Faith

When all else fails, there is faith. The other day, when I emerged from a meditation, the memory of a conversation I had with a former neighbor of mine popped into my head. As with all things that "pop" for me, it leads me down a road that includes memory rushes of various related incidents from my life. Without disclosing a private conversation with the Internet world, I can say that I was and still am in awe of my former neighbor's faith in God.

While the world is filled with many different religions and belief systems, the one constant I find is nearly everyone believes in some sort of a Creator -- a higher power. I like that concept because it allows for everyday miracles and provides a sense of faith -- a belief that if things are good, we are blessed, and if things are not good, we are blessed because we learn to appreciate what we have, the experience, and know that things will change and improve. They always do. This is my belief.

As I have gotten older, I have become more tolerant and understanding of people's beliefs, but I have become less tolerant of closed minds. Getting back to my day of faith, I realized, at least for me, that the word faith is very important today and every day. Without faith, negativity creeps in, fear takes over, and our light dims. Faith illuminates the darkness. I chose this card from Sasha St. John's Gentle Wisdom from the Faerie Realm deck because it reminds me exactly about trusting and having faith even when there is no indication otherwise.

Faith keeps us alive, hopeful, optimistic, and able to handle whatever comes our way.

Faith is what helps us over the hump when we are afraid of the future or the unknown.

Faith is the word for today and every day.

Faith is our ability to believe when there is no local or tangible reason to believe.

Faith is trusting that you can thrive, even when it seems as though the deck (Tarot or otherwise) is stacked against you. It's only a cycle.

Faith is the one word that you can grab onto to support you when nothing else is there to do the job.

Faith is the bridge, the conduit, the connection to the future.

Faith is the star in the sky that twinkles -- the one you wish upon.

Faith is what is needed when you have nothing to encourage you to to continue to trust.

Faith is what it takes to move forward even when you don't know where you are going. The Creator does, and if we embrace our ability to have faith, we can manage our fear of the unknown. Everything will be all right, no matter how it seems at the moment.

Am I a bit redundant? Possibly. Does it matter to me if I am redundant? No. What matters to me is, "Did I remind you of something wonderful to latch onto today?" I hope so.

KEEP THE FAITH, BABY!

Flexibility ... like a rubber band

The word for today is Flexibility. When it comes to work, relationships or anything that involves dealing with people, we need to exercise a certain amount of flexibility, tolerance, and acceptance in order to get along. As in life, we all have areas where we don't bend much. Think about a rubber band for a moment. They come in all sizes and shapes. They all have a purpose. So do we.

When I was in grade school a few of us used to play rubber band jump rope. I always had a thing for rubber bands -- they amused me. Here's a link down memory lane: http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/games-jump-rope.htm.

A few days ago I had a new group of students in my Tarot I class at SMC and found myself letting people know how flexible Tarot can be, and how flexible I can be -- up to a point. One of my students had read a lot of books on Tarot and asked me, "Aren't you supposed to wrap your cards in silk and put them in a wooden box?" I just love those questions. My answer was, "Many people write that in Tarot books. Does that work for you? I have decks in boxes, Gevalia coffee cloth bags, a Crown Royal bag, Tarot bags, and all sorts of other bags and boxes. Your deck your rules; my deck my rules."

He was stunned by my answer. Why wouldn't he be? I didn't agree with what he read. He also said, "I read that you should not let anyone read with your cards." I replied again, "Your deck your rules; my deck my rules. Whatever resonates with you or works for you should be fine. It's all about you, not what someone else says you are supposed to do. Let me repeat this again, Your deck your rules; my deck my rules."

I explained to the class that I have some decks that I collect, and some decks that I don't let people handle because they are signed by some of my friends (the artists Arnell Ando, Robert M. Place, Julie Cuccia-Watts, and a few others) that I treasure. There are also two or three decks that I read with that I won't let anyone use. However, I also have a bunch of decks that anyone can handle. I'm a teacher. However, if anyone rifles or "poker shuffles" my decks, I become rigid and my rubber band personality breaks. Rifling decks wear them out faster. Easy does it and my rubber band snaps back into place.

So, my question to you, dear reader, is simple, "Do you know how flexible you are and under what conditions?" We all have our areas of "no problem" and "absolutely not." You just read about one of mine!

Full Moon in Virgo - Wha???

Having stopped blogging for a while for various personal reasons, I wondered what would get me started again. Is it the Full Moon in Virgo today? Is it because the moon's transit hits my natal chart in such a way that I feel compelled to blog? More than likely. Seriously, can astrology have that much of an impact on my life or anyone else's. Yes. How does a full moon impact you? This particular follow moon?

