initiation

Big Week – ND #10

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Initiation – Witches’ Wisdom Tarot* by Phyllis Curott

Big Week

From the full moon tomorrow (Saturday) night at 11:35 p.m. EST to the final Saturn square Uranus of the year next Thursday (23 December 2021), and a myriad other somewhat provocative aspects, this could prove to be an especially challenging several days. I’d say we definitely have a big week coming up. And while we’ll probably witness the foundational disruptions most dramatically in the ‘outside world,’ many of us will also experience this grand finale to our calendar year personally, as well.

You may recall that the theme of 2021 was pretty well set by the unusual circumstance of Saturn squaring (being in a 90 degree aspect to) Uranus not only once but three distinct times this year. The first one occurred in February (17th), the second in June (14th), and now this final one next week (the 23rd//24th). And to think, this specific tango between Saturn and Uranus only occurs once every 22 years.

As I understand it, usually this square happens once in its cycle. The fact that it happened three times this year (due to retrograde motion of the planets) made this struggle or challenge occurring between the old and the new all the more powerful, acute, and, well, potentially utterly transformational (or devastating, depending upon your perspective).

The fundamental natures of these two huge outer planets and how they’re in a challenging position with each other indicated that we would all be faced with taking stock of our core values and other foundational aspects of our lives. And along with that, challenged to allow those foundations to suddenly collapse or explode (the lightning-like, disruptive aspect of Uranus).

Resistance

On a societal level, all year we’ve been challenged to look at how the systems upon which our nation is built may be unstable and in need of reform or even complete rebuilding. It’s not been easy and there is a ton of resistance to even believing that our three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) might have become corrupted over the years. But we’ve seen a lot this year. And the Uranian energies of illumination, revelation, and radical transformation just keep pounding on the doors of our consciousness.

My sense (and I’m the first to admit, I’m no amazing ‘seer,’ I’m simply paying attention) is that we’re in for a lot more disruption before we stabilize.

Personal Ramifications

While what happens on a national level (or even state or local level) affects us all, especially when we’re talking about the underpinnings of our very democracy, the fact remains that many people are also experiencing radical transformations to their foundations on a personal level. From the ravaging effects of Covid (we reached the awful level of 800,000 deaths this week) to the decimation of voting rights and the right for women to have bodily autonomy, our assumptions about the permanence and stability of our health or our rights in this country have been blown up. Right down to the thousands of people who literally had their homes ripped up and spit out by monster tornadoes. Things we believed stable and rock solid have been proved otherwise.

Guidance

So like I did back in May, just before the second Saturn square Uranus, I’m going to pick a card tonight for us to contemplate and reflect upon over the coming week. (I recommend you check out the card I chose for that post. It’s interesting to read it, knowing how things have played out so far.)

Oddly, the deck I chose from in May (Tarot of the Crone) has gone missing for the moment. (I know it’s around here somewhere – aargh! I’m so frustrated.) But I take my inability to locate that deck as a push to choose from another deck. So here goes. I’m choosing from a deck I’ve been working with all year: Witches’ Wisdom Tarot* by Phyllis Curott.

Initiation – Witches’ Wisdom Tarot* by Phyllis Curott

Initiation

Wisdom: There’s an ancient path for becoming human, for finding freedom and our own selves; there’s a way to heal and to become whole, to discover who we are, where we are, and why we’re here. From the moment of our first awakening, we have created rites of revelation, Initiations into the Mysteries hiding in plain sight.

(…) Trees stir and breathe. Birds sing in their branches as the leaves rustle and dance. The Pilgrim kneels beside a stream to drink, washes her face, sees herself reflected in the Water cupped in her hands. A sign of her quest hangs from her neck, five seed-shaped spaces waiting to be filled. A Crow plucks off her hat, two Fox cubs play and tear at her pack, a Badger carries her past away.

The path leads down, deep beneath the surface, and inward to the very center of her soul. Those who are becoming wise willingly descend, ready to be unmade in order to be made again. It’s time for unburdening, for cleansing the unreal and unwanted, for shedding all that separates you from your sacred self, from the Sacred that surrounds, sustains, and summons you. It’s time to di and be reborn.

