Tag: Religion and Spirituality

Today’s Runes for December 8th is Nyd

Today’s Runes

Jade Runes are most commonly used for questions about love, friendship, and relationships. Nyd represents many things, most of them unpleasant – heed it well. Constraint, delay, loss, need, and sorrow are all frequently seen in this rune. Nyd speaks most strongly of pause, the hallmark of the both the timid and the patient, and is often interpreted as foretelling a delay in the effect of other runes that it accompanies. Fortunately, even where there is misery and danger there are valuable lessons to be learned – the trick is to learn them before you are overtaken by despair.

What is the I Ching?

What is the I Ching?

The origin of I Ching: the world’s oldest divination system

 

The world’s oldest book and intuitive decision-making system
The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is the world’s oldest book and earliest known intuitive decision-making system. Based on the binary logic of yin/yang, it is used to derive personal strategy and insights based on natural wisdom — as pertaining to human problems that logic alone cannot handle.

The most intricate numerically-based oracle ever devised
This ancient divination system (approx. 4000 years old) is the most intricate numerically-based oracle ever devised. Most commonly experienced in the form of a book consulted by means of tossing coins or stalks, it is a system for pegging and interpreting patterns of change — based on a profound understanding of the dynamic processes of Nature that is beyond the daily consciousness of most of us.

A complete and balanced set of human situations
Essentially, the Oracle is used to produce responses to questions and problems. The system interprets which numerical patterns and which responses “like to go together” with what questions posed at a specific moment in time. The founder of depth psychology, Carl Jung, studied the embodiment and operation of the Synchronicity Principle in the Book of Changes for 30 years. He examined the arrangement of universal principles represented by the 64 main readings and their permutations and demonstrated that the system was a self-contained holism. Like Confucius, who reportedly said he wished he could devote an entire lifetime to its study, Jung’s conclusions were positive and enthusiastic. He recognized the universality of the I Ching’s 64 “archetypes” and how the entire system comprised a complete and balanced set of human situations.

Benefits of using Visionary I Ching

The use of the Visionary I Ching can help you

  • make decisions that logic can’t handle
  • reduce stress around changes and decisions
  • better manage sensitive relationships & office politics
  • develop superior timing
  • access creative insight and intuitive power

 

The Visionary I Ching Supports Success on the Highest Level
The consistent quality of our choices determines our level of success. In times of accelerating change, we have to face more and more challenging issues. When crises or emotional reactions take over, logical reasoning alone becomes inadequate, if not impossible. Yet few of us have a personal advisor — a mentor whose wisdom we respect, an experienced guide to confer with. So we must do our best to tap our own intuitive resources. The Visionary I Ching experience will give you immediate access to profound inner resources in a pleasant and easy-to-access way.

Generally, no matter what decision you make, it’s easy to be plagued by the fear that it was the wrong one. In stressful times, this is only natural, but this anxious feeling works against you. It increases stress, which makes it more difficult to be receptive to a resolution. This is a vicious cycle which skillful use of the I Ching will help you break.

The Visionary I Ching not only makes dilemmas easier to solve but also makes your final decisions easier to live with. It can transform stressful situations into confidence-building opportunities.

Mental Clarity
The I Ching consultation process begins by helping you articulate your question, problem, or dilemma — to get clear about what it means to you and what you really want from the situation. The simple act of achieving clarity about an emotionally charged issue is a significant first step in the right direction.

Skillful Detachment
The Visionary I Ching is structured to take place between a question or dilemma on one hand and your enquiring mind on the other. As a result, the process forces you to distance yourself from the problem. The more detached you are, the less threatening things appear. You are able to see things from a wider perspective, with more objectivity. Skillful detachment gives you a powerful advantage leading to more creative approaches.

Focused Relaxation Around a Problem
The Visionary I Ching’s keyboard process makes it easy to focus on an issue of personal importance without becoming distracted by the busy work of analyzing how coins land, recording the lines, etc. This slightly hypnotic exercising of the mind, both relaxed and focused at the same time, aligns the conscious and subconscious parts of your mind so that you can coordinate them for maximum effectiveness.

Stimulating Intuition
The Visionary I Ching experiences stimulates intuitive processes by means of specific feedback which is actually selected by your subconscious mind. The text derives from a a time-honored system of timeless principles and natural laws known as the Book of Changes or I Ching. Your interpretation of it is what activates your intuition — whether you take the response you get literally or not. It is NOT a question of blind faith.

