Journaling with the Death Card

With Halloween and The Witches' New Year, "Samhain" fast approaching, and the Sun transiting through Scorpio, now can be a perfect time to examine the Tarot Card "Death" and it's personal meanings. This card can be disturbing for those unfamiliar with it's depths - on the surface this card can be intimidating, not to mention the fact that it says "DEATH" right across it; not a word that usually brings to mind pink fluffy clouds and happy times. But much to the contrary of the popular Hollywood portrayal of this card, it rarely ever portends actual physical death, but instead represents a transition that can have quite a positive outcome.

Before your journaling assignment, here are some things to think about....

The astrological sign of Scorpio (The Scorpion) is ruled by the planet Pluto, which is astrologically known as the planet of death, regeneration, renewal, and reincarnation. Scorpio energy is generally known for feeling emotions very intensely, and being able to constantly revise and renew their own sense of self. If you have ever felt an emotion so intensely that it is like feeling a "little death", this is the energy of Scorpio and The Death card. Samhain falls during the yearly Scorpio transit, and historically was a celebration of the final harvest of the year. It was celebrated as an ending of the past year; in preparation for the darkness of winter, and a time to commune with and respect the dead. Many witches and Pagans believe that during this time, the veil between the worlds is thinner, allowing for communication with, or even visits from the ancestors and deceased, and this is where many of our present day Halloween traditions and legends probably originated from. In historic times, when life revolved around the Harvests and the seasons, people knew they had to embrace the seasons, and change with or adapt to the land in order to survive. In our hectic yet convenient daily lives, it is still important to remember that we must also change and adapt, take the good times with the bad, and let ourselves transform from time to time. That is what the Death card is about.

The Death card, as depicted in the Rider-Waite Smith deck above, may seem gloomy at first glance, but there are several clues in it's symbolic imagery which remind us that even the worst of times can have a positive outcome; eventually. The figure on the horse is the embodiment of death; a skeleton with black armor. At some point in life we must all face our mortality -the fact that death will come to us in many forms. The armor represents how this life force is strong, and something that is often unavoidable. Even if we are not facing physical death, sometimes there are circumstances in life which are unavoidable - things that we just have to face. This can often make these events seem harder to deal with, unfair even, and we feel defenseless about the life force that has carried our life in this direction. The armored skeleton has seemingly trampled the king, who lies on the ground beneath the white horse, his kingdom in disarray. There are times that everything we felt we believed in and trusted is suddenly pulled out from under us and we are left with a shocking and cold version of reality. The king's bereaved family is on their knees, overcome with grief and fear.... but there is a child. A child that represents this kingdom's future - a new statehood and new outlook. In whatever dark times you have experienced in your life, something new has been born within you; a new point of view, a new sense of hope and respect for life, sometimes a new passion. This renewal and rebirth is present throughout the card; The priest represents the renewed spirituality or faith (even if it is a change in faith, it is something newer and stronger), The white flower on the flag represents the possibility of new growth, the sun rising (or setting) in the distance represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one. (The New Year, new Life, or New You.) So it is always good to remember that no matter how hard life seems, it is all part of the process of transformation and growth that we all must take part in. I doubt that a caterpillar's metamorphosis into a butterfly is a very comfortable or happy time for it, but the end result is always a miracle.

Whether you journal to understand and learn about this Tarot Card, to get in touch with the current astrological season and Samhain/Halloween, or to face and embrace a time of transformation in your life, I think this should have given you plenty to think about.

Here are some journaling options;

* You can journal about the story you see in the card pictured above and how it makes you feel, or you can journal about the symbolism and imagery from this card in a different deck.

* You can write about a time of transformation and hardship in your life and what kind of renewal or rebirth the outcome held (or if it is a current event - what kind of renewal or rebirth you think will be possible)

* Or, you can answer these suggested journaling questions from the book "Tarot For Yourself" by Mary K. Greer;

• What do I need to let go of?
• What is my basic support system (skeletal structure) through this transition?
• What is being transformed?
• What new growth is now possible?
• What am I feeling so deeply and intensely about?

If you choose to post your journal on your blog or journal, please include a link to this post, and leave a comment below with the link to your journal. If you choose to keep your journal private, that is fine too, but your comments are appreciated!

Blessed Samhain & Happy Halloween!

