Crow Tarot

The Crow Tarot deck was originally self-published in 2018. It was subsequently released in a mass-market version by U.S. Games in 2019. Although I purchased the U.S. games version a while ago, I didn’t start to work with it until this week. The deck features digital collage artwork by Seattle-based artist MJ Cullinane.

Crows and ravens are the characters in each of the cards. In the 86-page booklet that comes with the cards, Cullinane wrote that, as an artist, she finds herself mesmerized by crow’s feathers. She writes, “When the sunlight washes over their bodies, they appear vibrant and iridescent, as shades of purple, deep indigo and soft caramel play in the light. Then, poof - in an instant the bird will turn pitch black as if creating a hole in space before my eyes.”

Her goal was to create a deck that honored crows and ravens, and to do so in the style of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck imagery. This was because she wanted both beginning and experienced Tarot readers to be able to use the deck easily, rather than have them have to learn an entire new system of symbolism.

My daily reading for November 25th.

In the booklet, Cullinane mentions that crows hold grudges, never forget a face and warn their young about potential danger by passing down knowledge through “stories”. I became aware of this many years ago after watching a documentary film by Nature called “A Murder of Crows”, which I recommend. The clips from the documentary about facial recognition and passing down information to their young are a little strange out of context since it involves researchers putting on masks, climbing up trees to scoop out the young birds, banding them and then going back years later to see if the younger birds react to the masks. Instead, I’ll include the entire video here in case you’re interested. (Edited to add: video no longer available.) The documentary illustrates the crows’ high intelligence; one segment shows Caledonian crows using tools, something that the researcher says only three species (aside from humans) are known to do: chimpanzees, elephants and Caledonian crows.

My daily reading for November 23rd.

MJ Cullinane won two International Tarot Foundation’s 2019 CARTA awards for Best Tarot (Crow Tarot) and Best Tarot illustrator (MJ Cullinane for Crow Tarot).

My daily reading for November 22nd.

This is not a sponsored post; I just like the deck. You can purchase it on Amazon or via the creator’s website.

https://www.mjcullinane.com/crow-tarot

Be the Solution: Treat others the way you would like to be treated

I’m still thinking about an interesting experience I had a few hours ago. I went to a local garden center this afternoon to get some fall plants and bird seed. When I got to the register, the cashier asked me for my club card. I emptied my wallet twice and went through every card while trying to find it, but didn’t have any luck. Since I was unable to find it, the cashier looked up my card number and I completed my purchase. As I was pushing my cart to my car, I heard someone yelling, “Ma’am? Ma’am?” I turned around and saw the cashier running up to me asking, “Is this yours? Did you drop it?” It was a wad of money, folded in a particular way. I thought, “Oh my gosh, seriously? Did I really drop a wad of cash on the ground?” So I said, “Let me check. If my wallet is empty, that’s definitely mine.” I reached for my purse, opened my wallet and saw money in there. Seeing that money in my wallet caused me to have a moment of doubt, so I asked her to show me the money she found. She did so somewhat reluctantly it seemed (she hesitated and I got a feeling like she thought I might change my answer based on the amount of money she showed me). She took the money out and I saw a $20 bill on top. She unfolded it and showed me all the bills quickly: at least one $20 bill, at least one $10 bill and several $1 bills. I was almost certain it was mine, but I couldn’t figure out where it came from (my wallet, my purse, my pants pocket) so I said, “I can’t be totally certain that it is mine.” She looked at me and said, “Well, thank you for being honest.” She walked back to the store.

I drove away and, by the time I got home, I knew with certainty that the money was mine. The garden center wasn’t crowded at all, so few people wad up money like that, and people generally aren’t that careless with it. I also remembered what I purchased recently that gave me so many single bills back. So I unloaded the plants I bought and filled the bird feeder, wondering whether I should go back to try to claim it. I didn’t want to go back to the garden center because I had so many other errands to run, and it was hot and I was over-heated anyway. But I was also having a lot of internal dialogue about how careless it was for me to drop money and then not recognize it when it was presented to me. I thought that, at a minimum it was about $35 I dropped, but I wasn’t sure how many twenty dollar bills she showed me, so it could be more like $75. Not going back for that would be irresponsible.

