Showing posts with label Bone Songs. Show all posts

Bone Songs Myth & Magic - March Theme - New Beginnings

 A New Beginning

March is simply renewal. Renewal of life and energy. We look to the Spring Equinox to usher in this feeling of revival to the sleeping natural world. We associate this time of year with daffodils and bunny rabbits. Our time of rebirth as the plants and animals around us begin to wake from the winter slumber and burst into new blooms, growth and life. But what about our own beginnings? How do we awake from our long winter’s nap to kick off our new beginning? What does this mean for our body, mind and spirit?  Let’s explore what new beginnings can mean to those from a holistic wellness perspective. 


With the changing of the weather the first thing we notice is that we can go outside! Outside is the source of so many healthy things for us as human beings. Starting with my personal favorite, sunshine. I honestly believe in previous incarnations I was certainly some sort of cold blooded animal. When I walk outside and feel the sun on my skin, I’m instantly soothed. I can feel the rays pouring across my body like the essence of life. I feel if I could curl up on a rock and just lay in the sun for hours my mind and spirit would be at peace. Sunlight releases serotonin which is referred to as the happiness hormone. This is why we see so much Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) in the winter. The lack of this all important hormone causes SAD and the sun can cause the return of this hormone making one feel revived from the long cold winter. The sun also aids generating the production of vitamin D, supporting bone health, lowering blood pressure, preventing disease, and promoting good mental health.


Along with sunlight, we have the added benefit of being outside in the fresh air. Studies have shown that being outside and in the fresh air around natural things, such as trees and water sources aids in overall wellness. Spending time walking among or simply looking at trees lowers blood pressure and reduces the stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline. This is a great time if you have the space to start a garden. From full sized yard gardens to small container gardens on a balcony or deck, getting in touch with nature is something that our ancestors needed to do in order to survive. Today is our technological world, we miss that important part of life. Digging in the dirt can improve cardiac health, emotional well being, increase vitamin B12 and reduce anxiety and stress. 


Watching those first sprouts come up from the ground is such a rewarding feeling. Bringing in new life, a new beginning and watching with anticipation as your garden comes to life with pollinators, grubs and either beautiful flowers as a feast for your eyes or yummy veggies for the table. 


But you say, Renee, I can’t grow things. I just don’t have time to garden.  I have allergies!


I hear you, I'm terribly allergic to bee stings, wasps and fire ants, all of which love to live at my house and always, ALWAYS find me.  What else can you do to work on new beginnings?


Other ways to look for ways to welcome spring could be as simple as starting a new hobby. Pick up a pencil and draw. Find things that bring you joy. You don’t have to be the next Picasso. You’re you! Do you! I’ve started doing Pilates as a way to reconnect with my body and feel whole. I’ve added this to my normal weekly exercise routine and have found it quite helpful in reconnecting with parts that may have gone dormant over the winter season. The entire focus for me, is just starting fresh, with a positive outlook and a cheerful demeanor. Make each day the best day I can have and focus on being fully here as much as I can.


I hope this finds you well and has offered some different ways of embracing new beginnings. You have the power to be happy and in control of your wellness.  Own it.


Namaste

Sosanna




Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson - RSM, PMI-ACP

Ordained Spiritual Counselor

Certified Holistic Wellness Coach

International Yogi Certification

Certified Crystal Master & Aroma Therapy Practitioner



Exercises


Journaling - Spend some time adding things to your journal like, how much time you’re outside. Did it help how you feel? What is the weather like and how is your mood? Are you able to feel a difference after a week? How about a month? Put all those things in your journal and refer back to them to reflect on how your feelings have changed with more exposure to the sunshine.



Create a Countertop Garden - Sprouting is a great way to add nutrition to your daily meals and add a little bit of wellness to your creative side. A small container and find a sunny spot in your house. Look for seeds such as broccoli, radish or even sunflowers and add them to the jar. Spend a few minutes a day rinsing and before you know it you’ll have fresh sprouts for your salad, or sandwiches. It is one of my favorite ways to add fresh greens to my food. You can find full instructions here - https://inhabitat.com/diy-how-to-sprout-seeds-and-beans-on-your-kitchen-counter/


Draw - Find a spot outside that you really enjoy being in. Sit with a sketchpad and pencil and just draw what you see. You’re not looking for perfection here. You’re looking for ease, comfort and calmness. Go back daily if you can, if not try weekly and just draw the same spot on each page. Note how you feel. Not your changes in not only what’s on the page, but what is within. Is this helping you? 


