Kemmyrk

We've Moved!

2007-01-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

Come visit at our new home:

http://kemmyrk.wordpress.com

Comparative/Competitive Spirituality

2007-01-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

One of the temptations we need to fight as we wend our way down the spiritual pathways, highways, and byways, is the tendency towards competitive or comparative spirituality.

It happens in places like yoga classes all the time – people comparing themselves to each other. Not trying to be their best selves in the asanas, but trying to be better than their classmates, to get more of the teacher’s praise.

Unfortunately, it happens in circles and spiritual workshops as well. We want to be good at whatever we do. Unfortunately, too often, we take it too far and try to prove we’re good because someone else is “not good”.

In reality, they may simply progress at a different pace or have different goals. We can’t compare ourselves to anyone else when it comes to something as ephemeral and personal as spirituality.

What we can do is strive to meet our own goals, and encourage our fellow travelers to do the same.

New Year's Goals

2007-01-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

Thursday, January 4, 2007
Moon phase: Last day of the Wolf/Cold Moon
Retrogrades: Saturn

A fresh year means a fresh start, a clean slate. One can have that at the beginning of each new moon cycle, but there’s something about the optimistic energy with which the majority of the world is infused on the 1st of January that’s infectious.

And, on top of that, this year, the turn of the year happened during a waxing moon, so even the moon cycle supports our resolutions!

There are three things I want to work on this year:

--Go deeper in the oracle work;
--Remain steady in my yoga/meditation practice
--Study herbs

I’ve done some herbal study and even had a bit of training, and I’d like to enter a formal training program; however, both financially and chaos-wise, I can’t commit to that this year. But what I CAN commit to, starting with the next new moon, is studying herbals and learning as much as I can about as many herbs as I can, herb by herb. This will help me when I do enter formal training for herbalism.

And, I have The Herbal Tarot, which will, no doubt, help me.

One of my Yule gifts was John Matthews’s The Celtic Oracle, which used to be called The Celtic Shaman’s Pack. I’m going to focus my oracle work from this full moon to the next one on that pack.

Unfortunately, I don’t have permission from the publisher to post photos of the deck, so it will be without illustration, but I hope you will join me on my journey in 2007.

The Importance of New Year's Resolutions

2006-12-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Even though my year spiritually goes from Samhain to Samhain, January 1 gives me a chance to start fresh, too, with New Year’s resolutions.

People squawk about New Year’s Resolutions. They tend to say they don’t do them because they set themselves up for failure and it makes them feel bad; or they pick a bunch of simple steps that are little more than a to-do list.

The point of a resolution is to make a commitment to yourself. If you esteem yourself, if you respect yourself, you are going to keep striving beyond what you think you can do AND ACHIEVE IT.

If you don’t push yourself beyond your boundaries, beyond your comfort zone, you can’t grow. Growth is spurred by challenge, not by complacency.

Does that mean everything on your list gets perfectly polished off?

No, because, during the course of a year, your life changes, and you have to adjust.

But not to do something because you’re afraid of failure, or purposely setting goals that are too easy for you are marks of self disrespect. And how can you expect others to respect you when you don’t respect yourself?

Resolutions are for YOU, not anyone else. If you wish, don’t tell anyone. Making them public allows those who don’t have your best interests at heart to try to sabotage you. Sometimes, that’s a spur to go even farther than you thought you could. Other times, it discourages you.

Whether you choose to share your resolutions with a close friend, on a blog, or just keep it in your heart – pick one thing you want to strive towards this year. Let this be the resolution of your heart. And push yourself to achieve it.

Choose growth in the coming year instead of complacency.

Yule 2006

2006-12-21T08:19:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the Winter Solstice – Yule. It’s the shortest day and the longest night. One of the wonderful things is that . . .starting tomorrow, the days get longer!

The solstice is when we celebrate the return of the Sun (son in archetypical reference) after the long winter nights. Even though often tonight is called “The First Night of Winter” – it’s merely the LONGEST night, not the first. We still have many long nights to experience – to me, February nights seem particularly interminable.

But tonight is a time to celebrate.

Even if it’s only a moment, take a candle and light it as a welcoming symbol towards the sun’s return. Take a minute to reflect on the darknesses in your life and how you want to bring in more light during the coming cycle.

Celebrate with family and friends in this festive season; take some time to breathe. Align yourself with the natural world and work WITH the seasons, not against them.

Bright blessings to you!

7 in '07

2006-12-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

Here’s a bit of Shameless Self-Promotion for you:

I have articles in 7 of the 2007 Llewellyn Almanacs:

The Witches’ Calendar
The Spell-A-Day
The Magical Almanac
The Herbal Almanac
The Tarot Reader
The Moon Almanac
The Wicca Almanac (which is released in Spring)

Of course, I hope you buy them for friends and family and keep a copy of yourself!

Enjoy!

Mercury Retrograde

2006-11-02T08:27:00.000-05:00

So, what, exactly, is Mercury Retrograde? And why do we bitch and moan about it so much?

There are certain times of the year when it appears that the planets are going in the opposite way of their journey around the sun than normal. That’s a “retrograde”. In terms of planetary influences, it means that the planet’s influence in your chart is also backwards.

Mercury is fairly close to earth, and therefore has a good bit of influence. Mercury handles communication, travel, electronics, and shopping. So, when Mercury is retrograde, people tend to misunderstand each other, travel is screwed up, the computer goes kaplooey, and money changes hands quickly.

How can you use Mercury retrograde to your advantage? Depending on where it is in your chart (which will change the degree of influence) and where it was when you were born, here are some suggestions:

--Think before you speak. You should do so anyway, but do it even more during these weeks. And, if someone says something you find offensive, don’t react. Walk away and think about it, within the context of what you know about the person. The words could have come out wrong, or what you heard might not be what was said. Mercury is also associated with the Trickster in some mythologies – so be careful.

--If you have to travel, give yourself lots of extra time. I try not to travel by airplane during a Mercury retrograde; if I do, I expect delays for hours and hours, so if it goes smoothly, it’s a gift. If I’m driving, I’m especially vigilant. I don’t want to get into an accident because someone else was careless. And I give myself an hour to an hour and a half cushion for all appointments. I can always arrive early and sit down and write a few pages while I’m waiting. However, I still expect and demand a call if someone else has caught up in the retrograde and will be late. It’s not an excuse to be irresponsible and disrespectful.

--I’m careful with the computer. Usually, my computer crashes. This time, it was my printer. Sigh. I do the best I can, and try not to get too frustrated. Which doesn’t work.

--I do a lot of thrift shopping and sale shopping. And antiquing. People don’t realize the value of what they’re selling, so it’s a good time to bargain shop.

--On the flip side, I don’t make large ticket purchases or sign contracts. I put off signage until Mercury goes direct. You especially don’t want to buy a house or a car during either a Mercury or a Jupiter retrograde. Or buy electronics. If they work now, they’ll stop when Mercury goes direct. Or, even more likely, they won’t work now.

I try to find more patience for myself and others during this time. It doesn’t always work.

My mantra: Stay low, stay quiet, go shopping.

Good luck!

Samhain

2006-10-30T06:06:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the Celtic New Year, where the wheel of the year turns towards the time of inner work and contemplation.

It’s also the time of “Tending the Dead”, a subject I discussed at length in last year’s entries at this time – five nights of tending to different groups of dead in one’s life – ancestors, children, pets, friends, The Lost.

Tomorrow, take time to re-evaluate your life. What do you need to harvest? What do you need to cut away?

Use your favorite oracle to divine the coming year.

My favorite spread to use at this time of year is a two-deck clock face spread. I choose one tarot deck as the “action” deck and the second deck as the “energy” deck. I shuffle both, thinking about the coming year.

For each month, starting with November, I place one card from each deck at a clock face position. Twelve o’clock is November, one o’clock is December, two o’clock is January, etc., all away around the dial. At the center are two more cards, for the 13th lunar month of the year.

Write down each card, marked “action” and “energy”, and, for each month, write an evaluation of what the cards mean together for that month.

Refer to it every month, so you can see what changes in the course of a year. And what does not. It will help point out patterns, both good and bad, in your life.

Now we begin the inward journey. Outdoors, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are moving towards winter. It’s a time to pull inward, let the storms rage outside, and deal with the storms within.

Samhain is the third and final harvest. It’s considered back luck to pick anything from the fields or garden after tomorrow – it brings bad luck, it will turn bad. Anything not harvested by now must be left in the fields for the spirits. So, if there’s any last minute garden work to put your beds to sleep for the winter, do it today and tomorrow.

Remember, there’s a price to pay for the excuse “I’m too busy” when it comes to Spirit.

October 5 -- Full Moon: Blood Moon

2006-10-05T08:45:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is October’s full moon. It’s called either the “blood moon” or the “hunter’s moon.” Legend has it that this was the last chance hunters had to stock up for the winter, and this moon lit the way so they could hunt at night.

The moon usually hangs low in the sky, an almost orange-yellow, tinged with red. Whatever the scientific reasons for this are, on another level, it makes sense that the moon allowing bloodshed is shaded with red.

This is the last full moon before Samhain. Samhain itself falls during the first quarter (the new moon is on the 22nd). So, this is the last full moon of this agricultural cycle. Some folklore states the final harvest can be no later than the 11th; others that before Samhain itself is acceptable to harvest. Anything not picked by then must be left in the fields for the spirits. Bringing it into the house and eating it after Samhain brings bad luck and illness.

Tomorrow, think about what you’ve brought to fruition in this cycle. And then think about what you still have to harvest before the end of the month. What needs to lie fallow over the winter, in order to replenish and bloom by spring? What needs to be cut away?

One Year Anniversary!

2006-08-13T13:12:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

Today is the one year anniversary of Kemmyrk!

Thank you to my loyal readers, who stick with me as I find the best way for this blog to serve both the oracles and the community.

Home Om -- Day 32

2006-08-10T06:42:00.000-04:00

Last Day of the Full Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

Yes, there’s one final bit of work to do in order to complete our full moon to full moon work:

Release it.

That’s right. For the next few days, go about your business, with an awareness of the work we’ve done, but without dwelling on it.

Give it the energy raised over the past month a chance to get out there and manifest.

It’s difficult – it’s always hard not to hang on to it and worry it. But let go, and let the manifestation happen!

Many thanks for taking this journey with me. Please let me know when you find your new home!

Home Om -- Day 31

2006-08-09T07:28:00.000-04:00

Full Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

Take your pen and paper. Write a short note to the Universe about your new home, your hopes and dreams for it, what worries you. Light the candle. From the lit candle, set the paper on fire, and let it burn out in your fireproof dish. This sends the message into the Universe.

Let the candle burn all the way down; throw away whatever’s left and the ashes.

There’s one more day of our work together, tomorrow. We’re not quite finished!

Home Om -- Day 30

2006-08-08T06:55:00.000-04:00

First day of the Full Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

In today’s visualization, walk up the path to your new home. You are carrying bread, salt, and wine. Open the door. Feel it under your hand. Smell the scent of your new house.

Step inside, carrying your items.

Let your energy spread throughout the space, mingling with that of your new home.

Put the salt in the cupboard, marked with an “X” so that you don’t use it.

Eat the bread; drink the wine.

These are visualizations of the first time you actually step over the threshold of your own home.

Home Om -- Day 29

2006-08-07T08:51:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrograde: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

Wednesday is the full moon. Gather up paper and pen, a dish in which you can burn something, a candle (white or green) in preparation.

Today, in your sitting, concentrate on the sense of peace a secure home environment gives you.

Home Om -- Day 28

2006-08-06T08:39:00.001-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

Has anything changed? Or do you feel like you’re treading water? Are changes rumbling under the surface, or bursting forth?

Take today to evaluate the work of the past 28 days. Visualize your happiness in your new home.

It will be the full moon in a few short days, and our work for Home Om will be complete.

Home Om -- Day 28

2006-08-06T08:39:00.000-04:00

Home Om -- Day 27

2006-08-05T11:09:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

Affirmation: I accept the gifts of abundance offered to me, and promise to be a loving guardian to my new piece of earth.

