Daily Draw - March 13th 2012

From the Book:
"You have hidden away from change long enough, afraid of hurt - but you have been hurt anyway... Now, hope return along with her, welcome back your courage."

"Darkness has been a resting place, a place of solace, but it is, the butterfly indicates, time to cut through the fear of being seen, and move into the light and go out, be public, and even be social for a time."

Personal Message:
Hmm, recurring themes and messages tend to come through on a Tuesday after spending Monday night working on Shadow work.  Today's message is a repetition of last nights work and messages.  I find the confirmation comforting.

E = Embrace the Imperfect

I was really struggling with what to right this week, actually struggling with the project over all as life swamps me with other things that demand my attention.  Today this idea came to me, the idea that we need to embrace the imperfect in not only ourselves but in our practice also.

I know when I first started this path I picked up my witches bible (In this case Cunningham's Guide for the Solitary Practitioner) and voraciously read through it.  And like most I've spoken to who first start this path I ended the book with this desperate feeling that I needed to buy all these props in order to practice the right way.  This was the first lesson I learned in embracing the Imperfect.  I was 15 when I started this journey, I was living at home and going to high school  - where was I supposed to get my hands on an athame, boline, cauldron, wand, chalice, etc etc.  It just wasn't possible.  Especially when you are trying to keep your path somewhat hidden from parents who wouldn't really understand.  So I was saving to purchase what I could and in the mean time anxiously waiting to start this journey and it eventually came to me that the whole scenario was a little ridiculous.  If deity was so caught up with having all the trappings then I was on the wrong path, so I decided to improvise, and while I will admit that I have purchased some items since then that were specifically ritualized (athame, wand, cauldron) to this day much of what I use I find at the store cheap and modify to my purposes.  My Chalice is a wine glass from the dollar tree store that I then used glass paint pens on.  Several of my shrines are terracota pot plant plates that I've painted to reflect the deity/purpose that are great for holding little crystals, incense etc.

The second part of Embracing the Imperfect that I learned shortly after starting to actually practice was that it didn't matter if my words weren't perfect, if I flubbed something, if I forgot a line or didn't follow a script, what mattered was that my intent was there and my heart was in it.  I recall in the early days the nervous panic that would set in when you go to perform a ritual/spell, worrying about what would happen if you got something wrong - no wonder little worked in the beginning, my energy was all over the place.  One day I had a moment of clarity as it occurred to me that deity had to have a sense of humor.  All one had to do was look at the world around us to see evidence of that.  So what if I flubbed occasionally, together we'd laugh it off and move forward.  If I felt free enough to talk to deity each day about nothing in particular at all surely the relationship could see itself through the odd tongue twister or forgotten words.

Too often we get caught up in trying to be perfect.  What is the perfect way to do this, what is the perfect color, what is the perfect scent, do I know my lines perfectly and it actually detracts from what we are trying to achieve.  Not only that but when we are so concerned with making sure we are perfectly inline with someone else's ideas (because lets face it that is all those 101 programs etc out there about this path are) than we fail to listen to our own intuition and the messages that might be trying to get through to us.

E is for Earth

(Source: http://www.elfwood.com/~pleiades/Element-Earth-Dance.3123838.html)

I struggled with getting this post done, I am not entirely sure why - other than school work and life keeping me insanely busy.  Maybe it was because I wasn't quite sure how to incorporate earth into my life over the next month like air.  Yes, I talked of doing a painting board for each element - and I will still do that - but I didn't connect enough with that last time so I wanted to come up with something that really brought the element into my life a little more.

I feel somewhat disconnected with earth lately.  You see I live in a townhouse, we have no yard and our balcony gets full sun all day and is not conducive to anything I attempt to grow surviving - including Rosemary and a Mediterranean Lavender.  So I've given up trying to get anything to grow out there which depresses me because I love gardening and I love having plants around me.  I have some indoor plants but I have to be cautious with those because I also have a fairly young and mischievous cat who like to play with the plants and knock them over.  I'm not even game to try some hanging pot plants, I have visions of coming home to see my cat swinging from them.

