Friday, October 14, 2011

10/15/11—10/16/11—Seeing the Journey

Weekend Reading: The Six of Swords from the Fire Tarot. This weekend consider looking at life a little differently than usual. Consider that there are no endings and no beginnings. That everything is a journey and that we're all somewhere in the midst of that journey. Whether we're excited or anxious over a new "beginning" or happy or sad over an "ending", knowing its all part of a larger journey can give us a more powerful and balanced perspective. In a way, what I'm saying is, good or bad, "this, too, shall pass." Just as we cannot hold on to victory forever, nor can we hold on to defeat. Happy times are happy and sad times are sad, but none of these things is the end. In fact all of these things can be a catalyst to keep us reaching higher. One day all these episodes will string together and make a really good story. And this moment will be just that—a moment.


Thursday, October 13, 2011

10/14/11—Exploring the Akashic Records

Today's Draw: The Ancestor (Hierophant) from the Wildwood Tarot. Do you believe it's possible that all the answers to all the questions you could ever ask are accessible in one way or another? Do you think you might hold those answers within? Are you curious enough to try and find out?

Traditionally known as the Hierophant, this card represents the bearer of spiritual knowledge. This is someone who often preaches dogma or traditional ways of believing. But in the Wildwood, he's known as the Ancestor and speaks of the ancient knowledge carried within our souls. The Ancestor stands at the entrance of the woods, inviting us on a unknown path, through a gateway to a new cycle in our journey. He advises to us to listen to the knowledge within to help guide us forward. It might seem scary to set off on this new path of discovery, but it is actually an honor. The Ancestor will accompany you along the path. 

In the New Age world there is a concept or place called the Akashic Records. It's like the Library of Congress of your soul. Everything that's ever been written on your soul...and everything that ever will be written on your soul...is on file at the Akashic Records. Some visualize this as a mystical cavern somewhere outside of us, but I like to think of it as something that resides within. According to Wikipedia, it has no fixed address...haha. It's just out there in the ether, defying space and time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akashic_records

And the Akashic Records doesn't just have all the information about MY soul in it, it has all the information about yours and about everyone and everything that has ever existed in the universe. So you can visit the Akashic Records, pull a file and look at previous lives and future lives and this life. Regardless whether it exists within or outside of us, it's accessible by us all.

I've been to the Akashic Records a couple of times and have seen some interesting things there. The last time I led some friends on a journey to the Akashic Records I learned a valuable lesson and haven't taken anyone there since, nor have I been there myself, though really more out of a lack of interest than fear. Anyway, I had each person pull a file from a past life, this life and a future life. And a few of the people ended up a little traumatized by what they saw in their future lives. My future life was fine and dandy...haha. But some had more difficult visions and it was a little unsettling to them in the moment. 

In the New Age world, not everybody knows about the Akashic Records and, frankly, probably more people believe in fairies. The fun thing about being metaphysical or New Age is that you can take what you need and leave the rest. As far what I believe, my mind's open to the Akashic Records. I mean, I believe we're all connected. I believe the sum total of everything that exists is God and each of us is a part of that. And, in a manner not unlike the synapses and cells in our body, each individual being is in communion with all others...and with the whole. So if I believe that, then it seems logical that there might be a "brain" of the collective, a storage house of knowledge.

But the nice thing about past lives and the Akashic Records and all forms of psychic stuff is that it doesn't really matter whether they're real or not. You can take the information you get from them and see how it applies to your life and it's still useful. Even if you believe it's just random BS. If you keep your mind open to it, and allow the wisdom to flow, who cares where it came from or even if you made it up? If it turns on a lightbulb in your brain, it turns on a lightbulb in your brain.

So I've never decided for myself whether my friends actually saw future lives or whether they saw their fears about their future lives. But really, does it matter? If the insights from that journey didn't come from the Akashic Records, they came from the subconscious. Either way, it's worth taking a look at because both sources carry wisdom. And it won't be Tierney living that future life anyway. It will be the soul within me...the eternal soul. And that lifetime will be a speck in time compared to the lifetime of that soul. So if it's a crappy life, it won't affect the part of me that worries or has fears...the ego. My ego will die with me. And my soul will choose the crappy life on purpose because of the lessons it holds. 

