A New Year, A New Branch
New Year’s day is probably the closest we have to a global holiday. Think of all the people all over the world, in the span of 24 hours, were focusing on some of the same intentions just a few days ago. That’s powerful energy.
On my social media I shared these words, “Hello World! May our wishes be trued and cause no harm.” Adding the “cause no harm,” is a habit from my days practicing Wicca in the mid-nineties. My introduction to Wicca came from a crone from Salem, who interviewed me for my first job as a professional psychic. Her wisdom, and the beauty and wisdom from Wicca, continues to enrich my intention. Remembering to add “cause no harm,” fortifies my belief that I can, indeed, have something that doesn’t take away anything from someone or something else that causes them harm.
Wait. How can I write on paper, while not taking the life of the tree from which it came? I don’t know. After learning that grass was alive, my mother had to drag me across the lawn every day, because that meant I wouldn’t have to walk on it. I still wince when walking on grass, especially when I think about it being alive. Now that I think about it, this happens more often than I realized before!
Be Gentle With Yourself This January
January can be a challenging month for some people. As the new year rolls in, many people are focused on their ‘New Year’s resolutions’ and on how they want to change their lives for the better in the coming year. As we all know, in a few weeks time most of these resolutions will be forgotten, and all that will remain is subtle feeling of disappointment.
Add to this our reflections on the past year, our hopes and expectations for the coming year, and a lingering malaise from the energetic overload of the previous month of holidays… and all of this can add up to a sense of heaviness about our life.
While recognizing that there is room for improvement, and taking action where we can make those improvements, is always a good thing, it’s important to also remember to do this with love and compassion for ourselves. Change can be challenging, even when we are at our best!
So, with all this in mind, how can we move into this new year with both self-love and self-awareness?
The Physical Symptoms Of Spiritual Disconnection
I remember as a child, I knew way more than I should. People thought I was just a quiet child, but I had learned early on, from the energetic reactions of adults, that I shouldn’t always share what I knew. I literally stood behind my mother, using her as a physical shield between me and their energy. This was one of the few ways I knew how to stop receiving what they were sending out. The other big one I used was to leave my body.
As I got older, the information only got more intense, as I now was able to intellectually analyze it, as well as my role in this whole exchange. I started to question the validity of what I was receiving, or why I should or would know that. But I still didn’t have any tools, and I couldn’t stand behind my mom anymore. I started experiencing headaches. And although I rarely experienced a cold, or was sick, I did have the beginnings of an autoimmune disorder.
When I was in my early 20’s, trying to get situated in life, I was trying to pretend like I was not innately connected to everything, ignoring and invalidating what I would receive. I would just powerhouse through anything that was uncomfortable in my body: headaches, digestive issues, joint pain, laryngitis, earaches… until I would finally get knocked down with chronic fatigue, and forced to stop and rest. Then I would feel better and start the cycle all over again.
A Few Minutes Of Daily Self-Care
I often tell my students to take some ‘me time’ each day, even if it’s only five minutes for self-care. And I have heard 101 excuses as to why someone cannot do this, ranging from parenting responsibilities and career, to house cleaning and maintenance. These excuses typically start with the words, “I have to…”
At one workshop, I had several people offer their excuses for not having even a few minutes for themselves on a daily basis. Then I narrowed it down to a simple question. When you have to go to the washroom, do you hold it in all day long, and all night, because you ‘have to’ do something else? After the laughter stopped, because I did do an exaggerated imitation of someone ‘holding it’ by rolling on the floor in agony!
And then I asked the next question. By holding it all day and night, and writhing in pain and agony, what did I accomplish? How much time did I waste focusing on this issue of ‘I have to go,’ but ‘I don’t have time.’
This is the simplest way to explain time management versus wasted energy and time. I take a bath or shower each day, as do most people. I am usually at least a few minutes under the water in some way. Water is my peacemaker and my calming force. It energizes me and charges me for the day.
The Divine Light Within You
Namaste. This is a term that is often used in Yoga practices and certain spiritual services. The word itself is a salutation which means, “The divine light in me honors the divine light in you.” Often people will say this unconsciously. However, it is a spiritual truth that should remind us of the value of our own light and the light of others.
The truth is that you are the light of the world and you always have a choice to honor that light, or hide that light. Spiritual teacher, activist and author, Marianne Williamson, writes, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
The main block to experiencing your own light is fear and the main freedom from fear is love. You are here to be a service to the world. You incarnated for this reason. In fact, we are all here serving each other. Even when something terrible has happened, it gives us an opportunity to see what happens when love is not present within an action.
New Year’s Blessings With Archangel Barachiel
The New Year is the perfect time to introduce the wonderful Archangel Barachiel, otherwise known as The Angel of Blessings. Also known by the name of Barakiel, he is the Archangel who is designated to spread God’s messages of blessings and abundance to the world and what better time to introduce him into your life than the New Year? Archangel Barachiel is also the leader of the guardian angels, who work closely with people.
Here’s how to recognize when this magnificent being is around.
Laughter
When you are in the presence of Barachiel, you may become so joyful that you feel the overwhelming urge to laugh. Furthermore, it is said that humor is indeed one of God’s gifts to mankind, as it helps people to reduce stress levels and put any current challenges we may be facing into the proper perspective.
Barachiel teaches that through humor people can learn not to allow any difficult circumstances to overwhelm them, as Almighty God and his band of Angels are higher than any set of circumstances. All we need to do is put our faith in them at all times. Archangel Barachiel, assists humanity in learning to put our trust in God and by doing so be victorious over any adversity we may find ourselves in.
2019 – Year Of The Hanged Man And The Empress
In Tarot, 2019 is the year of the Hanged Man: key card 12 (2+0+1+9=12) – letting go. It is also the year of the universal archetype of the Empress: key card 3 (1+2=3) – love with abundance.
Usually only one card is highlighted for a Tarot year, but I feel it’s important, if possible, to also reduce the year number to a single digit, to have the energy of both archetypes and vibrations. Also, in Numerology, the we are in a 3 year, which encompasses everything the Empress embodies.
Furthermore, this year’s numbers, 1, 2 and 3, is a message to live life more simply and to choose only the things that bring us love and beauty.
First, let’s look at how we can deepen our understanding of The Hanged Man’s energy to assist us in this New Year. His message is one of letting go, release, looking at things from a new perspective, a pause or sacrifice. In our lives we can look at what we need to release that may be holding us back in relationships, career, health, or our spiritual growth.