Soul Navigations

DIRECTION - Soul Navigation Card for the Week



Direction moves us towards our intentions, goals or life vision, providing a sense of purpose and meaning in our life, or in our day-to-day activities.  A sense of direction guides our choices, movement, and the paths we take, moving us forward towards our goal, and unfolding Self.

Sometimes our direction is clear and focused, choices are obvious and there is a sense of progression towards our goals.  At other times our direction may seem unclear, guided by a sense of what we do not want, what feels good in the moment, or an inner knowing of what is congruent with our soul – or deeper sense of self.

When you get this card it may be time to review your direction.  Perhaps you are needing to concentrate your energies on what you are wanting to achieve, or become more aligned with your goals, or life vision. Recalling our direction reaffirms meaning and purpose in our activities and can reinvigorate our motivation.

Do you need to clarify your direction?  Are you moving aimlessly?  How is your direction in line with your life vision, or soul? Is your direction and vision in conflict?  Are the choices you make directing you towards your goals?  Do you feel that you know what you want but not how to get there?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.    If you would like to view or purchase the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

 

 

WISDOM - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

When we act from the deep center of our heart, we are connected to internal guidance that is rooted in both timelessness and expansiveness.

Wisdom is discernment through deep listening and balancing experience, understanding, insight.  It is using the heart as the lens to see through. 

Seeing through the eyes of the heart means listening with feeling, compassion and connectedness to our humanity.  Feeling is distinguished here from emotionality, sentimentalism, and reactivity, and is defined, in this case, as our present moment response to what is. 

We often associate wisdom with age, and associate sages with great wisdom that comes with years of experience.  Although this is true, we can also cultivate wisdom of the heart in a way that is not only dependent on experience, but rather orientation to life.

The image of this card reflects my visual representation of wisdom.  The key element repeated in the mandala is a heart with wings and in its center, an eye.  The mandala symbolizes moving center and also reflects our interconnectedness. 

When do you need to see through the eyes of your heart?  What is the lens you have been looking through?  What would change if you shifted your focus to the “mind of the heart”?  In what ways are you living your life through the eyes of the heart?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

If you would like to purchase, or view the full deck please visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

EARTH - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

Earth is the substance of life itself - the rocks, clay, sand and soil from which emerge the trees, plants, and all creatures.  Symbolically, it is the substance from which matter emerges into manifestation.  Some cosmologies see earth as the clay from which our physical bodies were formed. Mother earth, Gaia, and Demeter are all associated with archetypes of the Earth Mother.

Earth holds the qualities of nurturing, strength, steadfastness, and creativity in that it supports and nurtures growth.  It is connected to the physical dimension and the realm of the senses.  In our language we have sayings such as: “down to earth”, “earth mother”, and “earthy” that reflect our perceptions of a practical, level-headed and caring person.

When you pick the earth card reflect on the deeper meaning of earth for you in your life.  It may be time to tune into your body, to pay attention to your physical needs, to slow down, and perhaps become more grounded.   It may be time to “get your hands in the soil”, to practice patience and honor the growth of whatever you are nurturing.  Perhaps it is time to contemplate your connection with the web of life on this planet, become more aware of and honor all the ways this earth sustains us, and reflect on the spirit of true stewardship.

Are you needing to ground your energies?  How do you connect with the “groundedness” of your own being?  How do you feel when you spend time in nature? How to you listen to and honor your physical body?  How do you listen to and honor the needs of the biosphere of our planet earth?

 

© 2011, Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.  In this way I am using the spirit of the cards themselves.  If you would like to purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

 

MAGIC - Soul Navigation Card of the Week

Expect magic, entertain the mystical, and dance in wonder!

Magic engages us in the unexplained wonder and mystery in all of life.  It is the place where “coincidences” appear to be planned by some unexplained order and where synchronicities abound - if we have eyes to see. 

To the “magician”, it is the mastery of his or her craft that hides the mechanism of the constructed illusion.  Every move is orchestrated to enhance the illusion.  Being our own magician is to be aware of and be able to move within the flow of life’s mysteries, to know how we are creating the world around us, and to be open to the wonder and mystery of that which we do not always understand.

