Belonging

The Veil is Thinning, have you talked to your Ancestors? And a Samhain offering!

Happy Magickal, Marvelous, Mystical, Magnificent, Manifesting Monday delicious lovely! How are you? How was the Scorpio New Moon yesterday? Did you give yourself some time to think of 10 wishes, desires, goals you want this glorious time to support you with? The weather here has perked up and I have revelled going out in the sun and playing in the leaves – let alone we had three birthdays to celebrate this last week! (I so love good cake!)

This Thursday we have Samhain (Halloween) and as I have shared before it is one of my favourite celebrations!!!! I mean I seriously love, love, love Halloween (or as I refer to it Samhain, pronounced Sow-een)! I love the costumes, the pumpkin carving – which we did on Saturday and ended up with some very cool pumpkins. I love the crispness of the air in the morning, the smell of wood smoke late at night from chimneys near by, the crunch of the leaves under my boots as I go yomping about. I love having hordes of little people who are dressed as faeries, princesses, warriors, ninjas and a myriad of other delights knocking at the door hollering “Trick or Treat!” When my kids were smaller and would go out with pillow case clutched in hand to gather farrrrrr too many sweeties, their enthusiasm and delight was positively contagious. As the mumma I was also able to impose a “mumma tithe” on the sweeties, so I would receive 10% of all the mini chocolate bars (the mini Mars bar being my favourite!) Nom, nom, nom. Yesterday we all got together as a fam dam, lit a fire, carved pumpkins and celebrated one of my boys (with a massive homemade Greek feast). It was absolutely delicious. I love these moments. Now why do we carve pumpkins? Have you ever wondered? There’s a fabulous Irish myth that you can share with your kids all about The Tale of Stingy Jack and the Jack o Lantern…..

I love that the veil is thinning (and some of you may be saying – Ummm, errr, What?). Halloween was originally a festival celebrating the dead and the world of the supernatural. It was a time of reverence for and contact with the dead. It was also a time to reap the crops that had been sown in the year prior and to prepare for the “dark night of winter.” It is the New Year for many pagans, especially witches (or Wiccans). Samhain was and is a time for reflection on the previous year and what you have done with your life. It is a time of great magick and mystery and reverence for the supernatural and the “other side.” It is considered the time when the “veil between the worlds” is at its thinnest and the dead can-and do-walk among us. Thus, making it easier to communicate with those who are no longer physically here.

Many of you have emailed me asking if there is going to be a Samhain reading special. I have perked it and yes until November 1st I have opened up spots. It’s the perfect time as magick and communication is in the air! Which got me thinking about Ancestors, mine in particular. I have been fortunate to know 4 generations prior to me, some albeit briefly and I have had aunts who have explored our Celtic family and have shared.

However, you may know a name, a date when born, when they died – but who were they? Have you ever thought about who your Ancestors were as a person? What they did, how they felt, what they wished for? I read a phrase the other day “ You are the Faery Tale your Ancestors told.” Breathe that in and think about it. It really hit me as I was having a shower (I know odd, but hey), here I am reaching out to my Ancestors – but in generations to come they will be reaching out to me as I will be the Ancestor. They will be the faery tale I told. What would I like to tell them, and share with them?

When I used to Karma Krew at Enlightened Warrior, one of the sayings that we used a lot was “AHO” as an acknowledgement and in various of the “processes” that would occur in this format of camp often you would hear “aho mitakuye oyasin”, which is a phrase from the Lakota language meaning “I welcome all my relations”, it acknowledges the connection to lineage and to nature. Ancestors. This in turn got me to thinking about when I meditate or when I am out in the woods, what if I were to invite the wisdom, teachings and supportive energy of my Ancestors to be with me, would it make a difference? Well I tried it yesterday out in the woods, and all I can say is it was pretty stupendous. I felt like I had my own special entourage with me, guiding me, whispering words of encouragement and holding me in an energy of love and safety. I highly encourage you to give it a try!

This perking of Ancestors got me to thinking about Belonging. I facilitate a group called Soul Matters and each month we “walk” with a theme through the month, there are amazing spiritual exercises to explore, and we come together and practice deep listening, and deep sharing – this isn’t light or trite or for the faint of heart lol. The theme for this month is “Belonging” – not just about the place you feel you belong to, but more importantly “who and what do you belong to?’ Think about that – who and what do you belong to. In other words, “whose am I?” You are not a single mote floating randomly in the Universe, you are part of the people around you, you are part of your family and I invite you to welcome in that you are part of your Ancestors. Yes?

