Soul Navigations

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: Play

Definition: To engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than serious or practical purposes; to amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretense; light and constantly changing movement; the action or manner of engaging in a sport or game; behavior or speech that is not intended seriously. 

Play is an actively 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.

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.  My only rule is that if I draw one that I have already written about, I draw another.  In this way I am using the spirit of the cards themselves.  If you would like to view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

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

Oracle Card of the Week: COURAGE

Definition: The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger or fear,  with self-possession, confidence and resolution; acting in accordance with one’s belief despite criticism; bravery; valor.

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, or 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.  

I think about Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and many others for the courage and strength they inspire, but more recently I am in admiration of the Tunisian and Egyptian people who gathered together with unified strength of conviction and instigated change.

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? 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

NOTE:

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.  My only rule is that if I draw one that I have already written about, I draw another.  In this way I am using the spirit of the cards themselves. 

Please note:  Fuzion Oracle Cards are no longer in stock.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Card of the Week: WISDOM

 

Definition: utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight; accumulated knowledge, erudition, or enlightenment; the quality of being prudent and sensible.

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, and 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?

NOTE:

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.  My only rule is that if I draw one that I have already written about, I draw another.  In this way I am using the spirit of the cards themselves. 

Please note:  Fuzion Oracle Cards are no longer in stock.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com .

 © 2011, Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Card of the Week: GUIDANCE

Definition: the act or process of guiding; direction provided by a guide; vocational or educational advice; advice in general.

When this card comes up, it may be an opportunity to notice the guidance in your life, to pay attention to the guidance you may already be receiving or giving, or to recognize whether you may need to seek guidance at this juncture in your life.

Guidance is something we all need at times in our lives.  Sometimes we need greater clarity and direction to navigate a difficult course or to maintain alignment with our deep aspirations.  The process of receiving guidance is not one of being told or dictated to; rather, it is a process of being open and receptive to advice, suggestions or counsel. Ultimately the choice is always ours – to listen and to be receptive, or not. 

When we look to a friend, colleague or professional for guidance, we are seeking external sources of counsel, direction or corroboration.  This is a natural part of the flow of life and the open system that we are – always learning and exchanging with the world around us. It is however important to integrate everything we are guided to do with our own internal values, beliefs and felt sense. 

It may also be a time to turn our attention inward and listen to our own internal guidance, whatever one conceptualizes the nature of this connection to be. Our internal guidance can be accessed when we turn inward and quiet the noise of the world around us, and our chattering mind.  The process of contemplation requires that we move inward, center ourselves and enter into a place of calm and equanimity.  Once in this place, we can bring up our issues or concerns, and listen deeply to our inner dialogue. 

What inner voice, urgings or promptings do you hear?  Perhaps you are already noticing intuitions throughout the day, and are already receiving the guidance you seek, in which case, this card serves as a confirmation and validation.

How and when do you seek guidance?  How does it feel when you are aligned with your internal guide?  How can you become more familiar with your own ways of knowing?  Are you giving too much guidance to others and not listening to or receiving your own guidance?

© Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Card of the Week: ENTANGLEMENTS

Definition:  Snare; involvement; complication; entwined; confuse

Have you ever tried to untangle a ball of thread?  It can be difficult to see where one thread begins and the other ends.  This is the nature of the entanglement card.  Some suggest it is the nature of our network of interactions in the world.  I have experienced this card in two ways.  The first is simply finding that there is unknown interconnectivity between people or groups; the other involves more psychological entanglements.

When you are emotionally entangled in a situation it may be difficult to see the situation objectively. You may be too involved in something that is not really your concern, where others are too involved in your issues, or perhaps where there is a network of influences that are not known yet significantly affecting the situation.  Finding out where your involvement ends and others' begin may be unclear.  Boundaries are blurred and potentially enmeshed.  Projection of each person’s issues may make clarity and resolution difficult.

Look to your own internal attachments, desires, ambitions, expectations and fears, as they may be preventing you from seeing clearly.  Loosening your attachments and taking some distance on a situation may allow greater clarity.  There may be a hook into someone else’s energy that needs clearing. 

