Release

8 Rituals to help you celebrate Winter Solstice.

I love Winter Solstice and I can feel the energy of it for a few weeks before it even arrives. It’s dark far earlier, much colder outside and there is a desire to cocoon, wear warmer clothes and eat soup (at least for me). There is a sensation of reflection, going inwards and questioning that arrives naturally from this energy. To me this is a time where I notice those “meh” moments more and really examine my life and ask the question “Am I showing up and embodying what I am called to do?” That’s why, to me, I feel it vital to take some time out to honour this energy and work with it which in turn allows me to feel aligned. In fact I feel more balanced, connected and inspired after I have taken some time.

So what is Winter Solstice and why celebrate it? Why take the time to honour it? Good questions, so let’s explore from whence it came and what it means.

Winter Solstice takes place on the day where the night is the longest and the hours of sun or daylight are the shortest. In fact “Solstice” comes from two Latin words: sol meaning “sun” and sistere meaning “to stand still” because it appeared as though the sun and moon had stopped moving across the sky. This longest night of the year, followed by a renewal of the sun, demonstrates the cyclical order of the cosmos. In this way, celebrating the solstice can be a beautiful remembrance that our lives are part of a larger order, always changing, always renewing. It’s a gorgeous invitation to not be afraid of the dark or the shadow, as it is in that place is where we shift, grow and recharge.

Winter Solstice has been celebrated in various forms and for thousands of years across a myriad of cultures.

There was Saturnalia in Ancient Rome which began on December 17 and lasted for 7 days. These celebrations were held from as far back as around 217 BC to honour Saturn, the father of the gods.

Feast of Juul – This is where we get the term Yule from at this time of year, was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. People would light fires to symbolize the heat and light of the returning sun and a Juul (or Yule) log was brought in and dropped in the hearth as as a tribute to the Norse god Thor. This log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertiliser every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm.

Yalda – or Shab-e-Chelleh (night of fourty) is an Iranian festival celebrated on the “longest and darkest night of the year” – Solstice. Every year, on December 21st, Iranians celebrate the arrival of winter, the renewal of the sun and the victory of light over darkness on Yalda Night.

Santo Tomas – a celebration in Guatemala where the Mayan Indians indulged in the ritual known as the Palo Volador, or “flying pole dance.” Three men climb on top of a 50 foot pole as one of them beats a drum and plays a flute. The other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believe that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer.

If I were to try and explain this celebration in a nutshell it would be a time for introspection, embracing of the shadow, a willingness to walk into the dark, to then celebrate the returning of the light within and without. This is a celebration of honouring the dark before calling into the light and then most certainly celebrating the return of the sun and the light.

So let’s talk rituals – some people get really weirded out when the word “ritual” is mentioned. So let’s put some myths aside right now – there is no right way or wrong way, you don’t have to have all the ingredients for a certain ritual, it doesn’t need to be complex and over the top (but if that’s your style, go for it). I personally like simple rituals that I can do with my kids, on my own, with friends I trust and I don’t ever want them to feel like I am adding to my “to do” list, especially in this frenzied time.

To me ritual is intentional and all about creating space for you to tap into the seasons, the reasons and yourself. By performing simple rituals with personal meaning to celebrate the solstice, these rituals will serve as touchstones to help you cultivate an attitude of receptiveness and appreciation that will carry you through the holiday season with more ease. A good starting point might be to make a promise this winter to spend more time listening, watching, and honoring the slower, quieter rhythm of the season.

Always, always start with setting the space. Whether it is lighting a candle, hanging a wreath of evergreens or just sitting in silence for a while. Honour yourself, your connection to Gaia and Spirit, the celebration and get clear on your intention. Let’s explore some rituals to help you tap into this gorgeous energy, gain more peace and clarity and release whatever is not serving you.

Be Still, Be Quiet – Tools – You, a candle.

The minute I wrote that title I thought of the song based on “Christina Rossetti’s” poem – In the Bleak Midwinter.

If you don’t know this poem the first stanza is “In the bleak mid-winter, Frosty wind made moan; Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter long ago.”

Yet for some reason this poem captures the energy of this celebration. It is a time to stop, stand still.

So if you are willing (appreciating we are all very busy – as we tell ourselves), take some time to just be quiet. Turn off all the electronica, the TV, the cell phone, your laptop or whatever it is. Sit in the dark and just breathe and as you breathe imagine a glorious sunlight coming into your heart space and as you breathe out release the strings of darkness that we all have. Keep breathing in this way and with those intentions and when you’re ready gently bounce up. Turn on the lights, light a candle and eat something sunny. An egg perhaps?

Release, Cleanse and Create!- Tools – Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedar, Juniper Berries or Sage, a candle, journal for writing in. Peace and quiet for 20 minutes.

Create a space. Just sit, light a candle and give out a blessing. Anne Hayman has a lovely one that I work with – “ Bless me on this holy day, as I honor the traditions of my ancient sisters. I hold space for myself + for all living creatures on this planet. I stand strong in this long night of darkness. I trust that the light returns. I see my own energy reflected in nature as I go within, only to emerge full of light. May the blessings be… And so it is!”

