If not Equal, then Level

             Merry Equinox to one all All!  Okay, maybe not ALL.  But in this time of chaos, what you won’t hear from me is anything topical, medical, global, nor political.  None of that in this space right now.

             It’s everywhere else, it doesn’t need to be here.  Instead, we’ll be focusing on Care.  Care for ourselves.  In whatever form that takes.

             Care for others, if we are able.  Again, in whatever form that takes.

             There is to be no judgment at this time.  We can’t afford it.  We are all doing the best we can with what we have.  To say that Our Way is “better” than someone else’s is to cause the biggest hurt.

             We don’t know how others are coping, we must look only within.  We must be more gentle than ever.  We must be kind.  Patient.  And filled with LovingKindess.

             I’m not negating the fact that many of us are in pain and discomfort, and that we shouldn’t experience our feelings.  While we acknowledge these emotions, we have to remember about permanence.  Nothing lasts forever.   Not even horrible and weird uncertainty.

             We have control over how we react.  And how we move forward.  Or, how we may be sitting still.  We have control over how we breathe.

            During this moment, let us allow ourselves (and each other) to Be.  To breathe.  To have some space and some healing.  It can only help.

 

 

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Peace and Knowledge

             This current global tumultuousness can erode us like the waves do on a shoreline.  Wearing us down, abrading us away.  It all feels overwhelming and exhausting at times.  Makes me tired just thinking about how much there is still to do.

             But, here’s where we don’t let the bastards get us down.  Here’s where the Universe steps in, and in Its ultimate wisdom, gifts us with a reminder.

No Need To Join The Battle

            When we use words like “war” we then process, mentally and spiritually and emotionally, with that idea.  With the thought that we are either winning or losing the conflict.  When in reality, it’s NOT a battle at all.  We are not a conquering hoard, we are not out to slay our enemies.

             Teach them?  Yes.   Help them to understand the concepts of unity and compassion?  Definitely.  Improve our lives, and those of everyone else’s?  No question about it.

             Our weariness is misdirected.  Rather, when we view the work yet to be done as a lesson yet to be learned, we have changed our attitude, and removed the battle scenario; changing wars into teachable moments.

             Continuing this theme on in through Equinox week, I was directed to draw from an old friend.  And, of course, this deck brings us our validation.  Focusing on our own Personal Power, remembering it, will help us to move forward, see from every angle,  share knowledge, never needing to engage in battles (imaginary or otherwise).

“Horse  ~  20  ~  Personal Power

When first introduced, Horse strengthened and deepened the people’s view of the world.  It afforded them greater understanding of the land because it allowed them to explore the horizon on a level never known before.

With obvious links to movement and travel, Horse sanctioned the exploration and conquering of the physical setting, the breaking of boundaries and the expansion of territory.

In similar fashion, Horse Dreaming embraces the essence of Personal Power and what it means to spiritually journey within in search of inherent wisdom.

Personal Power represents the wealth of knowledge we may accumulate over a lifetime of experience which, when honoured, shifts us from the mundane and familiar, into a world of unlimited potential.

According to tradition, a Horse stands symbolically at each of the four cardinal points on the great Wheel of Life, with the yellow Palomino protecting the East, the red Chestnut standing in the North, the black horse guarding the West, and the White or Dapple Grey representing the energies of the South.

Each of the four directions offers a sacred gift of Power and a wealth of corresponding energetic wisdom.

It is up to us to go out and spiritually seek this knowledge and, once found, integrate it into our life.  Metaphorically journeying to the East, for example, brings with it the gifts of illumination and introspection, while heading to the North inspires a healthy blend of innocence and passion.

In the West we learn to understand the art of introspection and meditation, and in the South we are offered maturity and judgment.

If Horse has galloped into your cards today, you are being primed for a journey of great power.

We all subconsciously know where our Personal Power lies, and as long as we instigate the search, we will ultimately find it – resulting in great rewards on all levels.

Remember: all journeys start with a simple step forward, with any forward movement nurturing growth, and growth leading to development and enrichment.

Promoting a sense of complete freedom, the appearance of Horse suggests travel of all kinds, both inner and outward; emotional, physical, and spiritual.”

             Additionally, when first directed here, I felt how deep and dynamic this entire message was.  If we feel tired, Horse is there to lend strength, to help us rise above, and to remind us never to forget how very powerful we truly are.

Today’s Deck:

Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards by Scott Alexander King

Today’s Sharing:

is this bonus messenger.

             Not sure where the paper came from, but it drifted to the floor as I was getting situated here at my desk.

             While I’ve not been enjoying the signs of Spring, I do know that once we are through the miserable heat of Summer, cool weather will return.

             It feels as though this tiny Owl has dropped in to help me recall the dying of overly bright days and too short nights.  The reminder here is that our seasons move smoothly, from one in the next.