Sages over the millennia have tried to decipher the mysteries of this magical life.  Some say that one cannot understand this magic through the mind but rather through the eyes of the heart.  It is here where one can experience and appreciate wonder as through the eyes of a child.   Others say there is a “Master Plan” put in place by a greater power, named as God, Allah, Great Spirit, Source, Great Creator;and some say we are all together part of this Source.

When our lives become magical, we are not living in the illusory tricks of a magician’s sleight of hand, but have touched the numinous and the mysterious in our own magical selves.  We have tapped into the place where we are connected to all of creation/life, and our eyes are open to the mystery and magic around us.  Expect magic, entertain the mystical and dance in wonder.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself where are you being your magical self? Are you connected to your point of mystery and wonder?  What would it take for you to live all aspects of your life with magic?  Remember this place from where magic stems, you are that.

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

HOPE - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel, the belief that “this too shall pass”.  Its slightest glimmer can take us out of deepest despair and lead us to our sweetest joys.  When we are hopeful, the resulting emotion creates an energy shift wherein our positive expectations are able to arise and move beyond doubt and negativity. When we are hopeful, the emotional constriction that doubt, fear, and despair bring is softened and we are able to move to a place of new possibilities.

While hope is the expectation of positive possibilities, it does not have to be directed towards any one thing in particular. The experience of being hopeful, in and of itself, can open us up to a range of new, and alternative possibilities. Expectations that constrict us  clamp down our very life force, whereas hope allows our hearts to open to opportunities of something better.  The expectation of something better and beyond where we are now invites us to entertain and imagine all we can be.    Though hope may seemingly take us beyond the moment, when experienced “in the moment” it allows the heart to open up and expect greater things.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself where in your life you need hope. Is there anything happening around you that is contributing to worries?  Are you hopeful of certain outcomes?  How can you regain and allow your sense of hope to guide your process?  What would it be like for things to turn out better than you ever hoped for? What would have to happen for hope to move you toward positive possibilities?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.   If you would like to view the full deck or place an order visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

OBSTACLES: Soul Navigation Card for the Week

Definition:  a person or thing that opposes, hinders, or holds up progress; something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted.

 When you pull this card there mBay be something blocking your desired goals, destination or achievements.  Obstacles are an impediment of your natural progression, and as with most things, obstacles may originate from within, without, or from an interplay of the two. 

Externally, obstacles can originate from a multitude of things: weather, traffic, mail delivery problems, unexpected delays, etc.  Internally, obstacles may be attitudes, outdated belief systems, or ineffective approaches towards your goal that may be blocking you.

Obstacles may become stronger through our resistance to them.  It is thus helpful to explore the nature of the obstacles we are encountering. Though obstacles may be frustrating at their onset, they may have a beneficial value in the long term.  For example, a delay may cause us to revise plans in a way that ultimately brings improvement; the obstacles can make us stronger, and more appreciative of what we have gained.  Obstacles may often lead to opportunity, lessons or benefits.  Sometimes they are felt as large insurmountable boulders on our path.  At other times, they are like fog, easily burned through by the light of the sun. 

What is the purpose of any obstacles you may be facing?  What are you learning through these obstacles? What happens when you accept the nature of the obstacle?  Is your will in alignment with your spirit?  Are there inner obstacles, beliefs, or other hindrances that are obstructing you?

 © 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.  If you would like to order or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

 

Responsibility: Soul Navigation Card for the Week

Responsibility is the ability to respond and be accountable.  It may be felt as a subtle awareness on some level, that accompanies and guides a response.  Ones ability to respond is influenced in turn by ones awareness.  The extent of ones sense of accountability ranges from ones self, social sphere, family friends, work, etc

Biologically, we are guided by instinctual impulses, which can oftentimes direct our propensity to respond such as, a mother’s impulse to nurture her newborn child.  Psycho-socially, some factors that guide our accountability are commitment and valued end. If there has been a commitment made to oneself, another, a job, or a business there is an agreement made towards a valued end that directs and guides our actions.  The valued end becomes an ethical guide that directs ones choices – personal, social, or public agreements.  Each person discerns their “valued end” according to their own mores and perspectives.