Time to Analyze

With the Sun in Virgo and Mercury Retrograde, it's a good time to slow down and look within, and really Analyze where we are going.

Mercury Retrograde is the ideal time to go back over those unfinished projects; not necessarily to start anything new, but to finish what we started before, look at the details, do the final editing, etc. It's also a good time to go thru those junk drawers and closets and get rid of that clutter that no longer serves a purpose. Just be careful to not throw away any important phone numbers!! Mercury will be retrograde from Sept. 7 thru Sept. 29th so it's nice to also be prepared for delays when it comes to communication, paperwork, or travel.

While we are slowing down to deal with the Mercury Retrograde, let's have a look at where the sun is right now and the Tarot card that relates. The card relating to Virgo is the Hermit - I don't think there could be a more perfect time for our Mercury Retrograde! The Hermit is all about slowing down and looking within. The Hermit knows that all Truth can be found within yourself; all the answers you seek are within you, just waiting for illumination.

Here are some suggested Journaling questions for The Hermit; (from the book, "Tarot For Yourself" by Mary K. Greer. Taking the time to answer these questions fully, honestly, and with as much detail as possible will really help you understand the analytical "Hermit" within yourself.

What are you doing with the time you have to yourself?
What are you looking for?
What do you need to know?
Who can help you find what you're looking for, or what you need to know?
What concerns about time do you have?
What do you need to keep silent about?
What would be the prudent thing to do?
What do you need to complete?

*Bonus Journaling Exercise*
For those of you who have Tarot decks; here is a Virgo/Hermit tarot spread for you to explore.

The Virgo Spread ~ I Analyze ~

- 1 -____-4-

___________ -7-

-2-____ -5-

___________ -8-

-3-____ -6-


1) My attitude towards my body
2) My interest in medicine / health
3) How is my current physical health?
4) My attitude towards work
5) How is my ability for critical examination?
6) How do I adjust?
7) How hypocritical and "perfect" am I?
8) How cautious and distanced am I?

** As always, if you choose to do this journaling exercise on your website or blog, please leave a comment and link below! If you choose not to publicly share your journal, that is fine too, but your comments are still appreciated!!

Should or Could?

This journaling exercises is from the book, "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise L. Hay. It is a really excellent book - I would recommend it to just about anyone. You can find this book, and others like it at www.hayhouse.com

In the book, Louise talks about changing your thought patterns from negative to positive in order to actually heal physical ailments, depression, anxiety, etc. In chapter two she discusses how we all have negative thought patterns - some are obvious but there are some that we aren't even aware of!! She says that the word "Should" is a very damaging word and ought to be removed from the dictionary! Confused? Try this exercise and you'll see.....

1) Write down a list of things that you feel you Should do, Should feel, etc....

I SHOULD
....
....
....
(For example; I Should be happy. I should have a clean house. I should lose weight. I should have a better job)

2) Look at your list. Now ask yourself WHY??

Why Should I?
...
...
...
(Why Should I be Happy? Why Should I have a clean house? Why Should I lose weight? Why should I have a better job?)

What are your answers? These answers can reveal the sources of some of your negative thought patterns or false beliefs about your life. ( "Because I should be perfect. Because my parents / others say I should. Because everybody else does. Because I'm too ugly, too fat, too lazy, too worthless, etc.....)
Don't judge your answers and don't spend too long thinking of them - just write down the first thing that comes to your mind, be honest with yourself.

excerpt from the book;
"You see, I believe that "should" is one of the most damaging words in our language. Every time we use the word should, we are in effect, saying "Wrong". Either we are wrong or we were wrong or we are going to be wrong. I don't think we need more wrongs in our life. We need to have more freedom of choice. I would like to take the word should and remove it from the vocabulary forever. I'd replace it with the word could. Could gives us choice, and we are never wrong."

3) Re-Write your first list, this time instead of saying "I Should", you are going to say "If I really wanted to, I could..."

If I really wanted to I could...
...
...
...
( If I really wanted to I could be happy. If I really wanted to I could have a clean house. If I really wanted to I could lose weight. If I really wanted to, I could have a better job.)

Wow! Just wording it differently creates a whole different feeling, doesn't it? Rather than those feelings of guilt and doubt, it creates a feeling of hope!

