When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the World, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away timid adventurers. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
As you advance along your journey, prepare to encounter all types of people and circumstances. There will be those who start off as allies but turn out to be otherwise. There will be those you judge as enemies who become the greatest instigators of your spiritual growth. If you know in advance that even the enemies you encounter are allies in disguise, you can relax. So, relax – as there really is no such thing as a true enemy. When you reflect on your life, you realize the most difficult challenges taught you the most valuable lessons and have made you more resourceful and resilient than you would otherwise be. Revel in the reality that you are who you are today, precisely because of the challenges you’ve faced and aced.
Mantra :: I revel in the blessings discovered in the most unlikely people and places.
Artwork by Rassouli
~ the Hero’s Journey dream oracle by Kelly Sullivan Walden
Our wild divine mother knows when to become gentle with our hearts, bestowing sweetness that liberates us from fear. Though you may have faced much struggle and challenge on your path, though it may seem only the most powerful intensity could stem the tide of negativity, the dark mother of grace will conquer the obstacles to your freedom with gentleness. She manifests herself now as Bhadra the gentle. She will calm the waves of emotion, eradicate doubt and despair, and provide safe and graceful passage through all difficulties.
Bhadra Kali, or ‘wish-fulfilling Kali’, is an auspicious and gentle form of Kali Ma. She is Kalyani who gives peace and happiness. She is the giver of windfalls and blessings. She appears when a gentle way will best accomplish what is needed. Sometimes, we are drawn to Kali because we need her ferocity. Sometimes, what we learn as we connect with her is that we deserve tenderness, sweetness and gentleness, and that we have been far too hard on ourselves for far too long. Bhadra Kali reminds us that we are strong enough to be gentle with ourselves. If we have been subconsciously sabotaging ourselves, she softly and deftly breaks the pattern. We no longer need to engage in unnecessary drama under a mistaken notion that it is necessary for growth. Sometimes, the growth is in choosing to cultivate and apply the kindness, strength and wisdom needed to disentangle and disengage from drama. It is about finding the inner strength to be true to ourselves in a moderate and peaceful state of being.
Raksha Kali, without protruding tongue so often associated with fiercer forms of Kali, is an expression of Bhadra Kali or gentle Kali. Raksha Kali has two arms, blue skin and a gentler expression. She is celebrated on the eve of the Buddha full moon in May, which streams an abundant and blissful download of amplified grace to Earth. Her presence signifies a time when an unusually powerful cosmic wave of spiritual light is very soon to become available to you. Like a surfer sensing and paddling toward the perfect wave, you can attune yourself to this sublime current of divine energy, and allow it to lift, guide and move you. It is a prediction of an imminent, joyful and significant breakthrough. At this particular time, greater progress than usual is opening up for you.
Raksha Kali is worshipped for protection from epidemics and drought. These are literal and symbolic protections. An epidemic is a mass contagion. It can be a swiftly spreading disease of the body, but also of the mind. Fearful collective reactions, based on societal conditioning and manipulated through the media, can spread like wildfire. The collective psyche of humanity is consistently being influenced. There are abundant spiritual sources of goodwill and peace constantly broadcasting divine love to humanity. And, there are forces of negativity and mean-spirited disruption seeking to assert their agendas through the human collective, too. The Kali wisdom within our hearts recognizes fear-fueling energy for what it is (no matter if it is dressed up as something else) and knows when and how to say stop.
Kali’s presence in our being commandeers negative forces. Instead of undermining us, we respond to those energies in such a way that our peaceful inner light increases. We become increasingly skillful in redirecting our attention, intention and action along productive, healing pathways. The presence of negative influence does not need to be denied nor decried. It does need to be acknowledged without one becoming overly interested or engaged with it. Kali promotes fearlessness and confidence because she knows how to use all energies – including negative energy – to promote light and awaken and blissful freedom within the soul. Your heart has the wisdom to transform even the most negative experience into a source of healing and freedom. You will not be negatively influenced by others. Although powerful in effect, your healing path shall be gentle.
Another expression of the gentle side of our dark mother is Shyama Kali, the peaceful blue goddess. Her presence teaches us that it is not always effective to fight fire with fire or to try to overcome force with greater force. Her wisdom is that of a gentling nature, able and calm, disarm and diffuse. There is not always a need to try and grapple and conquer. Sometimes, the need is simply to let go. Nothing rightfully yours shall be denied to you. The simplicity of this can confuse those who have learned they need to pick up any gauntlet thrown by any person at any time. Just because another has created a reality for themselves and is attempting to draw you into it, does not mean that you must participate. You have the divinely-granted gift to choose where to invest your energy. Be strong so that you can know gentleness.
Out of the fire of divine wrath, your gentle form emerges, calming the raging waves of emotion and disturbed fluctuations of mind. In settling myself beneath your fiercely compassionate and tender gaze, I find steadiness, kindness and peace. In this eternal moment with you, I am no longer afraid. Bhadra Kali, Raksha Kali, Shyama Kali, my heart softens as I take delight in the realization of your generosity and sweetness. With humble mind and willing heart, I bow before you, ready to receive with gratitude, love and wonder at your divine beauty and kindness. You are the unscripted creativity of the gentle yet unyielding divine workings for the greatest good of all. Jai Ma Kali!