Home Om -- Day 26

2006-08-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

As new job opportunities open, more lucrative than those before, I accept the abundance and turn that energy towards the new home.

Home Om -- Day 25

2006-08-03T04:28:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

As you follow your breath today, concentrate on pulling your new home towards you. Feel it from your gut and coming towards your gut.

Today is a day to concentrate on the sensation, rather than the visualization.

Home Om -- Day 24

2006-08-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

Many places across the United States are experiencing a heat wave unlike any before. Around here, with the heat index, it’s expected to reach 120 degrees today. The air is low and stagnant, and there is a distinct possibility for a major power outage.

How can you use this weather in your Home Om work?

On a physical level, obviously, stay quiet and drink lots of fluids. The heat is a wonderful excuse to spend extra time in meditation. You can stay still and concentrate on an inner coolness, keep the blood pressure down, and stay quiet.

On a psychological level, you can use the exterior heat as “hearth energy” and feed it into your Home Om meditation. Use the heat of the summer to fuel your meditation.

For instance, as you do your home om, as you let your mind wander through your new home, imagine it is winter. If your home is in a seasonal climate, imagine the snow and ice and the falling flakes. Inside the home, a fire is merrily dancing in the fireplace, and the entire home has a feeling of warmth, joy, and love. Tap into the external summer heat and transform that energy into the gentle warming energy of your astral hearth – the hearth you are in the process of making corporeal.

Home Om -- Day 23

2006-08-01T07:30:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus
Lammas

Lammas is an extremely significant day for me. It’s also the first harvest.

What are you harvesting from this experience?

I know I’m being challenged to actually break old patterns, instead of merely talking about doing so, or planning to do so in the future. I have to re-draw some boundaries, and I have to find some new ways of looking at things.

I’m working on a new affirmation for this point in my life – it’s challenging in a new set of ways, since I have to draw boundaries with people with whom I’ve recently weathered some tough times. But it’s necessary. We developed some patterns that are not working for me as I flood energy into the Home Om. So, I have to find a way to cheerfully and respectfully and honestly redefine those boundaries.

I wish you all a wonderful first harvest, and, by the next harvest, may your hearth energy be moving positively!

Home Om -- Day 22

2006-07-31T08:26:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

The Garden.

I’ve always wanted a garden. As I daydream about my garden, it gets more and more elaborate – not only will it take 20 years to create, but it may be more than I can handle!

However, there are elements I want to include:

Lilac, rose, forsythia, rhododendron, and azalea bushes
At least one of each of the 13 sacred trees
A small natural pond or water fountain
A birdbath
A small grove of birches with a bench
Statuary
Beds of flowers
An herb garden
A vegetable garden

I want to create it so it can be certified as a habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Their program is exciting, and you can learn more about it here.

Home Om -- Day 21

2006-07-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus

The Library.

To me, that is the most important room in the entire house. While I am capable of writing anywhere (and by “anywhere” I mean on trains, in coffee shops, and backstage in between cues), I PREFER a home library.

Not a home office, mind you. A home LIBRARY.

By that, I mean a room with high ceilings and lots of natural light. I mean floors sturdy enough to hold several walls of floor to ceiling bookcases. I want and need my books around me. I want a large, six-legged wooden table as my desk, so that I have space for computer work and for longhand work. I want long, lateral files for my paperwork, so it’s not all housed in boxes and it takes me hours to find something. I want at least one big comfy chair with a reading lamp bending over it, so I can sit and read.

Pet-friendly, of course. Everything in the house must be pet-friendly.

And it must have a door.

This is the room where I will spend the bulk of my writing life, and I’m specific about how I want to set it up. I want to set up what works for me as a creative space.

Everyone has rooms in the house that are of particular importance. The library is mine.

If the house has both a living room and a family room, chances are I will convert the formal living room into the library. I have no need of a formal living room. A dining room is more important to me than a formal living room. The family room is my living room.

I don’t believe in having rooms shut up and unused most of the time, just for show. I believe that a house should be lived in.

And my library will get more than its share of life.

Home Om -- Day 20

2006-07-29T07:11:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus
Mercury Direct

Mercury went direct last night. While the Merc Ret is great for thrift shopping, big tickets items tend to run into problems. Now that both Mercury and Jupiter are direct, it’s safe to sign house contracts.

Now we can enjoy the home energy we’re pulling towards us. Take some time to daydream about specific elements you want or need in your home.

Several qualities are important to me in a home. One of the most important is the kitchen. I don’t need the fanciest, most up-to-date kitchen. (And, am I so sick of the spoiled brats on House Hunters who whine about perfectly decent, lovely kitchens because they don’t have granite counter tops? It wasn’t that long ago it was unusual for a kitchen to have electricity. Get over yourselves!) I love to cook. I love to have people over for meals. I love to work on oils, incenses, tinctures. All I need is a kitchen where I can move around easily, and a gas stove. In the best of all possible worlds, there will be a separate pantry. I like to have a full refrigerator and a well-stocked pantry. I’m used to cooking a meal for twenty in a galley kitchen.

I certainly wouldn’t refuse a state-of-the-art kitchen, but natural light and a gas stove are more important than the latest bells and whistles. I really do not need or want a television screen in my refrigerator. All I need my fridge to do is keep my food cold and give me ice upon request. I would much rather it did those two things well than a half a dozen other things that have nothing to do with fridgi-ness.

Will I paint the walls? Probably. I have no set ideas as to color and cabinetry, etc. for the kitchen. I’m flexible. I’ll see what’s there. If all I need to do is repaint the walls, terrific. If the cabinets need some stripping or painting or maybe a different type of handle, fine. As long as the floor is pet friendly and doesn’t look like an acid trip from the 1960s, I’m happy.

The feel of the kitchen is important. I’ll spend a lot of time there, cooking, baking bread, making coffee, reading the paper. Of course I’ll smudge the whole house, align with the devas of place, and all of that. But I want to be able to stand in the kitchen and feel its pulse when I go through the house. I don’t care if it hasn’t been renovated since 1957 – if the vibe is good, I can work with it.

I’m a home and hearth person, and the feel of the hearth has a lot to do with the feel of the overall home. The kitchen is important. But it needs to be MY kitchen, not something ready for a magazine shoot.

Home Om -- Day 19

2006-07-28T08:31:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

This week, you may well find obstacles and resistance and all sorts of wrenches thrown in the works to test you and ask you, “How badly do you want this change?”

How will you deal with them?

Look back at old patterns that haven’t worked. Make a conscious effort to break them.

Concentrate on your meditation. Concentrate on your breath. And spend time focusing on the sense of peace and happiness you will feel in your new living situation.

Home Om -- Day 18

2006-07-27T14:45:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Did it happen to you? Because it certainly happened to me.

Very often, when you perform life-changing work, things get worse before they get better.

That’s what’s happened in the past few days. The negative aspects of the Home Situation have reared their hydra-like heads, hissing, spitting, and doing their best to make my life impossible and to paralyze me in the move.

The challenge here is not to fall back into the old patterns, but to find ways to stay the course of the patterns broken on the dark moon – find new ways of dealing with these challenges and actually prove to myself that I don’t simply descend back into the old patterns.

Break out, not break down.

Be good to yourself, everyone. We can get through this and be stronger and more focused on the path.

Home Om -- Day 17

2006-07-27T14:38:00.000-04:00

Waxing Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

After two big days of working/visualizing/meditating, use today as a gentle day.
Be gentle with yourself and those around you. Focus on breathing.

Home Om -- Day 16

2006-07-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

New Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

I admit, I had some problems yesterday with letting go of the obstacles. It was an interesting challenge – banishing the fears when the fears are part of what keeps me holding on to them! In fact, the obstacle candle went out several times (indicating a rocky road), and had to be relit.

Today, with the New Moon, we start to pull our new home towards us.

On the piece of paper, create a symbol or sigil that, to you, canonicates a positive home. You can add the symbol of Jupiter to that, and sign it. (I considered distilling my list down to the first letter of each word and creating a sigil; it did not work for me, but if you are a sigil-user, feel free to do so.

Fold your paper into four, and tie the little bundle with one end of your green cord. Carve your name and the word “home” into your green candle, rub your oil into it (from the bottom up) and fasten it into the holder. Light the candle, concentrating on what you want and need from your new home. Holding the other end of the cord, toss the bundled end as far as the cord allows. Pull it slowly towards you while you concentrate on a positive new home, and then spend a few times with your Home Om chant.

Do this every day until the candle burns down or until the full moon, whichever comes first. Symbolically, you are pulling your new home towards you.

And, keep your eyes and ears open – new opportunities will begin to manifest, and awareness is the first step to success.

Home Om -- Day 15

2006-07-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

Dark Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Today is one of our turning points.

Give yourself some time and space where you will not be interrupted. Do not answer the phone or stop to do something for the kids. If you have kids, feel free to include them.

Imagine yourself enclosed in a safe, light space, where nothing negative can interrupt or interfere with what you’re doing.

Take the two white candles. On one of them, carve your name. On the second, carve the obstacles. For instance, I chose “Lack of money” and “fear” as my obstacles. I need more money to make the house move work. The rest of my list – concerns about career change, starting over in a new community, being away from my support system – all boil down to “fear.”

So, on my second candle, I carve

$<

and

FEAR

Rub your oil into the candles, from the top of the candle down (you’re pushing the obstacles away).

Firmly fasten the two candles in their respective holders. If you are a woman, put your name candle on the left and your obstacle candle on the right. If you are a man, put your name candle on the right and your obstacle candle on the left.

Take the black cord. Tie one end around one candle and the other end around the other candle, leaving 3-4 inches of cord in between them.

Light the candles. Watch them burn for a few minutes. Imagine your obstacles moving away from you. When you are genuinely ready to, once and for all, remove the obstacles from your life, take the scissors and cut the cord.

You’ve now symbolically cut what binds you to your obstacles.

Thank the energies around you. Have a snack (because chances are you’ll feel hungry). Let any excess energy that’s built up flow down into the ground, so that you feel stable and calm.

Watch the candles burn all the way down (that’s why I suggested small candles). Let everything cool off and dispose of the remains away from your home. In other words, you can’t just toss it in the kitchen trash. Either bury it (if you’ve got a yard), or put it in the garbage and take the garbage out of your home.

Do NOT put it aside and say, “Oh, I’ll do it later.” It needs to be out of your home TODAY. The point is to remove the obstacles, on a physical level as well as a psychological one. Procrastinating indicates you aren’t willing to give up the obstacles.
And removing the obstacles is important to moving forward.

Home Om -- Day 14

2006-07-23T09:24:00.000-04:00

Day Before the Dark Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Today is the last day in which you can indulge yourself in the patterns holding you back from a new and better home environment. Worry all you want, put up resistance, get it all out.

And gather your tools for tomorrow and the next day. They are turning points in our work.

Home Om -- Day 13

2006-07-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

This is the 13th day of our work. Enjoy its significance.

Today, use silence as your tool. Instead of having noise on at every moment of the day, do whatever you can to encourage stillness. Keep the television off unless you actually watch it. No ipods, no radio, no background chatter.

Listen to your current home. Does it have anything to tell you?

Use the silence to contemplate the changes you want and need to make in your new living situation.

And, when you are house hunting, use the same techniques to listen to your potential new homes. Attune to your new environment. Take the time to connect with the spirits of place.

If you’re in the midst of packing, think of it as a meditation in motion. As difficult as packing is, in this case, it is a physical manifestation of positive change. Appreciate it.

Home Om -- Day 12

2006-07-21T08:38:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

You’ll do your daily sit/meditation/visualization.

In addition, anytime you’re walking around or sitting in a car or find your mind wandering, do the “Home” chant (even if you do it silently instead of frightening the other commuters around you).

Use every packet of unused or frittered time to concentrate on the “Home” chant today and see how it elevates your mood.

Home Om -- Day 11

2006-07-20T09:51:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

As you work on your lists over the next few days – the list of obstacles and the list of desires – also work on distilling down the lists to the most basic parts. Are there related items on the list? Can they be combined, with a single word covering the topic?

