"Welcome, Sun!" - Point of Reflection # 9 - The Sirian Starseed Tarot

Happy Winter Solstice!  Welcome to a New Era!

Today is the beginning of another 5,125 year cycle in the Mayan Calendar, as well as the beginning of another 26,000 year cycle.

 On a more personal level, today marks the day of the "sun standing still" (solstice), signifying the moment in our annual solar cycle when the days stop becoming shorter, stop giving way to more and more darkness, and we simply "rest."  Tomorrow, our days will resume their never-ending, cyclic journey, this time moving toward the light, allowing for more and more warmth and energy to be available to us, nourishing and coaxing the seeds of our dreams and intentions to sprout and become manifest.

The deck I chose to use for today's Point of Reflection is The Sirian Starseed Tarot by Patricia Cori.  This is a new deck, only published in 2012.  I've not worked with it much, but it felt right to use today.  And the card I chose to begin this new season?
 
VII - The Chariot

Some excerpts from the interpretation provided by the author:

"...Who is this charioteer, and what is he racing toward?...

Many are we who have come into body at this time as true spirit warriors, and the road can be treacherous.  Darkness and light pull at the reins of our being as we race ahead, learning that it is our focused mind and intention that harness the forces driving us forward.

Lord Kirshna holds the reins, representing the proper use of the focused mind to train and master the sense.  It reminds (us) that when we connect to our higher mind, with clarity of intent and purpose, we move forward in the light of Divine Guidance.  Our personal Krishna harnesses the forces that pull at the reins of our lives, darkness and light, and moves the chariot forward, always seeking resolution to the polarity of opposing forces - our own darkness and light, our demons, and our divinity.

The chariot is the body vehicle, through which mind, sirit, and form are manifest.  The horses represent the sensate tools and our own physical power that we utilize inour journey through life.  The reins in the hands of Lord Krishna are the depiction of right mind, which direct the senses to move us forward.  He reminds us that we are not alone in this mission of life and that we do always have Diving Guidance in our race toward our goals.

Words associated with The Chariot are focused intent, determination, goal orientation, achievement, ambition, victory.  To the querent it says,

"Go forward now and harness your desire with the higher consciousness you always can access."..."(emphasis added)
  (c) 2012 by Patricia Cori .  Tarot card art (c) 2012 by Patricia Cori and Alysa Bartha.

Safe Travels and "Joyous Solstice!"

I couldn't have asked for a more appropriate image to mark this "ending," which is, of course, a new beginning on the journey to our "becoming."  We all need a chariot to take us where we're going.

My hope is that in joining me on this quest you've discovered some new and different means of accessing your own inner guidance and wisdom.  I also hope you've allowed yourself to rediscover the joy of play and the sense of renewal and rejuvenation that comes when we give ourselves just a little bit of time (and more importantly, internal permission) to "indulge" in self-reflection.

Thank you, too, for allowing me to share with you the magic of that which lies just beyond...
 

"T minus 1" - Point of Reflection # 8 - Divine Guidance

Today's Point of Reflection comes to us from Divine Guidance Oracle Cards (affiliate link) by Cheryl Lee Harnish.

As you can see from the samples of the cards at right, as well as the larger version of "our" card for today, below, the images in this deck are not as obvious in their meanings.  There aren't any depictions of birds, or clouds, or animals, or people dressed a certain way - all of which create instantaneous associations within our minds, almost always primarily via our cultural biases.  While this can be instructive, it can also be limiting.

The artwork reflected in today's deck utilizes fractals and by its very nature provokes us to start using (and maybe even trusting) our intuition in a deeper way.  I've found these cards speak to my heart in ways that are hard to explain, and evoke emotions and sometimes just a "sense" about things that is almost beyond words. 

The Way I Do It

As I've done throughout this series, before choosing a card for today's blog, I made a point of settling myself and clearing my mind.  I grounded myself by sitting up straight, envisioning "roots" of energy extending down from the soles of my feet, sinking their way down into the earth and connecting with the core of our planet.  I also envisioned white light beaming down from the center of the universe into the top of my head, allowing these earth and astral energies to meet and mingle in my heart.  I then specifically stated my intention to act as a messenger for all who might be reading this blog, and then asked for a card that would speak to each and every one of you, in exactly the way you need.