I appreciated the cashier’s good deed and made myself feel better about retrieving it by deciding that I would reward her when she gave it back to me. On the way back to the garden center, I wondered if I should keep the $20 bill or bills (I couldn’t remember if there was one or more) and give her the rest, or if I should keep the small bills (which I always seem to need but never seem to have) and give her at least $20. I decided that giving her more than $20 would be a little bit over-the-top, but I didn’t think that giving her $20 would be too much.

When I went back to the garden center, I didn’t see the cashier anywhere. I stood around for a while, then walked around and eventually found her stocking indoor plants. She looked up and immediately recognized me. She had a weird, surprised look on her face. I told her that I was certain that the money was mine. She said, “Oh, OK.” She walked very slowly to a back room with a weird energy of resistance. Questions were coming up in my mind like, “Why is she being weird? Why is she walking so slow? Why is she walking to a back room? Shouldn’t they be actively looking for the owner of the money? Shouldn’t the cash be up at the front so they can give it back to the owner when she comes in saying she dropped it there?” She went into an office and I stood outside the door. I didn’t look in because, by that time, I was starting to wonder if the money was in her purse. I heard her unlock a drawer. It took a very long time. She finally came out and I told her that I recognized the “signature pattern” of the money, the way it was folded, as mine. And, since she found it right where I was standing and emptying my wallet, purse and pockets when looking for my club card, I was sure it was mine. I asked her to show it to me again. She held the money out and showed it to me: one $10 and six $1 bills. This time there were NO TWENTYS. My heart sank. I said, “Yes, it’s mine. Thank you.” She handed it to me. She had a weird look on her face. I looked at her and handed the money back to her. She looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. I said, “I’m giving it to you as a reward for your good deed.” Her eyes got wide and her face told me everything I needed to know. I left.

Some of the flowers she sold me.

To the cashier who found my money: If you happen to be reading this, thank you for finding, and attempting to return my money in full the first time. I was honest with you when I said that I wasn’t sure the money was mine, and I was honest with you when I said I was certain it was mine.

I’m not the ethics police, but the amount of money that you returned to me was not the same amount that you found. I have no way of knowing if you told anyone else (except me) that you found money. I don’t know if you thought the money’s owner would never come back to claim it. I am not sure if you intended to keep the money, or if you thought I missed seeing that $20 bill on the outside of the stack. The $20 bill on the outside of that money wad matches the way I, well, wad up/fold my money, so that’s how I knew it was mine.

I did notice that money was missing when you gave it back to me, but I didn’t say anything. I was disappointed but I didn’t feel the need to confront you about it. I did feel the weirdness in the air when you gave me an amount less than I lost, and I did see the puzzled look on your face when I gave you a reward anyway.

I try to follow the Golden Rule. I try to treat others the way I would like to be treated. You took money from me, and that is unfortunate. But you originally tried to give it back to me. That was an act of kindness. I gave you all the money you returned to me to show you my gratitude for your good deed.

Be the Solution: Affirmations for Self-Love and Self-Respect

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. - H.H. The Dalai Lama

In my last post, I talked about the global chaotic times in which we're living.  And the chaos is happening on both the macro and micro levels.  On the smaller scale, there is a feeling of chaos and disconnection in our relationships with other human beings.  I don't think there's any question that many of us face some sort of feeling of separation or difference between ourselves and others very frequently. We encounter and experience any number of interpersonal problems often, if not on a daily basis: rudeness, fighting, power imbalances, belittling, poor communication, domestic violence, insults, neglect, bullying, discrimination, hatred, road rage, internet trolls, untruths and/or political differences.  These issues and others contribute to the emotional and psychological climate of stress and anxiety I mentioned in my previous post.  I believe that these problems and attitudes also contribute to our individual and collective negative perceptions and feelings of separation, fear, mistrust and even hatred of our fellow human beings.  

So, in our own little worlds, and in this stressful climate, it can be easy to be petty rather than kind to another person.  It can be tempting to want to lash out at someone (or even do it) rather than take a deep breath and find your patience.  It can be easy to judge a stranger and focus on how they are different from you, rather than look for the ways you are the same.

These thoughts and actions -- petty or kind, harsh or patient, judgemental or empathetic -- are contributions that we make to the world every day.  If you choose to act or think one way, you contribute to the anger, fear and division among all of us.  If you choose to act or think the other way, you contribute to the connection, compassion and understanding among all of us.  Generally, the first is the path of separation; the second is the path of wholeness.  I believe that the former is a problem (or at least one of them) and the latter is a solution.