Then take a bit of time to write out what you want to release, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Where are you holding it in your body and how you will feel when it is released? When you’re finished writing, rip the paper up and place it to the side.

Then using Frankincense, Myrrh and Cedar (if you are using the real thing then you will need a charcoal disc to burn them on). If you don’t have these, no panic – use Sage smudge or whatever you have. Light this sacred incense up let it waft through the air and take a moment to think about all you have released. Then with the candle you lit at the beginning, over a safe container, light up the pieces of paper you ripped up.

As you watch the flames devour your darkness and releasing see it all absorbed back into the sky, the Universe, healthy, cleaned and transferred. .

Sit for a moment with the waft of incense around you and your candle burning and say to yourself – “Light above me, light around me, light within me, light below me. My light is my strength and my protection.” You have just welcomed the light back.

So now you have created a glorious, sacred space within yourself with this ritual. What do you want to fill it with?

Imagine yourself as fully connected to the Divine and the Earth, you are a conduit in the middle. With this glorious energy pulsing through you – what do you want to create? What makes you feel energised? What makes you feel vibrant and alive? How do you want to share your light with others? Write it all down. If you use cards and feel fully connected to them, do a yearly spread. If you want some help, let me know.

When you are done, place both hands on your heart and breathe long and deep. You have just done something that is powerful and changes energy in a deep, subtle way. Breathe in, breathe out and know, trust you are a delicious being of light and love. So it is, and so it will be.

Get outdoors! Tools – You and the outdoors.

Is there a trail you can walk or a field or bank of snow you can lie down in?

A perch that provides the perfect view? Perhaps it is the top of your apartment building or a rocky outcrop. Wherever it is, even it is in your yard, find a quiet place to just acknowledge and BE. Get outside, whether it is at night or to watch the glorious sunrise. Get outdoors.

Create a Giving Tree – Tools – Food in the fridge, popcorn strings, a tree, candles.

This is deliciously easy and can be done on your own, with your partner or with your kids. Create a giving tree (this is where the idea of Xmas trees came from). Make some strings of popcorn and berries, apple slices or whatever you would like to do. I have done nuts on strings, apple slices covered in peanut butter embedded with seeds, popcorn and cranberry strings.

Take all your glorious offerings to the tree you picked, whether inside or outside. In the dark hang your strings on the tree and tell the tree how you welcome the light back so that there is more than enough abundance for everyone and everybeing. Stand back in the dark and revel. Then light your candles up and just take some time and appreciate where you are, your glorious tree, the offerings you made and the light coming back. If you want to burst into song with something like “Here Comes the Sun” by Simon and Garfunkel, then you so need to send me a video!

Invite People for Dinner! – Tools: You, friends or family, candles, food and a willingness.

This is a celebration time and what better way to celebrate than share food with others.

Sharing food is an important part of any celebration, it is particularly meaningful during Solstice as it represents faith in the return of the sun and the harvest. So have a friend or more than one over for dinner! Light some candles, share your goals, intentions and what you want to “harvest” in the next 6 months.

Turn off the Lights! – Tools: You, lights and thermostats?

This is super easy, turn off all the lights in your home, turn off your furnace, radiators, , baseboard heaters or whatever form of heat you have. Open the doors and windows wide and allow the cold air to flood in and breeze through (I highly recommend you bundle up).

In that soft darkness sit and BE in silence for a good 5 minutes or more. With the combination of dark, cold and silence it cultivates a stillness in yourself. You may feel a tad wiggly or odd but just keep breathing.

I used to do this with the kids when they were younger (and this is also my youngest monster’s birthday) it was quite profound to see what came up and out. When you are done with the dark (and don’t run from it), go around and gently close the doors and windows, put on your heating supply and as you do send a little blessing out “As the darkness begins to retreat and light begins its return once again – I am grateful”.

Then light candles galore (this welcomes back the sun), sing songs, share food and stories and what came up. And most importantly relax, enjoy and celebrate! If you are doing this on your own, after you have lit your candles, put on music that makes you feel awesome. Move your body and eat something delicious that is not your norm and give huge thanks.

Walk into the Dark – Tools – evergreen boughs, candles, apples and again – a willingness.

I have done this one for quite a few years with my kids and friends and it is stupendous and delicious. The Spiral Walk.

A few days prior to Solstice we go gather a truck filled with cedar boughs (keep in mind I do live on the side of a mountain). Then on the white snow we create a spiral that you could walk like a labyrinth. In the centre of the spiral is a tree stump covered with nature’s offerings – berries, shells, pinecones and crystals and a large candle.

The evening of Solstice we all gather together and each has an unlit candle in an apple and the only lit candle is the one in the centre of the spiral. One at a time gently holding the unlit candle someone walks the spiral into the darkness, towards the light they whisper what they want to release. When they hit the centre they light their own candle and as they walk slowly back out of the spiral they say what their creation, hearts desire, manifestation are going to be.

When they see a lovely spot that resonates for them they put their apple candle on the spiral and so it goes. By the time this ritual is done the spiral is lit up all over the place and then we would go inside, turn on all the lights and eat a meal and celebrate together. Have to say, every time we have done this as a family the spiral has been lit up all night and the centre candle has never gone out, no matter the snow or the winds.

