rebirth

New Moon In Scorpio – Day 1088

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 4 Comments
Tonight’s Sky Without the Moon – Photo: L. Weikel

New Moon In Scorpio

I’m sitting here on my couch anticipating this final new moon of my 1111 Devotion. Specifically, the new moon in Scorpio will occur tomorrow: Thursday, 4 November 2021, at 5:14 p.m. EDT. I feel like I should be planting the seeds for the next chapter in my life.

Perhaps that sounds a bit hyperbolic. Maybe it is. But it’s how I feel and what I’m contemplating as I sit here listening to the silence. For one thing, as I pointed out above, this new moon is taking place in Scorpio, the sign of death and rebirth, hidden or buried treasures, resources, and secrets.

Obviously, one thing that will die during the upcoming lunation is my 1111 Devotion. It comes to an end this month. Will the commitment, the Act of Power, the dedication and devotion it represents to the memory of my son find another expression? Will my 1111 Devotion die in one sense yet find rebirth in another form?

I don’t know. I’ve yet to receive any inspiration or direction from Spirit powerful enough for me to sit back and say, “Yup. That’s it. That’s my next devotion.”

So I wait.

A Card For Inspiration or Guidance

Perhaps choosing a card for this New Moon (I’ll capitalize it in this sentence – it wants to feel special) will give me a clue or serve as an inspiration? As I’ve been working a lot with my Witches’ Wisdom Tarot deck this year, I feel drawn to work with it tonight.

As I sat here shuffling, I held as my intention the question, “What seed can I plant at this time that will serve as the next expression of my devotion to Karl’s life? How can I continue to honor him and his memory?”

Ace of Air – Witches’ Wisdom Tarot* by Phyllis Curott

Ace of Air

At first glance, I’m struck by how similar the background of the card resembles the two photos I took of the night sky this evening as Karl, the pups, and I took a quick walk. It is indeed the time of the approaching Dark Moon. The absence of the moon’s brilliant reflected light allowed the artistry of the clouds and stars to fill us with wonder and awe.

To me, an Ace represents a gift, a seed, a new beginning. So I’m delighted that an Ace appeared as an inspiration for this new moon and the larger purpose of my intention. The nature of the seed I’m being asked to plant? Just from looking at the card and knowing that the element of Air is associated with thoughts and the mind, I suppose it could signify a new project ‘of the mind.’

Magical Sky of the Dark Moon – Photo: L. Weikel

A Few More Details

Of course, the main element of the card (beyond the backdrop of the starry evening sky) is the Celtic harp created from bones. I’m not sure in this moment what those bones signify (or if it’s even Celtic), but they feel sturdy and somehow fundamental. The spurs on the bones? Or are they claws? I’m not sure what they signify – perhaps when I read the narrative from the deck’s creator I’ll understand better what inspired her (and her illustrator) to include them in this image.

There is a sturdiness to the three sides of this musical instrument that sends vibrations, if not melody and beauty, out into the world. It reminds me of how I felt for the first seven years of Karl’s life – that we were a “Sacred Three.” And then of course, with the arrival of M and S, our sons themselves were our Sacred Three.

I’m also keenly aware of the Spider spinning the 13th string of the instrument. Grandmother Spider is the creator of the Universe and thus is the ultimate representative of creativity. The strings also seem to be incorporating the stars, which somehow feels significant. And 13 is a wonderfully sacred number associated with the Feminine and the Goddess – not to mention that Karl was born on a 13th.

Each of the bones comprising the Harp is of a different part of the body. Are they all related to the legs, perhaps signifying movement? Are they even all human – or are any of them? I’m not sure. Again, those talons or claws feel significant.

When I really look closely at this card, I notice something red in the upper left corner of the harp. I’m not sure what it is. And this obvious instrument of great power is sitting atop a grassy hill –  evoking a sense of it being an offering to the sky and the stars…and maybe even the Universe.

Sleep On It

I’m going to sleep on the details I’ve noticed in this image and reflect upon this card’s message as the new moon occurs. Perhaps tomorrow night I’ll share what ‘the book’ has to say. Something may be dying, but surely a rebirth is also on its way. What will this new moon in Scorpio inspire you to end…and begin?

