Soul Navigations

Beginnings - Soul Navigation Card for the Week

With “Beginnings” as a card for the week you may want to pay attention to any newness in your life, be they habits, opportunities, or something you have thought of starting for a long time, but have finally found the time.  Be patient with yourself as you begin new endeavors, remember there is always a learning curve.  Approaching the world with a beginners mind may allow you to see what is new and invigorating, and approach things with curiosity and openness.   The full moon in Leo this week may spark a new creative project.  Be patient with the execution phase, with Mars retrograde in detailed Virgo, it may take longer than expected. 

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Last week marked the completion of writing about each one of the 70 Soul Navigation Cards.  It is fitting that the "Beginnings" card start the new cycle of exploring the cards, not simply because I am starting a new cycle, but because I am exploring new ways of presenting and using the cards.  Stay tuned!!

The original post for this card was 9/04/11.  If you would like to view it, it is at this location  http://www.soulnavigations.com/soul-navigations/2011/09/index.html.  I have included it below for your convenience.

 

For those of you who have purchased a deck, I will soon have a PDF of the card descriptions available.  If you would like me to email you one, please contact me at leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Have a wonderful week.!!

 

Whether a new phase of something or a completely new start, new beginnings can be exciting and invigorating. One often feels promise, hope and a freshness of new ideas.  The incubation period is done, roots are taking hold, and one can see, feel and taste the exhilaration of something new!

Even though new beginnings can be filled with excitement of new possibilities, there can also be fragility in this early phase. When something is in its beginning phase it may be vulnerable and need nurturing and tender loving care.  It may be important to nurture your new beginnings by softening your expectations, and allowing more time and attention to that which is taking birth. Keeping it protected from harsh criticism or defeating points of view – yours or others – may be helpful.

 If you have drawn this card you may have recently started a new endeavor, experienced a new way of being, or have embraced new perspectives.  It may feel like a fresh start or, perhaps, something has been cleared or let go of, allowing a new phase to begin.

You may want to ask yourself if there is something new entering your awareness?  Are you starting a new endeavor, or entering a new phase of a project, a new friendship?  Are you psychologically beginning some internal changes?  Do you have a new bounce in your step?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

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

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: AIR

 

 

Definition: In its pure form, a colorless, odorless and tasteless gaseous substance; the region above the ground enveloping the earth; the atmosphere; the sky; a breeze or wind; personal bearing; a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; medium for radio and television broadcasting. 

Once thought to be one of the four elements by Empedocles, air is still considered a fundamental element in many traditions.  In some shamanic traditions it is connected to the direction of East, and associated with spring and new beginnings. In other traditions, air is seen as connected to the breath of life, the nature of mind, communication, divine prana, and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, we can imagine that in the form of wind, air can carry away our troubles, blow away strife, and carry positive thoughts to those far away.

When we connect to the element air we naturally move into a place of boundlessness. Air carries particular combination of gases that sustains life.  We come into this world with an indrawing of our first breath of life, and we exit with a final exhalation.  Through our lives, as a way of increasing the space of our experience at any given moment, or to slow down or bring calm, we need only begin with the breath.  Slow, deep and rhythmic breathing will often allow us to approach our center and be in the moment with more calm and ease.

Our language expresses our experience of air and our need for more or less of this element.  For example, we may need to engage to a greater degree in the air element when we are overly engaged, contracted or too immersed.  Here we may need to “come up for air”, need a “breath of fresh air”, or “air our grievances”.  When we have too much air we may lack the practical energy that brings things to action, and we may be see as too airy, or we may even be seen as  an “air head”.  Other expressions that reflect how we may be experiencing the air element include:  “putting on airs”, being “full of hot air”, or “vanishing into thin air”.  Our experience of the air element suggests that there is the quality of space, fluidity, and lack of crystallization of something, as in the phrases “rumors in the air”, or when something is “up in the air”,. 

If you have drawn this card, consider how the air element is affecting you.  Do you need more space in your life?  What would it take to create more space in your life? Do you need to pause and breathe?  Perhaps you need a breath of fresh air, or conversely, there is too much air in your life.  Is your life too much up in the air? 

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: ABUNDANCE

Definition: a more than adequate quantity or supply; a great amount; plenty; overflowing fullness; sufficiency; profusion.