4) Next, instead of asking yourself "Why Should I?", ask yourself "Why Haven't I?"

Why Haven't I?
....
....
....
This can reveal much more about your list. Your answers will be a bit different than the first time. (They may be something like this... "I am afraid. I don't know how. I don't really want to. I'm not good enough / I don't deserve it. ")

from the book; "We often find that we have been berating ourselves for years over something we never really wanted to do in the first place. Often it was just something that someone else (or society) said that you "should" do. When you can see that, you can drop it from your "Should List" - what a relief that is!!"

For the things that YOU truly want to do or change, now you can work on changing your thought pattern from "I Should" to "I could", and you can work on healing or understanding the reasons why you haven't done it yet (Fear, self-doubt, lacking confidence, etc. ) In the end, it all boils down to Loving Yourself.

Try this affirmation on for size "I Love myself, and I CAN achieve my goals!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you post the results to this exercise in your blog or website, be sure to post a link back to
http://journalyourselfawake.blogspot.com !!
Come back and leave a comment with a link to your site!

Strength

This week, take a moment to think about your strengths. Society teaches us to recognize strength as physical power, muscle, and control, but often through life we learn that true strength is our inner strength. The ability to overcome obstacles in life through love, faith, passion, and wisdom will show us where our true strength lies. In tarot cards, Strength is often related to the astrological sign of Leo. Leo is ruled by the sun and late July thru August is certainly a time when the sun is at it's strongest, and it is also the time when many crops are becoming ready for harvest; a time to celebrate the growth we have seen through the year and benefit from our hard work and patience.


So, let this be a time for you to evaluate your inner strengths, celebrate your victories; no matter how big or small. Take a moment to examine these two tarot cards by Kay Steventon and their meanings. How can you apply these lessons or meanings to your life right now?



Celestial Tarot by Kay Steventon & Brian Clark

Leo, the Lion-Hearted Heroine
"King of the beasts is a common epithet for the Lion, the zodiacal totem representing Leo. Traditionally Strength depicts young woman taming a lion, contrasting the brute force of the lion's body with the purity of the virginal spirit - the combination of Leo and Virgo . Atlanta, the huntress and personification of feminine strength, represents the virginal taming of the lion in Greek myth. Teth, the Hebrew letter associated with this card, means snake. It's head is lifted suggesting the kundalini has risen and Atlanta faces it's instinctual force. From a psychological perspective this suggests that willpower can channel the instincts in service of the self. On a divinatory level this card implies the individual is experiencing an initiation into their own strength by finding the will and courage to accept difficult and dark feelings."

The Spiral Tarot by Kay Steventon

"Ishtar subdues her lion nature. She loves her wild animal side, but does not want her instincts to gain dominance over her connection to the divine. Divinatory meaning: Strength to overcome those parts of the self which are no longer needed; able to overcome difficult situations with gentleness and love, not force."





In most decks the person conquering the beast is not using any weapon or brute force, but seems to have somehow otherwise subdued the beast. Through life, we are often called upon to conquer our own inner beasts, and no sword or muscle will help us in these battles. We must either learn to apply our willpower, courage, and compassion in these circumstances; or succumb to the beast and be consumed by it. Many people, out of fear or personal disillusionment, give themselves over to their base instincts and desires; this is okay, but we must learn that there is a time and place for our "animal within" to lead the way, but that there is also a time when we must take charge and use reason, compassion, love, or logic rather than simply follow these often selfish or fear based urges. In all the cards I have seen, the beast is not slain or killed, and I think this is important as well. Because while our base instincts and urges might sometimes lead us astray, they are not bad or evil. They are there for a reason and sometimes we must follow these instincts! The beast is there to be tamed, not killed! Denying our true inner desires is certainly no way to live, but we must find the balance and strength to not let these desires run our lives.... a balance is necessary in all things in life.



Journal about your Inner Strength. What strengths can you celebrate? What Inner Beast have you conquered? Or what Inner Beast are you currently battling? Have you been ignoring any instincts that you may need to listen to? If you need help or guidance for your journal, try these questions* to get your words flowing;

• How strong is your love?


• How are you being called upon to show courage and perseverance?


• What do you desire to create?


• What inner passions need to be expressed and reconciled?


• What is the "natural" or instinctive thing to do?

