Putin

Not Alone – ND #92

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Cloud Peeper – Photo: L. Weikel

Not Alone

It’s getting harder and harder to watch the news or even read headlines anymore. The world certainly does appear to be coming apart at the seams. From war to plague to cataclysmic climate change, the temptation to just retreat into my own close circle of nature and people and books is almost irresistible. And I’m sure I’m not alone in that feeling.

I vacillate between feeling it’s my responsibility to pay attention (just like I feel with respect to domestic politics and witnessing the alarming rise of autocracy and fascism in the Republican party) and wondering just how much difference my attention makes.

I cannot in good conscience pretend that the brutality inflicted on Ukraine and its people by Putin isn’t happening. And I do believe it’s only escalating – which begs the question of how this can possibly end well. Even thinking about putting myself in the shoes of everyday Ukrainian people, my mind balks at the prospect. Would I stay and fight? Would I leave, determined to make a new life and help my country from an ostensibly safer place?

These questions are impossible to answer until we’re personally faced with the harsh reality of circumstances we can no longer avoid. We can imagine how we’d react – but truly, we have no idea until we’re in the thick of it.

No Walk Today

At least some of my unsettled feelings are probably stemming from the fact that I didn’t walk today. The weather was utterly miserable – the worst kind of cold, wet, and nasty that Spring can hurl at us – and that season hasn’t even arrived yet, technically. It seemed to be raining, drizzling, sleeting, or spitting snow globs at us all day. I know this influenced my imagining of the plight of the Ukrainian refugees because temperatures have plummeted there, too.

I’m hopeful I’ll manage to get a walk in tomorrow and perhaps receive a new perspective on the travails of our time.

In the meantime I’m offering you a photo from yesterday. The clouds were so swirly and beautiful, I just had to capture them. So it’s amusing to see a Cloud Peeper so prominently singing. I would’ve missed him entirely had I not taken this picture with the intention of simply sharing something beautiful with all of you.

(T+92)

It’s Wild Outside – ND #90

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Foreboding – Photo: L. Weikel

It’s Wild Outside

Wow, it’s wild outside. The wind is whooshing, whipping, sighing, and occasionally pelting rain down upon us. It doesn’t take a meteorological degree to know that the temperature outside is plummeting and we’ll be back to taking walks with neck gators and mittens augmenting our winter jackets.

Yeah – this is March weather. Wild and wooly. Unpredictable. Possibly a little scary with the way it can turn on a dime.

I knew I should’ve tried harder to take a photo of Pacha and Brutus this morning. They were absolute maniacs, reveling in their newfound freedom, tearing around the yard tackling each other, spinning, whirling, rolling, and occasionally flipping end over end (ass over tea cups?) (or is it ass over teakettle?). Not only were they exuberant over the mild temperatures, they also seemed completely buzzed by the rising winds and the cacophony of sensual overload they brought. It was as if the pups were experiencing the unsettling effects of our version of the Santa Ana winds.

Everywhere You Look

It seems like everywhere we look we can find evidence of behavior that could fall into the ‘Santa Ana’ category – that defies belief. I guarantee that on any given day you can find at least a dozen stories of people saying or doing things that just make you say, “What the hell are they thinking?” And in some cases, “Who do they think they are?”

Of course, it’s one thing to be dealing with two seven month old puppies hell-bent on tackling each other and ripping their chew toy away from each other. It’s quite another to be dealing with a national leader who cynically keeps his people propagandized and weak, lies with impunity, and deliberately thumbs his nose at all civilized rules of engagement, creating a culture of abject terror.

I find Putin’s nuclear posturing and veiled threats the worst kind of despicable. There’s no negotiating with a person like this. He’s incrementally taking more and more and more, without fear that he’ll be stopped, all because he the rest of the world now looks upon him as having been touched by the Santa Anas.

“Will he?” “Won’t he?” “He wouldn’t dare.” “Oh my God, he went there.”

He will use any excuse to ‘go there.’ He’s at the point where no good can come of this war; there can be no saving of face. He will decide he’s been dissed by us (and by that I also mean NATO) when he feels like it. While we dither and choose not to take advantage of the 40 mile long convoy being stuck in the muck because we refuse to breach a ‘no-fly zone,’ he will spontaneously decide to deem some random effort of support to Ukraine an equally egregious breach. And then do what he wants.

In the meantime, how many people will be permanently uprooted from their homes, from their families? How many cities, bridges, airports completely destroyed?

Where’s the Line? Photo: L. Weikel

Taking a Stand

It isn’t as if good faith negotiations are taking place. This entire fiasco is built on pretext and lies. Supposed cease-fires and evacuation routes are a mirage and enable the invaders to perpetrate even worse crimes against civilians (like leaving IEDs that look like children’s toys).

