The Balance of the Elements & the Signs for Monday, December 28th

LEO STRONG
Self-confident, generous, warm-hearted, powerful leader, dramatic. Can be overly proud, vain, extravagant, arrogant.
CAPRICORN STRONG
Disciplined, responsible, reliable, industrious, conscientious, practical, achieving. Can be pessimistic, overly conventional, rigid, materialistic, callous.

BALANCE OF ELEMENTS

EARTH STRONG
We are especially in touch with the physical world. We consider what we’ve learned and experienced in the past in order to make the most of the present. We can be cautious, practical, and possibly unimaginative. We are deliberate and can pace ourselves well. We need hands-on experience and are not impressed with theory as much as we are with results. Routines are tolerable and comforting.
AIR WEAK
We may have a difficult time being objective or detached. We may not be especially communicative.

BALANCE OF MODES

CARDINAL STRONG
We are ready to take action and to take on challenges, and can become frustrated with stagnant conditions.

Weekly Forecast: December 27, 2015 – January 2, 2016

a message from Kelly M. Beard

To view more of Kelly’s insight, please visit her website, www.KarmicTools.com

The Karmic Tools Weekly Forecast covers the current planetary transits which affect people in different ways and to various degrees of intensity.  Take notice when it is a Personal planet (Sun / Moon / Mercury / Venus / Mars) interacting with a Social (Jupiter/Saturn) or Collective planet (Uranus / Neptune/Pluto).  And pay extremely close attention when it is a Social planet interacting with a Collective planet because that means something *big* is brewing that will move large groups of people along their evolutionary paths. Tuning in to the energy and rhythm of the planets can serve as a useful *guide* as you move along your Individual Path.  It also helps to understand your place within the context of the larger Social & Collective Story. Below, you will find out how these energies tend to manifest, as well as guidance and direction.

*NOTE*  There are some days when there are NO CONTACTS (besides the Moon), please note that there are no missing entries, we just list the actual Activations of each week + the day they happen.  

Weekly Forecast: December 27, 2015  –  January 2, 2016

12/29 ~ Sun (identity) ~sextile~ Neptune (vision):

This energy activates your ability to dissolve the ego (momentarily) and allow your SoulSelf to shine through! Your Spiritual center, base or practice comes up – how is it supporting you? If you’ve gotten away from your practice, this energy will make it easier to connect to your Spirit, your intuition and the vision for your life’s purpose, at this time. You may find where your contribution is most valued, when you step outside your Self and see how others’ needs are important. Find a need and fill it … in your own deliciously unique way, as you will be more giving & compassionate, naturally. Your physical energy may be low as a result of Neptune channeling the Sun’s Source Energy inwardly to re-charge your Spirit. Otherwise, it could be projections of all kinds, yours and other people’s as well. Best to spend some intentional solitude, preferably in nature if/where possible.

12/29 ~ Mercury (thoughts) ~square~ Mars (anger):

This activation can be a tough one for some. If your beliefs are out of alignment with your actions, if you are not self-aware or act-out unconsciously, being selfish or childish, than watch out, because squares test you to grow and change in some way. Often, this also means that you are suppressing your nature in some way, which is never really a good idea. When you suppress your Soul, it can make your human more sensitive and you can tend to take everything personal or as a threat or challenge. If you catch your Self feeling irritable for no apparent reason, try to step back and gain some perspective before responding to your own thoughts or another’s words. Mercury & Mars getting together, in this challenging way, can provoke debates and, in some people, actual fights, so be careful. The deeper aspect of this activation is that some part of you wants to express, perhaps in a new way, and your monkey-mind has got you all off track. Mars demands that you know who you are and what you want and is the Divine Masculine part of you, which is supposed to hold good boundaries, protect you and negotiate on your behalf in the world. If you know something that you are not acting on, this can be frustrating. If you are acting in ways that are not allowing you to think things through, this too can cause accidents, problems and delays. It is best to pull in until you are clear. And also keep in mind, you may not be out of alignment in the above ways, but those around you may be and will likely have no context for what they are feeling and therefore, become indiscriminate with their actions.

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

All things in sequence, first the bud and then the flower. We can no more hold back the blossom than we can the daylight. It is inevitably there, beautifully delicate and subject to crushing. Only through very careful tending will it withstand the winds and rain and pressures of the outside.

Sequence is the order of human life. God intended us to unfold as the flower: first the seed in the fertile soil, the birth, the growth, the learning, the discoveries, the knowledge, the desires, the fulfillment as each phase of life follows its own sequence. We hold back the flowering of life only if we want it to be nonexistent, for it must progress. And in some of the most tender spots progression must be slow, easy, and reverently handled, for it can be as fragile as the flower.

