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Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Peter Kater's music & me
Friday, June 3, 2016
Gaining Control by losing control. How does this make sense?
It takes a lot of courage to trust that things will work out without knowing the answers to all our questions. It also takes a lot of courage to be open to possible developments that we had not anticipated. Actually, doing some research now is revealing some patterns that I had only been vaguely aware of before. At this moment I am keeping those discoveries to myself until I see how they all add up and how they may influence future choices. Suffice it to say that I am making discoveries because these factors are causing me to research and reconsider what I know and what I prefer.
Face it, it can be unnerving when we have a plan and it unfolds in a different manner than we expected because it took a different turn.
We all like it when things go according to our plans. But sometimes, it just happens that someone else makes a decision or takes an action that sets in motion a chain of events and next thing you know, your schedule has changed and your plans have changed.
Be patient. The changes work out just fine. Just like that old saying about when one door closes and another opens.
Sometimes we gain control when we lose control. Here is a simple example of a fun way to experience this. I used to lead drumming circles and still use the drums with people who want a different kind of meditation experience. By just listening and following what we hear, we feel the music and our minds are just following that track. Malidoma Some, an African drummer and shaman whom I had the pleasure of encountering says that "a person who has trouble with drumming has trouble with listening."
Consider that for a moment. When we become more aware and pay attention to the signs we pick up from all around us, we find new paths. We learn melodies that we did not know. Fresh thoughts come to us. And we learn to work with others more beautifully, more harmoniously. We play together, listening to each other, we find a groove and that frees our mind to travel. And we would never have discovered those paths had we not opened our ears to listen.
So you are not drumming, you say? All drumming comes back to the first drum, our heartbeat, our breath. As we are more observant and aware of our surroundings, we perceive in ways that were once not visible to us. Hidden in plain sight is also revealed by listening to things that we have not been tuning into before.
It's also interesting how sometimes pieces of information come to us that help us make decisions that we were not even searching for. Guess all you can say is that the guiding influences in our life must have intended for us to have those, whether we call those guiding influences God, Goddess, spirit guides, ancestors, angels or something else. So here we are. Once again making a decision that veers off our original course. Is that bad? No. Making changes often leads to finding a better way to do things.
If we allow things to come to us, they will. Sometimes not being certain will get us where we want to be, except that the process of discovery reveals that we are in a place that we did not know we wanted to be but it is working out well although it was unexpected.
And we can gain control by losing control.
* A note about the photos. The image on top is the 4 of Wands from Ciro Marchetti's Tarot of Dreams which is one of the decks I read with all the time. The bottom photo is Layne Redmond, one of my teachers in the world of drumming.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Mentoring Your Manifestations
I have been thinking about how we can continue our relationship in the most flexible and useful way.
What I mean is this. One of the main types of service I offer at metaphysical fairs is tarot card readings.
However, for steady growth and development, you probably could use other of my services, beyond tarot readings.
As a mentor, there could be a number of things I can help you with. For example, perhaps you would like to spend some time looking into your past lives to see what you can learn in this way.
Then again, maybe you would like to spend time doing some energy work, learning about your chakras, learning ways to clear, strengthen and heal your energy fields.
Another beneficial thing would be to spend some time doing meditation with light percussion or visualization.
Maybe you would like to do some dream work.
Mentoring can also include sessions where you simply want to explore possible paths and life choices that are presenting themselves. A combination of discussion, accessing my clairvoyant abilities and insights based on experience. During major life changes in career, relationships, spiritual development and more, this flexible mentoring approach can be most helpful.
I am offering a special bundles of sessions at a significant discount as a way of expressing my gratitude to you and to be able to offer you a variety of ways to help.
There is a maximum amount of freedom here. You are buying some of my time and energy, but how you use it is totally flexible.
Package of 3 half hour sessions for $129 (my normal rate for these would be $150)
Package of 3 one hour sessions for only $199 (my normal rate for these would be $300)
Package of 3 90 minute sessions for $299 (my normal rate for these would be $450)
A series of 24 one hour sessions, consisting of
2 hour life assessment session to clarify your life purpose
2 sessions on your vision for your directions, your goals
2 sessions to explore pathways to achieve your dreams
2 sessions focusing on your spiritual gifts
5 sessions on personal energy development
5 sessions of developing intuitive skills
4 sessions on self healing practices specific to you
This is a total of 21 sessions, and 2+1 = 3, the number of manifestation, the power of change in your life. The initial session would be 2 hours, and all the other sessions 1.5 hours each, or 32 hours of my time, for a total of $1899. This same amount of time, purchased one session at a time, would normally be priced at $3200.
If you would prefer to make all of your sessions one hour each (after the initial 2 hour session) for a total of 22 hours, the tuition would be $1299, compared to the normal price of $2200.
Because of the huge discount I am offering to mentoring clients, I am requesting payment for these bundles of sessions in advance.
Are you ready to manifest your dreams?
If you have any questions, please ask.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
The Quiet in the MIddle of the Noise
During the holidays what I enjoy most is to sleep late, go dancing or work out in the evenings, and in between, just read, watch movies, listen to music and be able to enjoy a cup of tea without worrying about having to finish it and rush off.
A perfect time for cleaning out closets and doing a deep cleaning. Maybe try cooking something differently today.
Little things prompt reflection for me, like the fact that the busy street now only has a car on it every once in a while. It is so quiet, compared to normal.
I like the way lights twinkle from quite a distance over the snow and fog against the mountains. The lights give it the sense of the skyline being personally painted for you as shimmering lights continue to define the profile of the buildings and mountains.
Where the quiet settles in, you can see the audience sitting down waiting for the next story. These are the invisible audience that is always waiting to see what you do next. They are just as ready to applaud for us as someone else.
Capture the essence of the lights, capture the inspiration and hope they transmit. A quiet moment provides time for a new idea to germinate, then for dreams to come into sharper focus.
Every touch now is a memory. Every touch now is a light. It is the light in the middle of winter, soft, distant, creative and sweet. Like the embers that glow and have enough power to get the fire roaring. The quiet in the middle.
A perfect time for cleaning out closets and doing a deep cleaning. Maybe try cooking something differently today.
Little things prompt reflection for me, like the fact that the busy street now only has a car on it every once in a while. It is so quiet, compared to normal.
I like the way lights twinkle from quite a distance over the snow and fog against the mountains. The lights give it the sense of the skyline being personally painted for you as shimmering lights continue to define the profile of the buildings and mountains.
Where the quiet settles in, you can see the audience sitting down waiting for the next story. These are the invisible audience that is always waiting to see what you do next. They are just as ready to applaud for us as someone else.
Capture the essence of the lights, capture the inspiration and hope they transmit. A quiet moment provides time for a new idea to germinate, then for dreams to come into sharper focus.
Every touch now is a memory. Every touch now is a light. It is the light in the middle of winter, soft, distant, creative and sweet. Like the embers that glow and have enough power to get the fire roaring. The quiet in the middle.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Dance is the Desire, Expressed
Dancing, any kind of dancing, works to still the mind while you move the body. Once you get up and dance and start to work up a sweat, all the things that were stressful about work, school, or anything else, just seem to fade away.
In this way, it has a cathartic effect. Cleansing, deep down to the bones. By the time I come home from dancing and take a shower or a bath, I feel so clean, so peaceful, so happy, that a state of relaxation sets in, now that the body has stopped moving and the muscles are feeling that good kind of exhaustion from being taken to the limits, and sleep comes easily.
Dancing can be a moving meditation. Why do you think that since ancient times, rituals and ceremonies included dancing? It can alter your state of mind and make an event special.
The body takes on a mind of its own, as it becomes entrained to the music and develops movements that ride the waves of the music. As the body pursues that single focus, there is nothing other than the present, the dance.
You have this moment, this music, this movement, this joy, this peace, this energetic shift that has changed your consciousness. As the body does what the body does, the mind is quieted, and the joy of living comes to the surface, front and center. In this moment, where there is nothing but the dance, there is nothing else to desire, except to feel the dance. The dance is the desire, expressed.
In this way, it has a cathartic effect. Cleansing, deep down to the bones. By the time I come home from dancing and take a shower or a bath, I feel so clean, so peaceful, so happy, that a state of relaxation sets in, now that the body has stopped moving and the muscles are feeling that good kind of exhaustion from being taken to the limits, and sleep comes easily.