Bone Songs Myth & Magic - February Theme - Self Love

  As a member of the group called Bone Songs Myth and Magic, a group of gifted Pagan practitioners offer their experiences and guidance in their field of expertise. This past month our theme was Focus.  I wanted to share my contribution to this group with my blog audience and offer you the opportunity to find us and join us for our journey into learning more about ourselves and how we interact with the magical realm.

Here's my offering for February's theme called Self Love. I hope you enjoy.





Love Yourself First


Happy February! It is that time of the year when our focus switches to LOVE!  But why is that? What makes February the month of love?  Well, in AD 496 Pope Gelasius I established the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14th. Later in the 14th Century, February became associated with romantic love. Over the years lovers would exchange love notes (referred to as valentines), candy and sometimes keys as symbols of their affection. While loving others is certainly something that is extremely important, I’d like to talk about something that often goes unmentioned in this lovefest.  Self-love.


Self love is defined as having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Taking care of yourself and not allowing anyone else to detract from that.  Even if that person is you. Self-love is not allowing others to treat you in a way that lessens your worth. Holding yourself in a circle of love and honor where you require that all who enter, treat you with respect and care. 


From my experiences in life, I can tell you that often I was told that I needed to sacrifice myself, my dreams, my wants or desires to be sure that those under my care came first. My college classes set aside, my choice of movie or even what pizza to get was determined by others in my life. I could just “pick off” what I didn’t like and deal with what I was given. Many of you may be in a similar circumstance right now. I allowed others to dictate what I would allow in my life and in turn ended up being negative to myself. Self loathing and self abuse were commonplace in my life. 


I finally came to terms with what I wanted in my life and how I wanted to be treated. I had to stop looking outside for things to make me happy and work on what I already had within me. All the tools I needed for happiness were right here and right now. I had to simply stop looking into tomorrow or crying about the past and focus on what I had right now. What did I need to be happy? What did I need to feel loved? I needed to let go of the things that were making me unhappy, and quite often, the thing making me unhappy was me. 


I started mindfully doing things. I would mindfully practice my faith. Mindfully do my chores and mindfully practice self-love. These things helped me move from a position of martyr to champion. Today I do not sacrifice myself at the expense of unhappiness simply to please another. I’m sure you’re thinking, but how do I do this? What is something real and tangible that I can do today to practice self-love?


“The whole cosmos has come together to create you. You carry the whole cosmos inside you. That is why, to accept yourself and to love yourself is an expression of gratitude.” - Thich Nhat Hanh


Well, start small. Take a moment to appreciate things that you enjoy. You don’t need to paint the Mona Lisa, but you do need to paint; if it brings you joy.  You don’t need to be the next Marlon Brando, but if you love it.. ACT! So many times we just don’t try to do the things we enjoy because we can’t monetize it, or we can’t do it professionally. Look around your life and think about those things that bring you joy and DO THEM. Make some jewelry, draw a picture, play an instrument. Do things that make you happy and soon you’ll begin to see that all long within you is all you need for happiness. Be kind to yourself, take a long leisurely bath, or go for a run. Do these things that make you truly happy and you’ll see a change.


We have to look within ourselves and be sure that we are the best we can be before we can begin to take care of others.  Think about it this way, if we have a jug of water, and we use this jug to fill the cups of those who need water, pretty soon our jug will be empty. The same applies to love.  If we do not take the time to care for ourselves and nourish our energy soon we will have nothing left to give to anyone else.


“If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love someone else?” - Rupaul


I have often heard that self-love is selfish. I believe this could not be further from the truth. To me, Self-love is caring while selfishness is manipulative. Self-care is looking for wellbeing and sharing and selfishness is taking something from someone else. To love yourself is not selfish, it is self esteem. It is putting your health and wellbeing in the forefront allowing you the energy and the strength to move forward in your care of others.


The World Health Organization defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”.  We have within us the power to heal the world. We just need to start with ourselves. So I recommend, for this Valentine’s Day, take yourself on a date.  Give yourself a valentine. Don’t criticize or say hurtful things to yourself. Love yourself first!