I'm sure you're familiar with the saying, "You can be part of the problem, or part of the solution."  If you are reading this blog, I imagine that you would rather choose to be part of the solution.  So this is the first in a series of posts on being the solution to this rampant disconnection from, and lack of compassion for, our fellow human beings. 

We all know that mean people suck, but sometimes it can be difficult to avoid being one of them.  Being mean, rude and impatient can be the easy choice, especially in this stressful climate, and being kind  when you feel like others aren't doing the same can be very difficult.  We can still be part of the solution by becoming more aware and making an effort to contribute to a more peaceful world.

So I'm starting this series off with the topics of self-love and self-respect. These inward-focused practices set the foundation for love, kindness, sympathy and compassion for others.  But in order to have any successful relationship with another person, you have to love and respect yourself first. 

David Richo wrote some thoughts on self-respect and lovingkindness in his collection Human Becoming, and I will share some of them below.  In an excerpt from that collection, titled "Building Self-Respect and Lovingkindness", Richo writes, "The practice of loving-kindness recommends sending/giving/wishing love, compassion, joy and equanimity to ourselves and others.  We beam each of the four in turn, first to ourselves, then to those we love, those toward whom we are indifferent, those with whom we have difficulties or who are enemies, and finally toward all people everywhere."

To be clear, the goal here isn't to strive to love everyone;  the goal is to be part of the solution by taking steps that lead toward having compassion for ourselves and others.

And so we start with ourselves.  You can use Dr. Richo's thoughts on self-love below as meditations or affirmations.  You can ponder one thought each day, each week or even longer, until you feel like you embody the virtue.  You can read them or say them aloud each day as aspirations or affirmations.  You can use them as a checklist to chart your progress on your path to self-love.  

Thoughts/Meditations on building self-love and self-respect:

- More and more, I say "yes" to the givens of human life: Everything will change and end; things will not always go according to my plans; life will not always be fair or pain-free; and people will not always be loving, honest, generous or loyal.

- The events in life and the actions of others impacts me, but they no longer have to impinge upon me.  I can find ways to remain secure within myself and, at the same time, connected to others. 

- I am not perfect, but I am sincerely committed to working on myself.  I am noticing that the more I engage in my personal work, the more I find myself caring about the world and the part I am privileged to play in its co-creation.

- No matter what happens to me, I am looking for ways to remain personally grounded, i.e. no longer swayed by fear or desire.

- I want to have an unwavering sense of myself as a person of conviction while still remaining flexible.  I am more able each day to drop outmoded beliefs and to become more open and inclusive, the most appropriate stance in this wonderfully various world.

- I try my best to keep my word, to honor my commitments, and to follow through on the tasks I agree to do.  Accepting my limits and skills is helping me set sane boundaries on how much I offer to do for others, rather than simply be accommodating in order to please or appease others.

- I am letting go of the need to keep up appearances or to project an impressive self-image.  I notice that I am more willing to appear as I am, without pretense and no matter how unflattering.  As I settle into the reality of who I am, with pride in my gifts and unabashed awareness of my limits, I notice myself becoming happier.

- I am willing to work indefatigably to fulfill my life purpose but not to stress my health to acquire standing, status, fame or fortune, which are the central and often the only values in the ego's always uneasy world. My focus in life is simply on becoming a good person.

Be mindful that we aren't striving for perfection here by any means.  You can jump in from whereever you are on your path.  If, for example, you are in the habit of entertaining negative thoughts about yourself, just focus on listening to your inner dialogue and becoming more aware of those negative thoughts. If you are already aware of negative thoughts, make reasonable efforts to change them.  If you are further along the path, practice the affirmations above until you begin to embody them.

Current Events

There is SO MUCH going on right now.

I've been engaging in discussions with others about many of these things (described below)  in different contexts.  I thought I would summarize some of the information here just to put it out there.  

In general, the speed of life is moving faster.  All events are speeding up, and everything is moving at an accelerated pace.  Time seems to be moving faster.  Events seem to be happening at a much quicker pace, one after the other.  Communication seems to be happening in an instant.  And we are having to adapt quickly the pressure for us to reply, respond, produce and create is high because everyone wants it now (whatever "it" is).  As one of my teachers put it back in 2012 "time seems to be going away".  I'm not sure that I would take it that far, but I recognized the feeling of that way back when he said it. 

