A Mid -Year, Summer Solstice Ritual with SoulCollage® Cards

Inspired by my friend and co-blog creator, Karen Paquin, who recently celebrated the 2^nd year anniversary of her blog “The Wonder of Runes” (Yay Karen! Congratulations!), I decided to conduct a ritual for the upcoming summer solstice.

You may remember that Karen and I launched Engaging Inner Wisdom on the winter solstice, and then started the new year by reflecting on the past and envisioning the future. We began planting seeds of intention, and doing the work necessary for the seedlings to grow. We’ve been nurturing our projects since the vernal equinox.

On Friday, June 21, 2013 we will experience the longest day of the year (shortest night), aka the summer solstice, and as a result we will have an abundance of energy, time, and the vibrant enthusiasm associated with the sun at our fingertips.

This bold energy of encouragement brings with it the opportunity to expand, work hard, play hard, and move forward, thrust into our big, bold adventure that began earlier this year. Soon, on the autumnal equinox, we can harvest all that comes from this exuberant, vibrant, energy-filled time. What we harvest doesn’t just come from work, it can come from the time we spend with family and friends, vacationing, enjoying leisure time, and basking in the sun.

Intent on knowing how to put my best foot forward as I move into the second half of the year (we are after all, at the midway point) I enlisted my SoulCollage® cards to use in my ritual. These cards are considered a “personal oracle” because I created the cards and selected the images used on them,  I ask the questions and I answer the questions – in doing this I tap into my subconscious and receive powerful insight. If you create your own deck, you can do the same thing. I will talk more about SoulCollage®  in upcoming blog posts, but for now, I will share my summer solstice ritual with you, and the meaning I derived from my SoulCollage® cards.

When I work with my cards I like to set sacred space, so I set off with my altar to regale the sun in my backyard. I lit a candle, shuffled my cards and decided to ask them this question: “As I step into the second half of the year, with the sun’s energy at its height, which Neters (cards) wish to guide me and move me forward?” After selecting four random cards I engaged in several SoulCollage® writing activities, and here is what the cards had to "say" to me (abbreviated for the post):

Card #1

This card provides me with peace of mind and a sense of clarity. I am reminded that when I listen to my intuition, I can trust in the future. This card tells me to hold on to summer’s light and energy, but don’t cling too tightly. Its green color suggests that my heart chakra plays a role in the upcoming months. I am also reminded to lay out a plan, and gently follow it.

Card #2

This card focuses more on a path, a narrow path. It speaks to the importance of structure and passion. It encourages me to follow my path, and to make sure that I don’t sacrifice structure for passion. I can see clearly, and I am encouraged to engage in joint ventures.

Card #3

This card is all about peace, harmony, loving kindness and compassion. It reminds me to stay heart centered and open my heart to both give and receive. When I do this I will benefit from the marvelous gems that are near and dear to my heart. It suggests that even though things may get strewn about at times, and seem chaotic, as long as I am operating from my heart, I will be ok.

Card #4

 

This card encourages me to “jump on board” and not get weighed down by my "wet blanket" i.e. my negativity, whining, and comparing myself to others. I need to turn my thinking around and see the marvelous opportunities that are just waiting around the bend for me. It reminds me to be grateful! I need to turn and look at the blessings in my life! There are marvelous, golden opportunities awaiting me on the horizon.

So, what do I get from all this for the next six months? -

Follow my true heart’s path. Fill myself with passion, but remember to create a structure from which to operate. Stay true to my heart, remain loving and kind, and be grateful for all that I have and all that awaits me. Things are fine and moving forward splendidly. I don’t need to doubt or second-guess. I just need to do my work, keep the faith, and remain true to myself.

Engaging Your Inner Wisdom – What rituals do you engage in that support you as you move through your year? Have you ever thought of doing SoulCollage®? Maybe you would be inspired to celebrate the summer solstice by walking a labyrinth. Perhaps you use art making as a ritual. Maybe you rise every morning to pray and meditate? Engaging in rituals helps us to connect more deeply to the activity. I'd love to hear from you about your rituals and encourage you to find meaningful rituals that can enrich and deepen your life!

Intuitive Listening

An important feature of engaging your inner wisdom is paying attention to what you know at your core and engaging it on a conscious level.  However, sometimes we can listen on an unconscious level.  It's called intuitive listening and basically, we do things without really understanding why we do them - trusting your gut.  At some point, if we consciously engage our inner wisdom (that core), we realize we have done some intuitive listening, because as we become consciously aware of our thoughts and actions, we connect the dots between unconscious and conscious ones.

You may have heard "intuitive listening" used in a variety of ways, perhaps likened to body language, tone of the voice, and other non-verbal communication signals.  I would argue that picking up on those types of signals is perceptive listening, but not intuitive, because you're doing it on a conscious level.  Others describe intuitive listening the way Chantel and I present engaging inner wisdom, by opening yourself up and being receptive to what's going on around you and inside of you.  Again, that makes it conscious and not intuitive.  If you type 'intuitive' into Google, here is the definition you get:  using or based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning.  That is why these definitions of intuitive listening are not accurate, because they are being done consciously.

Following on the defined meaning, I present intuitive listening as being something we do without understanding why.  At the same time, that undertaking will be beneficial to us at some point in the future.  Many of us will automatically think, "Well, I have done a lot of stupid things in my life that I've learned from and haven't repeated.  I've made the links."  That is not exactly it.  Let me give you a personal example, so you can see the difference.

My first recognition of intuitive listening happened about three years ago.  My daughter and I were making friendship bracelets and I chose blue and black as my colors.  These are not colors I would ever choose if I thought about it, but for some unknown reason, these were the colors it had to be and I worked frantically to finish it, though I had no idea why.  An hour after I completed the bracelet and tied it around my wrist, my brother called to tell me that our mom had passed away.  As I hung up the phone, I looked at the bracelet on my wrist and realized what the colors meant to me - black was mourning, blue protection.  I took a deep breath and smiled, knowing I had made the bracelet to help me manage my mom's death.

Not only did that bracelet, which I call a Tied Totem, help me deal with her passing, it set in motion the creation of one of the tools that I use in my retreats and with my coaching clients.  In fact, I have developed an entire color system relating to emotional characteristics and traits that I use not only to create the totems, but in a few of the creative exercises I lead.

Another similar instance happened last week.  After several months without one, I felt it was time to wear a totem again, though I couldn't say why.  I chose green and purple, representing focus and strength, respectively.  The day after I made it, someone I love very much received very good news at work, ensuring he will have a job for as long as he wants it.  I, however, have been struggling with my career not growing as quickly as I'd like, so not only did the totem remind me that I am strong enough to be happy for his success, but also that I have a plan on which I need to focus for my own professional well-being.

Now that I have shared my intuitive listening story with you, I hope that you can think of a similar experience you've had, where something you've done without conscious reasoning has benefited you and that you'll feel comfortable sharing it with us.  If you can't think of anything, here's your chance to give intuitive listening a try.

Practice Engaging Your Inner Wisdom

Let's practice trusting ourselves when we don't understand why we are doing something.  Keeping in mind the meaning of intuitive, (using or based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning), over the next two weeks, if you have an urge to do something innocuous or a little out of character, but you aren't sure why, just go with it and see what it unleashes in you.  Let us know how it goes.