Gift and Share – Tools: You, your stuff, large bags.

You’ve heard the saying “What is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure?” What better way to release and invite in the abundance that comes with the sun than releasing things you don’t need. Now I’m not talking about those tatty, ripped stained jeans – but what about that sweater you haven’t worn in years, those jeans that are lovely but you don’t like? Things like that. What about the food in your pantry that was given to you or brought to a gathering that you are never going to eat as it isn’t your thing? (For me I think of nuts as I don’t eat them).

So intentionally gather these things together and as you bag them up to drop off where they can be really used, set the intention of releasing for yourself and that you have created space in your physical life for more abundance and light and that your donations are welcomed and helping someone who will really enjoy them and appreciate them.

So wishing you a stupendous Solstice and a massive release and intention setting. Remember there is no right way, you just have to take the time, set an intention and do it.

Happy holidays to all of you, whether it is Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice or none of those. May you feel peace, love and tap into your light.

New Moon in Sagittarius and only 3 days to Winter Solstice!

Jenny Heston · 2:30 pm ·

Happy Magnificent, Marvelous, Magical Monday!!! How are you? How are you doing with Solstice and Christmas quickly rushing in? I hope you are taking some time every day to just breathe, BE, laugh and play – it balances some of the crazy out! Today is the New Moon in Sagittarius and holy hannah what a delicious New Moon to work with prior to Solstice and Christmas. This New Moon has the energy of traits that ordinarily don’t surface till New Year’s Eve.

It brings awareness of time passing and chapters ending, even as it orients us to the future. It stirs optimism and possibility in the midst of somberness. And instead of resolutions, it encourages making concrete wishes that stand a very real chance of manifesting. At this New Moon there are 5 planets in the visionary sign of Sagittarius and it’s in the galactic center of our Universe. So Holy Hannah, please take a few moment to make some New Moon wishes! If you need a prod, this is it!

I shared with you last week how I was advised quite clearly by the gorgeous Universe, to help kids at Xmas and do a kind of Secret Santa thing and wow, I have been floored with the response. A lot of you stepped up with tinsel and bells on to the nth degree even though you don’t live in this community, and sent messages asking how you could help. Well let me tell you – drum roll please……….. 79 little people will have something awesome under the tree for them come Xmas morning and two families who really needed some help will have the full Xmas meal along with fun treats, pressies and grocery cards for after the holidays and last but not least blankets and warm coats are flowing in to give someone who is on the streets some warmth and succour! So for all of you near and far who participated, thank you, thank you, thank you! You have just made an amazing impact on over 130 people and wrapped them in a blanket of love and care! This makes me feel huge Joy and as we have worked with the tenets of Hope and Peace, this week we are going to work with Joy, okay?

What is Joy? Isn’t Joy just feeling Happy? Nope, gotta say, nope. Happiness comes from something external and Joy is an inside job. Joy is clearly aligned with freedom because the joyful human being experiences life’s fullness and nurturing. It is an internal state of being, one that emerges from a profound belief in the sacredness of life. It’s that glorious inner understanding that all things are held in the loving embrace of God and the angels (and don’t let the words trip you up), and that there is a meaningful explanation or learning that emerges that will ultimately benefit us all. I love, love, love feeling Joyful it’s the oxygen for my spirit or the heart warming warmth of a perfect cuppa tea (and I am very picky lol!) If you are feeling at all that Joy has left the building for whatever reason, I have your back and some tips to reconnect with that sense of Joy, right here.

Interestingly enough I thought a bit of a darker, edgier deck would pop out to come play – but the Oracle of the Dragonfae insisted, I think they strongly feel we need a little magic and warmth as we enter the shortest and darkest day of the year. The crystals that came to play are:- Red Snowflake Obsidian – it brings things to the surface and aids in seeing the patterns in life, Mookaite – a gorgeous crystal for the here and now and a crystal for the lower triad of chakras. Then we have – Bloodstone – a glorious healing stone used to cleanse and align the lower chakras and help connect back to heart.

Okay, with all that being said (I do tend to chunter on), stop, stand still, roll your shoulders up back and down in a languorous way. Feel your shoulder blades nestle down neck to your spine, gently stretch your neck and sway your torso from side to side and breathe. Just breathe. Breathe in that effervescent, safe energy of Joy and as you exhale send it to person, place or thing that you want to receive this energy (and of course it can be yourself). To help you really tap into that space of Joy there is a brief guided visualisation if you feel inclined.

Ready to pick?

Let’s go have a looksee, yes?

Nimue

Between my two hands lies the power of all that is; the connections between the Earth and the stars, the realms through which you can move to bring about your deepest desires and dreams. But do you dare to dream it? Are you courageous enough to declare your desire? I can create, but I will not be brought froth when you do not have the fortitude to commit to your change. Make a commitment to thy own self now – she, who you truly are, is worth this trust, this pledge, this courage you must have to birth your own changing self. For I am gentle, but I too have no more time to spend if you wish to waste the jewels life has given you. I will turn away, because it may not yet be your tiem. Only you can say it is not so, and walk forth into your new self, with me as guide and light, with transformation as your nature, with your incarnation without material death as your truth.

