Reiki Flow

The Daily Draw: Ten of Pentacles

Ten of Pentacles

We know it's November. Do we look like we care? — We know it’s November. Do we look like we care?

Ok, I’ll tell you what we did this weekend if you promise not to laugh or give out to me. You see, my partner’s brother, thinking he was doing us a favour, took our full set of Christmas decorations out of storage at his mother’s house and dumped them in the middle of our living room. The smaller children in the house went to work on us incessantly, repeatedly asking when we could put up the tree, which is artificial so can take a month in a corner not far from a radiator. By the time I got home from work on Friday, a decision had been taken that it would go up this past weekend. I mildly pointed out that it was, like, the middle of November, but I could feel the wind was not blowing in my direction. In Ireland, without the buffer of Thanksgiving, there is little to prevent Christmas from seeping in once Halloween is over.

My New England Yankee upbringing just this side of halfway through the 20^th century colors my ideal vision of the immanent season. My adult beliefs are not the same as my childhood ones, but the convention of having my family around me laughing, loving, sharing and interacting in a way that Frank Capra (“It’s a Wonderful Life”) would approve of remains a constant.

I’m sure you have your own ideals that could be similar or wildly different, but being together with family, extended family, and friends seems to be a universal theme, if not completely unanimous. (What is?) The parties, the preparation, the shopping, the school plays and recitals, the shopping, the meeting up with people you haven’t seen all year, getting the house in order, the shopping and, of course, the shopping.

Which brings us to another theme of the season. Is there any other event that invites us to consider how affluent we feel compared to the rest of the world around us? I’ve had good years and I’ve had bad years. Everyone you know can tell you money doesn’t matter, you can even believe it, mostly, but at least in the modern, western world it kind of does, especially this time of year. Why? Because you don’t want to disappoint anybody on Christmas morning. You have that picture in your head and that shopping list in your pocket and you want it all to come true. Let me tell you, if my older kids, even the one turning 21 in the spring, no longer believe in Santa, none of them have ever dared say it to my face. Who wants to take that chance? Lol.

I look at the Ten of Pentacles and I see that family, that security, that stability of that happy Christmas and, yes, that comfortable conformity. There’s a promise here that, even if things don’t look quite as well for you as you would like, you can now do something about it to make your home life more affluent and secure.

The Daily Draw: Nine of Wands, Reversed

Nine of Wands, Reversed Friday. Weary. The last few days were long, working towards today’s software release. The last few nights were spent setting up the playschool website. Did the school run this morning so I’m later than usual. Now the road ahead is closed. Every alternative direction is a disaster – not moving, completely stopped. Sounds more like the Five of Wands you say? I’m just giving you context.

There is so much to do and I’m already behind. In case I didn’t mention it, I write documentation for a software company. Been doing it for nearly twenty years. (Not the same company obviously, lol. Maybe that’s an inside joke.) I’ve learned a few things in that time. For example, how can you tell when people are going to criticize your work? Simple. When you show it to them. I have yet to meet any reviewer who refused to criticize any document put in front of them, not just mine. It is human nature. You get used to it, and you try not to take it personally, but sometimes you do.

Another thing I’ve learned is that, in a software house, documentation is at the low end of the priority list. Of course it’s important to have a working product to document, and over the weeks or months when the product is being constructed, deconstructed, reconfigured, tinkered with, and reassembled it can be difficult to get either input or feedback. You have to be proactive, and pretty good at eaves-dropping, and even then it’s a constant challenge acquiring the source material you need.

Finally, on the last day, five minutes before release, (relatively speaking) suddenly everybody remembers that this product is supposed to have documentation and, heck yeah, I guess it is important. The normally dim, soft light around me is replaced by focused lasers.

There is always someone who wants to know why the information they never gave me isn’t in the document. The answer is, “because it’s still in your head. Unless you intend to do a Vulcan mind meld, you’re going to have to find some way of communicating it to me, preferably last week. So start up the Tardis too.”

The perception seems to be “How long can it take to change a few hundred pages of text? You’ve got ‘til 6. That’s plenty of time, isn’t it.” (Sigh) And so I go make that happen. The problem with consistently producing miracles is that people come to expect them as a matter of course.

I know I’m making this sound bad. Usually I love what I do – it’s never dull. But there are days when it just feels like much too much, when I’d like to chuck it all in and run off with the gypsies. Inevitably, however, I find the resources to do what needs to be done even though, on occasion, I first have to find the will to do it.

“Hey! I thought we were going to talk about the Nine of Wands.”

