Messages from The Other Side
When your plans go awry, pay attention
TAROT TODAY
Ever have one of those mornings/days where nothing goes as you had planned and you feel unbalanced? A week ago Friday I had one of those mornings and in the midst of everything going “wrong,” this spread dropped from the decks. When I say “dropped,” I mean they fell down onto the table while I was shuffling. First the Crystal card, then three cards fell together from the Numerology deck. Look at the numbers: 2, 3, 4. I mix my decks well. It’s highly unlikely for them to appear in the deck or reading in that order.
I’ve had one or even two cards drop out during a shuffle, but never the entire spread. But, I’m putting the cart before the horse. Let’s back up a moment.
The day before “black” Friday everything went right. It was a good hair day. I had a whole day to pursue creative projects. An unexpected email arrived with promising news that could bring in extra income. I had an uplifting one-on-one call with my advisor from the energy healing certification program I’m taking. I facilitated an incredible rebirth healing with my practice partner from class. (It was so incredible, it could become the topic of a future post.) I went to bed with a big smile on my face and much gratitude in my heart.
Friday morning promised to continue in a similar vein, until…
A scheduled class was cancelled. A last-minute invite I had issued to a friend for morning coffee was (regrettably) turned down due to unavailability. I was faced with two whole days ahead of me with no real plans. Most people wouldn’t consider that a fate worse than death, and neither do I. In fact, I have a backlist of things I can and need to do that can be substituted in such situations. Despite not feeling inspired, I decided to turn my attention to writing.
My muse shook her head but I proceeded, hoping she’d come around once I got started.
And so I began prepping for the newsletter. The first step, of course, is to throw the spread (that’s Tarot-reader talk for “deal the cards”). I was kind of excited at the outcome. To have all the cards “jump” out in that manner indicates a message of importance…the Universe was being very clear about answering my query, “What does the Collective need to know?” (Or, perhaps that’s the secondary meaning of “throw the cards.”)
Next step is to style and take a photograph. I absorbed quite a bit of information in twenty years married to a photographer, and a gifted one at that. Yet, the mechanics of accomplishing the vision does not come easily to me. I often call upon Joe for guidance during my “shoots.” He didn’t respond while I was taking the photo, but he did show up while I was trying to make it look better using the “Edit” feature on my iPhone.
I rarely do much photo editing other than crop or an occasional pop of color/light. While I was struggling with the image, Joe’s voice came through. “Push all the buttons. Try every feature.” How do I know it was him? That’s what he would do…experiment creatively. So I got it to look better. Although it’s no Gemignani, it was an improvement over the original.
But it took f-o-r-e-v-e-r.
By now, however, my frustration level at things “not going right” was increasing to red-zone danger levels. Not the best environment for creative writing (or anything else for that matter). But I told myself, “Do something you’re good at. It will make you feel better.” My muse laughed heartily. I ignored her and set to work on creating this issue.
That was one week ago, as of today. You don’t have to be highly clairvoyant to figure out ignoring the signs the Universe and my higher self presented was not in my best interests—or in the interests of getting out the newsletter. I simply could not get the “lead,” or into the flow. My only option was to walk away until the magic returned.
My muse shook her head again, but with a more sympathetic facial expression as if to say, “I’ll still be here when you return.” I was a little confused. Wasn’t it she who left me, not the other way around? Sigh. And so the spread remained on my table for me to ponder for an entire week.
What did I do in that time? I worked two days giving aura readings at ADORAtherapy in Asheville’s beautiful, historic Grove Arcade. I had two live classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. I went for a long walk at The North Carolina Arboretum on Thursday. During this time period I also devoted several hours almost every day to watching the online video portions of my healer training program. It’s deep work that shifts your perspective—not all at once, but one little insight after another and suddenly, you see the light.
And earlier today, the cards caught my eye and invited me to linger. I sat with them for a while. Aha. And finally, here I am, ready to share my interpretation with you.
On the surface, which is a perfectly acceptable way to take the meaning, it’s all fairly straightforward.
Remember your worth.
#2. Patience. #3. Creativity. #4. Perseverance.
All good advice, even if you take it at face value.
But if you’re a big-picture person, you’ll appreciate the deeper lesson contained in the seemingly simple message.
Remember your worth. What my muse was trying to communicate when she suggested that she’s always there for me was that everything is already within me. She’s there for support and even guidance, if I like to think so. But I’m the one that brings it forth, I’m the one with the ideas. I’m the one who is a conduit for The One. You may call it Consciousness, God, Higher Self, All That Is, Muse, Angel, or Spirit Guide—and I use all of these at various times. There is an Intelligence that exists that is far greater than any one of us but is contained within every one of us. We need only to look inside (of course, it does take some practice, but it’s there within you, as it is within me).
#2 Patience. Ha, sometimes I think that’s the lesson I came into this life to learn. It’s still a challenge but aging has the effect of teaching that virtue if you allow it.
#3 Creativity. We all have an aspect of it. It’s not only art and literature. It’s gardening, cooking, solving equations, looking at things from a new perspective, or getting a child to go to bed when they want to stay up. But it’s also what we’re being asked to demonstrate. To learn to trust ourselves for answers instead of looking to others for solutions.
#4 Perseverance. If at first you don’t succeed… Look up Napoleon Hill and perseverance. This card is reminding you not to give up too soon and try even when you don’t think you have it in you. It is. You do.
The real key to all of it, I think, is to get out of your head and into your body. We came here to feel, to experience, and learn. My body was giving me clues last Friday, just as it did today. I could have saved myself a bunch of frustration and feeling “less than” if I simply followed my inner voice and guidance from The Other Side telling me that it wasn’t a “doing” day. It was a “being” day. That’s why my class and plans were cancelled. (Notice that this newsletter emerged—days later—after my walk at the arboretum.) I sense that perhaps, with perseverance, I’ll remember that the next time my fingers refuse to behave on the keyboard.
I’ve added the I AM DIVINE affirmation candle and an “angel wand,” an amethyst and quartz crystal I “mined” at the Nature Center here in Asheville, to support you on your journey.
Until next time… My best, Shelley
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Or, check the Archive for the answers you seek. I’ve been publishing this blog for almost three years. It’s likely you’ll find something there that can help.
Beautifully written Shelley. I’m sure that many of your readers will benefit greatly as they ponder your words. All love, joy, peace and prosperity to you. Aleta