Dancing can be a moving meditation. Why do you think that since ancient times, rituals and ceremonies included dancing? It can alter your state of mind and make an event special.
The body takes on a mind of its own, as it becomes entrained to the music and develops movements that ride the waves of the music. As the body pursues that single focus, there is nothing other than the present, the dance.
You have this moment, this music, this movement, this joy, this peace, this energetic shift that has changed your consciousness. As the body does what the body does, the mind is quieted, and the joy of living comes to the surface, front and center. In this moment, where there is nothing but the dance, there is nothing else to desire, except to feel the dance. The dance is the desire, expressed.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Inhaling the Scent of Rain
Do you like the way it smells just before it rains? Do you take a moment to appreciate it? I do. I love the way the whole world is transformed when rain is approaching and afterwards.
Water of earth, water of air, water of water, water of fire.
Notice how the world usually smells to us when we first get up in the morning, and how there is a distinctive smell that the water colors into our consciousness just after it rains. It helps us perceive the aroma of the plants around us, projecting a more dense taste of the natural fragrance. The earth itself yields up a pungency that presents our palate something new even though it is very familiar. Suddenly there are tones that speak to our sense of taste as well as smell and offers a renewed connection to the earth itself.
Did you ever notice how there is a particular smell that envelops you when you walk in the mountains among the pines and the streams? Notice how the entire palette of smells that rise up to greet us when we enter a desert area that immediately speaks to us of a change in the environment?
In each case, the change of place is both specific and broad at the same time. Yes, the person who is familiar with the different plants and can readily identify them and distinguish their scent. At the same time there is a general mingling of scents that create the entire environment of desert, mountain, forest or seashore. Altogether, the mingling of the big bold scents with the delicate fragrances create the aura of the entire space.
It is similar to walking into a huge field of flowers, eyes at first not recognizing individual shapes, but rather swaths and splashes of color, at first simply overwhelmed by the visual explosion. Then the excitement calms as individual plants come into focus and sometimes saying their names helps us to feel more at home.
Sometimes we do not know their names and we try and familiarize our senses with them simply through the color, shape and fragrance. Some of them will be memorable to the touch as well.
Inhaling the scent of rain is a very sensuous experience. It signals the return of something to our world that we need. It offers us a gift to remember this by. It encourages us to let our feelings flow, the sense of smell bringing us spontaneous recollections triggered by various smells that stimulate memories attached to them.
The sent of rain also comes with a sound that is cleansing. We can turn off radio and TV and computer and just listen to the sound the falling, running water makes as it cleanses and refreshes. The sound of rain invites us to deep moments of contemplation and relaxation.
Inhaling the scent of rain is an invitation to stop and enjoy a deeper moment, a taste of life, the scent leading to sounds, sights and tactile, touching experiences. Breathe in, breathe out and enjoy the scent of rain. Water of air, water of fire, water of water, water of earth.
Water of earth, water of air, water of water, water of fire.
Notice how the world usually smells to us when we first get up in the morning, and how there is a distinctive smell that the water colors into our consciousness just after it rains. It helps us perceive the aroma of the plants around us, projecting a more dense taste of the natural fragrance. The earth itself yields up a pungency that presents our palate something new even though it is very familiar. Suddenly there are tones that speak to our sense of taste as well as smell and offers a renewed connection to the earth itself.
Did you ever notice how there is a particular smell that envelops you when you walk in the mountains among the pines and the streams? Notice how the entire palette of smells that rise up to greet us when we enter a desert area that immediately speaks to us of a change in the environment?
In each case, the change of place is both specific and broad at the same time. Yes, the person who is familiar with the different plants and can readily identify them and distinguish their scent. At the same time there is a general mingling of scents that create the entire environment of desert, mountain, forest or seashore. Altogether, the mingling of the big bold scents with the delicate fragrances create the aura of the entire space.
It is similar to walking into a huge field of flowers, eyes at first not recognizing individual shapes, but rather swaths and splashes of color, at first simply overwhelmed by the visual explosion. Then the excitement calms as individual plants come into focus and sometimes saying their names helps us to feel more at home.
Sometimes we do not know their names and we try and familiarize our senses with them simply through the color, shape and fragrance. Some of them will be memorable to the touch as well.
Inhaling the scent of rain is a very sensuous experience. It signals the return of something to our world that we need. It offers us a gift to remember this by. It encourages us to let our feelings flow, the sense of smell bringing us spontaneous recollections triggered by various smells that stimulate memories attached to them.
The sent of rain also comes with a sound that is cleansing. We can turn off radio and TV and computer and just listen to the sound the falling, running water makes as it cleanses and refreshes. The sound of rain invites us to deep moments of contemplation and relaxation.
Inhaling the scent of rain is an invitation to stop and enjoy a deeper moment, a taste of life, the scent leading to sounds, sights and tactile, touching experiences. Breathe in, breathe out and enjoy the scent of rain. Water of air, water of fire, water of water, water of earth.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
A Meditation on Money
Today I am working on my taxes. Like everyone else who makes at least part of their income as a self employed person, gathering all the receipts together so that you can calculate your income versus expenses is one of those tasks that demands a number of hours of time and attention and it can be frustrating if you have not kept your records and receipts where you can find them.
There are moments of enlightenment in this preparation. For example, identifying which expenses were a waste of money, and which brought a good return, thus pointing the way to be more efficient and more profitable next year.
Some people express a lot of anger over paying taxes, but I do not. Here are a few my insights on the subject.
Ask someone who used to have a good paying job and then lost it because their company moved that job to India or China, and I'll bet they would much rather have a decent paying job and pay taxes on that income rather than be on unemployment or working at some much lower paying job now.
If you think about it, every job that is off shored means one less income tax that a person will be able to pay, which, of course, reduces government income. On the whole, it also reduces the quality of life as people fall from an income bracket which would enable them to buy houses, cars, and make other major purchases. Another reason to be concerned about this corporate behavior.
Most people who start their own business have a dip in income before it rises again, unless they have someone who has given them money to use, or they have a spectacularly successful new beginning right off the bat.
There is concern about money wasted in pork barrel spending or earmarks. We probably never had a government budget that did not have any pork in it. Representatives will probably always be looking to get some of that for their home district, in the same way that lobbyists are always making donations to campaign funds in order to get laws passed that they want. Can we stop these practices? Unlikely.
One of the things that makes our country a good place to live and expresses our sense of decency toward other people is the use of our tax dollars to help those who are worse off get some help when they need it. Thus far, I have gone through my whole life without ever collecting one unemployment check or one set of food stamps. I am glad of that. I have seen or heard comments that some people would like to simply do away with Social Security and Medicare as a way of lowering their taxes. I do not agree. I have paid into Social Security since I was 14 when I got my first regular part time job and my Social Security card, and I certainly will be drawing out a monthly check when I get to be the right age for it. And if and when I am eligible for Medicare, I will use that too.
Here is a mystery of money to ponder. In all this discussion of reforming the health care system, some people raise the concern that if we covered everybody, where would the money come from? Did you hear this question before invading Iraq? Or Vietnam? Or wherever? When we have wars, where does that money come from? Or for that matter, questions of why we should get into a war. I would far prefer that my tax dollars help people get health care coverage than finance a war.
All in all, I regard paying taxes as just part of what it takes to live in this country. As I prepare my taxes, I keep an eye out for what I can learn from the process, and even though some money paid in may be wasted, I am sure that some of it is going for good purposes. I agree that our representatives do an imperfect job of managing our money.
As I look at my own expenditures, I never have a perfect year either. How would I define perfect? A year in which all of my expenses were wise and yielded great returns. No, every year I have spent some money wisely and some money foolishly and every year, I have made money on some investments and lost money on others.
This exercise is part of our learning process. Think of it as a meditation on money. And yes, I always have a professional help me prepare the forms and submit them. It is well worth it.
There is something to learn from all of the things we do, even the things we do not like to do. It is all part of raising consciousness.
There are moments of enlightenment in this preparation. For example, identifying which expenses were a waste of money, and which brought a good return, thus pointing the way to be more efficient and more profitable next year.
Some people express a lot of anger over paying taxes, but I do not. Here are a few my insights on the subject.
