So I'm part of a monthly Journaling Group through SisterSpirit. SS is a local nonprofit whose focus is on providing safe space for women to practice their personal spirituality, with an emphasis on Paganism. And they offer a lot of donation-based monthly workshops.
So the one I'm personally most at home in is the Journaling Workshop. We usually have a set theme for so many months in a row, and then a new set theme. Our last theme was so amazing and powerful-- we journaled our way through the seven primary chakras. Now, we are creating our own Tarot decks. For me, these two topics have become entwined in a really wonderful way.
I find myself working more and more with the concepts of Chakra energies in the body. And while my special Tarot Deck, the Medicine Woman Cards, are truly a gift to work with... There are more symbols that hold various personal meanings to me. And I wanted to find a way to access those symbols as I do the messages in the Tarot. So I started by making lists of symbols I find important in my spiritual journey-- symbols found either in my reading and research into various existing sets of symbols (like the Trees or the Chakras), or in my personal life story.
And I promptly got very overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the list. Our world is FULL of meaningful symbology. So I decided to start with something simple and central. I decided to start with the Chakras. With the first Chakra-- Root Chakra. I made two cards that to me hold so much power and meaning that they have become precious and beautiful. Then I bogged down. And right about that time, SS Journaling took up the "make your own Tarot Deck" mission. I got inspired all over again. And I've done the preliminary work on any number of cards since then. I'm not done, either. There are a lot of workshops left to Journal my way through, and I'm staying open to inspiration as those meetings of spirit and pen emerge.
What I find is that the cards I've made that I am most drawn to-- their power and their intuitive meaning-- are the ones most specifically geared to my personal awareness of symbols in my life. For example, I find Universal Wisdom most clearly represented in two forms-- the Guide in the Forest, and the Wise Old Fish. And I've combined those two forms over a background of stars. I just love that card. I could spend a long time sitting and meditating on Universal Wisdom, with that card in my hand as a focal point.
There are other cards that hold a more general meaning-- the symbols are ones easily identified by more than just me. For example, I have an intricate glittery silver fabric, and inset over it is a moon with horns and wings. The Goddess, in a somewhat traditional form. Silver. The Moon. Wings. Cow Horns. And while I think it's important to have a Goddess card in my deck... I am not particularly drawn to the one I've created.
I may need to try again. To look with a more specific eye to my personal intuitive and internal representations of the concept of Goddess. A fiery mountain, a woman standing with her feet in the water, a lit candle, a windy night. A sense of Her strong will and Her power-- filtered by Her love for all living things, and the elements that are Her tools.
Maybe that would draw me to contemplation of deeper things like the fish and the trees. Maybe She is already sprinkled throughout other meaningful cards in my deck. The footprint in the ocean. The heart-shaped leaves on a bed of menstrual blood. The hearth fire of Hestia, the apple and the carafe of herbs, marked with a star for healing.
And with this energy and strength to CREATE flowing through me so strongly, it is harder still to buckle down to my work of applying for mundane paying day jobs. Jobs I need in order to keep body and soul together. Sigh. It is so tempting to live fully in the light of Spirit, and forget the shadow of the Mountain in whose caves grain must be stored for the winter.
In fact, I've tapped so strongly into my creative strength of late that I dream of being pregnant. Of creating something vital and dependent on me for its health and well-being in the world-- something physical and precious. An embodiment of what I have to give the world that is good. But the day job has not emerged, even while the life work has been clear for months. And so I dream over and over of being pregnant, and of lacking the resources and the strength to take charge of my (and my baby's) destiny.
In every dream, I am never the one who drives my car. I am too busy trying to make safe spaces in the car for the baby that represents my pregnant potential, and for any other living being in the car who is dependent on me for their safety-- and I lose my chance to be the one driving and determining where we will all end up. Me and my creativity and my life work. Maybe it is time I trust it to take care of itself, while I take charge of my own car, and drive directly and sturdily to where I really want to go. I'm tired of being forced (by my fear of failure to birth/protect this wondrous thing I hold inside) to take a back seat in my own life.
Showing posts with label Intuition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Intuition. Show all posts
Monday
Almost October
The Autumn Wind is blowing, whooshing through dry leaves, and stirring up the dust. It is a warm wind tonight, strange for almost-October. It is a relief from the unmoving oppression of the summer sun that we continue to experience during the day.
