Tarot Tuesday

The Seven of Cups is all about choices, opportunities and dreams, some are rather fanciful and others are more realistic and grounded. In the Seven of Cups, we see that each cup contains something different....Rainbow = hope; Dove = love; Vine = plenty; Coins= prosperity; Fire =safety; Stars = dreams; Light -=truth. This card shows us that there is an abundance of choices that we can ponder and when making decisions we must take into account how each choice will either hinder or benefit.

When visualizing these objects in the cups we can also find inspiration in them....we can become inspired to write poetry...follow a long thought of dream we have never lost site of...but if they become distractions and take us from the path we are on we must stop and decide if that is the wisest thing to do, a warning perhaps that our heads may be in the clouds a little too much and a good dose of reality is needed.

As with everything in life, we can fall into the trap of "If a little is good then a lot is even better" and that leads us to shocking catastrophe as we have seen in the Tower when our little worlds come crashing down upon our ears. Moderation is always in our best interests whether it be wise or daydream-like decisions and choices

The Gilded Tarot

Ciro Marchetti

Hauntings And Ghosts And Spirits...Oh My!

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GHOST HUNTER IF...

1.)Your calendar of events has more ghost hunting dates than birthdays and anniversaries.

2.)You have a closet dedicated to ghost hunting equipment

3.)Your computer is book marked with ghost hunt equipment stores and e-bay favorites for ghost equipment

4.)Your address book contains a notation of G.H. or a complete section of ghost hunters

5.)You have at least ten videotapes of ghost investigations.

6.)You have at least two digital cameras and an assortment of tape recorders.

7.)Your idea of a great night out is not dinner but a cemetery at midnight.

8.)You have more ghost and orb pictures than you have pictures of your friends and relatives.

9.)You take more pictures in the dark than in the daylight

10.)Midnight is your favorite hour


But seriously folks....What exactly is a ghost...? Where do they come from..? How does this widely reported phenomenon occur exactly? These questions have been residing in our psyche almost since the dawn of time. Yesterday, I wrote about Summerland....a beautiful place that our energy or soul, as some call it, goes after our bodies die. What we do there... what we experience while there... no one really knows but I have a theory about what happens in the strange and unusual cases of reported ghosts and hauntings.

It is my belief that after passing...our energy... spirit or soul (however you wish to call it) goes on to a higher plane, either that of a higher vibration or state of being and we become part of the collective consciousness, Akashik Record (or Universal Mind as I refer to it)... it is a vast repository of all that has ever been thought or said. But what if one were to leave this world that we exist in now in a violent or emotionally distraught state? Do they go into this Universal Mind or does part of their energy remain behind as place memories, greed or of a life not lived?

I firmly believe that sometimes those who are not satisfied in this world, who are greedy and want more life do stick around and can be rather disturbing and rude pockets of negative energy. I think that those who maybe are not aware that they are no longer alive continue to exist in a state of confusion and maybe even a dreamlike state...wandering; searching, not quite aware of what has happened. Then sometimes, I think that there are those memories of those who were so attached to an object or person leave traces of themselves behind and become what are called residual hauntings.

I have seen what most ghost enthusiasts call "Shadow People" and often caught myself scoffing at the idea that that was a real occurrence....but after starting to step from the bathroom and into the hallway, catching myself and stepping back because something was headed down the hall towards me on a collision course (had I stepped fully into the hall) and realizing it wasn't one of my children because they generally don't vanish in front of my eyes, I swiftly and shakily reevaluated my position and was not quite as taken by surprise the next few times.

I do not claim to know all the answers, these things I have blogged about today are simply theories that my rational yet spiritual mind tells me. I'm not sure what will happen to me after my body dies but I do know there is something out there beyond what our human minds can comprehend, there is so much more than our senses can tell us while we are in this state of being. Maybe one day after I pass on, I will write from the great unknown in a tell all book.

Serenity Sunday

What happens after death? No one can say for sure but I believe that only the body dies.... The soul or energy lives on since energy cannot be destroyed. Some people say that it journeys to a realm variously known as the Summerlands, Land of the Faerie, the Shining. After I die, I believe I will go to the Summerland which is kind of like the wiccan equivalent of heaven, but since I do not believe in the devil, I do not believe in hell either.

It is said the Summerland is where the spirits that presently do not have an earthly body wait for the right time to return to earth to fulfill the lessons we have not yet learned. It is known by many names and is often referred to as the Land of Eternal Summer and seen as a gorgeous, lush green field, with beauty and trees all around you, with a bright blue sky and a few puffy white clouds, cute little animals...

