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Category: Witchcraft

Soul Retrieval Certification!

This past weekend (Jan 13-16), Glasreo and I attended a Soul Retrieval Certification workshop, taught by Monika Healing Coyote, in the neoshamanic healing tradition of Sandra Ingerman and Gryphon’s Grove. It was an INTENSE experience.  Which is part of why it’s taken me this long to blog about it… I’m still pretty heavily processing,but I think it’s time to share!  I’m going to give a brief overview of each day of the class, the topics covered, with more details on any personal insights I gained.  I will probably forget things and miss things because I learned SO MUCH, but hopefully this will be a passable record of my experiences.

 

DAY ONE:

There were six other attendees, plus myself, Glasreo, and our instructor, gathered in her living room.  It was a small room, and a cozy fit, but pleasant.  We did a round of introductions – the usual.  Name, experience level for journeying, healing modalities practiced, why learn soul retrieval?  My answer to the last question was pretty much,
Another Tool in the Toolbox.  I’ve been spirit-led to do soul retrieval on a few reiki clients previously, and I jumped at the chance to learn it more deeply.

We talked a bit about ways to jump in and out of journey space in order to take notes and ask multiple questions, but I already have a system I use for “pausing” journeys in order to do that.  I’ve really found it useful in my reiki practice, because it allows me to receive messages from spirits and look at the energy body deeply, and still talk to the client and be aware of where my body is in relation to theirs and everything else in the room.

Our first journey was to talk to our soul retrieval guides about soul essence and soul loss, on micro and macro levels.  My guides are the same as my main reiki guides: Airmed and Miach, Irish gods of healing.  They gave me imagery that spun up and down on different levels, comparing the soul to the nucleus of an atom, or the star of a solar system – the center that animates the outside (the body).  Many of my classmates also got solar or fire imagery, and most of us also got messages about the soul of an individual being part of a larger soul (and likely made up of smaller souls, as well).  Fractals, spiraling up and down out of our ability to conceive in both directions.  Soul loss, then, can affect us all on many different levels, and it’s as important to do soul retrieval for individuals as it is to do it for groups, the land, and the planet, if you can.

Since we started in the evening and everyone was pretty beat, it was a short session.

 

DAY TWO:

Day two started with us asking our guides for a dismemberment healing, to prepare the way for new energies.  As usual, I dissolved into the water that borders my Waystation island.  It’s very very calming, and a bit less violent than what usually comes to mind for a dismemberment healing, but just as potent.  We talked a bit about my own shadows and blockages, shadow work I need to do and things I need to be aware of as I’m doing this healing work.  Most of it was things I’m already aware of and trying to work on, one or two were new and struck a chord.  Self improvement is never finished, and I’m glad to have their guidance.

Then we talked for a bit, with Monika introducing concepts like client education, confidentiality, consent, other complementary healing modalities, so that we could discuss them and figure out our own paths through this work.  Glasreo and I will probably be combining this work with our reiki practice, first and foremost, and using reiki to both prepare the bodies (physical and etheric) as well as to help with integration afterwards.

The next journey was a pretty intense one – we were to ask our guides for a run-down of our specific method, ie, how we were going to perform soul retrieval with their help.  My particular method requires me using sound to call in nearby pieces, and visiting an underwater (but air-filled) cave to find pieces that get lost.  I see the soul like a little squishy ball of light as I work on it, clearing things out and helping pieces assimilate back in.  After learning our method, and hearing about everyone else’s, Monika paired us up to work on partners.  My partner and I didn’t have any trouble working on each other, and it helped me really cement the method I’d been shown.

We then talked a bit about integration, and how to tell the client what we’d seen, and when it’s best to keep some of the story to ourselves – it’s not a good idea to share something if it will trigger or re-traumatize the client.  It’s better to focus on what the soul pieces are bringing back, rather than focusing on why the left – you want the client to move forward, and heal fully.  We also discussed how different messages come through our filters, and how sometimes a symbol will mean a different thing to us than it does to the client.  It’s okay to just say you’re not sure if the symbology or metaphor is unclear – maybe it will become clear to the client afterwards!  After discussing integration, we did a journey to the soul pieces that were returned, to ask them for their story, and advice moving forward, in order to cement our own integration.

