As I flipped over the cards to see what December has in store for us, I gulped.
Yeah…I thought that was something cartoons just did…GULP. As I trepidatiously flip over the vibrating cards, the truth is hot. I know the cards are about to give me some straight talk...direct to my core, whispering inside me.
This time it said, “Practice your magic, always.”
As we move into December, I feel the candy coated capitalist whirlpool sucking me into its maelstrom. My to-do list grows each day and I’m at the post office sending things, running to the mall, spending time spending money.
Where I’m not spending my time? On my magic, my dharma, my purpose. This is why I gulped. The cards are snapping their fingers at me. Throwing me a punch and a life saver at the same.
Here’s our forecast…well more of a message:
Moon+Tower+Whip
The Moon = magic, intuition, romance
The Tower = foundations, institutions, established
Whip = repetitive, practice
THe tower is special
The tower is our focus card this month. To me, the tower card has had a special meaning, aside from the traditional meaning (listed above). The way I read cards, I flip over the cards one by one and let the sentences and messages flow through me. Almost always, they are aligned with the traditional meanings...but the Tower is a bit different. I have always felt this card represents ancient wisdom, almost forgotten information from our past lives that we are beginning to remember.
It almost reminds me of a church I visited in York, England. Walking up the winding staircase to the top of the tower, there were Latin words inscribed on the narrow walls. Messages that you would not have seen unless you climbed to the top, in a language we no longer speak.
Intuitively, I have picked up that something or someone from the past is reminding us of information that is deep within us. We can always find infinite wisdom in the Tower. It is a sturdy structure that will last a millennia.
But what are we to establish or cement into our foundation? The moon next to it represents is the dreamy part of us, the intangible creativity that we need to set in a foundation and the whip suggests we continue to practice this.
So....what does this message ACTUALLY mean in practical terms?
We need a magical routine. Something to remind us that we are MORE than money making and spending machines…
This message brought me back to why I started Emily Rose Divination in the first place. I wanted to offer readings and teach Lenormand to help my clients and students connect with their inner wisdom. Whether through getting a reading or through teaching others to read for themselves, I have always found that cartomancy is THE best way to tune into your higherself and gain the clarity needed to live a life in alignment with your truth...
So I committed myself to drawing Lenormand and Tarot cards everyday, so I can connect with my purpose the sacred first thing in the morning.
I have added to my routine since I’m in a wild and wonderful practical magic class (Carolyn Elliott’s Influence). Much of this class involves daily offerings, meditations, journaling, and more…making me committed to my daily morning routine to keep up with the class.
CONFESSION…I’m waaay behind. Why? Because I haven’t been doing all my daily routines…I’ve been working on other "more important" (SPOILER....they aren't more important) things and neglecting my magical practices. Hence, my gulping when this came up. I have been neglecting myself and my purpose to catch some extra ZZZZs and lay in bed on Instagram #lamo.
My morning magical routine looks something like this…
- Write down my dreams
- Light some frankincense incense as an offering to the local spirits
- Fill a small bowl of water to represent my genius (my cat enjoys drinking my genius)
- Do yoga
- Pull some Lenormand/Tarot cards
This can seem like a lot and it is far too easy to stay in bed and get up 40 minutes later....
So I skipped my magical routine for a week…the first few days were fine but then I noticed that sleeping more made me feel less productive. I descended into a laze spiral. I felt discombobulated at work, uncentered. "Of course this is the fault of work! Or....my hormones!" I thought or sometimes said outloud to myself...don't judge me. The hormone scapegoat almost always works.
I was about a week into my routine truancy when I pulled the cards for this post (I always pull a week or two before posting). Even before laying the cards out I felt the Howler coming. I was glad no one was home to hear it...(unlike poor Ron who was in the Great Hall when Molly Weasely sent him the smoldering yellgram..the shame!)
I had been blaming my discombobulation on the WRONG things rather than celebrating the beautiful rituals I did in the morning. In a society that does not celebrate the sacred feminine, or our true dharma, I realized that this routine is ESSENTIAL. It is the only time of day where I can truly hear myself.
When I do my magical routine, I feel I am dialing into ancient wisdom and being influenced by the divine energies that are stored within us. The answer is always inside and it’s just a matter of cultivating our divineselves through magical and intentional practice.
I know…you could be thinking, “Emily, slow your roll. How does lighting incense everyday for some rando spirits make life better?”
Through ritual, having an alter, etc. we are working with analogy. How we carry out this analogy often carries through the rest of our lives. Each item I use in my daily routine is a symbol for something larger that I am wanting to honor or cultivate which connects me to that corresponding energy.
I write down my dreams because they connects me to my subconscious. It helps me to transition from sleeping to waking and I am able to receive the wacky wisdom my subconscious is trying to tell me and observe any synchronicities from previous spell work I have recently done (I'm sure I'll talk more about spell work in a future post!).
I light incense to remind me that there were many beliefs and traditions that came before we (western society) inhabited my corner of the world, Olympia. There have been worshipped spirits whose and names and corresponding archetype have been long since forgotten. Offering incense to the local spirits is a humbling act. Recognizing those that have come before, and in a sense those that have come after. It gives me a perspective that the way things are not how things have been and the way things will be in the future are not how they are now. So do what you want with your life and respect the ground you are on.
I fill my bowl of water to symbolize my genius so I can remember my mind is a bountiful tap of ideas and creations. My cat likes to drink my genius...
I move my body to remember it wasn’t made to sit behind a desk all day. It was meant to forage, be strong, be pleasured, and I have the ability to move how I want to move.
I draw Tarot/Lenormand cards to invoke ancient wisdom and teachings in my life and cultivate my inner wisdom. Divination reminds me that all the answers lie within.
Once I have moved gently through my routine and go about getting ready for the day, I find that a mean email, cat puke, or the fact I'm out of coffee creamer doesn't bother me as much! (okay...maybe not the coffee creamer part. Coffee IS sacred). These simple acts cultivate perspective and invoke ancient and my own inner wisdom to guide me through the day.
So even through the craziness of the holidays, visiting family, darting around malls, it may be worth your time to light some incense for the local spirits, go on a walk, fill a small bowl of water for your genius. Whatever helps tune you into the sacred.
Several days ago after starting my routine back up, I went on a walk later in the day. As I walked through my local woods, I distinctly smelled strong frankincense incense. I looked around, and didn’t see anyone around. I smiled.
So, is your cat drinking your genius? Do you have any "weird" rituals or something you hope to incorporate in your day? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy December y'all!