When we have an abundance of something, we have more than enough to meet our needs. Our cup is not simply full, but overflowing. When we feel there is plenty, and believe there always will be plenty, we more easily engage in generosity of spirit. Abundance is not about how much we have, but rather having more than enough to meet our needs.

 When people speak of abundance they are often referring to money - perhaps because in our society, money provides us many ways to meet our needs. Abundance, however, can refer to any area of our life, whether it is friends, opportunities, activities, food, work, time, feelings, or affection.  When we feel abundant there is an appreciation for all we have, an alignment with our desires and beliefs, and an expectation that life will always provide for us. Some say there is always enough of all that we truly need at any given moment, and that when we are in alignment, we are taken care of.

If we turn our attention away from appreciating what is, and start comparing and focusing on what we do not have, we can quickly move into a place of scarcity and lose touch with the abundance around us. If you are having difficulty finding abundance in your life, it may be worth examining the inner position you may have about scarcity. When needing plenty is motivated by scarcity and fear of not having, it promotes greed, hording, and moves us out of alignment with abundance.

The appearance of this card suggests that the qualities of abundance may be important for you at this juncture.  It may be a confirmation of existing abundance, abundance coming to you, or it may be a deeper reflection on the meaning of abundance for you.  Where do you feel abundant?  What would have to happen for you to generate an abundant flow in your life?  Are you noticing the abundance around you? What type of abundance would you like to have? Is there a time when abundance is too much? How much do we need to feel that there is enough in our lives?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.

If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: FIRE

Definition:  an event of something burning; the act of firing a weapon; the process of combustion; once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles); feeling of great warmth and intensity – ardor, fervor; a severe trial; intense adverse criticism.

Throughout history, fire has been seen as such an important element that many myths have its “dwelling place” with the gods, from which it came to be used by humans through expert thievery by demi-gods, or heroes, who often paid dearly for their hubris. Fire was seen as sacred. On a physical level fire keeps us warm, cooks our food, and, through the sun, brings us the light of day, sustaining life.  In Alchemy, fire was seen as a catalyst for both initiating and completing a process.  Fire represents transformation, energy, spirit, all things electrical, the sparks of inspiration, and the energy behind change. 

Our language reflects how we experience the element of fire. We often say someone has “sparked” new interests, or, when they are fully inspired or impassioned, they are “on fire” or have a “burning desire”. Fire also refers to adverse situations such as when we are in the “line of fire” under intense criticism, or when we are “fiery” mad, or “breathing fire” when angry. The experience of anger in our body is often felt as heat that can be explosive and that “fires us up”. 

The appearance of this card may suggest that the qualities of fire may be important for you at this juncture. It may be a confirmation that some fiery energy within you or around you is helping to transform your world. Or, it may be an indication that you need more fire in your life.    

If you have pulled this card, you may want to reflect on the meaning of fire for you. Ask yourself what you are on fire about. Is your fire at a steady flame or are you burning out of control?  Do you need more fire and inspiration in your life?  If there is too much fire, what would it take to bring you back to balance?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.

If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: MAGIC

Definition: the art of influencing events or producing marvels; any art that involves supernatural powers; possessing or using supernatural powers; mysterious power; occurrences unexplainable by empirical evidence.

Magic engages us in the unexplained wonder and mystery in all aspects of life.  It is where “coincidences” appear as though planned by some unexplained order and where synchronicities abound - if we have eyes to see. 

To the “magician”, magic is the end result of mastery of his or her craft that hides the mechanism of the constructed illusion. Every move is orchestrated to enhance the illusion. To be our own magician is to be aware of and be able to move within the flow of life’s mysteries, to know how we are creating the world around us, and to be open to the wonder and mystery of that which we do not always understand.

Sages over the millennia have tried to decipher the mysteries of this magical life. Some say that one cannot understand this magic through the mind but rather through the eyes of the heart. It is through the heart where one can experience and appreciate wonder as through the eyes of a child. Others say there is a “Master Plan” put in place by a greater power named God, Allah, Great Spirit, Source, Great Creator, while some say we are all together part of this Source.

When our lives become magical, however, we are not living at the level of illusory tricks of a magician’s sleight of hand, but touch the numinous and the mysterious in our own magical selves. We tap into the place where we are connected to all of creation and life, and our eyes open to the mystery and magic around us. Expect magic. Entertain the mystical. Dance in wonder.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself if you are living and experiencing from your magical self? Are you connected to your point of mystery and wonder?  What would it take for you to live all aspects of your life with magic?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead. If you would to like purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: PEACE

Definition: Harmonious relations; freedom from disputes; the absence of mental stress or anxiety; serenity.