We can’t be afraid of someone who would order such atrocities. We can’t insist on playing by the technical rules when he refuses to play by them as well. What point is there for rules of engagement when only one side honors them?

My gut tells me he will wreak death and destruction for as long as he can and then decide on a whim, on a pretext, that the West has stepped over the line – a line he arbitrarily chooses. And then he’ll do what everyone is tiptoeing around right now. Why? Because he totally doesn’t give a shit. Not about his people, not about the Earth.

And there’s nothing we can do to change that reality. I hope we don’t sacrifice Ukraine to the “surely he won’t do that” crowd.

(T+90)

Exposure of an Illusion – ND #82

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
VI – Crossroads – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

Exposure of an Illusion

Let’s face it. We have witnessed an unprecedented exposure of an illusion this weekend. Without a doubt, ‘conventional wisdom’ was tolling the death knell for Ukraine when it became clear last week that Putin was actually going to mobilize the nearly 200,000 troops he’d amassed along Ukraine’s eastern and northern border. No one believed Ukraine could stave off the Great Bear.

Yet the manner in which Putin’s attempt to run roughshod over Ukraine is imploding has the world agog. Indeed, the sheer refusal of the Ukrainians to yield has rallied and united almost the entire world against the bully Putin. Ukrainians are the model of a people willing to ferociously fight with every fiber of their being for everything they find precious: their freedom, their families, and the principle of democracy. The manner in which Ukrainians are fiercely protecting themselves and each other is probably how all of us – all over the world – would like to imagine we would personally act if faced with similar dire circumstances.

Given our mythology, I’d guess we Americans are especially prone to thinking we’d be as brave and resilient (and defiant) as the Ukrainians. Whether we would or we wouldn’t may yet be determined – sooner than we think.

Starting the Week

The unified slap down on Russia (I should say Putin – I don’t think anyone wants the majority of Russian people to suffer) by so many major nations is going to have a huge effect on the Russian economy, almost certainly by the time you’re reading this. As I write this, the value of the ruble has already plummeted. Knowing this, and sensing that this week could be like no other we’ve experienced (possibly ever), I sat with my Tarot of the Crone deck and asked what we need to know.

VI – Crossroads – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

VI – Crossroads

“If you think      you can go back now

Think again

The choice must be made

No one can help you      All you know cannot help you

You cannot know the future     But you must know your heart     And choose to follow

Faces cloaked in shadow, triple Hekate stands at a crossroads on a moonless night. The brown paths indicate you have come to a time when making a decision affects your bodily existence, your life in the flesh, what you will do with your days and nights on this planet. The great hill behind Hekate says you don’t always get to choose the ways your life will turn. You don’t always get to see ahead. But when life does turn, make the best of it. Every face of hers is dark. She is not there to show you the way, she is there to challenge your path, to tell you to choose your course like your life depended on it. Her red cloaks and the living earth of the hill behind her, tell you the knowledge of the way lies in the quiet of your mind, the strength of your heart and the deep wisdom of your body. Listen. Each aspect is telling you, in it own way, how to live a life that includes their power.”

Underneath the Crossroads

Seven of Wands – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

Seven of Wands – Risk

“To go further, to be more

I will light the match     I will fan the flames     I will dance with danger

Let Power lead

A cloaked figure stands with arms outspread amidst flames and lines of raw power. She plays with fire, as well as opening herself to let power play with her. She is willing to embrace danger in the hope of further achievement, knowing that sometimes you have to take chances. Trust your experience gained thus far; you know when something has potential. It’s time to take a real risk, but not a blind one. You know you can’t stay comfortable where you are. There’s more you want. So let the discomfort goad you into a creating a more powerful future and investing in a proposition. Go stand out on that limb.”

My Take

World-wide, we’re going to have a week unlike any in a very long time. The risks inherent in doing what’s right may feel daunting. May we choose wisely, with our hearts and minds balanced and unfettered by fear. And may we all find and embrace our inner Ukrainian ferocity.

And seriously: you cannot make this stuff up. These cards could not feel more potently accurate and sobering.

(T+82)

Invasion – ND #79

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Weird clouds this morning – Photo: L. Weikel

Invasion

I’m having a hard time thinking about much of anything besides Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. I realize this is in all of our faces (and rightly so), and it’s probably the last thing you want to think about when you wake up in the morning. But I’m having a hard time separating Ukrainians’ experiences from how I imagine we might respond in similar circumstances.

