self-empowerment
Tarot Forecast August 2024: Seven Of Wands
The card for this month is the Seven of Wands, which predicts the need for determination, resilience and facing challenges head-on.
The Seven of Wands depicts a figure standing on higher ground, holding off opponents below with a single wand. The imagery conveys a sense of defiance and unwavering determination, suggesting that despite the challenges and competition, victory is possible through perseverance and courage.
As we enter this month with the Seven of Wands as our guiding influence, we are reminded of the importance of staying true to our values and beliefs, even in the face of significant obstacles. The Seven of Wands encourages us to adopt a warrior-like spirit, ready to defend our positions and protect what we hold dear.
This card signals a time when we must be prepared to encounter resistance and opposition, whether in our personal, professional or spiritual pursuits. It serves as a reminder that while challenges are inevitable, our strength lies in our ability to remain steadfast and resilient. The Seven of Wands teaches us that through determination and unwavering focus we can overcome adversity and emerge victorious.
We are likely to find ourselves in situations this month where we need to defend our position or beliefs, but remember that your courage and inner strength will see you through. Our resilience and positive attitude will inspire those around us, creating an atmosphere of motivation and progress.
Invoking The Power And Beauty Of Freya
The goddess Freya has a special place in my spiritual self-care routine. I often turn to her when I need extra guidance and support.
Freya is the ancient Norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and war. She is one of the most important deities in Norse mythology, embodying the ultimate ancient archetype for ‘girl power’ and ‘boss lady’ energy.
She is traditionally revered for her deep wisdom, boundless compassion, and fierce protection. Invoking her divine feminine power has brought much transformative and empowering energy to many aspects of my life.
In Norse folklore, Freya rides a chariot drawn by two large, powerful cats and is often depicted wearing the Brísingamen necklace, a symbol of her power and beauty.
The Brísingamen was created by four dwarves known for their exceptional craftsmanship. The necklace symbolizes beauty, desire and the power of attraction. It also represents Freyja’s connection to the earth and its fertility.
Freya is the leader of the Valkyries, the warrior maidens who choose those who may die and those who may live in battle. Freyja is said to receive half of the slain warriors in her heavenly field, Fólkvangr, while the other half go to Odin’s hall, Valhalla.
This dual role highlights her authority and revered status among the gods, bridging the realms of life and death. The Valkyries, under her guidance, serve not only as fierce selectors of the fallen but also as protectors and guides for these chosen souls, ensuring their honored place in the afterlife.
The Choice To Stay In Your Peace And Joy
The other day I was sitting in a park surrounded by people. Some were sitting in chairs, looking up at the trees, seemingly in a state of pure relaxation, with no thoughts in their minds, just taking in the nature and sounds around them.
I felt a deep sense of peace and tranquillity, having just meditated before coming to the park. I had spread a blanket under my favourite oak tree with a book in my hand.
I looked around and saw a young family. The children were playing, throwing a ball back and forth, while the father was absorbed in his mobile phone. The mother was busy preparing a picnic, setting the table with a beautiful tablecloth. Eventually they settled down.
On the other side of the park was a lovely play area where families watched their children playing, climbing and jumping.
In the middle of the park, a group of young people were playing volleyball, being quite loud and using foul language. Their behaviour attracted everyone’s attention. The family preparing for the picnic decided to leave, put everything in their cars and drove off. Others sitting in deckchairs and some children in the play area also left.
The noisy volleyball group eventually attracted the attention of a police patrol. I overheard one of the officers reminding them of the ban on alcohol in public parks and urging them to be respectful of others, especially with small children around. Despite the warnings, they remained loud and disrespectful until they finally left.
How To Navigate The Chaos Like A Champ
The physical life adventure we signed up for before we were born has many twists and turns. From our careers and relationships to personal health and world events.
While these ups and downs of life and love are exactly what we came here to experience for our personal enlightenment and soul evolution, they can sometimes throw us into moments of chaos, frustration, anxiety and even instense despair.
The key to not becoming disoriented or deflated in these difficult moments is to always remember why we are here in the first place, no matter how crazy things may get. Every time we face adversity or have to overcome setbacks and obstacles, we are making progress on our amazing soul journey.
Embracing the dynamic and sometimes very challenging nature of our existence is essential to fulfilling our spiritual mission. Staying balanced in an ever-changing environment is not just a possibility – it is an exciting opportunity for self-discovery and spiritual empowerment.
