The Star

Compassionate Action

From Science Tarot

 The Star is that wonderful card of hope in the Tarot. It suggests inspiration and the outpouring of Divine Guidance to lead us through even the darkest night. When we gaze at the stars we feel a connection to the solar system, to the universe, to the whole. The Star reminds us to tune in to a higher vision  to something grander than our own existence. It is a reminder that even after disasters and upheavals may plague us there is a calm after the storm when chaos is replaced by cathartic cleansing and peace.

All of these qualities are always here with us on our earthly walk. They are within each of us as we are all expressions of divinity in the physical realm. Our every thought and action is a channeling and manifesting of the creative power that made the entire universe whether we are consciously aware or on autopilot. When we turn our attention to the wisdom of being in alignment with those qualities that support ourselves and each other we can clear out negative and destructive tendencies within us that broadcast out to the world. and start to shine the light of hope, wisdom, and love.

The Star reminds us that we are called to be in harmony with both the Above and Below, that the natural laws of the universe are not minor suggestions that we can take or leave at our whim. We are living in a constantly creative state. How we interact has impact every moment. We each are responsible for our own thoughts, actions, and the resulting  consequences.  We can easily see that humanity has not been practicing good stewardship of our planet. Destruction of habitats, mass extinctions, and overpopulation is devastating. It seems our Mother Earth is lately issuing more stern warnings than ever before. We can be overwhelmed with all that is happening right now- pandemics, fires, storms that get more severe each season, drought and more. Basic human sense seems to be thrown to the winds that feed the flames and muffle out the voice of wisdom and truth. 

If ever we have been challenged to follow the Star’s message of Compassionate Action it is now. We are called to remember that there is no difference between Spirit and Matter and embrace and understand that each of us is a living expression of the sacred. This can help us define how we move and express ourselves through our day. No matter how overwhelming it gets, non matter how out of control we feel, we always have a choice as to how we respond. We can never know the full impact of our interactions with others. One act of kindness can make a huge difference in someone’s life the results of which may never be connected to that action or even remembered. Each time we make a conscious action of prayer, blessings, or make a physical adjustment to how we consume and relate to the planet affect us inwardly as we as the outward action. We are all connected. There is no way we are independent of every other living presence and that includes humans, trees, water and animals. 

May we dig in deep and go beyond the current mass confusion and misinformation swirling around us. May we connect with that place of compassion for ourselves, each other and for all beings. May we take the action that promotes hope, peace, and healing.  

Shine your light.

...Kathryn Ravenwood  8/25/20

 The Hierophant

from the Housewives Tarot

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood 

 

The Hierophant is card #5 in the tarot. It is the number of man, struggle, strife, and conflict, the number of the spiritual self seeking expression in its human form. As humans we seek to understand the practicalities, mysteries, the secrets of the universe, and, sometimes, just to understand what the heck is going on!

Traditionally the Hierophant is a figure of religious import such as a pope or a great teacher and is associated with orthodoxy and is traditionally the intermediary between us and god/goddess. The priests/priestesses of the past officiated as oracles, diviners, ritualists. They performed the ordained and guarded the secrets and mysteries. Teachings and traditions were passed on to initiates in mystery schools to those deemed worthy of understanding. The general public was told to be obedient to these authority figures to assure salvation and a better life to come. If things did not work out well, then there must have been a mistake or a sin involved.  Now go repent. Shame, guilt, and control were the rulers rapped on our collective knuckles.

Over the centuries we have expanded our ability to gain information and gradually became better educated. With education came questions, seeking answers, and for as many viewpoints that emerged there was an expert, a guru. The role of the Hierophant has not changed much but its way of communicating and teaching certainly has.

In the above image we see a 1950’s radio. In addition to news reports, the public began to have a huge exposure to recreational information.  Advertisements, weekly or daily programs introduced characters and stories that became cultural lore. We listened endlessly to songs of pain, suffering, love gone wrong. Add movies and television and the average person was totally inundated with the Hierophant in all its guises relating every possible piece of information. 