*affililate link

(T-23)

Rebirth – Day 979

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Bat Front Approaching – Photo: L.Weikel

Rebirth

It just so happens my Medicine Card* ‘pick’ for the day today was Bat/Armadillo. Simply stated, Bat is often associated with the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The single key word given for Bat in the book that accompanies the Medicine Cards is ‘rebirth.’ But truth be told, no one ever gets to rebirth without first experiencing ‘death.’ And that’s simply not a truth our culture feels comfortable acknowledging or accepting.

The fact that Bat showed up for me today felt affirming, to be honest. I feel surrounded by messages and signs of impending death or the crumbling of systems, norms, traditions, and foundations at not only personal but also cultural, systemic, and global levels.

Yeah, I’ve written periodically about the ‘theme’ of this year (2021) being tearing down the old structures and foundations in order to usher in radical transformation. Mostly I’ve addressed this in terms of how this is reflected in the stars (technically, the planets). Specifically, I’ve suggested that Saturn ‘squaring’ Uranus three times this year is the ‘tell’ for this cataclysmic shifting taking place on our planet and in our lives.

I’m not saying the movement of these planets and the way they’re aspecting each other is causing this to happen here on Earth. But perhaps the adage ‘as above, so below’ plays a role here.

Patterns, Sequences, and Harmonies

I’m suggesting that the movement of these huge outer planets is reflecting an energetic interaction or pattern that’s playing out on many levels of magnitude, right down to the microscopic, here on Earth. “From the macrocosm to the microcosm,” as they say. My approach to all of this is that the Universe provides us with a vast array of roadmaps and suggested operating procedures to help us navigate through our lives and through the millennia.

So when those who study the movements taking place within our solar system suggest that the underpinnings of many of our institutions and beliefs are going to crumble or be destroyed and replaced with concepts or approaches that feel like radical transformations, like ‘lightning bolts out of the blue,’ we might want to stop for a second. Look around. Pay attention.

What’s happening all around us? Fundamental concepts are being shredded. Institutions we thought inviolable are being violated. And on a personal level, perhaps, beliefs and relationships we thought were true and forever are also struck by lightning and either shattered or energized in a whole new way.

In fact, we might even want to consider whether the ‘foundation’ of pooh-poohing systems of study such as astrology needs to be torn down and replaced with an open-minded willingness to consider there just might be something to these recurring patterns.

Bats, Death, and Rebirth

It’s time to publish this post and I feel like I’m only scratching the surface of my contemplations. Late this afternoon I was reminded that I’d picked Bat today when I saw this huge one looming on the horizon. This Bat brought torrential rains, flooding, and a clearing of the way for something new.

Perspective on the Bat Front – Photo: L.Weikel

*Affiliate link

(T-132)

Something’s Died – Day 465

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Turkey Vulture – Photo: L. Weikel

Something’s Died

Just reading that title, you know it’s true.

And even though you know, it still makes you wonder: “What is she talking about?”

It could be anything.

It’s Everywhere

And the truth that it could be anything is in the fact that everywhere we look nowadays, things are dying. Norms, customs, friendships, alliances, ideals, traditions, standards.

From big things like our country’s system of checks and balances to little things like my refrigerator. Lofty ideals like the rule of law and no one being above that law to a squirrel that plays chicken with an oncoming car and loses.

We know death is a part of life. Without it, life here on Earth would be unsustainable, or perhaps more unsustainable than it already is. But it just feels as though we’re all witnessing the death of a lot of things this year (and it’s only February). Day after day, things we took for granted or simply never even felt needed to be treasured because they were such a sure thing are gone.

A Committee of Vultures – Photo: L. Weikel

Sitting Vigil

All these things flitted through my mind yesterday as I left my house. Nothing like being confronted by a massive turkey vulture sitting on your neighbor’s chimney as you walk outside your door.

And we all know turkey vultures are carrion eaters – indeed, they do us and other creatures a great service by eating stuff that dies. Otherwise, it would rot and fester and potentially become a breeding ground of unhealthiness. Vultures are also symbols of rebirth, for they are instrumental in completing the final step of death’s process, without which rebirth cannot take place.

