oracle cards

Let Go and Leap Forward with More Positive Energy: Oracle and Animal Guidance for the Week

Posted by Barbara Techel

Okay, so I’m chuckling to myself. Last week I shared with you that I would now only be recording the weekly oracle and animal guidance sessions and not include written text.

Well, try as I might I couldn’t do this today. I’m getting over a cold and each time I tried to do the recording I’d have a coughing fit. I feel fine, but it’s this last lingering cough that seems to be saying, Um, no way. You are going to have to go to Plan B. So hence the reason I’m sharing the reading this way today.  🙂

This week I worked with the Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards by Scott Alexander King and Soul Coaching Oracle Cards by Denise Linn.

To start I want to share what Scott says in his introduction in his guidebook regarding energy: “Energy exists within all things of nature and it can be accessed and incorporated into our own lives.”

Everything carries energy. This wasn’t something I understood years ago. But we are indeed made of energy, as are animals, plants, rocks, etc. and oracle cards carry energy too. It all serves guides to live with more joy and meaning.

And then a mentor of mine recently said, “We are responsible for the energy we put out into the world.”

It’s one of the reasons I continue to be what I call a personal growth junkie. Having a daily practice that helps me tune into what I’m feeling, where I may be struggling, and working with the why of it, to not only feel better about myself but so I don’t want to project negative energy onto others. I’m not perfect, but I continue to work on it. And it’s why I love working with oracle cards as a self-reflection tool and sharing with others.

So here we go…

FROG – Cleansing

This deck works not only with animal energy but with the energy of elements which are water, fire, air, and earth. The frog card carries the water element. Makes sense as frogs spend a lot of time in and around water, right?

The element of water is about our emotions. Either we take time to work with them or we drown in them. Water asks us to be in tune with our feelings and bring them into our awareness so we can heal them.

So frog is asking us this week where do we perhaps need to clean out emotional gunk. I know for me when I’m feeling emotional gunk I can feel it in terms of anxiety and like a ton of bricks are holding me down. When I’m struggling with something it can tend to play like an endless loop of thoughts that go round and round in my head. More often than not that is fear talking and that can become toxic if I don’t take time to be with what is going on.

So Frog is encouraging us to spend time in contemplation if we are feeling bogged down. This means finding a way to settle our mind in contemplation and self-reflection. Journaling is one way I do this, adding in a question of what I’m contemplating and using oracle cards to tap into myself deeper. Or meditation with a focus on my heart and just being with what comes up. 

When I sat and looked at the frog card for a few moments I felt called to close my eyes. The image of a frog came to mind, floating on his lily pad in a small pond. It’s a perfect day. It’s 72 degrees with a slight breeze. I felt as if I was the frog as the warm rays of the sun penetrated my bumpy skin.  My lily pad gently swayed back and forth with the breeze moving on the water.

This is me, I thought. Not my thoughts that are often attached to fear and rarely come true. I’m here and now. I am safe. I watched as those toxic thoughts floated away on the slowly drifting clouds in the sky.

I then open my eyes, jump into the pond, and leap onto the shore refreshed and ready to face the day without the negative gunk weighing me down.

Cleansing can also literally mean what it is we may need to purge in regards to objects that no longer carry joy for us. One thing I’m a fan of doing is that every time I bring a new piece of clothing home, I take an existing item and put it in a bin I have in my closet to donate to a second-hand store. I try to do the same with household decorative items too. 

All of this carries energy too and can weigh us down. Or perhaps it’s a relationship that no longer works for you. Those can bog us down too and we need to find the courage to move on with compassion and gentleness.

When we release what no longer works in our lives, we can then welcome in new growth and new energy. Yes!

So this week Frog asks us to look at what is no longer working and start to take small leaps toward changing it.

Anything else we need to know Frog?

Pulling a card from the Soul Coaching Oracle Cards we received Radiance – “I am a radiant reflection of God’s light.”

Love this. It’s true. When we are willing to work with what is weighing us down and let it go, we can radiate with more vibrant energy into the world. And goodness knows, we sure need more of that now don’t we?

So let’s say we all make the leap together, shall we? Are you with me? It’s going to feel so good!

Have a beautiful week everyone!

XO,

Barbara

If you are in need of a little extra gentle and compassionate support you can learn more about my one-to-one oracle guidance and reading sessions here.

I Love It When Oracle Cards and a Scarab Beetle Make Me Cry

Posted by Barbara Techel

I shared this post on my Joyful Pause Facebook page yesterday and received such a lovely response from Linda Su who appreciated my honesty and that my sharing helped her with a struggle she was going through. So I thought I’d share this post here, too.

