Let Your Hair Down in 2011

"Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."
Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace

Over the Holiday, my youngest son and his adorable girl friend came to stay with us.  They're hoping to leave their Seattle home and come to the Bay Area to live, so this was a reconnaissance trip for them. 
I, of course, love this idea, but instead of thinking about all the ways I would enjoy having them close, I thought about how difficult the transition might be.  I woke up in the middle of the night worried that they wouldn't find work here, or a place to stay, and on and on.  First thing in the morning, I sat my boy down to talk to him about his moving strategy.  I outlined what I would do and watched his face get grim. 
"Mom", he said, as patiently as he could, "We've already thought about all of that.  It's in our hands.  You don't need to worry about any of it."
"I know", I said, "But everything in my life seems to be falling apart.  I just wanted a little certainty.  It's hard for me to trust my choices, since, right now, I'm not where I want to be and my choices put me here.  I want to make sure you're making the right choices for you."
"There is no certainty about that, "He responded, "but one thing I am sure of;  if you don't accept in your own mind where you are, and if you continue to judge what you've done and who you are, you're not going get where you want to be.  You'll stay stuck in regret.  You have to change what's in your head in order to change your life." 
Smart boy.  Heaven IS right where I am right now.  I just have to let go of my judgements and realize it. 
Confirmation came of this realization on my walk that day. I found my first message of the universe for 2011.  It's this little yellow butterfly.  The butterfly is the symbol of change, joy, love and  metamorphosis and yellow is the color of wisdom, joy, and happiness.  That it's a hair ornament for a child is symbolic too.  Hair is the symbol of spiritual power, and children remind us of the wisdom inherent in trust and innocence, and the joy inherent in taking a fresh look at life.

Transformation and happiness are in store for all of us this new year, but only if we can accept what is and flow towards what will be.  Taking a page from the wisdom of my darling son, let's not look back.  The past holds nothing for us, especially our recent past with all the stress of economic and environmental turmoil.  Let us accept what is, determine what we want, and move towards our goals with confidence, remembering that all change is good - even if it may not seem so at the time. Change is essential if we wish to grow.
Here's wishing you all a happier 2011.  Make it so! The power is in our hands.
Love, Kristine  

Temperance

For some reason, I am reluctant to analize this card.  It feels like too much to me, so that is a sure sign that this is a card I need to look at.

An angel with red wings pours water from one goblet into another.  She stands with one foot on the land and one in the water.  In the background a path over the foohills and into the mountains leads to a shinning crown.  Three yellow lillies grow on her left, one bud and two in full flower.

The red wings are interesting.  Red is the color of passion, and passion and angels just don't seem to go together.  Passion and temperance don't seem to go together either, so perhaps the red wings indicate that passion is what lifts and motivates us out of our everyday cares and woes and into more inspirational and inspiring activities.  That idea feels pretty good.
 
The feet placed both on land and in the water indicate  the willingness to be rooted in "reality" (i.e. accept what is) and at the same time the willingness to accept change and flow in one's life and to be guided by one's emotional nature.
 
The water being poured from one cup to another tell us that despite our perspective on any subject, there is no duality, no good or bad, victim or vicimizer; all is truly one if we have the wisdom to let go of our ridgid constructs and let life flow.

Lillies symbolize purity, chastity, and innocence. Yellow lilies represent the pure joy of the spirit that show us our own beauty and creative importance in this world of ours. The flowers are our current blessings, and the bud indicates the growth of more in our lives if we cultivate our ability to appreciate what we have.

The path shows us the way towards enlightenment (the crown representing the crown chakra).  Sometimes the path is gentle, sometimes hard and rocky, but, as O Sensei said , "There are many roads to the top of Mt. Fuji, but the summit is always love."

Temperance, the title of the card, reminds me of the old Greek adage, "Everything in moderation".  It reminds us to take things slow, be patient, and allow life to show us the way.  Don't try to force anything, even spiritual growth.  Trust yourself, trust life, and all will be well with you.

Well, that wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.  I guess the lesson is to trust what's in front of me, begin the enquiry, be patient, and new understandings will emerge easily and naturally.  This is just the message from the universe that I need.  I hope you benefit from it too.
Love, Kristine

Ah, the joy of the 8 of cups

So here I was, feeling a bit low, so I decide to write my tarot blog. I thought I'd pull a card and in the analysis of the card, I would figure out how to get out of my crummy mood.

And what do I pull but the 9 of cups.

A jolly man in a jaunty red cap (and socks!) sits in front of a semicircular table covered with a blue tablecloth and laden with 9 cups. Let's take it apart.

First we'll do the colors: we have gold, blue, and touches of red.

Gold shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Gold will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts.
Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed.
Red increases enthusiasm, Stimulates energy, Encourages action and confidence and a sense of protection from fears and anxiety

More positive stuff.

Now, what about the semi-circular table: In the astrological system of symbols, the semi-circle stands for the assimilating, receptive aspect of man that the spirit, life, creates in its interplay with matter,

Very cool. I'm starting to feel better already.

Now the number 9:

• Number of the patience, the meditation.
• Number of the harmony, it represents the inspiration and the perfection of the ideas.
• It is the expression of "the power of the Holy Spirit", according to Etchegoyen.
  Symbolize the plenitude of talents, the reward of the tests.
• Symbol of the creation and the life as a rhythm and development.
• As a product of 3 x 3, it is the expression of the perfection, the symbol of the virile power, in addition to be associated to the couple.
• Nine is the number of the one who accomplishes the divine will. According to the Cabal, it is also the number of the achievement.
• The freemasons have made it the eternal number of human immortality.
• Being the last simple number, it is the number of finalization or finition; it is therefore the most complex, that marks the full lighting up of the numerical series.
• This number was considered as sacred in Egypt and in Greece.
• Number of the man, as a numeral symbol of his gestation (nine months).
• Number symbolizing the nocturnal and terrestrial things, for the Aztecs.
• Number of the hierarchy, represented by nine choruses of the Angels.
• Represent the three divine manifestations in the three plans: world of the spirit, world of the soul, world of the matter, which gives a triple manifestations of Trinity (3 x 3).
• Symbol of the multitude, and according to Parmenide, it concerns the absolute things and it is the symbol of the totality of the human being.
• A favorable number, associate to the eternity.

Oh, my, god, did you get all that? I got it from a site called"riding the beast" What an incredible number, and what an amazing card is the nine of cups.

To sum up, I'd say the card is about allowing yourself to fully recieving the incredible gifts the universe has for you. You don't even have to try; to do, be, or have anything. You deserve all that you have and more! Just sit back, be receptive and accept the gifts the universe has given you and expect more to come.

In short, all is well, it truly is.

And the Tarot does it again. I hope this lifted your spirits. It lifted mine.

Love,
Kristine