12 Days of Yule; Day 1

12 Days of Yule; Day 1

Follow along with my 12 Days of Yule Blog Prompts here;  http://journalyourselfawake.blogspot.com/2012/12/12-days-of-yule-day-1.html

Today's Prayer;

"Cold and dark, this time of year,
the earth lies dormant, awaiting the return
of the sun, and with it, life.
Far beneath the frozen surface,
a heartbeat waits,
until the moment is right,
to spring."

By Patti Wigington

Here in the desert, the winter is not the classic "winter" that they sing about in the Christmas songs.  It doesn't snow here, many of our trees are still green, so it can be difficult to connect with that "Winter" feeling.  But there is a chill in the air, the nights get pretty cold, and there are subtle differences.  It sounds different outside, there are no cicadas chirping loudly in the Palo Verde trees, no buzzing of bees, and many birds have gone further south for the winter (spoiled, aren't they?)  I don't hear the mockingbirds anymore.  There are no lizards or geckos crawling the walls of my house, and the un-ending stream of ants that was trying to invade my home all summer has mysteriously disappeared.  So even while I can't really connect with the songs about snow, and my picture of winter is quite different than my ancestors must have experienced in Germany, Ireland, and England many many years ago....I can still find ways to contemplate the winter and what it means for me here in the desert.  Today's blog prompt asks us to consider what has gone dormant around us, and what might also need to go dormant in our lives.  The Earth simplifies herself in the winter, shedding all that she doesn't need, reserving energy for the spring.  She becomes a minimalist.  So I ask myself, what can I minimize in my life?  What parts of my life need to "Hibernate" for a while?

I know that in my home, I have a lot of clutter and "things" that I need to let go of.  I had begun a room-by-room decluttering process in the fall, and I need to continue with that and really purge the closets and shelves of things I no longer need, use, or love. 

I need to let go of an attitude that creates procrastination.  This may seem counter-intuitive to winter dormancy, since a lack of procrastination would actually result in me doing MORE.  But my procrastination creates more stress, and I need to let that go. 

I drew a tarot card, asking what I need to release and how I can do it, and I got The Ace of Pentacles.  The Ace is about beginnings and planting seeds of prosperity, reaching out and grasping the abundance that is available.  I feel that this card is confirming my thought that I need to release my procrastinations and stress.  Although the earth lies dormant, some seeds of the spring are already in the ground, preparing for spring so they can grow.  I can take this time to plant my own "seeds" and prepare for the future.  I need to keep planning, and "planting" and even though I might not see the fruits of my labor right away, the process needs to begin now.  I need to let my financial fears and worries go dormant, and focus on the hope for better times that are on their way.  Today I will work on putting my fears to rest, and to know when the time is right to act.  I plant the seeds and expect the best!

The following is from "Around The Tarot in 78 Days" by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin;

The Ace of Pentacles says;
"There is a material opportunity in the making that is not yet fully formed.  You must be open and receptive  to material reward; good times could be awaiting you.  Now is the time to set the ball rolling on any venture or transaction, or to court prosperity by merely investing in a solitary lottery ticket."

Connect to your card;
Plant a seed -- whether literally or one of an idea.  Have a fresh start at something new.

You are blocking this card today by;
1. Not investing in your future security.
2. Turning down that lucrative deal you have been offered.
3. Not buying a lottery ticket.
4. Refusing the support you have been offered.

Meditation;
"Great oaks from little acorns grow." Allow yourself to be like the little acorn; know that you will grow forever upwards and fulfill your destiny.

Affirmation;
"I am the seed of all that can be created"

The Faith of The Fool

I just discovered The Pagan Blog Project!  I'm a bit late in joining, but I think I'm going to join now!  I was absent from the blogging world for awhile and probably would have seen this if I had been blogging and actually reading the blogs I follow!  But... I guess it's not too late to join in on the fun and sharing!

This week's Pagan Blog Project theme is the letter F.  So, let's get started and explore the Tarot Card - The Fool!

 Major Arcana 0 - The FoolNew beginnings, heading out into the unknown, taking a chance, being spontaneous, following your heart, having faith, innocence, living in joy, releasing worry and doubt, going with the flow, making foolish or childish choices, learning to accept responsibility for your choices and actions.