Also, gather the following items:

For Dark Moon:
Two small white taper candles and holders for them
Something with which to carve the candles
Rosemary, lemon, lime, or bergamot oil (or any other oil scented with something you associate with cleansing)
Black cord, yarn, thread (about five or six inches)
Scissors or knife

For New Moon:
One green taper candle with holder
Rosemary oil (or any other oil you associate with comfort)
Cord, yarn or strong thread in green or white
Something with which to carve the candle
Small square of paper
Pen

For the next few days, work on your “Home” chant in front of your altar, and also as you work on the list.

Home Om -- Day 10

2006-07-19T06:32:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Exhaustion can become a hindrance in the daily meditation. When you’re so tired you don’t think there’s a chance in . . .anywhere . . .that you can focus, simply sit and repeat the “Home” chant (to the “Om” intonation). Sink into it. Don’t worry about visualizing, don’t worry about anything except the word “home” and how it resonates.

The latest edition of Yoga Journal suggests taking twenty minutes every day to rest. Step away from cell phones, pagers, texters, etc. Lie down and put your feet up. It’s a mini-vacation, and a much-needed restorative.

While I suggest you do this separately from your meditative practice, remember to be gentle with yourself if you fall asleep during either one – it means you needed a deeper rest.

Besides, you might dream your new home.

Homework:

You really didn’t think we’d work for a whole moon cycle without homework, did you?

For the next four days, compose two lists:

1. The obstacles keeping you from making this home shift;

2. The list of the elements you want in your home.

We are using them separately, but since we’ll need one on the Dark Moon and one on the New Moon (which come mere moments apart) – work ahead of the game!

Home Om -- Day 9

2006-07-18T07:38:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades – Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Sometimes, we obsess about what’s not working in our living situation and it interferes with us getting what we want and need. Sometimes, it’s a way to short-circuit ourselves by holding on to the negative because it’s familiar.

Today, assess what’s not working in your current living situation, acknowledge it, and release it.

That way, you can create the situation that’s good for you, instead of creating something that is just a knee-jerk reaction to what’s current.

Home Om -- Day 8

2006-07-17T08:25:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Today marks the beginning of the second week of Home Om. This will be the toughest week in the process – you’ll find yourself resisting, making excuses not to do your daily sit.

Overcome them.

By nature, most people resist change, even positive change. You have the opportunity, in this month, to get the energy moving to manifest for something you both desire and need. Get out of your own way and do it.

Home Om -- Day 7

2006-07-16T10:30:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

After today’s chant, when you are fully relaxed, visualize a beautiful day in your new home. Would you read while lounging in the garden? Drink wine with your friends? Cook a meal? Swim a few laps in a pond? Listen to music?

Take a psychic vacation in your new home.

Home Om -- Day 6

2006-07-15T08:08:00.000-04:00

Interesting twist in today’s meditation – I started “writing’ (in my head) and essay about why I’m leaving where I live now.

Think about it: Why are you leaving your current home? What legacy do you want to leave for the next person who lives there? What good memories/growth will you take with you?

Home Om -- Day 5

2006-07-14T06:57:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Today, as you visualize, let your mind wander around and through your new home. Don’t force your pre-requisites into this meditation. Surprise yourself.

Sometimes, the sub-conscious has a better idea of what we want/need/will draw to us than the conscious mind is willing to admit!

Write down what you experience in your journal, so you can refer back to it in the months to come.

Home Om -- Day 4

2006-07-13T08:31:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Since we’re in the waning moon section of the month, and the waning moon is for removing things from your life you no longer need, it’s a good time to reflect on patterns of behavior.

Do you have any patterns that have hurt your home-and-hearth energy in the past? Do you recognize any patterns of behavior that prevent you from completing the home relocation now?

Think about it. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself.

Take responsibility. Don’t say, “Well, it wasn’t my fault because of x, y, z.” If it’s something for which you need to take responsibility, then do so.

And then, forgive yourself. Self-forgiveness is the first step to breaking a pattern. First, you stop blaming the people and situations around you. If you are unhappy with something in your own life, YOU have the power to change it. Remove the pattern of, “well, it’s not my fault, it’s because I had an unhappy childhood/my boyfriend cheats on me/ so-and-so is out to get me.” Take responsibility and forgive yourself. “Yes, I did it, I made a mistake, and this is what I’ve learned from it to continue down my path in the future.”

Once you’ve taken those two difficult steps, think about how NOT to repeat the pattern in the future. What have you learned that will advise you down a different path if a similar situation comes up again? How will you set off the inner warning bells to remind you not to fall back into the pattern, simply because it’s familiar.

And then, do it.

Such small little words, and so difficult to put into practice!

But this is the waning moon – use that energy to push it away.

That way, when the moon turns towards the new, you can pull towards you both what you want and what’s good for you – because, hopefully, those are no longer mutually exclusive.

Home Om -- Day Three

2006-07-12T09:34:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrograde: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Mark the 24th of July on your calendar – it’s the Dark Moon, and we have some special work to do in context of Home Om.

Note: I didn’t come up with the phrase “Home Om” – I only wish I had! I believe I originally saw it mentioned in Yoga Journal – although it was in a different context than I’m using it – and I’ve heard several people use the phrase in the past year or so. “Home Om” seemed to be a good title for this month’s work.

One of the best parts of the experience, for me, is that, no matter how discouraged I feel going in to the sit, by the end of it, I feel renewed, and as though everything is possible. Getting that positive energy moving is helpful in opening up new possibilities and SEEING those possibilities when they arrive.

Ask yourself: what do I need in a home? Fixating on a specific house can backfire. So, although you want to be detailed, you don’t want to obsess. For instance, my favorite house style is Victorian Gothic. One of those old, rambling places that looks like it came out of It’s a Wonderful Life. However, in the area of the country where I wish to relocate, it’s much more likely I’ll find something in a Colonial, Gambriel, or Expanded Cape style – all of which I like, too.

What other elements are important to me? The ideal size is 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, but 4 and 2 would work fine. A working fireplace is important. A gas stove (I can’t stand cooking on an electric stove – yuck). A room I can transform into my library/office, with floor to ceiling bookcases, comfortable furniture, and a six-legged table to use as my desk. A good sized yard. Not handkerchief-sized, but not too massive. Between three quarters of an acre and two acres would be great. I don’t want the houses to be too close together – I can’t bear the thought of being able to reach into my neighbor’s kitchen window and pour the milk into his coffee in the morning! I’d like a garage. I’m enamored of screened-in porches, or the kind that are all-weather (conservatories), and I also like decks. Again, the deck is a prominent feature in the area in which I’m searching. I don’t want to seem greedy, but since this is my “perfect” house – I’m visualizing both a screened-in porch AND a deck! Those are the most important elements. I also want things like a bay window, a window seat, a curving staircase. But I can be more flexible. I don’t need the ultra-modern gourmet style kitchen and I don’t need a completely state-of-the art tiled bath. I certainly won’t say no if they’re there, but there are plenty of older kitchens and bathrooms that work just fine for me. I tend to lean towards older houses than new construction. Also, new construction tends to constitute an oversized house on a teensy lot, and I don’t want that. I need room to plant, and room for the dogs to run! But more on the garden in another post.

What are some of the elements important to your desired home?

If you’re in the throes of moving, the packing is often the part that’s so exhausting. I’m very good at packing up other people, but falter when it comes to me. I love UNPACKING in the new place and setting things up.

When I get tired, my favorite packing visualization is items putting themselves in the boxes!

Home Om -- Day Two

2006-07-11T07:55:00.000-04:00

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Good morning!

I dedicated the Home Altar last night and did my first meditation in front of it. I did this morning’s early on.

I light the two dark green votives on either side of the house representation, and do the “Home Om” chant. The chant is quite simple: Instead of saying “Om”, I say “Home.”

I chant it over and over, concentrating on the word, letting everything else go. As I relax into the word, I allow images of “home” to flow. Then, I stop the chant, and simply visualize the elements of what I want/need/am looking for in my new home, based on the list.

I admit – I haven’t figured out how to turn my list into a rhyme yet! But I’m working on it.

After my own meditation/visualization is done, I do another chant – this is the one for my friends/colleagues to find their new homes, or for their moves to run smoothly. I took each of their names and wove it into the chant.

When I’m finished, I ground and center, blow out the candles – and I’m ready for breakfast. It’s hungry work!

I do this meditation after my morning yoga, and after my regular morning sit. It turns my meditation session into two parts.

Sometimes, I may do this meditation at night.

My goal is to perform this at least once a day, sometimes twice, each day between now and August’s full moon on the 9th.

What’s great about this experience is that, even when something discouraging comes up, as it did yesterday, in regard to the hearth-and-home situation, performing the meditation gets the energy moving again, positively, and makes me feel optimistic about all of it again.

Feel free to join in, whenever you wish, adding your energy to the mix. Feel free to comment about your experience in the comments section below.

Enjoy!

Home Om -- Day One

2006-07-10T08:44:00.000-04:00

Full Moon
Retrogrades: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury

Hello, everyone! If you’re in a hearth-and-home transition (whether it’s an actual planned move or just gathering the energy to find the best home for you), I hope you’ll join me over the next month for a Full Moon to Full Moon working I’m calling “Home Om”.

Part of the reason I’ve been away for so long is that I’ve been dealing with a family crisis based in hearth-and-home. And, although it seems to be resolved, and somewhat positively, my gut is telling me to move forward with the relocation.

So, since today is the full moon, I decided to embark on a full moon to full moon working that I call “Home Om”.

I’m using tarot and runes and a few other objects to inspire the working.

There’s always a risk in making a working public when it’s in process (the whole “keep silent” thing) – however, since I have two other friends in need of new digs and a friend in the throes of an actual move – I’m going to give it a shot.

I can’t promise I’ll post every day, but I’m going to try. Please note that on this blog, I will focus the writing on the meditative and visualization part of the working. I will be doing other rituals through the course of the month, but those will be kept silent until they’re done.

Normally, for this type of work, I would use the Celtic Dragon Tarot. However, since Dragon logic is different from human logic, with movement directly from A to B, I thought I’d use the Robin Wood instead. I don’t want the force of dragon energy removing me from the home – I want a GENTLE transition – moving is stressful enough!

There’s a link to the right to Robin’s website. Perhaps later in the month, I’ll be able to post a photograph.

The cards for the month are:

The Queen of Cups - in this case, my significator
The Four of Wands – building a solid future.
The Ten of Pentacles – setting down roots

The runes I’m using are Feoh (cattle) and Ur (the strength of an Ox).

I took a small, square, wooden and glass tray. Across the bottom, from left to right, I set: The Four of Wands, Feoh, The Queen of Cups, Ur, The Ten of Pentacles.

Above that, I have an amethyst, a rose quartz, a green agate in the shape of a heart, and two small seashells.

Above that, is a small resin Tudor cottage (I picked up in Hallmark store over ten years ago because I liked it), flanked by two small round pewter dishes that will hold votives (once I get to the store later today and buy them). I’m not visualizing a Tudor cottage – in fact, I’m not visualizing every detail of the structure, because I want to make sure I draw the best possible house for me, and it might be quite different than what I think. However, as the days wear on, there are specific elements that I need/want the house to have, and I will visualize those.

This mini-altar is my focus for the daily meditation/visualization.

Now, I want to make a list of everything I want in a house and, somehow, figure out how to make a rhyme out of it, so I can chant it each day as I sit.

For those who are in the process of moving, simply concentrate on the new, loving home environment, and the peace and stability it will bring once you’re there. Taking a few minutes each day to meditate on the joys of your new home will help keep you calm and centered during the actual moving process.

If you want to use the phases of the moon during this month, we’re at the full moon today – fulfillment. The next two weeks, as the moon wanes, concentrate on removing blocks and obstacles to a successful move, and, when the moon turns, concentrate on pulling the best home for you towards you, building for the future.

Since Mercury is in retrograde, I won’t sign a contract until it goes direct. In fact, there’s no way of knowing if I’ll even be in a position to sign a contract any time soon, but I don’t sign contracts during Mercury Retrograde, period. What I hope this month will do is help me get out of my own way, and get the energy moving in a positive way (since the last few months were so negative), so I can move down the right path.

