Month: November 2020

Race to the End – Day 749

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Nearly Full – 28 Nov 2020 – Photo: L. Weikel

Race to the End

Here we are, approaching the eve of the final month of this seemingly relentless year. In an undeniable display of the paradoxical nature of time and our perception of it, few would disagree that this has been one of the longest years in recorded history. And yet in some ways, it feels like we’re in a race to the end.

Is the election really over? Has that major quadrennial event in our country’s life cycle taken place? When did that happen? Did I miss it? I feel like was aware of it, yet it also feels like it has yet to take place – it will, but in the future. Not because of some sad in ability of some people to face the truth of the election but because the election that did take place feels like it happened about three years ago or so.

Thinking back to January of 2020 feels like a snapshot into, oh, I don’t know…2017? And here we are, one more interminable month to go.

Every day enough happens in the news to merit a month’s worth of back stories and investigative reporting.

The worst part is that, deep down, most of us – if we’ve been paying attention – know that all of December and the first 20 days of January hold the potential for some seriously calculated mayhem. What could possibly add to the maelstrom of self-inflicted harm at the highest levels of our government?

How ‘bout Those Eclipses?

The moon, our closest and most intimate luminary, reaches her fullness at 4:30 a.m. Monday morning. Thus, some of you earliest of risers (or those of you who stay up even later than I do!) may find yourselves not only witnessing the fullest expression of the moon but also looking at the darkest phase of the penumbral lunar eclipse occurring at that very same time.

Because it’s a penumbral eclipse and not a total eclipse (an easy scientific explanation is here), the moon will not appear that deep, blood red color of a full-on total eclipse. It will, however, appear darker. (The moon will enter the penumbra – shadow – of the Earth at 2:29 a.m. ET and finally exit that shadow at 6:56 a.m. ET. The moment when the moon is in the greatest amount of the Earth’s shadow (and will thus appear darkest) at 4:42 a.m. ET.

So if you’re an early morning riser – willingly or unwillingly – you might as well check out the astronomical phenomenon that’s ‘kicking off’ the final eclipse season of our most beloved year of 2020. This lunar eclipse occurs in the sign of Gemini (because the moon, being full, is opposite the sun, which is in the sign of Sagittarius).

And as I’ve mentioned before, eclipses happen in pairs. So the fact that tomorrow morning’s eclipse is a lunar one means that two weeks from now (on December 14th, as a matter of fact) we will experience a total solar eclipse.

Is it me, or do you think this celestial phenomenon may have an impact on the final casting of electoral votes that’s supposed to take place on December 14th?

Time will tell, I guess.

In the meantime, here is one astrologer’s, Chani Nicholas’s, discussion of the next two weeks’ worth of planetary aspects and how we might interpret them in our lives.

We Can Do This

The long and short of this post is that we’re not out of the woods yet. This year still has some tricks up its sleeve and these final four weeks hold some seriously profound influences that would challenge us in the best of times.

I dare say, these are not the best of times.

But knowledge is power. And solidarity is too. The more we can pay attention and try to understand what’s going on (not only in the minutiae of the workings of our government – for those of us here in the States – but also the much greater, more comprehensive view of the evolution of our country, our species, and our planet), the better able we’ll be to navigate whatever we’re asked to adapt to as we encounter unforeseen and possibly totally unexpected circumstances.

It’s a lot. But we were born for these times. A huge key is sticking together. Communicating. Sharing our fears (so they are halved), but even more importantly, sharing our vision, our hope, and our compassion. We have each other’s backs.

We can do this.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-362)

Tryptophan Haze – Day 748

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Tigger – Faithful Guardian of the Bird – Photo: L. Weikel

Karl and I held off on roasting our turkey until late this afternoon. As a result, my attempt to write something coherent tonight is noticeably hindered by the inevitable onset of a tryptophan haze.

I’ll tell you two other members of this household who are staving it off with me: Spartacus and Tigger. (That’s because Karl’s already succumbed to the turkey drug’s siren song and hit the sheets, Precious hasn’t indulged, and Cletus is out cavorting with opossums and skunks at the moment.) So here we are.

Tigger and Spartacus were ever such great helpers as I stripped the turkey’s carcass and put away the leftovers. Yes indeed, the best of helpers.

As can be seen in the photo above, from the moment the bird was extricated from the oven, Tigger was a faithful guardian of the roasted beast, maintaining a watchful eye against any unanticipated marauders that might storm the gate. I could do nothing less than reward him for his vigilance.