So as we approach Samhain I invite you to perk about your Ancestors and who do you Belong to and what does that feel like. Willing to play with it?

With Samhain, the veil thinning, Ancestors and Belonging wafting through the air when I went to the cards I grinned like a Cheshire Cat! The cards that chose you this week are The Oracle of the Shapeshifters. If these glorious guides are new to you, let me please introduce them (as that is the polite thing to do)! “These are the magickal familiars, once the companions of shamans, witches, wizards, and wise ones – and now they are here for you. Now is the time for you to undertake a great quest – to rebirth yourself within this lifetime and this quest of evolution does not need to be faced alone. We change and we change again. We fear change. Yet it comes. For us to fear change is as foolish as winter crying for the coming of spring. Change is. Fear corrupts. These guides are here to support, encourage and help you through transformation and to teach you to let go of fear. True , deep change must take place for you to fulfill your soul contract. You may have turned from possibility to what you have convinced yourself is probable: You diminish your possible self, reduce who you are, and dilute your spirit. But even when you have sought to remain invisible and hidden away, and said yes to everyone else, life will find you – and transform you. You are never alone with these beings.” Phew! So there we have it are you ready?

The crystals that wiggled and jiggled to come support are:- Angel Wing Phantom Quartz – fabulous for connecting to your higher self and to attain a sense of tranquility. Carnelian –stabilising, it restores vitality and motivation, and stimulates creativity. It gives courage, promotes positive life choices, dispels apathy and motivates for success. Citrine – attracts wealth, prosperity and success. It imparts joy, wonder, delight and enthusiasm. Raises self-esteem and self-confidence. And some gorgeous little Calendula flowers wanted to impart their healing – don’t fret – they went in a gorgeous salad afterwards. Nom!!!

So delicious lovely, breathe yourself back into your body. All the way down to your toes and to the tips of your hair. Woosah. Just breathe, gift yourself with these moments. I have included a lovely guided visualisation to really tap into the energy of Ancestors if you feel inclined. As you breathe invite into your minds eye Ancestors and Belonging, let them swirl and guide you. Then when you are ready, pick the card or cards that resonate for you. Woosah!

Did you remember to pick?

Ready to look?

BROTHER RACCOON

Raccoons speak of stealth, remaining undercover, and flying under the radar. Raccoons suggest you take cover, work with camouflage, and stay in the in-between places for a time in order to remain safe. Do not reveal who you are, what you do, or your new idea or project to all. Too often we share what we are planning out loud, giving all, even ourselves, the impression it is already done. It is not.

It needs careful protection, but mostly you need to not draw attention. It does not mean you have to be furtive or sneaky, though some will call it so. It means to quietly get on with your day-to-day and the very soulful business of change without showing everyone every detail along the way. You have far to go – at this early stage it is not advisable to share all. There is a sacred part of you that must be protected, for it could easily be exhausted and exploited by those who will be very quick – even quicker than you – to recognise the value of what you have.

In order to survive, sometimes you must hide, camouflage, or mask yourself from those who would know our true nature and exploit you. Like a precious plant when snow falls, you must go underground, huddle in your seed, and keep quiet and safe from those who would take you and cultivate you and your amazing self for their own reasons. This is not a time to allow yourself to be used by others for their own agendas. Do not think of this hiding or melting into the forest as cowardice; it is wise to go to ground for a time now. In order for ou, your ancestry, your bloodline, and anything cherished and rare to live on, you sometimes must hide it away for a time, brining it forward later so that you flourish.

THE GOLDEN PHOENIX

You are transforming – both internally and externally – and this change is blessed, divine, and guided by your Golden Phoenix guardian. Talk to your Golden Phoenix at sunrise – and know that as you do so, your Golden Phoenix is recharging your chakras and your aura, and thus your experiences, thoughts, and reality. You are loved by the Golden Phoenix, and as you honour her with your transformation, she honours you with this marvelous gift of regeneration. Life from death. The sun from the ashes. You rise again, reborn. The Golden Phoenix is perhaps the greatest creature of rebirth and reincarnation. This sacred helper, guardian, and loving companion guides you to die before you die, to be born again within this life, many times. Allow the things that no longer serve you to fall like autumn leaves. Allow yourself to be reborn, like the budding leaves of spring. You are potentially in one of the most invigorating, challenging, and inspiring rebirth cycles ever.

