Echoside: Phoenix Rose

In a dream  I had the other night I owned a series of aquariums. There was this very interesting creature in one of the tanks. In the dream and upon waking I didn't know it was a Purple Long Tentacle Anemone. I didn't realize it was an actual thing that existed in this world, as it seemed so foreign, like it was from a sci-fi movie. I used Google's image search using whatever descriptions I could think of and finally found the closest thing to what was in my dream. I must state I do not have ownership of this image, the link to original is provided below. Photo credit: COPYRIGHT © uvhk In the dream I was psychically connected with this aquatic anemone. I could tell what it was thinking/feeling. I moved it through the different tanks because I was attempting to move all the aquariums. It ate a few of the smaller creatures. It was slightly aggressive, we had to be careful around it, and kept it separate until I decided to move it. Despite its temperament it was usually...

The other night I was on the phone talking about archangels with a close friend of mine. We discussed whether an archangel can be a spirit guide of sorts or whether they are too busy for our petty human lives. Many people call upon archangels, especially Michael. I have stated in a previous post that I was not always open to angels. These were not things I resonated with. As I've been growing, learning, and expanding I more and more see the value in working with these beings. Several times AA Gabriel and AA Michael has come to me. In several readings I have done for my friend whom I was on the phone with Gabriel has attended those readings, or showed up closely after. In an angel reading I received from an different friend Michael was drawn, then her intuition told her to draw another, which of course was Gabriel. Through a series of synchcronistic events I came into possession of an Archangel Gabriel oracle deck. I knew as I continued on my creative writing journey t...

Sex! Who doesn't like that topic, right? Sex in dreams can be common. It can be great and not so great in dreams. I mean, if we're dreaming of having sex with our favorite celebrity we don't even question it! It's great, it's awesome, and it's most likely a result of our subconscious processing the times we consciously look at them and feel attraction. However, sex in dreams isn't always so awesome. Sometimes we may be having sex with an ex, a friend, or stranger. If we are in a relationship in the waking world and we have sex dreams about someone other than our partner we may feel weird, or like a cheater. We may even feel violated or confused. Perhaps we enjoyed the dream and feel guilty for that. Maybe we even dreamt that our significant other had sex with someone other than us and we wake up mad at our partner. Who hasn't been there? Am I right? I know a few husbands - including my own - on the receiving end of that anger. Nine times out of ten a...

This was written by me a few weeks ago. Some of you who know me will have already heard/read this . However, being called to share these exact type of things.  Daily practice. Daily practice is sooo important. Whatever it is you want to be good at. Whoever the person is that you want to be. Practice it daily. Even if only for a few minutes of the day. Be open. Angels - not something that has resonated with me... now seems to be resonating. Being open to learning, to new things. Just because you know something, and have known something for 20, 30, 40 years... there is STILL something to be learned. There are always nuggets of truth and wisdom to be found in everyone's bullshit. Once you believe you're an expert, the energy goes stagnant. Be open to things you think you can't learn from. I am magical. I am powerful. Those moments where I feel like an absurd whack-a-doo have been some of the times that have proven to be my most accurate. Remember the times of accuracy...

A conversation happened recently where a good friend was asking about the concept of how tarot decks have to be given to you, that you shouldn't buy one for yourself. He threw out his deck based on this information he was told. While this old wives tale has a mysterious allure to it, almost a romanticism that somehow makes a deck more special, it is still just an old wives tale. There is an adage to "the deck must be given" and it's "or stolen." I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not becoming a thief to acquire a deck, not in today's day and age when they are so readily available! Our fore-mothers, the old wives that made up all these tales, I do not wish to discredit them. There are still nuggets of truths that are valid today, though some things just no longer hold truth, and we need to use discernment in the now-moment. I have been given decks that I absolutely adore. My first deck, Rider-Waite-Smith, was given to me. I did my best to...