I recently read Tarot for a good friend, someone who speaks the Pagan language of Earth and Energy and Elements and Change. She told me that the "homework" I had given her-- just hearing about the ceremony I described for her to do-- it had shifted the energy in her body. It had created the opportunity for the healing of a wound that she's slowly cleaned of all it's filth over the course of many decades. She was exhausted. She was excited. She was surprised that the ceremony I described, and the pieces of it that I suggested for her to perform or work into the whole, fit so perfectly her need.
It was a gift, her description. I give all of my Tarot clients "homework." It is always unique to them and their personal path to healing and positive change. It is always about moving energy and about communication and intentional connection-- with a partner, with our own bodies, with our feelings or fears, even with ancestors or animals. I hadn't thought too closely about these "homework assignments" other than to know that if the person could find the energy and the courage to do these things, however small they might be, a shift would occur.
Sometimes the work is as simple as picking a special scented candle, and lighting it for five minutes every night, at a time when that person knew she was safe. The bigger goal was to help her associate that smell with safety, so that she could eventually use that scent as a tool for managing her panic attacks. The first step was becoming conscious of the times that she did feel safe. Learning to recognize the good feelings, and finding a positive trigger to balance out the many negative triggers she holds in her subconscious.
Sometimes the work is harder. Asking the person you love to give you what you need. Just something small-- a hug, or to be left alone-- one thing every night, for a week. Learning that it is okay to ask. That it is okay to receive. That love is a two-way street, and being able to give is in equal importance to being able to receive. Or watching for the tell-tale gut-clench that always happens when you feel helpless and out of control. Learning to identify that physical feeling so that you can stop, and recognize the emotions underneath.
Or even intentionally giving up control of a project or activity to someone who may not do the job you would do on it, but will free you up to do other more important jobs. Yes, you could make that call and get the exact info you need in ten minutes. Yes, it'll take five to tell your assistant what you need, and it'll take her another 20 to get all the information-- 30 minutes of work for the ten minutes it'll take if you do it yourself. But that 30 minutes of work mean she can do the same thing for you in ten minutes next time around-- and you have five free minutes to spend somewhere else on your over-crowded work schedule.
Anyway, having these "homework assignments" explained as ceremonies that shift embodied energy was a really affirming thing. It clarified and increased the way that I value and offer these projects for my clients. It added to my resume. I offer personally tailored ceremonies to shift my clients' embodied energy into alignment with their higher purpose or goal. I offer opportunities to create space for the best self to develop. Truly, I offer healing when I Read Tarot, and my empathic listening skills are a central key to my work.
I thank the Goddess who set me on this path for the gift I now wield of embodying connection between injury and healing, between desperation and intention, self-exploration and universal knowledge. Wisdom and Intuition. Isolation and Acceptance. Loss and Love. Living and Growing/Changing/Improving.
May my blessings continue in the winter, and the new year that follows the old.
May my words and understandings continue to heal.
May all that is needed be known.
-SBE
I recently read Tarot for a good friend, someone who speaks the Pagan language of Earth and Energy and Elements and Change. She told me that the "homework" I had given her-- just hearing about the ceremony I described for her to do-- it had shifted the energy in her body. It had created the opportunity for the healing of a wound that she's slowly cleaned of all it's filth over the course of many decades. She was exhausted. She was excited. She was surprised that the ceremony I described, and the pieces of it that I suggested for her to perform or work into the whole, fit so perfectly her need.
It was a gift, her description. I give all of my Tarot clients "homework." It is always unique to them and their personal path to healing and positive change. It is always about moving energy and about communication and intentional connection-- with a partner, with our own bodies, with our feelings or fears, even with ancestors or animals. I hadn't thought too closely about these "homework assignments" other than to know that if the person could find the energy and the courage to do these things, however small they might be, a shift would occur.
Sometimes the work is as simple as picking a special scented candle, and lighting it for five minutes every night, at a time when that person knew she was safe. The bigger goal was to help her associate that smell with safety, so that she could eventually use that scent as a tool for managing her panic attacks. The first step was becoming conscious of the times that she did feel safe. Learning to recognize the good feelings, and finding a positive trigger to balance out the many negative triggers she holds in her subconscious.