You retreated, rested, and you recovered. And now you will reignite! You thought something – or someone – was done. Dead. In the past. But his once lifeless thing of ashes is about to flame back into full existence! You are about to witness a resurrection, and you and the reborn will have the chance to create something of warmth and beauty together – something pure, innocent, and wise that will benefit many. Life always finds a way – and you will have a Golden Phoenix guiding you to rekindle a dream you gave up on too soon.

SNAKE PRINCESS

Associated with the goddess, worshipped in the matriarchal cultures of Minoa, and venerated by many people, including the Hopi, the snake is life itself. It is the marriage of the heavens and earth, and it symbolises the union of masculine and feminine. The snake is your spine, your DNA, and your nervous system; it is the ancient serpent kundalini knowledge that has been denied for over two thousand years and now returns.

It may be time for you to carry a staff, a sacred tool around which the snake mother can twine and speak with you. You deserve to let this energy flow into you, for it is the ultimate energy of rebirth. It is time for you to shed the skin of fear and conditioning, yet to use still your own wits. The snake will support your intelligence, and goddess will support your true self-love and acknowledgement. You are about to receive knowledge of healing, of ancient times, of the beauty of what lies beneath – the underworld, with all its wisdom of crystals, minerals, and ancient worlds.

Speak and show who you are. You will not bite. You will grow strong. You will not poison. You will inform us all with your brightness and illuminated apple, which when opened will reveal the five star seeds of wisdom. Do not refuse this apple. Do not heed the fear. Transform and heal. The propaganda about the snake and the serpent goddess has led us to fear this creature and our deep, wise, ancient self, and to forgo many blessed forms of connecting with the divine and with our own DNA.

My home is this tree of the world, where all souls flow from. Your soul is nurtured by my presence and wisdom of the tree. Eat of our fruit. It is your soul nourishment. And do not let the fears and the lies you have been taught be the reason you deny me. You are strong enough. You are worthy enough.

Wow! Well delicious lovely these are amazing cards to welcome in Samhain and the glorious New Moon energy of Scorpio that we just had. Breathe it in. Take some time to imagine your Ancestors, including the ones you don’t know of, and invite them in to support and guide you. Wishing you a stupendous week, may you have a myriad of mini Mars bars appear on your doorstep and smell the crisp air, walk in the crunchy leaves and give thanks. Allow the whispers of your Ancestors guide you to Belonging. Happy Samhain! See you next week! Remember, if you would like to take advantage of the Samhain reading special, you have until November 1st.

Big hugs and squeezes,

Spring is Coming! What does Belonging look like? Where Does Your Voice Live?

Jenny Heston · 2:00 am ·

Happy Magnificent, Magickal, Marvelous, Mystical, Melodious, Merry, Magnanimous, Majestic Monday! I don’t know about you but I have a bit of a feeling of “OMG February is almost over!” This month seems to have just whizzed by, don’t you think? It just seems to be a tad of a blur of celebrations, snow and grey clouds, most interesting. However, with February passing by so quickly you know what that means? Spring is Coming!!!! Whoot! Whoot!

Okay, I have a couple of questions for you this week that have been coming up in conversations with clients, friends and random strangers and they may appear heavy, but they actually aren’t.

So let me ask you the first one. Where do you Belong? Where is the place, the space the whatever that really makes you feel like you Belong? Now you maybe thinking to yourself, Jenny that’s a rather unusual question, but it really isn’t. A few weeks ago we explored why the Ancestral DNA industry is booming and that’s because in our society that is more connected than ever via technology, we are more disconnected than ever from each other. Most families don’t live in the same town, let alone the same country!

So let’s go back to the question of where do you Belong?

On Friday, I went to a talk given by Toka pa Turner, who has written the book Belonging is a Skill and she spoke of how, as we are growing up, we estrange pieces of ourselves to “fit in”. I call this trying to put a square peg in a round hole. She then went on to say that when we reach adulthood we find a group, an organisation, friends or whomever that we resonate with and really feel like we “Belong” and then for one reason or another we are ousted, there is a grief, a loss – where do we Belong? Many of us have experienced that pain whether it is in our family (if we chose to do or be different, our church, our spiritual group, even in a Yoga class!) Toka pa recommends that we pull all those pieces back to us that we have estranged or distanced ourselves from to become whole and Belong to ourselves first and foremost. In other words we Belong to Ourselves, that we become complete packages instead of searching for the piece that is missing. (Have to admit it reminded me a tad of people who post on dating websites “Looking for someone to complete me!)