So when I walked out my door to get in my car, not only was I wondering, “What died?” I was also rejoicing. Because in addition to the vultures swooping in from above, I was also being bombarded with the deep-throated groots of a bunch of fish crows. (Would that be a murder, I wonder?)

I know their voices – and I’m hoping they’ll build a nest across the street like they did last year.

So I’m confronted with seeing evidence of both sides of the coin. Death and dying along with the potential for something new to emerge. Perhaps a return of old friends, like the fish crows. Perhaps something so new we don’t even know it yet.

Neighbor’s Vulture – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-646)

Best Easter Egg EVER – Day 160

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Karl’s egg 19 April 2014 – Photo: L. Weikel

Best Easter Egg EVER

I’ve always loved Easter.

The memories I have of Easters growing up are not whizz bang affairs. In fact, it’s funny – when I think back, as I sit here, trying to decide what memories I might share that could convey why my heart always seems to lift when I think about Easter, I realize how magical my thinking was…even back then. It wasn’t necessarily the literal stuff of Easter that I loved, it was what lived in my imagination.

I loved hunting for Easter eggs. Oh my goodness. Not the public hunts, put on by schools or churches. The hunts I cherish are the ones that took place in the living room of the farmhouse I grew up in.

My brother Henry is 16 years older than I. My mother would let him go out to see his girlfriend (and eventual wife), Diane, on the night before Easter only if he promised to come home and ‘help the Easter Bunny’ hide the hard boiled eggs I’d dyed that night.

The Hunt for the Eggs

I swear that was the best part about Easter. Finding the eggs that The Rabbit hid (as she came to be known in our household – Karl’s and mine – as our guys were growing up) was a challenge that had the potential to occupy me the whole day. Inevitably, there would be one or two eggs that were so well hidden that it would literally take me hours to find them. Sometimes my brother (if he could remember) would have to play that game of “warmer” to help me.

Truth be told, I think he probably had no recollection of where he’d hidden them and was only sending me on a wild goose chase anyway. At least a couple eggs over the years weren’t discovered until months (or perhaps years) later. They were completely desiccated by the time they were accidentally found, so who knows how long they’d excitedly waited to fulfill the dream of all true Easter eggs, of being reunited with their colorful siblings, only to wither away, forgotten and alone? Yeah. Sad.

The magical thinking that really made Easter special for me, though, is the image I’ve always carried in my head of the true Easter Rabbit. For the life of me, I don’t know why the thought of this creature didn’t scare me, especially since I cannot stand people in costumes or masks. I think it may be because I had such a sense that “she” was in fact a real Rabbit – just larger than normal – not a person dressed up as a bunny. But…wow.

The Reason for My Connection to ‘The Rabbit’

You’ll never believe it, but I just realized that on some level, my sense of and connection to the Easter Bunny was a precursor to the literal experiences with power animals that I would start having some 25 years later. (I’ve honestly never thought about it in this context before this moment. Wow.)

Another reason Easter is a favorite holiday is because I was born on Easter Sunday. So periodically, over the years, my birthday would again fall on Easter. But it always felt special, somehow, that I’d managed to arrive on that day (even if the day was nearly literally over by the time I arrived).

And I’ve always been partial to all the other babies (bunnies, chicks, lambs, pansies, robins, ducklings, piglets, daffodils) that abound in the springtime (hence, Easter-time), too. Indeed, even at church (raised Catholic), the concepts of death, rebirth and ascension appealed to me.

Anyway, it’s always felt like Easter was ‘my’ day – no matter when it fell on the calendar.

The Tradition – and Magic – Continued

Growing up, my kids knew my delight in Easter, and hopefully shared it, too. I’d even commandeered my eldest son, Karl, to help ‘The Rabbit’ hide the eggs for his younger brothers a couple of years, just like my mom had recruited my brother.

