Manifest Your Reality

Sun and Moon Tarot

In the name of the Maiden, Mother and Crone

I'm here by myself - And I am never alone...

-kgr

I shuffle the cards over and over, stiff little boards in my hands, the cool gray and white lotus on a black background a stark contrast to the flashes of color as the satisfying sound of the cards rippling through my hands fills my peaceful, sun-filled living room. It is the harvest moon, a time of abundance, time of balance as we move into Libra and notice the fall equinox, the shifting light, the changing tides.

Today I am playing with The Sun and Moon Tarot by Vanessa Decourt, recently published by US Games Systems. After splitting the deck into three piles with my left hand (coming from my heart), I then reorder them into one pile with my right hand (using my head). I pull the first card with both hands, my finger tips arguing with each other as I tip the cards back and forth, back and forth, until finally they are in agreement that this is the one.

I'm employing the Motherpeace Spread and the first card is the significator, the here and now, the present moment. The ace of pentacles appears, an auspicious beginning. A gray shield with a pentacle in the middle surrounded by a geometric, almost floral design is surrounded by curling ivy in a deep mustard yellow background, a downward facing triangle with a line through it graces the top.

My first impressions arise: Aces are the top card, as well as the beginning - here is the alpha and the omega. Ivy is know for it's tenacity, the ability to stick to something for the long term. Pentacles represent the physical plane, and I ponder my health, my house, my business. Part of me feels protected, like the pod of the seed. Part feels ready to unfold, after being planted, nourished by both a rain of tears as much as the shine of smiles.

The deep yellow puts me in touch with the third chakra- the solar plexus, center of will and power, ruled by Leo and the shining sun. I post on Twitter: The Harvest Moon reminds us to harvest our abundance, and plant the seeds of change, seeds of hope, and seeds of love. I ponder the last symbol, the male principle, split in two - a balance between head and heart? Or what I seem to need the most, a balance between the higher mind and the so called lower desires?

I pull the next cards rapidly, some with the left hand, some with the right, sometimes using both, most are reversed, to my surprise. I enjoy the images tremendously - simple, faceless beings engage in archetypal moments, the colors are fairly soft and muted, the lessons feel gentle and kind. There is a modern element to this deck (stripes come to mind, from stripy shirts to stripy socks), as well as an element of timelessness, found in dancing figure of Shakti in the universe card or the ace of swords being crowned in gold.

The second card is ten of cups, satiety, upside down - how is  NOT feeling satisfied my source of strength now? Next I get three of wands, virtue, as my challenge - how am I being loyal, to myself and others. At the root of my being is three of pentacles, what Decourt names as works, and on my sky/mind is the devil, again reversed - hallelujah! certainly over the last few years I have worked on looking my demons in the eye and creating alliances instead of enemies. Ace of swords graces my immediate past while prince of pentacles dominates my future. The bull looks stuck, stubborn in this card, but I instantly go back to the ivy in my significator, the lesson of tenacity. No coincidence that my present lover has Taurus on the 7th house. 

My mirror card is king of wands, as I master my own energies, become the master of my desires; while in my house the four of pentacles appear, that desire for stability on the physical planes, creating sand castles on the beach, and The Universe expresses my hopes and fears.

My last card has a man and a woman embracing on a white lotus under the full moon, their quiet reflection shimmering in the water as they whisper heartfelt secrets to each other. My outcome for the coming year: Two of cups- love, sweet love.

 

Blessed be.

No longer the slave to intensity

I am now the face of satisfied desire.

-Rumi

Join Hands

It Was a Gift

Behind Every Getrude is Alice

A Quest for Vision

I decided I needed to reward my self after finishing a final exam. I knew that sushi would be somewhere in the picture, but as it was still fairly early in the afternoon, I decided to go for hike up to Land of Medicine Buddha. My daughter had gone to Tara Redwoods for grade school, which is located on the grounds of this Buddhist retreat, and since it's quite close to my office, I go there quite often to meditate on my lunch breaks.

I have been just loving the course in Vision Therapy, and much like the Aromatherapy class, knew that this was something I wanted to use for myself right away. I first began wearing glasses in 6th grade, and like most people, have seen an increase in my prescription over the years. Currently I wear lenses with a power of -3.00 in the right eye and -3.25 in the left. I switched to contacts in 10th grade, and wore them consistently for the next 20 years. Indeed, my motto for a long time was, “Home is were the contact lens case is."