I found this fascinating as, with a big move and in a new place, I too have wondered where I belong. I have been trying different groups, churches, organisations, events and all sorts. Some meet my need of “Belonging” and others, not so much, however the interesting thing is that I don’t feel unwelcome or alone. In fact what I have realised (very similar to high school), I Belong in a plethora of groups and as long as I feel that I Belong in my body and in my own home. Life is good. So where do you Belong?

The next question that came up this past while is “Where Does Your Voice Live?” Now if your response is “Duh, Jen it lives in my throat, my vocal cords, geesh!” I have an invitation for you, “Does it”?

For myself I always thought that my voice was in my writing, in the things I created, in my home and on the side of the soccer pitch. It wasn’t really heard many other places. My voice could be seen in the gardens I would create to express something inside, or maybe in a piece of healing jewelry I had created for a client or friend, it could be heard in the stories that I created for my kids as they drifted off to sleep, or in a piece of writing. But didn’t that mean that my voice lived in my heart, head and hands and not so much in my throat?

This got me to exploring the throat chakra a tad more, as to me this is the glorious melting pot where creativity, self will and love pool with intuition and divine guidance and then emit out loud for all and sundry to hear. I then talked to artists, makers, creators, speakers, healers, numb people and asked them where their voice lived in them. Is it just one spot, or can it be a plethora of spots. A lovely woman I met, who has a line of work that she thoroughly enjoys, says that her voice is in her Yoni and her throat, but not in her heart or mind. Fair enough!

For myself, as I explore getting out of my comfort zone by joining a female acapella group (and apparently there is a concert in 4 weeks!), drumming and putting myself in front of groups of people I have never met before (which can be a delicious invitation for my introverted self to go hide in a closet). I have found that my voice is in my heart, my creativity, my hands, my mind, my throat and my body. So slowly and surely how I share my voice the deep inner piece of me is slowly coming out through fairly much every piece of me, which is really exciting, but in a way terrifying! Interestingly enough our “choir” leader threw a new song at us on Sunday and my whole being went “Ahhhhhh” when I read the lyrics and I haven’t been able to stop singing it since.

Here’s the first verse: “From our lips we are echo and mountain, In our eyes we are sacred and sun, By the grace of our hands, we’re the flame and the dance, In our hearts we are rhythm and drum.”

So let me ask again – Where Does Your Voice Live? And how does this shape where you Belong?

Okay so I have most certainly chuntered on long enough, so with all that being said let’s crack on with the reading.

When I asked the cards and guides who wanted to come and share this week I laughed when I saw it was The Oracle of the Divine Circus. The reason I laughed is these glorious guides are playful, but deep. They think outside the box and invite you to do the same. If you have never met these glorious guides, please let me introduce you. “What is life if not a Divine Circus? Life might seem ordinary at times, yet when we look more closely, it is bursting with creative diversity, constantly evolving, pulling rugs out from underneath our feet (usually just at the moment we think we have everything under control) and opening doors we couldn’t even see were right there before us moment earlier. Life is magical, thrilling, sometimes strange and even scary. It can inspire you and touch your soul, inviting you to discover the unique magic within you, to dare to live it, to express it, to play with possibilities and embrace what sets you apart from the crowd. “

The crystals that came to play wiggled and woggled and jumped out as did the lavender (interesting). We have Morganite – It cleanses the emotional body of stress and anxiety, old wounds and hidden traumas, and enkindles lightness within the spirit, as if a burden has been lifted, Blue Apatite – increase your appetite for life, Kyanite – by clearing the energy blocks clogging your fifth chakra, blue kyanite permits a better flow of energy to assist in self-expression and communication. The wand at the top is Selenite which cleanses and amplifies.

There is a glorious visualisation to tune up all your chakras, however, if that doesn’t resonate for you. All good, just take a glorious deep breath in through your nose and sigh it out through your mouth. As you breathe this way for a minute or two I invite you to see right at the base of your throat where your collar bone joins, a glorious pool of clear blue water. See the levels and layers, see your voice in this glorious pool and breathe it in. See where your voice expresses itself in your body and then when you are ready, invite your voice whether it is is in your hands, heart, throat etc to pick the card or cards that resonate for you. Yes?