Astrology does make sense. When I look at the various incidents that occurred during the past two years, I cried out at the top of my lungs Sh-t!

Is this particular full moon smacking a you hard? All I know is the whole world is in a state of chaos, and transitions are occuring on micro and macro levels in a volatile manner, much like Tarot's "Tower." Astrologers can look at various charts of countries, people in power, etc. and explain what is going on, and why better than I ever could. I ony know a bit of it from what I intuitively pick up from energy flowing/not flowing, and an occasional flip of at least a half-dozen Tarot cards.

My own life as of late is positioned to make some sort of transition. I'm still weathering the storm by exercising discipline, trust, flexibility, action, and surrendering when I can do no more. This method works for me. Do you have a better way? I'd love to know. Tell me. Post it.

My mother used to say, "All things come to he who waits." My father used to say, "You need to follow through." They both were right to some degree. Aha, it is all about the balance of energies.

For me, this Full Moon in Virgo reminds me that I need to balance my perfectionistic self with my active go-for-it self. My image for today is Bruce Lee at his greatest -- kicking ass for the greater good.

Whatever you do on this full moon, look to see what thoughts, ideas, dreams, prayers, and plans you put into the universe during the last new moon. See how they played out, and then refine your action list for the next new moon. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing your dreams and plans come to fruition.

My favorite expression is "God/Goddess/Creator didn't bring me this far to drop me on my head and abandon me. He just wants me to shift, transform and become the complete person I was meant to be. I still have no idea how long that takes. Oh, yes, it takes a lifetime. Let this full moon be a wishing moon for you too. Let me know your thoughts. Post them here!

Relationships - Finding Lost School Friends

There are times when we reminisce and look back at our past relationships. I do not mean love relationships here, I mean old friendships from Grade School, High School, and/or college. Can you count at least one friendship from each school you attended that has followed you throughout your life? Can you count more than one? Can you kick yourself for losing touch with people you cared about due to procrastination, family interference, educational, career, or life choices? If you can freely admit that you miss some people, or want to know they are OK, please read on.

I met many people throughout my life who do not like to attend their high school reunions because they do not have good memories of those years. I must be the eternal optimist. I have always gone out of my way to be a friend to anyone who needed one -- even if they tossed me aside after their crises had passed. It was at a reunion that I really learned my worth as a human being and how many lives I impacted in a positive way, even if I was not the most positive at the time.

I have always been fond of reunions because it allowed me to reconnect and catch up with a few people -- if only for one night. I also reconnected with a few friends that were very dear to me, but due to life choices we had made, we lost touch over the years. Also, I made friends with people I never had a chance to get to know when I was in school. I really find that I am truly blessed in the number of people whose lives I have the privilege of touching in a positive way.

Take the time to search for someone you lost touch with who meant something to you at some point in your life. Whether you just need to reconnect one time or bring this relationship forward, use the Internet to Google them. Maybe they are Linked-In, on Facebook, or listed on Classmates.com.

I reached out to someone today that I haven't seen in over fifteen years. I hope she reaches back and we have time to catch up. Will our lives be better for the contact? I do not know. I just want to tell her, "Hey, I think of you from time to time and I hope you are happy!"

My message to you is simple ... take time to reach out to someone today ... in a positive way!

Relationships - Asking for Help

Just a quick post today. Are you someone who forgets to ask a friend for help when you need it? Are you the person who would give your shirt off your back to someone who needs it? Did it ever occur to you that one day someone might give you theirs? Are you ashamed to ask someone for help? If you are, more than likely fear keeps you silent.

If you are are a giver, have you learned to receive yet? If not, today may be the beginning of is a special day...as is everyday. Today should be the day you decide or affirm that you will ask for help when you need it. If the person you ask is unable to help in the way that you feel you need it, did they reach back in some way? If the answer is yes, you found a true friend.

When you hear the words "God never gives you more than you can handle," do you wholeheartedly believe it? You need to. Living is about having faith and knowing that if you have extended a hand in the past, someone may extend one to you. While it may not be in the way you expected, it will be in the way you need.

When you need help, do not be ashamed to share your journey with someone or ask for assistance. We are all here to help one another. While we may not always be in the most positive mental or emotional space all the time, do know that those thoughts and feelings are what binds us together in friendship.

Reach out to someone you love, or consider a friend who needs your help, and make their day brighter. If you are not having the best day, reach out to someone so they may help make your day brighter.

Life is to be lived and shared. As my late father used to say, "We are all on borrowed time. Make the most of the time the Creator has given you.