So imagine this: On April 19, 2014, my two adult sons (and Tiffany – who was meeting us for the first time!) were indulging me by coloring eggs on ‘Easter eve.’ I’d placed a pristine white egg in a cup of boiling water with red and blue food coloring and a dash of white vinegar (purple being my favorite color) and just let it sit. I wanted to see just how deep a hue of purple I could make this egg.

After it sat in the dye for quite a while, I dipped my tablespoon into the cup and raised it to the surface. The egg was covered with random bubbles, but it looked like it had ripened to a really deep and satisfying purple. I placed it carefully in the cardboard egg carton with all the rest.

We Could Feel His Presence

Mind you, this was two and a half years after Karl had died. He was, as he still is, thought about and talked about frequently. But we were especially reminiscing about prior Easters with him as we introduced Tiffany to our traditions. We could feel not only how much we missed Karl but how much Karl was missing us.

Imagine, then, our goosebumps and stunned expressions when I picked up my purple egg and looked at it carefully. Not only was his name clearly written on the egg, but it also looked like it was written on a background of stars. And even more amazing, the letters of his name actually look like his style of printing. Random bubbles?

As we’re fond of saying: YCMTSU.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Springtime, Happy Rebirth and Renewal.

Believe.

(T-951)

P.S.: We love you, Karl. And again, a hearty well done on that manifestation!

Day Eighteen (T-1093)

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Portals

This morning I was reminded by my favorite, most amazing, numerologist (who is also a friend), Alison Baughman, that today is yet another “11-11-11” day.

For those of you unfamiliar with the basics of numerology, you might be wondering how today, November 29, 2018, could be considered an 11-11-11 day.

Obviously, you realize that the first 11 is for November, the 11thmonth. The second 11 is the day today, the 29th, ‘reduced’ (2 + 9) to 11, and finally the year, 2018, also ‘reduced’ (2 + 0 + 1 + 8) to 11. That’s pretty much how you do anything in numerology as far as dates. Everything is added up to its lowest configuration between 1-9, unless you reach 11 or 22, which are considered “master numbers,” which do not reduce further (to 2 or 4, respectively).

There’s a ton of fascinating information you can access through numerology, and I urge you to explore it as a means to gaining yet another perspective on the quest to understanding yourself and why you are here, perhaps what lessons you are here to learn, as well as what skills and assets you bring to the table.

And yet again, I am the quintessential poster girl for the concept of  “a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing.” Don’t take my word for any of this. If playing with numbers is attractive to you, or you notice certain ones showing up frequently and wonder if there’s any meaning to it, take the time to learn about it. See for yourself if applying these principles bears fruit for you.

But back to the power of today.

Naturally, I am probably slightly more tuned in to the potential for transformation when it comes to 11s than a lot of people. Not only did my life change irrevocably on 11-11-11 (technically, yes, it was 11-11-2011), but it also turns out that I have 11s all over the place personally. Right down to the post office box that was assigned to me over 30 years ago adding up to an 11. It’s weird.

And despite my experience of 11-11-11, I actually love the number 11, probably because it is a number so deeply connected to me on so many levels. I see it, quite honestly, as the PORTAL, or doorway, that it is. A doorway to birth, rebirth, change, transformation, new experience, adventure, and yes, maybe even ascension.

So I felt a little bit of excitement quickening within when Alison reminded me (well, everyone following her on FB, to be honest) that today would almost certainly be a momentous day in some way because of its numerological significance. Indeed, all day I felt a sense of anticipation that we might be passing from one experience or understanding of ‘reality’ to another; that there might be revelation, or an exposition of us to light or information or profound change – either on a personal or much wider level.

And then the day started unfolding. Revelations abound. Lies are being exposed, light is illuminating the darkness, and perhaps – hopefully – truth is coming to the fore.

It is indisputable that we have passed through some major portals today as a nation, and it remains to be seen what will come of it all.

In some ways, perhaps, old beliefs and assumptions of what was true and what was not have died, making way for the birth of new understandings and perspectives. Ah, those alluring 11s. Those portals to our future…

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some shifts in our reality. Walking through the portals may yield some really scary experiences and even feel like the death of some things (ideas, beliefs, hopes, fears), but ultimately, it is transformative. A rebirth.