Of course, it’s hard to imagine precisely similar circumstances, since our geography protects us in many ways and renders our shared borders quite dissimilar from Ukraine’s. It would be much harder to surround us with troops the way Putin has surrounded Ukraine.

Nevertheless, what I find myself resonating in solidarity with are the everyday people who are willing to stand up and fight for their country. They are willing to literally defend their democracy with their lives.

On a visceral level, this feels eerily akin to how we’re told the first Americans reacted and behaved when the British arrived on our shores in order to dissuade us from following through on our Declaration of Independence. There’s a fascinating coincidence playing out in this regard, having to do with the United States’ ‘Pluto return.’ Perhaps I’ll write about that soon.

Mal-intentions

In the meantime, Putin’s mal-intentions are pretty clearly evident to anyone who cares to see through and beyond the fog of disinformation his propaganda machines belch out non-stop.

Luckily, it looks like many (hopefully most) Russians are not fooled by Putin’s efforts to gin up a war for his own self-aggrandizing purposes. They are resisting his oppressive threats (and actual efforts) to squelch the truth of their disapproval by arresting protesters gathering by the thousands in something like 54 Russian cities. It’s probably too early to tell, but it feels like more people remain cognizant of how World War II played out than Putin thought.

As a coda to the malevolent intentions of the head of Russia is this clip. It shows what purport to be cremation machines following behind the lines of Russian troops. It is suggested that this is to substantially reduce the number of body bags coming home Mother Russia, thereby circumventing the wrath of Russian mothers when they discover their children are dying for Putin’s ego-aggrandizement. Talk about a cynical propaganda effort.

Underestimation

I have a feeling Putin is underestimating the will of his people (and their willingness to have war declared and perpetrated in their name). But even worse for Putin is his underestimation of the will of the Ukrainian people. They know democracy. They’ve lived it. They’re not going back, and they’re sure as hell not going to roll over and allow Putin to snatch it from them, their children, and their future. Zelensky gave a rallying cry for defense of their nation to Ukrainians shortly before the invasion began.

He then turned his attention to the Russian people themselves.

Indeed, if you didn’t get a chance to listen to the speech Zelensky gave to the Russian people – in Russian – here is a link to the transcript of it. In my opinion, it was a brilliant and powerful move  to attempt to reach the Russian people directly. (It’s unknown how many Russians managed to hear it, given their propagandized state-run television). Sadly, a mere three hours after giving this speech, Putin’s* attack began.

If you want to provide tangible help to the Ukrainians, here’s an article by Timothy Snyder (the professor and author of On Tyranny**, among other extremely salient books) outlining specific places where your donations can make the biggest difference.

 

* If you’re wondering why I keep using Putin’s name as the aggressor instead of ‘Russia,’ it’s because I do not believe he is acting on the will of the Russian people. This is an invasion and war being waged for himself, and Russian families are not inclined to willingly sacrifice their loved ones for Putin’s ego.
**Affiliate link

(T+79)

Upsetting – ND #78

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Photo: L. Weikel

Upsetting

It is incredibly upsetting to sit here tonight watching Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. I’ll admit I’m distracted. I’m finding it impossible, really, to write about anything but this brazen aggression.

I’m disgusted to see clips of the former president in front of a dining room full of people at Mar-a-lago praising Putin for invading a sovereign country. (I hesitate to include a link.)

Ugh – as I’m writing this, air raid sirens are going off in Kyiv indicating that the capital is under attack. What a chilling, horrifying sound. It’s surreal, to be honest.

The intimations that Putin may have much larger designs – including potentially invading other countries beyond Ukraine – is incredibly disturbing.

As Above…

I managed to get a good walk in this afternoon. I simply could not allow the beauty and warmth of the day to pass by without taking full advantage of it.

During part of my walk I listened to an astrological podcast discussing the specific significance of the transits occurring this week. It was recorded on the 20th, which was last Sunday (three days ago).

The podcast is by Anne Ortelee and is only half an hour long – but wow, is it ever powerful. It’s astonishing to hear about all the various planetary interactions that are lining up to play out in a potentially disturbing and devastating manner. Indeed, it’s eerie to hear it now, with the perspective we have presently.

Photo: L. Weikel

Veiled Threats

The Ukrainians are out-gunned and out-manned. But making it even worse, Putin actually made a veiled threat that he might use nuclear weapons. The insanity we’re witnessing both in this country and around the world is indeed troubling.

We must hold the line within our own selves, striving to remain calm and balanced. Keeping our own internal peace is probably the greatest aid we can give to the people of Ukraine. It may seem like a paltry gesture but energetically it is the greatest power we wield at this moment. Keeping peace within ourselves: it’s what we can do on a personal level to support peace in the outside world.