Loss is only a feeling Cup can be replenished This is a time of inner focus Rely on instinct Trust your abilities and talents Mastery of Self, of fear, of doubt Wise Can stay on the path of success without becoming materialistic Self-discipline, perseverance, balance Hard work Nothing is lost Happiness Optimism Positive action, clear vision Being part of something bigger than your own individual life A wish is granted Increased optimism Trust in the future You are finally accepting that you deserve the blessings that come your way The struggle is over You can look forward to new experiences The gift of energy A promise of success Obstacles are overcome Patient persistence opens doors
Conditioning falls away Memory no longer defines you
“What do you call yourself?” the fawn said at last. Such a soft sweet voice it had!
“I wish I knew!” thought poor Alice. She answered, rather sadly, “Nothing, just now.”
“Think again,” it said: “That won’t do.”
Alice thought, but nothing came of it. “Please, would you tell me what you call yourself?” she said timidly, “I think that might help a little.”
“I’ll tell you, if you’ll come a little further on,” the fawn said. “I can’t remember here.”
So they walked on together through the wood, Alice with her arms clasped lovingly round the soft neck of the fawn, till they came out into another open field …
You are amidst a new experience – one in which you have no idea of who you are anymore. Paradoxically, this apparent loss of self is a beautiful gift. The loss of memory of the self, the absence of the conditioning that defines us, means we can approach new people and situations with an innocence and freshness. This is an opportunity to connect from the heart.
So it is with Alice when she enters a Looking-Glass forest with magickal powers … all who enter forget who they are. Thus, not knowing he ought to be frightened of a human, a fawn approaches Alice. She responds with an incredible fondness for the fawn and they meet in simple affection, connection and friendship. When we forget what we have been taught to fear or hate, it brings the opportunity for a whole series of beautiful relationships to blossom. This is the situation you find yourself in now.
Forget what you tell yourself you are. Forget what others have said you ought to be. Forget the enmity, the avoidance, the fear we live with far too often. Forget who you have been taught to be. Instead, re-awaken the innocence of the soul. Un-know thyself! Accept the mystery of you! Within that open space, within that forest where we are all returned to our ancient, most natural self, we can all be one again.
You are discovering what can happen when you rely less on conditioning, memory and civilization, and more on heart, receptivity and nature. New friendships, connections, gentleness and joy will be yours.
Follow your bliss and doors will open for you that you never knew existed. Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls. ~ Joseph Campbell
It is no accident that you are on this planet at this time, in this place, with these people. It’s no accident you’ve been endowed with unique gifts. Your gifts and talents are within you for a purpose. It’s not your job to know how your life is meant to unfold. It is only your job to be attuned to the bliss that moves you, guides you, and underlies your every interaction, moment by moment. When you honor your dreams, your inner guidance, and the promptings of your soul, you are rewarded every step of the way with a resurgence of soul juice – aka bliss. This is not a temporary high that leaves you crashed and burned out. The breadcrumbs of bliss will lead you to the best place to be, in divine right order.
Mantra :: I follow breadcrumbs of bliss that lead me, step by step, toward a most fulfilling life.
Artwork by Rassouli
~ The Hero’s Journey dream oracle by Kelly Sullivan Walden
Keep fresh before me the moments of my high resolve, that in fair weather or in foul, in good times or in tempests, in the days when the darkness and the foe are nameless or familiar, I may not forget that to which my life is committed. Keep fresh before me the moments of my high resolve. ~ Howard Thurman
Coming home with the elixir, after a soul-altering experience, requires consciousness, attention, and care. You’ve been changed, yet the world you’re returning to has remained much the same. Like an airplane coming in for a landing having sailed over oceans, deserts and forests, if the pilot brings consciousness to the landing, it can be graceful, even though the craft is hitting solid asphalt. Returning home from a powerful inner and/or outer journey, may seem like the time to let go, but this stage takes as much consciousness as the rest. To make your re-entry as smooth as possible, go out of your way to be gentle with yourself as you integrate slowly back to the ordinary world.
Mantra :: I am a citizen of both heaven and earth: I soar high and land with grace.
Artwork by Rassouli
The Hero’s Journey dream oracle by Kelly Sullivan Walden
We are a long way from seasonal time, from the ebb and flow of tides, the cycles of the moon, the rise and set of the sun. Instead we have watches and clocks, which tick and tick to mark the passing of every second. There are times when you need to move quickly – when you have appointments, deadlines or important responsibilities that need to be completed. When you are amidst such activities, you will be consumed with them. You may become anxious, short of breath, hurried and rushed. It may seem that you need to move faster than other people need to. This can lead to stressful, heart-racing moments, and when you are reactive like this, you are less capable than when you are focused, calm and clear.