Off to buy those candles – I have a visualization to do!

Position #8: Environment

2006-02-23T16:38:00.000-05:00

The card in this position indicates the environment surrounding where I am now. This card is the Six of Swords. The six of swords is a card of victory, balance, and ideas. It is also a card that indicates travel, often over water.

I am concerned and worried, but the environment is supporting me and shifting me (causing me to travel). I have to be open to the possibilities.

Again, going back to the Four of Cups, I can’t get so tied in to over focusing and obsessing on the situation that I can’t see opportunities and experiences and support being offered.

That’s something quite important.

Position #7 -- Where I am Now

2006-02-20T18:06:00.000-05:00

This position states where I am (was) at the moment of the reading (January 26). What’s interesting is that I wrote it out as the Queen of Swords. However, looking at both the cards (put aside after the reading) and the photographs – I actually pulled the Queen of Wands.

To me, that means I must need both Queens to illustrate that defining moment. The Queen of Wands is about being completely oneself. A confidence and a centeredness, an ability to move through the situation by being secure in who I am, not trying to mould myself into what someone else wishes.

The Queen of Swords is a sorrowful woman who has learned from her mistakes. I can see how both would be relevant in this situation.

Also, both Queens connect to the Empress in the Aspirations position – the Queens wish to epitomize the qualities of the Empress, as, by the position, I do in the situation. And the Queens connect to the Foundation – the 7 of Swords – use creative thinking – a warning that, although I must be myself, I must also still keep some of the cards close to the vest.

Position #6 -- Near Future

2006-02-20T17:54:00.000-05:00

The Four of Swords is the card I’ve nicknamed the R&R card – for rest and relaxation. It indicates a need for quiet and contemplation, and to take a break. The picture is of a napping dragon with his (her?) four swords.

“Near Future” in the Celtic Cross usually means, in my experience, from two to six weeks. Boy, I wish that the Four of Swords would take effect! Since the initial date of this reading, things have accelerated instead of calmed down, and I certainly need the Four of Swords, but I don’t see the opportunity to take advantage of it anytime soon. Stolen moments just aren’t doing it.

Notice that there is an energy line from the past through the present crossed cards to the future: The Page of Cups (which needs nurturance) moves into the Four of Cups (sorrow and depression) crossed by Temperance (the need for balance) to the Four of Swords (time out).

Two triangles are also formed: From the Page of Cups up to The Empress to the Four of Swords – a new creative endeavor that needs nurturance, to creative fulfillment to time for rest; the second triangle is the bottom one – the same need for nurturance pushed by a need for creative thinking (and a warning of guile from someone nearby) to the time of rest.

Both those energy triangles play off each other, and the straight energy line pushes through. So you build your interpretation with all these different angles.

Position #5: Recent Past

2006-02-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

The card in this position is the Page of Cups. The Pages indicate something new in reference to the question that still needs to be nurtured before it can be revealed or brought forward into the world. The suit of the card gives an idea of what that something needing nurturance is.

Page of Cups means something in the area of creativity or emotion in regard to the question still needs to be nurtured, and that is has come up recently. That card is somewhat puzzling, unless it refers to the need to use my creativity in a new way in regard to the question. Intense emotion is there, as it always is when one’s hearth situation is threatened.

Had the Page of Swords come up in that position (the need to nurture a fresh intellectual approach and a warning against gossip) – I would have understood. But the Page of Cups is both puzzling and intriguing.

I hope to gain more clarity by putting it in context with other cards, or perhaps I will have to add on cards to further clarify this one.

It is rare to further explore a “recent past” position – usually whatever turns up there is straightforward.

But it makes this exploration more interesting.

Position #4: Foundation

2006-02-09T14:08:00.000-05:00

The fourth position in this spread is the Foundation, located directly underneath the crossed cards. The Foundation position states what caused the crossed cards to be what and where they are.

In the case of this reading, the Foundation card is the Seven of Swords. This is the card of guile, creative thought, and a warning that someone close to me in this situation is misrepresenting either him/her/self or the situation. The card itself shows someone sneaking away down the stone corridor, arms full of swords. He leaves an open chest behind him. However, two small dragons stand on a sconce shelf, and their breath illuminates the dark. In other words, the thief has not gotten away without being noticed.

This makes perfect sense as the Foundation of my question – it is the constant misrepresentation that caused the need for the question in the first place.

Also, notice that the fourth position heading through positions 1 & 2 and on up to 3 create an energy line. From the misrepresentation to my despair crossed by the need for balance, up to my desire for a fruitful resolution. That’s how the energy of this situation flows.

It all makes a lot of sense. So far, the Temperance (position #2) card is the card telling me a solution rather than “what is”.

Position #3 -- Aspirations

2006-02-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

The third position in the Celtic Cross spread is on top of the two crossed cards. This position is “Aspirations”. This is what you WANT to happen in the situation.

If a negative card turns up, the first question you need to ask is whether or not you are sabotaging yourself. Sometimes, consciously we think we want one thing, but subconsciously, we really want something else. The Aspirations position will draw self-sabotage to your attention.

Fortunately, in this reading, the Empress makes perfect sense. The Empress is a Major Arcana card, and one of femininity, strength, abundance, and fertility. It makes sense in this position, because yes, I want the result of this conflict to be a positive, abundant resolution. It reminds me that, in order to get there, I need to keep things flowing (Temperance in position #2) and stop staring into the chalice, depressed all the time (4 of Cups in position #1).

Position #2: Energy Surrounding Situation

2006-02-02T17:21:00.001-05:00

The second position in the Celtic Cross, the position crossing the situation, is the energy surrounding the situation. In this case, the card is Temperance.

Temperance is a card of both balance and flow. It advises to keep balance in one’s life, yet not get stagnant. Flow. Keep the energy moving. In this deck, there are three dragons – a red, a green, and a blue. They are flowing together in an infinite pattern. Their heads face the center – but are they aggressive towards each other, or merely making conversation? Because “flow” is part of this card, sometimes it’s one, sometimes the other.

Putting the two cards together, I need to get over myself and notice that there’s a lighter side to all of this, and also keep balance and flow in my life.

Position #1 -- Current Situation

2006-02-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

Since I do not use a significator card, the first position signifies both the situation and where I am in the situation.

The card that came up is the Four of Cups. Cups is the suit of love/creativity/the unconscious/emotions. The four signifies emotional upset and depression. In this particular deck, the woman in the artwork is tracing her hands disconsolately around the edges of the cup. Two other cups stand on the table, with dragons entwined around them, and one cup is spilled, with two dragons playing in it. Although she’s not fully aware of it, and is only staring into the one cup, the dragons are playing. This indicates that the situation is not as gloomy as it seems, and the querent (in this case, me) needs to get over herself and start looking at the bigger picture.

The Celtic Cross Question & Answer

2006-01-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

I used the Celtic Dragon Deck, created by D.J. Conway, with artwork by Lisa Hunt, published by Llewellyn Worldwide in 1999. I will post photos and photo credits for the cards used in this reading in a couple of days. (I’ll come back to previous entries and post the appropriate photographs).

The spread is the Celtic Cross.

The phase of the moon is Waning.

Retrogrades: Saturn (life lessons) and Venus (love/relationships).

The question was a challenge, since I’m facing major life changes/crossroads in hearth and career this year. I know where I am and where I want to reach – I’m not sure of the path.

After wrestling and rephrasing the question over a period of weeks, I came up with:

“What steps can I take the improve the hearth situation?”

. . .Since that has to be resolved before anything else in my life can be tackled.

The cards that came up were:

Position #1 (Current Situtaion): Four of Cups.

Position #2: (Energy Surrounding Situation): Temperance

Position #3: (Aspirations): The Empress

Position #4 (Foundation): Seven of Swords

Position #5: (Recent Past): Page of Cups

Position #6: (Near Future): 4 Swords

Position #7: (Where I am Now): Queen of Swords

Position #8: (Environment): Six of Swords

Position #9: (Hopes and Fears): Chains

Position #10: (Possible Outcome): The Star

On Monday, we will begin our exploration card by card and how each card in each position relates to the other cards. Since our interpretation takes place over a period of time, it will be interesting what shifts during the exploration.

Exploring and interpreting a Celtic Cross Spread

2006-01-23T15:55:00.000-05:00

Over the next few sessions, we will explore and interpret a Celtic Cross spread, especially in the way the cards relate to each other, in addition to what each card means in relation to its individual position.

There are several ways to set the spread, and I will explain how I do it first. Different people use different positions and different meanings. It’s a matter of personal choice, not right and wrong. I’m explaining how I do it, so that the following entries will make sense within that method. Don’t feel boxed in simply because this is the way I do it. You can take the same techniques and apply them to your personal layout.

I do not use a significator card. My significator is The Queen of Cups, and she often shows up elsewhere in the reading. So I prefer not to tie her up as the significator.

In the center of the reading, in the #1 position, is the card I called “Current Situation”. It’s an overview of the question, practically a restatement.

The #2 position is on top of the number one, at right angles, forming an equal-armed cross. This, to me, is the Energy surrounding the situation.

Then, I move directly above the two cards, to my #3 position – Aspirations. This is what you want it to be. The trick in this position is when you’re sabotaging yourself, whether consciously or unconsciously, that self-sabotage will often show up in this position.

I move below the equal-armed cross to the #4 position, the Foundation. This is what causes the need for the question.

I then move to the left of the crossed cards, to my #5 position – Recent Past. That sounds redundant, but it means the past 3-9 weeks (in my experience) of the situation.

Then I hop over the crossed cards to my #6 position, directly to their right, which is my Near Future. Readings tend to answer questions for the coming 2 weeks – 6 months (which is why you don’t want to ask the same question every day for six weeks – it takes time for things to manifest). The Near Future usually means the upcoming three months, although the entire reading can take six months or longer to complete.

Now, we move one more position over, and down, because we will have four cards laddering up the right side of the reading. The bottom of this, Position #7, is Where You Are at This Moment. If you asked the question an hour from now (and I hope you won’t), a different card may come up, should you make decisions and act upon the questions in the meantime. It is a card of Present Moment.

Directly above this, in Position #8, is Environment. It reflects the environment in which you are operating right now.

Above that, in Position #9, is Hopes and Fears. What you want the most if often what you fear the most, which is why both of these seemingly contradictory forces happen within the same position.

And the top card, #10, is the Possible Outcome. Again, it will only happen if you take the action to make it happen, and if you follow the advice of the other cards in the reading. If a card comes up you don’t want to take effect, you make decisions and take positive action to come up with a different outcome.

Next time, we will look at an actual question and which cards come up, and, for the next few sessions, break it down, card by card.

The Importance of Silence/Stillness

2006-01-19T17:24:00.000-05:00

One of the most important aspects of working with oracles is learning how to be at peace in silence and learning how to listen in the stillness.

You can’t do an accurate reading with death metal playing. You can incorporate music into the reading – i.e., pick music you connect to, ask the cards a question, pull some cards and then, for the moment, tune in to the lyrics at that moment and interpret the relevance. But having music running in the background – or, even worse, the television on – will only sabotage your reading.

The point of oracle work is mindfulness. You don’t need to be entertained by something on the outside – TV, iPod, video game – at every moment of every day.

Until you learn to be comfortable within your own silence, your readings will barely scratch the surface. It will be play-reading, not the multi-layered experience that will actually help you change your life.

Using Oracles When Stressed

2006-01-15T14:48:00.000-05:00

As one reads through the myriad of information available about working with an oracle, over and over comes the caveat to not use them when upset, sick, tired or stressed.

That’s the ideal situation. But, the raw truth is that it is when you are in the depths of despair that you need the oracle the most.

I would amend the above to not reading for others when you’re ill or upset. In my experience, I’ve found my personal emotions can overcome the objectiveness needed for the reading. I have read well for others in times of (my) extreme stress, but, for the most part, I try not to. I also don’t read for anyone else if I’ve had a few drinks or taken medication of any kind. I find it affects the reading, and not for the better. I don’t read when I have a cold or the flu, either.

