black panther

Valuable Nuance – Day 1090

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Tonight: Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus (l-r) – Photo: L. Weikel

Valuable Nuance

I mentioned in my post last night that the card underneath my Ace of Air did seem to hold some relevance to the question I’d posed. Indeed, it probably provides some valuable nuance to my query, “What’s next?” My initial focus, of course, was on paying attention to the details of the Ace of Air, the ‘main’ card I selected. I didn’t even allow myself to look at the bottom card until later. So when I did finally glimpse the 10 of Water (from the Witches’ Wisdom Tarot*), I was surprised to see a few personally relevant details popping out right away.

I immediately noticed the Black Panther peeking out at me from the jungle foliage. The energy of Black Panther first showed up in my life (on a noticeably consistent basis) shortly after I published my book, Owl Medicine*. I kept seeing images of them in the weirdest places, including my dreams. To make a long story short (something I actually loathe – give me a good story!), it turned out that Black Panther was a harbinger of my initiation into the Q’ero tradition. Black Panther was my companion as I honored my immersion into shamanism as a calling and way of life.

10 of Water – The Witches’ Wisdom Tarot by Phyllis Curott

A New Path

Black Panther is an ally of mine, particularly with respect to certain shamanic tasks I undertake. Interestingly, Sheila (our first Boston Terrier) ‘told’ me shortly after we adopted her that she was the physical embodiment of my Black Panther. I know that probably sounds weird, but it was a palpable experience – and lasted throughout her life.

Finally, Black Panther showed up in a shamanic journey I took earlier in the day on November 12th, 2011, the day we found out Karl had died the night before. Indeed, Black Panther showed me what had happened before I even had the slightest inkling anything was wrong. (Yet another story.)

Other Details

Another detail that jumped out at me when I looked at this card, beyond the verdant abundance, was the Toucan. It just so happens that the Toucan is intimately related to a Being with whom I interact in the Lower World (Uhupacha), especially when journeying on behalf of clients (as opposed to journeying for myself).

Of course, the myriad (ten, to be exact) Frogs depicted in the card immediately brought to mind my harping on the need to clean out and make space for the next phase in my life. This theme has persistently demanded my attention.

Without even opening the book, my overall sense of the foundation of the message being brought to me was that whatever that Ace of Air is suggesting is my ‘next’ devotion or Act of Power, it may also bring an abundance of flourishing energy and magic.

And then I looked it up in the book that accompanies the deck. The keyword was not what I expected – but it couldn’t have been more perfect.

Patience Personified (or Catified)-Brutus loving Tigger – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-21)

Turtle – Day 597

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Tohickon Green – Photo: L. Weikel

Turtle

Well, the post I wrote last night pretty much revealed the simmering concerns I have over the trajectory we’re on. There are so many threats being waged – daily – on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. And these threats are being experienced by all of us, both personally and collectively as a nation and even as a planet. So it was comforting when Turtle showed up as my ‘pick’ today.

Of course, I’m referring to the tradition Karl and I have of starting our mornings by choosing Medicine Cards*, and chatting over a cup of coffee about how our selections might apply to the day ahead of us. Sometimes we may only discern the relevance of a particular selection after the day has unfolded. And sometimes a pick is obviously a direct response to something we’re thinking or feeling or worrying about at the moment we chose our cards.

In fact, sometimes I have to laugh because I realize that a card I’ve chosen is directly addressing something I’ve not even spoken of out loud – and barely admitted to myself. That’s one of the gifts of opening ourselves up to exploring our intuition and the unseen guidance that’s merely waiting to be ‘asked.’

Mother Earth

The message I received when I chose Turtle this morning was that my day would be enhanced if I reconnected with Mother Earth. I took that to mean consciously. Quietly. Introspectively.

And with Black Panther underneath, my sense was that in choosing to consciously root or ground myself, by giving myself an opportunity to step away from my laptop and phone (other than to take photos so I could share my experience in some small way with you), I very well might literally ‘embrace the unknown.’

I chose to pay a silent visit to my Tohickon, my source of sustenance and rejuvenation, and I was amply rewarded. A blue heron greeted me, bringing joy immediately to my heart. But it was my immersion in a holographic cocoon of hundreds of shades of abundant life force that filled my senses and helped me remember: there is so much more.

Grandmother Moon

And just now, right before I’m posting this, I took Sheila outside and was dazzled by the brilliance of Grandmother Moon. A catbird singing reminded me of my discovery of that beautiful gift last year.

And all I wanted to do was run inside and share all of this abundant sustenance with you.**

Night Shot – Photo: L. Weikel

*affiliate link

**One other thing? Don’t forget, tomorrow is the first day of July. If you’ve been making the effort to bring diversity and balance to the land on which you live (big or small) by participating in the Perelandra Biodiversity Project, make sure to set aside the five minutes it takes to engage in the very simple yet powerful exercise described here and here.

(T-514)

Raising the Roof on My Comfort Zone – Day 213

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Clouds parting and bringing clarity – Photo: L. Weikel

Raising the Roof on My Comfort Zone

As I mentioned last night, my decision to raise my rates has been a long time coming. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, by any means.

Many factors played into my decision, as you might expect.

But yesterday, as I contemplated making my announcement public by writing about it here, I felt all my worries and doubts lining up for one last swipe at my decision.

The wind yesterday was brisk and it was chilly on our porch. I picked up the deck of Medicine Cards and walked, barefoot, onto our lawn, shuffling all the while. I looked up into the sky and watched the clouds, which had blanketed the sky only moments earlier, open up to reveal brilliant azure clarity above my head. I felt myself connecting with the cool green grass beneath my feet as I opened my heart to receiving one last oomph of GUIDANCE.