Do this with me: Bless theyself. Love thyself. Know that you are beyond your own imaginings. Act this day, this hour, this minute, and change will flow. Do not hesitate. Be transformed now!

It is time for you to free yourself from the confines of others’ expectations and investigate other less conventional ways of making a living. You may be drawn to a particular crystal at this time, and may enjoy simply entering into more regular communion with the element of earth and its minerals. Wear jewellery that has been cleansed by you, and energised by you, and understand its significance and power for you. Make each piece you choose to wear a totem symbolising your own self, adorning and expressing who you truly are. Above all, the message of Nimue is to free yourself. Stop expecting others to unshackle the chains and force you to walk free. You, and only you, can remove that which is holding you back.

The Listener

How much have you missed because I could not have the space, the wild quiet, the blessed peace in which to whisper my secret straight to your soul? How much more could you be aware of if you simply took the time to be still and silent? The whole world can be heard in a moment….and now it is your time to be still, and to be silent. Listen and truly understand what it is you are hearing. Listen with your being, your entire being, not just your ears. Allow your senses to be the soul’s messengers. Sometimes we need to be quiet and listen. But first of all we need to be quiet. So many people talk so much of the time. And the talking and the talking and the filling up of space simply drowns out the messages. The dragonfae do not decry conversation and robust dialogue, the joyous clash of friends talking with each other, or the singing out of voices….especially when raised in joy, celebration, song and good cheer! But this card speaks of a time when it would be right for you to be still, and to listen, as the world whispers her secrets to you. We do not want to be making so much noise that we drown out our own signs and messages. So be still. Be silent. And be ready for the messages to come in sweet, subtle and magickal ways.

It’s time to remove yourself from the hustle and the bustle, from built-up urban and industrial areas, and go deep into nature and find the still pace of solitude in which the soul can speak – and be heard! Turn down the stress, the demands, the social whirl, the noise that can drown out meaning. In the words of Shakespeare, chatter is often “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” You would do well to seek the counsel of spirit in nature, to rest in a quiet grove within. Furthermore, when the soul speaks, listen, come into alignment and act from that space of integrity. The Listener does not feel the need to tell all about what she has heard. In fact, she is content to simply act, without broadcasting her moves, and to allow her dreams into being, to follow the guidance of her message without exhausting the energy of the message by talking it out.

She is silent and she seems still. But all of her actions are powerful and purposeful because they are born from a pure, still place of energy. Hers is the quiet glade and sudden, glad truth of the soul, and in these truths are great wisdom and delight.

The Time Guardian

The feelings you have, of time contracting and expanding, are real insights, not simply your imagination. Time is a living dimensional being, whose powers include the ability to devote more time to those of us who require it, and for time to speed up or slow down then it may be necessary, too. It is in this way that we are able to divine and travel through the threads and weavings of time, and move forward into seeing our future…in truth, we are already there. And much of who we truly are remains an echo. The time beings of the Dragonfae, of whom I am one, know this, and guard and protect you from confusion. Similarly, they can assist you when you require time to be created. If you feel you are short of time, send a thought message to me, the Guardian of Time, and I will send you all the help you need to meet your goals within the time you feel you have. Know that time is available to work for and with you; you need only tune into it as a dimensional reality, and connect with the time beings. Know that you are a timeless being. Know that you are dimensionally vast, that you are protected, cherished and loved.

If you work with time rather than trying to compartmentalise, control and define it, if we return to the lunar and solar and astronomical ways, if we celebrate the time changes apparent in nature all around us with the Wheel of the Year, then the time span we have will be richer and more joyful, our vocations will be discovered and we will no longer struggle to cram so much into our days. Because changing our perceptions is such a mammoth task, the Time Guardian is sometimes very tired, as the prevailing human mindset now is of time needing to be constrained and watched. He encourages us all to experience the natural flow of the energy we call time, and experience its multi-dimensionality. There is one simple way to work with him. Be in the present moment, more often.

Wow, that was a delicious reading! So gorgeous one I wish you a week of Joy, Hope and Peace. Here’s little prayer to remind you about Joy – “Dear Heavenly Teachers, allow me to believe in the rightness and goodness of life even when I see to much of the opposite. Permit me to bring love into the world even when my first response is to doubt love. Accept my life as as means of service to the Universe so that joy may bound on earth and within each living thing.” I also will write the word Joy on little pieces of paper and pop them in my wallet, makeup bag etc, just to remind me. With Solstice just around the corner I am going to send you all a lovely ritual on how to connect with this gorgeous energy as a thank you, so look for it in your email on Thursday. Stay warm and toasty, and there won’t be a reading for the next two weeks as I plan on having some lovely family time and finishing off my 2018 planning. But saying that, if the Divine says – yes – then yes it will be. Wishing you and yours a peaceful, hopeful, joyful and loving festive season.

Oh yes, for all those who have asked for private readings, we have had all sorts of technical difficulties with lovely mercury retrograde, so I just wanted to let you know, you haven’t been forgotten.

