power
The Healing Power Of Trees
Recently, I was visiting the small town in the Spanish countryside where I lived a couple of years ago. After running my errands, I met up with a friend in a small café, close to her home. Here we struck up a conversation with a very interesting, serene-looking gentleman, who had some fascinating things to say about the trees in the beautiful pine forests that surround the town.
At first he told us how worried he was that we might be subjected once again to a total lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But it soon became clear his fear was not due to the usual reasons. Apparently he goes to the nearby forest several days per week, for what he describes as his “charge up fix” of energy from the trees.
During the total lockdown in Spain earlier this year, he greatly missed the forest and, combined with the lockdown restrictions and sense of isolation, him not being energized as usual by his beloved trees, had a significant impact on his overall well-being and mental health.
He mentioned how he usually spends a lot of time talking to one particular old tree, and knew the tree was missing his presence when he had to stay away during the lockdown. He proudly showed us a photo of this favorite tree and explained how he communicates telepathically with the tree.
He had named the tree ‘Buho’ (Owl), because both the appearance and wisdom of the tree reminded him of an owl. During the lockdown period, when he was unable to visit, he would communicate telepathically with ‘Buho,’ by focusing on the photo of the tree.
Empower Yourself With A Tarot Meditation
The Tarot is so much more than just a method of fortunetelling. Tarot can be used as a tool for meditation just as much as it is an aid for divination.
For example, you can meditate on one of the cards in the Major Arcana, to connect with that specific card’s archetypal energy. Connecting with the card’s energy can not only help you find the answers you need, but more profoundly it can also invite that energy into our life.
Every archetype can awaken within us certain a type of personal power. The Magician can inspire us to become more quick on our feet, as he is mercurial in nature. The High Priestess connects us more deeply with our intuition and higher self. The Tower can bring an immediate closure to a negative situation we cannot stand anymore, and so on.
Let’s focus on The Empress card with a more detailed analysis, to demonstrate how we can utilize her in meditation.
Symbolism Of The Empress
The Empress is the number 3 card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. She is the archetypal queen and symbolizes all the riches of femininity. She is related to the planet Venus and the zodiac sign of Taurus, representing affectivity in all its fullness.
As an earthly partner of the Emperor, her archetype represents the earthly plane achievements and pleasures of the physical body, including motherhood. There is also a connection between the Divine Feminine or Divine Mother archetype, represented by this card, and the Earth as Gaia, our nurturing mother.
The Magical Energy Of The Moon
The Moon has a powerful influence on our lives. Not only does it determine the tides of the ocean and how plants grow, but you may have noticed it also affects our mood! Connecting to the powerful phases of the Moon can bring enlightenment to your life by way of the moon’s cycles and movement. It can shape our lives and the choices we make. Being in tune with the Moon’s powerful energy can bring you greater awareness of body, mind and soul.
Depending how the Sun, Moon and Earth align on a particular day, only a part of the Moon is usually visible to us. The tracking of the Moon’s phases goes back thousands of year in various spiritual traditions and cultural customs. Traditionally, the New Moon is considered to be the start of the month and a good time to start anew. And the Full Moon is seen as a time of celebration, delight, and mystery.
A Full Moon occurs every 29.5 days, when the Earth is situated directly between the Sun and the Moon, making it appear to us on Earth as a complete circle… illuminated and breathtaking! Native Americans relied on the Moon to guide them in daily life. They gave symbolic names for each of the Full Moons, based on the unique events of each particular month of the year.
January – Wolf Moon
The January Moon is thus named due to the cold, snowy winters, when wolves would howl hungrily outside tribal villages, looking for food. January’s Full Moon is also known as ‘Old Moon’ and ‘Ice Moon.’
February – Snow Moon
February’s Full Moon is named for the abundant snow that usually occurs during the month. The snow made it hard to hunt, and food in the winter was scarce. Therefore it is also known as the ‘Hunger Moon.’
Are You Living An Unexamined Life?
According to Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This statement is very powerful, yet it has a very simple meaning. What you do not change, does not change you. When your actions remain the same, so do the results. If you cannot examine the things that are eating at you, the things that have gone wrong in your life, and even the things that have gone right, nothing changes.