* questions from "Tarot For Yourself" by Mary K. Greer. I claim no rights or ownership of these questions.

The following questions are from www.TarotTeachings.com and are designed to help you examine the Strength card in depth and on a personal level;

How do you define strength?
In what way do your physical urges motivate you?
How can you approach the "need to feed" syndrome?
How do you exhibit self-love and compassion towards yourself?
What are your internal battles and how can you reach a balance?
What area in your life requires you to have the most strength and what different kinds of strength can you apply here?

**For more insights into the meanings of the tarot card Strength, check this website; http://www.learntarot.com/maj08.htm Learning The Tarot by Joan Bunning

Good Luck and Happy Journaling!If you post your journaling results on your blog or website, please remember to link back to this site! Leave a comment with a link to your blog or website!! Thank you & Namaste

New Moon Meditation & Journaling with the High Priestess

While the Full Moon is a time of illumination, goal-setting, seed planting, wish making, and a time to begin taking steps and actions towards our goals or harvesting the benefits of our work, the New Moon is a time to look within, rest, and meditate. Now is the a good time for self-evaluation without judgement, to lovingly set ourselves back on track, nurture our inner-selves, and count our blessings. This journal includes three parts. You can choose one, two, or all three. You can do them all in one journal entry or as three separate journaling entries, it's up to you!

Journal Part 1;

This New Moon (July 21) the Moon is in the astrological sign of Cancer, along with the Sun. Cancer is ruled by the Moon, making this an ideal time to look within at our own lunar selves.

Key characteristics of the Moon include the following traits; Being Instinctive, our Automatic Responses, Our Unconscious side, Being Feeling-oriented, Mothering or Nurturing, Being dependent or needy, Being Changeable or Flexible - or being too stubborn and fundamental, or being Moody or Reactive.

Take a moment to think about these aspects within yourself. Are any of them too strong or too weak? Have you let your emotions or instincts rule your life? Are you allowing yourself to be nurturing and mothering? Are you burying or denying your emotions or not following your instincts? Allow yourself to write about these traits in yourself without judgment from yourself and without fear of judgment from others.

Journal Part 2;
Check out this excellent Meditation by astrologer Rebecca Brents. Take some quiet time to visualize as suggested. The second part of the meditation tells you to write down what you heard, felt, saw, or learned from your meditation. Don't censor or edit your words, just write down what you remember of your experience.

Journal Part 3;*
With Tarot cards, the Moon is related to the card pictured above; The High Priestess**. Take a moment to study the image. What does this card make you feel? What do you think the symbols and images on the card mean? You don't have to be a Tarot reader to do this, just let your subconscious do the work. There are now wrong answers for this exercise, because this Journal is about YOU!! Here are some questions to ask yourself. Journal the answers as honestly as you can!!

1. What rhythms or cycles do you need to be aware of?


2. What knowledge are you seeking?


3. What do you need to remember or "discover"?


4. What are you concealing? Is it appropriate to do so?


5. How can you best use your intuitive, psychic, or dream abilities at this time?


6. Who is seeking your counsel, or whose are you seeking?

* Part 3 Journaling questions are from the book, "Tarot For Yourself" by Mary K. Greer; I claim no rights or ownership of these questions.
**For more insights into the meanings of the tarot card The High Priestess, check this website; http://www.learntarot.com/maj02.htm Learning The Tarot by Joan Bunning

Good Luck and Happy Journaling!
If you post your journaling results on your blog or website, please remember to link back to this site! Leave a comment with a link to your blog or website!! Thank you & Namaste!

About This Website

Namaste!

Self Awareness and Acceptance are the first true steps to living a balanced and happy life. This Blog will offer weekly journaling excersizes for you to use as a tool on your journey of self-discovery.

Some will be questions, some will be creative writing excersizes. Just remember to let yourself go; be honest and don't judge yourself for what you write. As you let your thoughts flow into words, you are becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings and thus more able to either embrace them or change them!

You can join in on whatever current Journaling Suggestion I have posted at the time, or you can search the Archives or Labels to find a certain topic that you may want to journal about!

Good Luck, and Happy Journaling!

If you choose to post your journal answers publicly on your Blog or Website, feel free to comment to each Journal post that you use and include a link to your website. Who knows, this may be the next big meme or weekly theme in the blog world!