When you are in a difficult situation and need to consult an oracle for yourself, take a few steps to ensure as balanced a reading as possible. Try to sit in meditation for about twenty minutes before attempting the reading. Drink a cup of chamomile tea, or something else that you find calming and restorative. Take the time before handling the cards to clearly and succinctly prepare your questions, as discussed in previous columns.

If cards come up that further agitate you, remember that they are showing possibilities, not absolutes. Delve further into those cards with additional readings or extend the current reading to find out more options, more possibilities. Remember, you can manifest or change anything that appears in a reading with positive action on your part.

In times of duress, I find the advice and guidance of the oracles to be of enormous comfort. I’ve also found the clarity shed on the situation by the oracles helps me move forward actively and positively to reach the best possible outcome for all involved.

And, after all, that’s the point.

I’d also like to take a moment in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, and his message of peace and hope for humankind.

How To Interpret Answers

2006-01-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

This is the quintessential question for readers and querents alike, is it not?

The wonderful and frightening answer to this question is that there are, literally, millions of ways to answer questions, and each reader must find his or her own path. However, there are books , classes and guidelines to help you get started.

When you’ve hit the right interpretation of a card, you will feel it, you will know it, deep down. The more you work with the cards, the more confident you become with the knowing.

Far too often, when a reader self-reads, the reader either second-guesses or twists the interpretation to suit what the reader wants it to be. Again, the more one works with the cards, the more one will fill the twinge, almost like a pulled spiritual muscle, when you’re not being true to the cards themselves. And that’s just a warning. If you continue to disrespect the cards and warp the meanings –intentionally – the Universe will give you a good, solid smack upside the head. And it won’t necessarily be in the way you expect it.

The fact is that sometimes the cards will tell you what you don’t want to hear. They’re not doing so to be “mean”. They’re revealing information that you already have in your subconscious in order to help you make the best, most informed decision along your true path and your true self as possible. It won’t always be pretty, it won’t always be easy. But it will be true.

And this is information, not anything written in stone. When you see information you like in the cards, you take the positive actions to make sure it comes to pass. When the cards warn you, use that information and take another look at the situation. Lay out options, start exploring new approaches so that you can make other choices.

The ultimate power from a reading lies not without, but within.

It is all up to you to both take responsibility and to take action.

How Do You Ask an Oracle?

2006-01-09T12:18:00.000-05:00

Once you’ve decided it’s time to use a divination tool, the next important part of the process is to phrase the question.

Simplicity is the key here. I’ve said this several times on the blog and in my other work: no complex or compound sentences. No “and”, “if”, “but”, “however” or any words in that family.

If you find yourself asking a long, involved question, break it down into several questions, and ask each one as simply as possible. Sometimes, the information you get from one question will negate the need to ask one of the others.

Also, make sure that you genuinely want to know the answer. I know a woman who is an excellent reader for others; yet, when she reads for herself, if she doesn’t get the answer she wants, she keeps asking the question. That’s not going to give you true information. Each re-question will bring a muddier answer, because the question was answered the first time.

It’s one thing to ask for clarification on a response and take the question further. It’s quite another thing to spit in Spirit’s face because the answer was something you didn’t want to hear.

Although as readings progress, you may need to amend and rethink your question, it’s wise to take the time before the reading to thoroughly think through your questions and have a clear idea of what it is you want to find out.

Sometimes, you’ll get everything you need in fifteen minutes, and the reading can stop. Sometimes, the full hour won’t be nearly enough time. Prioritize, simplify, and, most importantly, listen.

When Do You Ask an Oracle?

2006-01-09T12:16:00.000-05:00

How do you know when to ask your divination tool a question? How do you judge when something is too trivial? Does a trivial question offend Spirit?

These are questions that are debated incessantly in the community. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone is entitled to that opinion. I’m going to share my opinion, which I’ve arrived at via trial and error.

As with anything, it’s best to use divination in moderation. It’s one thing to do a daily card pull in order to get an overview of your day. It’s quite another thing to put yourself in a position where you’re too frightened to make a move without consulting a divination tool. In the latter case, all you are doing is refusing responsibility to make decisions. After over-asking your questions, the tool will stop making sense.

When you’ve exhausted your other avenues of contemplation and consideration, that is the time to consult a divination tool. When you’ve got several options and you need help focusing so that you can sort through them and figure out which path is the best one for you to take at this time, that’s the time to consult an oracle. When you feel cornered and can’t look at a situation with any sense of objectivity any more, that is the time to consult an oracle.

Asking which pair of shoes you should wear on your date is not your best use of the tool. Asking to explore the possibilities about a move to Oregon or to Maine will glean you information that you can apply to your life.

(Note: This entry should have gone up on Thursday, January 5, but I couldn’t get Blogger to work. My apologies).

Fresh Starts

2006-01-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

That’s what a New Year is all about, isn’t it? So it goes with Kemmyrk. We are starting fresh with the New (Gregorian) Year. My aim is to have fresh information on Mondays and Thursdays, ideas, exercises, and explorations, rather than sporadically showing up for a few days and then disappearing.

We’re lucky with our fresh starts. We can start over and re-evaluate many times. We can pick and choose – Dec. 1, Nov. 1 (the day after Samhain), each new moon, the first of each month.

How do you use an oracle for a fresh start?

The first and most important thing to do is decide on your question. You need to formulate a simple question. That does not mean an easy question. What it means is that your question must be succinct. No “and”, “but”, “if”, “however” or any words along those lines. If you find yourself constructing a complex or compound sentence, break it down into more than one question.

Also, ask the question actively instead of passively. Writers will recognize this: how often do writers hear their work must be active, not passive? The same is true when you ask for Universal guidance – things are not being “done to you” – you are in the midst of the experience. You need to actively seek guidance so that you actively can make the best possible choices.

Another aspect to remember is The Rule of Three. What you put out will come back to you, at least three times. I believe it hits harder and faster when you do so after you’ve asked for the Universe’s help.

In other words, once you’ve taken the step of acknowledging the Universe and asking for help beyond the realm of the mundane, you are held to a higher standard, and there’s no going back or pleading ignorance. If you’ve’ asked for help and it hasn’t happened in the time and way you’ve asked for it, and you’ve gotten drunk in some bar somewhere and railed against the person you see as doing you harm – it’s going to come back and bite you in the butt.

We’re not supposed to be perfect, and we won’t be perfect. We’ll get angry, we’ll get frustrated. And, once we’ve stepped beyond the mundane, we have to accept and deal with the consequences.

In other words, when you ask for Guidance to help yourself out of the Muck, don’t dump another bucket of it on your own head.

The Universe has its own schedule and its own way of shaking things out – often in a much more interesting way that we could ever imagine. You don’t get to set the time schedule – and believe me, it’s very frustrating. Right now, I’m in a situation where I’m getting squeezed by all sides and I have no idea which end will pop first. I’m actively doing what I can and frustrated that the Universe’s schedule and my schedule are not in sync. Keeping a cool and positive head is a major challenge. And I’m faltering here and there and paying the consequences.

It’s especially difficult astrologically right now, because both Saturn and Venus are in retrograde. A Saturn retrograde is about life lessons and Venus retrograde makes loving relationships and unresolved entanglements even more complicated.

Ground, center, focus on finding an active and positive answer – and come up with a simply phrased question in order to get guidance on your direction.

Kiuny!

Kemmyrk Being Revamped

2005-12-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

Kemmyrk will return after the first of the year with entries twice a week, rather than sporadic attempts at continuity that keep getting interrupted!

Thank you for your patience.

Honouring Those Who Are Gone

2005-11-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

November 1, also known as “All Souls’ Day” is when I take the time to remember and honour – and mourn – non-family members I know who died in the past year.

I keep a list on my computer during the year, so that on this night, I can hold it in my hand and take time with each name.

This is the night whose ceremonies often take the longest. I don’t want to feel rushed. I want to feel the connection with each and every person. I want one last time to truly feel the presence.

Although those we love remain with us as long as we love and remember them, we must also remember that their souls must continue on their journeys. Taking tonight to say a goodbye, to wish them well in whatever waits for them next means we can live with happy memories, yet not tie their souls to this plane indefinitely.

The rituals of mourning are so important. Over the years, it’s become the fashion to be stoic – to take off an hour from your day for a funeral and then come back and “everything’s okay.”

Everything is NOT okay.

A hole remains in the lives of those still alive. And All Souls’ Night is a time to begin the healing process. It is not weak to mourn. I am suspicious of those who are so capable of cutting themselves off from love that they cannot and do not mourn. That doesn’t mean displays of histrionics – it means the deep inner connection that we have with those we love.

And tonight is the night to honour that connection.

Samhain and Tending the Dead

2005-10-31T09:24:00.000-05:00

Today is Samhain, the Celtic New Year. Today is the final harvest, a time to give thanks for all the blessings of the past year, and a time to both reflect and look forward towards the goals for the next cycle.

Tonight is also the Dark Moon – time to cut out of your life what you no longer need.

It is a sacred night, filled with joy and reflection and honour.

One of the most important things we can do in these difficult times is to Tend the Dead. I’ve developed a series of ceremonies spanning several days, beginning with Samhain and continuing for several days thereafter, to honor the spirits of the Dead. They are a combination of Celtic and the Days of the Dead celebrated in Mexico.

Especially with all the lives lost through floods, famine, war, and other natural disasters over the past few years, this is exceptionally important now.

Samhain – Oct. 31 – Honoring the Ancestors

Nov. 1 – People I know personally who have died

Nov. 2 – The Children

Nov. 3 -- The Animals

Nov. 4 – Souls preparing to reincarnate

Nov. 5 – The Lost – the homeless, the unknown, the runaways, those without families, who have no one to mourn for them.

(Note: this has been adjusted from the material presented in my article “Tending the Dead” in the 2003 Llewellyn Magical Almanac. Rituals evolve).

Creating your own ritual is far more powerful than using someone else’s, but I hope the ideas presented here will get you started. I’m simply sharing what I found works for me:

**Start at Midnight;

**In addition to my regular ritual candles, I have one candle for that specific night;

**Music or poetry to read to the dead;

**Call in strong circle guardians, such as watchtowers, dragons or angels. Remember, you’re dealing with the dead. Just because they’re dead doesn’t mean they’re nicer now than they were in life. You can also invite one of your Ancestors to assist you in the rest of the work;

**Listen to what they have to say, but don’t get manipulated into doing anything with which you are uncomfortable or making promises you can’t keep;

**Open the West Gate to receive them;

**Send them back the same way and SEAL the gate;

**Take extra time grounding and centering;

**Eat when you’ve opened the circle.

Please note that these ceremonies are not for beginners; make sure you have a solid foundation in your craft before dealing with any dead rather than your own ancestors.

There are several ways to honour the Ancestors tonight:

--The Dumb Supper: This is a meal where no words are spoken. The entire meal is served and eaten in silence, with a place set for the Ancestors;

--The Black, White and Red Supper: similar to the Dumb Supper as far as setting a place for the Ancestors, but all foods are black, white or red. Nothing with any other colour is served;

--Simply setting a place for the Ancestors at your evening meal;

--Setting up an altar specifically for the Ancestors, with photographs, tokens and items that were important to them, and offerings of their favorite food and drink. Some people I know keep up their Ancestor Altar year-round, and simply use it as the focus for these ceremonies, at this time of year;

--Including the Ancestors in your ritual for the evening;

--Speaking the names of all the ancestors you know, starting with those closest to you and working backwards as far as your known genealogy.

These are simply jumping off points. There are as many different ways to honour the Ancestors as there are families. The intent is to strengthen, renew and retain the connection with those of your blood.

What if there are Ancestors with whom you had a bad relationship, or with whom you do not want to retain a connection? They are still part of your lineage. You do not have to invite them in to your ceremony, but if you can somehow manage true forgiveness and wish them well far away from you, that will hasten your healing process.

While tonight is a night of celebration and revelry, it is also important to remember just how sacred it is, and use the holiness of the night to set the tone for the coming cycle.