Today we have the internet and instant communication across the world. It is impossible to know what is true or false. Even images are altered to redefine someone’s desire of how a scene is presented. Spiritual and religious opinions are offered up as gospel with a new prophet or guru riding the highs of exposure only to drop into oblivion or disgrace. The Hierophant has become a hungry, insatiable machine churning out opinions, doctrine, dogma, fear, false hope, lies, truth, and the entire gamut of human opinion. We can learn how to fix our clogged sink drain from YouTube,  access a course and become fluent in a foreign language, or fall into the vast wormholes of conspiracy theories. All in the comfort of our own living rooms.

Sometimes we need to take a time out, take a break from the onslaught of information. As we explore information we see the exposed dualities and can take a breath and process, do our homework. The true nature of the Hierophant is to open our eyes so we can learn to view the universe for ourselves. We need education, training, and exposure to many ideas and viewpoints but with all that information is the ever present possibility of corruption through power, manipulation to gain control, all dosed in the vanity and ego of self importance. 

Ultimately, it is up to us to navigate the sea of information and find our own way. The Hierophant is a teacher but what I decide to follow is up to me.  The Hierophant reveals but I choose through my own intuition, my own connection to divinity, my own ability to discern. I may change my mind and point of view but that is part of learning and growth. We build on experience. We test and accept or reject. We create our own ethos, our own platforms, all based on collective information be it of family, church, or the school system.

As we become increasingly open to receive and learn we are wise to remember to keep our discernment and filters working. Just because you resonate with some information does not mean it is true. It is good to monitor how this information effects you - does it put you into fear and anger or does it bring a sense of calm and peace?

Our time of the Earth is an opportunity to seek union with the divine in however that is possible for us. To find the truth often lies in neutrality rather than plunging from one polarity of opinion to another. The true guru is the one that teaches us to go within, to be still, ask, and then wait and listen for our own guidance to come through.  

Sometimes we just need to turn off and tune in.  I share what came to me once in prayer, 

“In the silence, all are present.

In the silence, all are at peace.

In the silence, all is forgiven.

In the silence, all is love.”

May your studies bring you illumination and may you have the generous heart to share that light with the world.

...Kathryn Ravenwood   8-9-20

The Moon  - Peace in the Darkness

Tarot of Transformation

Willow Arlenea and Jasmine Lee Cori

Original writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

The full light of day has a way of exposing the cold, facts of life. With no shadows to filter the constant incoming stimulation, information, and interactions of life we are vulnerable. Fantasies and dreams spill out unprotected. Disappointments can cause us to feel overextended and unprotected. Some days we just want to crawl away and and shield ourselves from the glaring and unrelenting light. Instead of celebrating life and its joys we can find ourselves running for cover.

Fortunately, there is relief. The great Queen of the Night, the Moon comes to wrap her mantle of darkness and shadow around us to provide shelter and allow us time to slow down and reflect. The moon calls us to go within and to follow her filtered light to illuminate and guide us.

The moon invites us to awareness of our own presence, to let the shadows provide shelter for us to let down our masks and armor as we receive her light and recognize our own wisdom. Here in the quiet shadows we can more safely open our hearts and delve below the surface to discover what might be hidden in the waters of our emotions.

As we observe the images being shown to us it is like looking into a still pool; we might see our own reflection but also reflections of what is around us - especially behind us that we cannot see without the water’s mirror. The surface image reveals a bigger picture but we have to be still in order to see it. If we roil the waters we cannot see any images at all. We must wait for the waters to calm to allow us to see through the shimmering, moonlit surface. As the moon reflects the light of the sun we realize we could easily be reflecting other people’s light - and darkness - rather than holding our own light up to shine. Do  those feelings and moods belong to our own self or have we been mirroring what others feel and do?

Our emotions are a deep pool of hidden  memories, fears, dreams, joys, and experiences. As we embrace the shadows and surrender to the journey, we can come to a place of peace. We can rest from chasing dramas and reacting to the outer world’s chaos and confusion.  It is “just me and the moon” and the waters, quieting now that stillness is present. If we listen, we begin to hear our voice of wisdom that comes in peace and silence, rising up through the waters of our emotions and feelings as we take time out to sit and be still and reflect. That inner knowing, which is now illuminated by the moon’s soft light, can rise and teach us what is most appropriate for us now.