PS  - Don’t pick off the toppings you don’t like.  Order your own pizza!  


Namaste

Sosanna



Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson - CSM, PMI-ACP

Ordained Spiritual Counselor

Certified Holistic Wellness Coach

International Yogi Certification

Certified Crystal Master & Aroma Therapy Practitioner



Resources:

History of Saint Valentine’s Day - https://www.nowbali.co.id/february-is-the-month-of-love-or-is-it/

Saint Valentine’s Day  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

Self-Love and What It Means - https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/self-love-and-what-it-means

Self Care Strategies - https://www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729


Videos:

Self Compassion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq8MePQ_uUk

How do I love Myself - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMoRtJhVoxc

Learning to love Myself - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK9g6xAeR48


Exercises:

Journaling Entries - Use Valentine’s Day to write a “love note” to yourself. Complement yourself on what you do well or what you have accomplished this year. 


Do What you enjoy - Take yourself out to dinner or treat yourself to a meal you prepared at home. Make something special that you love and makes you feel good. Go for a walk, or spend some time outside in the fresh air. Living a healthy lifestyle will not only make your body feel better but it will help your mind grow and become more mindful.

Everyday Valentines - Grab a stack of sticky notes and jot down things on them that are positive and make you feel good. Stick those notes all over the house. One on the bathroom mirror. One on the inside of a cabinet door. When you see them, read them out loud. I have notes around my house that tell me I’m beautiful, that I’m happy and that I’m a good person. Read them out loud every time you see them. This is self-love.

Bone Songs Myth & Magic - January Theme - Focus

 As a member of the group called Bone Songs Myth and Magic, a group of gifted Pagan practitioners offer their experiences and guidance in their field of expertise. This past month our theme was Focus.  I wanted to share my contribution to this group with my blog audience and offer you the opportunity to find us and join us for our journey into learning more about ourselves and how we interact with the magical realm.

Here's my offering for January's theme called Mindful Magic. I hope you enjoy.





Mindful Magic

As we kick off 2022, it is a great time to start thinking about where you are spiritually. Our spiritual self, our inner self or our true self as it is often referred to, is that place where we are who we really are. This is the self that rarely is shared with others. This self, is the self that sits back and judges our actions; it rates those actions and then gives us a feeling of guilt or pride based on that judgment.  That self is often thinking into the future about what will come of those actions or looking at the past, wishing for or regretting actions that led us to where we are now.  That self is often negative. 

I know what you’re thinking, not another one of those mind over matter mumbo jumbo pieces. Why yes, yes it is.  Because my dear readers, it is true. We have within us the power to decide if we want to be happy or sad. We decide if we want to continue to pave a road with our tears or brush off our cheeks and move forward with a smile. And this year, my friends, is the year that we need more than ever before to move forward with a collective happiness that can indeed, change the world.


Mindfulness is the act of being fully present in the here and now. In this fast paced world of multitasking this is much more challenging than it seems. Every day we often sit at our computers, while watching TV and stopping to read an instant message that pops up while thinking ahead about the next task.  We are preparing for the future and fretting about the past so much that we miss out on what is in our lives right now. Mindfulness is a deliberate act. We stop doing multiple things and focus on the one thing that we’re doing right now with intent and purpose.

Being mindful is the beginning of meditation. Mediation is a state of calm where you sit with yourself and seek to recognize the exact moment of where you are right now. Meditation has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, ease the symptoms of anxiety and improve self-esteem. A study in 2016 showed that introducing a group of meditation practitioners into a community of those who do not mediate lowered crime rates and violence by about 20%  in what is called the Maharishi effect.  If we could get 1% of our population to meditate, we could change the world.

So what does all these mean, you’re asking? What does this mean for my magical practice?

As witches, intuitives, mystics and healers what this means to use is that we are in a unique place to help bring about positive change to our planet. We can look at each of our specific gifts and add mindfulness to it so that we can add focus to our result. Whose magical work does not benefit when you take a few extra minutes of self care time to focus your energy on your intentions? What healing energy isn’t reinforced when you spend some time directing that energy with purpose? I think we all know the answer. 


For 2022, think of ways that you can begin moving into a mindful place. Think about the simple act of drinking a cup of tea. We need to be here to hold the cup, and to drink from the cup. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that all acts including drinking tea should be done so, mindfully.


