Aging, Gardening and Memories

Happy Miraculous, Magickal, Mesmerising, Manifesting, Majestic Monday! How are you delicious lovely?  

Do you feel the energy of Spring surging around you?  For the last week we have had warm, glorious, sunshine filled days and it’s fascinating to watch how all of a sudden people emerge out of their homes.  Cars are getting washed, lawn furniture is being brought out and dusted off and gardening is happening!  (When I moved here two years ago I was advised by a local that gardening here is very “competitive”!)  And having walked by homes where people are meticulously digging up their dandelions and daisies (which I think is daft), I can believe it!

So this got me to thinking.  One of my passions is gardening and growing things, playing in the dirt and creating sacred spaces that feed the body, mind and soul.  But where did this passion come from?  Where did I learn to garden?  My mother.  

Now this is rather interesting for me as my mother and I have an “interesting” relationship.  She doesn’t like me much (which she has shared with me multiple times over the years) and continually points out that I am the “Black Sheep” (thank goodness) of the family and to be honest aging hasn’t helped with the process.  If anything it has removed even more filters so her sharp tongue feels free to express.  

Yet I am the one that she phones when she needs something.  I am the one that put my life on hold for 5 months to help her after she had a brain injury.  Why?  Because she’s my mother and she also knows that I will always step up and help.  Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining.  I’ve done a lot of work with the mother/daughter wound thing and can appreciate her for exactly who she is.  

So a month or so ago, as I was starting a bunch of seeds in doors, it occurred to me that she might like to go on an “outing” to somewhere flat (as she is 93) and she loves plants and flowers and this way she could see the plants that are in full bloom and be reminded of Spring.  The first outing wasn’t so fun, even though I had packed a thermos of tea and chocolate hobnobs!  The second outing was much more fun as I took her to Beacon Hill and she could slowly walk amongst all the flowers and watch the peacocks parade by.  However, what I noticed was when I would ask what a certain plant was she would get incredibly frustrated as she couldn’t remember.  This was rather a shock for me as this was a woman who knew the name of every plant, both Latin and common and would often only tell you the Latin name so that you had to do the work of looking it up.

The third outing was this week and I took her to another lovely garden where she used to volunteer.  I noticed her walking was much slower and she would gaze at a plant for quite a while and then look at me with a sense of helplessness and ask me if I knew what it was called as she couldn’t quite place it at the moment. This incredibly strong woman was gently fading in front of my eyes. After a wee while we found a lovely bench amidst a plethora of plants where she relaxed and could just breathe in the colours and the smells and not have to pretend anymore.   

Before dropping her off we stopped at a local store as I wanted to grab a few plants that could go in pots for her (as she has a massive balcony and loves to have her planters filled).  And also because plants are a talisman for her.  On her balcony she has a large witch hazel that my sister gave her, the year before she died, that she treasures and talks about at every opportunity.  

However, after I dropped her off there was a weird sense of melancholy, a sadness and also an honouring of the aging process.  To see a woman who would spend all day in the garden planting and planning, as it was her sacred space and ritual for her, to now just gaze intently at a plant that she could see in her mind’s eye, remember planting at some point in time, but not remember what it was called and to be so frustrated with that; made me have a swirl of feelings.  

Yet interestingly enough she phoned and said how much she enjoyed the outings and the time to just gaze, remember and to see the profusion of colour everywhere.  Who was this woman?  As my mother never used to acknowledge any help or support I would give her.  

This all reminded me of the quote:-

Never underestimate the healing power of a quiet moment in a garden.

Have to say in my opinion Aging is not for the weak.  As these outings have shown me that even when you have been strong all your life, to show your vulnerability takes much more strength.  

Okay, enough chuntering on, let’s crack on with the reading.  When I went to the cards and asked who wanted to come support and guide this week I was intrigued to see The Isis Oracle were adamant.  

Have you ever asked who Isis is? Goddess of the Skies, Magick and Wisdom are just a few of the titles she is given.  Let me take a moment to introduce you to this lovely deck – “You are a powerful Soul and you are awakening.  Your thoughts, feelings and inner world is changing, and so too is your outer world.  When a Soul is growing in power and strength, it can benefit from guidance to help make the path into a new way of being in the world that much easier.  Isis offers Her wisdom and guidance to you to assist you at this time of spiritual growth and transition.  She loves you, and wants you to shine and be your radiant self, filled with power and wisdom.”  The perfect guides for this glorious time.

So let’s take a moment to just drop in.  To breathe ourselves back into our bodies and come into the present moment.  I invite you to see in your mind’s eye all the vulnerabilities that you don’t share.  Just let them swirl there with no judgment, no labelling.  Just breathe.  Then when you are ready, pick the card or cards that tug at those vulnerabilities.

Did you remember to pick?

Let’s go have a look shall we?

TALISMANS OF POTENCY

Charging Sacred Objects of Power

Sacred Tools and Objects can become an extension of your energy field, focusing your power and intention, helping you heal the split between spirit and matter, and learning to bring physical matter more deeply into light and life.  You are encouraged to work with sacred materials in a  conscious way to help your own healing and enjoyment of the material world as part of your spiritual practice.  Your love for the physical world of matter is a gift to the earth too.