My List:

1.) My kids

2.) my cats

3.) kisses

4.) The scent of my roses drifting in my open window at night.

5.) Holding hands

6.) Dreaming

7.) Tide with bleach

8.) Hyssop and rose petals in the tub

9.) Whispers in my ear

10.) Smiles

Today In Wiccan History

"Call upon the Goddess and God to protect you and teach you the secrets of magic. Ask stones and plants to reveal their powers - and listen. "

Scott Cunningham

June 27, 1956 – March 28, 1993


He was born in Royal Oak, Michigan in the united States of America and published "The Truth About Herb Magic", "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner", "Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic", and "Shadow of Love" and numerous books that are still widely read today.

In high school he became associated with a girl whom he knew to deal in the occult and covens. This classmate introduced him to Wicca and trained him in Wiccan spirituality. He studied creative writing at San Diego State University, where he enrolled in 1978. After two years in the program, however, he had more published works than several of his professors, and dropped out of the university to write full time.

During this period he had as a roommate magical author Donald Michael Kraig and often socialized with witchcraft author Raymond Buckland, who was also living in San Diego at the time. In 1980 Cunningham began initiate training under Raven Grimassi and remained as a first-degree initiate until 1982 when he left the tradition in favor of a self-styled form of Wicca.

It is difficult to discuss Wicca or paganism without Scott Cunningham's name coming up in conversation and his contributions paved the way for our ability to openly practice the spiritual beliefs we hold dear today. I myself own several of his books, well worn and somewhat dog eared but an important part of my library to which I use as reference quite often.

What Surrounds Me

Sometimes when dealing with the general public, I can be exposed to all sorts of energies and emotions that people can give off. I find that sometimes this exposure tends to leave me drained and just plain cranky when I'm around those who are negative or needy. One thing that I try to include in my morning and evening meditation is include a positive visualization called my "Protection Shield." This little ritual I perform helps me stay grounded and centered without absorbing too much of the emotions or energies of those around me.

Every witch has their own unique version of how they visualize a shield around them so I decided that I would write about how I see mine. What follows is a general outline of my protection shield ritual done just before I ground and center and continue with my meditation time.

The most basic technique for protecting myself magically is to simply imagining myself inside a ball of white light that turns away any energy before it can touch me. When I visualize this ball of light around me, I make sure it appears opaque but solid in my mind's eye and I see the surface as reflective and faceted like a crystal.

This bubble s extends about a foot above my head and below my feet. You don't have to visualize a perfect sphere, just make it fit around your body in whatever shape seems most comfortable or appropriate. I reinforce the energy in the areas above and below to be just as strong as the areas in front and behind me.

While holding this visualization in my mind, I say these words...."I charge this protection shield to protect me from all harm...on any level....and to reflect love back on the source of harm..." I repeat this until I feel a sense of calm and serenity (usually three or so times) and then follow it with "So mote it be." You can use these words or tailor it to reflect your own style, I follow Ariel's words as found on The Witches Primer, a great podcast if you want to see what witchcraft is all about.

Even after I come out my state of meditation, this bubble moves with me without hindrance. Any vibrations that touch it will simply pass over and around me shield like the wind moving around a mountain. In the rare circumstance that my shield comes up against someone else's... it will bend to compensate but not break, much like two balloons pressing together.

I try to hold the image of an impenetrable force field in my mind for at least a good solid minute or two before returning to my everyday life.

Anxiety Show Thy Face

Last week, I started working with the Star of Discovery in "Tarot Shadow Work, using the dark symbols to heal" and the first position was the Tower. This week I will move on to the second position called Anxiety which questions "When do I get nervous, anxious, touchy or sensitive with others?" The card I drew for this point of the star is The World.

The shadow keywords for this card are missing the joy of the moment; looking for happiness outside yourself; wishful thinking; not taking charge of your life and it's choices and hanging on to the past. looking back on my childhood, I can see how these shadows developed but had never addressed them and let them follow me and become larger. I now must fill in the blanks about how fear has caused me to feel anxious.

My anxiety is an issue that I've struggled with for far too long and upon examining that fear I have come to realize that it likes to rear it's head when my routines or habits are interrupted or threatened. I absolutely hate change, probably because as a child there was so much of it and I was never really sure when or how it might occur. As an adult I must accept the fact that life is constantly changing and evolving and often is for my benefit whether I want it or not.

I must realize that when I feel anxious or sensitive around others it's time to step back and think to myself why I might be reacting this way...is it an issue of change that I am trying to resist?.....are there repressed feelings that I'm trying to avoid? I do carry a great deal of sadness but have always thought that the old adage "Time heals all wounds..." applied and sooner or later I would be able to look back on the once painful memories and eventually they would not hurt so much.

