Big Steps

I am about to embark in partnership with the wonderful Susan at Theta Healing Scotland!!
We have decided that our amazing collected energy and philosophies compliment each other so stunningly, that we have to work together!
I will still be running the tarot workshops and she will still doing fabulous healings but in addition we are planning a series of workshops, talks, in depth healings and combining techniques from all modalities.

So what this space! The hunt for a stunning space is on!

Snow

Yet again we have a sprinkling of snow...we look destined not have a big fall this year. Most of the country has ground to a halt and there is the usual media frenzy about our inadequate services etc. Frankly it's just an excuse to regain some sort of Blitz mentality, where everyone drinks steaming cups of tea and we recycle old scarves & go tobogganing on animal feed sacks...ahhh the good ol' days!

But even a sprinkling transforms the city into a pretty picture.

The Fool

I heard this song by Suzanne Vega and was reminded of The Fool which I then pulled as my daily card. Of course, it's entirely possible that I am so focused on tarot at the moment that everything seems relevant!

You come from far away
With pictures in your eyes
Of coffee shops and morning streets
In the blue and silent sunrise
But night is the cathedral
Where we recognized the sign
We strangers know each other now
As part of the whole design

You are the jester of this courtyard
With a smile like a girl's
Distracted by the women
With the dimples and the curls
By the pretty and the mischievous
By the timid and the blessed
By the blowing skirts of ladies
Who promise to gather you to their breast

You have hands of raining water
And that earring in your ear
The wisdom on your face
Denies the number of your years
With the fingers of the potter
And the laughing tale of the fool
The arranger of disorder
With your strange and simple rules
Yes now I've met me another spinner
Of strange and gauzy threads
With a long and slender body
And a bump upon the head

With a long and slender body
And the sweetest softest hands
And we'll blow away forever soon
And go on to different lands
And please do not ever look for me
But with me you will stay
And you will hear yourself in song
Blowing by one day

Mandala's

The Buddha Tarot

The Sanskrit meaning of mandala is circle. The circle is a symbol of perfection, eternity, unity and completeness. Given these meanings, it's no wonder mandalas are such important symbols in all cultures.
Mandalas are incredibly versatile and can personify any number of meanings for the viewer. The meaning each mandala holds is limited only by the creator and the observer.

Along with the meaning of mandala, comes the use of it. There are many uses, the following paragraphs will outline the basic process.

The design of the mandala is to be visually appealing so as to absorb the mind in such a way that chattering thoughts cease, and a more philosophic or spiritual essence envelopes the observer which in turn leads to higher consciousness or awareness. In short, a mandala can be seen as a hypnotic, letting the creative hemisphere of our mind run a little more free while our analytical mind takes a little nap.
That said, we use the mandala as a form of meditation for the purpose of gaining knowledge, primarily the kind that resides within each of us.
Before meditating, we must first set an intention. Normally, we select a mandala that appeals to us. It is good to know what the meaning of mandala you've chosen - or set your own meanings/intention before focusing on it.

For example, focusing on the Native American labyrinth mandala, we know this meaning of mandala relates to beginnings, our eternal nature, and how this is relative to our life journey. So, before meditating on the mandala we set the intention to more clearly understand our life journey, or be shown guidance in a particular area we are having trouble on the path.

Once we have set our intention, we begin to focus on the mandala. Let your eyes take in the beauty of the designs, allowing your mind to wander as it will. If your mind begins to chatter (i.e., I should do laundry, have to get milk, need to finish that report for work), simply bring your attention back to the beauty of the mandala. Get inside the mandala, simply fall into it, swim in it, let it absorb all of your attention. As you fall into the mandala, you will begin to feel lighter, and intuitive thoughts may arise. Relax and float with the thoughts and feeling that come to you. If you begin to feel lost, uncomfortable or if you get the "chatter" again, simply focus your attention back on the mandala.
Each observer has different experiences. However, the overall consensus is that meditating with the mandala leaves the observer relaxed, and he/she comes away with a resolution or clarity concerning the intention that was set before the meditation.

By colouring mandalas, we allow ourselves to play. By playing, we open up a broad range of creative and intuitive processes that we don't normally experience in our day-to-day lives. It is play that will always open up our spirit, and facilitate a connection to our higher understanding and purpose.
By colouring or painting these powerful symbols, we also become a part of the circle, which involves us in the cyclical nature of our bodies, our lives, our thoughts, our emotions, just about everything. The act of mandala coloring draws us into the very circle of life.
Further, this artistic activity is like speaking a language. Our bodies and our minds connect and engage in a process that allows for our entire nervous system to explore new realms of identity. Performing this necessary and artistic function with a mandala further encourages our souls to sing as our spiritual and physical nature come chime in with harmony.

That technical stuff out of the way, my main point is to HAVE FUN!

Here are some I found to print & colour:
Mandala 1
Mandala 2
Mandala 3

Calm

Sea Calm

How still,
How strangely still
The water is today,
It is not good
For water
To be so still that way.

Walk the Labyrinth

I have been researching Labyrinths today. Fascinating subject ...without wanting to preach to the already converted I thought I'd share a small post here.

The Labyrinth is an ancient archetypal pattern found in many cultures around the world dating back more than 4000 years. One of the most famous is Chartres Cathedral in France.
Unlike a maze that challenges the mind with blind alleys, dead ends and choices to be made labyrinths have only one clear, winding path leading you from the outer edge into the centre and back out again. Walking the path offers a unique space to slow down, still the mind and explore the inner landscape of the soul.

