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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Fête Kongo 2013

The Twelfth Night after Chritmas is a very important one for several reasons. It is technically the beginning of Carnival Season. Mardi Gras is a day, Carnival is the season that leads up to it. It is also the Feat of the Epiphany, Adoration of The Magi, or Feast of Three Kings. The Haitian Lwa who represents the three kings is one of the Kongo spirits known as Simbi. (Actually Simbi is particular spirit with many diverse aspects.) He is represented as a water snake. To honor him my dear friend, fellow reader and traditional Haitian vodou priest Toby gave a spirit beautiful party (fête) for him and all of the Kongo spirits, Fete Kongo. It was a wonderful and magickal night! The synchronicites surronding everything leading up to it including the exact moment I arrived were astounding! So many Lwa came and I had unbelievable interaction with the one that I am closest to, LaSirene! I'll be post more on those things later.

 

Tonight I wanted to ask what I needed to take from that night and what did I need to share and teach others about here on the blog. It makes all the sense that I got two court cards and a major.

1. What did I need to take away from Feté Kongo? The Quill Queen (Queen of Swords) - This particular card surprised me in a way to be honest. I was expecting The High Priestess to be perfectly honest because of LaSirene. This is who represents Ezili Danto. I made a post about her before. She is probably the second closest spirit I work with so I guess it isn't that strange. One of the synchronicites I had was seeing both of her sacred animals that night! While driving there I saw a black pig right on the side of the hiway! Crazy man, just crazy. Having spent a lot of time in rural FL, GA, and LA I've not once ever seen a boar of any kind let alone a black one! Then later on a saw a black hen, her other animal! And my bosses precocious and adorable little girl, Lily named her Lucky! What makes this truly amazing is the fact that one of the dearest people in the world to me is named Lucky and he has developed a very strong bond with Mamma Danto. As a matter of fact he just left my house this evening. After living in New Orleans for many years, he is leaving town. I will miss him more than words can say.

(I think this card is to let me know a few other things, not just about the party. To remind me of the synchronicites surrounding her. That the blessing Lucky got from her last week will keep him safe in his travels. That she will always protect me and keep me safe even though he won't be her representative to do so. This gorgeous Queen holds a quill. No matter where he goes, he promised to keep in touch and he will. Mamma will remind him. There are others meanings I will save for another time, but this is a wonderful card to see tonight, Queen of Knives, Queen of Air)

 

2. What do I need to have others take away from reading about the fête?

A. Triskelion X - My annual card for 2013! In the Incidental Tarot this is the Wheel. As I look at the various colors swirling about, I think of how gorgeous a fête is, all of the beautiful colors on the alter and the variation of races celebrating and honoring Spirit. The swirling motion reminds me of the dancing we did all night. This card says we need to embrace and respect our differences, be it religion, race, socio-economics, gender, sexual orientation, whatever. We must move past stagnant mentality if we are to move forward and evolve.

B. The Arrow King - (King of Wands) - This king is here to let those who've never been to a Spirit party know just how much effort and passion goes into putting one together. It is a true labor of love, but so worth it. There are some hot and firey spirits that show up. If you ever have the privilege to attend, treat them with the utmost respect.

 

I am so blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful night!

 

 

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Happy 2013!

Happy New Year to all! One thing I like to do is to figure out my card for the year, or Annual Card. This is that card that governs the energy that will be most prevalent in the upcoming year. Whenever you are faced with Life's tough decisions and are not sure how to go about things or approach a particular situation, foucus on the energy of this card. At different times you may even want to study a different version of the same card but from a different deck to gain another perspective.

This is the method I use and have had good results using to figure out one's Annual Card. We work with the major arcana and add the individual numbers of your birth month, the date, and the current year. For ex:

If your birthday is November 7 and the current year is 2026

1+1= 2

2+7=9

 

9+2+0+2+6=19

1+9=10 So your card would be The Wheel of Fortune. Now if the number can be further broken down, you can get also go deeper. Since this is a 10, that can be further broke down to a 1, thus The Magician. Or the other major arcana card that equals 1 the Sun, because it is 19 in the majors. Add 1+9=10.

*I have to tell you, I just pulled these numbers out of the sky to use as an example. As synchronicity would have it, this just so happens to be my Birth Card! To make things even crazier, I was fortunate enough to have happened to have just logged into FB and saw where Holly, creatrix (you know how I just love that word and find any excuse to use it and it seems so does she!) of the Incidental Tarot was pulling 1 card at random to represent the energy of 2013 for 20 lucky folks. Can I tell ya, this was the card she drew at random for me for 2013!*

(To figure your Birth Card as opposed to your Annual Card, use the year of your birth in stead of of the current year)

 

In the Incidental Tarot, the Wheel of Fortune X becomes X Triskelion, the symbol of synergy. It is a union of 3, hence the prefix "tri". It is a most auspicious sign saying that even though it may not look like it, everything will come together. It represent the impossilbe balance. Despite whaterever may happen along the way, the balance occurs. Despite impossible odds, things work out in the end. It's about order created from chaos. Which means one may need to step back in order to be able to see the big picture. Don't get caught up in the minutia aka bullshit.

So if this where your card for the year, it be telling to take this year to focus on the bigger picture. Don't be afraid to plan ahead, but make sure all your bases are covered. This is also the time to be magnanimous. You may find you have to be the bigger person in your interactions with others. But The Wheel is rolling in your favor, so relax, buckle up, it may be bumpy, but the ride will be well worth the price of admission! The Universe is truly working in your favor!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brdqJ29PQac

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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