June Thru October Lakota Yearly Reading Updates

I did a yearly reading that can be viewed here.

I am going to post what was predicted & what happened. I am a little behind, so I am going to put June - October all on this blog entry. :) Keeping track for personal growth & to determine whether or not I will use this spread again in the future.

June Prediction:
There will be some success and reward this month and a fulfilled wish. I hope it is about money! Decisions will be made, and answers given. Someone new enters my life. Hmmm... this ought to be interesting. :) This months virtue is about generosity.

What happened:

My success and reward for the month of June was getting off my butt and walking daily. I have been a hermit for a few years now, and made it a point to get out daily and drop a few extra pounds. I was successful in losing ten pounds and ten inches total from different areas of my body. No one new entered my life, but I did get in touch with an old friend and we were able to set our differences aside. Generosity was both given and received, not only with my reconciliation with a friend, but also with my being kinder to my body.

July Prediction:

The cards urge me to be cautious this month, they do not say why. This months virtue is about humility.

What happened:

I continued my walking daily, but did not lose anymore weight. I definitely learned to be humble about my bragging!! That and my walking partner likes to talk my ear off me, so I did a lot of listening and not talking. LOL

August Prediction:

A successful contract, or an optimistic offer. Crossing my fingers it's a good job! I will be tempted this month to do something I would not normally do out of extreme boredom. This made me laugh. :) This months virtue is about compassion.

What Happened:

I got a part time job! I was actually offered two of them. I took the one, but not the other because of a sneaky contract and a lot of things in it that made me feel uncomfortable. Out of boredom, I started a new Tarot deck. The virtue of compassion, well ... my daughter had a couple different things going on during August, so I suppose it was about that.

September Prediction:

This month is about taking risks. It suggests some travel along with love and happiness. This has me wondering. This months virtue is about bravery.

What happened:

Bravery - for sure. Getting out of my normal 'hermit' lifestyle and jumping into a job that requires me to be out and around others. I luck out that it doesn't require a lot of being around others though. That way I can take things slowly and work my way up to a job that may be more in the public than this one later. I did some travel to take classes for this part time position. It was fun.

October Prediction:

The end to delays that have been in my life. There will be outings and fun, and partnerships. This months virtue is about love.

What happened:

Outings - only to work. As for fun, I involved myself more with a group on facebook. I have learned a lot and met some great friends. Love - yes! Definitely that. :) My friend whom I spoke of HERE, has professed his love for me, and I am thrilled about it. Crossing my fingers that it goes somewhere. He messaged me and asked if we could make this thing happen before middle aged life took all his hair and teeth. LOL He has a wonderful sense of humor. I adore him for it. Maybe good things are worth waiting for. Delays are finally moving. Perhaps I always knew they would? Maybe that is why I haven't committed to another relationship for so long? *What I have forgotten to tell you is that he has always liked me, but I would not date him for personal reasons. I felt he needed to do a lot of growing up before I gave him my heart. We settled into being best friends instead. Or maybe it was more me who settled? He always wanted more, and I wasn't sure that I did until I wasn't able to talk to him for a year!*

Oh, I met another guy prior to this happening, but I wasn't that into him. 

Courage Through Pain

Today is a revisit with my yearly reading that I did for myself back in January. If you would like to see the original post, you may do so HERE.  

For the month of May 2014, it read like this ...

May - I will be exposed to a truth, and this will allow me to accept things and move on. I am assuming that this has to do with the above person. We seem to have an on again, off again type relationship - so this will probably be more of the same. We do not live in the same state as each other, so I don't allow myself to get too close to him anyway. Contentment with career. Although there will be frustrations, I will remain optimistic. This months virtue is about fortitude (courage in pain and adversity).
Here is what actually happened...

The person whom I thought the reading would be about, it is not him. In fact, I thought the entire years worth of reading might be related to him in some way, but I am thankful that is not the case anymore. The relationship didn't end, but it is no longer an option either. We both left it at friendship, and I saw through the crap a couple of months ago.  

The truths that were exposed to me in May were that of two things. The first one, I had missed a friend that I had pushed out of my life, and realized just how much I still wanted him a part of my future. I am very thankful that he has a forgiving heart and has welcomed me back into his life gladly. :)

The other truth was that I have to let go of my friend who died six years ago. His spirit used to visit me frequently, but now it is less and less. I miss him terribly, and my heart still feels gashed open. I never got to say goodbye, as it was a freak accident, and the "could have beens" trouble me. It dawned on me after a conversation with my friend that I needed to probably let him go now, and let my memories be enough. In fact, it may be his time to reincarnate, and I may be keeping him here longer. This thought has bothered me a great deal, and I have had a few nightmares about the letting go process. In my near future, I will be having my own little ceremony to let him go. I don't want to hold him up any longer. Not an easy thing for me to do.  