The same went for Spartacus. He faithfully fulfilled his responsibilities as four legged Roomba equivalent, impeccably maintaining a spotless kitchen floor. Not a single fleck of errant foodstuff lasted longer than the blink of an eye under his eagle-eyed watch.

I Stand Corrected

Nope. I just checked. The other two are down for the count as well.

Spartacus never even made it upstairs. He snatched a few blankets and collapsed on the sofa as I wrote the above paragraphs.

Tigger? Well, I thought at least he would stick with me and keep me company as I fulfilled my nightly devotional responsibilities. But no. I just checked. He apparently stole away to join Karl in bed, opening one eye as I reached the top of the steps in tacit acknowledgment that he was aware of my existence but had no choice but to make me a warm spot instead. He made a sad attempt at claiming that warm spot-making, too, is one of his sacred responsibilities, but I call bs.

So much for tonight’s post.

Hopefully tomorrow’s turkey sandwiches won’t have quite the same effect. But…yum. I’m looking forward to finding out. I think that’s probably *my* sacred task. It’s a tough job, but…

Spartacus – Trypt out – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-363)

You Just Never Know – Day 747

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Photo: L. Weikel

You Just Never Know

We’ve all heard the adage that we should never judge another until we’ve walked a mile in their shoes. And of course it’s an adage because it’s a truism, an expression of a common experience. The sticky part of this is that you just never know what shoes another person has worn. Nor do most of us know what anyone’s shoes are made of, where they’ve been, whether they were designed for how they’re worn, or how many times they’ve needed to be resoled.

I happened to have a couple discussions today with some people I care a lot about. Two main conversations took place with individuals who do not know each other, whose paths I don’t believe have crossed. If you were to meet them at a party or in the grocery store, you’d imagine their lives to be ones of relative good fortune. You wouldn’t be wrong in that assessment, and yet your conclusion wouldn’t be entirely accurate, either. Not by a long shot.

Photo: L. Weikel

Details

I’ve listened to the details of a lot of lives over the course of my own, and it never ceases to amaze me just how much some people are asked to endure. Whether the challenges consist of professional surprises that batter and smack them against rocky shores, the utter despair of comforting a child whose physical body seems incapable of finding peace or healing, discovering that the voices of a relationship blow past each other, unheard or misunderstood – most of these issues can be devastating in their singular experience. What’s astounding is realizing that a shocking number of people are, especially now, reeling from the experience of multiple traumas to heart and soul at one time.

We are living amongst the walking wounded. We’re also living amongst the bravest and most courageous of souls.

I imagine every single person reading this post is holding up their end of probably at least two or three deeply troublesome and thorny burdens. Attempting to compare them serves no purpose. The true point is that all around us our friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and loved ones are dealing with ‘stuff’ that threatens to grind us down to emotional nubs.

Different shoes. Some more worn down than others. Some may have lost any semblance of ability to protect the wearer from the road they’re traveling. And yet they – we – carry on.

It seems we’re all being pushed by forces far greater than us to face our challenges. To change if we must. To exercise compassion. To walk beside each other and not compare our struggles but support each on their – and our – own unique path.

Lots of shoes.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-364)

Just Gross – Day 746

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Photo: L. Weikel

Just Gross

I just logged onto my laptop to write tonight’s post and was met with something that’s just gross. Call me a prude, call me old-fashioned, but I was disgusted when my computer’s calendar popped up a notification alerting me to the fact that tomorrow is Black Friday.

Really?

Black Friday gets as much of a calendrical shout out as, say, Memorial Day? New Year’s Day? Or dare I say Thanksgiving?

Why in the world would this even be something marked on anyone’s calendar? It’s not a day of honoring, celebration, reverence, seasonal significance, or even religious observation. It’s simply a day of mass consumerism.

Breaking Even

Yes, I know the importance of Black Friday is that it is a day where people go out and purchase stuff in such a massive frenzy that the dollars spent cause retailers’ balance sheets to not only break even but go from being ‘in the red’ to ‘in the black.’ Therefore, it’s a day of huge importance to purveyors of goods, mostly – although those who sell their services also get in on the scramble.

I’ll confess: I’m not a big shopper to begin with. But this year, especially, the whole concept of Black Friday feels utterly icky. I can only hope against hope that we’re spared videos or photos of people clambering cheek to jowl for the chance to barge into stores for bargains. They’re disheartening to witness any year – but now? In the year of Our Dear Lord Please Don’t Let It Get Any Worse 2020? It makes me want to take a hot soapy shower just thinking about it.

