Bi-Weekly Tarot Reading:  9-21-14 through 10-4-14

 AND

 

Blog #26:  Why Whales Are Special

  

LEGACY OF THE DIVINE TAROT

 

 

3 OF COINS:  Find something you enjoy doing and put all of your effort into it. This will bring a sense of peace and satisfaction, because you will be immersed in an activity that makes you feel as if time has stood still. When we do something that is fulfilling, it is a sign that we have found a part of our divine purpose.

 

THE CHARIOT: You will be moving forward, traveling at a pace that allows you to just relax and go with the flow. If there are competing forces that require more effort, realize that you are on your path and this is part of the learning process.

 

THE STAR: The next two weeks will be a time of hope and inspiration. You will be infused with a sense of purpose, and this will bring optimism and joy. Trust your intuition during this time, and follow what your inner compass is telling you.

 

BI-WEEKLY THEME:  During the upcoming weeks it will be helpful if you can find something--a hobby, a fun activity, or just being outdoors--that will bring you a sense of fulfillment and contentment. Being in this frame of mind will help you move forward and get things accomplished. You will be traveling, whether figuratively or actually. This is also a time of inspiration, so take to heart whatever ideas or innovative thoughts come to you. Allow your intuition to move you in the right direction, and you will feel a sense of contentment.

 

Blog #26—Why Whales Are Special

Retrieved from: vhm-alex.deviantart.com

Physical Aspects

Whales are the largest mammals on earth and some of the most intelligent.  They are part of the cetacean species, which includes dolphins and porpoises.  New insights into whale intelligence have allowed us to understand some amazing and important facts about these special marine beings:

Ø  Whales have a complex and advanced social structure.  Some are known to spend the majority of their lives together in the same pod.  They hunt together and protect one another from harm.

Ø  They display a high level of intelligence.  For example, “The detection of spindle cells found in several species of whale. . .indicate the possibility of high intelligence.  Previously these cells were only found in humans, elephants and apes which are all considered highly intelligent animals.” (http://www.whalefacts.org/are-whales-intelligent/)  They also show a self-recognition, a characteristic found only in a few animal species.

Ø  Whales have an advanced communication system.  Whales communicate with one another either through echolocation (sounds that are reflected from and echoed back from objects) or through production of a series of sounds called songs. (http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/cetaceans/whale-dolphins-sound).  So their sounds play a crucial role in hunting and navigating. They can also connect and coordinate their actions with other whales over thousands of miles of ocean.

Ø  Whales help maintain balance in the ecosystem by ensuring that other species (such as krill) do not overpopulate and destroy the delicate equilibrium.

Ø  Whale excrement even helps maintain a cleaner and healthier atmosphere because it contains a nutrient that helps stimulate the growth of phytoplankton (organisms that remove carbon from the air).

Ø  Whale watching has become more popular as people realize a special connection with whales, fueling a desire to see them in their natural habitats. This has had a positive economic effect for some countries.

Spiritual Aspects

Whales are special also because they seem to have a spiritual quality for many people.  One author who was able to get a close-up underwater view of a humpback mother and her baby said,  “It was almost impossible to describe the pure, raw joy, the other-worldliness of being eye to eye with a 50-foot mother whale and her baby in their water home.  The trust and love emanating from them was palpable.” (https://www.animalsinourhearts.com/whales/swim-with-whales/emotional-spiritual-aspects.html)

As a spirit animal or totem, the whale teaches us about paying attention to our inner voice, understanding the impact emotions play in our lives, and following our own truth.

Other meanings associated with whales are:

Ø  Physical and emotional healing and rebirth

Ø  Importance of family and community

Ø  Communication—effectively expressing emotional experiences

Ø  Importance of balance

Ø  Deeper awareness

Ø  Creative imagination

Sources

http://www.whalefacts.org/are-whales-intelligent/

http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/cetaceans/whale-dolphins-sound

https://www.animalsinourhearts.com/whales/swim-with-whales/emotional-spiritual-aspects.html)

http://www.whalefacts.org/why-are-whales-important/

http://whalingecosystems.weebly.com/ecosystem.html

http://spirit-animals.com/whale/

http://www.spiritanimal.info/whale-spirit-animal/

 

 

Bi-Weekly Tarot Reading:  9-7-14 through 9-20-14

 

AND

 

Blog #25:  Do Affirmations Work?

  

LEGACY OF THE DIVINE TAROT

 

6 OF WANDS: You will see success in the next two weeks for goals or projects that you have been working on. It is important to keep moving forward--don't rest on your laurels because you need to keep the momentum going. Congratulate yourself for how far you have come.

9 OF COINS: You are feeling satisfied and in control.  Your self-confidence will allow you to continue accomplishing what you set out to do. Your sense of self-discipline will be admired by others, and you are setting a good example for them. Enjoy this time of well-being.

6 OF SWORDS: If you have been wondering about making a change or doing something different, now is the time to move ahead and move on. Change is difficult, but once we are honest with ourselves we know that it is better to just go with the flow rather than resisting it. There are indeed better times ahead, so go into the future with hope and confidence.

BI-WEEKLY THEME: A time of achievement and accomplishment is headed your way, so take time to enjoy the results of your hard work. You have a lot to be proud of, so continue your journey, knowing that you are on the right track.  You are in a beautiful space where you are feeling at home in your own skin and own environment. Allow yourself to revel in the sensations of joy and satisfaction. Be ready to make changes even though they may be difficult, knowing that there are smoother waters ahead. You are self-confident and in control.

 

Blog #25--Do Affirmations Work?

