As I drove through my small town of Elkhart Lake , this building, which is unique to begin with, especially caught my eye today.
Look at all those icicles blending in with what looks like grapevine on the wall! I wrote yesterday on my blog about looking for the beauty from the spring snowstorm, instead of grumbling about it as I’d been doing, until I snapped myself out of it.
The more we look for beauty around us, even when we think spring should be here by now, it’s confirmation that when we open ourselves to what is and pay attention…we are gifted with a magical moment such as this one – and again reminded that there are blessings in transition.
SPRING
by Camille Gotera
When the cold, harsh winter has given its last breath, When the sky above shows life instead of death, When the claws reaching to the frozen sky become decorated with leaves, When the animals -long in hiding- scurry from trees, We know winter has ended.
When the frost on grass is replaced with sweet dew, When the fields become dotted with flowers, reminding me of you, When the lonely silence becomes filled with melodies, When you feel warm air, erasing bad memories We know winter has ended.
When the hard, bare ground becomes painted with green, When the frost-bitten air becomes fresh and clean, When the coats and boots are all stored away, When the playgrounds become occupied again with child’s play, We know winter has ended.
When you hear the pleasant sound of children’s laughter, When the air is filled with joy- long sought after, When the world is filled with sunlight, brighter and longer, When the song of Mother Nature becomes stronger, Spring has begun.
My neighbors pretty egg tree with tufts of snow tucked among the branches
The calendar says April 4th. But looking outside it says January. Eggs and snow – oh no! As positive as I try to be, I’ll be honest… I was grumbling this morning when I woke to see this big drift outside my bedroom patio door.
This magical door that takes me to my sanctuary – my cozy writing cottage. I’d first have to tackle this heap of snow. I wasn’t too happy.
The snow didn’t really start falling until mid-afternoon yesterday and I’d thought perhaps we escaped what they were predicting. But overnight the majority of it came along with the wind. Even the little birdhouses on my writing cottage reflect a whopper of a snowstorm. This morning on the news the weather gal reported that our little village of 950, Elkhart Lake, now holds the record for the most snow on this date.
I bundled up, though was still grumbling and hoping my dear, sweet hubby would come to the rescue and shovel a path to my writing cottage. But alas, he had enough to contend with the front of the house. So silently I said to myself, Buck up, Buttercup!
As I dug into the drift of snow, I reflected on how I’d enjoyed watching the birds around dinner time last night. I’d sat in my yellow spindle antique chair, and snapped a few photos, smiling with delight that this simple pleasure brought me.
Don’t you just love the little footprints in the snow?Mrs. (or Mr!) Morning Dove puffed up to stay warmI love the heart with this little Junco
Before I knew it, the task at hand was done. All that grumbling I did took longer than it did to shovel. As I write this an image of my grandma P. popped into my mind. When I was little I remember when I’d do something naughty (who me?) how she’d wag her index finger back and forth in front of my round face and say, ” That’ll do. That’ll do.” Which really meant, NOT to do.
The shoveling made it all the sweeter to step inside my quaint, warm writing cottage. Pulling up a chair to do my journaling with my oracle cards, I felt myself melt into this space that means so much to me.
View once inside my writing cottage
I appreciate and find it fascinating more and more everyday seeing the world in all it’s symbolism, and the message and reflection I was about to receive was in alignment of what I needed most in the moment.
I’m working with a new deck called, Mystical Shaman Oracleby Alberto Villoldo, Colette Baron-Reid, and Marcela Lobos. I just have to tell you…I absolutely love this deck! Beside the fact the images are gorgeous, I’ve been attracted for many years now to the indigenous teachings. Plus my love of all things mystical combined with these teachings, this is fast becoming my new favorite deck.
As I do each morning, I ask a question about something I’m feeling challenged by, or if I don’t really have anything that seems too pressing, I just ask a general question. Today I asked: What is in my highest good on this snowy and windy April day?
The first card I pulled was my anchor card or can also be called the theme for the reading. The second card I asked what it is that needs to be my focus for the day. Sometimes when I pick the first card I know right away the meaning for me. But if not, as was the case was today, I pulled the second card right away to help me see more clearly the message, as one card helps inform the other.
Earth and The Blade from Mystical Shaman Oracle
Both cards I pulled upside down, which in this case means for this particular deck, that it is the medicine of the card which “tells you the aspect or area of your life or relationships that you need to bring into balance or repair.”
