Sunday, April 22, 2012

Transparent Oracle Sunday!  After asking “What do I need to know this week?” I threw these three cards.  

28, Guide: Frog (West). West is the direction of Water, and thus, of feelings and emotions, relationships of all kinds, cleansing and healing, the wisdom associated with natural endings, and the bubbling up of pure joy.  Frog tells of fertility and creativity, and Frog also represents the amazing transformations that occur during a lifetime.  We need to grow and adapt to the situations that present themselves, and Frog is an expert at this!  Frog has a permeable skin, so this card is also associated with healing and empathy and healing, and with partnerships. 

9, Guide: Wren (East). East is the direction of the rising sun, and thus of new beginnings and fresh ideas, as well as knowledge, intellectual ideas and thoughts.  Wren is about cunning and surprise, about ambition and humility.  Wren is small so often overlooked, but Wren is also plucky and thus, is often able to survive well.  Wren reminds us that we should not forget our limits, but we should not allow those limits to distract us from our goals.  Wren is also about sacrifice; this brave bird sacrifices glory and visibility in order to thrive. 

58, Grail Hollows: The Spear (Below). The direction of Below is not easily associated with spirituality, yet it is a powerful symbol representing the opportunity to create a strong foundation, and to connect to the tools and powers of the Underworld.  Even though this Grail Hollow is associated with the Underworld and the direction of Below, it also represents the element of Fire and all the abilities to create transformation that belong to Fire.  The Spear corresponds to karma and sacrifice and desolation, it is about focus, it is about challenging the status quo, and about piercing a situation in order to upset the status quo.  Using The Spear may guaranty victory, but the consequences associated with that victory are most likely quite severe. 

A bit about the Grail Hollows.  The Grail Hollows are the four great treasures guarded by the Tuatha de Danaan, and they represent the wisdom behind the four suits of the Tarot, and the power behind the four elements. 

Okay, now this is a tough mandala to interpret!  Placing Wren on top of Frog was not that difficult; each Wren seemed to be pressing against the head of the corresponding Frog, and this partnership could very well be telling me that there could be interesting opportunities for growth and for unexpected partnerships, or partnerships that bring me in unexpected directions.  Being adaptable to all situations, and keeping in mind always that my emotions and feelings always affect the way things play out are important to whatever situations arise.  Okay, easy enough.

But then, we add The Spear, and the entire feeling of the mandala is changed.  The Spear slashes horizontally across the mandala, dividing the upper Frog and Wren from the two lower Frogs and Wrens.  Is this the foundation, the level playing field on which we work and compete?  Or is The Spear challenging these partnerships?  Am I being told of a coming separation of interests of some kind?  Or will the challenge presented by The Spear cause a strong unity that might never have manifested?

Whatever is coming, it won’t be boring.

Sundays are also Spring Fitness Challenge check-in days.  I have been using the elements and my work with the alchemic Great Work to bring a sort of Metabolic/Elemental Discipline into my days throughout this challenge.  Here is my update for this week.

Earth rules the entire physical world and all of its manifestations.  To me, Earth represents not only the physiological operations of our bodies, but the physical world around me.  I have been researching Ayurveda (as documented within this Blog) in order to increase my understanding of how my body reacts to what I eat and drink, and to my activities and daily schedule.  No big surprises so far; I am less lethargic if I get up early, exercise first thing in the morning, and stay away from dairy and sugar.  Of course, the complete opposite of what I want to do.

Air rules the mind, the intellect, thinking, and air and the act of breathing and all effects associated with breathing.  I am actively choosing with awareness; not that I don’t cheat, but before I eat or drink something that I know will slow me down, I actively choose whether or not I am willing to deal with the consequences.  This has occasionally encouraged me to step away from the ice cream.

Fire rules passion, courage, the life force and the Will, and movement of all kinds and all effects associated with movement.  I have been real good about doing my yoga and stretches each morning, and I am walking at least one half hour a day.  When I miss a day, I double up the next day.

Water rules emotions and feelings and all effects associated with emotions and feelings, and for our purposes Water will also be about cleansing, flushing and purifying.  I have been drinking quite a bit more water, which is helping with my lethargy.  I am also keeping a strict watch on my emotions, and this week has been tough.

My body tends to resist weight loss, and this week I am at the pause I expected (and have already mentioned in my last blog post).  I feel as if I have lost more weight and my clothes are noticeably looser, yet the scale has only gone down an additional one-half pound.  Now, normally this is about when I get frustrated and give in to all the food cravings I’ve been fighting for the past couple of weeks, but this time is different.  Is it the fact that I am consistently well-hydrated?  Is it that I am already forming the habit of eating with awareness and consciously choosing what I am going to consume with consequences always in mind?  Is it the fact that besides regularly exercising, I am also connecting more and more to my energy body, and thus I am loving the feeling of being toxin free?  Whatever the reason, so far I am hanging in there.

Next weekend we will be away, visiting friends in North Carolina.  Those four days are going to be quite challenging; many of our social events revolve around meals, so temptations will abound.  But perhaps I will be okay.

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