This experience of time speeding up is all part of the Shift, or, in other words, the big planetary awakening that we were expecting in 2012.  At the time, many of us in the spiritual community knew that the Shift was coming.  We waited for it for years, it came, and many (or most) of us felt like it was a big of a sad trombone moment.  We wondered if anything actually happened because it certainly didn't feel like anything did at the time.  

And now here we are in 2018 definitely feeling the effects of the Shift that is happening.  The planet is undergoing an energetic and spiritual transformation and humanity is going with it (kicking and screaming, or so it seems).  And so, along with the feeling that time is speeding up, there is a lot of intensity and stress that is resulting in anxiety and fear on the planet.  The fear and anxiety is both general and specific: it applies to the individual and humanity at large. (I think the maxim "As within, so without" is appropriate here.)  So if you are feeling fearful, overwhelmed or anxious, be assured that it isn't just you.  And if you don't feel fearful, you may feel nervous because of everyone else's fearful or anxious energy all around you.

With this context in mind, we have other astrological events happening right now.  Specifically, we have a New Moon tomorrow (July 12th) that is a Supermoon.  In addition, this will be a Solar Eclipse.  And, astrologically, there is a Pluto (planet of transformation) retrograde opposition that is creating this...well, cosmic shitstorm. (To read more about Pluto retrograde, click here.)  All of this is highlighting the chaos and quickening the transformation by bringing in major changes, endings or even potentially a crisis that will bring a lesson along with it.  Situations, jobs or relationships will end so that new ones can begin.  It will all be fine in the end, so we just need to get through this. 

I don't believe there will be much relief from the fast pace and "lesson learning" in July.  The effects from the Supermoon and Pluto opposition will continue through July and the next few months, at least.  

With all this chaos, now is a good time to sit down and carve out some time and space for yourself.  It is a good time to focus on self-care and really think about what you want.  With some doors closing and others opening, it is a good time to think about how you are using your energy and how you want to move forward.  It is a good time to take a life inventory and decide if that project or job or relationship is really what you want.  Maybe it was what you wanted before, but is it something you still want, or is it time to let go?  What is it time to let go of if you really look deep inside?  That job?  That car?  An unwanted thought?  An unhealthy relationship? A limiting belief?  A bad habit? And with the New Moon here, it is a good time to reflect on what it is that you want to create or bring into your life instead.

The answers will come from inside of you.

Seasonal produce

Many years ago, I took a holistic nutrition course that taught me a lot about, well, holistic nutrition. The textbook, Dr. Elson Haas' Staying Healthy With Nutrition, was very informative (at over 1000 pages) and I read almost all of it.  

Although I knew quite a bit about vitamins, minerals and enzymes before taking the course (I was totally fascinated with Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible when I was a teenager),  Dr. Haas' book provided much more detailed information about supplements, and new information (to me at least) about everything from different types of water to horrifying details about common food additives (such as coloring agent Red #3).

One of the concepts I learned about in the course is the idea of eating in-season foods.  That means eating produce that is available and grown locally, preferably organically (but not necessarily).  Prior to the holistic nutrition course, I never really thought about anything like that.  But since you can't un-know what you know, I often wonder why it never occurred to me that those of us in Southern California (especially those of us surrounded by citrus trees and places named "Valencia" and "Orange County") are offered oranges from New Zealand when we go to the grocery store.  Or farmed shrimp from Thailand, for example, when we're right here by the Pacific ocean.  

There are many articles and other sources that will explain why eating seasonal foods is a great choice for your health (the food is cleaner, fresher and more nutritious), your pocketbook (those strawberries are more abundant and therefore less expensive when locally grown and in season), your local economy (you're supporting local farmers) and the environment (organic food and food that doesn't have to be shipped and stored has less chemicals than those oranges sent over here from New Zealand). 

Obviously organic produce will be more expensive than the conventionally-grown stuff.  If cost is a major factor for you when choosing the type of produce you buy, you can still choose in-season and/or local produce as a more healthful option if you can't afford to buy organic.  Another possibility to consider is avoiding conventionally-grown produce on EWG's (Environmental Working Group's) "Dirty Dozen" list.  Every year, EWG posts a list of the twelve produce items that are the most laden with pesticides.  Strawberries made the top of the list for 2018 (therefore, choose to buy organic strawberries if you can afford them).