There are responsibilities that we take on from experiences in early childhood, and some say there are responsibilities taken on at a soul level that can span life times.  Whether you believe in the eternality of the soul, or soul as an expression of unconscious feelings, there are tacit “agreements” that guide our sense of responsibility and the ways we engage with the world.

Some people feel great responsibility not only to themselves, but also the lives of others, and more globally the earth and its inhabitants.  Some take on responsibilities that are not theirs to bear at an early age, and continue to do so into adulthood.  Others feel that responsibility is a dirty word and react, or even rebel against the sense of constriction and heaviness it gives them, and still others are unable to accept any responsibility for the effects of their actions.

Responsibility can be so convoluted and involved that professions have been built around deciphering the intricacies of this emotion.  Religious and legal systems speak of ways that we are held accountable for our actions according to the beliefs of their system and rules.  Ultimately we are responsible for our true self, our actions, feelings, and our choices.  Some say that we are responsible not simply for ourselves, but the contribution we bring to the whole. 

If you have pulled this card, you may want to explore your personal call to responsibility.  Ask yourself where does your responsibility begin and end?    What is your contribution to your life, to those of others?  Have you been shirking some responsibility or avoiding your awareness?  Perhaps you need to reevaluate your responsibility in some matters.  Are you carrying the burden of responsibilities that are not yours?  Is there something you are aware of that needs a response?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

PATIENCE - Soul Navigation Card for the week

Whenever I get this card, I sometimes notice a twinge of irritation arising in me that usually means I need to stop pushing, slow down and allow myself and/or others to move through their process of unfolding.  In short, I need more patience.

Sometimes we have a lot of patience in certain areas of our life and not in others.  Some people may have copious amounts of patience teaching complicated material, or caring for the young, and yet none while driving.  Often we have the least amount of patience for ourselves.

Regardless of our level of patience, there are usually situations or places where we can apply more patience.  I have never heard anyone ever say, “That person has too much patience.” Patience is not a resignation to the endurance of pain or discomfort.  Patience is the belief or expectation that everything will eventually work out and change for the better, that “this too shall pass.”

When this card shows up, you may want to ask yourself where you need more patience for yourself, others or in the world around you.   Where do you have the most patience?  Where do you have the least?  Imagine what it would feel like to extend patience to yourself. 

May the peace of patience be with you.

© Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Every week I shuffle and draw a Soul Navigation Card to represent the week ahead. If you are enjoying them and wish to order a deck go to http:www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

 

YES!! - Soul Navigation Card of The Week

When we say “YES!” wholeheartedly, every part of our being opens up, and we accept and affirm that which we are saying yes to.  At that moment, there may be a sense of expansion in spirit and soul. If we could see our body’s response when we are experiencing a congruent and enthusiastic “YES!”, I imagine we would see our very pores and cells open up to receive!  When we fully engage, affirming what is happening in the moment, we enter a state of allowance and are able to overcome resistance. 

Often, however, we have been trained to say yes when it is not congruent with our being at a particular time, or in general.  We say yes for multiple reasons: out of obligation, social conformity, so that we don’t hurt another’s feelings, or perhaps to make ourselves feel better.  Worse yet, we may even be forced to say yes through manipulation or other abuses of power; this can create challenges not only in trusting others, but also in experiencing our own “felt sense” of yes.  It is important when we say yes that “all parts” of us are in accord, otherwise we move out of integrity and out of our own deep listening.  When one’s “yes” is half-hearted and not fully engaged, it does not bode well for what one is saying yes to.

Scan your awareness through all the levels of your being, without thinking but rather through sensing and careful noticing.  Do your body, mind, spirit and soul all feel consensual? Feel the difference when you embrace your experience with a “YES!”.  With yes your openness and willingness to embrace what is in the moment and in your life expands all possibilities.  Explore saying yes over and over again to the moment, to all that is happening around you, and to your very being.  Notice how you open up to the world in a huge, positive embrace.