Disentangling is a process of detachment - clarifying your personal boundaries and those of others.  When do you feel drawn into something that is not your issue?  Are you fighting someone else’s battles or protecting someone emotionally?  Is your energetic involvement in others’ issues taking you off your path?

© 2010 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Card of the Week: JOY

Definition:  A state of rejoicing; exultation. Passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, or exhilaration of spirit.

This is one of my favorite cards of the deck.  Yes, I love Joy!  This card causes my heart to leap and expand in the same way that the traditional Tarot sun card does.  I just want to smile! I feel the excitement of possibility, of fun, and the playfulness of a child.   

The image on the Joy card first came to me in meditation 4-5 years earlier. When it came time to actually find an image for the Joy card, the image came back to me with a flash of intuition. I feel that somewhere perhaps, this image reaches into my/our ancestral roots.  

When we are in joy our hearts are open, like an unfolding flower, a smile or laugh that cannot contain itself.  Joy is like sunshine for our soul.  When we have no joy, we start to shrivel up, and our life-force becomes dry, cracked and brittle.  When we are in tune with our heart’s desire, we are in joy. 

What brings me joy: the sound of children laughing; dancing; when I am creating; a happy dog; a purring cat; nature’s beauty; trees; “perfect timing” and other forms of synchronicity. 

What brings you joy?  Where is your joy in this very moment?

 

© 2010 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Card for the Week: PASSION

As an adult who has long since passed the intense emotionality of adolescence, I have come to appreciate a balanced passion for both my work and creative endeavors.  My passions have become linked to my drive and motivation and I feel it as a fire in my heart that moves me forward in my life.  There are many things I am passionate about; all forms of creative expression, beauty, nature, soul healing, and deep emotional connection between people and spirit. 

I say “as and adult”, because I am the mother of two teenagers.  I have the privilege and honor of assisting and watching them become the women they are to become.  I also get to help them navigate through the world of their strong and ardent feelings – when allowed.  Sometimes the internal storms turn outward and seemingly throw their world out of balance. 

Passion is a beautiful thing; it is like the sacred fire within our soul that guides us to wholeness.  It both directs and drives us to our goals, and is an integral part of our becoming.  However, misdirected passion, or desires sometimes can create havoc in our world.   True passion comes from the heart, whereas desire comes from the appetite.

 

How do you differentiate “unbridled desire” from soul-centered passion?  What are you most passionate about?  How do your passions help you grow into your authenticity?  Does your passion ever cause conflict in your life? Do you need to be more in touch with your passions?  Where and how can you touch your passion in your daily life?

     

©Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

When do You change the toilet paper roll?

Have you ever been stuck on the toilet and there is no toilet paper on the roll?  Have you ever found a roll nearby but slightly out of reach, or perhaps just below the empty roll itself?    Chances are you have!

  The changing of the toilet paper roll is a seemingly innocuous event in our daily lives but can reflect our attitudes toward self and others at a very basic level.  Perhaps if we could measure the “changing of the roll” so to speak, it would reflect the way in which we are in the community.

Imagine this, you are sitting on the “throne”. The tissue is hanging off the roll, just enough for you.  Another fresh new roll lies just below within easy reach.   What do you do?  Honestly now!  Do you take your piece, leave the roll empty, wash your hands and go?  Do you use the last piece, and as a courtesy to the next person, change the roll?   Or, do you leave the roll empty on the floor for the next person to change it?  Perhaps you are so absorbed in your internal or external activities that you don’t even notice the roll on the floor.  In which case, I sure hope you wash you hands on the way out!

 What we do, and how we are as individual’s in our daily lives reflects what we bring to the larger community. If we change the roll, we are thinking of the persons who come after us.  It reflects an act of kindness, mindful of the present and anticipating future needs.  One can extrapolate a potential attitude of concern for the generations to come.  Not changing does not automatically assume its opposite possibility, but perhaps a position of mindlessness, preoccupation, or ignoring what is.  Yet if we ignore possibilities for small acts of kindness and let the next person be greeted by the empty roll, it reflects an attitude of every-person-for themselves, and dog-eat-dog.  Dogs don’t generally eat dogs, perhaps not unless they are starving, or trained to.  We live in an age of plenty – for the most part, and there would be more than enough if there were more generosity of spirit.