“You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.

Only in the awareness of the present, can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup.

Only in the present, can you savor the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate the delicacy.

If you are ruminating about the past, or worrying about the

future, you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of

Tea…..” - Thich Nhat Hanh


Make 2022 the year that you remain right here, right now. I look forward to taking this journey with you. 


Namaste

Sosanna



Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson - CSM, PMI-ACP

Ordained Spiritual Counselor

Certified Holistic Wellness Coach

International Yogi Certification

Certified Crystal Master & Aroma Therapy Practitioner


Resources:

The Maharishi Effect - https://research.miu.edu/maharishi-effect/

How to Meditate - https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh - https://plumvillage.org/

Thich Nhat Hanh’s Tea Meditation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNiwOI0u9AI

The Bell of Mindfulness - https://plumvillage.app/how-and-why-to-use-the-mindfulness-bell-on-the-plum-village-app/


Exercises:

Mindful Dishwashing

While washing dishes, think very deliberately about the task. Feel the warmth of the water on your skin. Feel the sponge or cloth in your hand. Think about each stroke across the dish. Feel the smoothness of the clean dish. Now repeat this for each item in the sink. Really feel it and focus only on that one thing. This is mindful meditation.

Applying a magical context would be - take a ritual bath and think about these same things.


Mindful Sweeping

While sweeping the floor, think very deliberately about the task. Feel the handle of the broom in your hand. Feel the wind that is created from the stroke. Watch the dust and dirt collected into the pile. Feel the dustpan as you collect it. Now take it out to the trash and feel it leave the dust pan. Send it out of your space.

Applying a magical context would be - clean your ritual space, sweep that negativity into its place and remove it from your area. Direct the energy here, same intensity, same focus.


Journaling Your Experience

Journals are a great way to document what you’re feeling before and after your mindful experience. I recommend picking up a small book or if so inclined use an electronic journal to jot down your feelings. This is going to be useful to come back to at the end of year to look at how you have grown.  Some example labels for entries could be:


Date/Time

Day of the Week

Moon Phase

Activity Practiced (examples, mindful sweeping, mindful walking, mindful dishwashing)

Feelings Before

Feelings After

Goals/Notes


Take this time to jot down anything that comes to mind around your mindful activities. Even if you get distracted, jot that down. These things will help you on your path to grow into being mindfully present in all you say and do.

Angels and Ancestors - Seasons

 Today I'm exploring more into my new oracle deck Angels & Ancestors by Kyle Gray, art by Lily Moses. I wanted to start with a smaller part of the deck and become familiar with the it. Not just memorize the author's meaning of the cards but really fully connect with the intent of the card and what it says to me. 

Seasons

Autumn is a time of shedding of the old and resting up for the renewal to come. A time when all the things around us, most notably the trees drop their own dying leaves to the ground to make way for the new buds of spring. We also sometimes need to pass off our old selves and allow it do wither away in order to revive ourselves with a burst of color and life. Holding on to the old will weigh us down, releasing that energy will allow us to change and grow.  The raven on the card indicates healing in Celtic animal medicine. When it arrives in the spread, it indicates initiation and shows us to be aware of our own needs and desires.



Spring is a time of growth. It is a time to watch our seeds sprout and allow those changes that we have put in to come to fruition. Animals are coming alive to mate for the season, our buds on the trees are alive with potential.  This is a time to bring our new ideas and inspiration. Opportunities, abundance and growth are afoot when this card comes up in a spread. The card shows the fertile wild hare which in Celtic animal medicine indicates intuition and rebirth. The arrival of the hare can bring dreams into reality.




Summer is a time to bask in the warm glow of the sun. To feel the energy and power of the sun light and allow personal endeavors blossom. Get out into world and feel a connection to the planet. This is a great time to use that extra energy of the sun to create new things or further a project that needs a little push of creativity. This card showcases a honey bee, wings spread with amber honey combs around it. The honey bee is said to be a messenger between our world and the spirit world in Celtic mythology. When the summer card reveals itself in a spread look for messages that may be coming from the spirit world regarding clarity, change and opportunity.