Today's Point of Reflection:  "AWAKENING"

"This is a powerful card.  You are now entering into a complete awakening:  to your higher self, your intuition, your gifts, your role on the planet and the Divine plan.  The opening of your heart-center is allowing your inner vision to see more clearly.  In turn, this is empowering you on many levels, both energetically and intuitively, to walk your path and do what you have come here to do.  Your Awakening will subconsciously call out to others to step into their own Light as well." 

(c) Cheryl Lee Harnish 2011

Cause for Celebration?

My husband and I have been using these cards since shortly after they were published.  We don't use them every day, by any means, but we have taken them along on many walks over the past 18 months or so. And so it was with a sense of shock that I realized, when I chose for "all of us" today, that I'd never seen this specific card before.  

We only have one more day left before experiencing the Winter Solstice and the much ballyhooed Galactic Alignment, "End" of the Mayan Long Count Calendar, Pachakuti, and fulfillment of Hopi Prophecy.  We've been encouraged, by the Points of Self-Reflection chosen over the past eight days, to:

• Connect with Spirit, our Higher Selves, our Guardians and Guides, and Mother Earth and her children and elements;
• Reflect on our heart's desires and what we want to create in our lives; and 
• Contemplate our dedication and commitment to manifesting our deepest truths and highest callings.

I could not have asked for a more beautiful card for us to receive.  What better cause to Celebrate...than our Awakening?

 

"T minus 2" - Point of Reflection # 7 - Co-Creation Code Deck

Today's tool to aid us in self-reflection is a card chosen from the Co-Creation Code Deck (affiliate link) by Rowena Pattee Kryder.

This deck is very different from "the Tarot" in general, or any other oracular implement we've explored so far during this journey toward the Winter Solstice of 2012.

Indeed, there are so many layers, so many levels to these cards, that I must readily admit that I have only explored them superficially.  My sense since purchasing them some years ago is that they represent keys to unlock some very deep and profound layers of our consciousness.  I've never felt a call to use them on a daily basis - rather, I've used them as a touchstone when encountering deep feelings of profound change in myself or in my environment.

The card I chose for "us" today is:

"15 - WIND - Order interconnects"

"The Wings of Wind play the harp of the collective unconscious, projected from space.  Only the imagination can reach this Wind - for it is subtle, intangible - within your consciousness.  Listen!  You can hear its murmuring, its high frequency, its soothing voice as well as its howling!  Listen to the wind in trees and grasses, the wind-lapped waves of lakes. Listen to hurricanes!  What is the Wind saying to you?  It will penetrate to the matrix of your being and from this matrix you can weave the Wind - merge threads of subconscious desires - into a fabric of sublime beauty.  Opposites weave into one another in this Wind of essences.  You can now integrate what appears to be irreconcilable into variegated garments to embody your truth.  If there is a gap between the essences of Wind and the physical force of wind, write a poem.  Realize that interconnection, weaving, integration of soul happens by dream work, imaginal work, symbolic ways.  Fly free in the Wind and make it your friend.  How is the wind apart from space?  You breathe wind, whereas space is in the mind.  Unite space and Wind in an infinitesimally small or infinitely large awareness that your own soul matrix is one with all sources.  Relax in the breeze and speak from the Wind!"
(c) 2003 by Rowena Pattee Kryder

I am going to "trust," once again, that I was encouraged to use this deck today, and choose this card in particular, for the benefit of those of you who've had the courage and dedication to accompany me thus far.  Perhaps those of you who have an affinity to music and harmonics will receive a message or gain an insight from "tuning" into the Harmonic specified on the card, and the note referenced, that will be more meaningful than all the words in the world.

I don't pretend to understand this, beyond my own connection with the Wind itself.  My passions lie in connecting with the Elements, with Nature, and with Spirit as expressed through them, and more.  But perhaps we all "interconnect" with each other and All That Is through our own unique passions, loves, and predilections.

Find what speaks to you ~ and listen.   Allow yourself to be carried by the Wind into a place of deepest reflection.  Allow yourself to appreciate your own precious way of being in harmony in this world.

"T minus 4" - Point of Reflection # 6 - Vision Quest Tarot

Today's Point of Reflection is a selection from what may be my favorite tarot deck:  Vision Quest Tarot by Gayan S. Winter and Jo Dose (affiliate link).