Our last topic was soul theft, and we discussed the topic before journeying to ask our guides how we would handle it as healers, and what we should do to prevent it from happening again.  Monika pointed out that frequently, human-on-human soul theft is a chain that goes pretty far back, and it might be best to go as far back as you can, or until you hit someone dead, to prevent the cycle from recurring.  Most soul theft is unintentional, and the perpetrators often need healing, themselves, but consent can be difficult, so I will probably free pieces and hand them off to someone’s guides or Higher Self, as attempting to put them back into the core soul without consent is likely to get me nowhere, and it’s not very ethical.  Spirits can also steal pieces of soul, or pick up pieces that left and hold on to them, and those may have to be battled or psychopomped, depending on the kind of spirit and how reluctant they are to give up the piece.  I’ll be working with the Morrigna in these cases, though, so I feel ready to do the work.

 

DAY THREE:

The first half of the day was spent on smaller topic discussions: ancestral line soul loss in the client’s family, past lives/reincarnation/soul contracts of the client, working on clients with mental or physical illnesses (especially the limitations of this work to “fix” biological problems – it can help, certainly, but “miracle cures” are incredibly rare), working on clients with addiction issues (and the limitations it puts on healing if they are not Ready, Willing, and Able to change), working on clients remotely (can totally be done, across time and/or space), working on land spirits, working on animals, and group healing ceremonies.

After we discussed animals, we did a small group session on the dog that lived in the house, and we found that some of us were called to do different parts.  For example, I ended up doing mostly gunk removal, from both the core soul and pieces, though I was not guided to gather or integrate more than one piece.  Another classmate was called to gather many pieces but not clean them, and a third was guided to hold space for the rest of us and then finish the integration process.  That led us into the discussion of group healing, and once we had finished all our discussion topics, we did a brief healing on Monika, as well.

The final journey of the day was a discussion (with our guides) of trickery and intrusions, from spirits and thoughtforms and suchlike that could mess with a healing. We were to come up with a system to guard against and deal with these issues.  My personal system is to remain basically the same as what I already do with my guides when working on reiki clients, or when encountering new spirits in journey space, so that was more confirmation for me than anything new.

 

DAY FOUR:

The first half the day was entirely devoted to a discussion on ethics.  We revisited consent and confidentiality, and also covered topics like holding space, moving past our own ego, self-healing work and shadow work, honoring equal exchange, knowing our personal limits, and making sure not to cause dependency, not to hold any healing back from the client.  Monika shared with us her own ethical code, and talked about the code put forth by the Indie Shaman quarterly journal, and we all thought a bit about our own guidelines.  Then, another journey – this time to ask our guides for their input, and to be told what the consequences might be if we broke our oath.  After that, we all participated in a short meditation to release any soul essence that was not ours that we had taken or ended up with, consciously or unconsciously, so that those pieces could find their way home.

After lunch, Monika led a ceremony to call forth many many spirits as witnesses, and we all gave our oaths.  The core of mine is that I will abide by the sacred rules of Hospitality, and I will Put Right what is Wrong. Some things will not be mine to change, and I should never put anything wrong that was right to begin with… It is somewhat difficult to put into terms, but I understand and my spirits understand, and the consequences if break this oath will be immediate and dire, and completely out of my control.

 

OVERVIEW:

I feel like I learned so much, from both the discussions, and the journeys.  It was also really helpful to hear about other people’s journeys, and where everyone else was coming from.  It was one of those times where I’m not sure it could have been replicated with another group of people, because we were all so in sync!  Hopefully Monika will teach the class again – I would highly recommend it to any experienced energy healer.  It’s been a lot to process, but I would do it all over again.  I really think this is going to help deepen my healing practice.

One last thing – before we receive our final certificate, we have to do 1 free soul retrieval healing, so if you’d like to volunteer for that, do let me know.  I’ll probably offer a handful for free to make sure I’ve really integrated what I’ve learned, and then I’ll add it to my reiki bag of tricks and stick it on the menu, so to speak. I’ll be updating the reiki & healing part of the website with more information soon.

 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from us here at Serendipities!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, whatever holidays you celebrated!  I’ve been planning away and I have some exciting news coming up soon!

First of all, Glasreo and I are signed up for a Soul Retrieval certification training this month, taught by Monika Healing Coyote.  She’s a friend and a talented fellow healer and we’re very excited that she’s offering this class, because we think it will help us in our healing work.  We’re always interested in learning new ways to use energy and spirit guidance to heal ourselves and those around us.

On that topic, I’m scheduling another reiki class sometime at the end of this month or in February, since the last one went so well and I have more interest!  It will most likely be a weekend afternoon, held at our house in Reston, VA, so if you are interested please please contact us as soon as possible to tell me what dates you are available.  Cost is going to be $50 + the cost of a manual for I and II. (If you already have the William Rand manual for level I, level 2 is the same book).  The class itself will include some practice time and munchies, too!