Retrieved from www.fesflowers.com

We have been told many times and have read that positive affirmations are great for changing things for the better in our lives.  We just need to repeat the affirmation to ourselves several times a day, perhaps post sticky notes all around to remind us to think these positive thoughts.

Affirmations are good, because they help us get out of negative thought patterns and reprogram our thinking in a positive direction.

But some people wonder if affirmations really work. Perhaps you have tried many yourself.  For example, if you are trying to lose weight, you have heard that repeating “I have a healthy body at the ideal weight for me” will help you get rid of those extra pounds.  In addition, perhaps you have changed  your eating habits somewhat and even started exercising.  But for some reason you have not lost any weight. So what is going on here?

Some authors have explained what the problem is with just saying affirmations and waiting for results. Sophie Henshaw states:

“The reason positive affirmations don’t work is that they target the conscious level of your mind, but not the unconscious.  If what you are trying to affirm is incongruent with a deeply held negative belief, then all that results is an inner struggle.” (http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/03/20/why-positive-affirmations-dont-work/

So, if you say to yourself the above  affirmation about losing weight, but nothing happens, it is possible that deep inside you think “This will never work. I have always been heavy.”  You don’t say this consciously, but that is your inner belief that is sabotaging your efforts to get slimmer.

According to Henshaw, one way around this is to put your affirmations into questions rather than statements. Questions are powerful because they look for answers.  This technique works because you are acknowledging the negative thoughts, which reduces the need to fight them.

So, instead of saying “I am at my ideal weight” you can change it to “Am I at my ideal weight? At one point in my life I felt better physically. What if I were to act as if from this day forward I will take one step to get to my ideal weight, such as reducing the amount of sugar I eat? What if I look at all labels and choose foods that have less sugar?”

By taking this approach, you are opening up possibilities for you to explore rather than simply making one declarative statement.

If you don’t want to do the above, another method you can use is to start really believing that affirmations work.  This is easier said than done, so another author gives a quick way to help with this:

1. Remove the negative affirmation from your vocabulary.
2. Replace with nothing at first. Get used to saying nothing at all.
3. Replace with the opposite, the positive affirmation.
4. Repeat the process. Once or twice is not enough.

He goes on to say:

“Here’s the thing. If you go into affirmations “expecting” them to work, if you are there to “see proof” first before you believe, you will not only be disappointed, you will be sick of hearing your voice repeating what will sound like nonsense to your brain. But if you believe first without proof, which is another way of saying if you have faith, complete faith in the power of positive affirmations and in the magic of believing first what you want to manifest, you will surpass your own highest expectations of yourself. That’s the shift.” ( http://www.prolificliving.com/do-positive-affirmations-work/)

Another author states that a benefit of repeating a positive affirmation is that we start noticing ways to achieve our goals.  With our weight loss example, you may come across ideas that you think will work for you, or a friend suggests that you try out her gym because there is a special deal going on.  Whatever it is, you become open to seeing possible ways to achieve your goal that perhaps you didn’t notice before.

This same author says that if we feel an incongruence between our positive affirmation and what we see as the truth, we need to get rid of this tension by either not saying the affirmation anymore, or by making the affirmation and reality match. Three suggestions given for doing this are:

1.  Ask yourself what is your goal or intention? Or what quality, attitude, value, or characteristic do you want to develop in yourself?

2.  Add an emotion word to your statement, if it fits. For example, “I am joyfully at my ideal weight of ___.”

3.  Use only positive words in your affirmation: Say “I am healthy and fit” rather than “I am no longer overweight.” (http://spiritualityhealth.com/blog/eve-hogan/affirmations-why-they-work-how-use-them)

It is important to attach an action to the affirmation, so ask yourself what can you do to achieve your ideal weight? What would it feel like and be like when you are at your ideal weight?  These questions help shift the mind’s attention away from possible blocks and focus on what you can actively do to meet your goal.

And finally, it is important to not let your mind or “inner critic” sabotage the process.  Positive affirmations alone do not result in change when our mind labels them as lies. To get around this, write and state your affirmations with total honesty.  Here are some examples:

“I am frustrated by my eating habits, but I am learning how to treat myself with the respect I deserve. I am learning to do better.”  Or “I am sad about the fact that I’m still single, but I am learning how to relate with men in a more open, brave, and vulnerable way.  I am learning to do better.” (http://tinybuddha.com/blog/why-positive-affirmations-dont-always-work-and-what-does/)

Summary

To make affirmations work for you, try one or more of the following:

Ø  Change an “I am_____” affirmation into a question: “Am I_______?” and then answer the question by drawing on experiences where you were even a little bit successful.

Ø  Or turn “I am at my ideal weight” into questions such as “Why is it important that I be at my ideal weight?” or “What do I need to do to reach my ideal weight?” or “What would it feel like if I were at my ideal weight?”

Ø  Truly, totally believe that you have the power to make the affirmation true, even before you have proof. Remove a negative affirmation, replace with nothing first, and then state a positive affirmation.

Ø  Set a goal or intention that is specific, then combine the affirmation with actions—even small ones—that will get you on your way.  Adding an emotion or feeling to the intention makes it even more powerful.

Ø  Make your affirmations truths that are honest assessments about where you are now, what you are learning, and what you can become.

Sources

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/03/20/why-positive-affirmations-dont-work/

http://www.prolificliving.com/do-positive-affirmations-work/

http://spiritualityhealth.com/blog/eve-hogan/affirmations-why-they-work-how-use-them

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Latiff1.html

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/why-positive-affirmations-dont-always-work-and-what-does/