Sometimes the work is harder. Asking the person you love to give you what you need. Just something small-- a hug, or to be left alone-- one thing every night, for a week. Learning that it is okay to ask. That it is okay to receive. That love is a two-way street, and being able to give is in equal importance to being able to receive. Or watching for the tell-tale gut-clench that always happens when you feel helpless and out of control. Learning to identify that physical feeling so that you can stop, and recognize the emotions underneath.
Or even intentionally giving up control of a project or activity to someone who may not do the job you would do on it, but will free you up to do other more important jobs. Yes, you could make that call and get the exact info you need in ten minutes. Yes, it'll take five to tell your assistant what you need, and it'll take her another 20 to get all the information-- 30 minutes of work for the ten minutes it'll take if you do it yourself. But that 30 minutes of work mean she can do the same thing for you in ten minutes next time around-- and you have five free minutes to spend somewhere else on your over-crowded work schedule.
Anyway, having these "homework assignments" explained as ceremonies that shift embodied energy was a really affirming thing. It clarified and increased the way that I value and offer these projects for my clients. It added to my resume. I offer personally tailored ceremonies to shift my clients' embodied energy into alignment with their higher purpose or goal. I offer opportunities to create space for the best self to develop. Truly, I offer healing when I Read Tarot, and my empathic listening skills are a central key to my work.
I thank the Goddess who set me on this path for the gift I now wield of embodying connection between injury and healing, between desperation and intention, self-exploration and universal knowledge. Wisdom and Intuition. Isolation and Acceptance. Loss and Love. Living and Growing/Changing/Improving.
May my blessings continue in the winter, and the new year that follows the old.
May my words and understandings continue to heal.
May all that is needed be known.
-SBE
Wednesday
Apples and Pumpkins
All-Hallowe's Eve is coming. It's a time, traditionally, when the veil between the world of the living and the dead, the body and the spirit is lifted. There are many traditional activities, but my favorites are these:
- Bury apples to honor the ancestors on their journey and give lost spirits a meal.
- Set an extra place at the table for any visitors on this night.
- Light candles in your windows, either to guide good spirits to your door, or to keep bad spirits away-- your choice. (These are often placed in pumpkins-- an offering of peace.)
I invite the Holy Ones to my table.
Come, sit with me, eat and drink with me.
I offer you the hospitality of my home.
You are always welcome here.
----
I pray to all the gods of death,
of darkness, of sorrow.
Though I do not love you, I respect you.
Though I do not welcome you, I honor you.
Though I do not invite you into my life,
I know you are already there.
----
Eat with us, Ancestors,
on this night of the dead.
Share our meal with us
and then go on your way.
----
At the end of my life, I put my trust in the gods of my people.
Ancient Wise Woman, cover me with your cloak
as I walk the last path that leads to your land.
----
Lock up carefully, Earth's guardians,
and keep life safe until spring.
----
It is only fair to thank you, blessed ones:
You have given me so much;
I give to you from my little.
----
Enter my home, and find your own,
for the old ways are kept here
and hospitality is a law all are proud to honor.
Come, sit with me, eat and drink with me.
I offer you the hospitality of my home.
You are always welcome here.
----
I pray to all the gods of death,
of darkness, of sorrow.
Though I do not love you, I respect you.
Though I do not welcome you, I honor you.
Though I do not invite you into my life,
I know you are already there.
----
Eat with us, Ancestors,
on this night of the dead.
Share our meal with us
and then go on your way.
----
At the end of my life, I put my trust in the gods of my people.
Ancient Wise Woman, cover me with your cloak
as I walk the last path that leads to your land.
----
Lock up carefully, Earth's guardians,
and keep life safe until spring.
----
It is only fair to thank you, blessed ones:
You have given me so much;
I give to you from my little.
----
Enter my home, and find your own,
for the old ways are kept here
and hospitality is a law all are proud to honor.
All-Hallowe's Eve is also a great (but dangerous) time for divination, for communing with your dead loved ones, for thanking those who came before and letting go of those who travel the paths before us. Thresholds, offerings, honor and respect. Is not all life and death contained in these words? Offer what you have. If it is your concentration and thanks for a few minutes, give that. If it is a sprig of juniper or an oak branch in your hearth fire, offer that. Bread and milk are always welcome feasts, and laughter is beautiful.
Blessings Be.
Blessings Be.
