"Thank You!" ~ A Thanksgiving Moment

THANK YOU.
FOR LITTLE THINGS
ALL THE SMALL TOUCHES
THAT MAKE MY LIFE POSSIBLE
FOR THE JOURNEY ITSELF
THE SOARING HEIGHTS
THE VALLEYS LOW
THIS KALEIDOSCOPE OF EXPERIENCE
A WONDER
THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
TOO MIRACULOUS TO FATHOM
I AM SO BLESSED TO KNOW HOW TO OPEN MY HANDS
TO RECEIVE
AND BE GRATEFUL
THANK YOU

~ Divine Explorer

"I Have a Dream..." ~ This week's Msg of Love

Whatever  happens, we are all in this together.  There is no "us" and "them."  THERE IS ONLY ONE.  During this election season, it has been so easy to divide and point the finger.  I am as guilty as anyone else.  It's ok.  Anger can be a fuel.  All of us care about something, and it is good to speak up.  But when the dust finally settles, we all get raised up together, or we all go down together.  I have hope.  If we look back over history, we can see a progression toward more inclusion, equality and love on this planet.  Some are ahead of others in this evolution, but with each nation that takes a stand in this direction, others are more quickly pulled into the momentum of positive change.  We are moving forward, folks.  Don't let the media hype distract you from all of the wonderful evidence of positive change that is occurring around the world.  We are marching forward.  Whatever happens with this election, let's not lose sight of what Obama stands for...let's not lose sight of what he inspired in us four years ago.  We will always be the change that we wish to see in the world.  And today's election results will not change that truth.  One by one, the flames of awareness are being lit, and I am happy to say that I love being a part of this human family.  Let's keep marching forward and envisioning a better world for all of us to enjoy and celebrate.  Our time is now!

~ Much peace and love,

Divine Explorer

"Going Deeper so that We Can Go Higher!" ~ November's Astro-highlights

November will be full of TRANSFORMATION and REBIRTH potential.  What keeps us from experiencing joy and true fulfillment?  It is fear of those dark unknown spaces in the psyche and protection against imagined threats.  This month, we have even more opportunity to visit the dark and see the illusions and shadows for what they are-old and outdated interpretations of the past that keep us chained to past wounds and experience.  At the beginning of the month, MERCURY RETROGRADES IN SAGITTARIUS TO RETURN TO SCORPIO for one last round of intense delving into the deep dark spaces, to see what is left over in the psyche that has the opportunity to be purged and healed.  We all get an opportunity to look again with laser-like focus at our fear of death, at sex and our intimacy issues, at taboos that are ready to be explored, our wounds that we have aggressively hidden and defended and our greatest potential for transformation and rebirth into a fuller expression of the soul on its evolutionary journey.  The SUN CONTINUES TO MOVE DEEPER INTO THE HEART OF SCORPIO, and that potential for rebirth will continue to be the focus until the SUN MOVES INTO SAGITTARIUS LATER IN THE MONTH.  We get a spiritual boost with all of this transformational work that we are doing on ourselves, as NEPTUNE STATIONS DIRECT IN PISCES ON THE 10TH.  It had been retrograde since June 4th, and we may have found ourselves doing much introspective and reflective work on our deep spiritual journey and personal ideals.  When Neptune moves forward again, I get the sense that we will begin to flow downstream again and create many new avenues and pathways for the expression of our spirituality and ideals.  Now, we will begin to feel more inner guidance and more of an intuitive clarity about our spiritual direction.  We will now begin to manifest the forms that allow us to express our renewed sense of spiritual understanding.  This movement forward will support our intense transformation and healing over the course of the month.  Finally, we have two eclipses this month: a SOLAR ECLIPSE IN SCORPIO ON THE 13TH and a LUNAR ECLIPSE IN GEMINI ON THE 28TH.  The solar eclipse on the 13th highlights all of the work we have been doing on ourselves in order to let go of the past and move forward into a more fulfilling future.  For those of us that have been doing the work of becoming more conscious, this will be a time of renewed power and possibilities!  The lunar eclipse on the 28th marks a shift into a lighter atmosphere of  innocence, curiosity, bright mental connections, and understanding of how far we have come, and where we are headed.  It looks to be a very full and rich month ahead.  With all of the evolving that we are doing at such a fast pace, let's remember to take time to ENJOY IT ALL!!!  The deeper we go into healing and transformation, the higher the emotional and spiritual fulfillment we can experience in life, which allows us to soar like the Phoenix of our true selves...and that's the whole point!

