Transparent Oracle Sunday!  As usual, after asking “What do I need to know?” I threw the following cards:

2, Weather: Wind (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.  Wind seems to be unorganized, but actually the disruption brought by Wind clears the way for new adventures.  We need to remember that fighting the energies of this card will most likely not bring a good end result.  I would be better off making use of these powerful energies rather than trying to change them.

55, Guide: Mermaid (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.  Mermaids are capable of experiencing deep emotions, despite their inability to speak words (but they can sing).  They are capable of bringing life, fertility and creation, but they are equally capable of bringing death, destruction and a special kind of barrenness.  This card is telling me to be aware of my emotions, especially the strong ones, and try to balance them out.

68, Vision (Within).  Within is the direction of the Self, and thus the cards associated with this direction deal with the ways our Self connects to the world and perceives the world, and the Self.  This direction is mostly abstract, and yet is our bridge to the Universe around us.  Vision is one of the most powerful of our senses, but also the most easy to fool, probably because we depend so much on our eyesight in order to perceive and interpret our world.  Vision is generally about a concern for appearances, but it can also be about “seeing within.”  And within Wicca, visualization is considered one of the first steps to actual manifestation!

When I stacked the cards into a mandala, all I could see was the colors of the Vision card.  The rainbows of light beaming from each eye of the three figures on this card seem to blur and obscure anything else.  The Mermaids were hidden completely; however I noticed that I could see the Wind card, but as a background only.  This mandala is offering a powerful message to me.  Things are happening that will affect me, but that I can’t control.  I need to connect to who I am and what I want with a clear and detailed perception, and without allowing my emotions to hold me back.  It is my vision of my Self, of who I am, that is in the forefront right now, and even the forces of Nature may not be able to affect that perception.  Wow!

Sundays are also Spring Fitness Challenge check-in days.  This is the first weekend that I am not flying somewhere, and all week I have been making the effort to get back into the swing of things.  However, I did not do badly at all, considering I was away.  Here are my specific updates:

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 am proud of the fact that I have been choosing foods and beverages with awareness, awareness of whether or not they are good for me, and whether or not I will experience some uncomfortable effect from eating or drinking something bad.  This does not mean that I have not cheated, just that I’ve chosen my food and drink with awareness.  I did have a few Presidentes while in the Dominican Republic, and some ice cream.  **wink**

Air rules the mind, the intellect, thinking, and air and the act of breathing and all effects associated with breathing.  See above paragraph regarding choosing food and drink with awareness.  I am continuing to work on breathing exercises while visualizing toxins being expelled on my exhales.

Fire rules passion, courage, the life force and the Will, and movement of all kinds and all effects associated with movement.  I walked while on vacation this past weekend, but was not religious about doing my stretching and Yoga.  But I’m back into the swing of things.  This weekend, I will be with some walkers, so I expect to get some good beach walks in.

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’ve been drinking lots of water.  I am also trying to focus on the fact that I am into some of my “skinny clothes,” even though the scale has not moved as much as I wanted it to move.

And for the first time in two weekends, I stepped on the scale.  The result: another pound gone, even though I was away on two vacations.  Total weight lost so far: 4 ½ pounds. 

All in all, I am pleased.  And I really feel good, too. 

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