I Love It When Oracle Cards and a Scarab Beetle Make Me Cry…

Well, ok, not always – but for the most part, I do. It means I’ve hit the truth. Once I acknowledge the truth, I can then be with it, feel it, and integrate it. Otherwise, it follows me around and weighs on me like a ton of bricks until I say, “Okay, I see you. I hear you.”

This is so great for helping not repeat patterns. We all do it. It’s human. But it’s why I enjoy working with oracle cards as part of my daily devotion to myself.

I knew right away what these two cards were about today and as happens when I hit that nugget in my heart, it brings tears to my eyes. I was falling back into the pattern of forcing something that is not yet ready to be born. I was in that place of trying to control an outcome of how I think it SHOULD unfold.

And you know where that gets you right? Yup…struggle, and an inner battle that makes you feel off-balance and cranky.

Scarab Beetle was the perfect animal to present himself today to remind me to not push because I think I SHOULD which won’t get me too far – and will feel inauthentic – but in order to shine my true magic, there is grace is allowing the flow to happen with the timing of the Universe.

Go with the flow and listen to that inner compass (i.e., Intuition!) is what To the Sea card said to me.

I KNOW this, but that dang ego of mine wasn’t listening as my mind went round and round.

But after pulling these cards and journaling, I recognized where this was coming from, and I then felt more at peace.

XO,
Barbara

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Chop Wood and Chameleon Spirit: Oracle and Animal Guidance for the Week

Posted by Barbara Techel

This week’s general reading is written below or you can listen to the recorded version.

Click here to listen to this week’s guidance.

What is it we need to pay attention to this week for our highest good?

From The Wisdom of the Oracle: Chop Wood in reverse. This means that Spirit wants us to pay extra attention.

It’s interesting that last week I pulled Clean it Up in reverse which was all about dealing with what it was we were avoiding and using procrastination as an excuse. Clean It Up was calling for us to see the challenge we were avoiding as an Opportunity to clear the cobwebs and get to the task at hand that needed resolving in order to move forward.

Pulling Chop Wood in reverse is nudging us once again to where it is that perhaps we didn’t what we should have last week and clean up what needed to be looked at.  Chop Wood is asking us where is it we are spending too much time thinking about what we want to accomplish instead of just taking one small step toward our intentions.

The Universe can’t support us if we don’t first believe in and begin to support ourselves. When we put one small step into action toward an intention we wish for, the Universe can then step in and bring us more of what we want. Even if we feel the timing isn’t quite right on something we are pursuing, we still have to take steps toward what we are intending so the rest of what is to come to fruition can.

Additional insight from guidebook I feel relevant: You have to get out of the chair to make something happen.

I do think, speaking from my own experiences, and reminding myself at times, not to make something bigger than it needs to be – which can feel overwhelming and then you don’t know where to start.

The Chop Wood I see is about just asking us to start – even in one small corner – just begin.

From Spirit Animal Oracle: Chameleon Spirit – Act as if

How often is it that we know what we want, but we don’t know how to start, and Chop Wood is asking us to just start somewhere.

Chameleon’s message “act as if” is a great message to go along with this because we don’t always know how something is going to unfold or what the outcome will be.

But taking time in meditation or in stillness, perhaps visualize the outcome you wish for – then act as if every step you will take is leading to what you intend – and then watch as it unfolds. Perhaps not exactly as you visualized and it will change as you go along, but just the act of moving a step forward will determine what is next.

Just like the Chameleon changes color to adapt to its surroundings, you may have to also.

With Chameleon being reversed it is asking us to be in awareness of what energies we are feeling. Is it our own energy or are we being pulled in by other’s energy and we don’t realize it?

Staying in tune with our own energy, our own hopes, and dreams, and making sure it is what WE want and not what other’s want of us that helps us achieve our intentions without feeling bogged down by other’s energy.

Did you know that the chameleon has a third eye? It’s located at the back of their head.

This is symbolic to remind us that our intuition is what will guide us  – trusting into what you sense and feel is what will work to your advantage for your overall well- being as you move forward.

As you Chop Wood putting into action what you know it is you wish to manifest, keep Chameleon Spirit as your guide to remind you of your true color. This may require a balance of integrating self-care along with moving one small step toward what is important to you.

Additional insight from guidebook I feel relevant:  Choose some activities that will restore your sense of being grounded and avoid people who revel in drama.

Hope this was helpful!

XO,

Barbara

Book a private reading with me here.

Cards used for this week’s general reading: The Wisdom of the Oracle and Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid