 Hi! Kesha here with New World Tarot, and I want to wish you the happiest and most blessed Spring Equinox, Ostara, First Day of Spring – whatever it is that you celebrate this time of year! And you are celebrating, yes? This is a very energetically rich time of year that is worth celebrating, relishing, submerging in, and really just tasting and enjoying. Everyone likes to think of the Gregorian calendar’s designation of the New Year as the ideal time for renewal and starting fresh. Though energy surrounding that time is certainly authentic. However, I sort of come to view it as a masculine New Year, a much younger and socially accepted New Year. This time of year, however, is much closer to the original New Year. This is the natural New Year, or the feminine New Year. Furthermore, it is also a Full Moon and yet another Supermoon, appearing this time in the sign of Libra. Now I am certainly one to defend the season of Winter. Say what you will about Winter, she has her gifts and her lessons. And, oh my god does she have her otherworldly, magical, beautiful moments. If you’ve ever stepped into nature or a forest or even just your backyard during a heavy, freshly accumulating snowfall…wow, I don’t know about you, but I feel as though I’ve stepped into another dimension sometimes. Like I’ve accidentally crossed out of my world and into that of the Snow Queen. Like when you really allow yourself to experience Winter in her glory and listen to the stillness and the sound of falling snow…it really, honestly feels like a paranormal experience at times. I can find myself getting goosebumps and just grinning for no reason. And I really don’t like the cold!! But the energetic magic and mystery of the season cannot be denied. HOWEVER… I simply MUST admit that I am not built for Winter! My body is literally made for the Sun! I am primarily West African in ethnicity – Cameroonian, Congolese, Beninese – and most of my ancestors were at home in sun, heat and humidity for most of the year. I am extremely uncomfortable in the cold, and I live for Summer! If that’s not enough, I was born on the Summer Solstice, so me and Summer have always been TIGHT! Summer is like my home country. I count down the days when Spring returns, so oh my…this is a HUGE time of year for me! The Spring Equinox or the Vernal Equinox - traditionally marked in the Northern Hemisphere on or around March 20th – is not only the time that denotes the official end of Winter and the official beginning of Spring, but it is also a time of the restoration of balance and equilibrium. This is one of two times of the year when the amount of daylight perfectly equals the amount of darkness. So we are coming out of one extreme and taking on a time of more moderation. So…you’ve done it! You’ve survived another Winter! In the 21st century, this may not seem to you like a particularly huge feat, but many, many years ago, your ancestors considered the return of warm weather, a warm, unthawed earth and strong sunshine a life-affirming victory worthy of dancing, meals and celebrations. Winter can be brutal and a true testament of one’s health, willpower, determination and resourcefulness. To survive month’s of the earth’s most challenging conditions was cause for joy and celebration. You have only to look around during this time to see all the signs of renewal and transformation. Buds begin to develop on skeletal trees, birds return if they’ve been away or begin to pair up if they are around. The whole world seems to be filled with a very Fiery, defiant and giddy energy. Astrologically, we see this mirrored in Western traditional. The Spring Equinox falls on the exact cusp between the last sign of the Western zodiac – Pisces – and the first sign of the Western zodiac – Aries. Pisces, symbolized by the Fish, is a about intuition, dreams, fantasies, psychic ability and the subconscious. It is ruled by the element of Water, and very much brings attention to what lies within us and to where we are going once we shed our bodies. It is a sign of the Universe and connecting back to Source. Aries, on the other hand, is strikingly different. Its symbol is the Ram, and it is all about the ego, the self, the power of the individual. Aries is about exerting control over your surroundings through your willpower and your personal strength. It is ruled by the element of Fire, and bring attention back to ourselves, our bodies, our desires and our individual needs, wants and actions. This time of year is very much like a rebirth from heavier issues of mortality and cosmic connection to much more light and “shallower” issues of doing what you want, going after what you want and reveling in your individual body’s ability to control and influence the world around you. Even as far as an energetic sense goes, for much of Winter, we tend to hunker down and just really get stuck in a survivalist mentality. We often rarely go outside, rarely get sun or fresh air and dress and act according to what would be comfortable or practical. When the air and earth begin to warm, it is often as though we are stepping out into the world for the first time. We take off layers of clothing, we also take off months and months of layers of mundane repetition and repeated habits. As we throw open the windows to let in fresh air, we also throw open the windows of our mind to let in new ideas and inspiration. As we acclimate our eyes to increased levels of more intense sunlight, we look upon things with a new freshness of perspective. Suddenly colors look so much more vibrant. Songs that we thought we were tired of sound so much more clear and moving. Food that we had tasted a million times before suddenly tastes so much richer, or more succulent, or sweeter. When Spring arrives, it is truly as though a rough and scaly energetic skin sheds and peels away, leaving a fresh, shiny and more colorful skin exposed. So, in short, I argue that this is actually the most natural time of the year to make New Year’s resolutions, to declare new intentions, to re-align your goals and values, to re-dedicate yourself to your desires and to make a clean start. Unlike the January New Year, which is and therefore feels like just another day in the dead of Winter, the Spring Equinox New Year actually feels different. The world around you is actually transforming. Nature is actually transforming. And as such you are actually transforming because you are a part of Nature. To me, this makes it so much more natural to plant lasting change deep in your body, heart, mind and soul. Unlike in January, during the Spring New Year, you are going to be met with constant signs and reminders of promise to change. I mean, you will see that the trees are changing their behavior and appearance. The animals are changing their behavior and appearance. The Sun is changing its behavior and appearance. Water is changing its behavior and appearance. YOU are even changing your behavior without trying. You’re changing the way you dress and what you do in your car, in your home or your office, by opening windows and going outside more. In short, it is so much easier, to me, to stick with New Year’s resolutions when the entire whole of Nature is right there with you, when everything outside of yourself and within your own internal body clock is practically screaming, “TIME FOR CHANGE!! TIME FOR RENEWAL!! TIME TO WAKE UP!! TIME TO GROW!! TIME TO TURN INTO SOMETHING ELSE!!” So…this energy is ancient. It’s powerful. It’s delicious and joyful. And when harnessed, it can do some incredible things in your life. So make sure you celebrate the Spring Equinox and work with its energies, ok? So how exactly can we harness these incredible transformative and renewing energies and use them to achieve our goals? Let’s talk about some ways we can renew, re-charge and re-empower ourselves this spring. We are going to break this down into cleansing and clearing away of the old, and bringing in the new. There are six ways to do each, six being a wonderful number of balance, which is what the equinox is all about. So let’s explore 6 methods for burning away the old, and 6 methods for growing new things in your life. BURNING AWAY THE OLD:
Alternatively, there is a traditional Hawaiian forgiveness practice known as Ho’oponopono. This is a very powerful and straightforward exercise that is usually practiced by completing four steps. It is often written out. You are going to complete the following sentences: I’m sorry for… Please forgive me for… Thank you for… And then you will end with I Love You. This is an old, simple and easy way to practice forgiveness AND gratitude together. 2. Space-Clearing Incense. A wonderful and enjoyable way to clear the energies in your space is through the use of incense. This is especially recommended when the weather warms enough to open the windows while you use it, so that you can also get fresh air and incense can become overpowering quickly. Keep in mind, it is smoke, so it is highly recommended you use it with access to fresh air. There are so many cute and beautiful incense holders on the market. I have two.Furthermore, there are different types of incense. I have always used the stick incense. However, you can also use the cone incenses and the bundles of course, I think they might be called smudge sticks. You can bless and consecrate the space, things in your home, and I also like to use a besom to sort of wave the smoke around. You can use any scent that pleases you, and they come in soo many scents, it’s truly a playground. But if you are a traditionalist, inncense scents that are traditionally asscociated with cleansing include frankincense (which is one of my favorites for cleansing), sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli, cinnamon, sage and palo santo. 3. Energetic Cleansing Washes. Another awesome way to clean actually things in your space is Full Moon-charged water. Now, the Full Moon as have mentioned is an incredibly potent source of feminine power. It represents the fullness, the potency and the unapologeticness of the Divine Feminine, or her mystery, her magic, her wildness, her wisdom, her receptivity to all things to all things good and her constant connection to Spirit and Source. Full Moon-charged water can be used to clean items.Now there are two ways to do this. The most natural and arguably the most powerful way is to collect Full Moon rainwater or snow. Now, this is exactly what it sounds like. If it rains during a Full Moon, you are going to place out a dish to collect the water, and then give gratitude for it, say a little blessing and you now have magically charged water. Obviously that leaves a small window of time to get it, so secondarily you can simply take water and place outside to charge beneath a Full Moon. Same thing in the morning, pull it in, give thanks, bless it, and you’re good to go! This water can now be used to wash things, to just sprinkle on things as priests often do with holy water, or, if you’re really ready to get to business you can place it in a spray bottle. Full Moon water can also be combined with essential oils to add a yummy smell AND traditional energetic cleansing properties. Common oils to add to your Full Moon water include frankincense, lemon, lavender, peppermint and cinnamon. 4. Physically Clean Your Home. And while we’re on the cleaning kick, let’s not forget the mundane! I have to admit this is something that I often resist! But it is important to do a good, old-fashioned, no-frills cleaning of your home! Physical clutter often creates mental, emotional and energetic clutter in your mind, so it is important to clean things out to, again, create space for more good to come in. 5. Clear Your Chakras. So you’ve cleared out your home. Let’s bring it back around to our bodies again. Hopefully you have heard of chakra work. Your chakras are energy centers and meridians in your body that are responsible for your energy flowing in certain ways, and for the way you manifest things on earth. Though there are many chakras in the body, there are 7 major ones that run from your waist up to the top of your head that you really should be aware of. Let’s run through them super quickly. The first chakra is also known as the root chakra, found at the base of your spine, and it is responsible for physical manifestation, prosperity and stability. The 2nd chakra is the sacral chakra, found in the genitals, and it is responsible for your creativity, your passion and your sexuality. The 3rd chakra is the naval chakra, found in the stomach area, and it is responsible for the “fire in the belly,” your drum beat of your life force, your courage and your self-esteem. The 4th chakra is the heart chakra, and this is responsible for your relationships, giving and receiving love, affection, compassion and mercy. The 5th chakra is the throat chakra, and this is responsible for your communication, your self-expression, and speaking your mind and your truth. The 6th chakra is the third eye, found right in the middle of your forehead, and this is responsible for seeing things as they really are. It is responsible for seeing the spiritual and energetic truths of the world around you. This is the official chakra of clairvoyance and psychic knowledge. The 7th chakra is the crown chakra, found at the top of your head, and this is all about how you receive messages, inspiration, direction, guidance and information from the Universe, directly from Source. You can hold a LOT of toxicity and bile in these meridians, and they can even manifest as physical illness if not cleaned out in a long time. I encourage you to do a self-guided or recorded meditation on occasion to clear out your chakras and make sure they are working in ideal order. Such meditations can be found on YouTube, for example. Two of my favorites I like to use are very different in length, but are both amazing. I have one by healer Jeffrey Allen that is about 10 minutes long and was included in a course I purchased, and it’s great. But there is another amaxing one that is long but absolutely worth it called “The Blessing of the Energy Centers” meditation by Dr. Joe Dispenza. It’s lengthy at about 45 minutes, but it’s oh so thorough, not just cleaning them out but also juicing them up too! Blocks can develop in these your chakras, which is why I also like to do a reading on them before clearing, to know if there is one that needs some extra elbow grease. Some people use pendulums for example. Now, just knowing what areas in life each chakra is responsible for will undoubtedly intuitively lead you to know where you have blockages and toxicity. But the Tarot is an absolutely amazing tool for chakra work, as it also explains the WHY, the WHAT, and the WHO of what’s going on in each chakra. I highly encourage you to work with me to do a Chakra consultation to explore your own energies in each of these areas. 6. Detox. (Dance, massage and drink plenty of water). Our sixth way to get things out of our bodies is through movement, flushing and even sweating! Dance and exercise are great ways to get rid of old, stale toxic energies. Set aside a GOOD amount of time, like an hour, to really let loose! Dance ecstatically, jump, twirl, roll around on the floor, and really let up months and months of pent-up energy out and back into the void. If you have a hard time finding the fuel to do it by yourself and you really get off on social energy, then go out dancing! Go to a club, and really let loose! Or simply do it in the comfort of your own home. Another way to move stale energy out of yourself if through massage. Now I know massages are usually associated with being pampered, but they are actually a good way to release stored tension and move it out of the body. Most masseuses will actually tell you that after you’ve had your massage, you should drink plenty of water to move stirred-up and loosened toxicity out of your body. GROWING THE NEW: 1.Re-Dedicate Yourself to a Workbook! So one tool that is an incredible tool to keep you on track with your yearly progress is a yearly workbook. Of course these are much easier to find in December, during the mainstream social New Year, but I think it’s even better to wait until what, December or January and get them on the “late sale” for as little money as possible and then implement them in the Spring! OR just start in January with most of the other humans! That’s fine too! J But anyway, these workbooks are designed to plan out your year and keep you on track for achieving your personal and professional goals. And they are amazing. I have three here. 2. Practice Gratitude. We already touched on this just a tad in the previous section when we discussed Forgiveness. But Gratitude is essential for bringing new growth into your life. Gratitude is not just a nice ending for a Forgiveness exercise, but it is also something that should be practiced more frequently when possible. Many, many of our most admired and wisest thought leaders have suggested time and time again that a daily gratitude exercise is incredibly beneficial to emotional health and manifestation power. Gratitude is essentially stating to the Universe, “Hey, remember that time you gave me X? Well, I really, really appreciate it, so please give me some more!” A very simple daily gratitude exercise involves keeping a journal, either handwritten or electronic, and beginning each morning or ending each night with at least 5 things you are grateful for. At the very least, it is important to list your gifts from the Universe – the things you are grateful for – at least when you are doing your Forgiveness exercise, or that is, at least once a month. 3. Re-Declare Your Intentions. The Spring Equinox is a great time to re-declare your intentions. Life can often throw obstacles in your way, and provide no shortage of distractions that cause you to lose your way from your original goals. During this resurgence of life, you will naturally feel your desires and your needs to start over resurge. Embrace this, and write down, literally write down your goals. Get a nice, elegant journal, or a whimsical one, or a strange one, or whatever fits your fancy, and commit to paper your intentions. Do this daily, at least Monday through Friday, and repeat them aloud. You can also say them while looking in a mirror. 4. Plant New Growth (Literally). One way to harness the magic of new intentions is to tie it to planting actual new growth. Obtain the seed of your desired plant or tree, and hold it close to your heart, connect to Source, and make it an act of the Law of Correspondence: “As above, so below.” State that as this seed springs into life, effortlessly, elegantly, so too does your intention. If your plant struggles to grow, ask Spirit if this is a way that it is speaking to you about your own struggle to bring things forth in your life. Ask if there is something that you need help with, and to be shown the way to make things better. This can be a very visual way to connect and get excited about your goal. 5. Plant the Seeds of Knowledge in Your Mind. Read! Learn! And read and learn some more! People have been recording information since the ability to write has existed. In all these millennia, you can be certain someone has written about how to get the things that you want, and they’ve written it for the express purpose to help people like you. Seek out those that have come before you, either in person or by way of books and courses. Devote at least an hour a day M-F in educating yourself for the sole purpose of attaining your goals in life. Not only does this help you to attain your goals in a practical sense, but it also helps you to uplift you when you need it. Even the most high-achieving, high-earning, kick-ass people in this world hit low points where they feel like failures, where they feel as though their plans are all falling apart. But the key is: When this happens, you must drink in more energy. In other words, plant more seeds of knowledge and encouragement in your mind. 6. Practice Mirror Magic. Now this is something a little experimental. I am trying this for the first time, and hope to talk about my experiences soon. This practice can be as practical or as magical as you want it to be. What you are going to do is find a mirror – any mirror will do – and you are going to state affirmations in it – to yourself – of what you want to be. For example, I would look at the mirror, at myself, and state, “I am a bestselling author of 1 million novels.” Now, the challenge of course, is to make yourself believe this. No awkward smiling, no giggling, because that means disbelief. Say it and mean it. Now, I am going to be using a consecreated mirror that has been blessed and that has a certain number of sides or a certain shape to it, and preferably one that is more of a relic or an antique, such as one made of metal. The idea that I like to think of behind this is that the mirror is showing me a glimpse into the infinite field of potentiality. I am looking at my potential self in the mirror. I am grooming myself to be the person I want to be, and bringing her into existence. As she grows into who I want her to be in the mirror, so she grows in this world as well. Well that's it for this blog! Be safe, be blessed and be happy! Love, Kesha
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Written byKesha Delacroix Archives
April 2021
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