When I drew the cards for the {self}love-o-scope, I was thrilled that we were starting the month off with a personal retreat. Not only is it one of the most radical acts of self-love, it is also a powerful and transformative process. And it’s been too long since I made some time to go on a retreat myself, so I am really looking forward to it.
So, without any further ado, let’s get this party started!
Let’s kick the month off with a little self-love-o-scope Oracle reading. My intention with this reading was to offer you the self-care actions or tips you need the most at this time, and to see what energies would assist you in each of these areas.
I used a self care oracle card deck that I picked up years and years ago. I’ve lost the original box, so I can’t tell you who the creator of the deck is or even what it’s called! I’ve paired each of these cards with a Tarot card from Doreen Virtue’s Angel Tarot deck. I chose this deck for this reading because its messages are gentler {and sometimes slightly different from the Raider-Waite}, much like most of Doreen’s cards.
I decided to pull four cards – one for each week of this month. Here are the cards:Continue reading
February is the month of red – red roses, red balloons, red velvet cake, red hearts proclaiming undying love for one another.
It’s the month for candlelight dinners and the exchange of gifts, flowers, and cards.
It’s the month when sappy romantic songs come blaring across the airwaves, sugary sweet, treacle like, seducing us with their promise of love eternal.
And I’m not in the mood for any of it.Continue reading
Kashmir is reputed to be heart-stoppingly beautiful.
It’s called India’s Switzerland.
Ghalib famously said if there’s Paradise on earth, it’s Kashmir.
Honestly, after seeing Sringar, I was rather cross with all these descriptions.
Sure the Dal Lake is beautiful and the Mughal gardens are a piece of living history, but it’s a busy, bustling city like any other. Comparing this to Paradise, really?!
{Yes, I realize I equated the city of Srinagar with the whole state of Kashmir, but bear with me. I am only human, after all! I also blame some of the husband’s grumpiness rubbing off on me. Moving on!}
If there is one question that is at the forefront of all our minds, I believe it is this: What can I do to feel vibrant, energetic and really awake and ready to embrace life?
It’s a question that has no one fixed answer. It doesn’t look the same for any of us. And yet, it is central to our well being.Continue reading
Challenges seem to have become a thing around here – after the Mindful Break and Kindle Thy Spark, this is my most ambitious yet – a daily art challenge! But first:
Because my one small regret from last year is that I did not make enough time for art, especially in the second half of the year. Moving to a self-hosted blog and all the tiny little tweaks I had to make to it ate up a lot of my time and attention. Setting up an online Tarot reading business took up another chunk of energy. And then there was all the time I spent dreaming about blogging and fun new ideas – like the two Instagram challenges mentioned above. No wonder that my art table felt a bit neglected! Continue reading
I’ve spent a couple of months working with the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit oracle cards, and I’m in love with them. These cards are mysterious, powerful, and pack an insightful punch.
As I had mentioned in the unboxing post, they are the same size as regular Tarot cards. The black and white sketches with splashes of color lend them a sense of mystery and power, which I like. Continue reading
Goodbye, Create. We’ve had a wonderful year together.
We created a soul practice – meditation, crystals, Tarot, Oracle cards, journaling breakthroughs, life recording
We created some lovely art – not as much as I had hoped to create, but I’m grateful for all the beautiful pieces of art that we did create
We created my why, my purpose, my vision
We created this beautiful new website and found a wonderful blogging community
Your blessings were many, your lessons bountiful, and for that I am truly grateful. As our journey together comes to an end, it is now time to….
To shine the light both inwards and outwards…to examine the broken places, the cracked surfaces, the lies I tell myself and the falsities I believe…to turn the light outwards, as I embrace my voice, sink more comfortably in my skin, stop hiding bits and pieces of myself, and speak truth to power. It’s exciting, and scary, which means that I am on the right path.
Onwards!
What’s your word? Tell me in the comments!
Festivities are in the air for Christmas is here! On the eve of Christmas, a bunch of merry bloggers have banded together to unwrap the spirit of the season. Join us as we spread some Christmas cheer in the blogosphere this year! A big thank you to Vijay Preetham Burton for passing the chain on to me.
*******
As I share what Christmas means to me through images and a few words, in the spirit of the season, I also have some surprises for you! Click on the images to unwrap your presents – little nuggets, some from deep within the archives, that I hope will help you bring these feelings into your life too!
Christmas is when I yearn to….
In Priya Kumar’s The Calling, we meet Arjun, an overworked marketing manager on the brink of divorce. A near-fatal accident and a chance encounter with a sadhu sees him set off on a journey to Hemkunt Sahib. As he climbs the mountain with his guide Chandu, little does he know the mysterious turn his life is about to take.Continue reading