There is within us a delicacy of thought which entwines itself throughout our beings, crossing from phase to phase, creating within us conflicts not easily understood. Something out of sequence in one phase may postpone the flowering of another phase. The very roots of our souls must be watered with reverence to successfully follow the sequence of life. If no other human understands or cares to understand, if we do, then continue – first the bud and then the flower.

Of all the intricate and complicated creations in the world, humanity occupies the first place. Our lives are made up of such flexuous combination of body, soul, and spirit that we do not even understand ourselves.

We all desire to know what makes us tick and how to go about making ourselves tick better. Whether we realize it or not, we are in search of the truth of our own being. Why are we here? What step should we take next? One problem after another, question after question brings us to this place again and again.

They are our personal problems and the wisest of persons cannot give us the answers. We will always need help to encourage us in our search but we must go within ourselves to cure, to live, to feel, to believe.

We must win our own hearts before we can find happiness with others. We must know what we want and be willing to share it with others, for it is written that life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindnesses win and preserve the heart.

English divine John Mason wrote these words, “By these things examine thyself. By whose rules am I acting; in whose name; in whose strength; in whose glory? What faith, humility, self-denial and love of God and to man have there been in all my actions?”

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Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – December 26

“The way of knowledge is like our old way of hunting. You begin with a mere trail — a footprint. If you follow that faithfully, it may lead you to a clearer train – a track – a road. Later on there will be many tracks, crossing and diverging one from the other. Then you must be careful, for success lies in the choice of the right road.”

–Many Lightenings Eastman, SANTEE SIOUX

An entire apple tree is initially contained in the seed. Visions are initially contained in the idea. If you trace the path of a blooming flower backwards, it goes from the blooming flower back to a bud, back to a stem, back to a seed. So it is in the way of knowledge. Often we will experience a hunch or a feeling that we are supposed to do something. At first it may not make any sense. This is the seed stage. Once we start to investigate, more gets revealed. As more is revealed, the more knowledge we get. This is the way the Great Spirit guides us.

Great Spirit, help me to choose the right choices.

December 26 – Daily Feast

Early winter mornings have a special quality, a clarity where long thin shadows and ice crystals in emerald and topaz lie on the grasses. With the exception of a chortling blue jay there is little noise – as though everything bedded down last night and it reluctant to come out. A red tail hawk in search of breakfast rides the air currents far overhead where it can spot anything moving. It is strange that nature pays so little attention to what we think is beautiful in their domain – but it is equally strange that we are so oblivious to the supernatural that waits on us to recognize it.

~ The Great Spirit is our fathers, but the earth is our mother. She nourishes us, and what we put into the ground, she returns to us. ~

BEDAGI – WABANKI,　1900

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II’ by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

A Magical Potion
Morning Dew

The world awakens each day from its nightly slumber, transformed by a sparkling layer of morning dew on the grass, on flower petals and leaves, on cars and car windows. These glistening droplets last only a little while, an integral part of what imbues the early morning with its aura of magic. If we sleep too late, we miss the magnificent display of sunlight playing upon an infinite amount of tiny crystal balls. To step onto the dew-covered grass is to anoint our feet with a form of water that comes only once a day for a short time, a rarefied gift of the night air that will soon evaporate in the full light of the sun. If we inhale slowly and consciously enough, it is almost as if we are drinking in this magical elixir formed in the boundary between darkness and light.

In one myth, morning dew is believed to be tears from heaven, and in another, the droplets are poured from the vessel of the goddess of dawn. When we see the earth draped with these shimmering drops, it is easy to imagine fairies bathing in the water, or a sky god weeping from a longing to be closer to his beloved earth goddess. Seeing the sparkling beauty of the earth emerging from darkness, we may understand this longing in terms of our own gratitude; how blessed we are to be here.

Perhaps heaven really does long to be here on earth, and perhaps that is why we are here—as conduits between the divine and the earthbound. As we drink the morning dew in with our eyes, our skin, our breath, it is easy to imagine that it really is a magical potion, a gift from heaven, a reminder of our true purpose, and a daily opportunity to be transformed.

Source:
The Daily OM

Yuletide Reflections

Author: Alileon

The Winter Solstice is a time of happiness and renewal for many Pagans. On this day, Pagans celebrate an ancient holiday called “Yule.” With Yule logs burning in hearths, mistletoe hung above doorways, and trees traditionally decorated with fruits and lights, we eagerly anticipate the symbolic rebirth of the Horned God through the Mother Goddess. The birth of the God (who is represented celestially by the sun) marks the end of winter and the coming of warmth. With his rebirth comes a time of earthly fertility, joy, and new beginnings.