Winter is a time when we stay close to home and care for ourselves. It is the dark time, when the sun is scarce in the sky and our minds move to making sure our basic necessities are met. We take care of what we need and then move forward. It is a time or retreat and hibernation. This card features the image of a wolf, cross seasonal, solitary yet pack orientated and strong.  Wolf medicine teaches us when we may need to stay together or go at it alone. When the winter card appears in our spread it tells us to move ahead of fears. While we want to move out of the dark, we need to become comfortable with the unknown and remember that we have light coming.  




So this is an introduction to the Season cards in the Angels and Ancestors Oracle deck. I found it to be a good experience sitting with just the four cards and learning about them. I really liked the connection this has to Celtic animal medicine. My sister does Celtic totem readings and you can find her at her page Bone Songs on Facebook.  

I hope you found this useful and thank you for helping me explore and connect with this deck while adding my energy and intuition to the Angels and Ancestors Oracle.

Namaste

Sosanna

Modern Divination - The Tarot

 The Tarot has always fascinated me.  I have completed numerous reviews over the years on Tarot decks of shape and fashion for this blog. I have even participated in a Tarot card project where I was cast to represent several of the cards. My favorite by far was recreating The Star card. (image below)


Photo Credit  - Renee Sosanna Olson


The Female Mystic Project was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed researching the card I was to represent and trying to convey that messing in the photo.

So what is Tarot?  Tarot is a deck of cards separated in two main groups (Minor and Major Arcana) used for the purposes of divination or fortune telling. The earliest mentions of tarot dates back to the French 1400's.  With the rise of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the 1880', Tarot traveled across the English speaking countries where it eventually found it's way to the creation of the Rider-Waite Deck we are all so familiar with today. 

By Pamela Coleman Smith - a 1909 card scanned by Holly Voley (http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/) for the public domain, and retrieved from http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot (see note on that page regarding source of images)., PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17299744

The table below from Wikipedia shows the progress of the Major Arcana cards from their creation up to the Crowley and Rider-Waite decks.



The process for reading cards varies from reader to reader. Even the guidance on obtaining cards has its own set of mystery and superstition. Do you buy a deck or should it be gifted (or even stolen). Should anyone else touch  your cards? Should they live in a wooden box or velvet bag?  A quick Google Search will let you know that EVERYONE has an opinion on this. (LOL)

So what about the act of reading? Each reader has their own process for preparing for a reading as well as providing that reading for a client. There are as many variations are there are Tarot decks. One process isn't the be all end all process for using this tool. Amazon returned over 7000 results for a search on this single product.

To get some insight on what a reader's thoughts are, I contacted Alexis, The Bonesong Witch to share her process with us. She is a reader of Tarot and a hunter of  Irish Totems.

Here are her interview questions.


Q: How did you get started?

A: I found I had a penchant for it, when I picked up a deck and started practicing with the Tarot. There was an immediate bond, and I've had a relationship with Tarot for 25 years now. I see Tarot as both and entity and the spirits of the earth. I actually started off reading Totems for people. That came from an exploration of Native beliefs by way of a dream/vision I had while meditating. I met with Native leaders that were in the Virginia Beach area at the time, and was taught their way. I then dug into my own ancestral past, and found that totems are a part of nearly every indigenous culture in the world. I am careful not to present my was of totem-hunting as native to the Americas. Rather, I do work with the spirits of the land in which I was born, as well as those of my ancestry.

Q: Explain your process for getting started with a reading.

A: Usually, I will cleanse the space with dragon's blood resin or a blend that I order from Tree of Life Apothecary in North Carolina. I may or may not light a candle, depending on the situation, and I ground. I cannot emphasize how important grounding is when working with Tarot or with Totems.

Alexis - The Bonesong Witch



Q: How does the information come to you?

A: I just "know" something that I didn't. I know that's a strange explanation, but my accuracy does come from the fact that I allow Tarot to "tell" me things, and then I give that information directly. I have a geis to only tell the truth, and not skirt around what I see or know to be truth from it. So far, I've never had a person tell me that what I told them wasn't spot-on. When it comes to totem readings, I spend more time exploring each of the person's directions and allow the totems to speak for that direction.

Q: What other information would you like to share with my readers?

A: I'm happy to answer any questions they may have, or help new tarot readers or totem hunters, as well.

I want to take a moment to thank Alexis for participating in our this exploration of divination via Tarot.  You can reach out to her via her website or via email.