Ask someone who used to have a good paying job and then lost it because their company moved that job to India or China, and I'll bet they would much rather have a decent paying job and pay taxes on that income rather than be on unemployment or working at some much lower paying job now.
If you think about it, every job that is off shored means one less income tax that a person will be able to pay, which, of course, reduces government income. On the whole, it also reduces the quality of life as people fall from an income bracket which would enable them to buy houses, cars, and make other major purchases. Another reason to be concerned about this corporate behavior.
Most people who start their own business have a dip in income before it rises again, unless they have someone who has given them money to use, or they have a spectacularly successful new beginning right off the bat.
There is concern about money wasted in pork barrel spending or earmarks. We probably never had a government budget that did not have any pork in it. Representatives will probably always be looking to get some of that for their home district, in the same way that lobbyists are always making donations to campaign funds in order to get laws passed that they want. Can we stop these practices? Unlikely.
One of the things that makes our country a good place to live and expresses our sense of decency toward other people is the use of our tax dollars to help those who are worse off get some help when they need it. Thus far, I have gone through my whole life without ever collecting one unemployment check or one set of food stamps. I am glad of that. I have seen or heard comments that some people would like to simply do away with Social Security and Medicare as a way of lowering their taxes. I do not agree. I have paid into Social Security since I was 14 when I got my first regular part time job and my Social Security card, and I certainly will be drawing out a monthly check when I get to be the right age for it. And if and when I am eligible for Medicare, I will use that too.
Here is a mystery of money to ponder. In all this discussion of reforming the health care system, some people raise the concern that if we covered everybody, where would the money come from? Did you hear this question before invading Iraq? Or Vietnam? Or wherever? When we have wars, where does that money come from? Or for that matter, questions of why we should get into a war. I would far prefer that my tax dollars help people get health care coverage than finance a war.
All in all, I regard paying taxes as just part of what it takes to live in this country. As I prepare my taxes, I keep an eye out for what I can learn from the process, and even though some money paid in may be wasted, I am sure that some of it is going for good purposes. I agree that our representatives do an imperfect job of managing our money.
As I look at my own expenditures, I never have a perfect year either. How would I define perfect? A year in which all of my expenses were wise and yielded great returns. No, every year I have spent some money wisely and some money foolishly and every year, I have made money on some investments and lost money on others.
This exercise is part of our learning process. Think of it as a meditation on money. And yes, I always have a professional help me prepare the forms and submit them. It is well worth it.
There is something to learn from all of the things we do, even the things we do not like to do. It is all part of raising consciousness.
Friday, February 19, 2010
New Buddha Poster Boy?
Since Tiger Woods announced that he is going to resume his practice of Buddhism as a way of working through his problems, it will be interesting to see if he becomes a poster boy for it, the way Madonna did for Kabbalah.
Nothing wrong with that at all. Buddhists have some beautiful and useful traditions.
It will be interesting to see if he starts winning big again if people will attribute his wins to his Buddhist practices. Or if he manages to avoid any more scandals, will they attribute it to his Buddhist practices?
By the way, I think all of that hype over his affairs is over blown. People are just so voyeuristic they love to pick apart other people's bones. Do we know for a fact that he and his wife didn't have some kind of understanding about extracurricular activities, and she just blew her lid when it became public?
Even losing athletes have attractive women trying to score with them. Money, celebrity and prestige always bring out the groupies. Rock bands, actors, real estate developers, CEOs, politicians, all have a buffet line of interested dates.
Look at Donald Trump, with his comb over and everything, and how many beautiful young wives? People used to wonder how a dork like Henry Kissinger used to get so many hot dates. His answer: "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac."
None of this is really amazing. It has been going on forever. We just love talking about it, don't we? We daydream about what we would do if we made it big, and we speculate about what other people do when they hit it big. It's all talk until it's your turn. Hey, tell me again. What's that stuff that makes the world go round?
Nothing wrong with that at all. Buddhists have some beautiful and useful traditions.
It will be interesting to see if he starts winning big again if people will attribute his wins to his Buddhist practices. Or if he manages to avoid any more scandals, will they attribute it to his Buddhist practices?
By the way, I think all of that hype over his affairs is over blown. People are just so voyeuristic they love to pick apart other people's bones. Do we know for a fact that he and his wife didn't have some kind of understanding about extracurricular activities, and she just blew her lid when it became public?
Even losing athletes have attractive women trying to score with them. Money, celebrity and prestige always bring out the groupies. Rock bands, actors, real estate developers, CEOs, politicians, all have a buffet line of interested dates.
Look at Donald Trump, with his comb over and everything, and how many beautiful young wives? People used to wonder how a dork like Henry Kissinger used to get so many hot dates. His answer: "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac."
None of this is really amazing. It has been going on forever. We just love talking about it, don't we? We daydream about what we would do if we made it big, and we speculate about what other people do when they hit it big. It's all talk until it's your turn. Hey, tell me again. What's that stuff that makes the world go round?
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Moving at the Speed of Life
Right now I am thinking of all the things I can possibly do to speed up my transition into a full time tarot reader.
I have redone my poster, brochure, business cards and I am working on redoing my web page to focus the primary attention on tarot, and leaving everything else, such as the past lives, reiki, house blessings, handfastings, dream interpretation, sound healing, life coaching, writing coaching and everything else to a place of less attention on the website. This focus seems to be working well. I am now able to see how all of these things can grow out of the focus of tarot, and how tarot can also be applied in all these other ways, from moving energy to coaching to everything else I know how to do. New vistas are now open. New perspectives. New capabilities.
This blog will continue to be open in terms of the range of subject matter, just as the readings I do for people cover a wide range of questions about the whole spectrum of life, rather than just articles about cards themselves.
At the same time, I have been giving lots of attention to bookings for the coming year and planning ahead as much as possible. My plans include both travel to selected places to work and building up my phone reading business.
Examining all cash flow and planning accordingly is essential. Still another essential part of this process is manifesting enough business and enough bookings to render the day job unnecessary. Part of the successful transition then is planning, and another part simply requires trust that more opportunities will continue to open up.
Part of this process involves brainstorming with others, and part of it is simply meditating on this myself.
Interestingly, I have also noticed that these meditations about the progress of my business involves drumming, chanting, playing harmonica, walking and swimming as part of the process of welcoming in clearer thinking and focusing energy on the goal.
I have cleared my schedule of other activities and now focus more tightly on how to bring the transition into the nearer future. Every day is another step closer.
It is all a process of having a dream, then walking into the dream and taking my place in the picture. Step by step, I bring myself into the picture until everything is moving at the speed of life.
I have redone my poster, brochure, business cards and I am working on redoing my web page to focus the primary attention on tarot, and leaving everything else, such as the past lives, reiki, house blessings, handfastings, dream interpretation, sound healing, life coaching, writing coaching and everything else to a place of less attention on the website. This focus seems to be working well. I am now able to see how all of these things can grow out of the focus of tarot, and how tarot can also be applied in all these other ways, from moving energy to coaching to everything else I know how to do. New vistas are now open. New perspectives. New capabilities.
This blog will continue to be open in terms of the range of subject matter, just as the readings I do for people cover a wide range of questions about the whole spectrum of life, rather than just articles about cards themselves.
At the same time, I have been giving lots of attention to bookings for the coming year and planning ahead as much as possible. My plans include both travel to selected places to work and building up my phone reading business.
Examining all cash flow and planning accordingly is essential. Still another essential part of this process is manifesting enough business and enough bookings to render the day job unnecessary. Part of the successful transition then is planning, and another part simply requires trust that more opportunities will continue to open up.
Part of this process involves brainstorming with others, and part of it is simply meditating on this myself.
Interestingly, I have also noticed that these meditations about the progress of my business involves drumming, chanting, playing harmonica, walking and swimming as part of the process of welcoming in clearer thinking and focusing energy on the goal.
I have cleared my schedule of other activities and now focus more tightly on how to bring the transition into the nearer future. Every day is another step closer.
It is all a process of having a dream, then walking into the dream and taking my place in the picture. Step by step, I bring myself into the picture until everything is moving at the speed of life.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
White Noise
We hear what we tune into. When we have music on for white noise, it is simply so that we can focus attention there, rather than to machine noise or other people's conversations.