Relaxation
Studies prove that a calm state of focused relaxation is best for the function of intuition and creativity. The Visionary I Ching’s art make excellent accompaniment to any meditation or personal insight break.

Tarot.com

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for December 7th is 20: Overview

20: Overview

Hexagram 20

General Meaning: Overview is a time for composure and contemplation. As a result of profound introspection, a hidden force reveals itself, and may influence others without their being aware of it. Do not underestimate the power of such a subtle force. Like the wind blowing across the treetops, its presence is perceived through the effect it has on everything it touches.

Shallow wells rarely strike water and shallow minds often come up empty. The ability to keep still and simply observe deepens resolve and attracts good fortune. Discern the difference between what is deep and what is surface within yourself — and you will be able to distinguish between the two in the world as well.

During a period between events, the practice of stillness with awareness is fruitful. Only by observing and absorbing the true nature of things — by apprehending the rhythms and cycles that guide all creation — can we discover the laws that apply to our own individual lives. Examine yourself and the overall situation — not just with the thought of discovering truth, but with the vision of concentrating your personal power.

Today’s Runes for Wednesday, December 7th

Today’s Runes

Gold Runes are most commonly used for questions about business, career, and property. Eoh refers to the Yew tree. The Yew does not go dormant and therefore represents endurance. Even the wood of the tree is strong, resilient, and pliable – the Yew bends, but does not break. The evergreen nature of the Yew is present even in the rune itself, as it cannot be changed even by reversal. This rune is historically symbolic of death, but, as in the Tarot and as suggested by the nature of the Yew tree itself, death is seen only as a transmutation of something eternal and unchanging – the spirit.

Roads Not Travelled

Roads Not Travelled

Author: Lawmage

I hate roads. Once upon a time, I thought of roads as something full of promise. They seemed to offer the opportunity to go anywhere and with that opportunity to go anywhere, they seemed to offer the opportunity to do anything once you had arrived. As I got a little older and more experienced, I learned to appreciate the road for itself…to appreciate the journey rather than the destination.

Lately however, I have lost that appreciation. In its place sprouted a seed of distrust. It grew before long into dislike and then, in the course of things, into full-blown hate. So, here I am.

I absolutely hate the roads.

I am a Soldier deployed to Iraq. It was perhaps the experience here that has served to water the seeds of hatred. The roads in Iraq do not offer an opportunity to go anywhere—at least not anywhere most of us are anxious to go. They do not offer an opportunity to do anything. Instead, they offer an opportunity to cease doing anything…ever again.

Anyone who has watched the news is familiar with the roadside bombs we call IEDs. It is hardly surprising such experiences with the roads would engender disaffection.

The truth is those experiences in and of themselves are not responsible for my hatred of the road. They merely set the stage. They got me thinking about roads in general. They got me thinking about the deceptiveness of roads and their siren song. They got me thinking about the false promises of freedom and opportunity roads make to the unwary.

They got me thinking about how the roads offer only an illusion, like the proverbial gilded cage. They offer to take you anywhere you want to go but in truth, they can only take you to the place they go.

They pretend to offer you a choice of paths to follow. You can select which turning in the road to take.

Is that really a choice though?

Rather than allowing you to go wherever you would like, they reduce your choices to those on offer by the road itself. You can go left or right or continue straight ahead. What if you wish to go in some other direction?

Well, then you must leave the road.

What does any of this have to do with Paganism? More than you might think.

As I spent more time thinking about roads, I began to think not just about the literal road on which we travel but also about those figurative roads upon which we travel through life.

How many of us in the Pagan community have described our religious experience in terms of following a particular Path? I daresay it is quite a few of us, even most of us.

Are these figurative roads any less deceptive than the literal roads that channel us in one direction or another? Do these figurative roads offer us any greater choice of destinations than do the roads of the real world?

Why have we become so enamored of our spiritual Paths? What do they offer in order to entice us?

I suspect many modern Pagans and neo-Pagans were drawn toward paganism because it embraces individuality to an extent conventional or mainstream religion does not. So, why do we give up the allure of that individuality in favor of placing ourselves on a particular Path?

I think perhaps a look at the mundane world might by illustrative.

Why do we travel on roads and paths in our everyday lives? The answer is they are easy. It is far easier to follow a path or a road than it is to blaze our own trail across unfamiliar country. We look at the world around us and we want to see it, to experience it. We look around and determine where it is we want to be or what it is we want to obtain and then we look for a route to reach that destination or goal.

We look for a road. In so doing, we miss out on all those things that are not on or alongside the road. We keep our focus on our objective and in so doing we ignore those things around us.

Similarly, in our spiritual lives we decide where we want to go and then we seek a road or Path to take us there. In so doing, we miss out on all that the world has to show and teach us. Rather than focus on experience, we focus on movement, on progression. We strive to reach the next circle or the next order or the next rank. Some even “magically” transport themselves to their destination and claim for themselves the title High Priest or High Priestess or Grand Poobah.

Yet, this focus often leaves us feeling unfulfilled. We reach our destination only to discover that it is not the place for which we were looking. We are left with an eternal search for our real destination.

That destination does not lie at the end of any road. No road leads to our destination. The roads are a lie. They promise us something they can never deliver. We can travel our entire lives and not reach that elusive destination because there is no destination. Instead, there is only the journey.

Yet, all roads lead somewhere.

If we elect to follow a road or a path, it will inevitably take us someplace. We should strive to avoid this “arrival” at all costs because any arrival is a lie. There is no destination and anything that offers or promises to take us there is engaged in a deceit. This is why I have grown to hate roads. To avoid the lie we must avoid the liar.

We must avoid the road.

It is no surprise our early animistic and shamanistic ancestors placed such great importance on things like vision quests or other experiences that sent the seeker out into the wilderness in search of spiritual awakening and enlightenment. The wilderness by definition lacks roads. Roads are the chains with which civilization binds the wild parts of the world and inexorably reduces them to slavery in service of the artificial construct we call society.

On these vision quests, our ancestors were not seeking a destination. They were seeking an experience. Where they went was immaterial. What mattered was what they experienced.

Roads served no useful purpose on these journeys. Indeed, one could well argue roads would have prevented the journey because they would have deprived the seeker of the experiences necessary to achieve the spiritual awakening being sought.

All this brings me back to the real question. Why do we elect to follow so-called spiritual Paths in our lives? Is it because we are unconsciously adverse to the amount of work it would take to blaze our own trail through the wilderness?

Is it because we have fallen prey to the deceptively sweet siren songs these roads sing to us? Are we afraid to loose ourselves in the spiritual wilderness?

I cannot speak for anyone else but I am unwilling to indulge the lies. I refuse to be led astray by the illusion of freedom that roads offer.

I hate roads.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 30th is 34: Great Vigor

34: Great Vigor

Hexagram 34

General Meaning: Congratulations! There is strength and vigor in this situation — like a ram who has knocked down a fence to free himself from captivity. This points to a time when a powerful force comes into its own and achieves influence.

When a leader finally comes into power, his or her personal strength usually has peaked. Great strength is required in climbing to the mountaintop, but once at the summit, the support of others is needed to maintain that lofty position. A shift in attitude becomes necessary. Raw strength must be tempered by wisdom; to maintain power, a strong leader must learn to give it away, to share it with others. Only then will his or her position be secure, for she will not only be the possessor of power, but the source of it as well.

If you find yourself in a high or strong position, it is especially important to act responsibly and react with care. Your personal power must not be allowed to degenerate into raw force that rides roughshod over everything in its path. A strong sense of responsibility to the collective good of all is the key to the successful exercise of strength. By following what we intuitively know to be for the greater good, we avoid reckless abuses of power that in the end undermine the source of our strength. Arrogance always contains the seeds of its own undoing.

Today’s Runes for Wednesday, November 30th is RAIDO

Today’s Runes

Jade Runes are most commonly used for questions about love, friendship, and relationships. Raido means to ride. In this rune, the image is not so much the riding of a horse as in riding in a cart or as cargo. As such Raido may suggest a journey, but is much more indicative of communication. Alternate interpretations based on the use of Raido as a cognate in other words give it the meaning of council, judgment, and moral correctness. Therefore, this rune is the rune of wise advice and good leadership.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 29th is 9: Small Influences

9: Small Influences

Hexagram 9

General Meaning: A gentle wind gathers the clouds, but still, no rain. Softer influences predominate as the power of subtle forces grows. This is a time for smooth and friendly persuasion.

In the ebb and flow of events, there are always ‘low tides’ — times when sweeping action is impossible or inappropriate, but when small matters can be attended to profitably, leading to bigger and better things later on. When the tide is rolling in, by all means, ride the wave; but when it is receding like it is now, focus on little things.

When the times are such that you cannot do much to affect large matters, persuasion and subtle influence can prepare the way for strength in the future. Use your intuition to chart your long-term course, but avoid bold actions for the moment, for they are unlikely to work. This is an excellent time to refine existing abilities or develop new talents.

Be wary of others’ intentions if they hold the upper hand in a situation. Examine their sources of power, so as to discover subtle influences you may be able to exert upon them.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 28th is 5: Patience

5: Patience

Hexagram 5

General Meaning: A fisherman can cast the line, but he can only wait for the fish to bite. Your catch will come in its own time; you cannot make it hurry to you — neither by working, nor by planning, nor by wishing. You may need to provide nourishment or support for others; but only through patience can you become the bridge between the fickle fish and the eventual feast. Strength in a time of trial waits quietly, resolutely. Weakness grows agitated, and abandons the effort before the fish bites. Periods of waiting are most fruitful when used for quiet contemplation.

Proceed cautiously, but resolutely, with whatever you are doing. The time and situation are calling for consistency and patience. Waiting is an essential skill; patience is a powerful force. Good timing is an ally of those with inner strength — the kind of strength that allows you to be uncompromisingly honest with yourself, while sticking to the path you have charted. If you persevere with a positive attitude, time weakens even the hardest obstacles. To rush anything, or impatiently force results, stimulates resistance and causes setbacks. At best, you achieve surface changes — the kind that can just as quickly be reversed. Steadfast waiting — while holding to your integrity leads to slow but permanent improvements. In the end, you accomplish something great. Practice patience.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 27th is 26: Containment of Potential

26: Containment of Potential

Hexagram 26

General Meaning: This hexagram points to the containment of great power that increases as it is wisely stewarded. Like a river that has been dammed, or a boiling pot with a lid on, holding and containing power produces enormous energy. During normal times, daily ritual and habit help keep life ordered and serene; but in times of great opportunity, great fortitude is required. Focused attention is what will be required to channel this great potential and achieve supreme success.

In a current situation you have considerable reserves of energy and support to draw upon. This is the right time to channel creativity by collecting and organizing good ideas and plans. In this way, even large or extremely challenging undertakings can be successful.

A hidden source of power for the great is the study of the past. The lives of wise and successful men and women are like buried treasures of wisdom. Great good fortune comes to those who unearth these valuable treasures by applying the lessons of the ages to current events.

Spell – A- Day – Season of Rest Spell

Spell – A- Day – Season of Rest Spell

 
As the year winds down, we come into a season of rest and regeneration. The leaves are falling; the dark hours are growing longer, and the light is waning. Earth sleeps now beneath our feet. It is at this time that the Hunter comes. Orion, rising in the eastern sky, strides out of the twilight to stand guard over the slumbering world. You may greet him with words like these:
 
See the Hunter in the sky,
Silent watcher drawing nigh.
Long the vigil he must keep
As he guards us in our sleep.
Hunter, hear the thanks we sing,
Till we part again in spring.
 
This charm also works for instilling courage any time of night during the dark part of the year.
.
By: Elizabeth Barrette

Soul Connection: The Means to Finding Your Life Purpose

Soul Connection: The Means to Finding Your Life Purpose
image
Author: Colleen Deatsman

There is quite a bit of talk these days about “self”, and what that means, in metaphysics and the popular media. In all of these forums and disciplines, a person is divided within themselves in one of a number of different ways. Most disciplines have these divisions designated with terms coined by their founders or adherents. Id-ego-superego and mind-feelings-emotions-spirit are examples of such divisions. But it really boils down to what can be called the “small-s-self”, the workaday self through which we interact with the world, and the “big-S-self”, our authentic or transcendent self. All these words and divisions are substitutes for the traditional terms ego and soul, respectively.

It has further been observed that humans appear to manifest on this plane as beings consisting of body, mind, and spirit. In all the philosophies and disciplines that we know of, the mind purportedly controls the body, strategizing and acting in the world, while the spirit or soul observes the journey, accumulating the “good” and “bad” from life, seemingly acting as the immortal scorecard of our deeds.

Oddly enough, it is the soul in these disciplines that is held to be the human element, which passes on from life to life or, in some belief systems, to an after life. We refer to ourselves by saying; “I have” a mind and body and that “I have” a soul. The relevant question here is: Who is it that has these three things? Who is the “I” that stands outside of body, mind, and soul when we make these proprietary statements?

We are missing the relevant truth by glossing over it. If the soul is eternal, and the body is ephemeral, it follows that the soul has a purpose in occupying this body and utilizing this mind at this time. The truth here shines clear. We don’t “have” a soul; we are a soul having a human experience for a particular reason. There is a lot involved in getting born and occupying a body in this world, after all, so the soul must have an agenda if it is to go to all that trouble to be here. The new question then becomes: What is my soul’s agenda? What is my purpose in life?

The key to finding the answer to this question is to get in direct contact with the subtle energies of the soul in order to then understand our life purpose. This is a three-step process. The first step is to shift our perspective from the self-involved egoic personality with all its frantic needs and machinations, to the slow, smooth perspective of soul.

The second step is to harmonize ourselves with the soul’s subtle energy, allowing it to flow through us unfettered by pettiness, strife or our own personal history. The third step is then to act in the world from the powerful place of soul. At that point we will have begun to actualize the performance of the soul’s agenda, our life purpose.

The First Step: Getting Out of the Way

When we are born, we are a blank slate. We stare out at the world from the perspective of pure soul. Because the soul uses the body and mind to interface with the physical world, we have to learn how all that works. Over the course of the next twenty-one years or so, we are filled, like a computer, with the programs that provide the needs for our survival along with the opinions, perceptions, preferences, behaviors, rules, protocols, and expectations of our various family, friends, schools, churches, and society. By the end of this process, the gross stimuli of the dense physical world are the only things that capture our attention. The still small voice of the soul is drowned out by the clamor of the world and our own programming. Our job then becomes to clear a pathway from consciousness, through the resident programming, back to the soul. The two elements of this step are re-programming the behaviors that do not serve us, and the combined discipline of reclamation and recapitulation.

Reprogramming occurs when we recognize and change one of the behaviors or issues in our life we find distracting, confusing, self-defeating, or in the way. Then, we seek out their origins, where they came from, and mentally and emotionally “change” them using the technique of reclamation and recapitulation. This last step requires that we remember the original events in their entirety, seeking out the feelings, emotions and ultimately the beliefs that hold these issues or behaviors in place. Once that is finished, we can dissolve those beliefs and substitute new ones, or we can fully free up the machinery of our being by just letting them go.

This combined technique alters the programming, but also repairs the energy body, reserving our personal energy for our use, rather than for maintaining a disadvantageous behavior. The following is a sample of the Psyche Inventory, a technique designed to dig out a particular behavior and it’s origins during the technique of reclamation and recapitulation.

Typically, you would start by creating a timeline of your life, filling in all of your memorable life events and occurrences. For our purposes here, pick a single memory that has had lasting repercussions in your life, preferably one that is emotionally charged or one where you still feel caught. The Psyche Inventory process requires you to write down everything you can remember about the event.

What happened? Who else was involved and what were your and the other’s actions, intentions, emotions, feelings, and thoughts during the event? Looking deeper, what were the causal factors of the event and what were the changes in you that issued from the event? Did you lose a part of yourself in this instance? Was anything taken from you or did you take something from someone else that needs to be returned?

After this detailed analysis, sit quietly, with eyes closed, and put yourself back in the situation in your mind’s eye, imagining it in precise detail. Give back and receive what was lost or stolen. Forgive and be forgiven. Re-imagine the event in a way that produces a more desirable outcome for you and everyone involved.

Feel with certainty the resolution of this event and the freedom you feel with its closure. Open your eyes and return to the present. From now on, set this event aside. You are finished with it, free to live your life unaffected by the memory or the issues and energetic drain these created.

Obviously, a more detailed and thorough approach, along with ongoing maintenance and monitoring of this process is recommended, but this brief example provides an illustration of the concept. When enough of the resident programming is moved out of the way using this method, the reconnection to soul is automatic and produces a profound shift in awareness and perspective.

The Second Step: Staying in Harmony

Any wise person with even a little experience will tell you that enlightenment is not durable, especially in the beginning stages of self-actualization. Once you are connected to your soul and are oriented to the world from it, the resident ego begins its fight of attrition as it slowly dissipates over time, energetically aligning itself with your new soul-centered orientation. During this period you will notice extensive swings from soul to mind to emotion and back again. It’s just as well, really, because it’s the observable difference between these varied states of awareness that help you sit up and take notice of where you are and where you want to be.

Once you have experienced the consuming clarity and slow brilliance of your soul, you need to find a way to remain in that state of heightened awareness. There are many ways to do this, each discipline has it’s methodology, but the best methods always utilize energy movement as well as some form of meditation. The energy movement will keep you clear and clean and allow you to monitor and fortify the boundaries of your energy body.

Meditation gives you perspective. It allows you to step to one side and get a good look at what you are doing and what is going on in your life. For millennia, shamans have utilized a technique called journeying that has proven to be particularly helpful with this necessary perspective shift.

Rhythmic drumming is employed as a sonic driver to push the individual out of everyday consciousness. That simple act is enough to deliver perspective, but the shamanic journey goes one better and utilizes the individual’s connection to soul to gain added and intense insight as well. The following is an example of a shamanic journey that incorporates healing energy movement.

Close your eyes and relax. Send your awareness around and through the inside of yourself and notice what is happening in your body and energy field. Allow yourself to feel what your body feels. Pay attention to each organ and each system, noticing its color, energy, and pulsating rhythm. Now allow yourself to feel what your energy field feels. Pay attention to each chakra layer. See, sense, and feel how your body and energy field work together. Send the inquiring part of your mind into your body and energy field and ask them to “talk” to you and listen to their response. Hear and feel what is being communicated.

Carry on a conversation with each layer of your energy field, each individual chakra, and each cell, organ, and system of your body, and ask them to communicate with you. See, sense and feel if you have any energy imbalances, blockages, or areas where the energy flow is sluggish. If you do, explore the issues surrounding your imbalanced, blocked, or weak energy flow. Listen.

Now send attention and energy to the areas that need it. Feel the gathering of power as your intent floods these areas with healing life-force energy. See, sense, and feel the healing nature of this energy as it clears and revitalizes your trouble spots. Feel the change in your body and energy field as you do this.

Your inner healer is healing your body and energy field. See and feel it happening. Now slowly open your eyes, holding the images and sensations in place, noticing how you feel.

By practicing a regular discipline of energy cleansing/movement and meditation/journeying, while staying on top of programs that are running your life, you can maintain your constant connection to soul and even enhance it over time.

Part Three: Acting From the Soul

After you have done the heavy lifting of rewriting the programs, and subsequently maintained and broadened your connection to your soul through energy work and journeying/meditation, you find things changing in your life. There is an extensive re-ordering of priorities that takes place as you begin to address the world from your soul connection.

Your thoughts grow quiet as you find less need to hold your old reality in place with the way you talk to yourself and your mind chatter. The conversations you have with others are increasingly substantive. You begin to make a profound difference with what you say and do as your words and actions resound with truth and authenticity. As this happens, you soon notice a pattern that is strangely familiar to you. You will resonate with it.

You realize then that your soul has been quietly trying to express itself through your resident programming for many years, but was not coming through clearly due to your own lack of clarity and soul connection.

It is then you will see the shape that your soul’s purpose has been trying to get your life to take. At that point you will no longer be a divided being, made up of body, mind and spirit, big-S-self and small-s-self, or any other separation. You will have become a unified being, a brilliant soul moving as a force in the world, fulfilling your intended purpose.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 26th is 11: Harmony

11: Harmony

Hexagram 11

General Meaning: The trigram earth is above that of heaven, and heaven seems to be on earth. The gravity of matter merges with the upward radiation of light to merge in deep harmony. This juxtaposition denotes a time of peace and blessings for all living things. In the affairs of humans, tranquility comes when the good, strong and powerful show favor to those of lower status, and those of more modes means are well disposed towards those who are currently blessed. This condition marks an end to feuding. In such a state, it is best to let the energy ride high. The way is cleared, and the prospects for great success are outstanding.

Chaotic forces still abide in nature, but man, by carefully responding to the rhythms and cycles of the world around him, can find peace in the natural world. By planting the right crop in the right place in the right season, the farmer brings harmony to the cultivation of plants, and prosperity to his family. Similarly, any business must adjust to the natural cycles of the season; only through flexibility and adaptation can order and growth be maintained. Peaceful times produce a time of flowering and prosperity; the wise person channels positive energy to all quarters, to each in proper proportion, just as a farmer waters his field. But be vigilant. Otherwise, peaceful conditions will foster the growth of weeds as well as flowers.

Today’s Runes for November 26th is Wunjo

Today’s Runes

Spirit Runes are most commonly used for questions about mysticism, spirituality, and religion. Wunjo is the rune of Joy. Since joy is least frequently a solitary emotion, this rune often represents mutual or communal bliss. Wunjo is also seen as a rune of the gods and a rune of perfection, carrying with it the elation that blazes from the creation of a perfect work – perhaps this is the true joy of the gods, that they can create perfection. That aside, this rune does not focus on the struggle for perfection or on our inevitable imperfections, but rather on a job well done and the satisfaction that comes from it.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 25th is 10: Treading Carefully

10: Treading Carefully

Hexagram 10

General Meaning: People of ability find their way and make progress even in difficult circumstances. Consider your steps carefully when you are surrounded by changing forces. Weak and strong forces (or people) can co-exist when the weaker element does not impose upon the stronger, when the weaker maintains good humor and avoids taking bold action. When treading among sleeping tigers — or slippery stones — step gingerly and don’t stumble.

In the company of strong, brash people, rushing wildly ahead brings misfortune. Now is not a good time for taking the initiative; rather, try getting by with a little grace and good humor. In the court of a powerful king, the jester often has more power than the prince.

Today’s Runes for November 25th is Eoh

Today’s Runes

Gold Runes are most commonly used for questions about business, career, and property. Eoh refers to the Yew tree. The Yew does not go dormant and therefore represents endurance. Even the wood of the tree is strong, resilient, and pliable – the Yew bends, but does not break. The evergreen nature of the Yew is present even in the rune itself, as it cannot be changed even by reversal. This rune is historically symbolic of death, but, as in the Tarot and as suggested by the nature of the Yew tree itself, death is seen only as a transmutation of something eternal and unchanging – the spirit.

Happy Thanksgiving dear friends!

Thanksgiving Comments & Graphics

I wish each and everyone of you a very Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving! May you spend it with your loved ones whether they be family or friends. Let us not forget what today is all about, whether we are Pagan or Not! It doesn’t hurt Pagans, Wiccans, Witches and the like to stop and take time to be thankful. I know I very seldom get sentimental and most of all I don’t like to reveal to others that I do have a soft side. I guess I always like to seem in control of my emotions but there are even times when seasoned old witches let their emotions out. Ooops! I am not that old just emotional. It started this morning in the kitchen, with my wildcat Razzy. She put her paws up on my calf and I leaned down to rub her. I started talking to her telling her, she didn’t know how much she had to be thankful for this year. Then it hit me, I am the thankful one. I am so thankful that the Goddess brought her and her family to me. I am so grateful that I saved her and she will have a good home the rest of her life. I will love her and cherish her each year. I am also thankful for my older wildcat, Stinker, my little Pomeranian princess Kiki. Then I stopped to think about my family. I am so thankful for my two wonderful, beautiful and healthy children. I am thankful that my son has two healthy and beautiful daughters. I am thankful for my daughter and that the Goddess finally found a man to put up with her. I have a lot to be thankful for. 

I have to stop and think back though. At one time, I loved another man besides my husband. My husband and I were separated and I had known this man for years. He asked me out and we started seeing each other. We started making plans for the future. He loved my two children and my son he was crazy about. He had made plans to take him hunting and fishing and do all the things his father never had time to do with him. We had talked about moving into together. How life would be. But for some strange twist of fate my husband came by to visit the kids one evening. That evening, my husband took me out to the patio and we sit and talked. We talked about how things weren’t really that bad between us. I should let you know at this time why we were separated, I had caught him having an affair on me. Why? I didn’t know I had always tried to be the perfect wife, mother, housekeeper, witch, heck I was even PTA President! I guess I got caught up in being too perfect. He had fallen for a woman totally my opposite. He came to the house one day to drop the kids off some money and he had told me, “I had better sit down.” I couldn’t imagine what it was but he told me I was right and he was living with another woman. He wanted to tell me before I found out about her from someone else. Everything I had thought was true, I cried and cried. I thought my world had ended. I got up and slapped the holy shit out of him and told him to get out of the house. That is when I fell right straight into the arms of this other man. I guess he was my crutch. He loved me and I knew it. The first night, we went out. He took me to his parents’ house and then to his grandmother’s house. All of them told me, that they were glad to finally meet me. They had heard so much about me. But back to the night my husband came over and fate took such a straight twist. We got to laughing and crying together. We had a deep love and I couldn’t deny that. I went back to my comfort zone. I took my husband back. My husband came right out and told me that he didn’t know how to tell the other woman he was coming back home. He said he had left her crying in a motel room. And that if there was anyway possible that he was going to try to work things out with me. He said he had to go back and tell her and get his stuff. He even asked me if I wanted to go. I told him that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. I didn’t talk to the man I was seeing for two or three days because hubby was back home. The man knew where I was working and what time I came in each day. So he decided he would surprise me one day and stop by with his new motorcycle for me and him to go for a ride. I didn’t know he was there I had taken a couple of days off and hubby and I stopped in for a minute to see how things where going. On the stool, waiting for me, was the other man. I could see the look in his eyes when we walked in. He got up and left. He tore out on the motorcycle so quick, my hubby asked me what his problem was. I said I didn’t know. Part of me was crushed when he left on that motorcycle. But I knew where I belonged with my family. The next night the other man was killed in a motorcycle wreck. He was at a bar drinking, left the bar doing about 100 mph and hit a parked van head on. When I found out what happened I nearly died myself. I can say I was starting to fall in love with him or perhaps it was just neediless. But I had never had to do anything more difficult in my life than grieve in silence. Everytime I was alone I would break down and cry. I still cry to this day about it. For the longest time, I blamed myself for his death. I had friends tell me, that I had to stop doing that. But I believe with the help of the Goddess, I know that didn’t actually cause his death and I shouldn’t blame myself anymore. I didn’t make him pick up those drinks. I am sure like I, he was feeling heart-broken. But he didn’t need to get drunk, there were other ways of coping. I found them and he should have too. I miss him and if I had known that was what he was going to do, I would have found a way to stop. Where is this all going?  He showed me a part of life that I only thought I wanted. My path wasn’t meant to be with him. He showed me how to love deeper, appreciate every moment we have in this life because the next might be our last. I have alot to be thankful for just by knowing this man. 

So this Thanksgiving when I look back on the years, I have a lot to be thankful for. My family, my friends, people who I have lost over the years. Some I wish who could be alive now and see me and her grandchildren. But I know that those who have gone on are with the Goddess waiting. I am thankful for the Goddess and all the good things in life she has given me. I am thankful for all the readers of this blog. I am thankful for the friends I have made through it.

All in all, I believe this is going to be the best Thanksgiving for me. I realize what I have and what I have lost, I realize I will never take a moment of life for granted and I will live each moment to the fullest. I am thankful for the life the Goddess has given me and the Path that She has shown me. 

Remember the Goddess in your Thanksgiving this year! Remember my family and I, as I will be thinking about each and everyone of you this year! 

Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to each and everyone of you,
Love, 

Lady Abyss

 Magickal Graphics

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Nov. 23 is 38: Diverging Interests

38: Diverging Interests

Hexagram 38

General Meaning: An image of estrangement is indicated here. One example used in ancient Chinese texts is how when brothers and sisters marry, they grow apart, since their allegiances now lie with new family groups. Though they will remain close enough to successfully deal with problems and share minor interests, they will be unable to undertake anything big together. Simply put, when people grow apart — even for the most natural of reasons — their points of view, values and interests start to diverge.

Diverging interests bring opposition into the world of human affairs. And when differences morph into alienation and enmity, no good results. But when opposition takes the form of healthy competition, or when contrasting energies or positions are seen as part of the natural order of things, good fortune is still possible.

Even when diverging energies make a situation seem stagnant or futile, there are always creative possibilities inherent in polarities. One is reminded of the yin-yang interplay that is fundamental to the creation of life itself. But when opposition arises from issues of principle, you must hold to your integrity and individuality. And avoid becoming involved with vulgar or base people who do not share your values. With both people and companies, one measure of stature is the quality of the competition.

Today’s Runes for Wednesday, November 23 is Eoh

Today’s Runes

Spirit Runes are most commonly used for questions about mysticism, spirituality, and religion. Eoh refers to the Yew tree. The Yew does not go dormant and therefore represents endurance. Even the wood of the tree is strong, resilient, and pliable – the Yew bends, but does not break. The evergreen nature of the Yew is present even in the rune itself, as it cannot be changed even by reversal. This rune is historically symbolic of death, but, as in the Tarot and as suggested by the nature of the Yew tree itself, death is seen only as a transmutation of something eternal and unchanging – the spirit.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 22 is 54: Careful Affection

54: Careful Affection

 

Hexagram 54

General Meaning: Affection is the basis of all lasting relationships, but must be channeled properly in order to bring satisfaction, and support the self-esteem of both parties. For example, a married person’s lover would necessarily have conflicted feelings: affection coupled with insecurity. Relationships based mainly on personal attraction, especially those that are outside the mainstream, require special caution and tactful reserve.

If you assert yourself too much, or try to make yourself indispensable, you will only incur misfortune. It is never easier to make disastrous mistakes than when you venture outside the bounds of propriety. If you are in doubt as to whether you should follow your heart or your head, allow for some time to pass, and perhaps the answer will become clear. Initiating any action could bring misfortune. Do not attempt to be too creative or attract favorable attention at this time.