Relationships - Blessings from God/Goddess/Creator

Today, I would like to focus on the blessings we receive from God/Goddess/Creator. We are in the middle of a Mercury retrograde that provides us with one humongous, sneaky wallop. Some retrogrades are mild, some are overtly destructive, and others are...well they are all unique. This is a time when communications get snarled, relationship end, jobs end, relationships start, jobs start, computers act up (and I've had them crash and a few have literally burned), and all sorts of communication snafus may arise.

The day before Mercury went retrograde, I felt on top of the world, that I could do anything and the energy was light and perfect. The next day, I was knocked literally on my bottom. Thus, the flow of energy. So, as the avid surfers in SoCal are looking for that perfect wave, I am just riding the wave of energy moment by moment, day by day.

This past weekend, I was in San Francisco having a wonderful time at SFBATS. I enjoyed the company of my peers living in the wonderful world of Tarot. We explored many different concepts, uses, and the history of Tarot, etc. I felt like I was back in the loving, caring arms of old and new friends. When I looked over my notes from a few of the workshops I attended, I discovered that there were gaping holes in my notes and most of what I wrote down did not make sense. Retrograde? You betcha.

Mercury retrogrades are noted as optimal times to clean up old business and take things low and slow. They should be welcomed because they have a purpose -- to bring us back to ourselves and our humanity. Some of us find it a little difficult to stay focused during these weeks. It can be hard to not let our past come and bite us where we sit. Staying positive and optimistic is not always easy when we look down that dark tunnel with a speck of light at the other end, but we manage.

Today was a special day for me. While taking care of some personal business of mine, I became a bit emotional and shared my thoughts and feelings with the wonderful person on the other end of the telephone. I had spoken to her in the past and I know she deals with a lot of people, so I didn't expect her to remember me personally. I'm just a name and an account number. I thanked her after she put in a request to expedite my application. I don't remember what I said next, but she told me, "You always make me laugh and it brightens my day." I asked her, "You remember me?" She said she remembered my name because the last few times we spoke no matter what my day was like and my concerns, I always made her day. I do that a lot and I don't realize the impact I make on people. I like to make people feel better -- lift their burden. My father wanted me to be a mensch. I guess he got what he wanted, posthumously.

When you open your heart and share your spirit with others, you can make a difference in the world. By performing acts of kindness and support, when someone needs it, you will find that when you are in need, someone will give back to you.

Use this Retrograde energy to remove any people from your life that are toxic so that God/Goddess/Creator can replace that negativity with love, understanding and joy. Sometimes we need reminding that as difficult as life can be at times, a little light shines through and someone gives back to you.

Tell someone you appreciate them today ... and every day.

Relationships - Misunderstandings

Do you realize how important it is to be and have a good friend? Assuming you are there when your friend needs you, are they there when you need them? What happens if you either deliberately or inadvertently say or write something to your friend that hurts their feelings?

Taking it another step further, what happens if you tell your friend the truth and it's not what he or she wants to hear? Perhaps you shared your feelings and your friend misinterpreted your words and intentions? Maybe they reached out to another person for their opinion, and a wedge was then put into your relationship, possibly destroying it forever? That hurts very deeply, I am sure. If your fears and issues had not entered the picture, would this relationship continued to go on unscathed? Probably not. More than likely something else would have come up over time to test this relationship. The issues in relationships are always there. Misunderstandings always happen. It's how we handle them that matters. Take care of yourself and take your time when dealing with your desire to express yourself. You should be able to live comfortably with the results of your verbal or written choices.

My mother used to say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I think she may have been right. No one likes confrontations. No one likes to be wrong. No one likes to feel that they have been taken advantage of, not been given a chance to apologize and have that apology accepted, or be given a chance to explain what they felt, what they did, and why.

The best thing you can do is to be thankful for the experience, understand that possibly your trust and fear issues may have gotten in the way, and maybe there was a good reason everything turned as it did. That's the hardest thing to accept because you may not have the answer to that for some time.

My intuitive and practical suggestions would be to accept that your relationship is no longer the same. This would allow both of you to find your own way in life -- focus on your own stuff and allow each of you to grow in different directions. Over time, you may realize that you had spent more time helping your friend achieve their dreams, and you had let your own languish, or was it the other way around?

Perhaps down the road, enough time and distance will allow you both to reconnect in a positive and forgiving way.

Is there a solution for this? I think so. I recommend learning to be comfortable in your own skin. These types of things will always happen. Own up to your words and know that as long as you live your life with honesty and integrity you can find peace in knowing you tried to do the right thing. In time, perhaps your friend may realize that you were only trying to express yourself, and you wanted to let them know how you felt. In the meantime, say a prayer or two for all of you, send them your love and good wishes for their journey and be grateful for having traveled that road on your journey through life.