We did.

The Daily Draw: The Devil, Reversed

The Devil, Reversed

On the RWS version of this card we see a man and a woman submitting to the control and influence of a big, scary, winged, horned beast of a Devil. The man and woman are both chained to the block on which the devil is perched, but they don’t seem to be terribly upset about it, judging by their faces. Apparently they haven’t noticed that there is enough slack in those chains to simply slip them off over their heads and walk away. Ah, but then they would have to take responsibility for their own cute little horns and tails. If they stay in bondage, they have someone to blame.

Those chains need to be loose, because otherwise the people in them would not have been able to get them on. The devil didn’t make them do it. Darkness and light exists within us all. Sometimes those forces become personified to the point that we appear to be mere pawns in a game we cannot hope to influence beyond choosing the “right” side. So one side is chosen and the other rejected or, more to the point, repressed. This choice can go either way.

There is dark and light in us all. You cannot have one without the other. There’s a reason the Tao symbol looks the way it does. We are all capable of anger, violence, mayhem, ignorance, greed, envy. Political parties thrive on eliciting an emotional response from their constituents, drilling fear into their hearts and counting on collective ignorance to propagate lies. We don’t allow people to watch cinematic sex until they are 18, but any twelve year old can legally watch people being shot, tortured, beaten, etc. to the point it becomes mundane, or see worse on their gaming consoles, while many of us celebrate socially acceptable violence in certain sporting events. Children are conditioned to grow up into adults who will conform to the systems laid out in a given society or else suffer consequences of the kind that leave them feeling marginalized, powerless, or just plain wrong. Is that the work of the devil? Get a grip. Collectively, as the human race, we did all that and much, much more. Did we get something out of each of these things? Sure. Was it worth it? You tell me.

The terms “good” and “bad” are too often used as a stick to beat people with. It’s not really about that. It’s about awareness, learning what your thoughts and feelings mean to you, where they come from, what the consequences of acting on them are for yourself and others, how to resolve the personal issues they reveal. It’s certainly not about repressing these things. All repression accomplishes is to keep the lid on the pressure cooker until the cooker explodes, sometimes in spectacular ways. The phrase “going postal” comes to mind.

Our feelings, thoughts and actions are the materials we use to collectively construct our world. However, our thoughts and feelings are what they are, not what people might tell us they should be. Do yourself a favour and don’t listen to those people. Take responsibility for your thoughts and feelings. Be aware of them. You don’t necessarily need to act them out, but you do need to integrate them as part of who you are. When we ignore or try to repress them it is most likely we are ignoring issues we should be dealing with. Ignoring them won’t make them go away, but it might make them fester.

The Daily Draw: Queen of Swords, Reversed

Queen of Swords, Reversed The Queen of swords is experienced, intelligent, and quite formidable. When this card is reversed, I see a person who always has something to say about any given situation and isn’t afraid to say it – a right fighter.. With this man or woman is the last word is theirs whenever possible. There can be humor in the remarks, but it can be cutting and at the expense of others, maybe even those she’s speaking to. Contradict this queen at your own peril.

This person demands the truth from others, but might be conservative about revealing her own, or at least leave parts out which can result in deception by omission, with the bonus of plausible deniability when others make invalid assumptions based on what they think they were told. “I never said that”, this queen might say, and she would be right (of course).

This person is intelligent, but can be given to over-thinking things to the point of their own detriment. The brain is always working overtime and has a tendency to come to the worst possible conclusions in a given scenario. The emphasis is on pessimism.

The preceding makes this reversed queen sound harsh, but I would ask you to be compassionate towards her. Ultimately, if you look deep enough on someone who hurts others, it is likely that there is a foundation of personal pain. This person has suffered, not necessarily in a way that would inspire a Facebook meme out of, but significant enough to her. After all, what people feel is subjective, not objective, and not for someone else to judge. In truth, this queen probably does a good enough job of judging herself, and there’s a good chance she doesn’t like the result, not that she would say.

When someone internalizes negative thoughts and feelings over time, keeping them to themselves, it should be no surprise that they have a tendency towards depression. If you can get through the barbed wire, it’s love and understanding this person needs.

The Daily Draw: Two of Wands, Reversed

Two of Wands Reversed Colorful universe

The two of wands speaks of creativity, courage, originality, and inner ability not yet manifest. Reversed, it’s possible that energy could be blocked. So many people have a reluctance to stand in their own power. I have the impression that this is especially true of sensitive people. We can’t help but feel the ripples we generate when we surface above the waterline, and we certainly feel the ripples generated by others in response. It can be a debilitating distraction that prevents us from fulfilling our true purpose.

