Let's Rock the Boat

From the Songs for the Journey Home, Nine of Wave Songs; from the Raven Cards, "Dance:"

So bring your good times, and your laughter too

We gonna celebrate your party with you

          With this party in full swing, I can almost hear Kool & The Gang singing. The SJH companion book speaks of a cathartic release, and I can't think of anything more wild and wonderful. It's been a trying week for a lot of people I love, but progress was made and all things are well. The sense of relief and liberation from tension does make me want to make merry. I'm not naive enough to believe it will last forever, but I'm going to dance while the music still plays. Raven wisdom reminds me that I can "dance with the stones and laugh with the wind" any time. In fact, it can be a pressure valve to help keep me from cracking, and it can connect me to all that I'm grateful for in my life. So come on, let's dance!

The Blessing of Belonging

From the Mary-El Tarot, the Three of Cups:

“You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

I have a few close friends, some nearby and some far away; like the three waterfalls, we each have our individual lives with individual interests.  But like the pool at the bottom, we make the effort and time to reconnect, whether through emails, cards, Skype, or meeting for coffee.  These are the friends that encourage me to grow, to move beyond my emotional safety zone.  We share joys and sorrows, and we celebrate challenges successfully met.  The sense of belonging I feel with them is as essential to me as food and water.  There are times when my small circle of friends change; some people move on, yet new ones are added.  What a blessing to belong...

 

From the OH Cards come the image and word "dance" and "game:"

This card made me think back to the first time I tried to dance sober.  I was terrified and felt like I had concrete boots on.  I was taking things way too seriously, thinking way too much, instead of just expressing myself for the sheer fun of it.  I did manage to get my groove on once I let my body follow the music instead of my head.  Sometimes I forget that I don't have to win the game or produce something people like to experience pleasure and delight.  As Rumi reminds me, "When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy."