It Was a Very White Christmas

We are gettings letters and photos from friends and relatives in Hawaii, talking about swimming and warm weather. Well, we got about a foot of snow last night and today. I like it when it snows and Eli and I were able to snuggle up inside and didn't have to be anywhere or really do anything. Except shovel it. Which I did. And later we went skiing.
It's lovely. Here's Eli on his x-country skis, and here's the lovely sunset.

Winter Solstice 2008

Eli and I meet with 3-4 other couples once a month for the purpose of "like-minded people getting together for intelligent discussion and exploration". Last night, Solstice Eve, was our 3rd meeting. I did a tarot reading for the group in honor of the Solstice and asked 4 questions using the Crowley Thoth deck. Here's the reading:

1. What is the nature of this new world that we are entering into?
The Knight of Disks-Mastery of Abundance and Prosperity. This knight is harvesting the crops that have grown to fruition and he is open and vulnerable having lifted his visor and turning his shield around to radiate light out rather than using it to protect himself. He is open to see and be seen and is vulnerable. How unlike a knight!

2. What are the opportunities to open up to in this coming year?
Knight of Cups: Principle of emotional loyalty and commitment. Again, a knight. There's a spiritual upliftment, spiritual force rising up out of the emotional waters. This guy doesn't even have armor. He's allowing himself to be vulnerable and bearing the gift of the Holy Grail. Wow!

3. What are the challenges of the times we're moving into?
The Universe. ! Completion, wholeness, regeneration, unification of duality. There is so much in this card, piercing the veil of time/space.

4. What else? The answer to the unasked question?
7 of Swords. Futility. This is the Ace of Swords (the one in the middle pointing straight up) knowing exacting what we want, clarity, and all the other swords pointing in at it are all the ways we use negative self-talk to sabotage what we know.


So, what does this all mean? There are endless ways to interpret the cards. I thought it interesting that two knights showed up for this reading. I kept thinking of how we, as a collective conscious, elected Obama as our president, a move that had the whole world celebrating. Now Obama is just a man, but he's also a mythical figure, as was Bush et. al. I was seeing the knights as this new energy that Obama embodies, open, uplifting. Knights serve, protect. Different from Kings who rule. If Obama truly serves according to our will, then it is on us to clearly give him our intentions. What is it we are hiring him to do in our name? Apart from politics, these are interesting times with a lot of opportunity and support for healing. What are we to make of the Universe as a challenge? We've reached the end of a cycle. Complete. Are we able and willing to change, regenerate and transform as a snake sheds its skin? Attachment to familiar forms can be a big trap.

And of course the negative self-talk that feeds a sense of futility is a major trap particularly when it is so imperative that we utilize the energy available to us now.

What is your interpretation of this reading? Everyone at the group last night had excellent insight into each of the cards and what it all means. We had the benefit of Lyn Goldberg, an excellent astrologer who shared what is happening astrologically and how it all fits together.

Once again, it's so late and I need to put this away and go to bed.
Happy Solstice!

Fall in La Plata Canyon

bird
Originally uploaded by Julia H

I think I can get used to this blogging thing. I've been playing around for 4 hours and I really should get to bed. The fire is almost out and I have to pull on my boots and go out to the woodshed for more wood to stoke the fire so it won't go out tonight.
Be well.

Winter settles in

I'm still getting used to snow. The good parts are walking out my front door and putting on my skis or snowshoes and heading down the driveway to what used to be a lake/reservoir, until it froze over. The bad parts are driving in it. We have had four new (to us) vehicles in the last 5 1/2 years that we've lived in Colorado and have put new snow tires on each of them, which means we have to put on regular tires when the winter is over. But as of today we are all set with our last car getting its new tires. Here's Pedro, our little Honda Civic, before new tires.

Another good part about snow is when it snows too much, we can't get up our driveway so we park out by the road, a quarter mile, and snowshoe in and out. It's beautiful, quiet, and an nice break.

Life is good.