In the Classic RWS image of The Fool, we find a young Page setting out on a journey.  He seems oblivious to the dangers that might lie ahead, and any wrong step could mean certain disaster.  But I don't think he's unaware of the dangers.... just that he is so excited about his journey and so joyful about the possibilities that his travels will bring, that he is choosing not to focus on the perils.  Some would see this as truly irresponsible, and well.... Foolish.  Others, who more willingly embrace the flow of spirit... they might see this as wise.  I think it all boils down to Faith.  Understanding the basic Law of Attraction, you can't really go into your life journey full of worry and doubt... because then of course your fears can easily manifest.  For me, the Fool serves as a reminder that attitude is everything.  If we can only learn to approach life with the open-heart, trust, innocence, and faith of the Fool, then every step becomes an adventure, every path becomes an opportunity to learn and grow, and we really learn to "go with the flow".

More details on this card here.

Pictured here to the right is The Fool from the Marseilles Deck. 
I look at this card and my first thought is, "Hey, dude... your pants are ripped and your ass is hanging out!"  But then I think, there is something to be learned from this as well.  When you put yourself out there, trusting in the flow of the Universe, there are bound to be times when things just don't go as you had planned.  Sure, if you're focused on the positive, The Law of Attraction will help you out... but this doesn't mean you might not slip and fall or rip your pants and expose yourself as an utter asshole every once in awhile.  The Fool's Journey means NOTHING if he doesn't learn and grow from his experiences.  But the Wise Fool takes what he has, and keeps going.  Is this guy going to give up on his plan to go out into the world full of experiences just because his ass cheek is hanging out?  Nope.  Perhaps he is learning humbleness.  Perhaps he is learning how to laugh at himself.  Perhaps he is learning that no matter where you go, there are butt-sniffing dogs who want to point out your failings. (There is something a lot deeper in that concept for you all to ponder, but let's stay focused.)  Perhaps he just needs to learn how to sew.  But regardless of the setbacks The Fool may face, he keeps going.  What a joyful affirmation of Faith!

Here's another version of The Fool, from the Housewives' tarot.  I have explored the meanings of this Fool in a couple other blog posts.
Here and Here are a couple of them.   The main thing I notice with this version of the card is that, even though this young housewife is obviously ill-prepared and lacking organization, she still seems excited and hopeful for what lies ahead.  In truth, we are never really prepared for what lies ahead... and even the most organized and prepared person will come across things they hadn't expected.  Somehow, a monkey-wrench always gets thrown in the mix, and we are faced with choices or situations we hadn't planned for.  Once again, The Fool reminds us about Faith and being able to Go With the Flow!  Worrying about how things will turn out isn't really going to help anything... sometimes you just have to pull yourself together the best you can and keep going.

Here on the right is The Fool depicted in The Goddess Tarot as Beginnings and related to the Tibetan Goddess Tara.  Tara was born from a Lotus Flower in a lake of tears, and she is considered to be a strong protector Goddess.  "Tibetans believe that the goddess Tara has the power to heal all sorrows and grant all wishes.  Tara is honored as the protectress against the many fears that block men and women from living in happiness and harmony." (from The Goddess Tarot guidebook by Kris Waldherr)  Once again, it comes down to FAITH.  Tara teaches us to let go of our fears and worries, heal our sorrows, and move forward to the new beginnings that we face with faith and trust.  She helps us find happiness, optimism, and trust in ourselves.  I do plan on blogging more about the goddess Tara, as she has been calling to me recently, so stay tuned!



This has been my tarot card for the month of March.  Around the beginning of the New Year, I did a tarot reading for myself in which I drew one Major Arcana card for each month of the coming year.  I have been finding that the messages of each month's card are really fitting my life, and giving me great guidance for my learning and life lessons.

By the end of February I hit a depression that really threw me off balance.  This lasted through the end of February and most of March.  I was struggling just to get through the mundane daily tasks of life, had lost all motivation, had lost hope, and had lost faith.  As the clouds lifted (which took some fighting on my end) I realized maybe I hadn't really lost faith after all... I mean I did keep going and I did keep fighting the depression and exploring ways to get through it.  It took some time and strength, but I got through it.  When I returned to the land of the living, I found a sense of newness in everything.  It is now all opportunities and beginnings everywhere I look.  I think sometimes we have to fall in order to find that sense of starting over.  I slipped and fell off that cliff, a danger that the RWS Fool faces.... but I got up again.  I discovered humbleness and the feeling of my "ass" being exposed like the Marseilles Fool, but now I know I can keep going.  I feel like a beautiful lotus flower has bloomed inside of me, watered by the tears of my sorrow and transformed into something amazing and fresh.... the lessons of Tara becoming clearer to me each day. 

Sometimes when we stumble, maybe it's because the universe needs us to stop, re-evaluate our direction, and start over with the Faith and Innocence of The Fool.  May your road always bring you adventure and growth, and may you be able to face it all with the Faith of The Fool!