We must look at our life and go behind the mask that we may be wearing, to cover up the fact that we are vulnerable inside. There are often so many aspects to our life that requires change in order to move forward to a better place.
For example, are you repeatedly settling for the same type of person as a partner and find it constantly failing? Are you going to a dead-end job day in and day out, that you hate so much that merely entering the workspace already makes you despise the day before it even starts? Do you look in the mirror and see things about yourself that makes you miserable?
Take off the mask of pretension and make an effort to change what isn’t working. Examine why you keep repeating the same patterns.
If you are ending up with the same type of person every time, ask yourself why? Are you trying to meet someone in the same way? Are you settling for someone that is not all that you would like, but feel it’s better than to have no one at all? Are you compromising on what you want? If they are not what you seek, cut them loose. They are not going to suddenly change.
What Is Blocking Your Progress?
Picture yourself driving down a nice country road. There is no traffic to speak of, the sun is shining beautifully in the cloudless sky, and all is right with the world. You have no particular timeline or agenda in mind, this is a rare moment of bliss which you totally intend to take advantage of.
But, as you come around the next bend in the road, there, out of the blue, appears to be an exceptionally large branch completely blocking the way. What to do now? Well, you have always thought of yourself as a somewhat smart and resourceful soul, so there is no doubt in your mind that you will arrive at a logical and workable conclusion.
After careful examination, you begin to realize this is a little more serious than what you had initially thought, so now alternate plans must be put in place. Out comes the trusted cell phone, to call the nearest towing company. Perhaps they will be able to haul the branch out of the way!
Oh no, you are in a cellular dead zone and there is no signal, so the calling option is out. What next? Well, with a little pushing and prodding, maybe you could clear the path yourself? After an exhausting attempt you quickly realize this is not going to work either. Time out is called for, so you may rally all your brilliant thoughts to reach a viable and successful conclusion.
Then you have an inspired idea. If all else fails, maybe you can navigate around the branch just enough to get free and clear, and continue on your merry way? You try and…well, lo and behold, that worked amazingly well!
Finding Peace And Strength In Trying Times
The past few months has been a very trying time for all of us. It is easy to get worked up over where we are right now, and become anxious about the future.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, a wave of fear and worry crashed over us. We were wondering if there would be ‘enough.’ Enough food, enough hand sanitizer and disinfectant, enough hospital beds, enough money to pay the bills, and even enough toilet paper! No longer were we looking to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’ Instead we were looking to make sure our households were safe and just had the basics.
During this time, I was reminded of all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books I read as a young girl. She also lived in a time when they were not sure if they would have the necessities to live out a harsh winter. Here I was now, all these yea healthy and protected. Everyday items universe tie into all of this you may ask? Many have wondered if they were on the right path with decisions being made during this crucial time. Worrying if work will be there for you we normally would take for granted suddenly took on a new significance.
These fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns all over the world, have also caused many of us to wonder if we were on the right path with decisions being made during this crucial time. Many have been worrying about our jobs and businesses, and whether or not we will be able to pay our bills.
The Spiritual Symbolism Of The Peacock
The masculine energy of the peacock emanates self-assurance and confidence, and also represents pride and vanity. In the spiritual context, masculine energy is understood to be the active and doing part of nature – it is the force that compels us forward.
Given the uncertainty we are currently facing our world climate, we could all call on the energy of this spirit animal to provide us with the courage to step forward in new ways.
The peacock was the first bird to every appear in my artwork. Each time I was drawn to paint the peacock, I experienced major changes in my life, which involved either moving home or relocation, or taking another step to progress in my career.
The peacock (Pavo cristatus), also known as the Indian peafowl, has a long tradition of spiritual symbolism in many cultures and belief systems. The peacock (in contrast to the peahen) is known for the beautiful array of iridescent colors in his tail feathers, featuring the well-known mystical designs that look like eyes. Some of the key spiritual messages of the peacock include:
Confidence
As the vision for the peacock came to life on that first canvas, I gained a renewed sense of confidence with my own artwork. He reminds us all of the need to feel free, joyful and confident in how we express ourselves. When we have appreciation for our abilities, it gives rise to self-confidence.