Let’s go.

Did you remember to pick?

Then let’s go have a look, yes?

CROWN OF THE BUTTERFLY BAMBINI

Just as nature imbues the butterfly with an innate ability for radical transformation, so too do you have natural instincts within, guiding you to grow in dramatic, utterly life-changing ways. Progress is your perfection. Growth is your attainment. Do you shun what you have been or mistakes you have made? Or instead, do you wear your ability for transformation as a sacred crown of power?

Transformation is an ability, an art, a sacred power. It requires an ability to go through the death of an old self, to be reborn again. That death might be an identity, a lifestyle or career, or an inner sense of self that no longer seems enough to truly reflect who you are becoming.

It requires both strength and flexibility, to be like bamboo, to bend without breaking. Are you willing to let go of what you have known, who you have been, without judging it, except to understand that you are outgrowing your past and becoming your future in this very moment? This takes great courage whilst flexibility of mind allows you to believe there are other possibilities in this life beyond what you have already experienced. The strength gives you enough courage to bear the loss of the known and the terror of the unknown, perhaps even turning that terror into excitement for what may be.

Don’t dream small dreams, for you are capable of far more dramatic and colourful creations. Trust in the magnificence of what you are becoming, the expression of the transformational intelligence and power within you.

DUKE OF SHADOWS

Cunningly clever am I, helping you discern the truth from the lie. I remind you that half truths may seem to be whole, yet in the shadows is information yet to be known. When the time is right, the light shall be bright, and confusion will give way to understanding.

You are being invited to be patient. This is a cautionary card, not to inspire concern, but rather to inspire curiosity. There is more to a situation, person, opportunity, or even an apparent absence of activity or success, than meets the eye. You could imagine it being like the universe has another card up its sleeve and is yet to show its full hand. A process has been set in motion but is “under the radar” of your awareness. Something is happening, even if that doesn’t appear to be the case. But just like a seed starts to grow into a plant, deep in the earth, apparently invisible and yet very real, you are being subjected to invisible but real forces of growth and healing at this time.

Because you cannot know what you don’t know, you will need to wait for more information to come to you. So if what you see, sense or feel is negative right now, don’t believe it! Things are going to shift and change and there will be a surprising twist in your life. Though you don’t see it coming, another piece of your life puzzle is going to reveal itself soon. It will help solve a difficulty or question you have been holding in your heart.

OUT OF DARKNESS

Something that has been troubling you, something dark within you or in your life, is about to become something else. You won’t see it coming, but when the time is right (and it soon will be), out of darkness will come new life. A seed of new life is growing. Perhaps you cannot see it or feel it because the seed begins its journey to new life in the darkness, hidden, away from sight and away from light. This seed is destined to bring new life to a situation that might seem to be dying, a fresh perspective to a stale problem.

When the time is right – and that is fast approaching – the seed will push through, rise up and reveal itself. It will no longer be just a seed, but a shoot that will grow into a plant and can then flower and bear fruit. It is not a question of whether or not it is going to happen. It is going to happen. It is just a matter of time. Whatever struggle or challenge is in your life or your heart right now, trust that it is going to work out. Not only that, but the very thing that seems to be darkest in your life, the most troublesome, is actually going to be what brings forth a beautiful gift of new life.

In a strange way, it is actually trying to help you. It is assisting you in being ready to receive and experience new life, for something new to be born in you and in your life. This might be the realisation of your own inner strength, your courage, the development of belief in yourself, confidence to trust your instincts or some other gift yet to be understood.

In time, you’ll see that those gifts – developed in order to get through the darkness – helped you step out of the darkness and into a whole new life. Soon you’ll see there was an opportunity and even a blessing hiding in the troubles of your past, just waiting for the right time to transform itself into light and life.

Well delicious lovely, wishing you such a glorious week of exploring where you Belong and to whom, possibly. And most certainly as we head into March, and Spring approaching with the upward thrust of energy and growth, using and finding your voice and allowing it to be expressed throughout everything you do, think, create, be, say, touch. Sending you sunbeams, daffodils and big hugs. See you next week!

Belonging

jennyheston

Release Anxiety And Claim Your Power