Happy waining days of 2022. Below you will find a few tidbits about 2023, the icy energy right now, a rune reading with affirmations and journal prompts and some tips for staying healthy from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I hope this helps you bring in 2023 with a little more ease and wellness. May your days be merry and bright. xo ajp
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The Chariot, The Lovers, The Moon & The Devil from the Moonchild Tarot
2022>2023 THEMES
2022 (2+0+2+2) is 6, which in Tarot is the Lovers. We just had full moon in Gemini, and it is also ruled by the Lovers. The Lovers is related to The Devil, look at the 2 cards in the Rider Waite deck. Reflect on these themes and how they showed up for you in 2022. The Lovers card is rooted in the concepts of connection and choice. The Lovers encourages us to bring together two forces, often in opposition; otherwise, we must let one go. One theme is expanding your consciousness to better understand someone else’s viewpoint. So if Lovers is expansive, The Devil is more about what is limiting you but there’s still a choice. It often represents addiction.
2023 (2+0+2+3) is 7 the Chariot. This is one of my favorites. When it comes up I take notice if I know where I’m going. If you are holding the reigns you better know where you’re headed. We are in Sagittarius season right now which is represented by the bow and arrow so let’s line up our shot. Doing what we can to get as clear and focused as possible before Mercury goes retrograde on December 28th. Next year won’t be so calm, riding a horse drawn chariot rarely is but it will be a lot easier if we’ve lined things up. There will be some horsepower available next year to get us where we’ve chosen to go.
There is Major Lunar Standstill at the extremes on January 20th and October 5th next year. This visible phenomena calls you to keep your eye on the moon in the nights sky. Stonehenge marks the Lunar Standstills as does Chimney Rock here in Colorado. This lunation may boost our intuition which can help in our navigation.
ICY ENERGY
I lie froze, awake / Sleeping only to dream. / What comes Next. ~ Isa affirmation from Runic book of Days
Isa is a Rune from the Nordic Traditions. Isa is linked to this period of the year November 28th to December 13th. Isa is Ice, stillness. Freezing happens for the chaff to die off. For the new life coming to have all it needs, so it can flourish in the spring. We are a part of nature and should also be holding restful and creative space for ourselves. Your health can suffer if you do not. Freezing is NECESSARY. The frozen state is like the void, where there is nothing and everything. The divine spark. Inspiration lives here. Isa allows us to excavate hidden life force.
Ice formed the first beings in Nordic Mythology’s creation story. Audhumla and Ymir are depicted in the painting above. So in this way S. Kelley Harrell says, “ice is the crystallization of sacred seed, the heart of All Things distilled into consciousness. Ice is the new consciousness growing into its own life force”.
Growth happens gradually. Trust the timing, there is no need to push right now. Dream, plan and rest. Pull inspiration into your life. Bring what is beautiful to you and into your space. We will get a second wind come Yule and Solstice as we bring in the energy of the rune Jera December 13-28th. The coming weeks may be a time of reaping some rewards, hopefully gaining some helpers for the journey ahead (who’s gonna help pull the chariot?!).
Ask your team for help and then trust. Call in the right time, the right place and the right action.
“Sitting still requires as much effort as motion. Allow the process to unfold,” explains S. Kelley Harrell. “Attempts to push large change now will create conflict so let your visions bubble to the surface. When inspiration comes that isn’t fully fleshed out we are not as likely to allow it to come to fruition. We often even fight against allowing it in. This is part of our shadow.” Let us acknowledge our Shadow Selves. What are we afraid of and what do we need to grieve?
Sarah Faith Gottesdiener says in Many Moons, Grieving Into New Paradigms, “Most often, the number one block that stops folks from moving into a different chapter in their life or healing process isn’t fear or doubt. it is grief. What sets grief apart as a feeling is that when we’re in it may never end. That nothing that can console it. This is the feeling that keeps us frozen. It is a thread that ties us to love. Grief is an animal of a different kind and we must ride with it, let it move through us, humble us and let it take us where it needs to.”
Relinquish control. Sarah reminds us that, “Grief also often accompanies a win, accomplishment, recovery process or major success around gaining authenticity or compassion. This is not a hollow step of the hedonist ladder. True grief the harbinger of irreconcilable deep loss highlights our irreconcilable parts,” our shadow self. “No one is completely resolved, this is part of being whole. Like the world, you also contain too many different facets to ever be completely captured. Practice being compassionate with yourself. True compassion offers comfort. Be irreconcilable not inconsolable. Promised to hold on to yourself and never let go.”
“Grief tends to well up during any authentic transportation transformation. It is an indicator that another rebirth is happening, perhaps far below the card hold earth of the known. Give grief the gratitude it deserves.”
RUNE READING FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
Tiwaz, Berkano & Algiz
Tiwaz, Arrow/Spindle. Personal sacrifice
Affirmation: Who I am / Is sacred / Everywhere
Tiwaz can represent victory in the 11th hour. Pulling our dreams out of the fire. It depicts having survived trauma then having thrived beyond the wound. Known as “The Battle cry that awakens the 2nd wind”.