Anyway, I could go on and on about this. But what I really want to get to is this—whether you believe in the Akashic Records or ancestral knowledge or soul memories or whatever, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where the information comes from because it still has worth. So the next time you have a situation in your life that you want insight on, try asking yourself one of the following questions:
  • If I had all the wisdom of the universe readily accessible inside me, what advice would I give myself?
  • If my highest and wisest being answered this question, what would their answer be?
  • If I already knew the solution, what would it be?
  • If I had a feeling about how Situation X was going to turn out, what would I be feeling?
  • If I could see the outcome of Situation X, what would I see?
You don't have to follow the advice you get. But consider that something other than your conscious mind might be talking to you and take the advice under consideration. That's all. You don't even have to ask about anything of any significance. You can ask about how a ballgame you're watching will turn out or which way the car in front of you will turn when they leave the roadway. This can be an excellent way to build intuition if you give it a chance and observe how things turn out. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

10/13/11—Seeking a Spiritual Love

Today's Draw: Two of Cups from the Sun and Moon Tarot. Do you long for a spiritual love? What would that look like? And do you think people are meant to couple forever?

I did something I almost never do today. I didn't want to write about the first card I chose, the Two of Cups, so I chose another card and got the Ten of Cups. The tarot peeps are probably already chuckling because, while there's a difference between the Two and the Ten in the Cups suit, they may as well be the same. At least in my mind. The Two is about finding a deeply spiritual love and the Ten is about being happily secure and fulfilled in a love relationship. 

I'm not feeling very lovey today so don't expect some dreamy, romantic essay about love. And, beyond that, what can I say about love like that? I don't know how to find it and I don't know how to maintain it. And, frankly, I'm not even sure it exists in the way we envision it in our minds. I think it's an ideal. 

I do believe that people can deeply love each other. I feel like my parents deeply loved each other, or at least that my father deeply loved my mother. But that didn't "just happen" and it wasn't always so deep. It grew over time. It was earned. According to my older siblings, it seemed to happen only after bringing the marriage to the brink. It happened after they got all the fight out of them...all the struggling against just letting go. It happened after they both stopped trying to make the other person someone else...someone who was more amenable to them. And, instead, they became more amenable to the reality of the other. 

This isn't to say they didn't both piss each other off from time to time. And I know there were things about my father that drove my mother up the wall. But they gave up fighting those things inside. They gave up festering over them. And they looked to the strengths of each other, rather than the weaknesses. 

That said, I think love and commitment like that is the exception rather than the rule. Divorce statistics back me up. And in regards to the spiritual relationship of the Two of Cups, I think relationships are NOT meant to be forever. We covet this idea of a spiritual partnership, thinking it would be the deepest, most satisfying, most ever-lasting of all relationships. But when people come together in a spiritual partnership, they do so to learn and grow together and support each other spiritually. And if you're really in a spiritual relationship, you wouldn't want to hold your partner back in their growth or take them down a path that's inappropriate for them, just so they'll be alongside you. You'll love them enough to set them free to travel their path with someone more appropriate.

The good news is that I believe most, if not all, romantic relationships are spiritual partnerships. The bad news is that they're only viable as long as you are learning and growing together. Then it's time to move on. That's not a bad thing. It's complicated when children are involved. But personally I don't think you're doing children many favors by showing them it's OK to sacrifice your happiness, personal evolution and...soul...for everyone else. 

I also think we do ourselves a big disservice by believing in soul mates and happily ever after. I think we have many soul mates, not one perfect person we're meant to be with. And not all soul mates are meant to be romantic partners, though you may try to squeeze that peg into the hole just because you feel drawn to someone. Perfect love and soul mates are the stuff of fairy tales. And believing in fairy tales screws us up. 