Even though it is true that you must meet a deadline, you must take a moment to slow down so you can attend to your responsibilities. You are in the midst of a whirlwind – be the calm, the eye of the storm. Put to rest the urge to worry, to fret, to rush until your work is done, and the need to impress those you wish to please.
Work carefully, clearly, with focus and intent, see a sunrise, bathe in moonlight, notice the leaves changing color … and you will work faster than if you hurry and get caught up in worry. There is no need to rush, just look as if you are taking your work as seriously as it deserves. Pull back, stay calm, have a plan and stick to it, and all will be well.
A time of stress and added workload. Increased responsibility, feeling it is too late to pursue your dreams. Feeling pushed to complete too many tasks. An inability to say no. Insufficient support. The urge to rush. This could be a time of dynamic opportunity – but you must take charge of your own workload and do what must be done. It is time for one last push!
… If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison’, it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
You deserve to treat yourself well. You deserve to inhibit what is not good for you. You do not need to try what is bad for you, to know that it is not for you. No longer do what is not in your best interest. You have a habit or two that you would do well to let go of. You have people in your life that you keep giving time and space to, despite knowing you will suffer afterwards, that you will again be upset and disturbed by their harshness, their unkindness.
Poison does not only come in bottles. It comes in the form of others who hurt us, deliberately or even without their knowledge. It can simply be that they are not for you, and you are not for them. Poison comes in the form of words which hurt and harm, that fall from your lips or which are spoken about you by others.
There are situations you know may hurt or endanger you. There are substances which could be toxic for you and you do not need to have them in your life anymore. It is time to eradicate that which can poison you. It is not cruel to refuse to hurt yourself. You will be astonished at the energy you will have once you remove these toxins from your life.
Avoid toxic situations, people or relationships. Do not partake in what you know is not best for you. Ending harmful relationships, changing toxic habits or improving your nutrition and health regime. A clean out from your home and pantry of substances, foods, even fabrics that can ‘poison’ your personal environment. Changing unhealthy harmful thoughts and beliefs about yourself and refusing to speak ill of others. Choosing to encourage, support and lead through kindness and strength.
At last the dodo said, “Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.”
“But who is to give the prizes?” Quite a chorus of voices asked.
“Why, she, of course,” said the dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out, in a confused way, “Prizes! Prizes!”
While it seems like a lovely message – how wonderful for everyone to have won and to have prizes! – there is a hidden shadow. For there is no winning if all have won, and there is no prize if all have acquired the same thing. In other words, there does not seem to have been a test of excellence here – merely an exercise which seems to have tested people. But, at the end of the day, they will all get the same reward. This message comes to those who are tasked with evaluating the work of others and are trying to choose who has done well. It comes to parents, to teachers and judges.
This message also comes to those who wish to please everyone ad do not wish to fall out of favor. Thus, they will proclaim that everyone has done very well and offer prizes to each and all, to avoid the discomfort of true assessment. It is hard to have to decide, to make a choice and to know to whom the victory belongs. It is challenging to be discerning. We often prefer to be like the dodo, trying to make sure everyone is happy.
Consider the choices you have before you – is it best to reward everyone in the same way, even if some have offered more than others? Is it better to reward those who have excelled, either through effort or talent? Would you refer just to give prizes to all and keep everyone happy? These are your choices at present and it is up to you to decide which way is best.
Trying to keep everyone happy. Treating everyone as equals and rewarding those who have not worked hard. Playing nice, wanting to please. An ability to choose who or what is best for you. Trying to be fair, but avoiding difficult decisions is not fair on yourself. Maintaining illusions, to avoid disappointing others.
“Let the jury consider the verdict,” the King said, for about the twentieth time that day. “No, No!” said the Queen. “Sentence first – verdict afterwards.”
The situation Alice finds herself in is patently unfair. No-one should be judged, convicted or serve a sentence prior to the evidence being heard, but this is the situation Alice finds herself within. This could be what is taking place in your world. Unfair as it may be, someone wants to judge you before they know you, convict you before they understand your side of the story, and they most certainly have not examined any evidence. Nevertheless, they wish to judge.
As Alice so bravely does, you must speak up and say it is unfair and wrong. It is not right for you to be judged, but another person wishes to do so. Unless you speak up, there could be very strong consequences. When you are told to be quiet and to tolerate the judgements being made about you, you are urged to speak up against injustice and object to what is taking place.
Your opinion of yourself is what is most valuable. You can state your case clearly, with strength and power, and doing so will help you remember just how very strong you are, how very admired you are, how worthwhile and decent you are. You’re worthy of respect, fairness and kindness. If you are being treated poorly, speak up! When you do so, the spell will be broken and people will see that your side of the story is well worth listening to. Never allow another to steal your self-worth!
Someone may have the authority to impose the law, but the law, or the rule is ready to be questioned. Following the law, even though it is unjust. Condemnation without knowing the full story. Being judged by people who do not know you or have a biased view. You may be judging people you do not understand. Be sure to have a fuller picture, and avoid condemnation and judgement. Be discerning but be sure to be fair and just.
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