White noise helps provide privacy and focuses our attention. And it can provide a warmer feeling to a place. Consider how simple a process shopping is. We go to the store, choose what we want, then pay for it. How would the experience change if the store only contained the sounds of people working and people shopping?
Notice how even in a restaurant, coffee house or bar, we do not hear other people's conversations. Of course, if the music is too loud, we cannot even hear our own. How would the experience be different without that white noise?
Now when we come home, do we still treat music as white noise? Sometimes I like silence. Other times I will pay more attention to the music I choose to put on the sound system. I follow the sounds of the instruments and voices and I can hear nuances that I do not hear in white noise.
White noise provides us with a certain amount of insulation, privacy and comfort. But it is so prevalent in our atmosphere that we have to remember to shift back into more conscious levels of listening.
If you have ever practiced just sitting quietly in nature, you can hear birds, insects, wind rustling through leaves, water running down a stream. When it is quiet in the building where you live, do you find yourself startled because you are unfamiliar with the sound of water in the pipes, wind in the chimney, the hum of electricity, or the house settling?
When you resist the temptation to turn the stereo, radio or TV on as soon as you come home, how does it feel? When you get up in the morning, before you go to work, how would it feel to reenter the world of consciousness without any stereo, radio or TV? Try it and see what happens in a world without white noise.
White noise helps provide privacy and focuses our attention. And it can provide a warmer feeling to a place. Consider how simple a process shopping is. We go to the store, choose what we want, then pay for it. How would the experience change if the store only contained the sounds of people working and people shopping?
Notice how even in a restaurant, coffee house or bar, we do not hear other people's conversations. Of course, if the music is too loud, we cannot even hear our own. How would the experience be different without that white noise?
Now when we come home, do we still treat music as white noise? Sometimes I like silence. Other times I will pay more attention to the music I choose to put on the sound system. I follow the sounds of the instruments and voices and I can hear nuances that I do not hear in white noise.
White noise provides us with a certain amount of insulation, privacy and comfort. But it is so prevalent in our atmosphere that we have to remember to shift back into more conscious levels of listening.
If you have ever practiced just sitting quietly in nature, you can hear birds, insects, wind rustling through leaves, water running down a stream. When it is quiet in the building where you live, do you find yourself startled because you are unfamiliar with the sound of water in the pipes, wind in the chimney, the hum of electricity, or the house settling?
When you resist the temptation to turn the stereo, radio or TV on as soon as you come home, how does it feel? When you get up in the morning, before you go to work, how would it feel to reenter the world of consciousness without any stereo, radio or TV? Try it and see what happens in a world without white noise.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Magic of Words
When we read, we enter into a meditative state, in which a private communication transpires between the written words put together by the author and the images, and stories that we create in our mind as a result.
How many times have we been disappointed when a book that we enjoyed reading is made into a movie? Why? Because as we read, we pictured the person described by the author, and that may look nothing like the actor selected to play that part.
Another thing that can happen is that a subtle sequence of events that leads to some important plot twist in the book might be left out of the movie altogether in favor of some scene that lends itself to easier graphic depiction.
Then, of course, when actors, directors, script writers and cinematographers are busy doing what they do, they may invent things that were not in the book, or even shift the emphasis from what the author intended.
When we find a quiet spot in our schedule and in our living space, spending a little time with a book and savoring the printed word is like a mini-retreat, engaged in slowly watching a movie that plays in our mind.
Our favorite authors are also mentors to us, when we are reading them to learn something. When we study a subject through their eyes, we learn from their point of view, and if they have communicated with us effectively, we find ourselves taking their books off the shelves for advice.
This is obviously true of non-fiction books particularly how-to books, but works of fiction have their value in another perspective. For one, a novel can help us see the world through the eyes of another, which can help us to understand people and events that we know nothing of first hand. Fiction can also help us journey through time and imagine what the world was like for our ancestors, as well as helping us envision possible futures.
It is magical when you think about it, that one person can write something and those who read it can share the experience individually, yet different readers can find different understandings from reading the same book. The magic of the quiet moments of reading and writing parts the curtains between worlds.
How many times have we been disappointed when a book that we enjoyed reading is made into a movie? Why? Because as we read, we pictured the person described by the author, and that may look nothing like the actor selected to play that part.
Another thing that can happen is that a subtle sequence of events that leads to some important plot twist in the book might be left out of the movie altogether in favor of some scene that lends itself to easier graphic depiction.
Then, of course, when actors, directors, script writers and cinematographers are busy doing what they do, they may invent things that were not in the book, or even shift the emphasis from what the author intended.
When we find a quiet spot in our schedule and in our living space, spending a little time with a book and savoring the printed word is like a mini-retreat, engaged in slowly watching a movie that plays in our mind.
Our favorite authors are also mentors to us, when we are reading them to learn something. When we study a subject through their eyes, we learn from their point of view, and if they have communicated with us effectively, we find ourselves taking their books off the shelves for advice.
This is obviously true of non-fiction books particularly how-to books, but works of fiction have their value in another perspective. For one, a novel can help us see the world through the eyes of another, which can help us to understand people and events that we know nothing of first hand. Fiction can also help us journey through time and imagine what the world was like for our ancestors, as well as helping us envision possible futures.
It is magical when you think about it, that one person can write something and those who read it can share the experience individually, yet different readers can find different understandings from reading the same book. The magic of the quiet moments of reading and writing parts the curtains between worlds.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Fluidity
Fluidity is essential to our well being. We notice it in our bodies when our joints and limbs do not bend and flex like they used to, and stiffness sets in. The term also applies to our inner organs. When our lungs are not as flexible as they were originally, disease sets in. One term for heart disease is hardening of the arteries. The heart muscle and the arteries that feed it no longer flex like they used to.
Those old sages from long ago recognized that. Both yoga and tai chi were created by old masters who realized that if you just sit around on your butt all day meditating, your body will stiffen up and physical health will deteriorate. So they came up with these exercises to stretch the body and the mind.
Our minds need to be able to flex as well. People too set in their ways, too stubborn, cannot adapt to new thoughts, embrace new ideas or go with the flow of intuition.
Our intuition is all about flow. For a couple of decades now, we have had to be fluid enough to learn new ways of doing things in order to change careers and make a living. And we have had to recognize that there is more than one way to achieve our goals in order to be successful.
When we loosen up and engage our bodies in fluid motion, it feels good. When we engage ourselves in fluid attitudes and ideas we can move with the energies of the universe, and find more paths to our goals.
I like to swim in it. Literally. In the pool, in the water. Engaging my intuition, moving through life changes in ways that open up possibilities.
Those old sages from long ago recognized that. Both yoga and tai chi were created by old masters who realized that if you just sit around on your butt all day meditating, your body will stiffen up and physical health will deteriorate. So they came up with these exercises to stretch the body and the mind.
Our minds need to be able to flex as well. People too set in their ways, too stubborn, cannot adapt to new thoughts, embrace new ideas or go with the flow of intuition.
Our intuition is all about flow. For a couple of decades now, we have had to be fluid enough to learn new ways of doing things in order to change careers and make a living. And we have had to recognize that there is more than one way to achieve our goals in order to be successful.
When we loosen up and engage our bodies in fluid motion, it feels good. When we engage ourselves in fluid attitudes and ideas we can move with the energies of the universe, and find more paths to our goals.
I like to swim in it. Literally. In the pool, in the water. Engaging my intuition, moving through life changes in ways that open up possibilities.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
What is Cutting Edge?
So many people use terminology like "cutting edge" to describe their new business these days, but what really is cutting edge?
It was not so long ago that getting a job in any kind of office meant men wearing suits, ties and short haircuts to work, women wearing dresses or skirts and heels. I always felt it was uncomfortable and absurd to insist on dressing in a suit and tie when it was 90 or 100 degrees outside.
What I see as real cutting edge is the use of computers to enable more people to have their own business. You can dress how you like, communicate with customers wherever you are thanks to the cell phone and laptop. Remember when if you were in sales or some other job that required you to leave your office to do part of your work, and you had to keep change in your pocket and look for cell phones to call customers back or call your office? Now, it is noteworthy when I do see a pay phone.
The web is the real cutting edge. You can present your self and your business however you see fit, and you can change your web page every day if you want. Where we used to type letters and mail them, we can now email someone and get a response within minutes, or the same day.