I’ll share the booklets meaning below for each card, but first share its meaning as how I saw it for myself.
My Interpretation
Inwardly, I’d been grumbling to myself that this snow and having to shovel, which shouldn’t even be here in the first place because it is April (for crying out loud!), was throwing off my morning routine, which I cherish dearly. In other words, yup, I don’t like change too much (but then who does?). And because I only wanted to do what I enjoy, like my yoga, my journaling, and then my writing and blogging for the day, etc. this seemed like a huge inconvenience. I was making so much more out of it than needed to be!
But as I mentioned, as I shoveled, I reflected on the beauty of the snow from last night. How I felt joy in watching the birds flitting about and making delicate patterns in the fresh snow, and taking photos, which I enjoy too. Not to mention that I have a warm, cozy home to keep me from the elements.
The Earth…or Mother Nature….no matter what is happening outside my window…it’s all a gift. A chance to see the beauty in all of it.
My focus for the day then is to remember that I always have a choice in my attitude. The Blade card showed me that we can either inflict pain (struggle) on ourselves with negative thoughts, or we can use the blade to empower ourselves. I pictured that blade on the end of my shovel, helping me to move the snow as a powerful tool, that brought me to this physical space of my writing cottage. But more importantly as a way of cutting away the negativity so I could enjoy the day as it is.
Booklet Meaning
THE EARTH card
The Essence: “Earth represents the gift of life. The symbol on this card refers to the body of the planet Earth, the human body, and Nature herself. We’re reminded by this symbol that all creatures are born of the Earth and human beings are the stewards of all life on this planet. It refers to what we make of it: our health, wealth, security, grounding, solidity, and stability. It reminds us that the world of form is a gift from Spirit and needs to be treated with respect.”
The Medicine: “Do you feel ungrounded or easily thrown of your path lately? It is time to focus on what nurtures you, to open yourself to the healing of Mother Earth and see the abundant world around you. Perhaps you have lost the ability to trust that your needs will be met and have fallen prey to poverty consciousness. Perhaps you have not been eating well, been overworked or stressed, and forgotten to breathe in the beauty of your surroundings. When the spirit of Earth comes as your medicine, you’re being reminded that when you practice self-care, take a walk in nature, and focus on consciousness of abundance, miracles can and do happen.”
THE BLADE card
The Essence: “The blade represents sharpness of the mind, body and spirit. Pointing upward, it summons the power of heaven. When aimed down to the ground, it anchors the power of heavens on Earth. The blade can be a healing tool or a weapon. Wield it wisely, and it will transmit power, bestow initiations, cut energetic cords from the past, or sever toxic relationships. Use it with anger, and it will slash, stab, and kill.”
The Medicine: “It’s time to put down the sword and place in back in its scabbard. Do not offer your blade in service to toxic emotions! You will be faced with an even more disagreeable future wit the people or situations you are attempting to banish. Put the blade to rest until your inner fire has mellowed. Then use your blade with impeccable intention to cut the energetic cords that are tying you to the drama at hand. Set yourself free!”
Note: There is also an Invitation message with this deck, but since I pulled both cards in reverse, I just shared the medicine message of each. You can always check out getting this deck if you want to know more or try it out here.
So there you have it. Eggs and snow – oh well – it is what it is and I’ve changed my attitude…and if all else fails I hear the echoes of what my dear mama always says…”this too shall pass.” 🙂
Happy Wednesday to you!
XO,
Barbara
Just a note: I’m not an affiliate of the oracle cards I mention. I just share products I enjoy and find valuable.
You will be with you longer than anyone else on this planet – why not make it a good relationship? ~Louise Hay
In having a heart-to-heart with my inner self of late, I’m being honest in looking at what in my life drains my energy.
I’ve been feeling for quite some time now that Facebook oftentimes takes away from my precious and valuable energy. While I’ve met some wonderful people via this social media avenue and it has been valuable in helping me spread the word about my work, I’m giving thought to how I will best use it going forward.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, here on my blog and in my newsletter, I’ve been pondering writing another book – one that feels the most challenging of the six books I’ve written to date. It will require much focus and it’s a book I feel more and more everyday I want to write.