When you enter the Labyrinth you can trust yourself to the simple path ahead and begin to slow down. As you walk to the centre let it be a time to release the thoughts and feelings preoccupying you. Allow your mind to quieten.
When you reach the centre be still. It is a place of openness and receiving.
As you return along the same path reflect on any insights and connections that may have come to you and begin to integrate new insights and possibilities into your life.

For some the experience of walking the path may offer a renewed sense of well-being and inner peace. Others may use it to focus on a particular question or issue. For others it will be primarily a path of meditation or prayer. There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. Use it in whatever way is helpful for you.

Edinburgh is lucky enough to have two: a permanent outdoor one in George St gardens and the other, a indoor canvas one at the Chaplaincy in the University...I am hoping to walk both by the end of the month.

In the meantime, I am going to spend the rest of the day making a finger Labyrinth. Not sure what medium to use, perhaps I should get some clay or maybe quilt some silks to make a nice foldable one.

Click on the pattern for big size & print...try it for yourself!

Book of Hours & Almanac

I have been reading about these and have studied Book of Hours for many years, the sumptuous Illuminated Manuscripts are amazing and beautiful. So, in my search for unusual and stunning Tarot (& Tarot related items) I have found some bits I wanted to share.

Here are the Illuminated Tarot, based on the Rider Waite deck but intensely coloured to give a rich and much more interesting card. I am not a fan of the Rider Waite decks, however I'd be willing to give this a try! The swirling colours in the back ground suggest more depth and complex readings would be gained.

Llewellyn's Magical Almanac covering the moon phases and magical events, festivals and important dates throughout the year. There are articles and stories which provide a nice extra addition to an already well planned almanac. Llewellyn offer more; Witches' Spell-A-Day Almanac, Herbal Almanac, and an Astrological version.

The Modern Medieval Tarot and rich in colour and vibrancy. Although this is a digital photographic collage deck, I think that it has been done well. The landscape is full and contains many hidden things. The faces are modern, as if looking back to medieval times, through a tunnel.

A Book of Hours is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Each book of hours is unique in one way or another, but all contain a collection of texts, prayers and psalms, along with appropriate illustrations, to form a reference for worship and devotion.

The typical medieval manuscript called a book of hours is an abbreviated breviary, the book containing the liturgy recited in cloistered monasteries. The books of hours were composed for the lay people who wished to incorporate elements of monasticism into their devotional life.

An Almanac is an annual publication containing information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar. Astronomical data and various statistics are also found in almanacs, such as the times of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, eclipses, hours of full tide, stated festivals of churches, terms of courts, lists of all types, time lines, and more.

These have certainly made me want to keep a yearly diary of my tarot and rune casting. I encourage my students to keep tarot journals, but it is something that I haven't done for a few years. I think it will be interesting to see the patterns that emerge and also, how key moments throughout the year impact upon the tarot.

So, on my Google Calendar I will put my daily Tarot or Oracle cards that I pull. I will be interested to see how they compare with yours!

The calendar can be found at the bottom of the blog pages!

Splutter...

Just a quick blog to let you know I haven't left to some hot, sunny destination but am curled up in bed nursing fevers & coughs. Needless to say the podcasts will be completed - post cough!

How are all your christmas plans going? Ready and relaxed or panic-ing!!?

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.

Salutation to the Sun

Although in the throws of winter...there are still the beautiful days of glittering frost & sunshine...ahh bliss.

Tarot of The Lotus

I have been fiddling around looking of beautiful images for the blog and other places I visit & found some stunning lotus flower pictures. I have to say I didn't 'get' the whole lotus thing until I was in Bali. They are lovely and everything that has been said about them is true! I thought it might be fun to have Tarot of the Lotus....What do you think?

"At dawn I asked the lotus, 'What is the meaning of life?' Slowly she opened her hand with nothing in it."

Auld Reekie

What a place it is!
Beautiful and seductive with it's glorious architecture and unique setting. Filled with closes (tiny alleys) that invite exploration and cobbled streets that hold many a footprint of learned scholars.
The air is full with a sense of turbulent history, from John Knox and the Reformation to Major Wier and his sorcery.
Edinburgh is a great city to live in, small and intimate with stunning countryside surrounding it. It has enough to keep your entertained and certainly enough for the psychic and lightworker.

Bonfire Night & Winter

Last night was the true beginning of winter in the UK for me at least.
As we stood in anticipation of magical fireworks wrapped in scarves and gloves, stamping feet with the bitter air catching our breath. The gasps of wonder as the night is scattered with glitter and colour, that feels like some primeval magic. The smoke scent mixed with damp leaves and cracking fires....all this evokes many winters past and in our crazy world and lives, these moments of joy and wonder as ever more important....Or maybe I'm just a big kid!

Tarot Haiku

The Fool

A Drifting feather,
no effort, fear or longing
it lands where it may

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Hanged Man

I pick only
those nasturtiums that have
bowed their heads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Magician

A ray of sunshine
splinters in a shard of glass~
a tiny rainbow

Tarot Lino Prints

At last I have finally finished some of the prints. Apologies for the pictures...must get better scanner! These will eventually be available to buy through the website. In the meantime enjoy!
The Hermit
The Lovers
The Moon
Strength

The Star