Many early Yule traditions were incorporated into the Christian holiday of Christmas (which is celebrated within the same week) during the reign of the ancient Roman Empire. Therefore, many recognizable Christmas traditions share a common ancestry with religious traditions observed by Pagans during Yule-time; some of these shared traditions include the hanging of wreaths, decorating evergreen trees with lights and ornaments, feasts, and the exchanging of gifts.

As a Pagan Witch, Christmastime has always elicited an interesting array of emotions for me. Christmas has become as much a cultural tradition as a religious one in America. I see it incorporated into many public spheres- decorations, television ads, and merry Christmas wishes from the cashiers during December trips to the grocery store. While I appreciate the sentiments and do not have an issue with the words, it does remind me that my holiday is much less recognized. Although I try to focus on the kindness of people who wish me a Merry Christmas and the positive intentions behind their words, sadness sometimes creeps in, saying, “People assume you celebrate Christmas. People assume you’re a Christian. You are the minority. Your holiday isn’t nearly as important.”

This, of course, is only my subjective experience- my personal unhealthy perceptions that I do not wish to blame on anyone else. It is no one’s responsibility to make me feel included or acknowledged. I would never ask that of anyone. However, I will not deny that these feelings do affect me. I believe that that is unhealthy, too.

Part of the pain, I think, comes from living in a society that is drenched in Yule symbols during holidays but ones only recognized as relating to Christmas. The decorated evergreen trees, the candles, the wreaths- they are beautiful and dear traditions to my experience of my religion. Yet, my participation in these decorative rituals is seen as Christian through the eyes of my culture. I do not want to be pegged as Christian; not because of hatred or distaste for Christianity, but because of my deep connection and love for my own religion. I believe that Christianity can be beautiful. I respect and admire many facets of it. But it is not mine. It is not what dwells in my heart. I want to be able to express the religion that dwells in my heart without it being misread as someone else’s.

Of course, this is not the responsibility of anyone but myself. I am not asking for society to change. I am not asking for individuals to change. I do not believe that Christians “stole” Pagan traditions- in fact, I think it’s wonderful when cultures merge and incorporate one another’s traditions into their own practices. It’s reminiscent of the spirit of interfaith! However, I do think it is important to share my own experiences with those who care to listen, to share the suggestion that there may be people close to you who are torn between feelings of incandescent joy and exclusion or sadness.

I’m not saying that it’s your responsibility to console those of us who feel this way or to stop wishing us a Merry Christmas, but I am suggesting an awareness of the interfaith sanctity of this time of year. I am suggesting a hug. I am suggesting a kind smile. I am suggesting a mindfulness of the hearts of those who are important to you. A stranger’s Christmas sentiments are very much appreciated, but a “Merry Yule” or “Happy Holidays” from a dear friend would be so, so healing to the heart.

So, as I relax in the beautiful cabin in the mountains that my family has gathered in for Christmas, I meditate on my emotions. I hurt and I wish for a reality that better represents all religious and secular traditions. Yet, my spirit is also filled with peace and feelings of renewal. Yule passed- quietly and unremarkably in the small town of Smyrna. But joy silently burst inside me as my holy solstice passed while I stood on a train. I watched quietly as the airport disappeared behind me and was reminded of all the things that have passed in my own life. The rebirth of the God mirrored my own rebirths- the hundreds of times I have made a passage to and from transformative experiences- and I was proud: proud of my life, proud of my religion, and proud of myself.

I am glad to spend these days with my family, regardless of what holiday they are celebrating. I can celebrate right along with them because my heart and my spirit are strong. I can see my Goddess in their Holy Father. I can see the rebirth of my God in the birth of their Christ. And with the couple of friends who wished me a Blessed Yule on the 21st and the rest of the world who wished me a Merry Christmas throughout December, I can embrace the identical sentiment in both: love, new beginnings, and togetherness.

So, Blessed Yule to you. Happy Chanukkah. Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy Kwanzaa. And happy everything else that may be celebrated during this time that I have not mentioned. I hope that you feel loved this Winter. I hope someone is keeping you warm. I hope that you feel loved this week. I hope that you feel special and important and part of something.

And most of all, I hope you embrace whatever is in your heart and allow yourself to feel it, genuinely and healthily.

With Love,
Alileon