The moon reminds us that we are always in change, always in the midst of a cycle that will complete even as a new cycle is rising up to new momentum. We cannot control the moon and we cannot control our emotions but as we learn to align ourselves with the rhythms of the moon and attune to her cycles, we learn to allow and be present with our own cycles and know that, as the moon,  we are always in flux and always in change. As we learn to trust our own intuition we can better navigate the shadows, the changes, and the unknown. We connect to a larger picture, a bigger sense of our own process and can find comfort in understanding that not all problems, grief, or even fantasies will be resolved today.  The harsh lessons and challenges are softened with compassion for ourselves and others.

We can find peace in the darkness.

......Kathryn Ravenwood 7.18.20

AWARENESS/THE CHARIOT

From the Osho Zen Tarot

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

Awareness is the chariot we drive through our Consciousness Journey. We are the single navigator of this process; no one else moves us along. It is our choice which direction we move, all of them eventually leading to wisdom and higher knowing.  

Traditionally, this card depicts a charioteer holding the reins of two horses, one black and one white, which indicate the duality of our world. The charioteer must learn, through her own will and strength, to to direct the steeds to hold them to the course she chooses. The road opens ahead as the journey progresses. The choice to go forward, take a side road or stop and turn around is always an option. Perils and possibilities are always a present issue. An inattentive charioteer risks danger to herself, the vehicle,  as well as the horses. 

The above image is powerful in reminding us that the charioteer’s journey is also an internal one. The shadow figure, who seems to be in distress, is enveloped in a deep fog. Fogs are made of water. Here the challenge of awareness is to navigate through the fog, recognizing that each droplet is a hologram of the whole. To focus on each individual drop skews our vision toward duality while embracing the wholeness moves us through the fog to higher possibilities. The fiery presence of self awareness we see in the image then serenely emerges as layers of the old form are burned away. 

Basic motoring skills tell us that when driving in a fog we dim the lights. When I was learning to drive this seemed counterintuitive to me until I actually experienced it and found the advice to be absolutely true. The high beams cannot effectively penetrate the fog as well as the low beams which give a wider and deeper vision by which to navigate. When we only  focus on the road right in front of us we can miss important information about the rest of the environment behind and to the sides and even above us. I am reminded of a magical full moon night in Wyoming driving on an open, empty road and turning off the lights to allow my moon vision to guide me. It provided a completely different perception of that part of the journey. I truly felt a part of the whole landscape and not just an observer passing through.

Awareness is not reached on auto pilot. We must remember that as we keep our hands on the wheel of our chariot we cannot control the outside environment but we can learn to master our navigation of it. The same is true for the inner landscape. As we experience change and transition in our lives old versions and forms must fall away. Layers of fog burn off in the emerging light. We are basically creating a new road map of our journey even as we travel on it. We can feel lost even as we are aligning to our new course. Our awareness is what guides us through such challenging passages.

In these days we are navigating unknown territory. The planets are aligning in powerful ways that mark 2020 as a year of challenges never seen in our lifetimes. It is a time when both the physical threats of a virus and fear are pandemic. There are as many versions of truth as there are people. No one seems to be in charge. The fog is dense and people seem to be barreling down the road with their high beams on crashing all around us. We have been told to stay home keep our distance from one another. It seems a perfect time to put the car in the garage, hitch up the Awareness Chariot and go for a cosmic ride in the moonlight.

May your journey be magical and may you emerge in beauty.

....Kathryn Ravenwood  July 4, 2020

RETREAT

The Rune Othilia

Original Writing and Art by Kathryn Ravenwood

I enjoy making collages. Several months ago the art group I participate in was given an assignment of creating with shapes. I thought of the Runes and drew four of them, at random, to use as inspiration. Othilia was one of them and is especially pertinent at this time of isolating in a pandemic. It speaks to us about retreat; a snake that must shed its old skin. Drawing the Rune advises us to expect a radical departure from the old ways. (Rune wisdom from Ralph Blum.) 