(T+78)

Numeric Palindrome – ND #77

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Dark Clouds on the Horizon – Photo: L. Weikel

Numeric Palindrome

Realizing today’s post is #77, I’m even more acutely aware of the abundance of repeating numbers today. Of course, lots of people have referenced the 02/22/2022 (on a TWOsday, no less) occurring today. There are a plethora of interpretations of what significance this date could hold. We could also write it the way Europeans do: 22/02/2022, which actually is even cooler when you think about it. It creates a numeric palindrome. It also creates, in this configuration, three 22s in a row, each separated by zeros.

You may recollect that, in numerology, 22 is a Master Number – indeed, it’s known as the Master Builder Number. As Alison Baughman enumerates in her book, Speaking to Your Soul Through Numerology*, some of the ‘positive’ attributes associated with this number are:

  • Mastery through self-enterprise, Master Organizer, Master Planner, visionary, practical idealism, dreams into reality, ambitious, intuitive, methodical, disciplined, natural leader, wise, confident.

And of course the corollary to that are the potentially ‘negative’ attributes:

  • Narrow-minded, judgmental, humorless, blunt, crude, intolerant, opinionated, stubborn, repressive, rigid, slow, uncompromising, limited, overwhelmed, controlling.

If you examine those key words, it’s not hard to see that a dominant theme underlying both the positive and negative attributes of ‘22’ is power. When 22 energy is being harnessed in a balanced manner and used with integrity and compassion great things can be achieved and even tangibly created. But when 22 energy is being manipulated for the acquisition of personal power and aggrandizement? It can turn toxic and wreak devastation wherever it’s wielded.

History

It is fascinating to entertain the possibility that Putin holds more stock in numerology than one might think. For instance, on August 8, 2008 (08/08/08), Russia invaded Georgia, with the aid of two self-declared separatist states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The parallels to what happened today (on 22/02/2022), including Russia relying on ‘separatist states,’ is fascinating. Finally, today’s date also happened to be the 8th anniversary (exactly) of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

There is a pattern to his behavior. And while I grant it could be ‘coincidence,’ I suggest there is at the very least symbolic significance to the timing of these occurrences – if not some inherent energetic impetus behind the numbers themselves, subtly propelling the aggressive (humorless, blunt, overwhelming, and repressive) behavior.

While I recognize there are a lot of different ways people were suggesting today’s date could be used as a powerful day of manifestation or dreaming, and perhaps it was, my attention was focused instead on watching the power plays at work in the world.

And on a smaller scale, we were probably well-advised to monitor how we might be wielding and potentially abusing our power, too – especially in relationships where an imbalance of power might exist. Perhaps it was especially easy (or tempting) to go overboard with power today, even if we ordinarily use great discretion and temperance when exercising it. We also might reflect on whether those in a position of power over us in our personal lives potentially misused it.

Reflection

Obviously, the day is over by the time you read this. I nevertheless hope you’ll take a moment now to reflect on these power dynamics. In retrospect, can you see how this may have played out or in some way been reflected in your own life experiences yesterday?

Sometimes reflection is actually more persuasive than anticipation. That’s because there’s always the possibility that we will get caught up in confirmation bias and see what we expect to see or have unfold in our life. But if we have no specific expectations ahead of time, and these influences are nevertheless felt, the whole scenario can at least give you pause to say, “Hmm.”

Personally, I saw it reflected in a couple ways in my life. First in a doctor/patient scenario I witnessed and again in a close personal relationship where power dynamics were at play, influential, and potentially triggering.

No territories were annexed or invaded in my little world, but there were definitely some warning shots and skirmishes at the borders.

*affiliate link

(T+77)

Conflicted – ND #76

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Solitary Bluebird Scoping Out the Feeders – Photo: L. Weikel

Conflicted

As I sit here pondering what I might write about tonight, I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I’m keeping abreast of the developments in Ukraine and can see the writing on the wall. Even more troubling than simply observing a map and noting how troops have been massing all along the border between Ukraine and Russia (and Belarus) is the commentary on how unhinged Putin sounded in his bellicose rant earlier today. I didn’t listen to it directly, but I did pay attention to the assessment made of his speech by our former Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul.

So, yes; I am paying attention. On the other hand, I would much prefer to focus upon the everyday delights that come from living in the country and witnessing the first furtive attempts of springtime to take hold.

I wonder if I’m feeling the way my parents may have felt when they read about or listened to accounts of the first invasions by Hitler. As much as our world has shrunk since those times, it is still true that bombs or artillery fire or the rumbling of tanks trampling everything in their path ‘over there’ is far too easy for us (as Americans) to ignore.

