You are Not Afraid; Card of the Week 30th March 2015

March 30, 2015March 30, 2015Leave a comment

This week I’m using one of my favourite “light” decks, because it was a gift and because I’m looking forward to something light after a couple of weeks of all the astrological (and otherwise) intensity. It’s time for family celebrations and time off, which I’m looking forward to! What a great little reminder this card is.

We see the image of tiny David facing down big-behemoth galoot Goliath with only his sling and stone to protect him. We can’t even see the top of the giant’s head, so we can’t even see everything we’re dealing with. (Familiar feeling lately, no?) Poor David, he doesn’t seem to be such a mighty adversary for a giant, but in the end (according to the story) he wings that rock into Goliath’s forehead, defeats his foe and lops off Goliath’s head. It’s no wonder this story has come to represent “the underdog succeeding in spite of tough odds.”

In the picture, David seems to be scratching his head, “How can I possibly do this?” — but… you know what? HE CAN and you can. No matter what’s been up… cosmically speaking… or how the odds seemed to be stacked during this time of big change, – you can handle this! YOU ARE NOT AFRAID, reminds the card. Within us all, we have a boundless centre core that knows that no matter what is happening around us, we are calm, we are accomplished and we have the stones (no pun intended) to defeat any adversary or foe that has arisen. Something inside you knows that it is all going to be ok, that even though we might be concerned about “well what will happen? What if it’s the worst that I imagine?” or we just don’t see how everything is unfolding yet, there’s something within you that is perfectly ok with what IS.

YOU are NOT AFRAID. You might be the underdog, you might even feel a little scared here and there… but deep down, you’re not afraid. Whatever gigantic undertaking has begun, whatever tremendous change is afoot, whatever big project or business venture (remember last week’s theme of growth and business growth?) or whatever you’re working on — you are not afraid because where you are is just right. (Proof in the pudding? You’re here, right?) You’ve got this thang! I bet, though, that you don’t just have a sling of rocks. I bet you have all kinds of other tools, friends, and a big posse of characters who want to help you get where you’re going!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

About this deck: Sonia Choquette’s “THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE ORACLE” cards (charmingly illustrated by ??? unknown) published by Hay House has 62 cards. These are very “cute” cards and messages that have a childlike quality and feel and would be wonderful for kids and kids-at-heart.

Investing in your Spirit; card of the week 2nd March 2015

March 2, 2015March 2, 2015Leave a comment

This week’s card brings us the idea of investing in our Spirit. Now before you turn tail and run away at the idea of working on something so obviously intangible (when it’s so easy to want to work on CONCRETE things like bills, taxes, cleaning and making things happen) – hear the card out. This is not about doing yoga and saying prayers or floating around in woo-woo, if that’s not your cup of tea. What this card really means is that you’re investing in practical things that we HAVE to do, as well as spending some time to enrich your sense of who you are, some “Soul food” for your own sense of being as you share the gift of love and insight with others.

We often spend time investing in the pursuit of relationships, work situations, purchases or goals with the idea that having x,y,z will somehow make us happier and richer. (We might even invest in our “spirit” under the disguise of, “if I do this… I’ll get more x,y,z.”) This week’s card invites us to think about things in a different way, because if we don’t have a solid sense of who we are, a source of purpose or “soul food” — then the relationship is going to be an obsession in which we’re always anxious, work is always going to feel like it’s “not enough” and any goal we’re hunting after will seem just slightly out of reach. Are you hyper focused on a partner? Or just ONE thing? Chances are the more you obsess about that one thing, the more drained and disconnected you feel from every other source of your identity. No one issue is supposed to be your whole life.

Do something this week that not only feeds your body, your kids, your co-workers, your job, your relationships, your requirements, but also something that feeds and invests in your spirit. When you do that, you’re also investing in the talents and energy that can make the world better for others around you too! If you don’t know what that is, simply go out and play a little. Reach out to others (no not the person or sources that usually “feed” you but new sources as well). Does art feed your soul? Music? Making silly or informative Youtubes? Making funny faces? Painting? Knitting? Making mashed potato mountains? Hey, it doesn’t matter how big or small that thing feeding your soul is. It’s not important for you to figure out your COSMIC LIFE PATH this week, it’s more important to do anything with cultivates your spirit and which enrich others. One of the biggest block people have towards finding soul food is thinking that it has to be some huge Earth Changing Life Purpose BE ALL thing. It’s not. It’s whatever it is in the moment.