* Nov 6   ~ Mercury Stations Retrograde in Sagittarius
* Nov 10 ~ Neptune Stations Direct in Pisces
* Nov 13 ~ New Moon Solar Eclipse in Scorpio
* Nov 21 ~ Sun in Sagittarius
* Nov 26 ~ Mercury Stations Direct in Scorpio
* Nov 28 ~ Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Gemini

~ Blessings, Cosmic Magicians

Divine Explorer 

"The Journey Always Leading Back to the Self" ~ An Exploration of the Number 7 in the Tarot

I am drawn to the Tarot because of its ability to reflect where I am in the processing of my life's journey.  And where is this journey leading?  All life experiences lead back to the Self, and this is why we have the concept of spirituality.  The fundamental question at the root of spiritual exploration is, "Who am I?"  Besides the Major Arcana of the Tarot, which always speak to the significance of our lives as being a spiritual journey, a journey of increasing discovery and awareness of the Self, the 7's of the Tarot, in particular, seem to reflect that deeper spiritual exploration of the question, "Who am I?"  How does this numerical symbol reflect movement in consciousness and times in our lives when we are grappling with the deeper problems and questions of our existence?  When I meditated on the number 7, I experienced a sense of deepening and being pulled into the depths...like a stone falling to the bottom of the sea.  Then, a great deal of energy was released, and it expanded back up and outward.  I noticed that all of my chakras were stimulated, but my "crown" or 7th chakra at the top of my head, was the most activated.  I felt a subtle yet pleasurable influx of energy through my crown and moving down into the rest of my body and centers.  I felt a sense of INTEGRATION, COMPLETION, WHOLENESS, and with this, a sense of UNDERSTANDING,  KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM.  The 7's seem to reflect those times when we can no longer deny SPIRIT or GREAT MYSTERY.  Whether it be with intuitive/visionary experiences (WANDS), emotional and relationship experiences (CUPS), mental/intellectual understanding (SWORDS), or in relation to the physical world of material security (DISKS), the 7's reflect times of testing and crisis, where we can no longer move forward without exploring the spiritual side of life.  The 7 cards of the tarot reflect inner guidance that is asking us to GO DEEPER AND INTEGRATE OUR SPIRITUAL AND MUNDANE LIVES.  When they show up in a reading, there is an opportunity for deeper spiritual awareness and integration of newly realized knowledge and understanding.  And why would we want to do this work of integration anyway???  HAPPINESS!  This work of conscious exploration of the Self seems to be the only way to realize true joy that is not dependent on external factors.  Whether you explore life using the Tarot as a tool or not, when was the last time you asked the simple yet profound question, "Who am I?"  I dare you to dive deep and touch the mystery that is you...and share with the world what you discover.

~ With awe and love,

Divine Explorer 

"Are you ever, truly, a FAILURE?" ~ A Tarot Reflection on the 7 of Disks

Do you ever see yourself as a failure?  Do you ever come up against fear and worry around your ability to create or be a success in the material world?  Do you stress yourself out about material accomplishment and material security?  The 7 of Disks appeared to me several times in the past week or so, and though I usually do not connect to the extreme energy of failure that this card projects, I felt it was time to have a deeper look at this symbol.  I have never seen myself as a failure, but if I am honest with myself, I can see that I have struggled with the fear of failing to be able to deal successfully with the material aspects of life.  In the past week, an opportunity to follow my heart arose.  With this opportunity, there is seemingly no direct connection to having more money or material accomplishment.  For me, it doesn't have anything to do with that.  It's all about my heart speaking to me about what feels right...my heart is singing about it!  It is about my spiritual and emotional fulfillment.  But I found myself afraid of making the wrong choice...afraid that I'd be turning my back on a path that could surely lead to more material wealth, security, and that prized American dream of accomplishment and achievement in the world's eyes.  My step-mother even told me that she thought that I would not pursue the path of accomplishment and more worldly success because I was lost and afraid to fail.  I found myself torn and unable to make a choice.  What is the deeper fear, here?  The deeper fear for me is about failure to make the right choice.  This exploration seems critical in order to get to the heart of deep-seated conditioning around this idea of failure.  I imagine I'll be exploring this for some time, but for now, I ask myself and you, "What is a failure...and is it possible for you or I to be one?"  I understand attempting a concrete goal and failing.  I understand falling short of an intended or expected goal.  But I do not understand the idea that I can be a failure at life.  This insidious fear seems to lurk just below the surface quiet, ready to leap out at the first sign of doubt about my choices.  Is it possible that we can explore this life and make our choices without the fear of being a failure?  I think so.  But it will take a deep look at what is really true about life...what is true about you and I.  There will be more thoughts on this, I'm sure.  And the journey continues...