If anything, in the month of May, I definitely learned to have courage through the pain, and over come adversities in my life.

So far this yearly reading has been a real eye opener, and very accurate. I will probably use it again next year.

Blessed Be

Beltane 2014 - Blog Hop

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Blessed Beltane!

As a Pagan I celebrate Beltane on May 1st. It is the supposed halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Beltane has been widely observed throughout the world, and historically it has been mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature. As a writer and history buff, I find this completely fascinating.

This is a holiday of Union--both between the Goddess and the God and between man and woman. Handfastings (Pagan marriages) are traditional at this time. It is a time of fertility and harvest, the time for reaping the wealth from the seeds that we have sown.

With that said, I will wish you all a wonderful summer, and hope that I have found something of amusement to ramble on about before you leave. :)

In the realm of Tarot, The Lovers card is used often to represent Beltane. Two people in love, sharing their devotion to one another, and celebrating life together in all it's moments of glory. The two people in this card love one another, and you can feel their sense of passion just by looking at them.

But what is it truly like to be in love? What exactly brings people together?

Being in love can be marvelous, and even delightful. But if you look a little closer, you come to see opposites who always find each other and fall hopelessly in lust, at least for a little while.

When I think about all the books that I have read in my lifetime, or all the stories that I have heard, the ones that stick out and create memories are that whose history is full of tragedy.

Most people might think of Romeo and Juliet, but I think of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. If ever there were two ends of a thread brought together by their own oppositions, it would be these two captivating souls.

A study conducted by the University of Iowa in 2005, states that similarity in personality is important to most people, but when seeking a mate, they look for their opposite. When asked why, they simply say because they don't want to be "bored" by choosing someone too similar to themselves.

Although it is a great primitive instinct that draws us to attract people opposite ourselves, studies show that these types of relationships usually do not work out in our best interest, often ending prematurely.

Case in point - Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

Henry VIII being the king of England, took it upon himself to divorce his first wife and marry his courageous opposite.

Anne was not a typical woman of her time, and not the sort a king would recognize as being yielding and loyal to his names sake. Instead she was persistent, and headstrong - all the attributes that woman should not be during that time.

She did not just sit back and please her king with all of his hearts desires, but she willed him to also do the same for her and demanded him to be loyal to her.

She even spoke out against political and religious issues, instead of taking her place as his pretty little jewel. How dare her? 

After a very short lived marriage, and Anne's failure to produce Henry with a son, he began to see all of her faults.

He came to the realization that instead of gaining international credibility, his obsession with Anne made him a laughingstock and alienated his allies. His paranoia got the better of him, and he looked for other women to stroke his ego and bare him a son.

Anne was trumpt up with charges that she didn't commit, and executed with a sword, leaving him free to marry again. What a nice guy.

Despite their oppositions, they did produce a harmonious whole during their short marriage - her name was Elizabeth, and even though she was not the son that Henry had so desperately thought he needed, she became a glorious Tudor queen for nearly forty-six years following the death of her half brother and half sister. Take that Henry! ;)

I often like to imagine Anne Boleyn smiling from her spirits resting place.

***

So there we have it. When The Lovers card appears in a reading - it doesn't always represent its clear cut meaning. It can be an array of different possibilities and warnings. Take heed to the cards that surface around it, for they too have a story to tell.

Blessed Be

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Imbolc 2014

February 2nd marks an important Celtic holiday, Imbolc.

It is now the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Our days will now slowly gain more light for longer periods of time. I very much look forward to this!

On this day we honor the fire Goddess Brigid. Many will arrange an alter and invoke the Goddess through prayer.

Imbolc signifies a celebration of fertility, reproduction and the young -- all overseen by the Goddess Brigid.

Soon the snow will melt and we can once again welcome Spring. The Imbolc folklore is that if it is cloudy on the morning of February 2nd then Spring will come early. But if it is sunny, then we will have six more weeks of Winter ahead of us.

Burning candles, and other fire during this day is said to encourage the lengthening of our daylight hours. Planting a seed in a pot is also used to encourage Spring to visit sooner.