If you have drawn this card, you may be embracing your life, or something in your life with enthusiasm and positivity.  You may be exactly where you need to be at this moment! All systems are go! What are you saying yes to?  Do you say yes when you mean no?  What would it look like to say yes to every moment?  How do you know when your whole being says yes?

 

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would like to purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

PEACE - Soul Navigation Card of the Week

Peace is often described as the absence of war, strife, conflict, or struggles of any kind in our internal or external world.  We all long for peace – a state of ease and harmony – and wish it for others as well: in their homes, their countries and in their hearts. Inner peace is felt as calm, harmony, and a sense of ease deep within our being.  When one is at peace with the present moment, nothing needs to be added to or taken away.

Peace in the world begins within each individual. When we let go of our internal conflicts over what is right and wrong, what is best or worst within ourselves or others, and when we drop the constant comparing, competing and judging of the mind, we silence the mental chatter and can drop into the depths of our hearts.  By breathing deeply from the heart we may able to let go of the mind’s story and move into the moment where peace resides.

Peace is not something we can wait for our leaders – be they political or spiritual – or anyone else to find for us. Peace is arrived at and created by dropping attachments to our “perceived reality”.  Forgiveness, awareness, and kindness further expand the peace that already dwells within us.  Peace is always with us – like a still-point of a spinning top – even when you feel that it is light-years away.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself where your peace is.  When do you feel the most peaceful?  How do you come back to peacefulness?  What would have to happen for you to create more peace in your life?  Perhaps this card is a confirmation of the peace that you are currently experiencing or that is coming to you. 

 

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. In this way I am using the spirit of the cards themselves.  If you would like to purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products

COURAGE - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

When we have courage, we have strength of heart that enables us to continue on despite our fears - real or imagined.  It does not mean we move forth senselessly or mindlessly, but that we simply do not let the fears of the mind, override the spirit in the heart.  The etymology of the word courage comes from the Latin word “cor” meaning heart.  Following the truth of the heart is often a brave act, though some may feel it is all we can do. 

Our heroes throughout history and in myth, acted from what they believed in at their innermost core, despite fears or how the odds may have been stacked against them.  Their valor derived from listening and acting according to their innermost integrity.   

When fear dominates, move into your core, into your heart, and strength of conviction, and let this hold you up.  Embrace your fear and sooth it as a gentle, caring parent would a small child.  Every step out of fear and into the heart is a hero’s journey of self. 

Perhaps it is time to remember the strength of your inner convictions and let them guide your next steps, or your next thoughts.  Be gentle with yourself and remember who you are.  Move forward, despite fear.  Garner strength from the heroes you admire, well-known heroes and everyday ones.  

Where do you need to bring more courage into your life?  How will courage change your current situation?  What are times you have acted  despite fear? 

 

© Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

If you would like to purchase, or view the full deck please visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

 

PLAY - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

Play is an activity we often associate with children.  More often than not our culture has a negative attitude towards “child’s play”.  It is seen as trivial, extraneous, unnecessary, and, very often, as a waste of time.  There is, however, much we can learn about how to be in the world from the play of a child.

When children play they bring all that they are into the moment.  They are interactive with the environment in a way that is fully engaged, with a fluid interplay between their inner world of imagination and the world around them.  When engaged in such a way, they are also learning, processing, and exploring their world.  There is a dynamic interplay with the inner and outer world that can be creative, restorative, and healing in a myriad of ways.

When we play, we are able to let go and move fluidly with life, and see the world and all our experience through the eyes of a child again – a child supported and loved and without worries, and all life is playful engagement in any given moment.

Play is the art of just being, innocent, open, present, and in the moment.  You cannot play without being in the moment at least to some degree.  When we are whole-heartedly present we lose ourselves in joy and a level of being where time disappears, where there is a sense of oneness with all things, and where distinctions of inner and outer become meaningless. In this moment, play is a restorative nectar for the soul.