We are all on retreat to some extent. Old ways are coming apart. We are finding out not all growth is immediately rewarding and can be very painful indeed. The quote on the collage is from Joseph Campbell: “We must let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”  Could it be more clear than this?  Many of us are dealing with our Shadow self - our fears. The monsters have come out from under the bed and are rampaging through the house. Will we continue to be afraid or face them and make peace with them?  I am not immune to this process and was in a deep place of grief. Old buttons got pushed that put me into a funk of fear. I was walking down my hallway and I clearly heard a voice say, “you know, if you would just stop gripping onto the way you think you have to do this, we could give you something better...”

  

I was pretty stunned. I had to start looking at the basics of how I do my life in a whole new way. Othilia tells us that retreat and separation - shedding that old skin - gives freedom to become more truly who we are. That what it is we must give up is really not working anymore and is keeping us too confined in our soul’s journey. So I cried for a couple of days and then started to see that there really are better ways than what I have perpetuated for so much of my life. Spirit has been very generous and reminded me that  “if you want to have a new way of being you have to start acting like it is already here.” It is about understanding that inheritance can only come from giving up something else.

We are in a time of enormous change. Cosmic law and order are overriding many of our systems. We see this in ecosystems, the weather, politics, economics, schools, personal relationships and in every part of life. Old skins are being shed. We are all having to give something up. Some people want to get the old ways back and running as as soon as possible and others are trying to vision a “new normal” that can support us in better ways. There is a sense of impatience - and much of that is based on economics which are very real and painful for many people - but also a sense of just wanting to do what is familiar again. Go shopping. Get a haircut. Meet friends for dinner. Othilia has an answer for this, too: “Wait for the Universe to act. Do without doing and everything gets done.” 

We have gone deeper into the Age of Aquarius; the new energy is beaming down from the Universe. The old Age of Pisces is creating a last ditch effort to exert its influence even as it wanes away. Part of our new lesson is about supporting group efforts rather than individual achievement. Othilia reminds us it is a time to learn to benefit the self and others.  The news is full of examples of this from community service to people coming up with ingenious ideas to support urban agriculture. We are learning how to connect in new ways even as our collective snake sheds it skin.

How can you benefit from retreat? Are you willing to accept radical departure from the known to embrace the unknown? Are you ready to become a new and better version of your self? Is your Soul trying to guide you along an unfamiliar path? Are you creating busy work to distract you from the process or have you been willing to embrace the monsters and wriggle out of your skin?  Yes, some of this is really hard. People are dying. Bank accounts are empty and people are trying to pay the rent and feed their families. And, there are efforts to assist and give aid underway even they are not totally efficient. In the broad sense, the focus is shifting on how to create new systems of support.

There is so little we can actually control but we can definitely make our own choices. I encourage you to take this time of retreat as a gift and explore it - like a child opening a mysteriously wrapped birthday present and then curiously playing with it - finding out what can be done with it.  

And remember, when the snake sheds its skin it does not try to carry it around with it; it leaves it behind and moves on.

....Kathryn Ravenwood  4/25/2020

A Message from  the Sun in the Time of Pandemic: A Guided Mediation

3.5.20

Kathryn Ravenwood

The other night after prayer and meditation I was sitting in my altar room trying to sort out my own feelings around this pandemic. In asking for guidance I received a very clear message from The Sun.  The message was,  “I have a corona too, you know.”  

I invite you to join in a guided Spirit Journey with me to explore the Sun’s message.  A little background info first. The outermost part of the Sun is surrounded by an atmosphere of gasses called its corona, that is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun's surface. Unless using special equipment we can’t see it. However, it IS visible during a total solar eclipse. Then, if conditions are right and, with  the aid of protective eye wear or excellent photography, we can see the amazing dark orb of the sun surrounded by a brilliant light. It is pretty spectacular. Our Sun knows how to put on a show!

What causes a Solar Eclipse?  Sometimes during the orbit of the Moon it gets between the Earth and the Sun causing the eclipse. The Moon blocks the light of the Sun by casting its shadow over the Earth. So we experience a darkness. The Sun’s light goes out and day becomes night.