Tuesday
Timing
Had a funny experience yesterday. I've been working to key in on my intuitive voice lately, as you know, and yesterday I realized I'm actually making progress! See, my parents were delayed in meeting me for lunch yesterday (by a flat tire, no less!). They planned to call me when they were on their way again. The chatter in my head claimed that "oh, great, it'll probably be an hour or more!" But that was just chatter, so I didn't pay much attention.
Called a good friend on the phone to pass the time. Spoke with my friend for about 25 minutes, then told her-- "Well, I'd better get off the phone now so my parents can call." I hadn't really been thinking about the time passing. And since I have call-waiting on that phone, I was also not worried about missing their call... but suddenly it was time for them to call, and I knew it. We said goodbye, and hung up. Two minutes later, my parents called.
I had to laugh at the timing. And feel good that I'm doing better at listening to that little voice that KNOWS things. And ignoring the chatter that seems to always be there in the background. You know about the chatter. It's the voice that nags at you when you are late, that makes you feel foolish if your hair flops over your eyes, that always predicts dire consequences or tries to inflate your ego with stories about how cool you'll look if you take this stupid risk.
The intuitive voice is friendly, calm, quiet. It's easy not to hear when you are stressed, rushed, or preoccupied. It makes suggestions-- ones that may not even make sense logically... but that is the basis of intuition. It helps us prepare for eventualities in our lives-- or other peoples' lives-- that we don't even know are going to happen. Another example of this-- I am learning herbal healing. I know a little bit about a few things. It's how everyone starts to learn.
My parents are not so into herbal healing, though they aren't against it either. But for some reason, I felt it would be a good idea to bring one of my books on herbs and their uses to our lunch yesterday. And I'd no clue why. But I thought-- this is intuition speaking-- so I did. Turns out, my dad has a case of poison oak, and they wanted to know if a healing salve I'd used on mom's open sore (small surgery left a hole in her arm smaller than a dime) would help his sores dry up, too. But the worst thing you can do for poison oak (sumac, ivy, etc) is use an OIL-BASED healing agent.
Luckily, my book verified that another healing mix I had with me, called Kloss after the man who made it long ago, was perfect for the job. We tried it, and it helped dry up the sores and make his skin less red and angry. Until the poison oak went systemic. Then he needed an MD's help, and not an apprentice herbalist's.
Anyway, the points I'm making are these: I feel good that I'm finally starting to identify which voice is my intuition and which is just chatter; and that herbal healing is great for a lot of illnesses, but so is scientific medicine.
Oh, and the book? An excellent resource, recommended to me by an excellent herbalist.
Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar.
Called a good friend on the phone to pass the time. Spoke with my friend for about 25 minutes, then told her-- "Well, I'd better get off the phone now so my parents can call." I hadn't really been thinking about the time passing. And since I have call-waiting on that phone, I was also not worried about missing their call... but suddenly it was time for them to call, and I knew it. We said goodbye, and hung up. Two minutes later, my parents called.
I had to laugh at the timing. And feel good that I'm doing better at listening to that little voice that KNOWS things. And ignoring the chatter that seems to always be there in the background. You know about the chatter. It's the voice that nags at you when you are late, that makes you feel foolish if your hair flops over your eyes, that always predicts dire consequences or tries to inflate your ego with stories about how cool you'll look if you take this stupid risk.
The intuitive voice is friendly, calm, quiet. It's easy not to hear when you are stressed, rushed, or preoccupied. It makes suggestions-- ones that may not even make sense logically... but that is the basis of intuition. It helps us prepare for eventualities in our lives-- or other peoples' lives-- that we don't even know are going to happen. Another example of this-- I am learning herbal healing. I know a little bit about a few things. It's how everyone starts to learn.
My parents are not so into herbal healing, though they aren't against it either. But for some reason, I felt it would be a good idea to bring one of my books on herbs and their uses to our lunch yesterday. And I'd no clue why. But I thought-- this is intuition speaking-- so I did. Turns out, my dad has a case of poison oak, and they wanted to know if a healing salve I'd used on mom's open sore (small surgery left a hole in her arm smaller than a dime) would help his sores dry up, too. But the worst thing you can do for poison oak (sumac, ivy, etc) is use an OIL-BASED healing agent.
Luckily, my book verified that another healing mix I had with me, called Kloss after the man who made it long ago, was perfect for the job. We tried it, and it helped dry up the sores and make his skin less red and angry. Until the poison oak went systemic. Then he needed an MD's help, and not an apprentice herbalist's.
Anyway, the points I'm making are these: I feel good that I'm finally starting to identify which voice is my intuition and which is just chatter; and that herbal healing is great for a lot of illnesses, but so is scientific medicine.
Oh, and the book? An excellent resource, recommended to me by an excellent herbalist.
Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar.
Wednesday
Is it Intuition or Monkeys?
I went to a Journaling Workshop last night. Great experience. Pagan group of women. Knowledgeable group facilitator. Wow.
Not only did she teach me a great new method of getting something meaningful out of my writing, but we ended up having a short discussion about recognizing the difference between the voice of intuition in your head, and the voice of the chattering monkeys. At least, that's what we started calling it. See, the voice we are used to hearing is like a chattering monkey. Skeptical, gnawing, not supportive, telling you what to do. It just talks. A lot. And it tries to push you around. That "monkey voice."
The thing is-- it's NOT supportive. And we don't really get value out of harsh judgments and gnawing expectations. So the key is to turn down the volume on this voice. Maybe you can't shut it out completely, but you can turn down the volume, and recognize how different the monkey chatter sounds from the voice of your true intuition.
Intuition is the voice of wisdom. Peaceful. Friendly. Flowing like a deep moving river under your consciousness. It comes from the gut and the heart. Quiet. Not linear. Maybe not even seeming to fit with the general flow of your life at the moment you hear it. And that's one of the challenges. To trust yourself and your inner wisdom-- your intuition-- enough to heed its voice when you DO hear. One must be quiet to hear it. Serene. Vanessa, or group facilitator, stated it this way: You have to trust your own competence. You have to say "I'm worth it, even if I make a mistake." This is the bridge. This is how we begin to recognize our intuition as a unique wisdom in our life process.
And the writing technique? Well, free-write for five minutes. About whatever comes into your head or out of your pen, without stopping. Set a timer. Then go back and highlight four or five words or phrases that really seem important-- unsettling, wise, curious, interesting-- whatever they are. Pick one. Use it as the title for your next free-write.
With your new title as a starting point, the goal here is to get deeper into your writing. Stop your flow often and insert a dash "-- what I really want to say is...." and use that as an opportunity to deepen your focus and your writing this time. "--what I really want to say is..." Set the timer for seven minutes.
Stop and re-read what you wrote. What is it really about? Is there a theme or a lesson? Pick up your highlighter again. Select about five words or phrases that jump out at you or snag your attention in some way, as before. Select one and use it for the title or focus of your next timed writing exercise. For ten minutes, write deeply. Don't forget to set the timer. Use the dash to deepen your focus within your writing. "--what I really mean is..."
Great. Now read over and think about what you wrote this time. What did you learn? What did you write about? Is it deep and meaningful writing? Is there wisdom in your words? If you could summarize the experience of this writing exercise, and what themes/lessons you gained from what you wrote-- what would you say? Write that down, too.
It's amazing how meaningful of a life-perspective can grow out of a simple unformatted free-write, isn't it? I was blown away. It was just a great group and a great experience. Vanessa did a great job in putting such a meaningful and purposeful evening together for us, and facilitating it effectively. Thanks.
Not only did she teach me a great new method of getting something meaningful out of my writing, but we ended up having a short discussion about recognizing the difference between the voice of intuition in your head, and the voice of the chattering monkeys. At least, that's what we started calling it. See, the voice we are used to hearing is like a chattering monkey. Skeptical, gnawing, not supportive, telling you what to do. It just talks. A lot. And it tries to push you around. That "monkey voice."
The thing is-- it's NOT supportive. And we don't really get value out of harsh judgments and gnawing expectations. So the key is to turn down the volume on this voice. Maybe you can't shut it out completely, but you can turn down the volume, and recognize how different the monkey chatter sounds from the voice of your true intuition.
Intuition is the voice of wisdom. Peaceful. Friendly. Flowing like a deep moving river under your consciousness. It comes from the gut and the heart. Quiet. Not linear. Maybe not even seeming to fit with the general flow of your life at the moment you hear it. And that's one of the challenges. To trust yourself and your inner wisdom-- your intuition-- enough to heed its voice when you DO hear. One must be quiet to hear it. Serene. Vanessa, or group facilitator, stated it this way: You have to trust your own competence. You have to say "I'm worth it, even if I make a mistake." This is the bridge. This is how we begin to recognize our intuition as a unique wisdom in our life process.
And the writing technique? Well, free-write for five minutes. About whatever comes into your head or out of your pen, without stopping. Set a timer. Then go back and highlight four or five words or phrases that really seem important-- unsettling, wise, curious, interesting-- whatever they are. Pick one. Use it as the title for your next free-write.
With your new title as a starting point, the goal here is to get deeper into your writing. Stop your flow often and insert a dash "-- what I really want to say is...." and use that as an opportunity to deepen your focus and your writing this time. "--what I really want to say is..." Set the timer for seven minutes.
Stop and re-read what you wrote. What is it really about? Is there a theme or a lesson? Pick up your highlighter again. Select about five words or phrases that jump out at you or snag your attention in some way, as before. Select one and use it for the title or focus of your next timed writing exercise. For ten minutes, write deeply. Don't forget to set the timer. Use the dash to deepen your focus within your writing. "--what I really mean is..."
Great. Now read over and think about what you wrote this time. What did you learn? What did you write about? Is it deep and meaningful writing? Is there wisdom in your words? If you could summarize the experience of this writing exercise, and what themes/lessons you gained from what you wrote-- what would you say? Write that down, too.
It's amazing how meaningful of a life-perspective can grow out of a simple unformatted free-write, isn't it? I was blown away. It was just a great group and a great experience. Vanessa did a great job in putting such a meaningful and purposeful evening together for us, and facilitating it effectively. Thanks.
Thursday
Pendulums
My Aunt-- the woman who called me her Spirit Child, and taught me a little bit of many magickal paths as a child-- used a pendulum for much of her life. She even gave my cousins and I crystals that were appropriate for our age/size to use as such, and told us her method of figuring out the basic yes/no communication process.
A pendulum is a rock crystal, usually circular and with a pointed base, used to assist the user in determining the best answer to a given question. I've heard two basic belief systems for why this works: Either your guardian angel/spirit/goddess is guiding the crystal's movement; Or it resonates with your inner self, which has greater wisdom than your conscious self, and therefore has the ability to know the best answer for you in that moment-- and the rock moves accordingly.
I've also learned of at least three different ways to figure out the basic messages your crystal can give you. For my Aunt, there was a certain finger of your hand that you'd hold the pendulum over and this would mean "yes," and another for "no." I could never remember which finger was supposed to mean what-- and really, I think this was just a way for you to condition the pendulum to move in only one way for "yes." If you focused on "yes" and on the crystal moving, then it would make a "yes" movement. Another method is to write outcomes or chakras on a round piece of paper, divided like a pie. Whatever the pendulum sways toward is the answer to the question you've posed. No mater what, the most important aspect is to always use only one chosen method, and to remember that a pendulum only has one interpreter.
The way I did it was to ask a question to which I already knew the answer-- a "yes" answer. You have no idea how hard it is to come up with a truly yes/no question with no alternative interpretations!! I did the same with a "no" question-- and from there I knew what two movements to look for. I wore the stone in a pocket against my body for several days before doing this, to be sure I was in tune with my pendulum, by the way.
I've learned in practice that the faster my rock moves, and the more cleanly the movement is repeated, the more I can rely on that answer-- the more clearly an opinion has been expressed. I also don't have the crystals my Aunt gave me so long ago. I think I was six or seven at the time. And I found that a random semi-precious stone bead I'd picked up was the right thing for me to use anyway. It is not quite round, but has a definite point at the base. My stone is made of Amazonite.
Amazonite is a blue-green opaque stone, known to have a "powerful filtering action." It is said to open intuition, communication, and balance. It is used in healing and in filtering/connecting information and perspective for the best possible outcome. When I learned about these qualities of the pretty bead I'd randomly purchased... I understood why it would be such a great pendulum for me. And while I wear it nearly every day on a necklace, I don't use it to answer every single question that comes across my desk. I use my own intelligence and sense of rightness as much as possible.
I use my pendulum when there is no obvious way for me to know the best answer to a question before I make my decision. And then I have to be very careful about asking a question whose answer will be easy to interpret based on my skill at reading the movements. "Is this a good suppliment for me to take right now?" "Will this suppliment effectively heal this aspect of an illness I am experiencing?" (Two very different questions!) "Do I have access to something that would be better than this for that task?" (Now I just have to find it!) Asking if something will be good for you is a very general question-- maybe "good for you" is like those painful character-building activities of your childhood. Or maybe "good for you" would be a temporary kind of good-- as in a good person to learn the fine art of kissing from, but not a good person to marry...