Other new things on their way are Rune Readings, as soon as I get the pictures taken and the listing written, and I have three new tarot decks: Archeon Tarot, Tarot of the Boroughs, and the mini Tarot of Pagan Cats.  So, expect to see listings with those soon – again, I still need to take pictures, and that requires good natural lighting, which the world has not been providing me with, lately.  They’ll be up by the end of the month, gods willing.

The other thing I’m going to start doing is mini monthly horoscope-type Lenormand readings here in the blog, for all of you!  So here are your two cards for January:

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The Crossroads refers to choices and decisions we have to make, which makes sense for the beginning of the year: we’re all trying to decide what we’ll work on, what we’ll try to accomplish, and what we want the new year to be like.  The Fish are a symbol of finances, money, wealth, and our “wants” (as opposed to “needs”).  Together, the two cards are telling us to pay attention to our financial choices, and to make sure what we’re choosing to do this year really lines up with our own values and desires – not the values and desires of others.  If we can make the right choices, January should be a time of increase for us all.  May it be so!  And, as always – if you want a more in-depth personal reading, I’d be very happy to do one for you. Just take a look in the Etsy Shop or send us an email!

 

As we slide into Winter…

A few months ago, I posted a blog titled “A Message for the Equinox”.  In it, I described a journey I took to see the Morrigna, the three Daughters of Ernmas, and their message for me about the coming fall and winter.  As they predicted, the fall has been tumultuous, even beyond what I had expected.  Fierce storms raged, the veil was so thin that people who aren’t normally in tune could feel that something was amiss, wild unseen things were wandering, and the US election seems to have caught quite a few of us by surprise.  Illusions are being shows for what they are, assumptions are being overturned, and we are all confronting the fact that we have painful shadow work to do in order to move forward.  The unnecessary, the luxurious, and the gilded things are being stripped away.  It has been a painful season of growth, but I hope you all are rising to the challenge.

As we move forward, however, remember to take time for yourself.  Remember to rest, recharge and heal. Check in with people around you; give help where you can, and accept help when you need it yourself.  The winter is likely to be even worse than the fall, and spring is very far away.  We have much to do before then, and burn out is likely if you can’t maintain yourself.

The Morrigna have been calling me, personally, to help heal those of their warriors who are in my own circle.  That, it seems, is my role in the struggles ahead.  I am a healer, not a warrior, and my most important efforts include holding space for others.  I will do my best to provide respite and sanctuary to all those I can, whether through reiki or spellwork or simply listening.  If you need someone to help you find hope, please do not hesitate to reach out.

I’m attempting to schedule some reiki classes for January or February, so if you are interested in taking Reiki I, II, or III, do let me know.  Classes are tentatively priced at $50 plus the cost of a manual (which is $15-20), and I’ll need at least three students per level to be able to schedule a class.  Weekends are probably best, as each class is several hours long and I’d prefer not to go too late into the evening.

Weather Protections

A few weeks ago, Hurricane Matthew was bearing down on the east coast of the United States.  I was safe enough, inland in Virginia, but my husband had family very close to the coast near Jacksonville, FL, where landfall was expected.  They did not manage to evacuate, in part because one of those stranded was his 91-year-old great aunt.  My mother-in-law was very distressed, and asked if I would attempt a protection spell to keep them safe through the storm, and I promised I would do my best.

There was just one problem.  The storm was being powered by the Wild Hunt, and they do not take kindly to outsiders interfering in their work.

So, I turned to a friend with some excellent Wild Hunt connections via Gwyn Ap Nudd.  Initially I asked her if she would just present my case to Gwyn and ask his advice.  What would I need to do to get my spell let through?  I knew I could make a decent spell, but I was worried about being able to send it south to get to them, and I was worried about anchoring it.  I needed this to be a spell cast and set, not something I’d need to constantly pour energy into, because the storm could be there for days.

My friend went journeying to see Gwyn, and came back with a somewhat unexpected answer: he’d allow my spell through, but only if my friend went to bat for me.  She would need to give offerings, give my spell her essence, and stand guard throughout the storm.  I was hesitant, not wanting to put that much pressure on her, but Gwyn had made it very clear that this was the only way.  She agreed, much to my relief, and gave me directions.  I was to enter her place of power and take away a goo-like material gathered in a pool there, and use it in the Otherworlds-side part of my spell.