(…)

Essence: Purification. Initiation. Trust. Let go of the past. Go within. Plunge into the unknown.

Counsel: What’s behind you? What are you carrying with you? What do you need to unpack? To leave behind? Life will initiate you, and when that journey begins, you must be ready to confront the emptiness of a socially dictated life and the constraints of family conditioning. You must face your fears and self-doubts, your shadows and your ‘kark’ side. You must release what imprisons you. It’s difficult, but it’s joyful. It begins with a single step,a leap of faith that although the old will fall away, something new, true, and beautiful will take its place. Plunge into the Water, into the cave. Plunge into your life. Everything will teach you, once you are open.

My Take

We can’t make this stuff up, my friends.

Buckle up. Let’s do this work: and remember we’re doing it together – and we have each other.

* Affiliate link

(T+10)

Initiation – Day 491

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Tree Gnome/Wisdomkeeper – Photo: L. Weikel

Initiation

We are entering a time in our evolution, as humans, in which we are facing some fundamental, existential choices. And this ‘time’ that we’re entering is not some epoch or age, some grander than our mortal lives massive measurement of time. No. We are in the initiation. The existential questions are being asked now. Right now. Right in the midst of our tiny, very tangible and measurable lifetimes.

I’ve mentioned before as this pandemic started looming on the horizon (before it was even characterized as a pandemic) that I sensed some major shifts in our reality coming toward us. Shifts that make us realize that the course we’ve been following not only is unsustainable but has hit a wall. Shifts that tell us, “Nothing is going to be the same.”

Self-Inflicted 9/11

In some ways, we might look upon what’s happening as a self-inflicted 9/11. When the United States was attacked by those three hijackings that gorgeous, azure-skied September morning, and we watched the twin towers crumble before our eyes, we knew instinctively that nothing would ever be the same.

And yet…in many ways, we humans resumed our blind and tone-deaf ways. While the world stood with all of us in the U.S. in the days and weeks following 9/11, eventually we – our government, our leaders – turned those events into the perfect justification to not only continue on our selfish, unsustainable path of war and greed and abuse of power, but to double down on it.

Greed Unchecked

Indeed, our selfishness and greed roared back to life, seatbelts or restraints on behavior that could easily get out of hand were removed. Everyone in the U.S. celebrated the amazing recovery we were enjoying, not a little bit funded by the seemingly never-ended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, neither of which had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks, which supposedly justified them in the first place.

And then the 2008 financial debacle happened.

That, too, was going to change everything.

It didn’t.

Not only didn’t our over-consumptive, unsustainable, greedy ways continue. No, we flouted the existence of climate change. We pursued fracking here in the United States, a process of injecting unbelievably toxic materials into Mother Earth all in the pursuit, not only of unsustainable energy to burn but also money to burn. Climate effects be damned.

Out of Balance

All of these opportunities to make choices on how we are going to proceed in our evolution (or not), have resulted in us making choices that have caused us to grow more and more out of balance with everything else on this planet, including the planet herself.

The virus we’re facing right now is ravaging our species – all over the world, without care of nationality, skin color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation – because we have no natural immunity to it. And because we’ve lied to ourselves and willingly swallowed the lies being told to us. In order to deal with all of this, without losing massive numbers of our own, we must work together.

So far, our reaction, the reaction of the United States, has been barreling along on the trajectory we seem to have been following for many years, but most especially since entering this century.

We can still turn this around. But we need to do it now. We need to take to heart this dramatic, unprecedented challenge to what we think of as our lives and our societies and make some drastically different choices.

A Wonderful Perspective

I recommend this lovely thought-provoking piece as a completely different way of looking at what we’re experiencing right now. I, for one, would love to continue reflecting upon the questions posed here as the days, weeks, and months of this new life of ours unfolds.

Let’s reflect together.

Hopefully where we’re headed – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-620)

Full Moon Bath – Day Ninety Nine

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Some mesas keeping warm by a fire – Photo: L.Weikel

Full Moon Bath                

Nope. Not for me. It’s frigid outside. (And contrary to what a certain someone might have you believe, I’m not  a Fridgit.)