   I switched back to wearing glasses full time about five years ago. About 3 or 4 months ago I went to my optician for a new set, feeling that I was having a hard time reading, and figuring that since I am in my 40’s it was probably due to macular degeneration i.e. old age. The doctor said my prescription had changed so minimally, it was not worth getting a new prescription, but instead he encouraged me to simply stop wearing my glasses when reading, as I am near sighted.

As soon as I started the unit, I began taking my glasses off in earnest. There are no coincidences, and the timing was perfect for me to practice vision therapy for myself. I found The Power Behind Your Eyes: Improving Eyesight with Integrative Vision Therapy by Robert-Michael Kaplan extremely interesting and useful, but a little disorganized. I enjoyed many of the written activities, and wrote out the exercises in my journal. I illustrated these with a colorful drawings, for example one that showed my third eye opening. Next, I created a spreadsheet with 12 categories with space for notes for 14 days. My intention was not to do necessarily do every one every day, but to experiment with the different exercises and create a system to observe the results.


 I beaded an eye glass chain to make it easier for me to switch back and forth from my prescribed vision to naked vision. I started with fifteen minute increments, usually while studying, and gradually increased to a few hours (cumulative) a day. I began to challenge myself more by walking the half hour to my dance classes with no glasses on, observing my internal state as I negotiated streets and cross walks. I noticed feeling internally softer as I experienced the blur, as well as a softening of my facial muscles. I felt like I was not wearing my social mask, but instead felt really relaxed and unconcerned about other people and their perceptions of me. I also found myself less worried about the mundane details of life (paying bills, returning calls, picking up kids, etc.) and more enjoying the moment, discovering how much more I really could see than I had expected. I felt safe and grounded, never in any danger. Not that I’m ready to drive with no glasses, but this was certainly the proverbial eye opener as to the extent in which my glasses have become a crutch. As I navigated the paths in my softer vision, I found it easier to visualize the steps I need to take to decrease my stress levels in other aspects of my life. This seemed to flow with the assertion that nearsightedness is a message of being afraid to see what’s out there, of pulling with, and to begin reaching out with a clearer purpose and to take risks, as well as to use relaxation techniques that allow “being” more than “ doing”

    I found myself using naked vision more and more, during lectures, meetings, and times when I didn’t have a need to be completely focused (i.e. in control) such as hanging out in a cafe or having dinner. Breaking my morning habit of reaching for my glasses has been difficult, but I now trust that no gnomes have moved the coffee in the middle of the night, and I find it easier and easier to delegate my lenses to the realm of something that I need in order to drive, much like my keys, than something I need to cling to all day long.


Just driving through the redwoods felt relaxing, so I parked my car about a half mile away, deciding to walk up to the retreat, do a walking meditation around the  prayer wheel, and come back by happy hour. I took my glasses off as I moved along the road, finding my rhythm and feeling my stride. As I crossed a little bridge I noticed how much noise my shoes were making, and I decided to slip them off. I popped them by a tree trunk, putting my car keys and glasses inside, so I wouldn't have to carry anything either. I felt light and easy in the moment.


 I have been deeply stressed all month, combined with allergies, and have seen a return of gerd and asthma as a result. "What steps do I need to take for my health?" kept going through my head as I reached the Prayer Wheel. I gripped the handle and began walking, closing my eyes and letting the wheel guide me. I thought about how many feet had stepped on this circle before, how many prayers for peace and to release suffering had been chanted. I noticed the shadows and golden sunlight dancing on my eyelids, as I went slower and slower...

After some time had passed, I felt a deep peace and decided to return to my car. I jauntily set off down the path feeling better than I had in a long time. After a while the path started to veer sharply up, and I came across a gate with a "no trespassing sign." It should say "no stress passing" I thought, realizing right then that I must of taken a wrong turn somewhere. "Okay, " I thought, "here's this adventure," contemplating the day's tarot card. Well, four hours later...

Some who wander actually are lost. I had to laugh at myself, for pretty much I was experiencing my worst nightmare - no idea where I was, barefoot, no glasses, the sun starting to set, starting to get thirsty. And I was fine. Of course, I started to imagine more and more dire situations - by the time I did find the bridge, what if a squirrel had stolen my car keys? I took a deep breath and reminded myself to be calm. I paid attention to the moss under my sore feet, the feel of stepping on soft dead leaves, the quite rustles and inconsistent bird calls. I decided I was on a trust walk and I could trust that I could find my way back home. I turned a corner, and there below me in the blurry distance I could see the bridge. Never have I felt so thankful to slip on my shoes, jingle my keys, tuck my glasses safely into my blouse... And damn, if that wasn't the best sushi I've ever had in my life!

We All Come From the Goddess