For the past few weeks I've been focusing on tarot and dreamwork. This week and last I have taken a break from my weekly tarot and dream blog. Although, I am still fully immersed in working with those things daily. This blog's intention was to follow my magical and spiritual journey and I haven't been sharing too much of it. I went on a crazy ride for the past few years. Especially when I endeavoured to answer the question "what is magic?" To describe magic would take too long, but to sum it up, it's something that's felt and experienced. It can be seen with the right eye, can be heard with the right ear, but if those things are closed off you cannot perceive magic in those ways. Magic is available to anyone and everyone. I have neglected to write about a lot of the magical things that has been going on and that I have witnessed and experienced simply because it's unbelievable. Some of it has been very personal. Some of it makes no sense. The nonse...

One thing that I came across as a young teen was Scott Cunningham's recipe* for a prophetic dream tea. I have used that recipe for many years now with amazing results. Sometimes we cannot know the results of prophetic dreams if we are not sharing them. One of my favorite stories, a huge confirmation that some of my dreams have more to tell me than basic dream dictionary meanings is the dream about the freezer and the pizza. This happened circa 2006-2007-ish. I was attending workshops with my best friend's mom (whom I've become really close with over the years). I had dreamt that I was with her oldest daughter. We were in an apartment cleaning out a broken fridge. She finds a pizza at the bottom of the fridge and says that this should be okay to eat. It wasn't okay to eat. It was the weirdest thing and we ended up throwing it away. Fast forward that day to the evening time when I would have went over to their house for the workshop. I tell my friend that I dreamt of ...

Something I have learned reading tarot is how important it is to understand that the future is written in sand and not in stone. We have the power of choice in most situations. Yes, there are situations beyond our control - recognizing those situations and letting go of trying to control them is the most liberating feeling. Distinguishing between what we can control and what we can't control is a line that has not been clearly defined in this society. What you can control: your actions/behaviours and your thoughts. With the added caveat to controlling your thoughts - you cannot control what thoughts pop into your head - what you can control is what you think of, and do with, those thoughts. Confused yet? I promise it is an easier concept than reading about thinking of thoughts. As humans we are metacognative: the ability to think about thinking. As an observer/seeker stand point, we are able to observe the thoughts that pop in our heads. If we believe those thoughts to be true t...

Click here  for Part One, here for Part Two. Aepheria and the Priestess discussed how they had both been captured by the king and his men. Both bound and hidden away. To the women this had to do with their powers and favour with the Gods. This King wanted to rule the land. He wanted to be a God and snuff out anyone who knew he was a mere mortal, power-hungry, man. The pair gathered up branches and other materials from the woods. Soon animals came to partake in the ritual. They set about casting their circle. Aepheria began chanting and invoking the highest God, the Allfather, to enter the circle. At the same time the Priestess was summoning the King who was suppressing the land. Both entities emerged in the circle. A God. A Mortal. Face-to-face. The great awe the mortal king felt in the presence of his maker brought him to his knees. The Almighty God stripped the man of his kingship. As punishment for his ill-will towards the people of the land the God turned the man into a t...

I have spoke through a couple posts now about spreads. I feel like I've been avoiding this. I have no idea why, they are just tarot spreads! As stated in last week 's post, I listed some of my favourite questions to ask to get an open-ended reading (the intent is to be as objective as possible). This week I will talk on how I do my layouts. I use the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid . I have used intricate layouts such as this name spread described here , it was very time consuming and convoluted. Starting out with a small spread and working from there is always the most helpful. Three or four cards, plus one or two clarifiers - only if needed. Take note of any "jumpers" from the deck when shuffling. For me, if a card jumps/falls out of the deck when shuffling I don't always include it in the reading. If it lands face down I put it back in deck. If it lands face up I feel it was trying to be seen. Also, knowing the difference between whether you are a go...