What the Sun is offering us to look at is that humanity is in a time of shadow. A pandemic has been declared. People are sick and dying. It is happening fast and there is chaos. For many people normal life has stopped and will not be back to “business as usual” anytime soon - if ever. The Moon represents our emotional body, the subconscious, the unknown, fears, delusions, instincts, and cycles. Right now we are in a metaphorical eclipse and are experiencing our Shadow side. All that is hidden is coming out and being exposed in the shadowy realm of fear and uncertainty. The degree of how this time is affecting people of course differs according to their circumstances but everyone is feeling it at some level.

Our Journey today is to experience the shadow of the Moon that blocks our Sun.  The Shadows hold information to help us at this time. Our intention for the Journey is to embrace our Shadows and bring what is ready to be healed back into the light of the Sun.  

CAVEATS

In this journey I have you look up at the Sun....  of course you cannot do that in actual life but with Spirit all is possible so you can look up and not be afraid to damage your eyes.  Also a solar eclipse takes longer than the time we spend in this Journey but again, time is not the same in a Journey as in “real life.”  Allow your conscious mind to accept these anomalies so the Journey can bring you its greatest gifts.

PREPARE TO JOURNEY:  

Get comfy

feet on ground  

uncross legs

 close eyes

BREATHE

You are walking outside on a beautiful sunny day.  It is warm and you are filled with the feeling of well being, of happiness.   Notice the warmth of the Sun on your skin....  notice how you are feeling..... 

As you walk along you begin to notice that it is less sunny and even a little cooler...  you look up to the sky expecting to see a cloud over the sun but instead you see a dark shadow begin to move across it..... you are surprised to see the darkness..... you were not expecting it........you experience a change in how you feel.....  notice how the shadow on the Sun makes you feel......

The shadow continues to move across the Sun and the darkness deepens.....it is as if the darkness has moved inside of you as well....  notice how the darkness moving within you makes you feel.... is it a surprising feeling .....  or is it an old, and well known experience..........

 Now the shadow has fully engulfed the Sun....  it has become dark as night without the Light of the Sun.  The shadow has fully moved inside of you as well.........  as you experience this shadow, this darkness,  you notice there are messages for you in the shadow........  maybe you hear voices or perhaps you see images or scenes, but the Shadow is revealing things to you...............

perhaps you are remembering old fears you thought you had resolved but have hung on deep in the shadow.........  

or perhaps there are new fears you have not faced yet............  

maybe other emotions emerge from the shadow for you to notice and acknowledge........... explore this shadow land within yourself..................................

what does it look like?........................

what do you find?........................

what do you feel?......................

what is coming out of the darkness for you to notice?...............

What understandings are being revealed to you at this time?..................

What is it you come to know about yourself that was hidden?.......

The fully darkened Sun now reveals it corona.......  a bright circle of light that surrounds its darkened orb.....  look at the sun’s corona..........  how it shines like a crown..........

You realize that you, too, have a corona that shines around your darkness.........  

you can see your corona .......  it helps to illuminate your shadow land and reminds you that all your fears, emotions, and challenges have helped to make you the person you are today...........  

embrace your corona as a crown...........  

what does your crown look like?...................  

what is made from?.............................. 

Now, take your crown into your hands ..........

what does your crown feel like?  Notice all you can about it...............

Now, place your crown upon your head...........  

notice how wearing your crown makes you feel...........

notice any changes that come over you............  

notice any changes that come over your shadow land.....................

As you fully feel the power of your crown, you notice the darkness is less intense....... the light is returning...........  it is time to tell your shadow land goodbye and to offer thanks for all that it has shown your today.................  

notice any last messages your shadow land has for you at this time.................

you find you have a gift to offer to the shadow land.......  what is it you offer at this time? ................................ 

what happens as the shadow land accepts your gift?......................