A Distraction

So here I am. I know there’s nothing direct or tangible I can do to have an impact on how the current crisis plays out. But I also know that doing my best not to get swept up in anxiety and fear, while maintaining awareness of what’s going on elsewhere in the world, can have a ripple effect as well.

There is a difference between affirmatively maintaining inner balance and tranquility in the face of dire circumstances and deliberately ignoring what’s going on beyond one’s own neighborhood. I’m reminded of the word that came up for us last week: Reverence.

Turkey Vultures – Photo: L. Weikel

Some Encounters

So it is with reverence for the cycle of life that I share the three photos I’m including in this post tonight.

The first is a not-so-great angle of a bluebird that came and sat on a branch just above my birdfeeders this morning. I’d just finished filling all the feeders and was luxuriating in the opportunity to sit on my porch and turn my face to the sun.

It’s odd for bluebirds to come to our feeders. They tend to flock and flitter through the open fields surrounding our home rather than hang out near the house. And this bluebird was all by his lonesome. He was literally the only bird anywhere near me at that moment – in spite of the abundance of seed available to all.

Above are some turkey vultures hanging out at an abandoned house about a mile from our home. It almost felt like they were picking the flesh off the carcass of the dwelling itself.

And finally, below, is a sweet photo I took of Pacha lounging on her daddy’s legs this evening.

I know I take these moments for granted – in spite of my efforts to appreciate and celebrate them. The thought of having to even entertain the idea of gathering up my precious four-legged family and a few family treasures, and then ‘evacuating’ to Canada is nearly impossible to fathom.

So I observe and attend to these parts of my life with reverence, in honor of those unable to do so at the moment. It’s the least I can do; but it is something.

Pacha just looking cute – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+76)

Leo Full Moon – ND #70

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Leo Full Moon (Almost) rising – Photo: L. Weikel

Leo Full Moon

We have a Leo full moon to embrace tomorrow (today when you read this). The precise moment the moon reaches its exact opposition to the sun on Wednesday, the 16th of February, will be 11:56 a.m. And I venture to guess it’s going to be a big week for all of us, either personally or as bystanders to things playing out on the national and world stage. That’s because there’s a bunch of Pluto action mixing stuff up (more on that in another post) and Mars and Venus conjoining (and also messing around with Pluto). In addition, we can look forward to the illumination (and culmination) of patterns and intentions that happen with a full moon.

It’s hard to believe the moon wasn’t full when it rose early this evening. You can see from my photos how robustly ripe she was and how much light emanated from her as she rose.

If she’s not full until tomorrow…all I can say is, “Wow. Look out. This is going to be a big one.”

Tarot Perspective

We’ve already experienced rather startling revelations unfolding this week (DT’s accounting firm’s disavowal, the settlement of the Sandy Hook parents’ suit against Remington, the doping scandal of the 15 year old Russian skater, and the settlement of Prince Andrew’s sordid sex scandal lawsuit, to name a few) and it’s only Tuesday!

And of course everyone is trying to figure out what Putin intends to do to Ukraine – and how the rest of the world should react. From all out war to the threat of cyber-attacks, things could deteriorate in the blink of an eye (or the press of a single keystroke).

So what illumination on this full moon might my Tarot of the Crone bring us?

Seven of Wands – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

Seven of Wands ~ Risk

“To go to further, to be more

I will light the match

I will fan the flames

I will dance with danger

Let Power lead

A cloaked figure stands with arms outspread amidst flames and lines of raw power. She plays with fire, as well as opening herself to let power play with her. She is willing to embrace danger in the hope of further achievement, knowing that sometimes you have to take chances. Trust your experience gained thus far; you know when something has potential. It’s time to take a real risk, but not a blind one. You know you can’t stay comfortable where you are. There’s more you want. So let the discomfort goad you into creating a more powerful future and investing in a proposition. Go stand out on that limb.”

My Take

While I chose this card with the intention of receiving insight for all of us as this full moon shines down upon us, in this moment it feels like this is most obviously speaking to the Russia-Ukraine situation. At least that’s how it feels at first blush.

Certainly, however, we’re all being pushed (‘goaded’ is such a great word) into pushing our internal envelopes. It feels like this full moon may find a lot of us saying, “Screw it. It’s time to make a move.” Indeed, the urge may hit us like a wave. So…knowing that, it might be wise to take a few moments to assess where this might come up for you and – before that wave of feeling goaded hits – have a think on what’s worth going out on that limb for. And what’s not.

Rising Leo Full Moon (almost) – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+70)