Peace is often described as the absence of war, strife, conflict, or struggles of any kind in our internal or external world.  We all long for peace – a state of ease and harmony – and wish it for others as well: in their homes, their countries and in their hearts. Inner peace is felt as calm, harmony, and a sense of ease deep within our being.  When one is at peace with the present moment, nothing needs to be added to or taken away.

Peace in the world begins within each individual. When we let go of our internal conflicts over what is right and wrong, what is best or worst within ourselves or others, and when we drop the constant comparing, competing and judging of the mind, we silence the mental chatter and can drop into the depths of our hearts.  By breathing deeply from the heart we may able to let go of the mind’s story and move into the moment where peace resides.

Peace is not something we can wait for our leaders – be they political or spiritual – or anyone else to find for us. Peace is arrived at and created by dropping attachments to our “perceived reality”.  Forgiveness, awareness, and kindness further expand the peace that already dwells within us.  Peace is always with us – like a still-point of a spinning top – even when you feel that it is light-years away.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself where your peace is.  When do you feel the most peaceful?  How do you come back to peacefulness?  What would have to happen for you to create more peace in your life?  Perhaps this card is a confirmation of the peace that you are currently experiencing or that is coming to you. 

 

© 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 purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: YES

Definition: Affirmative; affirmation of assent or approval; an expression of great satisfaction.

When we say “YES!” wholeheartedly, every part of our being opens up, and we accept and affirm that which we are saying yes to.  At that moment, there may be a sense of expansion in spirit and soul. If we could see our body’s response when we are experiencing a congruent and enthusiastic “YES!”, I imagine we would see our very pores and cells open up to receive!  When we fully engage, affirming what is happening in the moment, we enter a state of allowance and are able to overcome resistance. 

Often, however, we have been trained to say yes when it is not congruent with our being at a particular time, or in general.  We say yes for multiple reasons: out of obligation, social conformity, so that we don’t hurt another’s feelings, or perhaps to make ourselves feel better.  Worse yet, we may even be forced to say yes through manipulation or other abuses of power; this can create challenges not only in trusting others, but also in experiencing our own “felt sense” of yes.  It is important when we say yes that “all parts” of us are in accord, otherwise we move out of integrity and out of our own deep listening.  When one’s “yes” is half-hearted and not fully engaged, it does not bode well for what one is saying yes to.

Scan your awareness through all the levels of your being, without thinking but rather through sensing and careful noticing.  Do your body, mind, spirit and soul all feel consensual? Feel the difference when you embrace your experience with a “YES!”.  With yes your openness and willingness to embrace what is in the moment and in your life expands all possibilities.  Explore saying yes over and over again to the moment, to all that is happening around you, and to your very being.  Notice how you open up to the world in a huge, positive embrace.

If you have drawn this card, you may be embracing your life, or something in your life with enthusiasm and positivity.  You may be exactly where you need to be at this moment! All systems are go! What are you saying yes to?  Do you say yes when you mean no?  What would it look like to say yes to every moment?  How do you know when your whole being says yes?

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

Every week I shuffle and draw a card to write about and represent the week ahead.  

If you would like to purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: ACTION

Definition: Something done; the state of being active; energetic.

When we are in action, we move, become energized, and actively direct our energies.  When in action, we are in “doing” mode, and our action steps are most often visible in the external world. We are no longer vacillating between the pros and cons of various possibilities or next steps. We have moved beyond pre-contemplative and contemplative stages of change. 

Staying in contemplation for too long can feel as if one is stuck and stagnating. “Taking the bull by the horns”, and moving to action is sometimes what is needed to move us forward and out of indecision, prolonged stagnation or even prolonged sadness. We take action with the choices we make at our own pace, but action of some sort is necessary for change, no matter how big or small the change is in our lives. 

When this card shows up it may be time to move forward and “just do it”. You may want to ask yourself where you need to take action. If you are contemplating something, or stuck in indecision, this may be a sign to take action. Or, perhaps there is much activity around you, and this is confirmation of the action you are already engaged in.  How long do you sit with something before you act?  Are you prone to jump right in or do you slowly wade into change?