Now you notice  it is becoming lighter and lighter..........   you feel a warming on your skin again............ you look up and see the dark shadow across the sun is leaving now, allowing the Sun’s brilliance to shine fully.............. its corona is no longer visible but you know it is still there.......  like the sun, you still have your crown,  and even if it is not always visible to you its strength and power will always be there.................

You raise your arms to the Sun in gratitude for this experience and find you have a gift for the Sun.  Offer your gift to the Sun now.....  

what is it you offer?..........................  

The Sun accepts your gift.......................  and, the Sun has a special gift just for you at this time.......what is it the Sun gives to you?.................

It is time to move on now......  equipped with the healings from the shadow land, the gift of the Sun, and with your crown you stand fully in the Light of your own Being.......  strong and renewed from this journey.

You find yourself aware of your breath.........  breathing in.....  breathing out........

and you are returning back to this time and place..........

when you are ready, open your eyes.

take time to journal.  get a drink of water.   allow yourself time to incorporate this journey and its wisdom.

The Devil Card: Conditioning/Fear

The Osho Zen Tarot

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

In the above image we see a lion wrapped in a sheep’s skin. Raised as part of the flock he  became conditioned to act, think, and behave like a sheep. Too big now, and very much looking like a lion, the false identity no longer fits him. What will happen as he becomes aware of his lion-ness? Will he turn on the sheep who innocently flock around him? Will he continue to be accepted by them once they recognize him as a traditional and potential enemy?

Our fears are like the lion. Over the years we have become conditioned to hide them beneath layers of disguise. We have allowed the “wool to be pulled over our eyes” and have taken shelter in a flock behavior of conforming, adapting personalities to cope or fit in. We have succumbed to addictions, destructive habits, living with illusions and immersing ourselves in denial. We can go along like this for years until something forces us to wake up. A crisis happens; we experience a terrible betrayal; a severe health or financial challenge forces us to deal with present time and reality. Then our fears come raging through like a wild beast and we feel like the slaughtered lamb.

What happens when our sheep-skin defenses fall away and reveal us as a lion? Will we turn on ourselves or others in savage attack? Do we cower amongst the sheep and pretend nothing has changed? Or could the mighty courage of the lion/lioness we are in our heart rise above the conditioning and become a leader and champion of our fearful self or those around us? 

From early on in life we are programmed to conform, to not ask questions, to hide uncomfortable and disturbing parts of life under fluffy layers of denial that keep us from facing fears as well as the strength we have to deal with them.We have become conditioned to a way of life, a way of believing, a way of acceptance. We get tired of fighting for the cause. We give up on relationships because they are too painful, expensive, and depleting. We endure old patterns of abuse from family and friends who cannot see us as any differently than we were defined by them at childhood or at the time we formed a friendship. Past failures have stifled our creativity and confidence and we have just come to accept less. All these factors become lingering fears covered with layers of disguise.

Once our lion awakens and that power is realized we have the opportunity to face our fears, to look at ourselves in this new form.  The behaviors and patterns that served the sheep no longer fit the lion and must be cast off.  We can take responsibility for our life and our dreams. Hopefully we are also filled with compassion for our old sheep-self. After all, that sheep skin did offer vital protection when it was needed.

Fear is not going away and is a great ally to us. Fear tells us, “Hey! Wake up and look out!” as it alerts us to danger. Fear will trip us up and knock us down to be sure we pay attention to something right under our noses rather than turn the other way and ignore the warning. Fear calls us to gather information and knowledge. The worst thing to do is to attack ourself or someone else who is afraid. True power comes with compassion as well as sometimes having to make tough choices. We can listen to fear, heed its warning, and then make decisions based on love. Self love. Love of the planet. Love of our family and friends, Love of our communities. And we can use knowledge and strength to implement change.

The Devil card calls us to face our fears, to embrace the shadow parts of our selves that have not yet been able to come to the Light. It is about freeing ourselves from the chains of unconscious programming that keeps us locked into patterns of deception and self destruction. Remember the DEVIL is LIVED spelled backwards. When we are wrapped in layers of fear we are not really living. 

Awaken your lion! Embrace your courage, your compassion, and love your life. 

...Kathryn Ravenwood     3/22/2020