We can post our writing, our art, our music online for everyone to experience and enjoy without needing the official representation of an agent, although real life agents can help open other doors for us.
Many of the wonderful healing modalities that people offer now are not new at all, rather just that many people have a new level of appreciation of old modalities such as herbalism, aromatherapy, massage, meditation, sound therapy, shamanic healing, psychic readings, dream interpretation and energy healing.
After a century of ignoring all these things in favor of drugs and surgery, we are willing to reconsider these ancient methods. And of course, drugs and surgery are often the best or only course of action for some problems, but the traditional ways can work for a lot of other things.
I was surprised the other day to be driving in my car, listening to the radio and hearing and advertisement for a medical marijuana dispensary. Surprised, but not really. It was just a matter of when.
Anyone who knows the history of this issue knows that it was all politics that made it illegal in the first place, same as the prohibition against alcoholic beverages. The ban on marijuana was just as futile as the ban on beer. It was inevitable that it would become legal again. In spite of the billions of dollars wasted on hiring more police and purchasing all kinds of equipment, there are more smokers now than there used to be, not less. Just like people refused to quit drinking beer when it became illegal. So it is not completely legal yet, but we are stepping in that direction. It is nothing but stubbornness on the part of politicians that keeps the new prohibition on the books. It will end completely one day. We are already moving in that direction.
The web helped inform people about medical marijuana and gave people ways to motivate voters. Marijuana itself it not new. Ancient people were using that too. The legal dispensaries are now able to use the web to connect with customers. These are the parts that are new.
Perhaps the prohibition on beer and alcoholic beverages would have ended sooner had there been computers and internet back then. Perhaps. Perhaps stubborn politicians would have insisted on denying reality for years after it was apparent then too. It is just their nature. Remember the Emporer's New Clothes?
The web makes it possible for like minded people to meet without leaving home. The web makes it possible to do the kind of research that used to require a trip to the library. Of course, there is definitely something to be said for getting out of the house and interacting with real people.
So what is really cutting edge? The methods of communication we now have. The content of what we are doing is really timeless in most ways. Styles cause the actual presentation of messages to be different, but what is inside the message is familiar. Cell phones and laptops have changed communication as much as cars and aircraft have changed travel, only faster.
What is important is not really so much about what is new. It is really about what works.
It was not so long ago that getting a job in any kind of office meant men wearing suits, ties and short haircuts to work, women wearing dresses or skirts and heels. I always felt it was uncomfortable and absurd to insist on dressing in a suit and tie when it was 90 or 100 degrees outside.
What I see as real cutting edge is the use of computers to enable more people to have their own business. You can dress how you like, communicate with customers wherever you are thanks to the cell phone and laptop. Remember when if you were in sales or some other job that required you to leave your office to do part of your work, and you had to keep change in your pocket and look for cell phones to call customers back or call your office? Now, it is noteworthy when I do see a pay phone.
The web is the real cutting edge. You can present your self and your business however you see fit, and you can change your web page every day if you want. Where we used to type letters and mail them, we can now email someone and get a response within minutes, or the same day.
We can post our writing, our art, our music online for everyone to experience and enjoy without needing the official representation of an agent, although real life agents can help open other doors for us.
Many of the wonderful healing modalities that people offer now are not new at all, rather just that many people have a new level of appreciation of old modalities such as herbalism, aromatherapy, massage, meditation, sound therapy, shamanic healing, psychic readings, dream interpretation and energy healing.
After a century of ignoring all these things in favor of drugs and surgery, we are willing to reconsider these ancient methods. And of course, drugs and surgery are often the best or only course of action for some problems, but the traditional ways can work for a lot of other things.
I was surprised the other day to be driving in my car, listening to the radio and hearing and advertisement for a medical marijuana dispensary. Surprised, but not really. It was just a matter of when.
Anyone who knows the history of this issue knows that it was all politics that made it illegal in the first place, same as the prohibition against alcoholic beverages. The ban on marijuana was just as futile as the ban on beer. It was inevitable that it would become legal again. In spite of the billions of dollars wasted on hiring more police and purchasing all kinds of equipment, there are more smokers now than there used to be, not less. Just like people refused to quit drinking beer when it became illegal. So it is not completely legal yet, but we are stepping in that direction. It is nothing but stubbornness on the part of politicians that keeps the new prohibition on the books. It will end completely one day. We are already moving in that direction.
The web helped inform people about medical marijuana and gave people ways to motivate voters. Marijuana itself it not new. Ancient people were using that too. The legal dispensaries are now able to use the web to connect with customers. These are the parts that are new.
Perhaps the prohibition on beer and alcoholic beverages would have ended sooner had there been computers and internet back then. Perhaps. Perhaps stubborn politicians would have insisted on denying reality for years after it was apparent then too. It is just their nature. Remember the Emporer's New Clothes?
The web makes it possible for like minded people to meet without leaving home. The web makes it possible to do the kind of research that used to require a trip to the library. Of course, there is definitely something to be said for getting out of the house and interacting with real people.
So what is really cutting edge? The methods of communication we now have. The content of what we are doing is really timeless in most ways. Styles cause the actual presentation of messages to be different, but what is inside the message is familiar. Cell phones and laptops have changed communication as much as cars and aircraft have changed travel, only faster.
What is important is not really so much about what is new. It is really about what works.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Water Stones
Whenever I hold a water stone in my hand, there is not only a sensation, but an instant reminder than come to mind. Water stones are simply those that have been worn smooth by the flow of water. If you were to ask a person, what is the stronger material, stone or water, many might say stone, but over time, water will wear down stone, but stone will not wear down water.
How many times have we found ourselves holding a firm position only to find that somewhere down the road we need to soften it?
How many times have we worried about something only to find out that if we had not worried about it, it would have turned out fine anyway?
Have you ever noticed how many meditation recordings include the sound of moving water, either stream or wave sounds?
It is the soothing sound of change that comes in invisible, but inevitable currents. Like the water finding its way between rocks, the tiniest opening can eventually become a torrent, the tiniest grains of sand and pebbles that are swept between rocks wear the edges of bigger rocks smooth.
Perhaps this is the underlying source of peace in the water sound. We know that change is inevitable and that going with the flow will make us mellower.
Water can carry us over rough rocks so that we can reach our destination.
Stones smoothed by water can make excellent healing stones and also divination tools. For me, found objects are just as welcome a tool, and just as effective, as tumbled gemstones.
Notice how the element of water works in our lives. In tarot, the water suit is usually called cups, caldrons, or chalices. It is about emotions and emotional connections. Most people immediately make the connection with love and romance, but it also rules friendship, acquaintances, associates and other connections that have an emotional heartfelt quality to them.
Notice how all of our emotions express in water. Blood, sweat, tears, taste, orgasms. The water flowing between us smoothes our rough edges and shapes us in ways that allows us to fit together better, whether we are looking at just two of us or a bunch of us as the many stones in a riverbed. Letting the water flow lets us all fit together better, and takes some of the edge off as we allow the energy to move us.
How many times have we found ourselves holding a firm position only to find that somewhere down the road we need to soften it?
How many times have we worried about something only to find out that if we had not worried about it, it would have turned out fine anyway?
Have you ever noticed how many meditation recordings include the sound of moving water, either stream or wave sounds?
It is the soothing sound of change that comes in invisible, but inevitable currents. Like the water finding its way between rocks, the tiniest opening can eventually become a torrent, the tiniest grains of sand and pebbles that are swept between rocks wear the edges of bigger rocks smooth.
Perhaps this is the underlying source of peace in the water sound. We know that change is inevitable and that going with the flow will make us mellower.
Water can carry us over rough rocks so that we can reach our destination.
Stones smoothed by water can make excellent healing stones and also divination tools. For me, found objects are just as welcome a tool, and just as effective, as tumbled gemstones.
Notice how the element of water works in our lives. In tarot, the water suit is usually called cups, caldrons, or chalices. It is about emotions and emotional connections. Most people immediately make the connection with love and romance, but it also rules friendship, acquaintances, associates and other connections that have an emotional heartfelt quality to them.