After many years of unconscious resistance (a blog post for another day), I've come to a place of deep appreciation for and delight in "the Tarot" as a tool for self-awareness and personal understanding.  I've overcome a gut-level, inchoate fear that had no discernible roots in my experience.

This deck, and one other that I may share over the next few days that helped me move beyond my discomfort, played a big part in my willingness to explore "the Tarot."  My fondness for this deck is rooted in its indigenous, Nature-based focus.  It just feels comfortable and, even more important, comforting to me.  That's not to say that the messages delivered by this system aren't universal - and don't occasionally amount to a kick in the rear-end - for they are, and they do.  I just resonate with the symbols and feel at home in allowing them to speak to my heart.

Today's Point of Reflection?                    
(You know, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.  Well, I guess could, but not without it seeming completely contrived and losing all credibility...)
                                                                       
 V. - Shaman (relates to the Heirophant in traditional decks)


"In essence:  WISDOM - transcendence - intuition - deep knowledge of underlying forces - clear insight into recurring cycles - supernatural talents - otherworldly, extrasensory visions

Inner message:  The Shaman inside you is capable of merging his intuitive perceptiveness with the wisdom of the Elders.  Meditate and find out what really motivates you, what your inner core truly desires.  Don't waste time trying to fulfill more superficial desires. They can never satisfy your ancient longing.  That is not their task.  Shift your attention to what is ESSENTIAL.  Most essential in your life is your own being.  Without knowing the true essence of your being, your heart will always remain empty and dissatisfied.  Without recognition of who you are, without inwardly awakening to that, you stumble like a drunkard through a maze of meaningless limitations.  Remember your Self!  Take the time and whatever space you need to explore your innermost being.  For that, you don't have to go anywhere.

Outward manifestation:  Much of what no longer feels right for you is ready to leave or fall away.  Be thankful!  You may have to go through the pain of disillusionment, but that's in fact your liberation.  If you want to awaken to Reality, no spiritual entertainment technique can help you.  It is time to face yourself.  The Shaman merely reminds you of your spiritual heritage.  He points to your source, the unnameable, the mystery of your existence, the power that created everything and absorbs you back into itself at the end of this life.  Contemplate how to best spend your time!"
(c) 1998 AGM AG Muller

This is What I'm Talking About!

Talk about a kick in the pants.  I cannot imagine that, if you've taken the time to visit this blog and read this far, that this Point of Reflection doesn't resonate deep within you, that it doesn't poke you and prod you and yet make you want to smile and maybe even laugh - as in, "Yeah, I'm busted."

You're here for a reason, and I'll leave it up to you to decide what I mean by that.

"T minus 5" - Point of Reflection # 5 - Runes

"And now for something completely different."  Well, no; not really.  Although for once I'm not choosing a card of any kind for guidance.  This afternoon, rather, I'm choosing a chunk of plaster with an archaic symbol impressed upon it.

Runes harken back to our Nordic ancestors, particularly those who lived in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.  Watch The Hobbit and you'll see them making an appearance on a map critical to the Dwarves.

One of the first efforts in modern times to bring runes back into widespread use as an Oracle was the 1982 publication of The Book of Runes (affiliate link) by Ralph Blum.  Since then, a huge number of books and treatises have been published on this ancient means of communication and divination. 

Asking for a "touchstone" for us as we contemplate the wisdom (and inherent risk) in heeding the encouragement of Amaterasu to show the world who we really are, I held the pouch of stones and gently tumbled them over and over.  Reaching in, one seemed to jump into my hand:

Laguz
Flow - Water - That Which Conducts

"Unseen powers are active here, powers that nourish, shape and connect.  The attributes of this Rune are water, fluidity, the ebb and flow of emotions, of vocations and relationships. (...) 

This Rune often signals a time for cleansing: for revaluing, reorganizing, realigning.  A Rune of deep knowing, Laguz may call you to study spiritual matters in readiness for self-transformation.  Success now lies in contacting your intuitive knowing, in attuning to your own rhythms..."
                                                                                                           (c) 1982, 1987 by Ralph Blum

This feels like an invitation.  It feels like Spirit is encouraging those people who may be reading these posts but aren't sure if there's "anything to this stuff" to just dive in and see where this call to "revalue, reorganize, realign" may take you.  And for those of us who've already embraced the invitation?  

Confirmation.