It also makes me want to cry.

From Today to Tomorrow

How do we manage to internally shift gears from spending today feeling grateful for the people and circumstances in our lives, great and small, that make life worth living – and feeling responsible to express that gratitude and love by remaining away and separated from those we love and cherish – to spending the next day potentially exposing ourselves and each other to a deadly virus just to buy stuff?

Kind of ironic, all that ‘spending.’

Maybe my cynicism is unwarranted. Perhaps we’ll all be pleasantly shocked tomorrow evening by the dearth of evidence that people threw public health and caring for friends, neighbors, and loved ones (not to mention themselves) to the wind in service to their need to acquire stuff.

I’m not in any way suggesting that if Black Friday is your day to spend lots of money and help shopkeepers breathe a sigh of relief that you should refrain from doing so. I’m only hoping you’ll do it remotely, or at the very least intelligently and compassionately. If we don’t take care of ourselves and each other, next year there will be significantly fewer of us around to buy a damn thing.

Let’s carry forward our gratitude and appreciation for each other. Stay home; spend money online, and if you have to go out, wear masks and stay far away from each other. Short term hassle, long term health and life and the opportunity to spend another day – and hopefully many more – spending.

(T-365)

Cherry Lie – Day 745

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Cherry Pie from Crossroads Bakery – Photo: L. Weikel

Cherry Lie

Ha ha – nope. That’s not a typo. It’s actually an ‘autocorrect’ that struck me as just a bit too cheeky to pretend it didn’t happen. My Cherry Pie’s evolution into “Cherry Lie” was way too synchronous for my taste.

But see? I’ll own it.

I’ve been bemoaning my sudden seemingly uncontrollable appetite lately. And while I’m eating lots of everything it seems (including salad), I’m especially indulging in more comfort foods, including bakery treats such as the cherry pie, above, and occasionally the delectable locally-sourced artisanal ice cream as well.

From Afar

Watching myself from afar, it’s sort of interesting. I’ve been relatively disciplined throughout the entire past year. Indeed, I paid particular attention to making an effort to remain reasonably cognizant of over-indulging as we watched this year of 2020 unfold. I tried, at least.

It seems I lost all self-control just before the election and most definitely since then. The past month has been a dietary train wreck. And for the most part, I just. don’t. care.

So I guess that’s why I chose to post a photo of my little pre-Thanksgiving transgression. The raiding of the cherry pie.

Because, like that honey badger video I posted the other day (and re-link again here because I do find it hilarious), I just don’t give a s*&t.

Hope you have a marvelously decadent Thanksgiving and allow yourselves an extra scoop of everything – for each relative you are celebrating the holiday with from afar.

Stay well my friends.

(T-366)

All’s Well – Day 744

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The Ocean Oracle – 16 – Octopus – All Encompassing

All’s Well

Truth be told, I’m not feeling all that much different tonight than I did when I sat down to write last night. I’m unsettled. In some ways, it feels like my mind is telling me I need to just chill out, step back, and realize all’s well that ends well.

But is it? My head may be telling me all is well, but my other means of perception aren’t as easily persuaded.

I ask myself, am I being alarmist? Paranoid? Is it possible I’m simply so used to relentless chaos and discord that the very prospect of returning to some sense of normalcy, at least with respect to the highest levels of our government, leaves me feeling…wary?

I don’t know. I’m an inherently optimistic person. I want to ride the waves of relief emanating from Delaware, where President-elect Biden held a public announcement of his incoming National Security team. I’m excited to learn who he intends to nominate as Attorney General, head of the EPA, and a variety of other cabinet posts. (And I can’t believe what a nerd I sound like.)

And yet…

Ocean Oracle

So I decide to pull a card. Perhaps I’ll glean some insight. My deck of The Ocean Oracle, by Susan Marte, beckons.

I chose the Octopus Card (All Encompassing). Because the background ‘Story’ of the card feels every bit as important as the ‘Message’ included in the booklet, I’m going to include the whole thing. It all feels somehow relevant:

“The Story –

She was walking along the rock pools, contemplating her situation. Something did not feel right but she was not sure if it was something within her or something inherent in the situation. She came to a deep, clear pool of water where the tide had deposited a small octopus on its way out towards low tide. The octopus had its tentacles wrapped around something which seemed to be struggling. She wanted to help the trapped creature but then saw a large crayfish heading towards the octopus. She could not tell whether the octopus was protecting what she was encompassing from the crayfish, or whether she was intending it as her own prey. There was no way to be sure so she stepped back, allowing the creatures to sort it out for themselves, just as she had to step back in order to sort out her own situation.

