The other day, I was thinking about guidance... about Spirit, and the act of "following Spirit." What does it mean to follow Spirit's lead? How do we know when we are in fact on the path of Spirit?

I found myself surfing the internet, looking at nothing in particular... just surfing, and letting my mind wander down this line of thinking. I found myself watching an interview with a favorite Fantasy author, named Patrick Rothfuss. He was talking about successful fantasy writing, and he used the example of a Venn diagram. That's the one with two overlapping circles...

Patrick was saying, suppose that Circle A represented the mundane world; suppose that Circle B represented the other- (or fae) world. That overlapping space where the two circles intersect is where something truly magical occurs: the mundane world takes on the magical qualities of the otherworld, and the otherworld takes on the realistic qualities of the mundane world.

To me, that's a pretty good description of walking with Spirit. I know I'm "on the path" when I can feel that crackle of magic in the air, when "guidance" feels as utterly real to me as the cat in my lap...

Still pretty intangible, I know. But we've all felt it... that moment when for some inexplicable reason, we felt like someone or something we could not see physically stopped - or pushed - us.

I physically felt the presence of someone or something deep within my chest during this reading... and each time I examine it, I see new ways in which its wisdom applies to me and my life. Have a look and see what it says to you....

The CREATOR Offers Divine Guidance
FIELD OF PLENTY - It's our magic pocket again! Imagine you can reach into your pocket and magically find whatever critical item you need right this minute. That pocket is the cornucopia - the Horn of Plenty. The Field of Plenty is the mystical place from which the abundance that spills from the Horn of Plenty comes. The Field supplies enough for our needs. Perhaps not wealth or excess, but always enough.

The MOTHER Suggests Where You Should Turn Within
WHIRLING RAINBOW - The time has come to grow. In order to grow, you will need to stop feeding the negativity in your life. It is a quicksand that will suck you down.

Look at the lessons of your life. Look at the challenges. Find the beauty in them. You may snort all you want at this notion, but snorting will not get you out of the sand. You MUST find beauty and abundance within these challenges. These light-filled qualities will be the life-saving rope that draws your energy upward, freeing you from the quicksand. Look hard; find the rainbows.

The FATHER Directs You To Act Decisively
ARROW - The worthy arrow always flies straight and true. Firmly upon the path to which it has been set, it does not wander astray. True to its course, it is not seduced by untruth, pettiness, or dishonor. Fly like the arrow. Set yourself apart.

The GRANDMOTHER Speaks With the Voice of Your Past
THE GREAT SMOKING MIRROR - The mirror... the mirror teaches us about the power of myth. The power of story. We are who we say we are; we are who we decide to be. Choose the reflection you wish to see; choose the reflection you wish to BE. Leave your old myths behind. Cut loose those old wrappings and step free of entanglement. Stand tall. Declare the Truth of your Now.

Turtle Card (EARTH) - Represents Your Current Position, Focus
COUNCIL FIRE - Decision time! The Council Fire is all about decision-making. Turtle tells you that you MUST decide. Now. You cannot begin to move out of the swamp until you choose a direction in which to move. Decisions require courage. So, pick up your courage and do it. Find your Truth and weild it. Don't look back. Commit to a path and go boldly forward.

Frog Card (WATER) - Represents The Obstacles You Face
DRUM - Each and every creature on the Mother's skin moves to a rhythm. When they move in time with the Mother's rhythm, they find their personal freedom of expression. The key is to start with the Mother's rhythm.

Frog holds this card... reminding you to seek that rhythm. Something is out of sync - you're missing a beat. Perhaps you're pushing too hard. Perhaps you're not pushing at all. Go within and rediscover the heartbeat of the Mother... find that rhythm... move to that rhythm...

Thunderbird Card (FIRE) - Represents The Energies In Motion
COUNTING COUP - A great personal victory has been won! Held by the Thunderbird, you are reminded that now - more than ever - with the energies in motion during these times of transition, your honor is at stake. Counting Coup is about honor - not adulation, not power, not wealth. Counting Coup is about being the best you can be, doing your part to support the family/community, and conducting yourself with integrity. Be a cornerstone - an anchor - for the energy of the New World.

Butterfly Card (AIR) - Represents The Future Coming To You
HEYOKAH - Heyokah is the "contrary" or trickster clown.. the jester... he uses jokes and trickery to get your attention and make his point. Sometimes, Heyokah's lessons in joy can smart just a bit. In short, he exists to make sure you remember your place, and the silliness of taking yourself too seriously.

Butterfly whispers, You're never so wise that Heyokah cannot touch you. Remember as you walk your path to leave room for mistakes. It's okay to goof up once in a while. Learn from the experience. Laugh at your silliness. Enjoy the shift in perspective, and move forward, knowing that you are better balanced for the lesson learned. Remember, if you cannot laugh at yourself, Heyokah certainly will.

© Vara LorEl, 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 
Vara LorEl is a Model Builder at heart, an Exec Admin by training, and a Graphic Designer by experience. She has also worked in a grocery store, a greenhouse, a bank and a bookstore. She's done Customer Service, Construction, Missions and Marketing... and let's not forget the years she studied Bonsai or the uncounted hours spent in a saddle.

Chinking the spaces between, she engages in an ongoing little exercise she likes to call Spiritual Cartography... studying the archetypes found (again and again) in Mythology, I-Ching, and Shamanism, also poking about in Astrology, Numerology, and Tarot, as well as study of the Chakras and eastern philosophies. It could also be noted that she considers Cooking and Gardening to be some of the richest meditational spaces anywhere.

Over the years, she has lived all across these grand United States - from California to Georgia - currently calling Alaska home. When not up to her ears in the next issue of PLW, she can be found in her home office playing Oblivion (way to go Bethesda Softworks!), on her couch reading a good book (with her cats curled nearby), on her soap box talking about any one of a dozen esoteric subjects... or, on her knees thanking GOD for the best life partner to ever embrace her nomadic heart.