After watching my mother-in-law’s slow decline and eventual death last year, I turned to my deck for help/guidance with my own aging process. This card in particular spoke wisdom and clarity.
Who Are You?
I am the one who loves cats and holds them close to my heart.
I am the one who understands cats.
am the one who has been blessed over the years with the safe-keeping of five cats (and one dog).
I am the one who receives comfort and peace from the felines who have joined me on my journey.
What Do You Have to Say to Me Today?
What I say to you about your aging is this…. you have watched four of those cats (and one dog) as they aged, and you have guided them through their own aging process. The cat currently in your safe-keeping is showing preliminary signs of aging now.
You have learning that there is no stopping the aging, no matter what you do.
I urge you to care for your own body and spirit as carefully and wisely and lovingly as you cared for Sasha, Scooter, Minnie, Suzy, Seymour, and as you are now caring for Louis.
Does any of this resonate with you? Do you have a card in your own deck that whispers wisdom to you about your own aging? Please share below!
Back in 2006, our 12-year-old outdoor cat disappeared for more days than he ever had before.Ā After a week, I keenly felt his absence, and knew that I had to let him go, and prayed that his angels had been with him the whole time.Ā I was heartbroken. Scooter was the first beloved animal companion to leave us. Over the years there have been four more: Sasha-Girl, Minne, Suzy, and more recently-Seymour.Ā Each time I grieve, I remember this SoulCollageĀ® reading I did in 2006.
I went to my deck and asked “Who will help me deal with the loss of our dear cat Scooter?”
My Mystical Child Neter is the card that I drew, and her voice immediately offered me comfort and a subtle blessing of peace:
I am the one who believes in magic and fairies.Ā I am the one who talks to angels and animals, and hears them talking back to me.Ā I am the one who believes in prayer and who prayers frequently and fervently, with faith.Ā I am the one in direct contact with the Divine.Ā
I am the one who believes in magic and who watches spellbound as rabbits are pulled out of hats and scarves change color in mid-air.
I am the one who acknowledges the Mysteries of the universe, who accepts the Mysteries and loves them as they are. I give you a sense of mystery and awe. I give you the knowledge of other realities and the open mind to accept them. I want you to believe in fairies and angels, and to know that dolphins and cats can talk to you.Ā I want you to see magic everywhere you turn. I want you to pray and to know that your prayers are ALWAYS answered.Ā I want you to stay connected to the Divine.Ā
What I have to say to you today is this: Scooter has been gone for a week now, but from the first moment you met him, youĀ asked for Angel Protection for him, because you knew he was a wild free spirit– he told you this, and you listened, you heard him.Ā You honored his deepest heart’s longings by letting him have his freedom, and you always knew that you couldn’t be the one to protect him, as much as you wanted to.Ā Now, today, in the midst of your aching grief, I want you to know and to believe that he has and has always had the Angel Protection that you continually asked for.Ā I want you to have faith that the Angels have honored your request.Ā It really is that simple.Ā I also want you to know that all of your inner communication with Scooter was real. He felt safe with you and he loved you fiercely. He loves you fiercely still.Ā Let there be joy and gladness in the midst of your tears and pain, for anytime a wild creature like this is loved so deeply, heaven is full of gratitude and joy.
When I was laid up in bed several years ago with bronchitis, I started watching two hours of Judging Amy reruns every day, and somehow I got hooked.Ā After a few weeks, I couldn’t justify lying in bed until 2 every afternoon, so I began recording the episodesĀ and then watching them at night or catching up in weekend marathons.
If you don’t know this show, it’s about a Juvenile Court judge (Amy) who is in her 30’s and lives at home with her mother (Maxine) who is a social worker, and her 10 year old daughter (Lauren).Ā While I found the courtroom scenes, the social work stories, and the love triangles intriguing, I still wasn’t quite sure why I was so drawn to this show.
A few of my inner voices were intent on judging me for this prime time obsession.Ā Can’t you find something better to do with your time?Ā This is ridiculous.Ā You are becoming a TV junkie.Ā How juvenile are you anyway?
But I felt, somewhere deep within me, the need to keep watching it.Ā It felt like this was more than a television show to me somehow, and I decided to trust these inner nudges to keep watching.Ā I decided to trust my intuition, and to develop a “wait and see” attitude.Ā So I kept watching.
Sometime in the middle of this Judging Amy Marathon,Ā I did a SoulCollageĀ® reading where I asked a question of my deck, and then drew 4 cards.Ā Interestingly enough, THREE of those FOUR cards had something to do with the topic of mothering.
As I journaled through the reading, I came across a startling realization!
