Mermaid's and fuchsia's

I'm having a day off today ... light rain is falling outside, the trees are whipping around in the wind, and mini-waves are rippling over the top of the lake.

But I'm inside sitting on my sofa watching Mother Nature's symphony wrapped in a soft furry throw rug, with a hot mug of chai tea.

With Isha Lerner's Power of Flowers cards at my fingter-tips, I can't resist pulling a card ...

Glory to Fuchsia,

For my suffering and pain,

And childhood past,

Are cleansed and soothed,

And healed at last.

Latin: Fuchsia hybridaColor(s): Red, Pink and Purple

Archetype: Mermaid. Known as the “Virgin of the Sea,” the mermaid inhabits two worlds simultaneously: water (the emotions) and air ( the intellect). Her ability to descend to the depths of the sea gives her access to the hidden treasure of her Real Self. Her ability to ascend beyond the surface of the ocean waves, toward the sun and starts above, awakens her to higher levels of consciousness. Around her neck are pearls of wisdom, salvaged from buried treasure of her past.

Signature: A thick shrub with smooth green leaves and buds that form in clusters, pointing toward the earth. Upon flowering, its petals open upwards, crowning toward the heavens.

Healing Properties: Fuchsia assists one in accepting long-repressed emotions, whether from this or other lifetimes, and embracing one’s long-submerged and neglected grief, pain, and suffering. Often, through this process, the Divine Child within is revealed.

Healing: You must now learn to move freely between the watery realm of emotions and the arid world of the intellect. You are asked to courageously embrace life in all its dimensions, including pain and suffering, for in so doing, you strengthen yourself, allowing the spirit to travel beyond the confused emotions and perceptions of your personal history into the world of enchantment and true insight. Ultimately, like the fish-tailed Goddess, you emerge into wholeness; that which was once only known in the dark, womb-like places, is now fully integrated in the light of day.

When the Fuchsia mermaid visits you she invokes your long awaited transformation. The cherub angel pictured above her head represents your Divine Child, freed from the confines of the past and now heralding your glorious rebirth. Joyously, the hummingbird overlights you, for you have found many treasures buried in the darkness of your suffering and now know yourself to be whole in the midst of all that life has to offer. Rise up and receive the many blessings of your New World.

Salute!

The grand and dramatic salute pictured in this card is a tribute to the active force of the mind that has found unity and success.

Each child holds a cup, representing the heart, and a sword, representing the mind force.

The destination has been reached, and the search for new clarity is complete.

There is focus and a unified vision.

There is responsibility, loyalty, and friendship.

At this level of exalted awareness the individual has merged with their ideal of community.

From this union, the mission to serve the planets is possible.

The heightened mind, symbolised by the swords, is infused with light.

The mind is brilliant and full triumph.

I have reached a pinnacle.

Foresight and inspiration have embraced my mind, and it is as if warm sunlight is evaporating the waters of negative thinking and fear.

Salute!

I sit up straight, close my eyes, and let the light of the solar fire become an elixir of wisdom.

A golden aura of divine protection surrounds me.

Now is the time to serve humanity with clear vision.

A gateway to new awareness

I'm enjoying exploring my inner-child cards again.

I pulled a card this evening to give me guidance in my meditation ~ and I drew the nine of wands ~ oh how I love these cards ....

There are times in life when we are shown the gateway to new awareness that is beyond our current boundaries or resistance.

This new awareness offers another view of the world that can recapture, or open us to, the magical garden wisdom that lives within us.

It is there that we may learn to master our abilities and gifts.

When the fairy on this card is ready to open the garden gate, she will discover a world of herbs, flowers, and trees that await her arrival.

They will revitalise and heal her. There is an abundance of energy available to her.

The butterflies on the gatepost are the aspects of her soul that are ready for metamorphosis.

She hears the garden calling, and so she peeks.

This is a wondrous time in your life when you may be exploring the secret passages of your spirit or completing an important evolutionary cycle.

There is a rich and flowering place within you.

You must journey there.

Close your eyes and envision yourself entering the colorful and fragrant gardens of your mind and heart.

I believe in miracles

I pulled a card for myself from the Inner Child Cards. And I pulled the Nine of Hearts: this is my reading ...

A well, vessel, or cauldron can hold sacred waters for rituals, blessings, purifications, and healings. Water is the essence of all life.

The answer to the question of whether the cup is half full or half empty depends on how life is being viewed at a given moment.

This question is being asked of you now. Along with this question, you may be granted a wish.

In the traditional tarot, the Nine of Hearts is often considered the wish card. Your wish should reflect what you feel you deserve in life, where your heart is, and how much you love yourself.

Wishing is a way to observe how well you are seeking your individual fulfillment. Can you accept a happy life?

This is not an easy question to answer, and much care should go into this inquiry. Sometimes wounds of the past must be healed before you can grow into your wish. Forgiveness of self and others is one step toward greater fulfillment.

The mermaid in this card is holding her vessel toward the waterfall to be filled. She has reached a point of acceptance in her life and is ready to have her cup run over.

Hold your own cup high toward the waters of life and dare to fill it completely. Imagine the possibility of unlimited love, joy, and wisdom pouring into your heart.

This may be it time for spiritual initiation or purification in your life.

Believe in miracles, and follow your dreams.

Mysticism, Art, and Tarot: Reflections on the Sanctuary of the Soul

Rudolph Steiner, a mystic and an educator in the early 1900's spoke of the increasing need for art in culture. In his view, art and visual beauty stimulate "picture consciousness" within an individual.

A skillful artist has the ability to unlock mysteries and imagination previously dormant within the human psyche, as well as to assist us in drawing upon the spiritual forces and angelic realms which overlight human intelligence and creativity.