I’m sitting here in my living room, a fire making it so toasty and cozy that it’s hard to keep my eyes open. Because the sole thermostat for our entire home is in this room, the rest of the house takes on a noticeable chill when we have a fire going in the winter months. But it makes for great sleeping.

As I sit here on the couch, I can see the brilliance of the imperceptibly not-quite-full moon shining in the front window of the dining room/library. Without being able to see the moon itself from the angle where I’m sitting, I can nevertheless see her glow bouncing off the limbs of the trees in the neighbors’ front yard across the street.

It’s the glow that’s calling to me.

Or perhaps not.

Call of the Khuyas

I thought it was the glow calling to me, but I actually think it is my khuyas. Khuyas (pronounced koo-yahs) are stones contained in my mesa, my sacred bundle. Khuyas are the integral cast of characters in my mesa who work with people to effect healing, in whatever form they may require.

I would say khuyas start out as simple stones or crystals, just regular Joe Schmoes who’ve been hanging around in and on the earth for millennia. But I don’t feel that’s true. Sure, perhaps some of the stones or crystals that end up in mesas are newbies, meaning this is their first gig as a team member in a healing mesa. But I truly believe most of these beings maneuvered their way into being discovered by, or coming into the hands of, a person who is called to learn these ancient ways because it is their service.

These stones know what they’re doing. They carry knowledge and experience accumulated over millennia; vast stores of hidden knowledge and wisdom. And they are remarkably powerful.

Regardless of whether they have been carried in mesas of generations of healers or this is their first assignment working with the human realm, these stones have a unique and treasured relationship with their people. (And by ‘their people,’ I mean those who bundle them in sacred cloth and work with them on behalf of their own healing and, in some cases, the healing of others).

From as early in my life as I can remember, I’ve delighted in noticing and picking up stones that have caught my attention. (Same with feathers and other treasures I’ve discovered in nature.) But stones! I think I have stones from every place I’ve ever visited. (And believe me – when I was backpacking around Europe as an 18 year old, this meant I had to exercise immense discernment – and restraint.)

Who Initiates Whom?

But none of those or any other stones I collected over the years could technically be called a khuya. Not until it worked with me on a soul level, one-on-one, and developed a personal relationship with me. Indeed, when I was first building my mesa, the initial set of stones I worked with ended up being initiated into the Q’ero tradition I was learning before I was. The Q’ero elders and those who had been working with and had received rites of initiation from them made a point of initiating the stones– making them khuyas – before even considering initiating me.

But as I have done this work through the years, I have wondered: Did it take an initiation by a human to shift a stone or crystal to the status of a khuya? Or do they know Who They Are and, as I mentioned earlier, present themselves to (or allow themselves to be discovered by) a person when that person is on the path to be initiated by them?

I’m perhaps heading off into the weeds a little here; possibly contemplating the origin of my sacred allies in ways that might not interest a lot of people. I can tell you, embracing the consciousness of my khuyas has brought me immense joy, which I guess is why I love just chatting with you about this stuff.

And all of this originated with my observation of the moon’s glow as I started to write this post.

Yearning for a Full Moon Bath

That’s because, as cold as it is outside (and I can hear the wind causing the chimes on my porch to clatter and clang in more of a cacophony than usual), I hear my khuyas calling me. They’re asking to be set out in the moonlight tonight. They’re nearly giddy with the thought of being exposed to the brace of freezing temperatures and the kiss of a stiff breeze, perhaps even some snow flurries. Most of all, though, they’re yearning to bask in the light of Mama Killa, Grandmother Moon, and be cleansed and revivified in the process.

Yikes. Now that I’m tuned in, I can hear them bitching at me a little bit. They’ve been doing some amazingly powerful work for quite a while and I’ve not been as devoted (there’s a word!) to them as they would like. I’ve neglected them by not allowing them the cleansing serenity of a Full Moon Bath in far too long. And yes, this is true, even if I have cooed over them, kumayed them with florida water, and expressed my gratitude every time I’ve opened my mesa.

So I am off to open Sacred Space, unfold my mesa, and set her out in the glow of tonight’s full moon. May my khuyas dance and be joyful!