Click here for Part One. Upon arrival to the island they come across a juggler. He is a fancy and upbeat entertainer. The woman quickly realizes that he is looking for coins in exchange for his liveliness. With nothing to offer she politely moves on as the juggler heads towards the sailor docking the boat. The unnamed woman gave a thankful nod to the sailor and headed off to the darkness of a nearby wooded area. She was not familiar with this island, but she trusted the tree spirits to guide her. They all whispered to her to be quiet, be still. She did as she was advised and heard distress in the distance. She followed the murmurs and found a woman bound and gagged. She recognized the power within this woman instantly. Hurriedly undoing the ropes, blindfold, and mouth gag. All the while the unnamed woman was chanting seemingly incoherent mumbles. The bound woman, finally freed, she kissed the heroine on the forehead. A circle of bright white light encompassed them both, "Ae...

Since the last blog regarding crystal combinations I have worked with a new trio. The results were pretty intense. I found I fell asleep faster, and the dreams were vivid, and with great recall. Using same meditation technique described  here , or see below. -Labradorite  is a stone that aids in reducing stress and increasing calmness, which is great for falling asleep. Helps to increase intuition, psychic abilities, visions, clairvoyance, prophecy, communicating with higher realms and spirit guides, accessing Akashic records, and moving between realms. This quality will help in getting to a state of lucidity. This stone encourages new ideas, which will help you be open to new experiences in the dreamscape. This is also a stone of protection, which I look at it as protection from nightmares, and night terrors. -Lepidolite is another calming stone. It triggers deep meditation, theta state, which is a dream state used in lucidity - or astral projection. This stone stimulates...

I find there are two types of people that come to tarot: those with very specific questions, and those who have no idea what they want to know. As a reader it is easier to read when specifics are involved, however looking for too specific an answer does not allow the cards to offer alternative possibilities. The best is to find an easy medium between specific and open-ended. Focusing on one aspect helps to narrow down the reading because every card holds many meanings depending on how you read them. The Big 3 topics that most people want insight on: career, relationships, and health. Your question does not have to be limited to one of the Big 3, but it's an example of choosing an aspect that you want to focus on. Asking, "where is my career/relationship/health heading?" Is focused enough onto a topic and open-ended enough to give many possibilities.  However, it may still be too open-end. Your career may take a fabulous turn, but that may not happen for 10 years down ...

The woman with no name is locked up, trapped, captured.  She is helpless and bound.  There are four guards that take turns watching her cell.  She wonders how and when she will get out of this. What the guards don't know is that she is fierce despite her vulnerable and helpless exterior.  She will no longer be held captive, she decides to take the whole cell down.  She has favour with the Sky Gods, and the tower cell is struck down in an instant with a fiery crack of lightning at the moment she called upon them.  The guards were flung, unknowing of this woman's importance, unknowing of her power.  She narrowly escapes the destruction as chaos ensues behind her. Wrapped in torn sheets she makes her way down to the port where she meets a young seafarer.  He is loading his boat with bundles of steel.  She has little to offer him. However, he is kind, seeing the destruction she has fled from, he takes pity and offers ...

I have been reading, very briefly, on Huna - a Hawaiian philosophy that uses dream skills as a way to be objective of our Self.  I have found that many of it's practices are things I already innately do. This system has just given me a set of language for things I was naturally doing which in turn inspires lucid dreaming. I would love to discuss Huna further, however this week I will list some key behaviours, or habits, which I have used with success: - Relaxation meditation in bed before sleeping Lucidity requires the body to be in a deeply relaxed state. Having a good night's rest also allows our memory to be clearer for dream recall.  - Setting the intention in my mind that I will remember my dreams This is very important in telling your subconscious, or Higher Self, your goals. Intention setting is very powerful, not just in dreamwork, but in all aspects of goal-setting. - Do not move upon waking, stay as still as you can and reflect on what you where j...

Last week I said that I would be posting sample questions and spreads for using tarot to navigate your life. However, I am going to go a different direction given a conversation I had this week with some dear friends in the tarot community. I do apologize and will get to it in a future post. This seemed like a more pressing thing to talk about as even the most skilled readers will ask other readers for input in interpreting cards for themselves. This is because it can be difficult to remain objective when you are too close to the situation. We can't see the forest for the trees. How I learned to become objective for myself is to read cards for other people. Not close friends and family. Reading for absolute strangers (you can find many groups where readers do free exchanges). Reading for people or situations you know little about can have a great impact on exercising your intuition. One mistake I made reading for myself is that I would look up every single possible meaning of e...

