Spending Time

From the Fey Tarot, the Eight of Pentacles:

My creative process is not pretty; whether I am cooking, drawing or writing, I usually have a mess everywhere, much like this fey.  But when I'm in that "zone," I don't really think about the clean-up later.  As I age, I've come to see how important it is for me to creatively express myself, no matter what outlet I choose.  But I find so many obligations and things I think I need to do that interfere.  I was reading a newsletter from Joanna Powell Colbert the other day, and she was talking about the same thing.  Some of the women at one of her retreats asked her how to keep the enthusiasm going, and she replied, "by relentlessly guarding the time we need to write, to meditate, to ponder, to make art -- to tend the fires of our inner lives."  I don't often make resolutions, but I do think this needs to be a priority in my life right now.  Creating calms me, heals me, and makes me feel whole.  What can be wrong with spending more time doing that? 


From the Crystal Deva Cards comes the stone "Lepidolite:"

Lepidolite is often associated with tranquility because of its lithium content (often used in mood-stabilitizing drugs).  Lately I've been waking up out of a deep sleep with a pounding heart and overwhelming anxiety.  I'm sure some of the cause is menopause.  But I tried a one minute meditation and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.  It would be nice if tranquility came easily, but I must employ the tools I have (like meditation and creativity) to enjoy it.  It's not really hard to achieve, but it does take that four-letter word to do it - TIME.