That required a journey on my part, so I found a quiet place to lie down, and let myself drift into my Waystation.  From there, I left by the portal door and ended up in a dark forest, where it was an autumn night.  I followed a path up a hill and then down stone stairs cut into a cliff face, to the mouth of a cave.  Once inside, I intuitively made my way to the cavern where I knew I would find the pool.  Although I normally glow somewhat in dim light Over There, I did not disturb the blackness of the cave, because my clothes had adjusted to be something like black-out curtains.  Even my face was veiled and my hands were gloved – I moved without seeing where I went. Once I found the place, I briefly lifted my veil so that just the dim glow of my face could be seen – the place needed to know who I was, needed to recognize me, so that I could take some of the goo without mishap.  I could vaguely see or feel someone back towards the wall ahead of me, though as I was the only source of light, I could not see them clearly.  At first I hesitated, wondering if I would have to prove myself to this being, but whoever it was, they simply watched, perhaps making sure I was not taking more than I had agreed to, and that I wouldn’t overstay my welcome.  I bent down, uncertain how I was going to scoop up some of the goo when some of it jumped out, a droplet the size of my fist.  I held out a belt pouch to catch it in, and the goo landed but bounced back up once, twice, three times before settling, and then I closed the bag.  I put it back on the belt at my waist, lowered my veil again, and made my way out the way I’d come in.  Once I was outside the cave, my clothes became my usual airy dress, and this time, instead of heading up the stairs, I leapt into the water at the base of the cliffs. I used the water as a portal, leading me through to the water of my own Waystation, where I emerged.  Once out of the water, I headed for my temple, in which I do most of my offerings and spellwork in the Otherworlds.  I transferred the goo from the belt pouch to a glass jar, where it bounced around in a vaguely annoyed manner – I got the feeling it didn’t like being cooped up, but I wasn’t yet ready to add it to my spell and I needed to put it somewhere for the meantime!  Then I ended the journey, coming back to myself in this realm.

Once I was grounded and back to my usual self, I set about readying the Over Here portion of the spell.  I selected a jar, cleaned it out and dried it and set it on the counter.  Then I found a square of paper – one with waves, from my one-a-day coloring book desk calendar.  On the reverse side I wrote the address of the place my husband’s family members were staying, in red ink.  I then crossed it with the word “safety” three times in blue ink, folded the paper towards me twice, and put it at the bottom of the jar. On top of that, I put sand from a bucket we’d gotten at a gem mine.  There weren’t any large pieces, but any small pieces that went in with the sand I promised in offering to the Wild Hunt.  Once I dismantle it, those will likely go on my faery altar.  On top of that, I poured just about a half a container of sea salt. Next time I think I’ll use a narrower jar!  Into the sea salt I stuck the handle of a small folding knife, with the blade close to and facing the edge of the jar.  Behind the knife I put in a seashell, given to me by my husband from his collection.

While I was doing this, my husband went to the store to get some stew meat, for an offering to the Hounds and the Wild Hunt.  When we returned, we selected three pieces and put them on a plate on the balcony, making it clear to the spirits who and what it was for with a short invocation.

Then it was time to head back to my Waystation.  Again, I found a quiet place to lie down and once I had drifted to my Waystation I went to the temple where I had taken the goo.  I brought the jar with me, solidifying it’s existence in that world, too – although Over There it was in a much prettier and larger jar.  Once it was solid, I focused first on the paper at the bottom, the address.  I visualized it on the map, visualized my husband’s family in the condo, and saw it protected, anointed, covered in the paper that would keep it safe.  Next, the sand: I imagined sand bags circling the building, the sand of shore and coastline buffering the waves and stopping  the storm.  Then, the salt: protection of the highest degree. Protection for them, protection for the spell, the glue holding everything together. Kin to the ocean water, that it would not be seen as foreign, but a natural barrier.  Lastly, the shell, encasing it all, keeping it safe, keeping them safe inside a bubble of protective energy.  The blade I visualized parting the wind, breaking the storm winds around them so that the brunt of the storm was elsewhere, so that the condo was in a calmer pool of air and water.  Finally, I uncorked the jar of essence goo, and added that – it smelled of my friend, and then she was there, claiming it, and the storm raged fiercely in the jar and she met it just as fiercely, tooth and blade, claiming her area as beyond its destruction.  The storm truly parted, then, and the bubble I had made was encased in an additional bubble of this essence, of her power, and my husband’s family members were made safe.

Back to myself, I stood and closed the pickle jar then, and on top I placed a tea light, and lit it, so that the work I had done would be sealed and it would come to pass as we had willed.

They will weather the storm, I thought to myself.

And I was not wrong.  A whole day passed as the storm raged, and I heard it batter against our protections. A second night passed, too, before it becalmed.  Then we heard word from those stranded: they were safe, they were fine, they had weathered the storm alright.  The spell’s work being done, I released it, though I did not dismantle it right away in case I had need of it again.  But the storm passed and did not return.