I think this card and it's position might take me a couple weeks so I will probably mull these things over and blog next week on anything new I may discover about myself.

Healing

I love to find new meditations and visualization techniques to see if I may be able to integrate it into my meditation practice and came across this website that has a few really great ways to relax and focus on healing, relaxing and finding your spirit guide, called "The Meditation Room"
Below is from their Healing Meditation...I encourage you to check out this website.


~~~~

Find a comfortable space, either sit or lie in a relaxed position. As you become settled, begin to focus on your breath.

Inhale, then exhale at a comfortable pace – an even breath.

Close your eyes.

Continue your rhythmic breathing. If you become distracted refocus on your breath.

As you sink into comfort and relaxation, see yourself basking in a waterfall of sunlight and crystal elder water.

As the sun and water cascade over your body you absorb the healing oxygen carried within your blood vessels though your whole system.

The oxygen heals and releases the holding contraction of each muscle. Each muscle becomes taffy… soft and pliable.

All tension gives way to relaxation. The cascade of sunshine reminds you of the source of all energy.

Your whole being sings with release and renewal as the source refuels and fortifies your body and spirit.

In healing all is possible. As you heal your spirit and body your gifts to the universe emerge.

Your loving compassion explodes for sharing with your fellow travelers. As you heal yourself you heal all who cross your path. Your connection to others heals as you move to your new level of evolution.

You are the incarnation of universal healing. It begins with you.

The healing vision of cascading sunshine and water is yours whenever you want it to be. Come back to this space whenever you want to, know that this space is always available even for a moment.

Be aware once again of your breath.

Inhale… exhale as your re-enter the space around you. Open your eyes and carry your renewed energy to all with whom you come in contact.

Tarot Tuesday

Today I drew a card from my Robin Wood deck and the Queen of Wands showed her sunny energetic face to me. I'd been feeling a little sluggish lately and was encouraged to see this queen come up as my Tuesday draw.

In this card, we can see a vibrant, blond woman in a bright orange and yellow gown...in her right hand she holds a golden scepter with a dazzling white crystal at the top. The landscape reminds me of an arid desert area with sunflowers on each side and next to the Queen of Wands is a stretching black cat at the hem of her gown.

This scene brings to mind a radiance and energy flowing outward and fills me with a sense of purpose almost as if to say "Get up and get moving, there are wonderful things in store and the day is wasting."

Although she's never arrogant or full of herself, the Queen of Wands has a deep belief in her own abilities. Her vibrant self-assurance comes from the knowledge that she can do whatever she sets her mind to. This tells me that those times I may lack self confidence, she will be there to cheer me on.

Stranger Than Fiction

Today in history the final witchcraft law was replaced by the "Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951." "Excuse me?" you might say...Well, after looking it up to see just what this was all about, this is what I learned......

The Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 was a law in England and Wales which prohibited a person from claiming to be a or other spiritualist while attempting to deceive and to make money from the deception (other than solely for the purpose of entertainment). It was repealed on 26 May 2008. There were five prosecutions under this Act between 1980 and 1995, all resulting in conviction.The Act was replaced by new Consumer Protection Regulations following an EU directive targeting unfair sales and marketing practices.It also repealed the Witchcraft Act 1735. It is sometimes said, erroneously, that until 1951 British law recognised witchcraft as real. In fact, the 1735 Act was the first to recognise that magic is impossible, explicitly stating that it was an act against fraud.

Wow, I had to read that one about three times just to make sure I read it correctly! Sadly though, there are those individuals out there who do use the guise of spirituality in order to decieve those who choose to believe and I understand why this act was drafted. I sometimes wonder when I wear my pentagram necklace out in public, if that's what people may be thinking but then I must stand back and realize that I proudly wear my necklace in order to dispel the misinformation....I gladly tell folks about my spirituality and maybe one by one we can educate the public that we are not all like the few who put us in question.

Serenity Sunday

Fathers young, fathers old
Remembering good times are our gold.

Value earned through guidance given
Helping us go forth in living'.

Each father adding to our trove
A treasure chest of love untold.

Remembering father in our lives
Taking time to realize.

Fatherly love brings wealth to living
Remembering this we go forth in giving.

Fathers young, fathers old
We remember you all
As life unfolds.

Ragini

My List:

1.) My kids

2.) My cats

3.) Laughter

4.) Fond memories

5.) Freckles

6.) Poetry

7.) Fathers

8.) Hugs

9.) Pina Colada yogurt

10.) Hot baths