It’s possible that it just is not the right time to make your move. Some creative sparks need time to build into a blazing fire before they can stand up to adverse elements, whereas even the brightest small sparks can be easily extinguished by those elements.

Then again, maybe you are as ready as you’ll ever be, but you feel like you’re striking out on your own with no idea whether you will have help or support. Or perhaps the self-talk is keeping you from taking the next step and progressing. You might think you have nothing to contribute, that it’s all been done before, and done better. That’s the ego talking, telling you to take the safe option, stay home, keep your head down.

Instead of listening to that, listen to this – you are a unique individual. No one else is quite like you, no one else can offer exactly what you can. Those people you think of as being better and braver than you? You come from the same creative source as they do, and have the same energy flowing through you as we all do. All you have to do is wake up to it, and maybe get a little nudge from the Fool.

The Daily Draw: Queen of Wands, Reversed

Cruella De Vil
Cruella De Vil
If she doesn’t scare you
No evil thing will

I was going to go describe the qualities of the type of person represented by the reversed Queen of Wands. Instead I thought I would say a few words about Cruella De Vil and kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Based on appearance, Cruella might not be an obvious match for this card. I can only speak for myself when I say I would not find her physically attractive. The hair always reminded me a bit of a skunk, which I find somewhat appropriate.

On the other hand, she obviously has some charm that draws people to her and allows her to twist them around her little finger. I’m sure it’s no mean feat getting Arthur Weasley and Gregory House to do some breaking, entering, and dog sitting on your behalf, in a house that doesn’t even seem to have electricity or proper floorboards. In fairness, they did look like they were struggling and would do anything for a bit of cash. But Gerard Depardieu was a successful fashion colleague, he would have been involved and, perhaps, wearing whatever that outfit was supposed to be and constantly saying “poopies”, only if he had been talked into it by De Vil.

Oh, Cruella can be charming. Why, even I almost believed her when, just prior to stealing 102 Dalmatians, she pleaded that she was a reformed woman who would never intentionally hurt dogs or their owners the way she once did. That lasted ‘til the clock struck twelve.

Let’s not forget the narcissism. Cruella De Vil must have what she wants, regardless of who or what is in her way. She tries to manipulate her employee and old school friend into selling the newest family members as pelts and, when that doesn’t work, loudly demeans and scorns the friend and steals them anyway without a shred of remorse. Me, me, me.

When foiled, she can’t even be captured without making a show of herself. There was the high-speed chase that ended with a spectacular crash. She was tarred, feathered, muddied, and perfumed by farmyard full of militant animals. She was even baked into a colossal cake. This woman will do anything for attention. What a drama queen.

The Relax Game

“If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” Dalai Lama

That’s a great aspiration, and a strong statement. Regardless of whether it’s absolutely true there’s no denying that teaching meditation at an early age can have profound, positive affect for the student.

But where do you start, and when? Asking small children to sit still for five minutes can be an exercise in patience and frustration, nevermind getting them to sit on a yoga mat for a half hour while soothing music plays and you speak in that calm relaxed manner that is so easy to maintain when there aren’t small children pulling at you, for example.

No, you can’t go from zero to 90 on this one. But if you look for your opportunities you might find small ways of introducing the concept.

I’m thinking of our five year old and the relax game. My partner started it to try to get him over that giddiness some children get the more tired they become. The relax game simply involves our son lying in bed while myself or his mother go through what I’m sure will be a familiar sounding recitation. “Relax your toes, relax your feet, relax your ankles, etc…” This goes on for five to ten minutes. Success is measured in yawns, which usually begin about halfway through.

I’m amazed at how well this caught on. Maybe it’s because the word “game” is included, lol. Each night now since we started, he’s asked to do the relax game before going to sleep. Long may it last, while we feel our way towards the next step.

The Daily Draw: Four of Cups

Meditation is a necessity

Four of Cups This is a card of meditation and reflection, looking inwards. This card says to me “There’s been enough going on in your life lately, it’s not time to take on something new. It’s time to contemplate where you are right now.”

I find this a welcome card today. It’s been a busy week, between working towards a software project drop this afternoon (kind of like a beta release that doesn’t leave the building), getting familiar with this whole new TSU thing (Find me at TSU J) and the other full time commitments I haven’t taken much time to just be (or just sleep, for that matter, LOL).