             Living with intention means we can be in all of them (even if we don’t love this particular one).  Knowing that none of them last.  But every one will return, again and again.

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The Light of Assurance

             We’ve discussed before how our charts work.  And that we’ve all set up a sort of blueprint of what this life will be about; the  basic way we will be living it.

             One of the most challenging and yet vastly important, aspects of this system is for us to have faith in the processes we initially created for ourselves.

             Here’s what I woke up with, feel free to sing along.

Over the Rainbow

             Because of our physical limitations, we don’t know what’s around that next corner, what’s on the other side of that door.  We can only hopeandprayandbelieve that our planning results in what’s best for everyone concerned.

             Even when we catch a glimpse of, or have a fleeting dream about, what some folks call Heaven, we still have to come back here and keep going forward.  Keep showing up for work.  Keep trying to pay the bills.

             It can make it difficult to recall our blueprint, and the fact that yes, everything really WILL be okay.  The truth is, if we merely look up, we can see that Rainbow after a downpour.  There’s that promise.  There’s that validation.

             It’s also a sign of Hope.  A recharge to get us through the next stress-inducing real-life battle.  We’ll all go Home, we’ll be over the rainbow.  When it’s time to go, we will go.

             For now, we take a tiny bit of that arc of colors and we hold it close.  We tuck it next to our heart.  Because when the clouds move in again (they always do) we’ll have our Rainbow.  No matter what the weather brings us.

             On our card altar right now, the Universe has brought us the prize at the rainbow’s end.

“Gold with Quartz  ~

physically grounding, abstract ideas and inspirations

Several wonderful ideas and inspirations are filtering through into your physical reality.  These ideas and inspirations, which stem from your soul will help you manifest many of the things your heart has, for so long, desired.

Over the coming days your intuition will be strong and you will have a greater sense of the universal spirit that flows through all things.

Through this, a new found sense of joy and wonder emerges, one which transforms your life.  Give thanks for this blessing and allow it to inspire and illuminate you heart and mind.

Your ideas and inspirations are divinely guided, so trust them!”

Today’s Deck:

Crystal Oracle Cards by Toni Carmine Salerno

Today’s Sharing:

is to wish you all a very happy and healthy Vernal Equinox!

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Emergence and Circling.

             Did everyone have a delightful Vernal Equinox?  It’s all about the changes and new growth.  I saw so many spring flowers from my bike today.  Very encouraging.

             So are our messages.  What I was shown this morning was thorough, and detailed.  Which, considering the subject matter, is kind of unusual.  For me.

Time is not a straight line.

             It wrinkles, as the book title tells us.  And it loops over onto itself, as science fiction has touted for decades.  Simply put, it seriously is not even measurable.   Even though we TRY to make it fit our parameters.

             Time and I have a complicated relationship.  We just don’t understand each other very well.  So that makes it challenging.  Good thing it’s not really a very solid phenomenon.

             Perspective is another feature of Time that makes it unreliable.  And then, as our Special Occasion draw shows us, it can be part of how we move through this life, and how we view that movement.  Including how Time itself is transformative.

“Butterfly  ~  3  ~  Transformation

Butterfly dreaming works vibrationally with the number three.  Since ancient times three has represented creative power and growth.  Three was the first number to traditionally represent the ‘whole.’  As a symbol, the number three contains an obvious beginning, middle, and end.  It is the Triad – a term which embodies the universal nature of the world as Heaven, Earth, and Sea.  It is life as a whole, encompassing the three phases of the moon, for example, the three phases of human development (Maiden/Youth, Mother/Father, Crone/Sage) and humanity itself, being made up of the body, mind, and soul.

As the Butterfly moves from one developmental stage of life to another (as it moves from the darkness and confines of the chrysalis to the light of freedom), it shows trust in its ability to grow and adapt to new situations.

Butterfly promises that when contemplating change, and when the time is right, she will offer three potent windows of opportunity to rebirth, growth, and heal on all levels – with each window augured by ‘butterflies in the stomach,’ lasting approximately one week.  Such a period is typically followed by a figurative death, represented by the ending of a job or relationship, a bout of depression, a breakdown, or a sudden shift in awareness.  Only after the darkness is celebrated can clarity and gratitude by reinstated.

When initiating changes, wait for the ‘butterflies in the stomach.’  This is the best time to get things moving.  However, if you feel the butterflies in the stomach, but cannot activate anything due to extenuating circumstances, do not fret.  Butterfly offers three windows of opportunity.  Simply wait until the next time the butterflies are felt.  But be aware that if the second opportunity is left unheeded, the third chance may very well be the last one offered for some time.

To have Butterfly flit its way into your cards is to be encouraged to harness the silence so that you may better hear those around you, both corporeally and ethereally; those who may be calling to you from their heart rather than with their voice.”