Once I have a question in mind, I hold the item in my palm (or envision it's likeness in my palm if it is too big or not available), and concentrate on the desired outcome/the question as single-mindedly as possible. Sometimes my pendulum doesn't have an answer for me. Sometimes it takes a moment to decide. Sometimes it is not the answer I want to hear. But always, it is helpful to have this input from a greater knowledge than I consciously possess at this time.
If you've decided to look into pendulum work, I'd love to hear what kind of stone or crystal you've selected, and why. And if you know more than I do on the subject, I'd love to learn about a good book or other resource for learning more advanced pendulum readings.
Blessings Be.
Saphoro
A pendulum is a rock crystal, usually circular and with a pointed base, used to assist the user in determining the best answer to a given question. I've heard two basic belief systems for why this works: Either your guardian angel/spirit/goddess is guiding the crystal's movement; Or it resonates with your inner self, which has greater wisdom than your conscious self, and therefore has the ability to know the best answer for you in that moment-- and the rock moves accordingly.
I've also learned of at least three different ways to figure out the basic messages your crystal can give you. For my Aunt, there was a certain finger of your hand that you'd hold the pendulum over and this would mean "yes," and another for "no." I could never remember which finger was supposed to mean what-- and really, I think this was just a way for you to condition the pendulum to move in only one way for "yes." If you focused on "yes" and on the crystal moving, then it would make a "yes" movement. Another method is to write outcomes or chakras on a round piece of paper, divided like a pie. Whatever the pendulum sways toward is the answer to the question you've posed. No mater what, the most important aspect is to always use only one chosen method, and to remember that a pendulum only has one interpreter.
The way I did it was to ask a question to which I already knew the answer-- a "yes" answer. You have no idea how hard it is to come up with a truly yes/no question with no alternative interpretations!! I did the same with a "no" question-- and from there I knew what two movements to look for. I wore the stone in a pocket against my body for several days before doing this, to be sure I was in tune with my pendulum, by the way.
I've learned in practice that the faster my rock moves, and the more cleanly the movement is repeated, the more I can rely on that answer-- the more clearly an opinion has been expressed. I also don't have the crystals my Aunt gave me so long ago. I think I was six or seven at the time. And I found that a random semi-precious stone bead I'd picked up was the right thing for me to use anyway. It is not quite round, but has a definite point at the base. My stone is made of Amazonite.
Amazonite is a blue-green opaque stone, known to have a "powerful filtering action." It is said to open intuition, communication, and balance. It is used in healing and in filtering/connecting information and perspective for the best possible outcome. When I learned about these qualities of the pretty bead I'd randomly purchased... I understood why it would be such a great pendulum for me. And while I wear it nearly every day on a necklace, I don't use it to answer every single question that comes across my desk. I use my own intelligence and sense of rightness as much as possible.
I use my pendulum when there is no obvious way for me to know the best answer to a question before I make my decision. And then I have to be very careful about asking a question whose answer will be easy to interpret based on my skill at reading the movements. "Is this a good suppliment for me to take right now?" "Will this suppliment effectively heal this aspect of an illness I am experiencing?" (Two very different questions!) "Do I have access to something that would be better than this for that task?" (Now I just have to find it!) Asking if something will be good for you is a very general question-- maybe "good for you" is like those painful character-building activities of your childhood. Or maybe "good for you" would be a temporary kind of good-- as in a good person to learn the fine art of kissing from, but not a good person to marry...
Once I have a question in mind, I hold the item in my palm (or envision it's likeness in my palm if it is too big or not available), and concentrate on the desired outcome/the question as single-mindedly as possible. Sometimes my pendulum doesn't have an answer for me. Sometimes it takes a moment to decide. Sometimes it is not the answer I want to hear. But always, it is helpful to have this input from a greater knowledge than I consciously possess at this time.
If you've decided to look into pendulum work, I'd love to hear what kind of stone or crystal you've selected, and why. And if you know more than I do on the subject, I'd love to learn about a good book or other resource for learning more advanced pendulum readings.
Blessings Be.
Saphoro
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