Divine Mother- Unconditional Love and Nurturing
Here is part of what the Divine Mother card “said” to me as part of this reading: Good, truly deep mothering is not something that you ever received, although your mom’s intentions were good.Ā And so you are now struggling with the process of inner mothering. I can help you with this.Ā
Watching Judging Amy is helping you too. Do not brush it aside as “just a tv show…”Ā YouĀ are receiving much wisdom and insight from watching Maxine and Amy, and Amy with Lauren…. Embrace what you are learning there. Be glad of it and grateful for it too.
I was completely startled to see those words coming from my hand, and from the voice of the Divine Mother!Ā What she told me made perfect sense.Ā It was all suddenly crystal clear.
After that I watched the show with a bit more of a focus, and the lessons I learned on what it means to mother myself came faster than I could write them down!
I love telling this story about myself because it’s a clear reminder of how I can and should always trust my intuition.Ā My soul truly DOES know what will serve me best… all I have to do is listen and follow!
We adopted a 2 year old cat two weeks ago and I decided to do a reading with my deck to help me with this transition. Here is the question I asked and the very wise answers my Neters gave me!
NOTE: You can click on each card to see it larger.
Who has wisdom to give me about making our new cat Louis feel more comfortable?
Divine Connection- We are the ones who represent your connection to Divine Spirit. We are the ones who are best in touch with you when you are resting quietly with your eyes closed and focusing on your breath. Our wisdom for you about Louis is this: keep your commitment to your meditation times. Smile, close your eyes, relax, remain connected to Spirit within. Spirit is within Louis as well. All is well. All is well.
Winter– I am the one who speaks to you of the season of Winter. I am the one who offers light and warmth in the cold darkness. I am the one who offers a harbinger of spring in the red cardinal. My wisdom for you about Louis is this: you have just been through a harsh winter time of grief and loss. First Sasha, then your breast, Lis and most recently Minnie. Notice that even in this wintertime of grieving and loss, you have a light within you. Notice the beauty of that grieving season. And also know that winter never lasts forever. Spring always comes. You have invited this young cat into your life to offer hope and joy after a long time of grieving.
Quartet of Judges- We are the ones who look down our noses at people and beings who are not like us. We are the ones who stare at these others mercilessly and find them all lacking. We are the ones who have high expectations of others- too high. Our message for you about making Louis feel more comfortable is this- our energy has been prevalent for you since he came to live with you. Notice how much you are judging him. Notice what your unreasonable expectations of him are. This will allow BOTH of you to find some peace.
Crone– I am the one who is old and yet quite content with who I am. I am the one who builds hats so the birds of the wild have a place to live. I am the one who creates a beautiful rainbow afghan. I am the one who loves nature and creativity and all of Godās creatures. My wisdom for you about making Louis more comfortable is this: you have offered this sweet being a home, not in your hat of course, but in your house and in your family. This is not a small thing. This is a HUGE thing and a big step for you, and I applaud you. I want YOU to applaud you. And stop judging yourself for taking him away from his foster home and for doing everything wrong. This is NOT the truth. Remind yourself of the TRUTH!
I am the one who bows down to What Is.Ā I am the one who lets life Flow around me.Ā I am the one who is in a posture of full supplication.Ā I am the one who prays while I surrender.Ā I am the one who is surrounded by water and earth and air.Ā I am the one who surrenders to Spirit.Ā I am the one who bows down to Life and the Joy of Living it.Ā
My message for you today is this: Right now, get into this position that I am in.Ā Feel how it feels to really bow down and surrender. I mean it… right now!Ā Get out of your chair and DO it.
Authenticity
QUEEN OF AUTHENTICITY
I am the one who stands tall and strong in the shining golden sun.Ā I am the one who is the keeper of your Truth.Ā I am the one who has chosen not to get on the sailboats, but to stand still.Ā I stand with authority.Ā I stand with faith and justice.
I know exactly who I am and that is my biggest teaching for you today and always- that you remember who you are, that you point your fingers upwards towards the Divine, that you let the Light shine on you, that you always pause to remember who you are, and that you hold yourself, your life, proudly.
SUMMARY– Wow, I see quite two different postures in these women.Ā One is bowed down, surrendering, and I can’t see her face.Ā The other is standing up straights, strong, proud, owning her self and her life.Ā Both of their hands/fingers are pointing upwards though, and I will let that be my grace note for today.Ā Point my heart ad my hands upwards towards the Divine.Ā Let that be my focal point.Ā That everything is in the hands of Spirit.
After watching my mother-in-law’s slow decline and eventual death last year, I turned to my deck for help/guidance with my own aging process. This card in particular spoke wisdom and clarity.