Investing in your soul isn’t any harder than investing your time or money in other ways, it’s all about decisions and intention. Right this minute, everyone, everywhere knows what makes them feel closer to the world, to the cosmos, to their loved ones. Maybe it’s not some big life plan… maybe it’s something smaller, more delicate. Maybe you’ve noticed that talking to your worried or ailing dad, mom or sibling helps you feel your soul. Maybe earnestly caring about someone else for a few minutes, or maybe it’s as simple as getting up early enough to do your hair and make-up before darting on with your day. Whatever it is, it’s unique to you. One of my friends gets up in the morning and walks in the mountains, “When I get up there, I feel like I’m part of what I’m really part of and I feel like I want to help take care of the world I’m in.” he says.

This week… heck, this MONTH, everyone wants to be just a little more invested in fear or invested in the dynamic of protection. That’s got a time and a place, but it’s also worth being invested in things which can support you instead of things you can’t control. I’m thinking of writing a post about this very thing because so many people have asked about this sense of change and fear… “is the sky falling?” — in the meantime

Let it go, invest in something WORTH investing in, instead. Still not sure of where to invest spirit? YOU are important.

Take a look at this short video by famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking (as some of you know, one of my heroes). He certainly would never talk about “Spirit” but listen… he has something to say about some of those dreaded “intangibles” -about tolerance, love and how the only boundaries are how we see ourselves. His perfect smile at the end (in spite of the ravages of his motor neurone disease, ALS) just makes everything in the world shine in perspective.

“I have been enormously privileged through my work to be able to contribute to our understanding of the universe, but it would be an empty universe indeed if it were not for the people I love, and who love me. Without them, the wonder of it all would be lost on me. Let us fight for every woman and every man to have the opportunity to live healthy secure lives full of opportunity and love.”

– Stephen Hawking (video posted to Facebook Jan 29th, 2015 from a speech given for Melinda and Bill Gates World Economic Forum )

COURAGE–Card of the week, 31st March 2014

March 31, 2014March 31, 2014Leave a comment

This week’s card (from a “fluffy” deck, no less!) shows a strong and courageous character in a suit of armour, astride her trusty steed. Of course, this is none other than Joan d’Arc – the famous warrior born some 600 years ago who heard other-worldly voices telling her to vanquish the invading English army and deliver France from doom, installing Charles VII as the rightful king. Long before the days of Virginia Slims ads proclaiming “You’ve come a long way, Baby” to sell smokes, Joan was badass military strategist who mobilized troops, directed campaigns and became a hero of the Hundred Years War between France and England. She had pretty much EVERYTHING going against her, she was a woman, she was wounded in battle and faced execution for hearing the “voice of God” and heretical thoughts as well as confronting societal norms (she dressed like a male soldier). Even after her death, people have pinned a variety of maladies on her from insanity and schizophrenia to bovine tuberculosis for hearing the voices of Saints and Angels. No matter what, Joan was one tough, courageous gal. She single-handedly changed the course of history ( and inspired the page-boy haircut that made half the cast of Mad Men famous).

You might not be hearing actual voices this week (let’s hope not!) but you are still getting the guidance from your intuition this week to be COURAGEOUS like Joan and to suit up your metaphorical armour and carry your sword of Truth and let spirit speak to you. This is not the time to let Ego’s fearful voice (it’s not going to work, forget about it. GIVE UP!) sway you. It’s time to be FIERCE and to remember you’ve got your protective suit of armour on. You’re rocking your power, and you won’t let hopelessness wave a white flag on the battlefield for you.

And what about those enemies? Most of the time, it’s not the baddies on the OUTSIDE that pose us the most danger, but the baddies on the INSIDE (our thoughts/fears) that trip up us the most. This week, notice the motivations and fears that might have been welling up lately that are trying to shake your inalienable right to be CONFIDENT in yourself. Are you telling yourself that you can’t possibly win? Are you telling yourself that you’re not as pretty as others? That you are lame, nerdy or uncool? Are you telling yourself that nobody will hire you and that if you do get a job, it will be worse than working in the Soylent Green factory? Now’s the time to get clear about these enemies and face them like the Joan of Arc warrior that you are. Think Cowardly Lion and his magic heart clock from the wizard of Oz, or Dumbo and his magic feather… all the while, tokens or not, strength is inside. Be courageous, because it’s when we’re close to success, power and movement that the grey-green creeps come out of the woods to aim out our confidence and sense of self. If we let them win, then we’re going to undermine the very thing we wanted to accomplish in the first place.

It’s time to be courageous in relationship too, this week. Courage isn’t just needed in ass-kicking time, it’s needed when we have to build a bond, a bridge and be diplomatic too. Be brave, aim to join (and connect) with others this week. After all, in spite of her warrior reputation, Joan directed troops and even tried to make diplomatic accords WITHOUT lifting a sword. How brave can you be when it comes to just being REAL and being yourself this week? How brave can you be when it comes to putting the negative enemies to progress in their place? How brave can you be by tackling things head on?

GO GET ‘EM, you courageous creature, you. DO NOT GIVE UP! The baddies are on the run!