 Ask yourself even further, do you change the roll only in your own house, or do you also change it public places?  Otherwise, do you stick to only taking care of your own “tribe”, or are you extending your act of kindness however small to others.   If the toilet paper is out of reach, do you make the extra effort and change it after, or leave it? Do you not change the roll at all but leave the roll on the floor after using it?  How do you feel when you change said roll?  Do you do it automatically because that is how you were trained?  Do you change the roll with frustration, perhaps perceiving always having to do it, or anticipating always having to do it?  Do you change it wanting recognition in what you do, perhaps distilling future anger for recognition not being forth coming?  Or are you changing it because it is simply what needs to be done.  None of these positions are right or wrong, however they do reflect the quality of heart on an individual and collective level.

I was in a job interview years ago, being interviewed by approximately 3-4 women.  After all the questions were asked and the interview was coming to a close, someone asked, “Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?”  Without really thinking I blurted out, ”I know how to change a toilet paper roll.”   This little comment garnered a few chuckles, for we had all been there, but it also reflected, that I took the extra step of consideration for others after me whoever they may be.

I am not suggesting that we start running around and taking care of other people’s business.  It is important to first take care of your own and then perhaps one extra thing.  We are all in this together, whatever color shape or size.  If daily we did one extra thing to make the world a better place without measuring reward or personal gain, how quickly our world would change!  If we changed that toilet paper roll, or picked up the trash, or performed a random act of kindness or generosity of any sort we would be making one more gesture, which opens our hearts personally, and as a community.

It is easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of things that need to be changed when we start looking.  It is easy to lose heart when overwhelmed.  Breathe deeply and remember the heart of your being, it is here we are connected. 

 

©Leslie H Bambic Ciechanowski 2009

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the Light - Dancing to Another Solstice 12/2008

The dialogue in my head started while in the bath, far away from any writing implements or recording paraphernalia.  It started as it often does with rapid assimilation of ideas, slowing to a merging of these ideas with my personal reality.  The beginning thought was this. “What would Jesus write?”

             Yes, in this world where teachers whose public beginnings start with many words and stories of their great works, attempting to capture their path to awareness through the delineations of the analytical mind… everyone writes a book. It speaks to a body of knowledge, and consistency of thought, a plan, a system and specific orientation. Again, what would Jesus write?   As quickly as I thought the question, the answer came to me.  He would write “The Book of Love.”  The more I thought of this, the more right it felt, and then it occurred to me that this book would come in two parts – his and hers.    I will address the hubris of His and Hers later…should you choose to continue your inquiry.

I was taken back in memory to a time many years ago when in a profound spiritual experience I was show the nature of our oneness and connection to all others was through the heart.   I saw white lines interconnecting all hearts and felt a knowing from a depth of my being that karma was the hearts ways of realigning with the original love vibration when that love had been harmed.  I felt my spirit vibrating at such a rapid rate I became frightened.  In my mind I asked what was happening, and was told that I was a molecule of love.  

We are all but molecules of love on an alchemical journey to discover through awareness the true essence or who we are, and have always been.  All things come into being through the cohesive power of love, all things pass through love, and in turn are healed by their return to this original state. All demons, real and imagined are transformed through love.  Love is the souls purpose.  Love is all there is to master no other precepts are needed, and yet it can at times be the most difficult to master.  So difficult that our bookshelves are filled with how to’s.  How to: love others in relationship, how to know if they love you, how to love ourselves, love God, how to not love too much, how to love what you do, what you have, what love is, what love is not...

The list is enormous, spanning across millenniums humankind has sought with the intellect to understand the heart.  There are always limits, for the mind can never truly know the heart, nor love.   Many a seeker and saint has undertaken the heroes journey only to come back speaking in parables and riddles that leave our mind in a constant loop wondering over and over its meaning, and if our focus is strong enough perhaps our mind will freeze into moments of bliss and beingness. We have forgotten that the mind is the servant of the heart, we have forgotten the wise mind of the heart.