Today’s Deck:

Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards by Scott Alexander King

Today’s Sharing:

is THIS update on our good friend, the super talented astrologist.  Healing thoughts and buckets of love to you, Sarah!

All Equal, All Here.

             Hope everyone had a delightful and festive Equinox today.  Ready?  SPRING!  Wait, what?  Not where you live?  Sure it is.  What ever your weather is doing, it’s exactly right.  Besides, we can’t have those sprouting flowers if we don’t have those cleansing showers.

             And I have the perfect example for  you.  Look at this phone photo from just hours ago.

Between hailstorms and cloudbursts.
Barely.
(You can’t see me, but I AM wearing my raingear.)

             Here is a view from part of my ride earlier.   When I go through this park on my way to the pool I pedal along here.  Some days it floody-er than others.

             When we talk about this season we always think of the greening.  It’s so fresh and lively; there is such promise, in our physical lives as well as our spiritual ones.  Here’s something that I recently found which sums it up beautifully:

“This is a time of balance in our life.  Spring Equinox represents fertility and the urge to create.  We are poised with our desires and visions though.  We want them to be exactly what we love the most since we’ll reap the fruit of every seed we plant.  It’s time to review and renew every part of our life, to redesign and empower our relationship to outer reality from a clear vision within.”

             Marielle’s SITE is a great one, and I plan on going back there to read more.  (Bonus, she’s in Canada!)  As she points out, this is a good time for going over and evaluating where we are presently, looking deeper at our progress and addressing anything that’s not going so well.  It’s also an excellent opportunity to tune in.  That “clear vision within” will help with all of these fabulous new endeavors and blooming gifts.

             Our daily draw message corresponds perfectly with this.  And it’s also what we’ve been focusing on for quite some time around here.  (Additionally, this is one of my all time favorite illustrations.   I can’t even tell you how much  I love it.  It will be my next extra-large copy to go on wall.)

“Awareness  ~

Practice present-moment awareness.

The meaning you yearn for lives in the ever-present NOW.”

             There are several* shards and scraps of papers near all of my work areas, one of them says, “present moment, be in it NOW!”  I can see it from where I sit right this second.  So yeah, this has been on my mind.

*Okay, there’s LOTS of ’em.  EVERY damn where.

             As you well know, I jot down a positive statement everyday while I do my “morning” journaling.  Today, this is what came out of my pen:

“I am present now, enjoying and acknowledging this perfect and blessed moment, blissful in my gratitude.”

Today’s Deck:

Self-Care Cards by Cheryl Richardson

Today’s Mileage:

is not complete because I have trouble with time math, and my wee tracking device did not get zeroed out after our ride yesterday, so the evening trip was added to those previous numbers.  It’s almost four miles, up and back, as usual, at 9.2 MPH average speed.

Today’s Sharing:

go HERE to see* what my Hurricane was up to lately (it involves beer, very good, and very local beer).  In the e-mail she said, “just thought you’d want to see it. You can Like them on Facebook at Northwest Beer Night.”  So Facebook people, you can go do that.  (Seriously, once again, I just couldn’t BE any more freaking proud of my children.)

*You will actually SEE her, talking and everything.

Yesterday’s Baking:

turned out for the best, in the end.  At several points along the way though, it was worrisome.  Dan used every piece of hot temperature-measuring implement he owns (which is several) and determined that our new-old oven heats effectively and pretty precisely.  That’s good.

             We argued over a recipe (which I am not going to share, because it’s super basic and you can find tons just like it, or close enough, all over the interwebz).  That’s about how we roll, bickering being our standard operating procedure.  The treats were edible.  That’s also good.  They did not, however, turn out like any cupcakes WE have ever eaten (or made).

             (Okay, I changed my mind.  Sort of.  I’ve tweeted the recipe.  But that’s as far as I’m willing to take this.)

There were many more, but we gave a bunch to Emma, and we ate several.

             There was a ganache topping that was recommended.  Daniel whipped that right up, and we dunked those tiny rascals down into it.  He also (begrudgingly) crafted a white chocolate glaze.  That didn’t do exactly what we were expecting.  But it tasted fine!  (Highly unlikely that the deputy and I will be attempting these again.   Tomorrow I’m back to cookies.)

This Week’s Mom-ism:

is from the other day, after we had dinner with my parents.  I made a printed copy of that post where I told you about how she’d be available  should anyone need a knitted hat or a hug, and I left it on her desk.  She called me the next day (before noon, knowing I wouldn’t be up, but it was when she’d been reading it and thinking of me) and left this message on the home phone,

“Oh Julie Terese!  That article (or whatever the hell it was) that you wrote for your blog about me was so sweet.  It was like the most loving and touching eulogy, but I’m not even dead yet!  Thank you, Honey, it made me cry.  And it’s true, I AM the richest woman in the world!”