 

[If you’re interested in doing a similar spell, yourself, contact us and I’ll be glad to give you more concise instructions.  Or, if you’d like to pay us to do spellwork on your behalf, contact us and we’ll talk!]]

A Demo Lenormand Reading

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10-Card Lenormand Reading for @hedgefae!

Overview of the Spread

Everything in this spread is organized according to the position of each card relative to the significator, which is located in the center.  Things in the column to the right indicate the future; things to the left indicate the past; things in the same column as the significator indicate the present moment. Things in the row above the significator indicate things that you know and/or have control over; things below indicate things you don’t know and/or do not have control over; things in the same row as the significator indicate things that you have some (but not complete) knowledge of, and/or some (but not complete) control over.  Card meanings are read in their position and in their relation to each other.

10 Card Spread

1: Storks

This card symbolizes transitions and progress, and located here in the “past” column and the “in your knowledge/control” row, I believe this represents a change you deliberately made.  This is the “arriving” part of what is probably a long transition.

2: Ring

This card symbolizes contracts and commitments, and located in the “present” column and the “in your knowledge/control” row, it seems to be alluding to some sort of offer or negotiation you could take or are taking – if that reminds you of something, you should probably make that commitment.

3: Snake (Shedding)

This card symbolizes transformation and healing, and located in the “future” column and the “in your knowledge/control” row, this is the result of the previous two cards.  You arrived, you committed, and now that you’re in a safe place, it’s time to transform, to transmute, to become a better version of yourself.   This isn’t always an easy process, but it’s always worth the effort.  (If you need help, you might try looking into resources for Shadow Work, learning to delve into your own Shadow side.)

4: Scythe

This card symbolizes cutting ties and reaping harvest.  Situated in the “past” column and in the “somewhat in your knowledge/control” row, this likely indicates a situation in the recent past where you weren’t responsible for the sudden change, but you made the most of what you were given.  Getting laid off would be an example of the kind of situation I’m talking about, or suddenly leaving school for financial reasons. This echoes the card above it – here was the push to leave where you were in the past, before you arrived wherever you are now.

5&6: Sun & Boat

There are two cards here because I decided to put you significator in a “house” to use the tenth card.  Lenormand spreads can also be done “in houses”, which normally applies to the Grand Tableau, where you lay out all the cards, and then lay a different deck down on top of those, but here I’m just using it as an extra little nugget of information.  The Boat card, your significator for this question, symbolizes freedom and travel.  It is in the House of Sun, which adds themes of luck and growth and optimism. Together, they symbolize a need to find new energy, to find a new path that will lighten you and give you more opportunities for growth and development, and that doing so will increase your happiness and help you achieve greater things.  It’s time to move up in the world.  So whatever door just closed, one that’s a lot better should be opening right about now.  You just need to find it.  This is very likely to require some sort of contract, echoing the card above.

7: Moon

This card symbolizes emotions, intuition, and things like your reputation, how others feel about you. In this location, in the “future” column and the “somewhat within your knowledge/control” row, it likely indicates a period of introspection, and a need to make sure that people understand you for who you are. This echoes the card above it, which is focused on personal transformation.

8: Mountain

This card symbolizes obstacles and blockages.  In this position, in the “past” column and the “out of your knowledge/control” row, it is the background for the cards above it, elucidating how difficult your previous situation was, and how infertile it would have been to stay there. A cliff is not a good place to sow seeds.  Better to cut your losses and leave for greener pastures.

9: Lilies

This card symbolizes harmony, and support.  Located here in the “present” column and in the “out of your knowledge/control”, it indicates support from behind the scenes. It is the guiding light for your boat, and the water that holds you buoyant.  Someone or something is guiding your way and watching out for you as you make your transition.  It is not necessarily the same person/entity/thing that you must make a commitment to – the Ring sounds more like a mundane thing, and the Lilies appear to be referring to either fate itself or perhaps a god or guardian spirit.

10: Dog

This card symbolizes loyalty and reliability.  Situated here, in the “future” column and the “out of your knowledge/control”, it may be referring back to an entity supporting you, symbolized by the Lilies.  If it is just the force of fate, it’s still something you can rely on, as you complete the work of the cards above, delving into your own shadow and emotions to become you better self.

Overall:

Changes aren’t just coming: they’re here.  What you need to focus on is really making the most of it.  Aim high and aim for freedom.  Find that open door, and once you go through it, commit to the path and don’t turn back.  You may have some growing pains, but you’ll get through it and it will be worth it, because you’ve got support along the way.  Good luck!