When you pull this card, it may be time to ask yourself if you are having fun?  Are you taking time to simply be and enjoy what is in your life?  Has your life become too serious?  Perhaps you need to engage in your life as through the playful and innocent eyes of a child.  Notice when you feel playful, and how you can engage in this energy more often.  What constitutes play for you?  When do you engage in play?  Perhaps it is time to get in touch with your playful child nature.

 

© 2012 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

DARK - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

Dark is a place we all need to dive deeply into once in a while to find our luminescence deep within. Dark is quiet and empty and without pulse.  Its gripping silence and emptiness can be frightening.   In this silence we may hear our thoughts whirling, and feel the grip of strong old pain, or perhaps old beliefs, habits, or ways of thinking hampering our ability to feel joy or our inner peace.  When we dive in, if we hold our breath and struggle, we may be resisting and fighting against ourselves and the very essence of our being.

When we encounter the dark card it may be telling us that it is a time to turn inward and look deeply through the darkness to find the light and strength from within. 

It may come at a time when you are moving through some deep or painful issues in your life where you encounter your shadow or another’s shadow side that may be moving you off your center. 

When in this phase, it is important to remember that out of the dark seasons of our lives much growth and light can come. Though the dark is the absence of light, you are never completely in the dark as there are always tiny specks of light. 

How do you move through the dark phases of your life?  When you are in a negative cycle are you overpowered by your negative habits or addictions of various sorts to get you through? Do you run, hide, fight, or accept where you are?  Where is your shadow casting itself?  Are you being affected by someone else’s dark cycle?

 

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

Responsibility: Soul Navigation Card for the Week

Responsibility is the ability to respond and be accountable.  It is felt as a subtle awareness that accompanies a response to something and guides our actions.  Our sense of responsibility varies with our social, cultural, and psychological makeup.

 

With responsibility as the card for the week, you may want to explore your sense of responsibility in different situations.  What are your highest responsibilities for this week?  Are there things you are responsible for that you shirking?  Are you taking on too many responsibilities?  How are you being responsible to your body, and to your soul?  What responsibilities can you let go of that are not yours?  What responsibilities can you tend to that will lighten your load?

 

Near the beginning of the week (Tuesday) we have a new Moon in Pisces with both the Sun and Moon conjunct Neptune and Mercury.  This is a good time to delve deeply into the spirit and soul of your nature, and to begin new projects of a more lofty nature.  Neptune has not been in its own sign for 160 years.  This is an auspicious time to bring the heart and sould to the mind, and to embrace more fully responsibility for our soul. 

 

May we know the expansiveness of our true nature.

 

If you would like to see the extended description for Responsibility see the Soul Navigations posts for the month of November 2011. To view all the cards visit  www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

 

OPENING - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

With OPENING as the card for the week, it may be important to keep an open mind as you explore the multitude of possibilities. You may notice opportunities, alternative solutions, or shifts where things were previously blocked. What happens when you are open to the moment without judgment of right or wrong?  When we are open it allows for flexibility and change.

This week’s planetary dance may bring intense emotions as Venus squares Pluto, Mercury enters Pisces to conjunct Neptune, followed by the Sun at the end of the week.  What would it be like to be open to the ebb and flow of intense emotions with peace and ease?  What openings might arise?

Wishing you a wonderful week with many gifts of spirit.

 

Here is an except form the Soul Navigation Card descriptions:

When we experience an opening in our life it is as if a door has opened up and an opportunity presents itself that was not there previously.  Sometimes these openings come into our lives when we are not even looking or aware that we need a change; but suddenly we experience a relief, a shift, or a release.  This shift takes us out of our normal routine and our usual way of seeing, and prompts us to take notice.  It can be as dramatic as the sun peeking through the clouds on an overcast day, or perhaps more subtle as a gentle shift of feelings through music. 

Openings may be experienced as a new perspective, interest, or even making a connection with someone that proves later to be an important one.  In order to experience it, it is important to remain open to possibility, not be so quick to judge circumstances; to don an attitude of observation, and allow new information to come to light.

 © Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

http://www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.html

Beginnings - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

With “Beginnings” as a card for the week you may want to pay attention to any newness in your life, be they habits, opportunities, or something you have thought of starting for a long time, but have finally found the time.  Be patient with yourself as you begin new endeavors, remember there is always a learning curve.  Approaching the world with a beginners mind may allow you to see what is new and invigorating, and approach things with curiosity and openness.   The full moon in Leo this week may spark a new creative project.  Be patient with the execution phase, with Mars retrograde in detailed Virgo, it may take longer than expected. 

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Last week marked the completion of writing about each one of the 70 Soul Navigation Cards.  It is fitting that the "Beginnings" card start the new cycle of exploring the cards, not simply because I am starting a new cycle, but because I am exploring new ways of presenting and using the cards.  Stay tuned!!

The original post for this card was 9/04/11.  If you would like to view it, it is at this location  http://www.soulnavigations.com/soul-navigations/2011/09/index.html.  I have included it below for your convenience.

 

For those of you who have purchased a deck, I will soon have a PDF of the card descriptions available.  If you would like me to email you one, please contact me at leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Have a wonderful week.!!

 

Whether a new phase of something or a completely new start, new beginnings can be exciting and invigorating. One often feels promise, hope and a freshness of new ideas.  The incubation period is done, roots are taking hold, and one can see, feel and taste the exhilaration of something new!

Even though new beginnings can be filled with excitement of new possibilities, there can also be fragility in this early phase. When something is in its beginning phase it may be vulnerable and need nurturing and tender loving care.  It may be important to nurture your new beginnings by softening your expectations, and allowing more time and attention to that which is taking birth. Keeping it protected from harsh criticism or defeating points of view – yours or others – may be helpful.

 If you have drawn this card you may have recently started a new endeavor, experienced a new way of being, or have embraced new perspectives.  It may feel like a fresh start or, perhaps, something has been cleared or let go of, allowing a new phase to begin.

You may want to ask yourself if there is something new entering your awareness?  Are you starting a new endeavor, or entering a new phase of a project, a new friendship?  Are you psychologically beginning some internal changes?  Do you have a new bounce in your step?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards are now available for purchase!  Should you wish to order a deck, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: CONTEMPLATION

Definition: deep consideration; reflection; thoughtful observation; meditation; mindfulness; introspection.

When we are in contemplation we slow down, turn inward, and reflect upon things very deeply.  In deep introspection, our “searchlight” reviews a myriad of past events, actions and choices, our life, or the meaning of life. We may turn our attention to specific issues of concern, but may also be able to observe our process in the moment – the rising and falling of thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Being ever mindful of the present begins to naturally create space between stimulus and response, action and non-action, doing and not doing. It is this pause and space that enables us greater freedom of choice. We may not always have to move into deep contemplation to apply skillful reflection; by being more present or mindful can enable true Self to engage more directly in our lives.

Contemplation is also known as a stage in the process of change where one reviews the advantages and disadvantages of change and explores how best to move forward in the future. It is a stage in the process of change that is necessary before we take action. If we linger too long in this phase it can sometimes feel as if we are stuck reviewing the past or a course of future action. This sometimes happens when one is rigidly attached to an outcome, has unprocessed regrets, or is bound by fear or past conditioning. 

The purpose of reflection is to review, revise, and come again to a situation in a different way. In this way we grow, evolve and move more into alignment with our authentic self. 

If you have pulled this card, there may be something you may want to reflect on or review at a deeper level. It may also be time to become more mindful of the present. Are you currently in the contemplation phase of change?  How does contemplation fit for you now? Can you take a more mindful position?  What are your favorite forms of contemplation?  Do you need to set aside regular times for contemplation?

 

© 2012 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: CLARITY

Definition: Free from obscurity; comprehensible and easy to understand; the state or quality of being clear; lucidity; unambiguousness; intelligible; exactness; light.

Clarity often refers to our experience of achieving sudden comprehension when previously things were unclear. The origins of the word come from Latin meaning clear, or bright.  Indeed, clarity can feel like having the sun come out from behind the clouds, or like a light illuminating what was once in darkness. When things become clear, related elements that were once obscured from view can also be seen.