Notice how all of our emotions express in water. Blood, sweat, tears, taste, orgasms. The water flowing between us smoothes our rough edges and shapes us in ways that allows us to fit together better, whether we are looking at just two of us or a bunch of us as the many stones in a riverbed. Letting the water flow lets us all fit together better, and takes some of the edge off as we allow the energy to move us.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
August Full Moon with Eclipse
August's full moon is known by a few different names: Grain Moon, Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon. The corn, barley and grain names reference the fact that this is the time of year when the fullness and harvesting of these crops occurs. These staple food items long ago became an integral part of our diets.
People gave thanks for the success of these crops with festivals and ceremonial offerings, like baking loaves of bread from the first harvests and having them blessed by priests at the Loaf Mass (Lammas) which is usually celebrated at the first of August. This tradition, originated in the older goddess oriented cultures. The development of agriculture with its regular abundant harvests produced on pieces of land that were continuously cultivated, was key to changing cultures from hunter/gatherer tribes and establishing towns and villages and all of the cultural changes that flowed from these settlements.
Sturgeon moon comes from tribes in the midwest who would find this to be a great month to catch these large Great Lakes fish, which could be smoked and dried for eating later, as well as for immediate consumption.
It could also be known as the Red Moon, because seasonal and atmospheric changes appear to give the moon a reddish color as it rises this month.
Thus we celebrate the first of the waves of harvest. The September full moon is the one we call the Harvest Moon, with that being the time of year for harvesting pumpkins, squash, nuts, grapes, apples, and other fruits and vegetables. At the Blood Moon in October, people celebrated the harvesting and hunting of meat, gleaning of the fields of any remaining produce and laying in a stock of firewood for the winter.
Each harvest was celebrated a bit differently, with different folklore and traditions attached, but always with an underlying theme of gratitude, because the weather could have everything to do with the success of the harvest and thus, survival. The cooperation of friends and neighbors was also a factor.
Nature moves in cycles and waves, and people who learned to work with these, and coordinate their energies with these shifting energies of nature were most successful. In successive months, different tasks presented themselves to be done, each in their turn. Even though we are not all farmers or hunters, there are still ways in which we benefit when we harmonize our selves with the cycles of moons and seasons.
Heighten your intuition by spending a little time reflecting or meditating with the full moon. Just as it influences tides, it influences feelings and insights. There will also be an eclipse on this full moon, and an eclipse brings an extra bounce, or jolt of energy with it. Full moons are always a special time, and the things done on a full moon are bathed in the magic of this special light. If you feel a special wave of subtle energy tonight, this is why. Open your heart, your creativity and your third eye, and bask in the gift of energy from this eclipse full moon.
People gave thanks for the success of these crops with festivals and ceremonial offerings, like baking loaves of bread from the first harvests and having them blessed by priests at the Loaf Mass (Lammas) which is usually celebrated at the first of August. This tradition, originated in the older goddess oriented cultures. The development of agriculture with its regular abundant harvests produced on pieces of land that were continuously cultivated, was key to changing cultures from hunter/gatherer tribes and establishing towns and villages and all of the cultural changes that flowed from these settlements.
Sturgeon moon comes from tribes in the midwest who would find this to be a great month to catch these large Great Lakes fish, which could be smoked and dried for eating later, as well as for immediate consumption.
It could also be known as the Red Moon, because seasonal and atmospheric changes appear to give the moon a reddish color as it rises this month.
Thus we celebrate the first of the waves of harvest. The September full moon is the one we call the Harvest Moon, with that being the time of year for harvesting pumpkins, squash, nuts, grapes, apples, and other fruits and vegetables. At the Blood Moon in October, people celebrated the harvesting and hunting of meat, gleaning of the fields of any remaining produce and laying in a stock of firewood for the winter.
Each harvest was celebrated a bit differently, with different folklore and traditions attached, but always with an underlying theme of gratitude, because the weather could have everything to do with the success of the harvest and thus, survival. The cooperation of friends and neighbors was also a factor.
Nature moves in cycles and waves, and people who learned to work with these, and coordinate their energies with these shifting energies of nature were most successful. In successive months, different tasks presented themselves to be done, each in their turn. Even though we are not all farmers or hunters, there are still ways in which we benefit when we harmonize our selves with the cycles of moons and seasons.
Heighten your intuition by spending a little time reflecting or meditating with the full moon. Just as it influences tides, it influences feelings and insights. There will also be an eclipse on this full moon, and an eclipse brings an extra bounce, or jolt of energy with it. Full moons are always a special time, and the things done on a full moon are bathed in the magic of this special light. If you feel a special wave of subtle energy tonight, this is why. Open your heart, your creativity and your third eye, and bask in the gift of energy from this eclipse full moon.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Cards for Sale
I have found a great deal of pleasure and inspiration over the years in working with cards. Creative artists have come up with a great variety of designs over the years. If you are looking for a special set to work with as a self teaching or meditational tool, or whether you also read for others and would like an unusual deck to work with, consider these.
Here is a list of tarot and other cards I have for sale:
Grand Etteilla Egyptian Gypsie Tarot, Grimaud - $100
Norse Tarot by Clive Barrett, book & deck - $100
Arthurian Tarot by Caitlin & John Matthews, book & deck, first edition, Aquarian - $100
Arthurian Tarot by Caitlin & John Matthews, LWB, second edition, Connections - $15
Elemental Tarot, by Caroline Smith, book & deck - $100
Mythic Tarot deck & book set, by Liz Greene & Juliet Sharman-Burke - $25
Tarocco della Musica by Osvaldo Mengazzi, full deck, not just majors, numbered and signed limited edition 450/500 - $125
Le Mani Divinatore by Osvaldo Menegazzi, 22 majors only, limited edition numbered 764/1500 - $125
Tarocchi Romantici, 22 majors only, by Giorgio Trevisan Lo Scarabeo 1991 - $75
Tarocchi Delle Origini (Tarot of the First People) by Sergio Toppi, majors only, Lo Scarabeo 1989 - $75
Anna Riva's Mystic fortune Cards, 50 cards - $10
La Carte dell Amore by Paola & Terry Prada (Italcards) $30
Ancient Egyptian Tarot by Clive Barrett, book & deck - $100
Egipcios Kier Tarot Deck - $100
Egyptian Tarot by Esmeralda - $50
Tarot of Transition by Carta Mundi (Belgium), deck & LWB, no box, bag provided 1983 - $40
Egyptian Oracle, by Maya Heath, book, board & hieroglyphs, 1995 - $30 Egyptian Temple Cards, 54 cards, by Andrew Metcalfe, Osirian Enterprises, 1974 - $100
Le Tarot de Isis by Erna Droesbeke (Belgium) 36 cards - $15
Way of the Cartouche, book & card set by Murry Hope, 1983 -$45
Wonderland Tarot, deck & booklet - $100 Enochian Tarot by Gerald & Betty Schuler & Sallie Ann Glassman, 86 cards - $100
Elements Tarot by Gregory John Bookout, 1984, Conscious Games, 80 card deck & LWB, no box, in bag - $40