Gemini Super moon and Mercury in Retrograde – Weekly Reading December 4th

Jenny Heston · 2:00 pm ·

Hello delightful darling of deliciousness! How is your Marvellous Monday? Did you have a glorious Thanksgiving? It seems like Thanksgiving was just yesterday, but no it wasn’t, and wow December is already here bringing with it a Supermoon in Gemini, Mercury just went retrograde (gulp) and the energy of this month is Upgrade. So we are in a delicious energetic time (you thought you had escaped it didn’t you?) But let’s boil this all down and look at what the heck it all means.

Last month the theme was Turning the Soil, digging deep into things and coming to terms with certain areas of our lives. We are now in the last month of the year and with this Super moon in Gemini and Mercury being the ruling planet of Gemini we are being asked to do a celebrate, review, release and realign. Now what do I mean by that? As humans we are really good at looking at the things that didn’t happen, or went wrong (which is a load of bollocks), instead of regularly acknowledging and celebrating our glorious successes. So it’s time to acknowledge those and then review what goals that you set that didn’t come to fruition and ask yourself why. Please don’t use this as an exercise to beat yourself up, that’s not what it’s about, it’s an evaluation. The energy right now is about releasing the things you aren’t fully connected to and not for your highest good (or they would have come to pass) and re-visioning your future. To me that is very cool, especially as we are winding up the year and we are heading into the dark of the Winter Solstice.

Over the last couple of weeks a few new decks picked me,which I love! However, most interesting to see I had some energy about one of them. I don’t tend to do “cute”, I most certainly don’t do generic, platitudes and avoiding looking at the pink elephant in the room. So it was most strange to me when a deck kept hopping into my hands, calling to me and literally getting up and in my face. A deck that “looked cute, bland and have to say meh.” So after the third of fourth time of this deck trying to come to me I said – what the heck, and holy hannah I am glad I did. Why? I like to be real, raw, true and go deep, which means embracing all aspects of who we are. We are composites of dark and light. When we try to continually stay in that “light place” because it’s the societal norm and stuff our gifts and our truth because it makes others uncomfie it is so frigging draining! So this Oracle deck really asks you to step out of the shadows, to no longer hide your light away, and to acknowledge your individuality and strange genius. You are being encouraged to acknowledge your whole self and stop cloaking your gorgeous quirky traits in the gray garb of “normality”, it’s okay not to fit into that mould. Which again totally ties into going into the dark of the Winter Solstice to bring your light back out. So please let me introduce you to The Oracle of Shadow and Light, by Lucy Cavendish. The crystals that wiggled and jiggled to join in are:- Cinabrite, Moonstone and Snowflake Black Obsidian, good fits for this deck methinks.

I had also thought that for some December can be a bit of a challenging month with commitments, obligations and expectations running rampant. With that in mind each week there will be a brief guided visualisation to help you reconnect to the tenets of Advent – Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. So with that all being said, take a moment and just breathe. Listen to the visualisation if you want to really tap into your sense of Hope and then pick the card or cards that are calling to you.

Did you pick? Shall we go see?

Angel de los Muertos

I bring you a message from a loved one: one whose spirit seems to have already departed, but whose physical presence lingers on for now . I as you now to acknowledge your loved ones who are resting, in spirit, or creating new selves for their souls. You may soon be about to meet a beloved in a new form: I ask you to stay open minded about the form in which the souls can come, and I ask you to be open to the message from the loved ancestors. For they have something to tell you, and it will come to you soon, in a vision, or a dream, or a message during a daydream that will bring such sweet tangible proof of what some people still call life after death.

There is no death. There’s only life and resting and change. Be ready to be comforted and to learn more of the world beyond this world, which is always with you, but is not always believed in, or trusted, even when we send messages to you, as clear as a flag in the sky.

You are not to delay activating this lifetime’s purpose. The message is not just from those who have passed, but of the truth that you can activate your new life now, whilst alive. It is no longer necessary to pass, to re-create the life contract and purpose you have. Do not wish to leave in order to start anew: believe that this life is a constant process of creation and that you are at a point where you can end a pattern, without ending this life. Energy is changing, and death is no longer the greatest reshaper. She comes to visit you now so the fear of mortality passes and so that you understand you can being to rebirth yourself into a new life, now.

Mend A Broken Heart Fairy

Here she comes to gather up your heart’s sore pieces and place a sweet bandage on the place that is most wounded. And this one tender gesture does more to heal you than could a thousand years of therapy. It’s time for small kindnesses to be received, for you to know that the little gifts of friendship and sweetness are the ones that will assist you most at this time.

Allow yourself to be treated gently, to be attended to with kindness, and to be hugged. Allow yourself to accept that this is a time when you need to take good care of yourself. You are healing, and on the mend, but do not undo her medicine by forcing yourself to hurry up and get over it!

When you have heartache, it is important to treat yourself well: take time away from the flurry of shoulds you are so often confronted with. Why not take some time to snuggle on the couch with a favourite old movie, and have a sniffle. Have a long, comforting bath, and be sure to make a promise to yourself to let close people who are worthy of you and of your love! It is not about being bitter or guarded, but you are a sensitive and tender sweet being, and some people are just…not! So now is not the time for harshness. Soft blankets, sweet dreams, long baths, and a reduction of the harsh energy around you are best.

Then the Mend A Broken Heart Fairy can fly in to soothe you….. You will feel her presence, and she will lift the pain, until all that is left is sweet, gentle wisdom!

Violet Duchess

Bored! Stifled! Ah yes, she’s trying to be “good” and “nice” and polite – but it’s not working. This lovely and very passionate aristocrat has her fairy wings tucked firmly in, not visible at all, and is sitting stiffly, listening to someone give a lecture on manners.

In your admirable quest for balance, you can actually become too neutral, pretending to be serene, acting polite, not making waves – and not speaking your truth! Now that I’ve arrived showing you exactly how you feel, it’s time to discover – or rediscover – a raw and honest emotional reaction you had to a person, or to an issue, and express it. It’s all very well being a lover of harmony and not wanting to be a “troublemaker” but being a lukewarm person in regards to situations that really matter is not going to do you any favours. Bottling up your true self leads to unhealthy relationships, aches, pains, and even illness! Go for the passionate and truthful option – and rediscover just how strongly you can feel, and how much fun you can have!

Your desire to be liked, to please to the be seen as a “lady” or a “gentleman” is cheating yourself out of something wonderful that you deserve to experience. Sometimes, there are rules that simply need to be broken. Keeping to the spirit of the law sometimes means breaking the letter of the law, that’s how things change. There is a situation at the moment that has revealed itself as unjust, unfair, and absolutely unattractive to you, but you have yet to speak up! The most inspiring thing about this situation is that you’ll discover just how safe it is to stand up for what you truly believe in. Others will be inspired, too, so while it feels like you’re taking a risk, at first, after awhile you’ll realise you’ve started your own small revolution.

Wow, that was a very strong reading! Remember you can only see the brightness of the stars against the backdrop of the dark night sky, they are both equally important. So delicious one, wishing you a beautiful week where you breathe in Hope, Ease and Flow and breathe out “Shoulds and overwhelm”. Don’t forget to drink your water and do something lovely for yourself each day to recharge you. If you have any feedback on the new deck, would love to hear it. See you next week! Huge hugs and squeezes.

Misty Magical Monday – Weekly Reading November 13th.

Jenny Heston · 3:41 pm ·

Happy, happy misty, exceptionally wet Monday! When I got up this morning I peeked out the window to see that the clouds had settled low over the mountain tops and it was dark and rainy. Ugh!! As much as I love where I live, I don’t like winter here, the clouds come down low and there are times when you look out the window and all you see is grey, there’s no lake – just grey, no mountains – just grey. It’s enough to drive you a little bonkers to say the least! Or want to hibernate for 5 months (which really isn’t an option). Thus, what I have learned for myself is that I have to have a few practices in place and play with the weather and the energy of the day. So I ensure that no matter what the weather I get outside, I take large amounts of D3, I set the intention every morning that something Awesome and Amazing is coming my way (Pam Grout, Thank and Grow Rich) and I do something to make me laugh each day. So with the grey, mist and rain this morning I pulled on warm clothes and headed out with the hounds and I found a lovely spot in the woods where the canopy kept off most of the rain and the mist filled the valleys and it was deliciously magical. One could imagine fairies riding large leaves down the creek and elves peeking out from behind moss covered cedar trunks. When I got home I gave myself permission to take the day off and just be. From that place of BEing, 6 loaves of fresh bread were created (warm fresh bread slathered in butter and dripping in honey – OMG), along with a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. I played with my cards, read an inspirational text and laughed as the cat tormented the dogs, oh yes and had a wonderful Facetime tea date with my sister. Thus, all in all it’s been a good day so far – no matter the weather.

The deck that chose to come and work with us this week is the “Wild Kuan Yin Oracle” deck. I love the dedication of this deck “This deck is dedicated to the wild ones – those with a spirit that longs to be free and a heart that must love with great passion – who yearn to bring beautiful visions to life. May you always trust the divine wild child within you, for you are one of the new humanity awakening, ensuring that life upon this planet flourishes with love, kindness and radical optimism. May the guidance, blessings and enlightenment of Wild Kuan Yin touch your heart and heal the world.” I invite you to re-read that whilst you take a lovely deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe into your heart space, your wild, free heart. See a lovely golden light emanating from this space and as you breathe see the light expand further and further out from your heart until everywhere around you is filled with this delightful loving wild energy. Keep breathing long and slow. Then when you are ready and from this space pick the card or cards that are whispering to you from the mists. Trust yourself.

Shall we go see?

WILD RED RIDER, BLESSING BESTOWED

I descend with wild love and bring we me such grace that there shall be an inflow of harmony, serenity, goodness and order restored to your life. There is no limit to the way that I can land in your life, to the order that I can call forth from the wild chaos that my truth my first evoke. I see from higher perspective that which can be altered so that the patterns of your life can heal and you can step forward on your path, with clear purpose. I bring you the embodiment of my mantra, opening your heart, and granting your prayer immediate answer. Om Mani Padme Hum.

Let go completely and allow the Divine to take over. Harmony and order is promised, but it may involve you, and your life, being shaken up a little first. This oracle is the Divine Mother saying “Giddy up! I’ve got work to do with you! Let’s go!” She is not in her calm and tender form, but in a wild love, free and fearless form, urging you to go willingly with her on the wild ride she is going to take, right through the centre of your life! So best to surrender and hop into the saddle behind her as she prepares to descend and create some living, compassionate and wild mess in your life.

