian angel is asking you to notice and enjoy the nectar of life. ‘You are sweet,’ your guardian angel says to you, ‘and I can help you feel that happiness and joy.’ If you have felt toughened by life experiences, your angel can help you lower your defenses … and still be safe, protected, and respected.
This is also a message for you to treat yourself with tender sweetness. Give yourself rewards and be kind to yourself. Are you pushing too hard with an ‘all work and no play’ approach to life? Be a sweetheart to yourself, and take some leisure time to play and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Your guardian angel will also help you bring sweetness into your relationships in ways such as speaking with love, acting out of kindness, being generous, giving sincere compliments, and being thoughtful. As you show this extra consideration for others, it is sure to be returned to you plentifully. It is now time to fall back in love with life and enjoy its rich sweetness.”
Sometimes this is just the type of message we need as a reminder. Our lives are truly gifts, and when we are blessed enough to share our time with loved ones, that should be acknowledged with gratitude.
Even though it’s just me and Daniel here in The Burrow, we are usually all current on what’s up with our witchlings, and in the case of our girls, what’s up with their pets too. Empress recently went to buy some food for Coco. While she was in the shop, she saw this, and shared it as a phone photo.
This beauty had just eaten a rabbit, for the first time. One of the things I love about reptiles is how easy they are to feed. As long as you have no problem dealing with dead rodents, of course.
Growing pythons and boa constrictors advance along the food chain, beginning with tiny new born mice and rats, then moving up to youths and eventually adults. If they are a large breed the progression keeps going, to guinea pigs, birds, and rabbits. All of these prey items are humanely released from their lives, so that other creatures may continue on as pets, bringing joy to their people.
LateNight Update:Carol posted our fun meet-up from last week over at her place today. (With more ridiculous pictures of me. She looks lovely, I appear to be Special, again.)
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