Blessings to you all on this night of Samhain, and for the coming year.

Family Emergency

2005-09-27T10:09:00.000-04:00

Due to a family emergency, I will not be able to continue with the tarot interpretation for the next several days. I will return as quickly as I can.

Peace and light.

Exploring the Two of Swords

2005-09-26T16:51:00.000-04:00

In the Medicine Wheel Spread on Saturday, the North position was that of a fire element (in the Shapeshifter deck), the Two of Swords.

In my readings, I associate swords with air and intellect, rather than fire; however, these creators did not. So I need to layer my natural inclination in the reading with their interpretation of the suit.

The picture shows two faces with a snake maneuvering between them. The face closest to the bottom of the picture is wearing a mask. The serpent appears to whisper to the person (or, if you’re not fond of snakes, I suppose you could interpret it as an attack). The tail of the serpent encompasses the head of the other face further up the picture – in the water. And trees and mountains are in the background. So, although this is a fire suit (according to the creators) the elements of water, earth and air (the serpent’s hiss) are also present.

The two of swords means a stalemate. Yet the creators of the card have named it “blindness”. The position the card appeared in is that of the North. Earth. What is tangible. So, in reference to the question – about finding my way back to my soul’s path – I am blind to something tangible.

That could well mean that the grief and rage I’ve felt over the past month have blinded me. They’ve certainly sapped my strength on every level. It could mean that I’m blind to an opportunity because I’m thinking about it in an outdated way. Could it be my relationship to the theatre? Could it be my relationship to the serials?

I’m not sure.

Instead of drawing cards to further explore this particular card NOW, I will continue with the interpretation in the hopes that cross-referencing the cards and putting the whole reading together will lead me to a conclusion.

If I’m still “blind” to the meaning, then I will go back and pull more cards – or rune or oghams or some other oracle – to clarify.

But the message is very clear – I am stuck on a very physical, tangible level apart from my soul’s path because I’m not seeing something properly. I have to figure out what that “something” is in order to look at it from another angle.

Questions in A Time of Change

2005-09-24T11:48:00.000-04:00

For the next few days, we will work with The Shapeshifter Tarot, an absolutely beautiful deck created by D.J. Conway and Sirona Knight, and illustrated by Lisa Hunt. I will photograph the cards used and upload them in the coming days.

I’ve done a Medicine Wheel spread, and then, each day, we will investigate each position in the spread with more cards. The creators named each card – their name will be the last word in the parenthesis before the interpretation.

Today, I will share the entire spread, and we will begin our detailed work tomorrow.

Waning Moon
Retrogrades: Chiron, Neptune, Uranus
Deck: Shapeshifter
Spread: Medicine Wheel

Question: In this time of darkness and chaos, how can I find my way back to my soul’s purpose?

1. North (physical – 2 Swords – Fire – Blindness). A sense of stalemate. Don’t forget to listen to inner promptings. Don’t be blind to yourself.

2. East (mental -- 2 Cups – Water – Love). Balance and harmony after difficulty. At peace, while preparing for positive change. Good. I could use some of that.

3. South (identity – Goddess of Fire {would be King of Swords in a traditional deck} – Bridget). This is interesting, because Bridget is one of my patrons this year. Be more objective. Wind up old and useless ways of thinking in order to make way for new and better ones. Use fire as an ally, not a weapon.

4. West (emotional/unconscious/creative – Transcendence {would be Judgment in a traditional deck}). Renewal and awakening to the larger picture.

5. Center (Spirit – Balance {would be Temperance in a traditional deck}). Keep emotional balance. Don’t veer too far in either the direction of elation or despair. Steer a steady course.

It’s interesting and relevant – and now, over the next few days, I need to work with it position by position to find out the details on how to achieve the advice. I’m exhausted on many levels, and frustrated I need to rework – I need to shapeshift my life positively because I feel I’ve gotten off track in the past few months, and these next days will help me to do so.

I hope you’ll join me for the journey, and, perhaps, you will find some inspiration for your own.

Kiuney!

Mabon

2005-09-22T11:21:00.000-04:00

Today is the Fall Equinox.

May everyone take a moment to pause, to breathe, to light a candle indicating a ray of hope in these dark times.

Today, light and dark are equal.

Tomorrow, we move towards the dark half of the year.

World events make it seem as though we've already started down that path.

With the current retrogrades, and an upcoming Mars Retrograde on October 2, we continue in a turbulent astrological time.

During the next few days of the Waning Moon, we will work with the Shapeshifter Tarot, on exercises to help us focus on what we need to cut out from our lives.

I also received a beautiful new oracle yesterday, called The Well Worth Path. It's not a tarot deck, but it is a set of beautifully drawn cards for divinatory and meditative use. I have permission to post a limited amount of photos of the deck, which I will do as you join me in learning how to use the oracle.

I've never publicly written about the learning process in this way before. I hope it is illuminating for both of us!

Three Card Answer

2005-09-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

In spite of all the pain and horror of the past week and change, our personal ups and downs continue. I had to ask the cards a question today, in regard to a situation with a publisher that is tenuous, to say the least.

I used the Robin Wood Deck again, and will post the photo of the cards shortly.

The cards that came up were:

Temperance

The Ten of Swords

Death

Three card readings can be done several ways: Mind/Body/Spirit, Past/Present/Future, or, what I did here, which I call Three Steps.

Step One – Temperance. I have to remember to remain balanced and flowing. While anger can sometimes be used as a catalyst, it can also be a block.

Step Two – Ten of Swords – a sense of betrayal by someone else, and someone else heaping their anxieties onto me.

Step Three – Death – completion of a cycle to make way for rebirth in this situation.

In other words, it is vital that I keep a cool head, in spite of the sense of betrayal and the person in question trying to make me carry the anxiety; the situation will “die” so that the work can continue.

In my gut, I knew this, but I needed to see it set out in tarot symbolism.

Dark Moon in Dark Times

2005-09-02T09:23:00.000-04:00

Today is the Dark of the Moon. It is a time to cut out of our lives what we no longer need.

Pluto, thankfully, turns direct today.

Today, I will turn my energy towards the devastated South, especially my beloved New Orleans. Although racked with shock and grief and fury at the lack of timely government response over the past few days, I want to focus the energy on cutthing the predators away from the victims.

Tomorrow, the moon begins its new cycle. Tomorrow, I want to start focusing on rebuilding energy, on positive energy.

In the depths of grief and rage, it is almost impossible to remember that negative energy feeds on itself and grows, making problems even worse.

The same tactic can be used for healing energy -- yet it is so much more difficult to tap into the brighter part of the soul and bring up positive energy that is more powerful than negative. Anger's power is enormous. And power is power. The user has the choice of the content and the destination.

It becomes difficult -- one wants to be a warrior to help. Yet, at the same time, one wants to harness and use compassion and love and all the wonderful, beautiful things in the world to help. The tightrope is how to fight the anger with the healing without turning into a doormat, and yet, without becoming what it is you fight.

I have not found the solution; but I continue trying.

Deep Sorrow

2005-08-31T16:02:00.000-04:00

New Orleans is a City of My Heart, and I feel as though part of my soul has been ripped to shreds.

If you’re feeling particularly helpless, both the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity are organizations with integrity that are already sending assistance.

I am also doing some tarot work to lessen the feeling of helplessness – and I hope to share it with you over the next few days.

I know that, in addition to the deep, deep sorrow, I am angered by the looters, by shelters refusing people with their pets, and by the lack of response from the international community. I need to cope with the anger in order to gain perspective and coherent thought as to what I, as an individual and a daughter of the goddess, can do to be actually useful in deed as well as word. My instinct is to be a warrior, but that is not helpful here and now.

Llewellyn kindly granted permission to allow me to use images from tarot and oracles they publish. I uploaded some of the images from the Daily Card Pulls, and I will use different decks and oracles for different explorations.

In deep mourning,

Cerridwen Iris

Reflection and Rest

2005-08-27T07:25:00.000-04:00

The indications in the action card towards following my dreams were fulfilled by the plethora of ideas for writing and for completing unfinished projects. The stalemate card was also accurate – I’m at a stalemate in a situation, trying to decide whether to move forward or cut my losses. Each possibility has an equal number of positives and negatives.

I’m not sure if the Lovers card simply has not yet manifested, or if I don’t understand its fulfillment.

Today, and perhaps tomorrow, we shall rest from the oracles, and then do some waning moon work for the next few days. We will clear out what we no longer need and make way for new possibilities with the new moon.

I have put in requests to the various publishers to allow me to use actual images from the cards each day; I will let you know what happens.

Have a restful few days.

Daily Card Pulls -- Day Nine (Final Day)

2005-08-26T07:42:00.000-04:00

Today is our last day of working the daily card pulls together. If you’ve found it helpful, I encourage you to continue on your own.

Or, go back to it for a period of days when you feel a particular need for guidance.

Action Card – The Star

Energy Card – The Lovers

Additional Card – 2 of Swords

The Star is about reaching for one’s dreams, and having the ability to manifest them. It’s about believing in oneself and one’s ability. It’s also about paying attention – the woman is pouring water back into the stream, focusing on one of the jars she holds, but the other is also pouring out. Pay attention to the details.

The Lovers is often a card of choice. Usually, it shows a pair of lovers with a third figure somewhere in the frame, indicating that a choice must be made. However, in Robin Wood’s deck, the woman has a sphere with the moon and the man has a sphere with the sun, and a star shines onto them. They stand in front of a tree filled with red fruit. In her deck, it indicates unity, harmony, love, and partnership.

Together, these cards indicate that it’s time to move forward with my dreams, and I will have the support I need to make that decision. They are both Major Arcana cards (again), so they mean a big life shift. Had the Lovers card come from a different deck, with different artwork, the meaning would have been different.

Remember – Different decks have different shades of meaning. The actual artwork is as important or more important than whatever is written in a book – you have to let the image communicate to you.

The additional card that fell out of the deck is the two of swords, a blindfolded woman holding two crossed swords. This indicates an intellectual stalemate. I have that with more than one situation in my life right now, so it will be interesting to see which one ties in to The Star and The Lovers.

Don’t worry – even though this is the last day of the daily card pulls, there’s plenty more to explore!

Kiuney!

Reflection

2005-08-25T22:02:00.000-04:00

It was sometimes difficult to remain compassionate today, but I worked at it. There was also joy and creativity in the day. I’m trying not to get caught up in petty dailiness and keep my eye on the bigger picture.

Reflection, Card Pull, Reflection, Card Pull

2005-08-25T08:46:00.000-04:00

Hello! I hope you had some lovely and peaceful days. It’s been an interesting time here, and even more interesting in the ways in which the cards showed the truths of the day – and sometimes I couldn’t see it!

Reflection on Aug. 23:
The action card for the day was Six of Swords, the travel card, along with the ace of cups, indicating new paths of love and creativity. The Ace coming up when it did was interesting, because, on the previous night, I outlined a new novel. The travel was wonderful and smooth, and the time spent both working and playing on the trip filled me with renewed friendships, some new friendships, and fresh ideas. In that case, I could feel the possibilities suggested by the cards, and, every time an opportunity presented itself to fulfill them, I embraced it.

Daily Card Pull – Day Seven (Aug. 24)

Action Card -- the Tower

Energy Card – The King of Swords

Additional Card – The Sun

Two Major Arcana cards and a card of finality. I must admit that this card pull distressed me. I do not have a good relationship with the Tower card. Many people welcome its promise of rapid change, a destruction of former structures that really have no more purpose in your life. Off the top of my head, I don’t know if the Tower card is connected to Saturn, the planet of life lessons – but in my personal experience, the two are closely connected.

In any case, the Tower upset me. I had a good deal of work to do that day, in a situation that could turn delicate and difficult at a moment’s notice. I decided to take care with every moment of thought, word, and deed (something of which we should be aware at all times, but often forget).

The energy card, the King of Swords, was interesting, because it meant winding something up on an intellectual level. I had to stop thinking of something in a particular way – only I had no idea what that particular something was. I only knew that a part of my life was about to go “boom” and I’d have to wind up its particular thought pattern.