See the Dirty Dozen list for 2018 here.

The other list is called the "Clean Fifteen", also created by EWG.  Each year, this list shows the fifteen produce items least likely to be contaminated by pesticides.

See the Clean Fifteen list for 2018 here.

Finding local, in-season produce can be easy to find in some places and more difficult to obtain in others.  Hopefully, you can find an attractive selection of seasonal produce at your farmers' market or natural foods store.  Another option is to sign up for a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly box from a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture). The Local Harvest website can help you find a CSA near you.

The photo below is from one of my boxes from Hello Harvest.  You can find their website here.

One of my boxes from Hello Harvest, a local CSA.

If a local farmers' market or CSA isn't an option for you, you can still begin to incorporate these healthful foods by choosing wisely at the grocery store, as described above. 

The Produce Geek website will tell you what's in season for both organic and conventionally-grown produce.  

The link below has a seasonal food guide that will help you determine the produce that is in season in your local area right now.  (The link will likely default to California, so just use the pull-down menu to choose your state if you don't live here.)

Seasonal Food Guide

Ace of Wands + Ace of Wands + Ace of Wands, etc.

The Ace of Wands has appeared in my daily readings frequently over the past week (and a day).  It has turned up four times in the past eight days.

Ace of Wands and Queen of Cups from the Touchstone Tarot

With the Queen of Cups, from Sunday, April 15.

Ace of Wands and Seven of Coins from Touchstone Tarot

With the Seven of Coins, from Monday, April 16.

Two of Cups and Ace of Wands from Touchstone Tarot

With the Two of Cups, from Friday, April 20.

The World and Ace of Wands from Touchstone Tarot

With the World, from today, April 22.

Some card readers refer to this type of situation as a card "stalking" you.  I'm not a fan of that phrasing/language, so I just think of it as a recurring card.  No matter what you call them, cards that show up time and time again are trying to convey a message.  

So what is the message of the Ace of Wands?  For me, I have been reflecting on the possible meanings of this card and how it applies to my day each time it has appeared.  Drawing it two days in a row got my attention, and I recognized it as a recurring card the third time I drew it. When it appeared again this morning, I was able to see the pattern and tie it all together: I think this recurring card is telling me that I may be spreading myself too thin (with projects, work and other responsibilities).  It is letting me know that I need to slow down.  It is letting me know that I need to be careful so I don't get burned out. 

In general, though, I don't believe there is only one answer to what the Ace of Wands means; interpretations can vary depending on many factors, including the client's situation, the question asked, surrounding cards in the spread, the position the card falls within a spread, whether the card is upright or reversed, and the deck used for the reading.  

For purposes of illustrating that last point, the deck used for the reading, I thought I would show a few variations of the Ace of Wands as depicted in a few different Tarot decks.  This type of comparison can help show similarities and differences to help determine this (or any other) card's meaning.

Ace of Wands from five decks

From the first three cards this photo you can see that the Ace of Wands is often shown as a single wand.  In the middle card the suit is called Staves (and in other decks it is the known as the suit of Rods, Clubs, Staves or Batons).  And in the last two images we see human figures or illustrations in the cards.  Although these cards have many differences, one thing they have in common is that in each of these cards the suit of Wands (or Staves) corresponds to the element of Fire.  Or, to put it more correctly, the Fire element in each of these decks is represented by Wands (or Staves).  (Note: in some decks, Wands represent the element of Air.)

Fire is a very yang, or active, energy.  It gives off light and heat (positive qualities) but can also be destructive by consuming everything in its path (negative qualities).  Similarly, Wands represent the positive qualities of primal energy, will, confidence, courage and optimism.  The negative, or shadow side, of Wands can show up as aggression, lack of direction, inability or unwillingness to commit, impatience, recklessness or burnout from taking on too much.

These are all generalizations, of course, so I will show each of the Aces above with some of their key words.

Ace of Wands from the Original (aka "Blue Box) (Rider) Waite-Smith Tarot

Unfortunately, the descriptions from the LWB (little white book) that came with this deck are not particularly helpful.  In some ways they are confusing because they don't seem to "stay in their lane" as far as the elemental correspondences are concerned.  For purposes of this post, I won't list the meanings that might lead to confusion. 