You are being asked to forget about nice plans and things that make sense and about routines and strategies. It is a time to take your hands off matters. It is time to let your priorities be adjusted and your viewpoints be turned inside out. You won’t be eating at the banquet of life off clean dish, or politely sitting at the table with fork and knife. You’ll be messily munching away, sitting on the ground, feasting on chunks of life the Divine Mother shoves into your mouth to satisfy your wild and hungry soul. It is not a time to look pretty and worry about appearances. It is a time to come out of your head, into your body and allow yourself to feel and experience it without recrimination, analysis, shame or judgement. This is your irresistible invitation to the divine party where there is aliveness to be experienced beyond that which makes sense to your mind, even your values and philosophies.

It takes a brave soul to be willing to run the risk of realising you have known very little up until this moment. But the gifts in return for this messy, risky journey are abundant and delicious. You won’t be the same person after an encounter with the Wild Red Rider, but you will be more of your true self – more alive, empowered and vibrant – than ever before!

SHE TAMES BY LAYING DOWN THE STAFF AND ROPE

My ways prevail. I subjugate the lower to the higher without any force. Through my ways, correct alignment to the higher divine order is established. My authority is supreme, yet I’ve no need to enforce it. Devotion to me is absolute, yet I bestow freedom. I show you now , the whispering way to tame great force. I initiate you into the way of strength without coercion, the way of attraction without demand. Follow me and learn the art of feminine power; that fear shall always succumb to love.

There is something that you want to attain. A situation exists that you would like to change. It may be something in your way of thinking or being, or a habit of body or mind. It may be a pattern within your emotional world, or an actual physical situation or obstacle you wish to changes. Perhaps you want it transformed completely, or perhaps you simply want some of the rough edges smoothed. No matter whether it is a small or large change that is desired, you have been attempting to bring it about through exertion of your will. Now there is a time and place for such approaches. Yet there is another way, a gentler and more peaceful way, that will evoke little resistance within you and help you attract what you want rather than to have to carve it out of your own blood, sweat and tears. This is the taming power, the magnetic lure of attraction that can tame even beyond the capacity of will.

You must be willing to become empty in order to be filled. You must be willing to accept the very thing you wish to be transformed. You must be willing to become flexible in order to stay true on the path. You must be willing to become childlike in order to be wise. It is in embracing what is that empowers you to transform it. You can, of course, choose the other way; to pursue, push and direct. However, you will find it an uphill battle all the way and it will only get you so far. This way hold more finesse, attains a greater result and will lead you further along your spiritual path as you learn that the opposites are only an appearance of reality, no reality itself. What you want is possible.

HOLY SISTERS

I am bringing you the gift of kindred spirits. These are helpful friends for your life journey. You have the power to help others and are worthy of being helped too. You are the keeper of the wisdom of the heart and you understand that there is no need for competition or comparison. There is more than enough for all to experience abundance of blessings. You know that when true spiritual success comes for one, the resources available for all only increase. Enjoy the sacred connections that I am sending your way. Nourish and be nourished, as you gather in my name.

You are one of kind. The way you share yourself with the world is particular to you. You have a path to walk this lifetime that is solely your own. You may meet others encountering similar issues at times, and yet your own path will never be exactly the same as anyone else’s. The type of frequency you hold is as individual as your fingerprints. Tht uniqueness cannot ever be taken from you, co-opted by another or compromised in any way. Whilst your energetic signature remains distinctly your own, it can create beautiful healing harmonies when allowed to synchronise with the energetic signatures of others. You could imagine it like individual scents intertwining with each other to make an enchanting perfume, or individual notes combing as emotive and uplifting music.

Don’t be scared to let go of relationships you have outgrown, that cannot serve love or restrict the flow of life because they are fundamentally critical or exploitative. Instead, let go and be willing to open up to new people who hold less fear in their hearts. The power of group endeavour, where there is an intention to generate love and be of service, cannot be underestimated. You are strong enough to maintain your individuality and uniqueness and still be part of a group.

Trust your heart when it comes to choosing your relationships – from how much time you give to family, to where you work and with whom, to your friendships, and even the community in which you live.

I love the cards, I really do. Look at the unfolding here – The Divine wanting to come play with you, becoming empty and trusting, finding your like minded tribe! Wishing you a fabulous week filled with warm bread, comfie thick socks and opportunities. Remember to be willing to connect with the magical and mysterious!

Twas the Night before Halloween and Samhain – Weekly Reading October 30th.

Jenny Heston · 3:33 pm ·

Twas the night before Halloween and all through the house, costumes were being sewn – there was even a mouse! The ghosties and ghoulies were hung with great care, with the hope that they would give someone a great scare! The pumpkins were nestled all tight in the garden beds, with little tea candles shedding light in their heads.