"T minus 6" - Point of Reflection # 4 - Ascended Master Oracle Deck

It's Monday.  I don't know about you, but it felt like our emotional plates were full this weekend, and to add even one more thing "to do" (even if it was only a requested shift of perspective) might have been asking too much.

So in honor of this being Monday and everyone putting on their game faces and stepping back out into the world of doing and running, I'll be offering two Points of Perspective today.  Shorter ones.  Perhaps one will resonate with you more than another.  Perhaps not.

First up is the Ascended Master Oracle Deck, (affiliate link), created by Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.: 

Centering myself, I asked for a link to whichever Ascended Master had something in particular to say to us today.

I chose Amaterasu - "Come Out of the Closet" 

Initially, I resisted this choice.  I thought, "Oh right.  What a dumb card to pick.  This will just make this whole process look ridiculous."  (Yes, I had this reaction despite the fact that I work with Spirit and my intuition on a regular basis - and have been for YEARS.)  But then I read the text:

"It's time for you to make your real feelings and beliefs known.  This card asks you to reveal who you really are to yourself and others.  This may involve having a heart-to-heart discussion with a loved one or allowing other people to see your true nature.  You will be spiritually supported in this process, and the ascended masters will help you to be lovingly honest.  As a result of coming out of the closet, your relationships will deepen because you'll know that you're loved for who you really are.

Additional meanings for this card:  Let go of judgments about yourself or others; Speak your truth with love; Allow others to get to know the real you; Trust that your authentic self is lovable and likable; The more  authentic you are, the higher the energy and success of all of your projects."
(c) 2007 by Doreen Virtue 

While searching for the image of this card so I could post it, I came across a fascinating retelling of the story of Amaterasu here.  I was so moved by the message contained in this rendition of this ancient story that I urge you to read it too.  There is a bigger message here, if we choose to hear it.

It just fits.  We need to find our voices, and not be afraid to use them. 

"T minus 7" - Point of Reflection # 3 - The Gaian Tarot

I'm never disappointed by how amazingly spot-on the guidance I receive is; that is, when I remember to ask for it.  That doesn't mean I'm not disappointed with what I'm being told, though.  Sometimes it feels as though the Universe, God, Goddess, Spirit, whatever you want to call that Essence that is greater than all of us and somehow both holds and IS the matrix that creates everything, is picking on me. 

I do not feel picked on today.

I feel amazed, awed, and humbled.

Again, I settled myself in my space and grounded myself and my thoughts.  I got quiet and still.  I opened my heart and asked for a message, something that would speak to our hearts - all of our hearts - as we struggle to maintain our balance in these chaotic, heart-rending times.

"What do we need to hear?  What do we need to "get" as we move toward this momentous Winter Solstice?" I asked, with deepest sincerity.

The cards of the Gaian Tarot (affiliate link), a lovely, earth-based, beautifully wrought "modern" tarot deck, created by Joanna Powell Colbert, shuffled effortlessly in my hands.  I stopped when I sensed the card to choose was on top.

Our card for Reflection, Contemplation, Celebration, and Connection today?

Justice - Karmic balance

I encourage you to follow the link, above, to read the excerpt pertaining to this card that is provided by the author on her website.  Simply examining the image, however, one can sense the essential message being conveyed to us.

How does this card apply to each of us?

In order to deepen our understanding of how the Justice card applies to us today, we might want to reflect upon the following concepts and how they are, remarkably, swirling around in and infringing upon our collective reality in a myriad of ways, particularly as a result of the tragedy in Newtown, CT.  These themes are, quite literally DEMANDING our attention:

• Karma                                      Justice
• Truth                                        Right order
• Social justice                         Cause and effect
• Responsibility                       Legal issues
• Actions and consequences

It is becoming increasingly obvious that we cannot continue along the path we've been trodding without encountering profound consequences.  Indeed, we are reaping them in this very moment.  The question is whether we will choose to take responsibility  - now - for the imbalances that are becoming apparent, in both our own lives and our society, and work together to achieve a new sense of equanimity.

We are in this together.

"T minus 8" - Point of Reflection # 2 - The Ocean Oracle

Today's offering is from an extremely rare set of cards that encourages our connection to Source via the symbols of the sea :

The Ocean Oracle.