As I meandered, I said out loud to anyone who would hear (but really, I was addressing Spirit), that increasing my rates was really pushing me out of my comfort zone, that I was really feeling anxious and conflicted over it.

The Wind Steps In

At that, the wind whipped in, picked a card off the deck as I shuffled the cards in my hands and swept that card face down into the birdbath, which was full of fresh, clear rain water from the storms of the night before.

Miraculously, the card landed on the surface of the water gently and without a sound. I snatched the card up, refusing to allow the card to get ruined by plunging into a birdbath, gently wiping it to ensure no permanent damage was done.

The card that Spirit had chosen ‘for’ me was Ant. The keyword for Ant is Patience. Glancing at the rest of the deck, which I continued to clutch in my left hand, I saw that Black Panther was stalking my pick, informing me on how I should interpret that “Spirit-assisted” pick. Black Panther’s keyword are ‘Embracing the Unknown.”

Wow. OK. I felt totally OK with having PATIENCE, which was interesting, because years and years ago, that was the single-word response I received when I took one of my first journeys and asked for guidance. I simply saw the word PATIENCE – in all caps – right in front of my closed eyelids. That frustrated me to no end.

Patience/Embracing the Unknown

But this time? It felt good. It felt OK. I felt that Spirit was telling me to FOLLOW THROUGH with this shift (of which raising my rates is a part) and to have patience. Yes, it may cause me to ‘lose’ potential clients that would have come to me had I left my rates where they’ve been for 15 years. But if I have patience (and accept that this IS a leap from my comfort zone – “into the VOID OF THE UNKNOWN”) things may work out in ways I cannot even fathom right now.

Yes, I must leap (Black Panther), but first and foremost, I MUST EXERCISE PATIENCE. Which means yeah, I’m probably going to encounter some backlash and some scary times. Yeah, it’s not necessarily going to be easy or a walk in the park. But it is the right thing to do.

I’ll admit that this was my first true ‘hit’ on what the Ant/Black Panther combo was telling me.

Doubt Rears Its Head

But then, of course, my freaking nemesis, doubt – that Spirit could actually, truly, be encouraging me to think bigger, dream bigger, to believe that I am here to help deliver a message, in service, that people will benefit from hearing and incorporating into their lives – kicked in.

I chastised myself: Maybe the Ant card landing in the birdbath meant, “Yeah, you need to just settle down. Don’t act in haste by raising your rates so dramatically. Settle the $#%@ down. Be patient.”

And that thought just felt awful. I felt every cell in my body droop. It deflated me and made me feel sad – as if I were letting myself down in the worst way.

Realizing how profoundly my old habits of indulging my doubt and second-guessing the message I’d intuited with such crystal clarity in those first moments made me feel utterly defeated, I chose, then and there, to honor my knowing.

I’m revealing these thoughts and the process through which I butted heads with my doubts to show that I understand how tough it can be to honor our knowing. When I ask clients to do hard things, it’s not as if I’m asking you to do anything I wouldn’t demand of my own self.

The Road Ahead – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-898)

Trusting the Leap – Day Nineteen

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 4 Comments

 

Trusting the Leap

I’m having a hard time coming up with something to write about tonight. Nothing is jumping out at me; I had a long day, I’m tired, and I didn’t experience any major “Ahas!” regarding this morning’s ‘pick.’

Technically, my full pick this morning was Black Panther/Beaver. Although I always love when I choose Black Panther – since its title attribute in the Medicine Cards© is “Embracing the Unknown,” I always enter my day when I choose it with a sense of anticipation and a bit of mystery – I can’t say as though I noticed it applying to the way my day unfolded.

Beaver’s title attribute is “Builder,” and my usual default sense of Beaver when it’s underneath is that it somehow has something to do with working with others, or ‘teamwork.’

Applying My Cards to My Dilemma

And now I will admit to something:

It is only now as I am writing this post that I am sensing the application of my card pick.

My receipt of Black Panther was the cards telling me that I needed to “leap empty-handed into the void with implicit trust” in writing tonight’s post. I just had to dive in. And as soon as I wrote that first sentence, I felt like I might be onto something. Just admitting that I had no subject was a subject!

That’s when I thought to consider what I’d chosen on my day – at least it might give me a jumping off point.  So, while it may have been more accurately described as an empty-headed leap into the void with implicit trust, here I am, embracing my Black Panther.

And the Beaver underneath? Well, that sort of just falls into place for me now and underscores that Black Panther is appearing in reference to my 1111 Devotion . Beaver’s placement underneath is you. Why? Because we are a team. We are a community. By taking the time and according me the honor of choosing to spend a few precious minutes with me each day (or whenever you can), you are respecting my Act of Power. You are respecting my dedication to this crazy devotional practice. And honestly? Knowing that you (and yes, your single self is absolutely precious to me) are going to read this has spurred me on to put one sentence after another and follow through.

Sometimes They Make Sense Only Later

It’s also another way for me to show how the Medicine Cards©work for me. They do not always make sense to me as I read them at the outset of my day. Some days I honestly have no clue as to how my pick will apply. Some days I can honestly say I never figure it out.

But then there are days like today, when the meaning or application has not had an opportunity to manifest until the sun has long since set and I am starting to grow sleepy.

The cool thing (for me), though, is that I still feel the magic. I’m delighted that my choice of cards this morning taught me something this evening. They came to my aid by informing me that sometimes we just have to leap into the void, even if we are empty-handed (or empty-headed), with implicit trust – in order to keep building on our commitment to the ‘team.’

So again – thank you for being there for me.

recinet.ca

(T-1092)