My alter dedicated to Brigid. Red candles for one of her preferred
colors as well as the element of fire, and a statue that represents her,
a shell for the element of water. I will also be offering her a
piece of the cake from the recipe below, and a glass of milk.

This is the time of year that I start spring cleaning and getting rid of the old stagnant air that winter has trapped in my home. Living in Northern NY doesn't exactly allow me to open my windows just yet, but I will prepare for the days when I can. It has been a rough winter, and I look forward to some warmth from the sun.

Here is a wonderful cake recipe to bake and celebrate the day with your little ones.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quick oats, uncooked
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
Frosting of your choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Heat water until boiling. Add oats and stir. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 20 minutes. Melt chips. Stir and set aside. In a small bowl, mix flour, soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend oats and chocolate into creamed mix. Add flour mix.Pour into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 1 1/2-inch pan. Bake 35-40 minutes. Remove and let stand 5-10 minutes. Then turn out onto a flat surface. When cooled, frost as desired.

NOTE: It looks particularly spectacular when iced with white icing only on the top, and dusted with cocoa!

Yield: 1 13 x 9 cake.

If you would like to know more about the Goddess Brigid, you can do so Here and Here.

If you would like to hear a song dedicated to Brigid, you can do so Here.

If you would like to hear a song didicated to Cernunnos, you can do so Here.

If you would like to learn more about Imbolc, you can do so Here.

Have a blessed Imbolc everyone! 

Blessed be!

Lakota Wheel of the Year Spread

A friend of mine, Donnaleigh, came up with this yearly spread that I just had to try for myself. It is very interesting, but VERY time consuming. I think if I were to do this in the future, I would do it monthly instead of the whole year at once. :)

Lakota Wheel of the Year Spread - here

Here is a picture of my spread. My table was not cleared off so I ended up using my living room floor. The fun was trying to keep my kitten off from the cards. I think she wants me to teach her to read them. :)

I ended up putting two Tarot cards - Hudes Deck and two Lenormand cards - Apprentice Deck on each virtue above, and then I cast some of my crow stones on them.

After doing so, I snapped a picture and then wrote down each of the monthly drawings in a notebook. I am also going to post them here for back up. It will allow me to see my findings typed nice and neatly instead of written in my terrible hand writing. I swear it gets worse with age.

January 2014 - This is the month that will bring lots of transformations for me. I will feel a little overwhelmed. There will also be some confusion about a relationship with a friend that I have, and will wonder which direction it is heading. Some secrets will be hidden from me, and this person will try to keep me feeling secure through messages. What a fox! This months virtue is about Respect.

February - Some confusion will come to an end. This confusion has to do with matters of the heart. I will fear the unknown, and will have trouble staying focused. Hmm, sounds a little twisted, but interesting to say the least. This months virtue is about sacrifice.

March - Some blockages in karmic matters - more than likely with the above person, and this will cause some self doubt. There will be mental clarity though. Messages will be sent and received. I will also be looking constructively for work. This months virtue is about perseverance.

April - I will resort to my creativity to bring some security to myself. With patience, some income will start trickling in. I have to remain resourceful. I will hold off on personal relationships. This months virtue is about wisdom.

May - I will be exposed to a truth, and this will allow me to accept things and move on. I am assuming that this has to do with the above person. We seem to have an on again, off again type relationship - so this will probably be more of the same. We do not live in the same state as each other, so I don't allow myself to get too close to him anyway. Contentment with career. Although there will be frustrations, I will remain optimistic. This months virtue is about fortitude (courage in pain and adversity).

June - There will be some success and reward this month and a fulfilled wish. I hope it is about money! Decisions will be made, and answers given. Someone new enters my life. Hmmm... this ought to be interesting. :) This months virtue is about generosity.

July - The cards urge me to be cautious this month, they do not say why. This months virtue is about humility.

August - A successful contract, or an optimistic offer. Crossing my fingers it's a good job! I will be tempted this month to do something I would not normally do out of extreme boredom. This made me laugh. :) This months virtue is about compassion.

September - This month is about taking risks. It suggests some travel along with love and happiness. This has me wondering. This months virtue is about bravery.

October - The end to delays that have been in my life. There will be outings and fun, and partnerships. This months virtue is about love.

November - This month is about walking away with forgiveness in my heart and optimism for the future. New projects and surprises are in store for me. :) This months virtue is about honor.

December - I will be open to new ideas, and transformations and possibly new love. This months virtue is about truth.

Not sure how accurate this type of reading is going to be, but there it is. I did it. I will be adding notes as the months come up and write about what I see that the cards could have been telling me.