The Messages –

Too much or too little? Embracing or restricting? Everything held within can either be a blessing or a curse. Perspective helps here. The situation may be the same but how are you perceiving it? What is the intent behind the situation? Take a step back, gain perspective, notice the intent. If something is too much, loosen your grip. What has been struggling to fall away, to get out of your grasp, will lighten. This will help give you a different perspective.”

My Take

Perhaps we’re being encouraged to step back and just watch everything unfold. Maybe it’s time to stand back and rest up, gather our power. It’s important right now to maintain perspective, keep our distance, and keep our eyes and ears open. There’s certainly a lot of spectacle. But that’s actually a distraction. And we can get sucked into ‘rescuing’ or getting upset with one set of circumstances, when the true danger might appear benign and slip under our radar.

Perhaps we’re not seeing everything we need to see in order to make an informed judgment.

(T-367)

Blank – Day 743

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Photo: L. Weikel

Blank

I can’t explain it. I’ve literally been sitting here in front of my keyboard for a good hour. Typing. Deleting. Typing. Going for it, heading down a path. Deleting. The result? I have 20 minutes left and essentially a blank screen before me.

Make that 16 minutes.

I’m rather perplexed. I feel as though nothing has changed and everything has changed. Perhaps it’s the receipt of my first Thanksgiving Zoom invitation. I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I’m digesting what it means.

Existential

Yeah, maybe I’m going all ‘existential’ on myself and setting my teeth on edge. Or more accurately, clenching my teeth until my jaw aches. What is it?

Perhaps I’ve been able to allow time to take on an entirely different dimension since March. As we’ve sequestered ourselves, withdrawn, basically become hermit-like in our quest to keep from becoming spreaders or receivers of the Coronavirus, my concept of time and reality has shifted.

Yes, I think that could be part of what’s causing a tickling sensation at the back of my neck. That sense that things aren’t quite right.

Every once in a while I think about my son’s upcoming marriage. And then I realize, no, wait. The wedding already happened. They’ve been married almost six weeks already.

How can that be?

Thanksgiving

And that’s how I’m sitting here feeling about Thanksgiving this year. Quite honestly, I’ve tried not to think about it much. I do not want to be a vector to my mother-in-law. And yet she is lonely. Of course she’s lonely.

I’ve tried not to think about Thanksgiving because I won’t be able to spend it with my (our) kids, either. None of them. Regardless of whether they live near or far, it’s not happening. They all have jobs (or each other) that deal with too many people, many of whom defiantly insist upon a misperceived right to spray their germs in the air all around them.

The selfishness we’re witnessing all around us makes me sad.

And I guess it’s left me feeling blank.

Cranky Sky – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-368)

Little Things – Day 742

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Precious Awakened – Photo: L. Weikel

Little Things

Each and every day, particularly right now, focusing upon the little things in life, the things that make us smile, is an act of self-love. Off the top of my head, listening to my cat Precious snore like a longshoreman while curled up on the back of the couch right behind me fits that bill.

And now that I start to contemplate the many ‘little’ things I’m grateful for, I see how many of them revolve around non-human creatures, especially Spartacus (our Boston Terrier), Precious, Tigger, and Cletus. I can say without qualification that they bring a dimension of joy and comfort into my life that I’d be lost without.

Tigger Snoozing – Photo: L. Weikel

You know me…recounting the joys my four-legged companions bring to my life is something I engage in routinely. And it’s not at all likely that I’ll stop dipping into the pool of love they provide anytime soon.

That’s at least partly because simply living life in 2020 and paying attention to our collective reality means we are bombarded with news that hurts our souls. Literally. Even if we only cursorily glance at the headlines just to see where we stand as a community or a country, it’s enough to drain our energy and leave us feeling defeated, deflated, or perhaps occasionally worse: enraged.

Our nervous systems are drenched in the fight or flight hormones of cortisol and adrenaline. And unlike pretty much all other times in our nation’s history, because of the ubiquitous nature of technology in our hands, we are kept mercilessly up-to-date on the latest atrocities being waged against the things many of us care about most.

Spartacus & Tigger getting some flame time – Photo: L. Weikel

Purring and Comfort and Walks

Beyond the scientific proof that the purring of cats is healing to the physical body, I for one can attest to how my cats have mended tears in my emotions since I got my first kitten at age six: Katen. Katen was a black and white domestic shorthair cat with a white hourglass on his nose. He got me through my childhood, pure and simple. He was my closest confidant (although I was lucky enough to have a couple two legged ones too – you know who you are).

