Bee-ing Prosperous With Mamma Oshun

One of the African spirits I honor is Oshun. She is the Orisha of love, happiness, sensuality and prosperity. Her colors are yellow, green, gold, and orange. Sacred items to her include: pumpkins, sunflowers, the sun, oranges, honey, cinnamon. Animals sacred to her include bees and peacocks. She is the "sweet water", the rivers. I have gone down to the banks of the Mighty Misissippi to give thanks to her for favors granted. On my personal altar to her I have several things that either I thought she'd like or that she asked me for. I love how the candlelight illuminates the amber and green calcite. I keep money that has her sacred oil on it to ask that when I put it in my wallet and then spend it more will be drawn back to me. I give her thanks and say that I know that the money I spend enriches the lives of others and comes back to me multiplied. I've noticed this has really helped with relationship with money and seeing it as an energy exchange, thus helping to release the fear of the lack of it.

*my personal altar to Oshun*

 

One night last week while doing cards on The Square, my friend Jewel (another reader) and I stared singing one of her songs. It was a kinda slow night and money was scarce. Within about 15 minutes I had my first reading of the night. Very shortly thereafter so did another friend. We both went home quite pleased and grateful. The next night Jewel set up my table for me. When I sat down I saw something that amazed us both. On the lip of one of my candles was a honey bee! She seemed like she was unwell and needing to rest to regain her strength. I got to my setup at about 5:30 and left at about 01:00. I even carried the candle home and that bee stayed with me! I gave her a tiny drop of some delicious German honey, said a prayer of thanks to Mamma Oshun and left the candle outside in my courtyard so she could find some flowers. The last time I checked at about 04:00 thshe was, but the next day she was gone. This week I found 3 bees in my house buzzing around in the kitchen, one in the bathroom.

 

I associate her with the Queen of Wands in tarot. Call on her for help when working with the sacral, solar plexus and heart chakras. She will help you to create most anything you want, including financial abundance, art, music, inspiration, joy and passion for life itself.

 

Here is a beautiful song for Oshun

 

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Genevieve's Resolution

I was walking to the bank today and my fast paced walk was brought to halt when I saw this precious fur-ball striking a pose like he was in the Vogue video. I immediately thought of the tarot. Genevieve (don't ask. The cat looks like a Genivive to me ok) is all stretched out with not a single care in the world. She could give less than a damn about what anyone thinks. The two paintings behind her make me think of conversation bubbles in a cartoon that show what she was dreaming away about. The one painting shows the painted jewels of New Orleans, our Creole cottages, as they are helplessly being drowned by the rising waters of Katrina. The other an adorable little dog painting who he is in his spirit. My brain translated this into The Tower, 4 of swords, and the Page of Wands.

*The Gill Tarot by U. S. Games*

But the horrific catastrophe is all behind this kitty-cat. (Quite literally lol!) What's on her mind is that conversation she had with a dog named Max a few months after the storm. She'd always laughed at Max and thought what a dumbass he was because of how he interacted with humans, but she learned how wise that damn dog was. Genevieve's humans had evacuated because of the storm. In her terror, Genevieve had freaked out and ran away when the levees broke. She had managed to climb out of an open window and make it to the roof. After several days she was finally rescued and brought to a shelter in Atlanta and relocated again to one in Houston. While there she met a really cool beagle named Max who told her of his experience with the storm. His family was not as lucky as he was. They were an elderly couple and did not survive. He was able to swim and float along when the water came into the house and swept him away. Luckily, rescuers found him. He ended up having his Katrina-cation in the same shelter in Houston as Genevieve. He was so freaked out he lost his hair in patches, couldn't eat... he was a mess. And one day he thought of the sweet man he used to live with. His wife had died a few years prior and the man went through a horrible depression. One day Max was sitting next to the gentleman while the man was looking in the mirror shaving. He suddenly stopped and said, "Ya know, I survived The Korean War, working off-shore on the oil rigs, lossing my parents and the trauma of raising 4 teen-agers. Max, I gotta get busy livin' or get busy dyin'." And for the first time in months the old man had a spark of hope and inspiration in his eye. Max knew then it was all about perspective. After many months spent at the shelter he had done much self-reflection. He decided to change his thought process about how he viewed himself and life in general. His life was his reality to create as he chose. Shit may be traumatic and beyond his control, but how he dealt with it was his choice. It was time to draw on his courageous inner big-dawg. Shortly thereafter, a nice couple who were also spending their Katrinacation in H-Town came looking specifically for pet who was displaced from the storm. A week later Max was back in New Orleans living in a cute little shot-gun house in Gentilly.