I'm going in a different direction with tarot.  Today I am announcing a new blog series entitled Creative Tarot. Tarot is and has been a useful tool in divination - the art of looking beyond what we can see with our eyes, for divine guidance or predictions and fortunetelling - for many ages.  Tarot has also been used for the mundane as in playing card games.  I will not be discussing interpretations, readings, history, or anything of that nature in this new series. What I will be using the tarot cards for is to assist in creative writing.  Someone with absolutely no knowledge of tarot or their meanings can use this method to work in conjunction with a creative writing project.  While I do have knowledge of the card meanings, I'm not relying on that for creating a wee story. I will be using the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck, basing the story strictly on the pictures, and what comes to mind.  I will pull 3 cards per blog post, and 3 parts per series. ...

Last week I gave the exercises of noting down feelings and symbols from dreams. This week I am sharing five nights worth of journaling. The benefits of doing this exercise for 5-7 days is definitely worth it. The following is a lot to read, but it will give a good sense with how to structure your own journal. This is the beginning in connecting with your subconscious, or as I call it, your Higher Self. These exercises will help you learn the language of dreams, which is the backbone of dreamwork. June 15 Dream symbols : cigarettes, scooter (eBike) Atmosphere in dream : neutral, felt like "real life" scenarios, there was also a sense of getting things done on time. Dictionary meaning* : Cigarette - To dream that you are smoking or offering a cigarette signifies your need for a break. It may also points to issues of dependency. However if you are against smoking and have this dream, you need to analyze aspects of your waking life and what you are doing that may adversel...

In last week's Tarot Talks I spoke of comparing yourself with the have-nots in life and how tarot can take you out of that head-space and provide clarity and offer a different perspective. This week I would like to go a bit further into using clarity provided by tarot. This is a bit of a paradox because tarot can sometimes have us raising more questions than answering the ones we came in with. It is true that tarot is complex, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Learning it's language -  I don't mean memorizing the instruction book either - and how it speaks to you is the key to a successful and insightful reading. Oftentimes tarot gives insight into different paths when we find ourselves at a crossroads. I don't believe that tarot should be used as a GPS, but rather should be used as a compass. GPS systems have a set destination and you follow exactly where the voice tells you to go. A compass on the other hand tells you where True North is and it's up ...

In last week's post we discussed creative triggers that can spark lucidity in dreams.  This week I would like to discuss dream interpretation.  I will not be listing a dictionary of what all symbols could possibly mean.  There are several resources online where you can find these meanings. Interpreting your dreams is fascinating work and gives an interesting perspective on your subconscious mind. Even if you remember only one thing from your dream last night, look up the symbol meaning. I have listed my two frequented resources for dream meanings at the end of the post. Write the interpretation down in a notebook or your phone.  Many people suggest keeping a dream journal, to be honest, I very rarely journal, but I do have a place to write down those really weird dreams before they're forgotten. When first interpreting your dreams do not over analyze.  The number one factor in interpreting a dream is how you felt in the dream, or immediately upon waking. ...

We all search for clarity in various ways. While the motivations may be different for the individual, it all comes from a place of comparisons - wanting what others' have that we don't, believing the grass is greener on the other side, or even comparing our current reality to what we think our life " should " look like. This place of comparing emphasizes our insecurities and doubts. It makes our frustration signal rise and the downward spiral begins. We become clouded and need to clear the way to make more effective decisions in our lives. Tarot is a tool that helps move from a place of comparing to a place of clarity Tarot is a tool to help gain clarity into a confusing or frustrating situation. The place of comparing isn't necessarily a negative thing, as humans we need to be able to compare, make sound judgments that could literally mean life or death. We tend to take this comparing to other levels: jealousy, envy, self-doubting, insecurities, and feelings...