I have crystals throughout  my house which helps somewhat, and my bedroom is very earthy toned but it isn't enough.  When we were living in New Zealand we would go to the beach very regularly, we would go hiking on weekends and basically get out in nature and explore.  Now that doesn't really happen.  One, there aren't a lot of easy access hiking places.  Two, I'm working full time and doing school and my husband and I are on opposing schedules (he is also working full time and doing school) so there is little time to explore.  Maybe I'm making excuses, I definitely don't feel the connection I did back in Australia or New Zealand.

So what did this lead me to as a solution?  I still don't have one - so I'll take any suggestions.

So this post isn't totally a personal reflection here are some details about the element Earth.

(Source: http://enlightenyourday.com/2011/04/21/earth-day-quotes-mother-earth-quotations/#.T1jgocAgeeY)

Earth: A feminine element earth is associated with ideas of stability and nurturing, strength and endurance.  Earth is what holds us firm, it is what gives us our foundations.

Direction: North
Colors: Green, Brown, Black
Tarot: Pentacles or Coins
Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Elementals: Gnomes (King Ghob), Dwarfs, Trolls
Plants: Red Poppy, Roots, Mosses, Lichens, Ivy, Comfrey, Patchouli, Sage, Vervain, Barley, Corn, Wheat, Rice
Symbols: Mountains, Caves, Gems, Fields, Rocks, Salt, Wheat, Clay
Stones: Dense & Opaque stones, Obsidian, Coal, Emerald, Malachite, Agate, Jet, Onyx, Jasper, Azurite, Amethyst, Quartz
Animals: Burrowing animals, Buffalo, Wolves, Horses, Sheep, Earthworms, Turtles, Cows, Horse, Ants, Bears

Full Moon - March

(Source: http://www.field-notebook.com/?p=662)

March’s Full Moon

Names: Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, Lenten Moon, Fish Moon, Sleepy Moon, Big Famine Moon, Moon of Winds, Chaste Moon, Death Moon,

This is the time when the world is coming back to life, the snow and ice are thawing, the earth worms are reappearing, the birds are coming back to life.  New hope and rebirth are appearing.  This is the time to tap into this newly reborn energy, to prepare for the coming times by working acts of blessing for new projects etc.  If you’re a gardener then take this opportunity to bless your seeds and soil, to prepare them for a bountiful harvest.  Any full moon is good for crystal cleansing but why not use this one to bless a crystal for a specific purpose, give it a new beginning.

Daily Draw - March 8th 2012

From the Book:
It is the right time in this moment.  For too long you have used this idea of right time as a tactic to delay and procrastinate, because you are afraid of what the change will bring.  Will you shift your consciousness - will you change, deliberately, despite the fear and the others who tell you you are wrong?

Personal Interpretation:
I am a big procrastinator, its actually something I've gotten worse at as I've gotten older.  And it is fear a lot of the time and waiting for the right time and doubting my ability to make the change.  This cards message relates to so many little things in my life as well as a big overriding theme that I'm working with right now.

Daily Draw - March 6th 2012

What the Book Says:
One cycle has ended.  You must now shift the focus from what you fear to what you wish to become, and just face what it is that is frightening you needlessly.  It will not kill you.  It might hurt a bit.  But it is SO worth it!

My Interpretation:
Oh how accurate is this card for today.  This year is one of big changes within myself (well at least that is my goal) and Shadow work is a key part of this and those changes will hurt but they are right and what I should be doing.  This is the natural next step in my journey that I have been running away from for so long, its time to face it head on.

Daily Draw - March 5th, 2012

From the Book:

There will be a bright piece of beautiful luck...it will offer you energy, confirmation and validation.  There will be fresh challenges along the way, but magick is all around you.  Stay on course.  All is working beautifully!

Personal Message:

Little unsure about this one today, I think it is something I will have to see play out.  I do know there are a couple of things in the works that this could relate to though.