You are guided to cleanse and charge sacred objects to empower your energy field and accomplish your spiritual mission now.  These objects might be a wand, a chalice or sword, a bowl or even a special rock that you love, a statue, cloth with a beautiful design, a crystal , shell or feather you found ‘waiting for you’ whilst out in nature one day.  If finding a gift in nature, it is wise to ask the spirit of the Earth if the item in question is intended for your healing work and if you feel it is, then of course, receive it with gratitude.  If not, bless it and move on.  

Objects become talismans when they are cleansed, dedicated and charged with sacred intent.  This is consecration, or the rendering of something into sacredness.  Talismans are a way to enjoy a spiritual relationship with the material world.  It is not a matter of not being able to work without them, but more of enjoyment and beauty of working with the material world in a spiritual way.  This is also a way to heal any difficult relationship that you may have had with your mother, your body, eating and food, or with financial or physical security.  It can also include difficulties in bringing your ideas into physical form, living your path in a practical and material way and any other issues that stem from a wounded relationship to matter, somehow seeing it as less than spirit.  What wonderful and varied healing effects talismans can bring to us!  It all starts with the honouring of light in matter, the sacredness of the material world.  

If you have an object in your space that you have been thinking of cleansing, perhaps a crystal or a piece of jewellery, please do so using breath, salt, moonlight or sound, as you so choose.  

Remember that objects in the material world hold vibrations too.   Cleansing with love and intention to dissipate negative energy is a way to care for the material world, helping awaken the light within it and within you.

MAGICK AND RITUAL

Crafting Sacred Practice

Effect in the external world can be created through inner practice.  Magick and Ritual can support your Divine Path now in the physical world and you are encouraged to enhance your power with regular practice.  The results that you experience will encourage you to continue with the practice as you grow in power, grace, love, ability and wisdom, and apply your inner beauty to transform your outer world.

For us to grow empowered and potent on the Path of Ancient Feminine Power we need to honour our knowing and being and cultivate sacred practice.  Sacred practice becomes the habit of growing our spiritual power and consciousness.  Like a garden needing regular care and watering to blossom and flourish, our inner garden of the Soul, where our creativity, joy, spiritual gifts and bliss bubble away, also needs regular attention.  Coming to our practice takes strength and inner will – even though it can feel amazing, we still have to wake up, set aside time and discipline ourselves to show up for our own inner growth.  We will reap the benefits when we do, but we must allow ourselves to fall in love with our practice, to craft something that really speaks to us, so that we want to do it.  The desire and the discipline together help us engage with our practice regularly and we can grow so fast it can be quite shocking!

You have great power and wisdom within you, but you need to provide channels for it to flow and be active and empowered in your physical life.  Sacred Practice is such a channel.  Without these channels, the ego is left to create on its own which is not much fun at all!  The ego believes in fear and separation and no matter how much it may want to feel love, bliss, connection, joy and fulfilment, it really cannot do it without your spiritual presence in life.  Ritual and Magick, as a form of sacred practice, are recommended for you as a way to bring more spiritual presence into your waking life, to heal and support the ego as you learn to create a life that feels better and brings you and others more fulfilment.

LIFE RESTORED

Priestess of the Phoenix

Spiritual resurrection is gifted to you now.  Whatever part of you or your life you thought to be dead is being revived and will flourish back into life.  Just as the Phoenix rises from the fire, transitioning from death, into life, so too will you rise again, healed and renewed.

Any trauma, ending, struggle or apparent defeat is not the end of the story for you now.  What may appear to be an ending can sometimes simply be the forces of Ancient Feminine Power flowing into new pathways, pulling energy away from old forms so that they can transition into new forms.  This can take short or long periods of time.  It could be over days or years, weeks, months, decades.  It doesn’t matter how long something appears to have been decaying, it will spring back into life at the right time.  

Just as the River Nile subtly adjusts its course over time, so too will the River of Light that flows through you, filling you with life force and Divine Energy, move with innate wisdom.  You can trust what is happening for you now.  Something important to you is coming back to life.  It might even feel like you are coming back to life after a period of increasing emotional numbness, physical or psychological struggle or spiritual disillusionment.  It might also be a lifestyle, practice, business or relationship – new or old – that is coming to life now.

You are guided by Divine Priestess of the Phoenix, Sister Isis, to turn your face to the Sun.  Just as the Sacred Scarab Beetle follows the movement of the Sun, you are encouraged to focus on the light and life that is seeking you now.  Do not resign yourself to the way things have been.  Let go of the past!  Have hope and optimism.  The past is over.  Enjoy your rebirth.  

Wow, amazing messages to remind us to turn our face to the sun, celebrate life, embrace sacred practice and spend time with our talismans – whether they be plants, animals, rocks or whatever.  Have a stupendous week gorgeous one.  Take the time to put your hands in the dirt, even if it’s only a small pot in the kitchen.  Plant a seed and celebrate your life and this moment.  As this is the only one you have.  Big hugs and squeezes.