It’s amusing to me to realize that he was black and white – just like my beloved Sheila and Spartacus; just like Cletus. Indeed, just like the marvelous Stinky who’s been around recently.

I love feeling the heft of a cat on top of the covers, his purr resonating through the layers of sheets and blankets. (I will admit to allowing Spartacus to nestle along my back underneath the covers. Talk about a comfort.)

And the walks. The walks are good for all of us. All of these little things, these opportunities for giving and receiving love, make my life incredibly rich. I hope you have such little things too.

Cletus with a rare smile – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-369)

Invitations – Day 741

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Portal with Laughing Guardian – Photo: L. Weikel

Invitations

Probably because of my shamanic perspective on life, I tend to notice things that look, to me, like portals into other realms. I know I’ve written about these doorways in other blog posts, some that I’ve noticed appearing in fog or mist and some manifesting in clouds. But the other day, when the weather warmed up again and I was invited to take a walk along the Lenape Sipu (Delaware River), I felt like I was bombarded by invitations.

Invitations? Yes. Whenever I see a portal my natural inclination is to note it and wonder what I might discover if I journeyed through it. What might I find on the other side?

It’s not that I take journey through every opening I see. Absolutely not! In fact, I rarely journey through unfamiliar portals, even though I notice them whenever I see them and acknowledge them as opportunities to travel into another dimension of reality.

I guess I simply acknowledge them as remarkable potentials.

Waterfall Portal – Photo: L. Weikel

Tried and True

Most of my journeying is done for the benefit of other people – my clients. It’s been my experience that I have specific entry points into other realms that I use for my clients, and different ones I use for journeying on my own. I rarely think about it, because it’s second nature. They’re different doors to different places, just like we take different roads to distinct destinations.

So I guess it’s curious that I’m always on high alert for portals. Nevertheless, I saw a bunch the other day. Maybe I’m being called to journey to a place I’ve yet to visit?

Tree Portal for Tall People – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-370)

Gorgeous – Day 740

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Our new friend – Photo: L. Weikel

Gorgeous

I was going to title this post ‘Reputation,’ since that’s the keyword attributed to Skunk in my tried and true Medicine Cards* by Jamie Sams and David Carson. But after I looked at the photos I have to share, there really is only one word that comes to mind. Gorgeous.

Just look at this amazing creature. I can only presume this is the same one that got spooked last week (and let it’s displeasure be known) when Spartacus suddenly bounded in its direction. Clearly Spartacus’s presence has not dissuaded it from finding the plethora of sunflower seeds much to its liking and well worth the stress of dealing with a cat and a dog that uncannily resemble some of its closest relatives. (What is it with us and black-and-white pets?)

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that Cletus and our Skunk Friend are involved in a little inter-species flirtation. They bear an uncanny resemblance to each other. In fact, I saw Stinky bolt from underneath the feeders, waddling furiously to take refuge, alarmingly, underneath my car. Had I not seen Cletus bound down the flagstone path only moments before, I would have assumed it was he and not given it another thought. They’re almost identical in size and fluff.

But just look at this skunk’s luxurious pelt! Its back is almost entirely white with a black stripe – as opposed to black with a white stripe – and its ample and impressive tail is adorned with a flourish of brilliance.

Adorable – Photo: L. Weikel

Sassy and Adorable

What gets me is the sassy and adorable attitude. I know I should be viewing this beautiful beast’s presence in our yard with more dismay, but I can’t. I love that it’s sharing space with us, at least for the time being. I just hope Spartacus has learned to be at least a bit more circumspect when catching sight of it.

And it most definitely feels quite at home. The other night, when I took these photos, it initially loped in a frenzy to take refuge underneath my car. But it bravely peeked out and waddled back toward the porch where I was standing within less than a minute. I was astonished.

I took a cute little video of it meandering around the yard. It didn’t seem to mind at all that I’d flooded the area with light from the garage and porch. It ventured over our Hill of Moss and trotted through piles of leaves, stopped to sniff and snuffle at the base of our maple tree until nonchalantly returning to the source of its evening repast: our birdfeeders. All the while, I sat on the porch videoing and photographing it.

I was reminded of the hilarious video about the honey badger. Honey Badger “just don’t give a shit” – and neither does our resident skunk.

There’s a lesson here for me – and probably a lot of us. Perhaps on a lot of levels. I just know it.

Just look at that tail – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-371)