(T-1013)

Take a Chance – Day Fifty Four

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Take a Chance

You never know how a day is going to turn out.

I’d expressed an interest in attending a program tonight in NYC several weeks ago, and then forgot about it.

The Rubin Museum is an absolute treasure. I’ve been to several programs there and every single one has been well worth the trip.

The program that was scheduled for tonight at the Rubin was Altai Kai – a world-renowned throat-singing ensemble from the Altai region of Siberia. If you’re not familiar with throat-singing, it is hard to describe with words. Similar to shamanism, you have to experience it to truly appreciate it.

Indeed, hearing throat singing for the very first time caused me to spontaneously burst into tears. Not because I was offended or frightened by what I heard emanating from my car’s speakers but because it reached right into the center of my chest and pierced my heart. It spoke to me in a way I’d never experienced music before. And that extremely unexpected occurrence sealed my fate of actually taking a trip to the former Republic of Tuva (now a part of Russia) in 2003.

And that trip ended up being my literal and completely unexpected initiation into shamanism.

But that’s a story for another day. Suffice it to say, though, throat-singing is near and dear to my heart.

So I’d tossed out the idea to Karl that we might want to attend this concert tonight and we’d agreed it might be fun. And then we just put it on the back burner. Wait and see.

Yesterday, we suddenly remembered that this was a possibility. I contacted the Rubin and almost bought the tickets – but had the possibility of a session with a client today and didn’t want to make plans that might have to be canceled. So I held off.

Turned out that the session never took place today, so I logged on to order the tickets and – you guessed it – they were sold out.

We were so bummed out. Checking further on the website, I could see they had a process for a waiting list – but you had to sign up for it in person – and not a moment before 5:00 p.m. (the concert started at 7:00). And then you had to show up again at 6:50 p.m., again in person, to see if you were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to buy some tickets at the last minute.

Why Not?

After only a moment, we just looked at each other and said, “Why not?”

So we took a risk. We threw caution to the wind and left for NYC at 3:00 p.m. Wow, we made fantastic time. In fact, we got to the Museum at 4:45 – and they wouldn’t let us sign up for the wait list literally until the stroke of 5:00!

We grabbed a quick dinner and made our way back to The Rubin.

Didn’t we see my niece and nephew (who’d introduced us to the magic of The Rubin to begin with) sitting at a table in the lobby? They, too, had put themselves on the waiting list and were hoping to have their name called at 6:50. (I guess procrastination might run a tad in my family?)

We hadn’t even realized the other would be there – and neither of us had contacted the other because we knew we hadn’t been able to buy tickets ahead of time.

Turned out all four of us got in! And it was a great concert. Just…amazing.

I hope you enjoy the taste of the Altai Kai, above.

And next time you have a chance to take a chance? Do it.

(T-1057)

Moose’s Message – Day Eight (T-1103)

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 9 Comments

 

Moose’s Message

To briefly recap my post from yesterday, last Sunday (11/11), the 7th anniversary of the death of our son Karl, I received the inspiration (and subsequent confirmation from several sources) that the best way to honor our son’s life as a creative, amazing person was for my husband to paint (he is a visual artist) and for me to write. Upon receiving this ‘message,’ more specifics were conveyed, and the concept of the 1111 Devotion became manifest.

Then last Monday night I published my initial Devotion post, following through on my acknowledgment of the message from Spirit and publicly committing to this Act of Power.

I need to admit that I’ve shied away from publishing my blog consistently for a myriad of self-deprecating reasons, which I won’t bore you by enumerating. Suffice it to say, I guess I’m ‘over that.’ Or at least I’m being forced to let go of those old beliefs, since if I indulge them, I simply will not have the wherewithal to go forward with this commitment.

There’s probably a wonderful energetic confluence here. I’ve been thinking a lot about wisdom and ‘elderhood’ lately. What it means to be an elder and how our society has, in many ways, concomitantly lost respect for ‘elderhood’ and actually experienced a dearth of true ‘elders.’

And I’ve been contemplating a ‘change’ in what I do in the world. Not actually thinking about it; more sensing its impending arrival and wondering what it will mean to me. More teaching? Less individual healing work? Returning to writing? Something completely different that I don’t even have on my radar at the moment? I do not know. But clarity does seem to be emerging from a most unexpected place.