The description of this card as set forth in the LWB is: "a hand issuing from a cloud grasps a stout Wand or Club."  Key words for the upright meaning include: creation, invention, the powers which result in these.  Also: beginning, source, the beginning of enterprises.  Key words for the reversed meanings include: fall, decadence and ruin. 

Ace of Wands from the Ancient Tarot of Lombardy

Amusingly, the LWB from the Ancient Tarot of Lombardy claims that "Divining with tarots is very easy."  That's awesome!  Nevertheless, I will continue my discussion.

The Ancient Tarot of Lombardy LWB interprets Wands as "the Fire suit: physical, corporeal, creative activity".  It lists key words for the Ace of Wands as: invention, discovery, masculine strength, initiative and fertility.  "Fertility" as a key word for Wands can be a bit confusing because that can be a key word associated with the suit of Pentacles (or the Empress).  In this case, fertility can be thought of as the energy, passion or enthusiasm (Wands qualities) that you have before starting a project, as opposed to having the resources (like money, Pentacles) that you may need to see it through to fruition.

The LWB for the Ancient Tarot of Lombardy does not provide separate meaning for reversed cards.

Ace of Staves from the Modern-Medieval Tarot

The description for the Ace of Staves in the LWB for the Modern-Medieval Tarot says, "An Ethereal arm holds a mace against a background of fire."  Obviously this is very similar to the description for the Ace of Wands in the Waite-Smith Tarot.

The meaning set forth in the LWB for the Ace of Staves is: "Creativity. You begin a new project."  This doesn't seem to add much to the discussion, but it does reinforce the theme/idea of beginning a new project.

There are no meanings for reversed cards in the LWB for this deck.

Ace of Wands from the Transformational Tarot

The LWB for the Transformational Tarot says: "Wands/Rods (clubs) = fire, creative, active yang energy."  By now, I'm sure you're getting the picture.  But what's up with those people in the card?

According the the LWB, the Ace of Wands represents, "Pure creativity.  The Ace of Wands depicts two fiery redheads, each carrying a torch - an element of the wand suit.  They seem almost fused as one, and can represent willpower and the creative spirit moving together towards a desired goal.  An altar, signifying ritual and inspiration, illuminates the darkness."

Key words and phrases for the upright meaning include: "A creative beginning.  Inventiveness.  Empowerment.  It may suggest a career change or an important new direction."

Reversed meanings in the LWB include: "...could indicate a false start, setbacks, destructive energy, feeling uninspired."

Ace of Wands from the Paulina Tarot

Finally, we have the Ace of Wands from the Paulina Tarot (by Paulina Cassidy).  This deck also has a very different feel from the Waite-Smith deck.

The LWB description reads, "The perceptive owl guides the child in developing intuition.  His green feathers symbolize the "go-ahead" to pursue new ideas.  The child gazes up at the stream of stars, determined to begin life's adventures."

So, here again, we have the idea of spirit, energy and beginnings.  

Upright meanings from the Paulina Tarot's LWB include: "Creative beginnings, a new way of life, ambition, enthusiasm."

Reversed meanings include: "Setbacks, lack of determination and failed communications."  

I hope this post has helped you understand potential meanings for the Ace of Wands, how cards and their meanings can be similar and dissimilar in different decks, and how to begin to elicit a message from a card when you encounter a "recurring card" situation.

The Five Things We Cannot Change

One of my favorite spiritual authors is Dr. David Richo, a psychotherapist who works in Santa Barbara, California.  His website says, "He combines Jungian, poetic and mythic perspectives in his work with the intention of integrating the psychological and the spiritual.  His books and workshops include attention to Buddhist and Christian spiritual practices."  

Earlier this year I finished Dr. Richo's book, The Five Things We Cannot Change...and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them.  The five things we cannot change, Richo explains, are the unavoidable "givens" of life, facts of life over which we are powerless.  Resistance to these immutable facts are often at the root of deep-seated internal struggles, such as feelings of disappointment, unhappiness, frustration and lack of fulfillment.   