Whether the form of expression is painting, drawing, mosaic, stained glass, or some other medium, the opportunity always exists to see within a work of art the freedom and individuality of the artist.

Art and visual beauty stimulate the moist and fertile places within the human soul.

Colour is a symphony heard throughout the rainbow spectrum, and, likewise, the truest expression of the human soul is a rainbow body.

Ultimately, the soul is nothing other than a translucent, multi-colored field of pure consciousness, shimmering with feeling. The more conscious we become, the more brilliant and fluid is the colors of our auric rainbow.

We need a full-color spectrum of possibilities in order to open the heart and stimulate joy and inspiration as we transmute through life's many challenges.

The universal archetypes of the tarot -- the fool, the wizard, the priestess, the king -- are common picture archetypes living within the soul of humanity.

For centuries, the tarot has served as a medium of art, inspiration, and wisdom. Its roots are deeply embedded within the alchemical mysteries of nature.

The four suits of the tarot represent the four elements of air, fire, earth, and water. The twenty-two Major Arcana cards have been painted over and over again, each artist seeking to translate the pictures of the Soul.

A tarot card serves as a mini universe, mirroring the inner world of each individual seeking guidance from this multi-dimensional panorama of visual wisdom.

Just as art reflects the mood of cultural shifts, each tarot deck is designed and interpreted to reflect the aesthetic and bias of its respective artists and values.

The union of art, inspiration, and wisdom is what distinguishes the tarot as a medium of esoteric genius.

Antero Alli, a noted astrologer and esoteric teacher, writes: "Like art and also like philosophy, a tarot system is a reflection of an epoch, an era in human history."

The tarot acts on the soul. Through imagination, art, and wisdom, the tarot brings us closer to our own psychic dialect.

As one meets the demands of the twenty-first century, they may discover a void, or hollow place within.

This empty feeling of alienation or loneliness may trigger the need to reclaim the virtues of intuition and mysticism, both the cores of invention and imagination.

Without these aspects of human artistry and beauty, the continuum of evolution may be thwarted and the genius of the human soul undermined and damaged.

My work as an astrologer and tarot consultant is inspired by a need to look beyond the framework of this culture, and extract the wisdom or genius of each individual I meet.

The mind is full of pictures guided by the forces of inner and outer experiences.

Awakening subconscious stories and memories heals the spirit and brings greater meaning to everyday existence.

The images of the tarot are living aspects of initiation and growth depicted by frozen frames of imagination and wisdom.

It is our task to expand the lens of each picture so we may explore this life's adventure. From this vantage point, we live the story of our soul and joyfully unfold the mastery of our destiny.

Perhaps the Fool is the wild card that governs your inner world. The Fool, ruled by the planet Uranus, has a ruthless desire to awaken and invoke risk and change. The fool can shock, entertain, tease, and is as unpredictable as shifting tides.

Has someone new and eccentric entered your life? Are you considering a big change in life that requires a major leap of faith? Do you suddenly feel as though you are lost in the woods, not knowing where to turn?

Archetypes appear in the media through the people who we watch in politics, sports, the movies, and glamour magazines.

Through color, style, music, and art we connect ourselves to the "movie screen of life," and earnestly play out the role that fits our inner world best.

The most difficult task rests in our ability to maintain an individual stance within the "hall of mirrors" of life, and, reap the abundance of a colorful, wise, and imaginative life.

Pay attention to the pictures and images that greet you and capture your attention each day. Watch for signs and omens, especially signals that grab at your imagination or stop you in your tracks. Be cognoscente of the people that fascinate, mesmerize, or repel you.

How do they reflect your inner world?

Archetypes, represented by tarot or any other cultural medium, color one's life through dreams, every day experiences, and through the people one meets each day.

Observe those who personify these archetypal qualities, and, while doing so, seek to understand the way they reveal the art and wisdom of universal truths.

Infinite bliss

This is my soul card from the Triple Goddess Tarot -- Infinite Bliss. It literally sings to my soul ...

O happy soul, whose body has risen from the Earth which you wander and tread on during your sojourn in this world. Made to be the very mirror of Divinity, you have been crowned with divine imagination and intelligence.

–Hildegard of Bingen

Soul Message: Through the energy centers within my body that carry the life force of the universe, I am in communion with Earth and stars. My thoughts, my actions, my creative vitality, birth the return of the Great Bliss Queen. I shall walk the path of Infinite Bliss. My heart glows with divine love and joy.

Alchemy and Transformation: At this stage of initiation—through regular prayer, meditation, and visualisation—the human body begins to transform into a being of Infinite Bliss. The organs are strengthened and new levels of perception are awakened. The preconditions necessary to attain true peace and freedom have been fulfilled.

Awakening to the Archetype –The Great Bliss Queen of Tibet: The Great Bliss Queen has completely gone beyond the human tendency to solidify and objectify the things of this world. For Her, life is a holographic dance of translucent, rainbow-colored patterns of energy that dip and swirl and interweave. She smiles and laughs because She is fundamentally free, and because She knows that we are, too!

Everyday Encounters: You encounter the Great Bliss Queen in your life when you are fully present and alive in the world of form, while fully immersed in your flaming wisdom bliss. When you dance wild and naked in the moonlight; moan in ecstasy; squeal with delight; sign in sweet repose; or have a good, hard belly laugh at the sheer absurdity and wonder of it all. When you let your heart break open to the agony and the ecstasy, and especially when you discover that agony and ecstasy are, ultimately, one and the same. In short, once you have awakened to your own blissful nature, you encounter the Great Bliss Queen everywhere. There is no place She is not. She is All. All is Bliss.