Art Nouveau Tarot by Matt Myers - $10
Art Nouveau Tarot by Antonella Castelli - $10
Psy Cards - $10
Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling Cards by Svetlana A. Touchkoff - $30 Daughters of the Moon Tarot, 75 card set in black and white no box or book. will include bag - $35
Barbara Walker Tarot (2 decks) - $10 each
Tarot of the Ages, deck & booklet - $75
Native American Tarot by Gonzalez, no box or book. will include bag - $10 Tarot Azteque, 53 cards - $30
Yeager Tarot of Meditation by Marty Yeager 1975, box, no LWB - $40
Secret Dakini Oracle, book & 64 card deck by Nik Douglas & Penny Slinger 1979 - $95
Secret Dakini Oracle, 64 card deck with instruction cards by Nik Douglas & Penny Slinger 1979 - $75
Tiger & Dragon I Ching Cards by Rowena Patee, 1986 - $65
Dragon Mystique Chinese Fortune Cards (Hong Kong) $18
Gong Hee Fot Choy book to be used with playing cards - $10
I Ching Cards, 1971,with instruction cards,AG Muller dist by US Games - $50
Pocket size I ching deck with only colored images and hexgrams, no words.no book or box. bag included $20
Myriorama Landschaften, 24 cards (Leipzig) $20
Wurzelkinder Quartet, German Fairy Tale cards - $20
Marchenquartett, Quartet of Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Eva Maria Ott-Heidmann (German) - $20
Aquarian Rune Pack book & deck by Anthony Clark (Aquarian 1987) - $45
LeNormand (US Games edition) 36 cards - $30
Petit LeNormand (Grimaud) 1976. 37 cards - $40
Concise Fortune Teller or Concise LeNormand, (Grimaud) - $30
Oracle Belline, 52 cards (2 sets) - $50 each
Christian Tarot (France) 36 cards - $15
Arkaes Divination Deck (France) 72 cards - $50
Astrellia Tarot (France) 61 cards - $25
The Oracle of Mercury (France) 42 card set with booklet - $35
Oracle Alma Bose, 67 cards - $30
Constellation Cards, 32 cards, by Uma Mukuna, (Heron, France) - $20
Solomon's 72 Spirits, book & deck by Priscilla Schwei, 1988 - $100 Enochian Tarot by Gerald & Betty Schuler & Sallie Ann Glassman, 86 cards - $100
Elements Tarot by Gregory John Bookout, 1984, Conscious Games, 80 card deck & LWB, no box, in bag - $40
Loracle, by Patrick Herrington (English), 70 cards - $50
Philosopher's Stone, 40 cards in clamshell box by De Es- $75
Power Deck by Lynn Andrews & Rob Schouten first edition, 1991 (2 sets) book & card set - $45 each
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Deck, 52 cards - $10
Heart Cards - $10
Phoenix Cards by Susan Sheppard, book & deck (non-tarot set) - $35
Mini Course for Healing Relationships by Jampolsky - $10
Shadow Cards by Steven Ihli - $30
108 Paroles de Sathya Sai Baba (108 Names of Sai Baba) $35 never opened. Magical Circle Book & cards by Ramslove, Trout Garden, 1982 $20
Mo Tibetan Divination System, cards & book, no box by Mipham - $15 Oracle of the Bones by Claire O'Neill, 1994, book, cloth and plastic bones set, $15
The Zulu Bone Oracle book by Ulufudu 1989 - $5
Unusual Playing Cards Sherlock Holmes (British) - $20
York & Yorkshire (British) -$20
Hiroshige Playing Cards (Japan) - $20
Greek deck, images of Greece on every card - $20
Schwartzer Peter (German) 2 different designs - $20 each
OH Cards, 2 sets - $50 each
Stargate, the Decision Maker book & card set plus Diary of Discovery by Richard H. Geer, 1984 - $50
Here is a list of tarot and other cards I have for sale:
Grand Etteilla Egyptian Gypsie Tarot, Grimaud - $100
Norse Tarot by Clive Barrett, book & deck - $100
Arthurian Tarot by Caitlin & John Matthews, book & deck, first edition, Aquarian - $100
Arthurian Tarot by Caitlin & John Matthews, LWB, second edition, Connections - $15
Elemental Tarot, by Caroline Smith, book & deck - $100
Mythic Tarot deck & book set, by Liz Greene & Juliet Sharman-Burke - $25
Tarocco della Musica by Osvaldo Mengazzi, full deck, not just majors, numbered and signed limited edition 450/500 - $125
Le Mani Divinatore by Osvaldo Menegazzi, 22 majors only, limited edition numbered 764/1500 - $125
Tarocchi Romantici, 22 majors only, by Giorgio Trevisan Lo Scarabeo 1991 - $75
Tarocchi Delle Origini (Tarot of the First People) by Sergio Toppi, majors only, Lo Scarabeo 1989 - $75
Anna Riva's Mystic fortune Cards, 50 cards - $10
La Carte dell Amore by Paola & Terry Prada (Italcards) $30
Ancient Egyptian Tarot by Clive Barrett, book & deck - $100
Egipcios Kier Tarot Deck - $100
Egyptian Tarot by Esmeralda - $50
Tarot of Transition by Carta Mundi (Belgium), deck & LWB, no box, bag provided 1983 - $40
Egyptian Oracle, by Maya Heath, book, board & hieroglyphs, 1995 - $30 Egyptian Temple Cards, 54 cards, by Andrew Metcalfe, Osirian Enterprises, 1974 - $100
Le Tarot de Isis by Erna Droesbeke (Belgium) 36 cards - $15
Way of the Cartouche, book & card set by Murry Hope, 1983 -$45
Wonderland Tarot, deck & booklet - $100 Enochian Tarot by Gerald & Betty Schuler & Sallie Ann Glassman, 86 cards - $100
Elements Tarot by Gregory John Bookout, 1984, Conscious Games, 80 card deck & LWB, no box, in bag - $40
Art Nouveau Tarot by Matt Myers - $10
Art Nouveau Tarot by Antonella Castelli - $10
Psy Cards - $10
Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling Cards by Svetlana A. Touchkoff - $30 Daughters of the Moon Tarot, 75 card set in black and white no box or book. will include bag - $35
Barbara Walker Tarot (2 decks) - $10 each
Tarot of the Ages, deck & booklet - $75
Native American Tarot by Gonzalez, no box or book. will include bag - $10 Tarot Azteque, 53 cards - $30
Yeager Tarot of Meditation by Marty Yeager 1975, box, no LWB - $40
Secret Dakini Oracle, book & 64 card deck by Nik Douglas & Penny Slinger 1979 - $95
Secret Dakini Oracle, 64 card deck with instruction cards by Nik Douglas & Penny Slinger 1979 - $75
Tiger & Dragon I Ching Cards by Rowena Patee, 1986 - $65
Dragon Mystique Chinese Fortune Cards (Hong Kong) $18
Gong Hee Fot Choy book to be used with playing cards - $10
I Ching Cards, 1971,with instruction cards,AG Muller dist by US Games - $50
Pocket size I ching deck with only colored images and hexgrams, no words.no book or box. bag included $20
Myriorama Landschaften, 24 cards (Leipzig) $20
Wurzelkinder Quartet, German Fairy Tale cards - $20
Marchenquartett, Quartet of Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Eva Maria Ott-Heidmann (German) - $20
Aquarian Rune Pack book & deck by Anthony Clark (Aquarian 1987) - $45
LeNormand (US Games edition) 36 cards - $30
Petit LeNormand (Grimaud) 1976. 37 cards - $40
Concise Fortune Teller or Concise LeNormand, (Grimaud) - $30
Oracle Belline, 52 cards (2 sets) - $50 each
Christian Tarot (France) 36 cards - $15
Arkaes Divination Deck (France) 72 cards - $50
Astrellia Tarot (France) 61 cards - $25
The Oracle of Mercury (France) 42 card set with booklet - $35
Oracle Alma Bose, 67 cards - $30
Constellation Cards, 32 cards, by Uma Mukuna, (Heron, France) - $20
Solomon's 72 Spirits, book & deck by Priscilla Schwei, 1988 - $100 Enochian Tarot by Gerald & Betty Schuler & Sallie Ann Glassman, 86 cards - $100
Elements Tarot by Gregory John Bookout, 1984, Conscious Games, 80 card deck & LWB, no box, in bag - $40
Loracle, by Patrick Herrington (English), 70 cards - $50
Philosopher's Stone, 40 cards in clamshell box by De Es- $75
Power Deck by Lynn Andrews & Rob Schouten first edition, 1991 (2 sets) book & card set - $45 each
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Deck, 52 cards - $10
Heart Cards - $10
Phoenix Cards by Susan Sheppard, book & deck (non-tarot set) - $35
Mini Course for Healing Relationships by Jampolsky - $10
Shadow Cards by Steven Ihli - $30
108 Paroles de Sathya Sai Baba (108 Names of Sai Baba) $35 never opened. Magical Circle Book & cards by Ramslove, Trout Garden, 1982 $20
Mo Tibetan Divination System, cards & book, no box by Mipham - $15 Oracle of the Bones by Claire O'Neill, 1994, book, cloth and plastic bones set, $15
The Zulu Bone Oracle book by Ulufudu 1989 - $5
Unusual Playing Cards Sherlock Holmes (British) - $20
York & Yorkshire (British) -$20
Hiroshige Playing Cards (Japan) - $20
Greek deck, images of Greece on every card - $20
Schwartzer Peter (German) 2 different designs - $20 each
OH Cards, 2 sets - $50 each
Stargate, the Decision Maker book & card set plus Diary of Discovery by Richard H. Geer, 1984 - $50
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The Dyad Moon, Mead Moon, Sweet!
