Butterfly—Transformation

Shadow: Stasis

Butterfly is the winged messenger of Transformation. She alights when you are in the grit of transition, nose to the grindstone. Are you averting essential change in your life? Are you resisting a new phase in your child’s unfolding? Or are you emerging from the chrysalis and searching for a new expression of being? Butterfly tells you to shift positions in order to acquire a loftier perspective.The ever- turning wheels of fate never stop, says Butterfly. So accept change as the harbinger of your soul’s upward evolution.

Like caterpillars turning into butterflies, many of life’s passages bring with them irreversible change.When a child enters your life, there is no turning back— no matter what happens, you will always be a mother. The transformation can be disorienting: who are you when none of your previous roles fit? Mothering preempts everything else, but it can occlude a substantial part of your former identity, or obliterate it altogether. Butterfly wisdom tells us to overcome stasis by letting go with grace.Your old self must die in order to be reborn with stunning hues and outstretched wings.

Children undergo what seems like an almost daily metamorphosis. Greet even the seemingly small changes—new teachers, lost teeth, young love’s first breakups— with cocooning.Wrap your child in the fabric of home while together you metabolize the transitions swirling around you both. As change shakes your child’s world and baffles her sense of self, outcroppings of misbehavior may protrude. Don’t hit the panic button. Look beyond the frustration to anticipate new growth waiting in the wings. See life through her eyes: Imagine waking up one morning to find a new baby in your mother’s arms or menstrual blood on your sheets.A part of you would like to regress, but progress is the only way to move forward. As mother, attend to the flutters of trepidation and exhilaration as if they were the restless stirrings of a new becoming.

All wisdom traditions acknowledge the essentiality of marking and celebrating major transitions. Rites of passage—baby blessings, weddings, funerals—support individuals as they shed previous incarnations and cross the threshold into a new embodiment. How can you harness the transformative power of ritual in your home and community? Hold a blessingway ceremony to welcome new life or initiate a new mother, create a coming-of-age experience for the spirited adolescents in your tribe, or send a lost loved one to the otherworld on a boat of communal tears and remembrance. In the heightened experience of transformation, the poetry of life breaks through. Seize the change, Butterfly declares, and you will arrive at unheralded sweetness on ethereal wings.

~ the mother's wisdom deck 

by Niki Dewart and Elisabeth Marling

This deck is part of the #sacredbeginnings program, and part of my #sacredrituals , what decks inspire you the most?

I simply LOVE these images from www.belleverdiglionephotography.com.au 

(And can you spot the Butterfly?)

Want to know more about the Mother's wisdom deck? Check here:

http://motheringwithsoul.com/the-deck/

Explore more of Sacred Beginnings program:

www.sacred-beginning.com

#sacredpregnancy

#sacredlivingmoveme

Pearl ~ Authenticity

Shadow: disconnection 

"Pearl, illuminated from within, bestows an iridescent beauty on the beholder. Her glow captures the luminous energy of the moon; her underwater origins tap the raw power of the sea. No wonder Pearl appears around the world in fairy tales and myths, attended by royalty and guarded by dragons. Drawing this card means it's your turn to embark on a heroine's journey in search of the fabled pearl beyond price. You will encounter adventure and misfortune on this part of inner realization, but if you remember your true mission, you and yours will enjoy immeasurable wealth. Be rich in the knowledge that your authentic being is that beloved pearl. 

Pearl tells us to get real. What are the dragons you must slay in order to reclaim the genuine pearl of your truth? As a mother, do you feel you must appear to have it all together? Will your children topple you if they detect a chink in your armor?

Are you afraid to inconvenience others with your needs? 

When disconnected from authenticity, we buy into the false belief that we must shield ourselves to be strong. Pearl wisdom teaches that real strength is the courage to be vulnerable. Bring your power to bear by being in your truth, thus allowing others to be in theirs.

Like pearls, each of us is one of a kind. By expressing your authenticity - weeping, guffawing, humming - you are sounding your inimitable note, exactly as the universe intends.  To be otherwise robs the universe of your unique contribution to her song. Pearl takes you on a quest to connect with whatever is arising in each moment, no matter how fabulous or blah. She invites you to follow the thread of inquiry with joyful curiosity - I feel blah, how interesting. Why are the doldrums visiting again? Who let them in? Disappointment? Deceit? Each layer of inquiry reveals greater insight into your state of being. 

What greater gift can we give our children than this most precious pearl? Show up in your essential nature and hold space for them to access their own. When you want to open the door to authenticity, query, "How are you?" and listen for the underlying truth. Like reading a fairy tale, see through the plot to discover hidden treasure. The princess may complain about a bothersome pea when in reality she senses some passion, some purpose, some soul-deep pearl pushing up. By way of irritation, a raged grain of sand arrives at unblemished perfection. Rare beauty belies Pearl's unspectacular origins. Your greatest value emerges from unashamedly being yourself; Pearl shows you how that is enough."

~ the mother's wisdom deck 

by Niki Dewart and Elisabeth Marling

This deck is part of the #sacredbeginnings program, and part of my #sacredrituals in days that I need encouragement and guidance.

Do you also, look for inspiration this way?

Images from Barbara Araújo Photography:

www.barbararaujo.com

Want to know more about the Mother's wisdom deck? Check here:

http://motheringwithsoul.com/the-deck/

And

Explore more of Sacred Beginnings program:

www.sacred-beginning.com

#sacredpregnancy

#sacredlivingmovement

Inspiration from Lakshmi ~ Abundance

"The card of generosity, of karma, and gifts. (...) 

Lakshmi rests on a blooming lotus flower, the symbol of transcendence, and her four hands symbolize the four aims of human life: righteousness, pleasure, wealth, and liberation. (...)

She teaches that while you don't need material wealth to feel rich, you must consciously choose to live a life of generosity. (...)

In our path of mothering, scarcity consciousness frequently arises: the sense that we not good enough as mothers, or that we lack the material resources our children deserve. This belief locks us in a continual cycle of guilt and self-reproach. It's time to step back, count your inner assets, and trust..."

~ the mother's wisdom deck 

by Niki Dewart and Elisabeth Marling

This deck is part of the #sacredbeginnings program, and part of my #sacredrituals in days that I need encouragement, guidance, or days I just feel I have failed... maybe days like today...

Do you also, look for inspiration like this? Pull a card for yourself today, sit with it's teachings, and TRUST... 

(Let me know if you don't have access to a deck today, I will pull a card for you!)

Wishing you a happy day, #newmom

#sacredpregnancy

#sacredlivingmovement

Images from Megan Soto from our last retreat, isn't it gorgeous like this mother looks like Lakshmi herself? Uau, inspired.

Want to know more about the Mother's wisdom deck? Check here:

http://motheringwithsoul.com/the-deck/