So I asked, “How can I turn this into a positive?” and drew The Sun. The Sun is another Major Arcana card. To me, Major Arcana cards are the big life-path issues, with Minor Arcana cards the daily details to get you there. The Sun is a card of victory, of partnership, of everything working out better than you could possibly hope. It’s about joy and about birth.

Putting this card with the previous two meant that, although the actual transition would be difficult, it would cause new opportunities to open that were better than I could have possibly imagined. That comforted me, but I still had no idea what “it” was. I felt as though I had to be particularly vigilant in all areas of my life.

Aug. 24 Reflection:

It wasn’t until late in the day that the cards made sense – I was hit with a particular work/career situation that blows up the past two years’ worth of work and a portion of the coming year’s. My first instinct was to come up with Plan B to keep it running, but on an alternate rail. Then, as I remembered the King of Swords, I also came up with Plans C, D, E, and F, all of which are viable. Since there is still more to weed through in the situation, I don’t yet have to choose which option. I simply know that I have several options when the time comes to finalize my decision. And, The Sun indicates that this Tower incident is actually clearing the way for something better. I’m all for that.

Daily Card Pulls – Day Eight (Aug. 25)

Today’s cards are:

Action Card – The Six of Pentacles

Energy Card – The Empress

The Six of Pentacles is about balance and generosity on a tangible level. I will receive what I need, but I must also be willing to give where it is needed. That is an important message for me today, as I am involved in a situation where I wish to be compassionate, but feel the person in question has used up the credit in that account, so to speak. The card warns me to be generous anyway, but stay in balance. In other words, don’t get caught up in the other person’s issues. That makes sense.

The Energy card is yet another Major Arcana card. Since I am nearing the end of the first year of a projected three year career transition, it makes absolute sense for Major Arcana cards to turn up on a daily basis. I am constantly faced with life-changing decisions.

The Empress is about fertility, generosity, creativity, love, abundance, joy, and, to me, security, especially emotional security. By taking generous and balanced compassionate action, I fulfill the cycle of abundance, both towards others and myself.

Whatever I am faced with today, must be faced with responsible compassion.

Kiuney!

Daily Card Pulls -- Day Six

2005-08-23T05:36:00.000-04:00

Image:
The Six of Swords and the Ace of Cups
The Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood © 1991 Llewellyn Worldwide, 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission. Card images are protecteed intellectual property, and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

Robin Wood Deck Link:
http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/book.php?pn=L894

Have you noticed any shifts yet? That remembering the cards in a given situation makes you pause and choose your response?

Action Card – 6 of Swords

Energy Card – Ace of Cups

6 of Swords is a chance for renewal through travel, usually over water. I’m traveling today – and I’m crossing the Hudson River, so although it’s not crossing the ocean . . .:) I love it when the six of swords comes up on a travel day, because that usually means positive traveling.

Ace of Swords indicates a new path in the journey of love, creativity, and emotion. Maybe I’ll get an idea for a new book! Another positive card, and an exciting one – indicating a new emotional journey on a day of actual physical journeying.

But then, the two are so often linked!

I will be offline for this journey, so tonight’s reflection and tomorrow’s cards will be up either late tomorrow or early Thursday, and, most probably, combined.

Kiuney!

Reflection

2005-08-22T22:03:00.000-04:00

Today was a quiet, industrious day. I can feel energies shifting, but I don’t yet know what they mean or where they lead. A sense of something preparing to burst forth gathers.

Daily Card Pulls – Day Five

2005-08-22T08:42:00.000-04:00

I received a question from a reader that I will answer here, because it is relevant to our work. The question whether or not we’re using reversed card readings. The only card I read as reversed is The Wheel of Fortune. Since it is a wheel, the positioning of the wheel is vital to the interpretation of the overall reading.

The rest of the cards I read upright. Before each day’s work or at the end of each day’s work, I handle each card in the deck and place them in the same direction.

Reversed cards simply don’t resonate with me. My colleagues who do use them suggest two meanings for them.

1) The reversed card suggests a block or obstacle in reaching the event or energy indicated by the card;

2) The reversed card suggests the opposite of the card’s meaning.

Because tarot is such a personal process, you need to experiment with your readings. You’ll know when you hit the right one – you can feel it. It’s like finding the right place for your yoga pose, or reaching the point of stillness in meditation. It’s a knowing with your whole body and soul, a sensation both physical and emotional.

Action Card – Justice

Energy Card – Judgement

Two Major Arcana cards today. That’s quite a strong indication.

To me, the Justice card means daily cause and effect – you let someone go ahead of you in the grocery store, you find a dollar in the parking lot. It’s that immediate and that tangible. It means other things to other readers, but in my experience, that’s what the Justice card means. It also asks that I look at situations calmly, and at both sides of the situation, without rushing to judge. Again, there is the caution to approach situations with compassion.

The Judgement card, on the other hand, means cause and effect on a karmic level, the bigger picture. There’s an opportunity for regeneration. I particularly love the Judgement card in the Robin Wood deck because a woman rises out of a cauldron, arms outstretched, looking optimistic, with a phoenix rising behind her. And the phoenix is one of my favorite animals. {Note: Wood leaves the “e” after the “g” in “Judgement” on her deck, and I honor her choice here by spelling it in the same way, since I’m using her deck}.

It’s quite rare that both of these cards show up together.

I’m hoping it’s an indication of a positive day. My intent is to live a life with integrity, true to myself, and making my own little corner of the world as pleasant as I can for those around me. I don’t always succeed.

These cards indicate that there’s an accountability to be had today.

Kiuney!

Reflection

2005-08-21T23:11:00.000-04:00

I stayed quiet, worked hard, and tried to remember to look at what I accomplished, rather than what was undone on the to-do list.

Quiet seemed the best way to go.

Daily Card Pulls -- Day Four

2005-08-21T08:52:00.000-04:00

Image:
The Five of Cups and the Hanged Man
The Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood © 1991 Llewellyn Worldwide, 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission. Card images are protected intellecutal property, and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

Robin Wood Deck Link:
http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/book.php?pn=L894

The moon has started to wane. This is the time of the month to banish and cut away whatever you no longer need in your life.

Action Card: 5 of Cups

Energy Card: The Hanged Man

That’s a bit of a disturbing way to start the day. The Five of Cups is a card of sorrow, of “spilled milk”, so to speak. A caped and hooded figure bows its head. At the figure’s feet are five goblets. Three of them are overturned, with red liquid spilled. Is it wine? Is it blood? Two cups, however, remain upright.

This card reminds us that, although something has been lost, and it’s sad, that there are still two full cups. Those are where the focus needs to be.

Since it is an action card, there will be some sort of loss today – and I have to remember what I still have.

The Energy Card is The Hanged Man. This is a card that, to me, tends to mean a plateau reached. It can also be interpreted as a time of rest, a time to surrender, a time to sacrifice something in order to gain something else, or a time to look at the situation from another point of view.

What I will try to do today is to remember what I still have, even if I lose something, and to stay quiet, looking at the situation from all angles, but not taking any action yet. It’s still a time for reflection. It may also mean that I have to decide what to give up in order to keep something, although I don’t yet know what. I will proceed with my day quietly and cautiously. I don’t want to obsess about the five of cups, because I don’t want to draw loss towards me. I’m simply on guard, and, hopefully, I’ve now been warned of the possibilities, and can take action – or, if I listen to the Hanged Man, inaction – to avoid or soften the loss.

Kiuney.

August 20 Reflection

2005-08-20T22:18:00.000-04:00

I was definitely industrious and hard-working today – just not with the writing! :)

And I progressed by finding new ways of approaching situations intellectually.

Although I was a bit under the weather, I found that by thinking things through and applying myself, I got quite a bit done on the home front (which was necessary), and some business planning done on the writing front. Instead of leaping from idea to idea, I plodded carefully, step by step and worked my way through possibilities.

Every time I felt stuck, I remembered the Ace of Swords, and tried to position myself so I could see another facet of the situation; that helped find a solution. And applied, detailed work got me where I needed to go.

Daily Card Pulls -- Day Three

2005-08-20T09:05:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day of the full moon. There’s still time to bring a project to fruition or start something to take flight between now and the next full moon.

Action Card: 8 of Pentacles

Energy Card: Ace of Swords

The 8 of Pentacles is about industry, work, apprenticeship, productivity, industriousness. Since I plan to spend most of the day writing, it makes sense. The Ace of Swords is a card of new beginnings. Swords are the suit of intellect – so, in this case, it indicates new ways of thinking about something.

Hopefully, it means a breakthrough in my writing! That would be a fine thing.

And, new ideas are always welcome. I just have to queue them up with all the other ideas waiting to be fulfilled!

Kiuney!

Reflection

2005-08-19T22:22:00.000-04:00

Interesting day, and remembering the cards certainly helped me get through it with more . . .grace than I might have otherwise used.

The creative process happened mostly on an internal level today, although it was constant. And I found myself choosing to be more of the self I was – dozens of minor irritations were tossed in my path today. My knee-jerk reaction was to strike back, yet I kept remembering the two queens and the high priestess and I stayed quiet, calm, kept my sense of humor, and – most importantly – I remembered to practice compassion.

And sometimes that was difficult.

But, instead of being stressed and drained by the day, I feel more at peace.

The cards showed me my options.

I could have reacted in a typical, stressed out, urban way. But I remembered the lesson of the cards, and I made the choice not to. I wasn’t a doormat, I didn’t allow myself to be taken advantage of; nor did I lash out.

The residual effect was that I’m much more tranquil tonight than I would otherwise be.

I could have gotten frustrated that the cards “didn’t do what I wanted” in that I wasn’t told how wonderful and brilliant I was all day, didn’t land the world’s biggest contract, etc., etc. – all of which are possibilities presented by these particular queens in a literal sense.

Instead, I let them guide me in an inner sense.

It was not what I expected, but, by using the information supplied by the cards, I could make choices that served me better than “what I thought the cards meant” in a literal sense.

It’s happened before, but this is the first time I was so acutely aware of it, probably due to this blog.

It was a potent lesson, and hopefully a well-learned one.

Now, I’m off to celebrate the full moon.

Namaste.

Daily Card Pulls – Day Two

2005-08-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

Image:
The Queen of Cups and the Queen of Wands from The Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood © 1991 Llewellyn Worldwide, 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55124-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission. Card images are protected intellecutal property, and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

Robin Wood Deck Link:
http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/book.php?pn=L894

Today is the actual full moon, a day of culmination, of blossoming, and of ripening. It’s also a time of celebration, and a time to express gratitude for all that is good in your life.

Cards for the day:

Action Card: Queen of Cups

Energy Card: Queen of Wands

Additional Card: The High Priestess

Yes, it happened – a card fell out of the deck as I shuffled, so I picked it up and put it aside, as it influences the day.

The Queen of Cups is the epitome of creativity, love and emotion. The Queen sits on a beautiful shell, with her gleaning chalice raised to the ocean. It indicates that the action of the day will be creative and emotional (hopefully in the right way!)! The energy card is the Queen of Wands, which is certainty in one’s sense of self. In other words, over the course of this creative day, retaining a strong sense of self is important. Being the best self I can be is indicated. The High Priestess –a Major Arcana card – indicates that, throughout the day, I must trust my intuition. In other words, if I’m trotting along a particular path and my intuition tells me to turn off – do it. Don’t question it, just do it, and count on my creative powers and my sense of identity to hold me true in wherever it leads.

While these are all very positive cards, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a day free from any obstacles. What it gives me are the tools that will help me meet them.

The Queen of Cups is also my significator card. We each have a card in the deck that represents us. Although I do not use significator cards in actual readings, I am aware that, astrologically, the Queen of Cups is the card that represents me. So, when she turns up, I make sure to pay even closer attention.

The combination of cards is also telling me not to overcomplicate my day by thinking too much. When the situation arises, use compassion, creativity, sense of self, and intuition to meet it. Over-thinking it will lead me down the wrong path. Today is a time for intuition. Since women are connected to the moon, the High Priestess card coming up on the Full Moon makes perfect sense, as do cards representing creativity and identity coming up as Queens.