Also known as the arrow/spindle. Both archery and spinning wool requires practice, patience, clear intention and skill. Focus and concentration on what to hone. Find the bullseye. When we choose one thing we are not choosing something else so here lies the sacrifice, maybe even the grief over the road not taken.
Questions to Journal from Renna Shesso: What thread are you following? What are you aiming at? Are you on target? By what compass do you chose your path? What have you chosen not to pursue? Where have your intentions been focused?
Berkano, Birch Tree/Poplar. Nurture, Heal
Affirmation: I did this. I am enough. I am enough.
Trees are able to sustain themselves through intense hardship and this struggle. Berkano is a reminder the importance of being receptive. In Runic Book of days part of the lesson is likened to the midwife vs mother. Can we cultivate the ability to have elegant detachment from an event, dynamic or experience? This may allow closure.
After the heart break of Tiwaz, above, Berkano encourages us to grow. We outgrow things. Our desires and needs change. Our perspective changes. Berkano sets us up for healing and the birthing of our wisdom learned from ordeal* to community.
Berkano urges us to realize what we really want, to set every aspect of our lives with that desire. What we want doesn’t come by looking back at what we could have or should have done. Berkano demands that we be in the moment and celebrate it. In doing so we align with our true self.
The challenge of Berkano is to heal.
Questions to Journal from Renna Shesso: What new beginnings are you nurturing? How do you nourish yourself and cleanse your senses and space? What provides you sustenance? What have you done for mother earth lately? What is it time to give birth to?
Algiz Elk or stag, Protection.
Affirmation: All under my sun, All that I am, Travels with me.
“A deep shape shifting element makes up this rune as does masculine Green Man energy. The nature allies present strength in spaces well known to us. Knowing a home space so well it gives us the ability to disappear in it or shape shift into it. Here is the protection: we know our strengths. We become our strengths so intensely we carry them with us wherever we go.”
“Regardless of how protected we are we have to know our boundaries and how to enforce them. Many of us have a hard time creating and enforcing boundaries but if we can't do that for ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to stand up for us? In reality when we stand on our own boundaries we are divinely aligned. We are empowered.
“It's time to enforce boundaries, say no, draw the line and stand on it knowing the multiverse stands with us.” Runic Book of Days
The challenge of Algiz is to be the boundary and the one enforcing it.
Questions to Journal from Renna: What am I grasping? Releasing? What am I preparing to act on? And how? What tools serve me well for creativity and for protection? What am I trying to get a grip on? What boundaries to I need to set?
STAYING HEALTHY WITH THE SEASON
In TCM between seasons is the earth element, so as we transition from Fall to Winter, which is marked by solstice, you may find it helpful to do some grounding practices. Winter is governed by Bladder and Kidney. Water element, so stay hydrated! Being around water can also be healing. Food from the ocean might be extra nourishing right now. Bladder purifies and filters energy. Kidney gives us impetus and stamina, the seat of will. Bladder ushers in Fluidity and Balance. Kidney gives us the energy to cope with stress. Be mindful of your energy and rest when you need to. Move your body in ways that feels good for you.
Moon-Water-Emotions: Water must stay in motion, it has a rhythm. It is ruled by the gravitational pull of the moon. The expansion and contraction of the tides are like the breath. The state of water in your body may reflect the state of your emotions, so listen to your what your body is telling you.
Supportive herbs: Marshmallow root soothes irritation and inflammation in the kidneys and bladder. If your body needs heat, try Cayenne and Ginger root. Other bladder and kidney herbs include Juniper berries, flax seed and nettle leaves. Fenugreek is also a good kidney and adrenal tonic. All of these can be used as teas and tinctures. (Make sure you do your research, talk to your doctor and let me know if you’d like referrals for more herbal support)
Thank you! Please let me know if you have any question or inspiration that came to you. Be well x
*I often think of this and wanted to include it from Runic Book of days “Ordeal is a specific rite of passage in the northern traditions involving subjugation of the body for spiritual evolution. [Odin sacrificed his eye in Mimir's well and he threw himself on his spear Gungnir in a kind of symbolic, ritual suicide. He then hanged himself in Yggdrasil, the tree of life, for nine days and nine nights in order to gain knowledge of other worlds and be able to understand the runes.] It is our duty to bear the growth and wisdom that comes from ordeal to our community. Ordeal itself is self-inflicted painful resolution of wisdom that was so hard won that you have to do something with it to justify the difficulty of gaining it the healing process that leads to bearing that wisdom to the betterment of community is a component of Berkano.”
Sources: S. Kelley Harrell is Runic Book of Days, Sarah Faith Gottesdiener in Many Moons, Renna Shesso in her Rune-Reader, Astrology Hub Podcast and Staying Healthy with the Seasons by Elson M. Haas.