 

[[Hedgefae’s response: “This is a beautiful, beautiful reading! Thank you so much! This confirms a lot of suspicions I’ve had about where my life is headed and what my next step is meant to be. This is everything I was looking for and more!”]]

As I get more comfortable with Lenormand, expect to see listings showing up in the Etsy shop. This particular reading spread will probably cost about $30.

Our First Reiki Class!

This past Saturday, I (with help and support from Glasreo) led my first reiki class!  It was a mixed class, I’s and II’s, with a few other Reiki Masters sitting in and helping explain concepts through their own experiences.  Everyone there was a friend of mine – most were also students of my own teacher, but for various reasons no longer wished to attend her classes.  It was good to have a group of friends, because I felt more secure in my ability to teach a class, knowing that I had a safety net!

I started off at the very, very beginning for the Reiki I student (there was just one!) with “What is reiki?”, and gradually moved forward into the history of reiki, reiki concepts, and reiki techniques.  I gave everyone an outline so they could follow along, and the Reiki I student also has William Lee Rand’s manual for further study.

Then I did the attunements!  The Reiki I student’s attunement is the first full reiki attunement I’ve ever done.  I’ve done healing attunements, and I’ve attuned objects, but that student is my first full attunement – and it went very well.  I’ve been in contact with the student for the past few days, and it sounds like the detox process hit but isn’t too bad – and I’m sure the student will manage it pretty well, with lots of fluids and rest and self-care.

I also did the Reiki II attunements at that time, on the other two students, and it was interesting for me to see how different their pre-existing connections to the reiki energies made the attunement process!  It seemed to go well, however, and I’ve been in contact with both students.  They got sent home with homework to try distance reiki on someone they knew, and I haven’t heard back yet, but I can’t imagine they’ll have any problems.

After the attunements we started in on the Reiki II class session, starting with the symbols, and then discussing more advanced reiki techniques.  Afterwards, one of the other reiki masters set up a traveling table (since Glasreo and I have not yet purchased one), and we did a few short reiki sessions on willing participants, before finishing up and having dinner.

It was a very long, productive day, but I am very glad it happened, and I’m looking forward to teaching more reiki again soon!

Trying to Uphold Justice in an Injust World

Today, as part of a group of pagans of color, I did some divination on how I can uphold justice in an injust world.  I decided to use Lenormand, seeking mundane answers to my question.  As I shuffled, I called upon my patronesses: Bast and Sekhmet, Eyes of Ra and Protectors of Ma’at.

I used the “Under the Roses” Lenormand Deck (images copyrighted by the publisher, US Games Systems, Inc) and pulled the following cards:

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I use the title card in this deck to mean the querent: in this reading, me. The rest of the cards (left to right, in descending rows) are: The Bouquet, The Clouds, The Gentleman (the darker skinned of two possible options in this deck), The Letter, The Lady (again, the darker skinned option), The Child (the lighter-skinned option, this time), The Tree, and The Grave (traditionally The Coffin).  I’ll go through the meanings of the cards in order, and then comment on the overall themes.

1: The Querent.  Well, this is me, located in the “Past” column and the “In My Control” row.  I am interpreting this to be validation that injustice has already been on my radar for some time, and also a reminder that (white-passing as I am) racially motivated injustices are not about me – I am a supporter and an ally, not a victim (potential or by proxy).  Also, the fact that my significator is in the “In My Control” row means that I can control my own actions and reactions moving forward, which is important to remember.

[[This perhaps reflects my own ambiguity about my racial identity… I feel that – for at least me, personally – while I am native, that is more of an ethnicity or a culture than a race, similar to how “hispanic” is often divorced from race on surveys, and is a separate category.  I feel like it is probably easier to be “hispanic AND white” or “native AND white” or possibly even “native AND black” than it is to be “black AND white”, when it comes to being racially “read” by others.  That is to say, I think more strangers would acknowledge the first three identities as valid and/or notice that the person was mixed, but dismiss “black AND white” as just black.  I personally identify as both native and white, and I acknowledge the privilege that passing as only white affords me.  I feel like the term “multiethnic” describes me better than “multiracial”.  But I know that others have different opinions, and I am not trying to say that mine are better – I’m just explaining where I’m coming from, in order to better contextualize this reading.]]

2: The Bouquet. This card is located in the “Present” column and the “In My Control” row. The meanings that jump out at me are: Good Fortune, Generosity, Gifts.  I am called to share what I can with those in need, and to use my comparative privilege to help others.  Based on the location: this I already know, and am beginning to do.