Having said that, I wouldn’t start the day without grounding, having a Reiki shower, clearing and opening my chakras on the drive to work, for example. Busy lifestyles require efficient strategies. But it is bliss to be able to spend a half hour or more breathing, going deep within, connecting with the universe, with spirit, letting go of all the things making your head go “Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”.

The nice thing, when you’ve been practicing long enough, is that you can start to get that feeling just writing a few paragraphs about it. The more you move in and out of emotional and spiritual awareness, the easier it is to change consciousness at will. That’s a nice ability to have if you don’t want to be a victim of your own emotions. We modern folk can get so stressed out, so overwhelmed by constant input from news feeds, TV, business-speak jargon, never-ending no-win politics, the demands of those we are responsible for, 500 friends looking for our attention, few of whom we’ve ever met in person. Aaaaarrrrrrrgghhhh!!!

Being able to unplug from that is more than good, it’s a necessity for your emotional and mental health. It’s part of taking care of yourself. If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anybody else.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite guided meditations – an Angel chakra meditation. I find it consistently powerful and still use it every moon or two. It take a little over a half hour. I hope you enjoy it.

Daily Draw: Nine of Wands

Nine of Wands

John Cameron Swayze trying to break a Timex watch

If you lived in the states in the early 60’s, you may remember a fellow named John Cameron Swayze advertising Timex watches on television, in much the same way that Barry Scott now advertises Cillit Bang, although perhaps less loudly and with a bit more of the gravitas you would expect from a news commentator. Anyway, the ads went something like this: A Timex watch would be strapped to the track of an army tank and sent 1,000 miles across jungle terrain, or it would be attached to the front of a snow plow that would proceed to clear the snow from half a large town, or it would be strapped to a small atomic bomb which would then be detonated over a test site in Nevada (I may be exaggerating some of these. It was a long time ago and I was a mere child). Inevitably, once it was safe to do so, John Cameron Swayze would remove the watch, check that it was still working (which it always was), look at the camera and say “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking”.

That pretty much sums up the energy of the Nine of Wands.

This is not a quitter’s card. It says “Try your best to stop me, I can take it”. There is strength, determination and resiliency but, oh, what a struggle. It’s all uphill but you’re mindset is to persevere as though there’s no other choice. And it could well be it seems that way. Maybe it’s pouring rain, but you still have to get the kids to and from school. Maybe your job is relentlessly soul destroying, but you need to get that payslip at the end of the month.

And that brings me to the “you against the world” aspect of this card. A continual focus on an ongoing, protracted struggle can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy, where life is always a struggle because it seems you are always struggling in life. Enough of that circular reinforcement and what may have started out as a rough patch becomes ingrained as “just the way it is”, which can take some effort to change. If you’re feeling the energy of this card, try to take a step back for a more objective look. Is there something different you could be doing that would improve the situation, and maybe end or reduce the struggle?

Note: In researching this post, I’ve learned that Cillit Bang’s Barry Scott is not actually a real person, but a character played by actor Neil Burgess. I’m gobsmacked! :-O http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cillit_Bang

The Daily Draw: The World, Reversed

TheWorld_RX

For those of you keeping score, that’s three times in six days this card has come up, drawn with the intention of what card will be the greatest benefit to the readers of this blog.

So we seem to have this whole “at one with the universe” thing going on here lately, and how that might manifest for you. For me it’s showing up in some long overdue healing, spiritual and intuitive development, and how the different aspects of my life are fitting together holistically.

I feel like there’s a balance between obligations and free time, and the spiritual is a natural part of daily life, blending with and informing the more mundane aspects. I’m busy as ever but it’s not hectic. There seems to be an easy flow to all the tasks that make up a given day. I even seem to be managing to fit in a bit of blogging, the challenges of writing about the same card every second day notwithstanding.

Today this card is reversed but I wouldn’t be concerned about that. “Reversed” is a bit of a misnomer – turning a card upside down doesn’t turn its meaning into the opposite of what it would be right-side up. The energies represented by the card are still present, but they might be a bit filtered for you. Quite often I see reversed cards as representing energy blocks, which are often caused by something inside ourselves not allowing us to experience the full energy represented by the card. Sometimes it means the energies are there but in smaller ways than they would be if the card was not reversed. It depends on the situation.

Speaking for myself, I’m still feeling fulfilled and plugged in to my world as I described above, but I must confess I’m a little tired this morning, so I’m slightly dragging myself around but with a smile on my face. It’s still all good.

Click the links to see my thoughts about this card from last Friday’s draw and last Monday’s draw.