Kiuney!

Reflection on the Day

2005-08-18T23:25:00.000-04:00

How did the day work out, in terms of the tarot cards? I did a good deal of work on tangibles – writing, administrative work, filing, and housecleaning. I received a payment I did not expect. All of that relates back to the King of Pentacles. As far as the Six of Cups – well, the Harry Potter movie I ordered arrived, and I watched it with great affection! It wasn’t until after the movie that I remembered the Six of Cups and had a good laugh.

Not exactly what I expected, but, hey, it fits! :)

And not every day is filled with enormous, life-changing events simply because there was a tarot card used on the day. Sometimes, it’s a simple, straightforward day. And I’ll take as many of those as I can.

The positive cards set a positive tone for the day, and helped keep me in a good mindset.

So, what would have happened if less positive cards had turned up?

I would have had information I needed, so that when confronted with difficult choices for the day, I could make informed decisions and stay as balanced as possible. It’s bound to come up in the coming days, so I am sure there will be examples.

The more information we have, the more we can choose our reactions.

An Important Point

2005-08-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

A reader brought up an interesting point – is the purpose of the card pull to ask a question?

In this case, no. These card pulls are to give you a general overview of the possibilities of your day.

As in all tarot, anything you like, you can make happen. Anything that distresses you – now you have the information to make informed decisions to either circumvent, defuse, or meet head on any potential problems.

Generally, when you do or have a tarot reading, you ask a specific question and you ask it as succinctly as possible – no complex or compound sentences. And you ask it about yourself and in an active way.

In other words, asking “Does so-and-so love me?” is going to get you a Karmic smack upside the head. Asking “How can I build a positive, loving relationship with so-and-so?” will get you much better and more active options.

The reason we work on the same exercise for nine days is to help the reader (who, hopefully, is working along with us, whether actually with cards or simply in thought) to find a level of comfort and technique with the exercise.

Not every exercise will last for nine days. Some will last longer; some for a shorter period of time. But I want the readers to find a level of familiarity with the work before moving on to the next thing.

Kiuney!

Daily Card Pulls -- Day One

2005-08-18T09:14:00.000-04:00

Image:
The King of Pentacles and the Six of Cups from The Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood © 1991 Llewellyn Worldwide, 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission. Card images are protected intellectual property and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

Robin Wood Deck Link:

http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/book.php?pn=L894

Good morning! Today we start nine days of daily card pulls. Let me emphasize that I am pulling cards for myself and sharing them – when you pull your own cards, they will be different; even if we pull some of the same cards, they may have slightly different meanings.

We also have to take into consideration the position of the moon, the season, and the retrogrades. Tomorrow is the Full Moon, which is a time for culmination and fruition. The full moon generally lasts three days, so we are in the first day of the full moon, and will start to see some of those influences. In the three phases of the moon compared to life cycles, the full moon is Selene, the mother. Project work is often started at the New Moon, or begun just before the Full Moon and worked from full moon to full moon. I originally planned to start this project on the new moon after Samhain (Halloween); however, it was ripening over the past new-to-full cycle at such a rate, the indications demanded that I start now.

We also have Pluto in Retrograde – parts of yourself that you’ve hidden and not dealt with are coming to the front. Chiron is in retrograde – Chiron is about soul’s purpose. You start to question whether or not you’re on the right path. If you know that you’re on the wrong path and are trying not to deal with it, Chiron squeezes you during this time. Neptune is in retrograde – the planet of mystery, illusion, and, more importantly, imagination. Since Neptune is my ruling planet, this is always difficult for me. Sometimes I can’t be creative – fortunately, I must have learned something from the last Neptune retrograde, because I do have ideas spilling out. However, I’m confronted with facing the reality behind some of the illusions I held in my life. We also have Uranus in retrograde – this planet deals with your destiny, and your place in the world. You start to question it, and you start to make necessary changes, especially when you’re also pressured by the other four retrogrades. I find the Chiron-Uranus combination of retrograde especially challenging.

Depending upon where these planets fall in your astrological chart, it will have an effect on your reading. You’ll wonder what a card means, something will happen, and you’ll go, “Yup. Chiron retrograde with that card = what just happened.” Then you take what you learned and continue.

For the next nine days, we will use the Robin Wood Tarot. It was created by a wonderful artist, tarot reader and, in general, beautifully spiritual person named Robin Wood. I find these cards more in tune with the natural aspects than the Rider Waite. The Rider Waite is a fine deck, but has never spoken to me in quite the same way as other decks. The Robin Wood is one I often use for daily work. It is published by Llewellyn Worldwide. I’ve asked for permission to post images of each day’s layout; if I receive it, I will go back and add the cards in to whatever days necessary.

The accompanying book, The Robin Wood Tarot: The Book is published by Livingtree Books. Visit her website here. It’s absolutely beautiful.

Please note that while I’m using Wood’s deck and I’ve mentioned her book, I am using my own interpretation. Often, our interpretations will be similar or overlap; however, I’m not reading from the book in order to share the cards. I’m doing my intuitive reading and sharing it with you. As you work with the cards, feel free to consult tarot books and find the interpretations which resonate best with you.

What we’re doing for the next few days is slightly different than the usual daily card pulls that involve basic information and meditation. Don’t get me wrong - -they are a great tool. However, I usually want more information. Perhaps it’s because I live near New York City, and, with all that extra stimulation, I feel like I need all the advice I can get! You can use two different decks for this exercise – one for Action Cards, one for Energy Cards. I’ve often done so, to see if the same card would come up in both areas. We may do that in the future. But, as a starting point, let’s stick with a single deck.

Sit in a place where you will be undisturbed for a few minutes. This doesn’t take long, but you can’t be interrupted with, “Mom, where’s my . . .?” It will change the reading.

Pick up your deck. Hold it in your hands. Take a few deep breaths to clear your mind.

Shuffle the deck. Let your mind wander over the upcoming day – both the “to do” list and the “wouldn’t it be nice if I could?” list. Take your time. Once you’re done shuffling, you can choose to cut the cards or not.

If a card falls out of your hands as you shuffle, take it and put it aside. It has something to say about the general reading.

Once you are done shuffling, pull out two cards and place them, side by side, face down.

The first card is your Action Card for the day. It deals with the physical portion of your day. The second card is the Energy Card – the energy surrounding the actions that will happen.

Sometimes these two cards will be in harmony. Sometimes they will not.

Turn them over and start.

Today, I drew the following cards:

Action Card – King of Pentacles.

Energy Card – Six of Cups.

Okay. What does that mean?

Action Card – King of Pentacles. The King of Pentacles. The King of Pentacles is about winding up issues on a physical plane – monetarily, physically – pentacles deal with what is tangible. My work for the day has to do with writing, with sending out invoices for some work, and for cleaning house (especially in preparation for tomorrow night’s full moon). All of that ties in to the King of Pentacles. My horoscope this morning suggested I might get some unexpected cash – if the King of Pentacles wishes to grant me that, I would be delighted.

Many people find the Court Cards (King, Queen, Knight, Page) represent other people in their lives. I do not. For me, they mean an aspect of my life, or an influence in my life. Occasionally, they do represent an actual physical person outside myself.

How do I know?

The energy of the card feels different. Once you’ve worked with the cards for awhile, you’ll know. You’ll start to interpret something in the same old way, and you’ll know it means something else. So you’re quiet for a moment, and the correct meaning will clarify.

Energy Card – Six of Cups. Cups are emotion, creativity, romance, etc. The six in particular, is about childhood memories, nostalgia, looking back with affection. So the energy of the day is looking backwards with affection. Considering that I plan to work on two projects that I’ve put aside for awhile, two projects for which I have a deep affection, it makes sense. It also could indicate that I will catch up with an old friend.

These cards indicate a positive, harmonious day. As irritations come up – as they do in modern daily life – I can hearken back to these cards and draw strength and calm from them. The bright, lush colours in the deck help with the positive feeling.

At the end of the day, we will look back and see how the actions of the day – and my chosen reactions to the events of the day – have worked with the cards or against them.

I’ve had several questions about questions. If you do not feel comfortable leaving a comment in the comments section, feel free to email me here.

Although I am not in a position right now to do private readings, I will answer as many questions as I can on this blog.

Kiuney!

(That’s Manx for “serenity, quietude, stillness – the best place to find the meaning of the cards).

What is this and who am I?

2005-08-17T11:24:00.000-04:00

Here, I hope to explore ways to work with tarot and oracles. The site is not about learning basic tarot -- I teach workshops on that, and it is a separate area. This is for people who have an interest and some experience with tarot or other oracles, and are intestested in finding new ways to work and play with them.

I believe the play aspect is quite important with the cards. Many will disagree -- these are oracles, they need to be treated with reverance, only ask them important questions.

My opinion is that even the gods like to play sometimes.

You do have to remember a few things when working with tarot and oracles:

1. Don't lie to them or yourself. Ask what it is you really want to know.

2. Don't keep asking the same question over and over because you didn't get the answer you wanted. The Universe will, eventually, smack you upside the head to knock some sense into you. Sometimes, you won't get the answer you want. But you do get an answer.

Tarot is not hooky spooky or evil. Tarot is a way to communicate with your subconcious, a way to set out your options in pictures and archetypes so that you can make informed decisions.

A good and ethical tarot reader is not going to tell you that someone has put a curse on you that can only be lifted for gobs of money. A good reader will interpret what your own subconscious tells you, as though you are traveling together to a foreign country and the reader speaks the language and you don't. And, even when the interpretation is not what you wanted to hear, deep in your gut, it will feel right.

Who am I?

I've worked with tarot and other forms of divination for years. I teach workshops on tarot, oracles, dragons, magical quilting, writing with spirit, and various other topics.

I've written for Llewellyn Worldwide's calendars and almanacs since the early 1990s. I've also had articles and reviews published in Circle, Of Like Mind, SageWoman, and Pangaia.

I have the following articles in the Llewellyn 2005 Wicca Almanac:
"Recycling Personal Energy"
"Shopping Spirits"

I have the following articles in the Llewellyn 2005 Magical Almanac:
"Coventina, Northumbrian Well Goddess"
"The Magical Penny"
"Sports Goddesses"
"Energy of Place"

In the 2005 Witches' Calendar, I am Miss September, with my article "Living Without a Watch".

The 2006 Calendars and Almanacs will ship soon.

The Llewellyn Annuals can be purchased at major bookstores, independent bookstores, esoteric shops, and directly from Llewellyn.

I'm revamping my website -- once it's up, I'll make sure to share it.

On a fiction level, my short story "The All Soul's Holding Room" was published earlier this yeara by Emerging Women Writers.

And, I write a magical realism serial called Angel Hunt, about a witch hired by a devil to hunt a renegade angel. You can read an excerpt and download a freee issue here.

Now that Mercury has gone direct, we can get to work.

Starting tomorrow, for nine days, we will work with Morning Cards -- using the tarot to give us information about the day ahead of us; then later, discussing how the day related to the cards.

Because, no matter how long you read the cards, some days, you won't truly know what it all meant until it's over.

If you are not interested in this work, or believe it is evil, please merely click away. Anonymous comments are not permitted, and anyone who sends threatening mail will be turned over to both Community Justice and the apporpriate authorities. You have the freedom to disagree with my beliefs and to click away. But hate mail will not be tolerated.

New Beginnings

2005-08-13T18:32:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Kemmyrk, a site to explore the tarot and oracles.

"kemmyrk" is a Manx word meaning "refuge" or "sanctuary" and that is what this site is --a refuge for those of you interested in divination.

Don't worry -- there's nothing hooky spooky or evil involved. It's all natural and part of our innate humanity.

I will start posting properly after Mercury turns direct.

After all, with a Mercury Retrograde, it was quite difficult to even get this far! :)
As it goes . . .

My website, Cerridwen's Cottage, is undergoing a major redesign. When it is complete, I will announce it here and send you there -- the website and this blog will work together.

Welcome.