The full moon tonight goes by a few different names. One is the Dyad Moon. One more interpretation that aligns with these definitions refers to the marriage of the god and goddess at this time of year.
The Farmer's Almanac Calendar calls it the Strawberry Moon. Talk about fertility and abundance. If you have ever grown strawberries, you know how they can spread. Sometimes you may be competing with birds and squirrels or other critters to get some, but they do produce abundantly.
This year, although my garden space is limited to containers on the patio, instead of herbs and flowers, we are focusing on herbs and vegetables. Simply practical and a refreshing change. This year, tomatoes, green beans, peppers and cucumbers are taking the place of flowers. There is a beauty in every plant, including watching a vegetable grow where that little flower used to be on that green leafy stem. Among the herbs this year are basil, parsley, chives, oregano and thyme.
The seeds of the new are growing. The old has been cleared away. Just as we have turned the earth and removed the dead plants and debris so that the new has room to grow, the seeds are expanding their reach into new shoots in new directions.
Another name for the moon this month is the Mead Moon, which is also the root of our word honeymoon. Spring, with its greenery and flowers has long been a popular season for weddings. The newlywed couples were given gifts of mead, the sweet wine made from honey. During this phase of intense sexual activity, the new couples spent lots of time enjoying each other, and the aphrodisiac drink was to facilitate that.
Another use of the term holds that during late June and early July, meads, or meadows, were mowed for hay.
There is a balance between the masculine and feminine at this time of year, and this moon celebrates that. Reflect on these ideas as you gaze at the full beauty of the moon tonight.
The Farmer's Almanac Calendar calls it the Strawberry Moon. Talk about fertility and abundance. If you have ever grown strawberries, you know how they can spread. Sometimes you may be competing with birds and squirrels or other critters to get some, but they do produce abundantly.
This year, although my garden space is limited to containers on the patio, instead of herbs and flowers, we are focusing on herbs and vegetables. Simply practical and a refreshing change. This year, tomatoes, green beans, peppers and cucumbers are taking the place of flowers. There is a beauty in every plant, including watching a vegetable grow where that little flower used to be on that green leafy stem. Among the herbs this year are basil, parsley, chives, oregano and thyme.
The seeds of the new are growing. The old has been cleared away. Just as we have turned the earth and removed the dead plants and debris so that the new has room to grow, the seeds are expanding their reach into new shoots in new directions.
Another name for the moon this month is the Mead Moon, which is also the root of our word honeymoon. Spring, with its greenery and flowers has long been a popular season for weddings. The newlywed couples were given gifts of mead, the sweet wine made from honey. During this phase of intense sexual activity, the new couples spent lots of time enjoying each other, and the aphrodisiac drink was to facilitate that.
Another use of the term holds that during late June and early July, meads, or meadows, were mowed for hay.
There is a balance between the masculine and feminine at this time of year, and this moon celebrates that. Reflect on these ideas as you gaze at the full beauty of the moon tonight.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Subtle Differences
Many tarot images offer subtle nuances as you study them, which can make a world of difference in interpretation. Even though more traditional definitions can be taken as someone else judging us and deciding whether we are good or bad, there is a sort of liberation if we accept that we are beyond that. In the deck I like to use, the card has been renamed Karma, which I like much better. It carries that sense of balancing out the reults of our actions and choices. Judgment can be a sign that you are ready to let go and move on. It could also indicate something that needs to be worked on right now. Acceptance is one comforting way of putting it as well. Once we accept that a certain phase of our life is over and quit misleading ourselves with false hopes, there is a sense of freedom that accompanies it. There is a sense of reconciliation that is part of this process. If we have taken an accurate assessment of our actions and results, we can be more clear eyed about the future. From that perspective Judgment can bring healing.
Here are another couple of quick turns, in different applications than we usually see.
In a question of a new person coming into your life, the Magician or the High Priestess could be someone you find enchanting or fascinating. They can also be high maintenance. The Chariot could indicate that a partner can be too controlling. Strength could sometimes show up when a person is too strong, stubborn. Alternate meanings sometimes appear as a reverse or downside of the quality portrayed, and sometimes just a whole different take on it.
What about the 3 Swords being able to cut through the nonsense to discover the truth? If you are getting this card, perhaps being totally deflated from a letdown, yet riding the pain to the very bottom in order to let go of it and be able to rise again in body, mind and spirit. Being a ble to face the truth, no matter how difficult. A relationship that where attentions are divided three ways. Could be good or bad. Perhaps peace is reached between warring factions. These alternative views can simply be opportunities for different interpretations that open up readings.
Here are another couple of quick turns, in different applications than we usually see.
In a question of a new person coming into your life, the Magician or the High Priestess could be someone you find enchanting or fascinating. They can also be high maintenance. The Chariot could indicate that a partner can be too controlling. Strength could sometimes show up when a person is too strong, stubborn. Alternate meanings sometimes appear as a reverse or downside of the quality portrayed, and sometimes just a whole different take on it.
What about the 3 Swords being able to cut through the nonsense to discover the truth? If you are getting this card, perhaps being totally deflated from a letdown, yet riding the pain to the very bottom in order to let go of it and be able to rise again in body, mind and spirit. Being a ble to face the truth, no matter how difficult. A relationship that where attentions are divided three ways. Could be good or bad. Perhaps peace is reached between warring factions. These alternative views can simply be opportunities for different interpretations that open up readings.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Every Picture Tells a Story
What does it mean when the same card comes up over and over again? The most obvious answer is that spirit has a lesson to teach that keeps coming through, so the same card keeps coming up so that you are certain to get the message.
In this way, there is a lesson for the reader as well as the readee. This wonderful teaching tool keeps speaking to us over and over again. Even after you have worked with a deck for a long time and done many readings with it, there are still more lessons to be gleaned from it.
There are always those instances where you see a card again for the first time. We get busy and so spirit focuses our attention by bringing the same picture back for us to look at again and again until we get the message we need to get from it. Every picture tells a story, but on different days, the same picture can tell different stories.
In this way, there is a lesson for the reader as well as the readee. This wonderful teaching tool keeps speaking to us over and over again. Even after you have worked with a deck for a long time and done many readings with it, there are still more lessons to be gleaned from it.
There are always those instances where you see a card again for the first time. We get busy and so spirit focuses our attention by bringing the same picture back for us to look at again and again until we get the message we need to get from it. Every picture tells a story, but on different days, the same picture can tell different stories.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Love Hate Relationships
When we have a love hate relationship with something what does that mean? Let us use tarot as an example.
Let's say you have purchased a tarot deck because you have seen some images and loved them, but you have a hard time reading with it. Frequently that means you need to spend some time getting familiar with it. You have already established a comfort zone with your old favorite. Now you have to get comfortable with a new one with new images. You could learn many lessons from this as a self teaching tool, and later use it for readings.
We may have to grow into it, and learn new things as we do. We might also have to learn new ways to work with it. Once we move on to a new deck, the old one may be set aside for a long time, and sometimes we may not return to it. There are, of course, some decks that just do not work well for readings and we may trade or sell them.
You have to ask yourself what makes it appealing? What makes it difficult? Perhaps the lessons are difficult because we are called on to break through to a new level of understanding. How can it be that you love some of the images but cannot read with it? Meditating on the images you like best can lead to a breakthrough in learning to work with the new set. Reminds me of the saying about when the student is ready the teacher appears.
Let's say you have purchased a tarot deck because you have seen some images and loved them, but you have a hard time reading with it. Frequently that means you need to spend some time getting familiar with it. You have already established a comfort zone with your old favorite. Now you have to get comfortable with a new one with new images. You could learn many lessons from this as a self teaching tool, and later use it for readings.
We may have to grow into it, and learn new things as we do. We might also have to learn new ways to work with it. Once we move on to a new deck, the old one may be set aside for a long time, and sometimes we may not return to it. There are, of course, some decks that just do not work well for readings and we may trade or sell them.
You have to ask yourself what makes it appealing? What makes it difficult? Perhaps the lessons are difficult because we are called on to break through to a new level of understanding. How can it be that you love some of the images but cannot read with it? Meditating on the images you like best can lead to a breakthrough in learning to work with the new set. Reminds me of the saying about when the student is ready the teacher appears.
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