This deck is rare because it is currently only being distributed via word-of-mouth, with each deck lovingly hand-crafted by a dear writer/healer/friend of mine who lives in Australia, Susan Marte.  In an exciting development, however, the deck will be available as an "app" for your mobile device within the next few days.

Centering myself and quieting my mind, I plant my feet firmly on the floor in front of me and just sit for a moment.  I set my intention to choosing a card "for all of us."  I ask to receive a card that will have meaning and provide guidance to all who are joining me on this journey to the Winter Solstice.

Today's Point of Reflection:

"Mussel" - Tenacity

The Story:

The ocean is its own unique ecosystem.  What resides in the water is dependent on the ebb and flow of the tides; as well as what else lives in and around the water.  In all of nature, there are some things which can be both a pest and a predator.  Most of the time, the delineation is a matter of perspective.  Mussels attach themselves to that which is inactive, unlikely to move.  What it anchors to is something which cannot generally escape.  Many times mussels can be found attached to rocks, their fine filaments holding them safe against the tides, allowing them to feed on the abundant nutrients which freely pass by them.  This relationship is not one of harm.  But when mussels attach themselves to something like an oyster, the relationship is harmful.  The mussel's presence could eventually kill the oyster because its tenacious grip renders the oyster unable to move away from the toxins which are exuded from the mussel.  These toxins are unhealthy for the oyster's well-being, and ultimately its survival.  The mussel is not deliberate in this harm, but nonetheless, it still endangers the oyster.

The Messages:

What are you holding onto and not letting go of?  Are you holding it, or is it holding you?  Tenacity can both free and bind.  Is what you are holding onto nourishing you in a symbiotic relationship, or is your grip, your attachment, squeezing the life out of of one of you?  Is your tenacity poisonous?  Or is it a lifeline?  Be aware of that which you hold too tightly, or that which hold you.  Sometimes letting go that tightly held job, relationship or idea is the way to free your energy flow for something more life enhancing to enter into your ecosystem.
 (c) Susan Marte 2012


Ah, tenacity.  I can definitely see how, for some of us, this may be one of the gifts we bring to our lives, our work, our journey.  I might also confess how my tenacity can sometimes easily work to choke off my creative flow and growth.  

Just my efforts today, in attempting to get this post published, was a painful reminder of how my tenacious insistence that I  understand exactly how to insert text and photos into my blog posts almost completely derailed my best efforts and intentions.  As I approached a personal meltdown this afternoon, I realized the irony of how I was reacting to my frustration.  The text of this card, which I was trying to "link" to as a pdf (similar to yesterday's post) instead of typing out in its entirety, reminded me that I really needed to stop clinging so dearly to my idea of how this post would look.  So here it is.      


 Is TENACITY a trait you need to celebrate in your life?  Is it one of your gifts?  Or is it an aspect of character that holds you back from exploring new opportunities and adventures?

"T minus 9" - Point of Reflection #1: Medicine Cards

 

The first point of self-reflection I'm offering for your consideration focuses on the use of Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson (affiliate link).

These cards are a staple in my life.  As I've written many times over the years, in a variety of venues, it is an extremely rare day that goes by that Karl and I don't "pick a card" on our day as we sit and have coffee together each morning. 

I sat quietly this evening, centered myself, and asked Spirit for guidance for myself and whomever chooses to embark upon this journey with me:  "The 9 Days of (Winter) Solstice."  Planting my feet firmly on the floor in front of me, I asked what card would be the perfect start for us in this time of Connection, Celebration, Reflection, and Contemplation.

The card I chose?  Grouse.                         

To me, the choice is a lovely one.  I urge you to read the full text of Grouse provided above, and consider what Spirit is telling each one of us.

Could it be that we are precisely at the beginning of a nine day Vision Quest (without, luckily for us, the requirement of fasting)?  The symbol of the spiral, which is associated with Grouse Medicine, is a metaphor for the very human endeavor of going within in order to gain personal power and enlightenment. 

If that is not an "invitation to the dance," an encouragement for all of us to make a commitment to ourselves to engage in at least half an hour of internal reflection per day over the next nine days, I don't know what is. 

Read the card.  Allow it to speak to you.  Let it form a basis for some reflection tonight - and tomorrow - (until I post the next Point of Reflection!).  Perhaps this is a message giving you a strategy (movement) for connecting to what's important.  Maybe taking a walk outside and really paying attention to nature would help your process.  Use your imagination.  Listen.