Change and uncertainty are inevitable. Developing a mindset of flexibility and adaptability can help you navigate the chaos with greater ease. Surrender to the knowledge that you can’t control everything, but you can control your thoughts, mindset and reactions.Amid chaos and despair, remember: every setback is a step forward in your amazing spiritual odyssey!
Three days ago, a deer collided with my car two hours from home. It did not survive and my vehicle is no longer drivable. The hardest thing for me was the grief of killing one of God’s beautiful creatures. Why did I not see it earlier and react sooner?
My Spiritual Encounter With A Bear
Imagine venturing deep into the forest, sunlight streaming through the ancient trees. The air is crisp, alive with the gentle whispers of nature. Suddenly, a colossal bear emerges from the underbrush, its presence a primal force in the serene scene.
Well, chances are this isn’t just another wildlife encounter – it’s a potentially powerful spiritual experience, imbued with profound symbolism.
My psychic mentor and I once had such a remarkable encounter with a bear that brought me some deep spiritual insights.
The forest has always been a happy place for me, and for this particular long-term retreat, I rented a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One crisp fall evening, while my friend was visiting me and we were enjoying the tranquility of twilight on the back porch, a large black bear wandered into the back yard.
At first, we were both gripped with fear. Seeing such a powerful creature up close is both awe-inspiring and very intimidating! Fortunately, the bear paid us little attention as he calmly foraged for food, his movements deliberate and unhurried.
After the initial shock, we found ourselves mesmerized by his presence. I am always on the lookout for signs and synchronicities from the universe. Decades of spiritual work have taught me that nothing is accidental or random, especially when you are in the wilderness.
Consciously Connecting With Your Spirit Guide
Have you ever felt a gentle nudge, an intuitive whisper, an inner knowing guiding you? It is your spirit guide supporting and protecting you. Sometimes our guides succeed in getting our attention, but sometimes the messaging fails, with potentially disastrous consequences for our safety, success, or well-being.
This is why it is wise to be more directly familiar and connected with your guide. It is like having the spirit realm ‘on speed dial,’ which can come in very handy in difficult times, and especially in emergency situations! Consciously connecting with your guide is a spiritually rewarding, uplifting and highly beneficial practice.
A spirit guide is a higher non-physical entity or spirit being who is dedicated to supporting our life journey and spiritual mission in our current lifetime by offering us ongoing guidance, support, wisdom and protection. Think of them as our celestial cheerleaders and bodyguards, always rooting for our highest good!
Depending on our chosen belief system and personal background, our guide may be one of our ancestors, a totem or spirit animal, spirit guardian, angelic guide, saint, bodhisattvasa, enlightened being, ascended master, deva, djinn, deity, or other divine being.
Regardless of who we personally understand our spirit guides to be, they are with us from the day we are born to provide support and insight to help us navigate life’s challenges, make wise choices and decisions, and pursue our spiritual growth and soul purpose. Our guides communicate with us through intuition, signs, symbols, synchronicities, physical sensations, dreams, and even other people, conversations and various forms of media. They are always guiding us toward our highest good and spiritual development.
Unleash The Power Of Your Intention
When I first started working professionally in the spiritual field, I used to get pretty uptight about whether or not I was spending enough time preparing myself properly before consulting with clients, both for psychic readings and energy healing sessions. That was until I visited a well-known elderly spiritualist who lived in the countryside outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, for a reading.
“You work with spirit, just like I do,” I remember him saying. “But I sense that you worry that your preparation is weak and not good enough.”
He was right, I was often stressed about having enough time to prepare with my guides before the sessions began. I always want to give my best to my clients and feared that I would disappoint them if I was not properly prepared and perfectly “tuned in.” Was I doing it right? Did I spend enough time on it? Was I leaving out an important step? Should I just do it once a day before I start or before every single session?
Ironically, while my sincere intention with all this worrying was to give my clients the best readings and healings possible, I was actually not always giving my best, because I was so stressed and worried about being well-prepared!
“All you have to do is set your intention clearly every day before you start,” the wise old gentleman said. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Of course! Keeping it simple is often the best approach to most things in life, so why should it not work in spiritual endeavors also?
This was how I learned that the most important ingredient for successful preparation in any spiritual practice or metaphysical activity is intention. Today, I like to think of intention as the vital spark that lights the flame. It is a powerful tool in all metaphysical practices. Oddly enough, intention is often the key aspect of our spiritual practices that is most often overlooked.