December 4, 2020 Advent Calendar Draw: The Hermit. Click to embiggen
On the fourth day of December, my solstice advent gave to me… The Hermit.
As we get closer to the winter solstice, the days grow darker and shorter. The Hermit’s lamp, shining ever so brightly, becomes an essential beacon of hope. The light reminds us of our connection to one another. It removes the shadows and the doubts that creep in from the outside. It gives us warmth when we’re cold. The Hermit, who remains a lone figure on most cards, has an important job sharing the light for all to see and help them come home.
I’ve been feeling sick the past few days. It’s a familiar weight in my chest, the sign of a winter cold. Receiving The Hermit today reminds me that I need to place my needs first. It’s time to withdraw for a few days to give my body a chance to heal. So, I’ll retreat from the world, block off the next four days, and give my body all the rest it needs. I’ll see you all in a few days!
Where do you find your light in the dark? What is your source of warmth in the winter months? Please email me and let me know.
December 3, 2020 Advent Calendar Draw: The Chariot. Click to embiggen
On the third day of December, my solstice advent gave to me… The Chariot.
This is a hard symbol for me to transpose. I use something similar for the Wheel of Fortune and the World cards in my journal, so when I see this image I immediately think of those cards. It will take time to adjust. The Chariot is the card that gets me going. I am moving along my path and heading to greatness. This card reminds me to focus on the long term goal, those desires I want to have manifest. Time to break out the idea books and sift through them for fertile ideas. Time to revise book two!
So far I’ve been given the tools to manifest this month and cataloged my fundamentals. Now it’s time for me to pick a direction and head into it. Focus my awareness and energy and put it into motion.
What areas are you focusing on this month? What energy has you excited for? Email me and let me know what you have got going on.
December 2, 2020, Advent Calendar Draw. Today is the Tower. Click to embiggen
On the second day of December, my solstice advent gave to me… The Tower.
The Tower is a powerful card, one many readers do not like to get for their clients. Over the years of working with tarot, however, I have found kindness in this card. It asks us to let go and to get back to our fundamentals. These are the building blocks that make each of us unique and can help us recenter and focus our intent on what we want to put out in the world. I used to play a lot of basketball in high school. Our practice sessions weren’t just us playing games over and over again. No, we ran laps around the gym to improve speed. We’d practice various dribbling and passing skills. We’d also play games to help with our aim to make baskets. These are the fundamentals which help players get better. You never stop dribbling or tossing a ball during a game. Dropping a ball or missing a pass can make or break a win.
As we grow older we have our own fundamentals for who we are. These days fundamentals might includes meditation, which helps me breathe. Writing, in the form of blog posts like this, or playing with words to make better sentences. They also include shuffling tarot cards and drawing one daily. Fundamentals help ground us and keep our minds sharp. We never grow out of them. Instead, we always return to them, over and over, so we get better and build new towers where we can see the world afar. And this is the message the Tower shares with me every time I draw it. Go back to the beginning: breathe, read, write, shuffle.
What are your fundamentals? What Towers have you torn down to rebuild anew? Feel free to email me and let me know what activities you go back to over and over again.
December 1, 2020, Advent Calendar draw is the Magician. Click to embiggen
On the first day of December, my solstice advent gave to me… The Magician.
Happy December first, everyone. I swear I mixed everything up really well. Despite my best efforts, the universe wanted me to have The Magician. I love that the message of manifestation and bringing your dreams to life sits on the first day. It’s time to bring out the magic of winter, light some fires, drink some hot chocolate, and recognize the beauty of the change in the season.
The Magician is here to bring some fun into this day. And I think I’ll start reading a few good books while snuggled on the sofa.
What does The Magician mean to you? Drop a message in my inbox and share a good winter holiday manifestation with me.
To recap, in 2020 I’m using these decks: The Sovereign Oracle, the mini Ceccoli Tarot, and the Animantras deck. I chose them because I wanted to play with mini decks this year. They give me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a cute animal to act as the guide for the lesson. This whole spread sits on my desk where I can see it, work with the energies, and integrate them into my day.
Theme: Compost How: Ace of Swords Helper: Butterfly (be delicate)
December 2020 Planning Spread. Click to embiggen.
In a fantastic fitting display of awesomeness, the final theme for 2020 is Compost. What a great way to end a year that started out with so much promise and then left us to scramble in finding new ways to connect to the world at large. Composting dead matter is an important occurrence in Portland. Gatherings would always have one question revolve around what could or could not be placed in the composter. Believe it or not but we can compost almost everything. It’s awesome. I am being asked this month to break ideas or items down into their components. To let go of whatever isn’t working and reshape it into something new for the next idea. I love that this is coming after a month of Focus, where I have spent so much time digging for completion. Now it’s time to celebrate those achievements (and accolades) and figure out what worked so I can continue on with my efforts.
How to do this is the Ace of Swords. I love the Aces, so full of potential and life. The Ace of Swords is that a-ha moment. The initial suggestion of an idea which has a lot to offer. For me, it comes in the form of a finished physical product, or the idea of a new book. When it comes to composting and breaking something down, I think of lists. Take that product and turn it into the steps for manifestation. What will I need? How long will it take to develop? So I guess while I’m planning for the new year, I should break my ideas down into manageable chunks.
Butterfly darts in to be the last helper of this year. Their message is be delicate and they are another Third Eye chakra member. Butterflies have always represented creativity to me. I love their endless patterns and designs when they flutter around in summertime. We even had a Butterfly and moth center nearby while I was growing up so I got to see more than just the usual Colorado creatures. For Kayti butterflies are just one part of the cycle of life. In her booklet, Kayti suggests that we need to remember that these delicate creatures are also highly resilient and that no matter what goes on in our lives we need to be delicate when we transition from one phase to another. So while I compost the remnants of 2020 into fertile soil for next year, I also need to be delicate with the memories of what I wanted to do with this year and what happened. Not everything can be composted and not everything from this year should be tossed out. I am a fire sign after all, I always have big plans tucked around my mind.