A moment of clarity is often experienced as a sudden insight, a flash of understanding, or an “aha moment” when the light bulb turns on.  It may be a sudden understanding of a problem one has been working on, a truth that has been out of reach for some time, or perhaps some dynamic or pattern that becomes clear. The experience of achieving clarity can be a personal revelation or epiphany that send depth charges into our very being, sometimes illuminating a personal truth, or a grander vision of interconnectivity. 

The ways by which we arrive at clarity vary from person to person, and problem to problem. Journaling, talking it out, deep reflection, stopping the inner chatter, or seeking out someone who may be knowledgeable in your area of inquiry may all be ways of attaining greater clarity. Realizations often come in flashes, sometimes when we have stopped searching so hard and allow the wisdom of what we already know to come through. 

If you have pulled this card, you may be currently experiencing or seeking greater clarity in your life.  Perhaps something has recently been illuminated for you.  Are you having difficulty seeing what is going on?  Does it feel like you need more information about something?   What would have to happen for you to achieve greater clarity?  What would have to happen for you to acknowledge what you already know?

 

© 2012 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: FOUNDATION

 

Definition: the basis on which something is grounded; lowest support of a structure; an institution supported by an endowment; groundwork, substructure or understructure; education or instruction in the fundamentals of a field of knowledge; the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun, developed, calculated or explained. 

When we lay the groundwork for something in our lives we are establishing the foundation on which other things can be built. Strong foundations are like deep roots and are essential for anything that is lasting in our lives. They ground us to our origins and ancestry, and can provide the blueprints to help us navigate through any problems that may arise.

A solid foundation in early childhood provides the basic building blocks of our personality and character, shapes our interactions with the environment, and even the quality of our consciousness.  Repetitive problems or patterns that we may encounter may be rooted in our foundations and solutions may require that we address them at that level. 

It is important to put adequate time and energy into developing the fundamentals at the beginning of any undertaking.  Not doing so can predispose to future difficulties, which may not be reparable without serious restructuring and remodeling. Costly problems can arise when a house is built in a weak foundation and basics are not tended to.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself what is the nature of the foundation you are standing upon?  How deep does your foundation go?  How are you connected to your roots and how do your roots influence you now?  Are you in the process of laying the groundwork for something in your life? What are the important fundamentals to your growth, your essence?  Do you need to make some fundamental changes in your life?

 

© 2012 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

 

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: JUGGLING

Definition: To juggle objects; to deal with two or more things simultaneously;, the act of manipulating balancing things; balancing; to keep two or more objects in motion at one time.

In the most common use of the word, juggling is the ability to keep two or more objects moving in mid-air without dropping them.  The juggler learns this skill through dedicated practice and attention.  She or he typically starts with two rounded, easily held objects, gradually adding in more props of differing types and sizes, and then perhaps adding the variant of juggling with others.  It is a skill that involves great timing, rhythm, balance, and coordination. 

Juggling is used metaphorically to describe our increasingly divided activities in today’s busy world that we commonly describe as “multitasking”.  We juggle home life, work life, social life and personal life – engaging in many tasks all at once.  We move from role to role and try to balance our various responsibilities – focusing on one, then another, concurrently or serially – switching from task to task. 

As with mid-air juggling, multitasking requires similar skills: timing, rhythm, balance, coordination, and also great organization.  A good “multitasker” can accomplish much. However, taking on too much or too many life events can disrupt our rhythm and create demands that throw off our focus.  The downside of multitasking is that it leads to a scattering of our energies and intentions, and reduces the quality of our attention, work and or the ability to be present.

If you have pulled this card you may want to examine what you are currently juggling.  How many “balls” do you currently have in the air?  Are you succeeding at getting a multitude of tasks done, or do you have too much going on at once?   Is this a period of time that require lots of multitasking?  Do you need to move things around to make room for other things?  What would it take for you to be a masterful juggler?

 

©2012 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.