Genevieve decided to accept her lot in life where she was and approach each new day with gratitude and the fine art of allowing The Universe to manifest what she requested. She decided no more insomnia and meowing to the top of her lungs and pacing in her kennel. She may have used up about 6 lives enduring those scortching hot days after the storm, but damnit she had 3 more! She decided to pray and ask Bast to send her the same good fortune Papa Legba had sent Max. She now had a posh home in an art gallerey on Royal St. in the French Quarter.

I was lucky enough to see her in the exact same pose when I walked by again half an hour later as she lay there in a state of utter bliss knowing all was right with the world.

I got Genevieve's message loud and clear.

A great stone to work with for these type issues is clear calcite. Here is the piece I just got last week. Look at gorgeous rainbows in this miniature block of ice! If you'd like to know more about how to work with this stone, check out these resources:

http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/calcite/

*The Gill Tarot by U.S. Games*

 

 

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Prayers For Boston

 

 

After the senseless tragedy, let's now focus on the healing.

Love that dirty water!

 

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Ostara 2013 - Dancing Between the Light and the Dark

Welcome, in particular for those who are following on along on the Ostara Bloghop. If you are moving forward on the hop, you have come from Aisling's blog.

Ostara is a celebration of the Vernal or Spring Equinox, a time where the hours of light and darkness are balanced, and this years theme for the Bloghop is addressing that magickal balance of the two. I decided to keep it pretty simple, an act in and of itself a means of seeking balance within my own self as this is not my usual tendency lol. Ever since I read about the topic, I've seen The Sun card from the Tarot of Vampyers in my head. This card expresses that delicate balance when opposing forces meet. Masculine/feminine. Darkness/light. This gorgeous couple stands before the blazing sun which upon closer inspection seems to have a pale moon at its center. They call to mind Persephone and Hades. The field of roses in bloom denote Persephone's mother Demeter eagerly awaiting the arrival of her daughter from the depths of the Earth. The girl who was once a victim has not only made peace with her circumstances, she has become a woman and defied the odds by using the situation to her advantage. She stands before her king who has escorted her back to the Earth's surface as his equal in a lovers exchange. He has been tempered by her compassion and her courage and allows himself to be vulnerable in his queens embrace. The fact that both their eyes are closed demonstrates the phrase "in perfect love and perfect trust". Him allowing her to touch his face truly shows he has found his sanctuary in her.

Where in each of our lives can we create more balance and harmony? What past indiscretions need to be brought to light so that we may heal? Where can we replace aggression with compassion? But let us not forget the other end of the spectrum. What things do we need to bury in the shadows and stop constantly highlighting so that they might finally heal? Where have we shown too much compassion and not assertively taken a stand? I specifically have chosen The Wheel of Fortune from the deck in answer. It speaks to me of the perfect harmony and flux of life's many cycles. The gradual change of the color of the roses, the blooms and the thorns, the three creatures who are keeping the wheel in motion. All of this shows that life the answers to life's questions are not always black and white, good vs evil, dominance vs submission, right vs wrong. Today I will meditate on these two cards and set my intention for the day to remain in a state of harmony with the shadow and light of my being.

If you are continuing on the hop, your next stop is Jonanne's lovely blog. Thank you so much for stopping by and Blessed Ostara!

 

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