~ Divine Explorer

"Is Sadness Always YOUR Sadness?" ~ A Tarot Reflection on The 8 of Cups

The heart is gloomy...from where does this malaise originate?  Today I had a powerful experience that deepened my reflective understanding of the 8 of Cups.  My day started off fairly well, but as I sat down at a cafe to work, I felt a caffeine craving come on.  Instead of giving in to the craving, I asked myself how I felt.  "On edge" is what came to me.  I figured this was my body/mind craving its caffeine.  I sat with this for a bit, and then noticed that I felt a little sad and "low."  There could have been a few reasons for this sadness, but none of them really resonated with me in that moment.  The sadness seemed to come from "nowhere."  I continued to sit with these subtle feelings inside, and then it hit me that they might not be "my feelings."  So, I quickly unified my fields and did an empath clearing technique.  Once my energy fields settled, I noticed that the sadness was gone.  In its place, I felt clarity, presence, lightness and happiness.  I thought to myself, "Well, I don't believe this was mine...I'll see if it comes back..."  Sure enough, a few hours later, I felt this sad feeling returning.  I paused and did my energy work as I had before, and the feeling vanished.  Again, I felt light and happy.  As a healer and empath, I have always been told that much of what I feel may be others' feelings, but I have never really taken it to heart...until now.  This 8 of Cups has SATURN in PISCES as one of its symbols.  Saturn represents BOUNDARIES...the threshold between outer and inner realities.  Pisces is that sign that naturally opens us to our oneness with EVERYTHING.  So, it seems this card can appear as a reflection of not only one's own gloomy feelings, but when you are feeling someone else's gloominess!  The lesson that I learned through this reflection today, is that it is important to be aware of my energetic and emotional boundaries, to realize what is mine and what is not mine, and to take the steps necessary to release from my energy fields what is not mine.  The next step would be to ask this question before releasing the energy; "Whose sadness is this?"  Then, I believe I would begin the next layer of journeying into the reality of my own and others' emotional boundaries.  But, for now, I am still in awe at the possibility that it may be true that for my entire life, I have been feeling others' feelings and thinking they are my own...this opens up new realms for exploration...

~ Divine Explorer

Release the Phoenix! ~ An Astrological Reflection on Saturn in Scorpio

Why do we resist opening?  Why do we fight the power larger than ourselves that seeks to enlighten us and carry us to the happiness we seek?  Tonight, my meditation on the spirit of Scorpio (it's function and process) has truly altered my perception of this zodiac sign as a function of evolution.  I asked to experience the essence or spirit of this symbol so that I could understand it better, and what I experienced were qualities rarely talked about in astrological literature: openness, awareness, sense of freedom/liberation, pleasure/enjoyment.  Spirit helped me to understand that the sign of Scorpio represents THAT FUNCTION OF EVOLUTION THAT SEEKS TO FREE US.  Scorpio is the first sign of the zodiac that is associated with mysticism.  Yes, we tend to experience intense experiences on our way to freedom and happiness, but that is because we resist life.  We are taught to hold on and struggle against that power that is bigger than our little selves.  Scorpio is all about moving us beyond our little selves into the sphere of the BIG SELF.  And this is an inherently mysterious and awe-inspiring territory.  During this meditation, I actually felt a DEEP PEACE and SENSE OF HUMOR.  It was as if I had a sense of self that was powerful and wise...one that understood life in a deep way and was prepared to meet life on its own terms-unafraid.  This is the gift of Scorpio.  As Saturn moves through Scorpio over the next few years, we all have an opportunity to let go of the struggle and resistance to life.  We have the opportunity to awaken and stop denying and running away from death, intimacy, spirit and transformation.  It is the resistance and fear of death that causes the intense suffering.  Saturn through Scorpio can teach us to release this fear of death/life and embrace the freedom of evolution into lighter and more pleasurable being.  So, over the next few years, remember that the journey inward and downward, the getting to the heart-core of the truth, the releasing and letting go, is all about your spiritual journey toward a deeper intimacy with spirit, and a more awakened self.  Look for the signs and symbols of spirit calling you deeper into your personal mystic's journey...let go, let the phoenix in you have its day and see what you become.

~ Divine Explorer