Partnership is hard work. Marriage is not guaranteed to be forever. Having children won't make anyone love you more. Nobody can "complete" you. You can care deeply for someone you're not meant to be with. And sometimes, sometimes it works...if you put in a lot of work and respect yourself enough to expect respect from your partner. If we could be more honest about what we can expect from marriage/partnership and take a realistic look at what we're really risking when we commit to just one person, I think we'd all be a lot better off.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

10/12/11—Finding Your Ultimate Guru

Today's Draw: The Hall of God, 05 Your Spiritual Master from AboraMana. Do you have guru or are you in search of one? Do you think the kinds of people who become spiritual teachers are special in some way? Where can you find your greatest source of spiritual wisdom?

ArboraMana is more of an oracle deck than a tarot deck. I could read the book to find out what it's all about, but in lieu of that I decided to just choose a card and wing it...haha. The Spiritual Master card talks about finding a spiritual teacher and listening to their wisdom. It also talks about how you can have as many spiritual teachers as you like over time. You don't have to tie yourself to just one. 

One of the many books I mean to write one day is called "Ten Things The Spiritual Gurus Never Tell You". One of the things you'll learn in my non-existent book is that gurus are people just like you. Which means they're human just like you. One of the biggest disappointments on your spiritual path may be when you come face-to-face with your guru's humanity. Maybe they're a skirt chaser. Or they partake in drugs. Or they act nasty to a sales clerk. 

It's a let-down, but it's a let-down you have to take personal responsibility for. After all, you're the one that placed them on the pedestal. The side of the guru that you see is reflects the lessons of their spiritual side and, while they, like most people, hide their less than savory bits, you were the one that decided you knew who and what they were based entirely on your limited exposure to them. You're the one that saw them as something better than you, simply because they knew one part of life better than you. 

So one thing the spiritual gurus never tell you is that they're just as screwed up as you in some regards. Another thing they don't tell you is that you don't really need them. You think you do, but you don't. The best guru you'll ever meet is yourself. And the reason? Because God, and the notion of God, resides within you. And the best person to know what's within you is you. 

Gurus can guide us. Gurus can teach us. But the minute you think they're more qualified than you are to see what's within you...and the minute you think of them as somehow more special than you are...you do yourself and your discovery a disservice. Certainly gurus are people who have been where you are right now and they are probably further along on their path and are a treasure trove of answers to your questions. But you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment and confusion if you put all that in perspective. What feels right inside of you should always take precedence. And if any guru tries to convince you otherwise or tells you their knowledge is the one truth, I would consider looking elsewhere.

And, in fairness to the gurus, the gurus are in the guru business. They need to be certain. They need to have answers. They need to stand strong. That's all part of being a guru. Just don't mistake it for infallibility or a reason to question your own wisdom.

Monday, October 10, 2011

10/11/11—Grounding Yourself

Today's Draw: One of Earth (Ace of Pentacles) from Today's Journey Tarot. Is it hard for you to concentrate? Do you find yourself worrying excessively about things? Do you have trouble staying in the "now"?

The Ace of Pentacles usually indicates a new phase of growth or abundance. But it can also indicate a need for grounding. Since we've never talked about grounding before, that's what we're going to deal with today. And if you can answer yes to any of the questions above, then you could benefit from some grounding.

It still surprises me that people always tell me I'm grounded. When I first started hearing this from people, I didn't really know what they meant. Try finding a good definition for "grounded". It's not so easy. But I finally came to realize that it means having your feet planted in reality, in the now and in the body. As a career daydreamer, I was surprised people thought that about me. I've never felt I was any more grounded than anyone else and I assumed the mere fact I believed in and practiced psychic arts meant I *wasn't* grounded. At least that's what mainstream peeps would have us think. 

Finally I realized that what people were saying about me was that, as much as I pursue floofy things, I'm very realistic, practical and straightforward about them and life in general. I manage my life well. There are a lot of people in my "community" that don't live here on earth. They don't combine their sixth sense with common sense, and they don't temper their spiritual theory with reality. In that sense, I agree. I'm grounded. 

