Initiation

From the Swietlistej Drogi, the Nine of Cups; from the Mirrors of the Heart, Awakening:

Much like those seed pods that only germinate in the heat of fire, the soul seed we carry responds to the heat generated by initiation. —Francis Weller

Happiness and contentment don't always come only when we've made strides in the material realm. Here a woman anoints a person who has the look of a recently released prisoner of war. Difficulties that must be faced and endured often act as an initiation. As Jack Kornfield explains, "Initiation means that you have to go through a narrow place that's so difficult to get through you can't take your baggage with you. It sort of strips you down in some difficult way." Yet for those who don't give up and make it through, a transformation occurs. Francis Weller describes this: "The process yielded someone more attuned to responsibilities than rights, more aware of multiple entanglements than entitlements." Awakening is that stirring of the heart and mind this experience brings. Yes, we find happiness, but we also develop wisdom, courage and compassion.

Forget the Thunderclaps

From the New Era Elements Tarot, the Seven of Air (Swords); from the Tao Oracle, 'Awakening:'

          Common cuckoos are brood parasites; they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Here, a reed warbler feeds a juvenile cuckoo. Because the warbler has not seen through the deception, it will raise another bird's offspring. It is simple to focus the blame on another for falsifying the truth, but in some cases, we may need to take responsibility for being misled. If we are caught up in our own desires for things to be a certain way, others will find it easy to create an illusion to fit. Other times, we may be dully trudging through life without paying attention. The Awakening card (hexagram 19) suggests we alternately slow down from our busyness or wake up from our apathy in order to be alert to what is happening around us. As Martin Dempsey cautions, "Sometimes we wait for thunderclaps, drumrolls, and clarion calls to alert us to what's important when, actually, it's most often the subtle and persistent signals around us that make the most difference."

Slowly Moving from Inner to Outer

This week I'll be using the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot (Tarot of the Radiant Path) created by Alla Alicja Chrzanowska and Alina Konwinska and published through  Studio Astropsychologii. Today's draw is the Moon:

What a lovely image; the lower part of this woman's body looks like a wave in the ocean being drawn towards the moon. Emotions and memories that have been sitting below the surface are now being pulled upward from the unconscious into consciousness. I will be traveling to a party of sorts tonight (one night past the full moon). It is the anniversary of the death of a friend's husband, but instead of mourning, there will be barbecue and musical entertainment. She's had a tough time dealing with her loss this past year, and she is gathering a few relatives and friends to help turn the grief into gratitude for a life shared. I am sure this gathering will trigger some of my own feelings I've hidden away, but I think (judging by the expression on the woman's face) it will be a healing process for all of us.

The oracle deck I'll be using this week is Mirrors of the Heart, created and self-published by Lily S. May. This morning's card is "Awakening:"

Like the movement upward in the Moon card, little seeds are stirring below ground. It may be months before those seeds ever push through the top of the soil, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening. Often there is a process that must take place within before anything is seen externally. I must be patient and not force the pace of progress.

Rise and Shine

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Tower:

A bulky, muscle-bound fellow runs for cover, trying to ward off debris that is exploding around him.  As the saying goes, "You can run but you can't hide."  Life is full of unexpected changes for everyone, regardless of a person's money, religion, power, or physical abilities.  The experience may feel like the world is crashing down, and the pieces will never fit together again.  Actually, that is the point.  If I've built a wall to protect me from opening my eyes and mind (reality), the Universe has a not-so-subtle way of giving me a head slap.  It's not meant as a punishment, but as a way to prod me out of the concrete cubicle I've created for myself.  The pieces will fit back together, it will just be a different picture than before.

     From the Mirrors of the Heart deck comes "Awakening:"

Two "seed people" lie buried in the ground, but a third has begun to emerge above ground.  Why is it that sometimes we walk around, aware of all that is around us, and other times we do our best to ignore all the nudges the Universe uses in an attempt to wake us up?  Personally, I would much prefer a tap on the shoulder to a two-by-four upside my head.  Here's to a day committed to having all my senses fully awake...