I love Halloween! The pumpkin carving, the costumes, making taffy and seeing all the little ones so wiggly excited as they holler at the door “Trick or Treat”. I used to be terrified as a child that someone was going to say “Trick” and make me sing, or recite a poem or something equally daft (hey I was 7) instead of just handing over handfuls of sweeties! With my kids I have always had a “mummy tithe”, in other words when we would get home from trick or treating we would go through all the sweeties and make sure they were fine and dandy, sort them into piles (not my idea but my youngest ones) and then count them. So if one of the boys had 100 sweeties, the tithe amount was 10, thus 10%. Now do the math, I have 5 kids! Yes, that’s right I would get a motherlode of all my favourite things, little mini smarties, kitkats, mars bars and Aeros. Nom, nom, nom. It would last me all year, unless the kids found where I had hidden them.

At the time that most of us celebrate Halloween it is also the festival of Samhain, the third and final Harvest festival where we celebrate with fire, eating and honouring the dead. In many places, Samhain coincides with the end of the growing season. Vegetation dies back with killing frosts, and therefore, literally, death is in the air. This contributes to the ancient notion that at Samhain, the veil is thin between the world of the living and the realm of the Dead and this facilitates contact and communication.

Now people can get rather tweaked when we talk about death, but if we look to Nature that is what is happening in the Northern Hemisphere. The trees are releasing their leaves and going into a more dormant state, the ground is getting colder and harder, and we are starting to turn inward. As we turn inward there is often a reflecting process as to what is working for us and what isn’t. To me (as someone who used to get tweaked about the word Death), it’s just a release, a release of an idea, a habit, a belief etc.

There are many glorious celebrations and rituals that you can do to celebrate and honour Samhain.

Go for a nature walk – celebrate the cycles of life that nature shows us.

Make an ancestor altar – Gather photographs, heirlooms, and other mementos of deceased family, friends, and companion creatures. Arrange them on a table, dresser, or other surface, along with several votive candles. Kindle the candles in their memory as you call out their names and express well wishes. Thank them for being part of your life.

Renovate (yes I said that) – Select an area of your home or life as a focus. Examine it. Re-organize it. Release what is no longer needed. Create a better pattern. Celebrate renewal and transformation.

Bonfire Magic. Kindle a bonfire outdoors when possible or kindle flames in a fireplace or a small cauldron. Write down an outmoded habit that you wish to end and cast it into the Samhain flames as you imagine release. Imagine yourself adopting a new, healthier way of being as you move around the fire clockwise.

Now with Halloween and Samhain burbling in your mind let’s crack on with the reading. It seemed very appropriate to do it outside on a bed of leaves and instead of glorious polished crystals, we have glorious rocks that I have gathered as I explore (after all they are crystals in the rough). Divine Circus was the hands down, have to come and play, deck of Oracle Cards that wanted to come work with you this week. Which I feel is really appropriate!

Let’s take a moment and just breathe, come back into your body, breathe in through your nose and sigh it out through your mouth. See a glorious stream of golden light funneling down through your head as you breath in and as you exhale see it whoosh out through your heart. When you are ready pick the card or cards that resonate for you.

Shall we go see?

RED COUNTESS

Deep within, you know what is true and what to do (or not do). Yet there is so much noise and distraction in the world, and even at times in our own minds, that listening for our inner wisdom can seem like trying to hear gentle birdsong in the midst of a rock concert. Even so, you are hearing an inner truth, and deep down, you know it. Can you trust that it is safe to not only hear your inner voice but act on it too?

There is something that you know. You’ve felt, sensed, heard or realised this truth more than once. Even if others see or feel differently, you just know what you know, even if you don’t quite know how you know it!

Give your truths value. Hold your feelings and insights in high enough esteem to pay attention to them, to give yourself time to process what you think, feel and sense. Know that they’re worth acting on, even if that action just means to trust more and stop worrying.

SUPERNOVA

Something in you needs to be unleashed. This is not quiet and steady growth, but more like a wild explosion of creative energy and sacred fire. The sparks your rapid growth will create shall ignite your body, mind and soul, inspiring you to expand even beyond what you believe is possible. Your light will shine far and wide. You cannot control it, but you can trust it.

A rocket is capable of travelling far and with great power and speed, before settling into an effortless orbit far beyond the world in which it began its journey. To launch, however, requires power. A quiet and continued power is not appropriate for the task. A raw and explosive force is needed to propel the rocket from the known world of earth towards its destined orbit in space. You are in a time or rapid growth so accelerated and powerful that it can feel like an explosion, as if you were the rocket being launched into space. It tends to be of high intensity but short duration.

As a rocket moves from the dramatic force of the launch towards the eventual peace of an effortless orbit, the rocket will jettison the very thing needed to get the journey started. This is about letting go of old attitudes, ideas, ways of being and attachments, to allow for utter freedom to ascend. After the launch there is another birth of sorts: the settling into a new pattern of life at a higher altitude, with more peace, effortlessness and consciousness. Each phase happens naturally and you’ll feel when and how to respond to each phase in your life as you trust yourself.

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.

Wishing you a spooktacular Halloween, a delicious Samhain and don’t eat too many of those tiny little choccie bars (though they are super tempting)! Have a fantabulous week and remember to laugh often and be gentle with your glorious self! See you next week.

Release

jennyheston

Release Anxiety And Claim Your Power