But still, I have my moments. From time to time, I'll be in the car and all of a sudden realize that I don't remember the last five miles because I was somewhere else in my mind. I'll daydream or lose touch with the now while doing things around the house. I'll become distracted by something that happened in the past that I can't let go of. And, on a daily basis, when I'm writing, I'll get lost in hyper focus and hours will go past, then I'll "wake up" and see pages and pages of writing. In that sense, I feel like I'm channeling when I write and I'm *not* here. 

On the flip side, though, I'm terribly meticulous about reality-based things such as paying bills, conducting business, scheduling things, managing deadlines and meeting my earthly responsibilities. I also maintain an open mind and healthy skepticism about my beliefs. While there are people who might call my beliefs "flaky", no one who actually knows anything about me would ever call *me* a flake.

So being grounded is about being firmly planted reality and connected to life here on earth. And I feel blessed to have a balance with that and my more airy concerns.

Everyone speaks of grounding like it's some holy grail to protect and serve, but I disagree. I believe it's a valuable thing to be. But instead of having your feet firmly planted in the earth, I believe in keeping enough friction with the earth to stay grounded, while staying loose enough and nimble enough to flow in rhythm with life and the universe. You block out so much of life's magic by being compulsively attached to the earth at all times. I know a couple of people like that...people connected to the earth not only by roots growing out of their feet, but also by a stick coming out of their butts. ;)

All that said, there's a good exercise you can do if you ever feel yourself distracted or floating too high in the ether. Inhale, imagining the air coming in through the top of your head and flowing down to about hip level. Then exhale, imagining the breath then pushing down through your legs and down, down into the earth. Repeat a few times until you feel more "grounded". For extra grounding, picture roots growing from the bottoms of your feet into the earth and then repeat the exercise above. This can help occasional episodes, but can also be a valuable meditation for those with ADD and other overcrowding issues in the mind.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

10/10/11—Gathering Your Energies

Today's Draw: Nine of Wands from the Abyssal Tarot. Do you have a chronic issue that you never seem to make headway on? Is it possible that, instead of addressing the root of the issue, you're too focused on addressing the symptoms? Are you ready to try a new approach?

As a quick note, the image accompanying this post is the image that's on the card, not the card itself. The actual card bears the word "Waiting" in addition to identifying it as the Nine of Wands. Also, today's card was chosen by a guest chooser whose name I didn't get. :)

Traditionally, the Nine of Wands is about heroism and commitment to a cause. In some decks, it's also depicted as making one last push on the way to succeeding at something. And that's more along the lines of where this card takes us. 

The woman in the picture is gathering energy from within and around herself in preparation for a final confrontation. Strategy, preparation and vigilance are key aspects of her defense. In this way, she's not just reacting to stimuli, she's able to detach from the stimuli and form a holistic defense aimed at the root cause. 

We often get caught up in responding to individual stimuli as they happen. Stuck in that pattern, we end up constantly swatting flies rather than finding the source of the flies and taking care of that. This Nine of Wands is mounting her strategy at the source of the flies so that she doesn't have to deal with the swatting any longer. 

An example of this might be a couple who bickers about leaving the toilet seat up or who's turn it is to take out the trash. As long as you're confronting issues on that level, you don't have the energy to address the underlying lack of respect and consideration...the underlying hurt and unmet expectations...whatever is underneath. And as long as you don't address that, it grows to the point that one day you have a fight over a towel left on the bathroom floor and one of you leaves the relationship "suddenly and without reason".

The Nine of Wands comes to remind us that when we find ourselves battling over petty matters, there's something much deeper at work. And her caution about waiting is to stop wasting energy on the symptoms of the underlying issue so you can gather your thoughts and energy to address what is really at the root of the matter. As this past weekend's reading indicated, the problem might not even have anything to do with the other person. 

We owe it to ourselves and to our partners and friends to excavate deep enough to know what is at the root of the issue before we make any rash decisions. Most of the time the cause is rooted in fear or hurt. But until we know, we stand no chance of fixing anything. And the longer we focus on symptoms, the more broken the issue becomes. So don't take the bait of the symptoms. Wait that knee-jerk anger out, gather your energies, focus on the root cause and move forward from a genuine point of power.