3: The Clouds.  This card is located in the “Future” column and the “In My Control” row.  The meanings that jump out at me are: Setbacks, Delays, Uncertainty.  It seems I will need to face my own doubts and fears, moving forward, and this is also a warning that there is no clear path, but I will have to continually find my way forward.

4: The Gentleman.  This card is located in the “Past” column and the “Progression” row. The meanings that jump out at me are: Male Significator, and Outward Focus.  I believe this stands in for the black men who have died at the hands of police, whose deaths gave rise to #BlackLivesMatter, and as “outward focus” it perhaps refers to the BLM movement at large.

5: The Letter.  This card is located in the “Present” column, and in the “Progression” row.  It is also located in the absolute center, and is the heart of the message.  The meanings that jump out at me are: Correspondence, Communication, Information.  This means talking about what is happening, shedding light on it, sharing information.  Listening and reading as well as speaking and writing.

6: The Lady.  This card is located in the “Future” column and in the “Progression” row.  The meanings that jump out at me are: Empathy, Inward Focus, Subconscious, Friendship.  I do not think this car signifies an actual person.  I think it is a call to become more aware of my own biases and internalized biogtry, and to move forward in empathy, holding space for my fellow travelers.

7: The Child.  This card is located in the “Past” column and in the “Out of My Control” row.  The meanings that jump out at me are: Childhood, Innocence, Learning.  I believe this card is meant to indicate my own childhood, and the messages I unconsciously picked up from society as a child – many of which I now know to be wrong and hurtful.  Most of us have internalized racism, misogyny, and other kinds of bigotry simply because we were steeped in it, and it takes a lot of effort to change those nasty little voices in our heads telling us that we’re “too X” or “not Y enough”.

8: The Tree. This card is located in the “Present” column and in the “Out of  My Control” row.  The meanings that jump out at me are: Spiritual Beliefs, Groundedness, Growth, Legacy.  I believe the Spiritual Beliefs meaning is a reference to my work with Bast and Sekhmet as Eyes of Ra, guardians of Ma’at – I began the work in a different lifetime, and continue it in this one, though I did not seek it out, did not “choose” it, though I have fully embraced it.  The Groundedness is a reminder that things may be triggering – I may become ungrounded at times, and I will need to seek my stillness again.  The Growth is both my own personal growth, and that of society at large, I think, which I must contribute to: because I am intending on having children, I must learn how to pass on the respect I feel for all peoples – so that it will become my legacy.

9: The Grave. This card is located in the “Future” column and in the “Out of My Control” row.  The meanings that jump out at me are: Transformation, Death.  I believe this means that while we will see some positive transformations in our society, all the changes I wish to see will not occur within my lifetime.  That is why leaving a legacy of people who will push for change is so important.

The Past Column: I’m reading these cards from out of my control, rising into my control. My childhood innocence and lack of discernment has been shaped by my awareness of injustice, making me into the person I am today, and shaping who I become as I move forward.

The Present Column: I’m reading these cards from out of my control, rising into my control. I must build my legacy by contributing to the spread of information, and supporting others as best I can.

The Future Column: I’m reading these cards from out of my control, rising into my control.  Transformation of society will come through empathy and friendship, but the path forward will not be linear.  There will be pushbacks, setbacks, and delays.

Overall: It seems that my role is primarily one of support, but that fits well with my life-path generally.  I need to improve myself, and hold space for fellow travelers.  The change we seek will come if we keep striving, keep helping each other and communicating and spreading information – but it may not be achievable in our lifetimes.  We need to focus on our legacy, on building a good foundation for the generations to come.

Prayer for the 4th

Originally, Glasreo and I had hoped to be part of a small group doing a working in DC today, but that did not pan out for us.  While we hope those colleagues of ours manage to pull off their grand endeavor with the help of the Theoi and other gods, we are home, and adding our power to the tide in our own small way.

A Prayer for the 4th of July

Today, I pray to the gods of War – that peace may be sought and maintained.

Today, I pray to the gods of Truth – that lies may have no power and be silenced.

Today, I pray to the gods of Justice – that the disenfranchised may be heard and provisioned.

Today, I pray to the Mighty Dead of this nation.  I call out to them, and I pour them libation, that they may maintain their legacy, and that the founding principles of this country – the ideals of the Enlightenment – may prevail.

Our Mighty Dead dreamed of a country where all could be free to be who they truly were, without fear.  While we now think many more aspects of individual identity should be protected, and we acknowledge that society does not give us all equal power, we continue to strive in the same ways that they did: increasing liberty and justice for all.  May those ideals unite us, where others would divide us.