I woke up on Tuesday morning feeling both exhilarated and more than a bit freaked out. I’d declared to the world (my world, at least – the people who care enough to read my words and, perhaps equally important, my Self) that I was going to write a blog post every single day for 1111 days (over three years!) as a devotional act dedicated to the memory of my son Karl.

I was curious to see what I would pick for the day. Would it be a card that would tell me I should run and hide (Prairie Dog, for instance)? Or that I’d done something really dumb to sabotage myself or my reputation (Coyote)?  In spite of the knowledge that I might receive such a message, I must admit: I felt OK, deep down in my heart of hearts, about making such a wild commitment. And I felt that even if I received a kick in the pants, or a challenge to my confidence, I’d be OK. I’d do my best to follow through. And that would have to be enough. (And honestly? Feeling that sense of peace that however this plays out will be ok was – and is –  bizarre.)

Needless to say, since you already know, I picked:   Moose2.

And because I ended up writing a detailed explication of what ‘squared’ means and how we would interpret it, I’m just going to fill you in on the parts of Moose that jumped out at me that morning.

Right off the bat, the poem at the beginning touched my heart:

 

“Moose…

Help me to honor the gifts I can give,

And recognize my worthiness long as I live.”

 

In talking to Karl about this undertaking, he encouraged me to believe that sharing my thoughts about everyday things might actually be of benefit to someone. I’ve been skeptical of that attitude for a long time. (This isn’t the first time he’s encouraged me to ‘write more.’) But let’s be honest. If I’m going to write 1111 posts, I’m going to be talking about a lot of mundane stuff! I take for granted how quirky my perspective can be sometimes. Maybe Moose was telling me that quirkiness just might be a gift, as is my ability to convey it.

The ‘headline’ attribute assigned to Moose in the cards is “self-esteem.” Well, that was self-evident. I should feel good about the decision.

The first paragraph only served to bring this idea home:

 

“Moose is found in the North of the medicine wheel, as is Buffalo. North represents the place of wisdom. Self-esteem is the medicine of Moose because it represents the power of recognizing that wisdom has been used in a situation and that recognition or a pat on the back is deserved.” (ital. added)

 

I had to laugh out loud, though, when I came to this sentence in the following paragraph.

 

 “…The bellow of a male Moose can be viewed as a positive force, since it represents his willingness to ‘tell the world’ about his feelings.”

 

I’d read this a million times before, but of course it took on an entirely new and deeper meaning when applied to me deciding to publicly commit to sharing my thoughts (and feelings) ‘on-line’ for the next 3+ years.

The next paragraph, to my delight, seemed to capture the shift I was feeling within myself (much to my very own surprise) that was actually encouraging me to engage in this commitment:

 

“This ‘tell the world’ trait contains a joyfulness which only comes with a sense of accomplishment. There is no greater joy than a job well done. This trait is therefore not a seeking of approval, but rather an enjoyment of sharing because of the spontaneous explosion of joy that comes from the deepest part of one’s being.” (ital. added)

 

Yes. That was it! I looked up at Karl as I read these words aloud. He knew:  This was big for me.

Up to this point in my life, every time I thought about writing a blog on a consistent basis, I got snagged on the fact that I knew my ego would be seeking approval. How did I know that? Because I felt I had nothing worthwhile to say.  And as long as that was true, maybe I didn’t.

Somehow, relatively recently, perhaps in contemplation of the fact that I will turn 60 in March or perhaps because the stars have aligned and I am finally ready to embark upon the next third of my life, I feel like I’m ready to simply share. And people can take it or leave it. If I am writing every day as an act of devotion to my son, then I am acting with integrity and impeccability as far as I am concerned. And really, all I can do is walk my talk and speak my truth.

I don’t need the approval of others to either give me permission or make me feel like my words or my experiences are of value. That’s a rather astonishing feeling, I have to admit. And believe me, it doesn’t mean I don’t care at all how I am perceived. But a shift has taken place. And I’m taking a step onto a new path. And Moose was there – squared – to offer me initiation.