This means being serious about looking at what feeds my mind which is fuel for my inspiration and energy. This has me facing the fact that when I find myself aimlessly scrolling Facebook it actually is more often than not, a brain drain for me.
In being honest and paying attention to my habits, when I feel stuck in my writing, working on a creative project, or working through the course I’m currently in at Oracle School, I’ve come to realize how easy it is to distract myself instead of sitting through something that feels challenging at the moment.
Oftentimes without even knowing it, when I feel stuck in my work or in school, I’ll realize I’m mindlessly scrolling through Facebook. I don’t even remember clicking over to Facebook! This can then take me down a bunch of different avenues. I have many interests, which is a lovely thing in ways to have, but also can leave me feeling drained when I lose focus (Hey look! A chicken!). 🙂
I don’t like how this feels anymore. And why I love the quote by Louise Hay in that I’m the only one who can be accountable to myself. I get to decide how my life will be meaningful and how I wish to feel on a daily basis. I want to spend more of my time feeling energized, not drained.
I’m also giving thought to if I will continue to share links of my blog posts to my Facebook page or not. Though this one feels scarier to me as I think about how I will share my writing and future books I publish. And this quote speaks to me and what I’m working on:
But I’ve been frustrated with how Facebook has changed their algorithms and how it has come down to money for ads and how many likes (or not) you receive which then determines if your posts are seen (or not).
At the beginning of the whole social media advent, it was for me, in that having a social media presence meant I could fulfill a purpose of mine in making a difference and being a positive voice in a world that can too often be filled with negativity.
While I’ve not made a definitive decision whether or not I’ll continue to share my posts via Facebook, it’s made me think about this home I call my digital home – my blog and website, Joyful Paws. I’ve been reading with great interest how blogging is making a return and how other creatives, such as Jon Katz of Bedlam Farm and Tammy Strobel of RowdyKittens.com, are thinking about Facebook and embracing taking back of their time and how they spend it. I agree with Tammy, who is also is a one woman operation as I am, that I only have so much energy to go around.
Thanks to Tammy I’ve also been reading with interest thought-provoking articles from Cal Newport, a Computer Science Professor, and the affects using social media has had on many, myself included. All of this has been confirmation for the many feelings I’ve been experiencing.
My digital home, when I think about when I first began and evolved in my blogging platform, is much the same way I see my home in which I live. It’s at the heart of who I am. A friend recently said to me when visiting me at home, sitting in my living room, how cozy it was, and how she could feel the beautiful energy and love within it. I can’t tell you how that warms my heart!
Home is so important to me – it’s always been one of my values. And so is my home on the internet, my blog. It means so much to me when you stop by and leave a comment. Even if you may not always agree with something I’ve written, it’s about being able to have a constructive and meaningful dialogue. You don’t always get that on Facebook.
For now, until I decide how I will move forward, I will continue to share links to my blog posts on my Facebook page, but won’t be interacting as much there anymore. In large part due to how I wish to conserve my energy because trying to be so many different places can leave me feeling drained…and then frustrated with myself for not having the energy to do what I really want to be doing.
What I’d welcome is when you feel called to share in conversation or simply leave a comment about something I’ve written, that you feel comfortable in doing so on my blog. Consider it your personal invitation to get comfy in my big red chair in my living room and imagine me pouring you a cup of tea or glass of wine. 🙂
As I’ve been doing with blogs I enjoy, I’ve gone back to subscribing to them (and commenting directly on their blog) or adding them to my Feedly reader. I’ve always enjoyed supporting artists, and this means writers, too! Two great options to choose from if you wish to do the same with my blog and subscribe if you don’t want to miss when I post.
In regards to my interaction on Facebook, for now and the foreseeable future, it will be much more limited as I take back my power and focus on what feeds my soul…. in turn, it’s my hope that by my focusing more on what matters to me, it will encourage you do the same, and with your new found energy you will come sit a spell now and then here at my digital home, and engage in conversation when you feel called to.
Last but not least, thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you who have been with me here on my blog since the beginning. Please know it means so much.
XO,
Barbara
P.S. I’ve reinstalled a helpful app on my computer that you might find useful also if you are feeling called to limit your social media exposure. It’s called Freedom where you can block your social media sites for a period of time. Because after all, we are all a work in progress, and it can be easy to fall back into old patterning. 😉