I honor also this land – from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, to our northern border with Canada and past that to the Alaskan arctic, to our southern border with Mexico and the Gulf as well as the south Pacific islands.  The land contains many different biomes, innumerable ecosystems, and a great diversity of life beyond humanity.  Land, Sea, and Sky: these, too, are citizens, and they, too, must be protected and cherished.

So Hail to the Gods, Hail to the Mighty Dead, and Hail to the Natural World!

Tonight, my prayers will be lit in sparklers, not incense.

Sharing Reiki

For about a year, Glasreo and I went to two different reiki shares as often as we could.  They were both held monthly, and unless we were sick or had family obligations that couldn’t be rescheduled, we were there!  But at some point the scheduling got harder.  One of them relocated further away.  And we might have mourned it, but other opportunities arose, instead.

Instead, we did more bartered reiki for friends, exchanging reiki for divination and other things. These were longer sessions than those at the reiki shares, which tended to have 4+ people working on a single person for 5-15 minutes.  Doing long sessions is important, and it’s equally important to learn how to pace yourself, to decide when to stop and talk for a moment, and when to continue on and discuss what you’re seeing later.  We had done a few long sessions before, but they had been a bit nerve wracking for us.  Now, we are more confident in our ability to continue to give reiki for 45 minutes or longer.

Instead, we had our first paying reiki client.  Up until then, we had only done reiki in shares or in barter, which is fine and good, but does not pay the bills, as they say.  But our client wished to pay, and she has come back for several sessions at this point.  It has been good for us and for her to help her and to figure out our pricing as we continue down this road.  She may become our first student – she has expressed an interest in learning.

Instead, we began to host our own, tiny, healer’s reiki share with a good friend who is going through a tough transition.  Two of us work on the third, rotating spaces, sharing messages, talking about spirits, and learning together, healing together.  It is nice to be sharing this gift with someone who has a similar background to us.  The other reiki shares we attended were nice enough, but while they were pagan-tolerant, we mostly learned to hold our tongues.

Instead, I am reading more about reiki in an attempt to create a curriculum that I will find more full and more satisfying than the one I was taught. To that end, I am re-reading the manual from my own instruction: William Lee Rand’s First and Second Degree Manual.  I am also reading Christopher Penczak’s The Magic of Reiki, and The Essence of Reiki by Dawn Mellowship and Andy Chrysostomou.  I expect that once I’ve finished taking notes for my curriculum, I’ll be reviewing the books for my readers here, as well, so stay tuned.

Instead, I am learning my own “attunement style” as I give healing attunements to objects, many of which are available in our Etsy Shop.  I designed a sort of sigil that contains within it all the reiki symbols and kanji I use, which I mentioned in a previous post.  I think it may become part of my tool set as I learn to attune people, as well.  And the more I read about the attunement process, the less it seems that there is One True Way and the more inclined I am to play to my specific strengths and to account for my specific weaknesses, and to tailor the experience to the specific student, in order for the whole process to be as smooth as possible.

I don’t know that we even saw the door to those other reiki shares closing when it began to close, but I am glad that another door opened in its place.  We are moving forward.

Reiki Adventures

Glasreo and I have been doing a bit more reiki recently, both for clients and bartering with friends.  I’ve noticed that I’m getting better at paying attention to the client’s gods and guides, now, even when they don’t have a specific message, which is good.  Previously I mostly noticed them when they were trying to get my attention!  I’ve been practicing shifting focuses in and out a bit and it does help with my awareness and visualization.  I’ve also been improving my work on physical ailments – helped in no small part by a new anatomy book we picked up, which is refreshing my memory of high school Anatomy/Physiology!

On Glasreo’s part, he’s finding it a bit easier to work with client’s energy centers, and that is helping him find less obvious blockages.  He’s solidified a few new relationships with spirit helpers, including a lava elemental that has been very helpfully eating things we pull out of people.  The crystal spirits are taking a more active role, as well – Glasreo is now making crystal grids intuitively based on each client’s needs, instead of more general grids to help with reiki flow and broad healing.

We’ve been pretty in tune as we work together on clients as well, seeing a lot of the same issues and problems, but being guided to work on different aspects so that our work complements each other.  So far we’re still using the chair-in-the-living-room method, but as our sessions have been 45 minutes or shorter that’s working out fine.  Hopefully before too long we’ll be able to save up for a traveling massage table.

[[If you feel like helping that cause, please contact us to set up an appointment, or visit our etsy shop!]]

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