In the introduction to his book, Dr. Richo reminds us of the serenity prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

The five things we cannot change are:

1. Everything changes and ends.

2. Things do not always go according to plan.

3. Life is not always fair.

4. Pain is a part of life.

5. People are not loving and loyal all the time.

Dr. Richo states that the five givens are unavoidable challenges that we all face, but we continue to struggle with accepting them as...well, unavoidable challenges that we all face.  He goes on to explain how to accept the five givens by accepting the reality of them and eventually saying "yes" to them with practices such as mindfulness, lovingkindness, acceptance and surrender.

I highly recommend the book.  Although it is only a little over 150 pages, it isn't something you will likely tackle in a day or even a week.  You will probably want to take it slowly (like I did) so you can think about, practice and integrate the ideas presented by the author.

Excerpts from The Five Things We Cannot Change...and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them by David Richo

www.davericho.com

Donna Eden's Daily Energy Routine

I often recommend Donna Eden's Daily Energy routine to my clients.  It is a quick self-care routine that only takes about five minutes.   The routine supports your health, brings your energies into balance, assists with strengthening your immune system, and helps build resistance to stress and illness.  These simple exercises will help you: focus if you have difficulty concentrating, increase your vitality, release mental congestion and clear toxins from your body.

I do (a customized version of) the routine once every morning.  You can experiment with doing it twice daily if you are working through something, but please be aware that running through the routine at night may keep you awake for a while.  For that reason, do it once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If possible, do it at the same time every day, especially at the time when your energy slumps in the afternoon. This will help to (re-)train your energy system so that it doesn't slump.

The benefits/effects of performing this routine are cumulative, so doing the exercises daily for 28 days is recommended to help you establish positive energy habits.  For this reason, I am adding a link to Day 1 of "Donna Eden's 28-Day Daily Energy Routine Challenge".  Donna Eden demonstrates the routine on the first day, and then the routine is performed by others (teachers, students, her daughters, etc.) on subsequent days.  (Note: I apologize that Donna is hard to hear in the video, but the audio quality improves somewhat in the other videos.)

Donna's Daily Energy Routine is flexible and has evolved over the years, so there are many different versions of it.  The 2008 version of "Energy Medicine" shows the "Three Thumps", which is now the "Four Thumps", for example.  So feel free to take what works for you, add anything that helps you and discard the rest.

Activations of Awakening

Jo Dunning is offering her "Activations of Awakening" workshop again soon.  The "Activations of Awakening" workshop facilitates personal growth, rapid transformation and evolution of consciousness.  It includes the Endocrine System Activation, the Pineal Gland Activation and DNA Structuring, all in one workshop.  

The next "Activations of Awakening" workshop will take place Saturday, January 20th at 2pm PST via webcast.  Jo offers the workshop at no cost.  You must register for the workshop in order to receive the energy.

You can read more about the "Activations of Awakening" workshop and register at Jo Dunning's website:

https://www.jodunningevents.com

About this blog

I intend to use this blog to write about topics such as energy work and other services I provide, but I also want to use it to write about anything that interests me.  Tarot is a topic that I love.  Tarot decks, Tarot reading and Tarot interpretation all interest me.  There may be times when I will post a photo from my daily reading and discuss my interpretation of it, but there may be other times when I will simply post the photo and not provide a written description.  For example, I took this photo from my reading with the Isidore Tarot this morning:

Images from a reading with the Isidore Tarot

I am sharing the photo, but do not necessarily want to provide an interpretation (there's nothing interesting enough to share, honestly).  Instead, I just want to share the image with anyone with an interest in Tarot, symbolism, cartomancy, art, animals, the Victorian era  and/or anthropomorphic characters.

Other topics I may write about include spirituality, new age concepts, holistic health and healing, bodywork, and psychology.  I'm also interested in the Western Esoteric Tradition, consciousness, personal growth, self-help topics, magick, NLP, crystals and animal health and healing.  It's all sort of a big eclectic mix, but I suspect that it will all come together and make more sense after I've posted for a while.

The purpose of this blog is to share information, ideas, resources with you.  I hope one of my posts will resonate with you at just the right time. I'm hoping this blog or one of my posts will lead you to solutions, help you feel validated, and/or inspire you somehow. It isn't intended to be a one-way monologue at all; my intention is that it will be interesting and useful to you.  So if you have questions or comments about something I've posted here, feel free to reach out to me.  I'd love to hear from you.