 

© 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 purchase, or view the full deck please visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

Direct inquires to info@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: BALANCE

Definition: A state of equilibrium; harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole; equality of distribution; symmetry; composure; poise.

When our life is in balance, both our needs and our interests get enough attention to create fulfillment and produce a feeling of satisfaction.  Though the concept of balance indicates an equal distribution, in our lives it can also refer to our not neglecting important areas of our life that assist us in living harmoniously.

All life is organized in a network and delicately balanced. Therefore, making changes in one area can have repercussions in other areas.  We see this in our ecosystem when our human footprint upsets nature’s equilibrium.  Balance, however, is not a static phenomenon, but rather a dynamic movement that is constantly readjusting itself.  Even when we walk we are readjusting and rebalancing ourselves in a dynamic motion that shifts our weight and center of gravity from one foot to the other. 

When we think of balance in our lives, we often think of the interplay between work and play, our social and personal lives, or between income and expenditures. Our emotional world, too, is an important aspect of our personal lives that benefits from greater balance.  Taking time to learn to move through strong emotions and find our center in the ups and downs of life can result in significant rewards.  

If you have drawn this card you may it may be alerting you to the need for more balance in some area of your life. Have you been focusing on one area of interest at the expense of another?  Are you needing more emotional balance in your life?  Or, perhaps you have already found an equilibrium in your life that reflects an overall calm state.

© 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 purchase, or view the full deck please visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

Direct inquires to info@fuzionhealingarts.com.

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: BEGINNINGS

Definition:  The initial part or section of something

Beginnings – whether a new phase of something or a completely new start – can be exciting and invigorating. During such beginnings, one often feels promise, hope and a freshness of new ideas.  The incubation period is done, roots are taking hold, and one can see evidence of new growth.

When something is in its beginning phase it may still need nurturing and tender loving care. Even though new beginnings can be filled with excitement of new possibilities, there can also be fragility in this early phase.  It may be important to nurture your new beginnings by softening your expectations, and allowing more time and attention to that which is taking birth. Keeping it protected from harsh criticism or defeating points of view – yours or others – may be helpful.

If you have drawn this card you may have recently started a new endeavor, experienced a new way of being, or have embraced new perspectives.  It may feel like a fresh start or, perhaps, something has been cleared or let go of, allowing a new phase to begin.

You may want to ask yourself if there is something new entering your awareness?  Are you starting a new endeavor, or entering a new phase of a project, a new friendship?  Are you psychologically beginning some internal changes?  Do you have a new bounce in your step?

 

© 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.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: HOPE

Definition: The general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled; positive expectations; optimism; intending with the possibility of fulfillment.

Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel, the belief that “this too shall pass”.  Its slightest glimmer can take us out of deepest despair and lead us to our sweetest joys.  When we are hopeful, the resulting emotion creates an energy shift wherein our positive expectations are able to arise and move beyond doubt and negativity. When we are hopeful, the emotional constriction that doubt, fear and despair bring is softened and we are able to move to a place of new possibilities.

While hope is the expectation of positive possibilities, it does not have to be directed towards any one thing in particular. The experience of being hopeful, in and of itself, can open us up to a range of new, and alternative possibilities. Expectations that constrict us clamps down our very life force, whereas hope allows our hearts to open to opportunities of something better.  The expectation of something better and beyond where we are now invites us to entertain and imagine all we can be.  Though hope may seemingly take us beyond the moment, when experienced “in the moment” it allows the heart to open up and expect greater things.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself where in your life you need hope. Is there anything happening around you that is contributing to worries?  Are you hopeful of certain outcomes?  How can you regain and allow your sense of hope to guide your process?  What would it be like for things to turn out better than you ever hoped for? What would have to happen for hope to move you toward positive possibilities?

 

© 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

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: UNFOLDING

Definition: A developmental process; to develop or come to a promising stage; to extend or stretch out from a folded state; movement.

When we are unfolding, we are in a process of becoming – a process that has its own pattern of development unique to every life form.   All things are evolving according to their nature.  We can assist the process to some degree – mostly by assuring that our environment is at its most conducive to this unfolding.

When a fern emerges from the earth, you can see, in the coiled fiddlehead, the fern that it is to become; its wholeness is compacted into a tight coil.  In this tightly wound fiddlehead we know and can see that the process of coming to maturation is underway.

The Unfolding card is about movement and the energy of things developing according to their unique design.  All things have stages of unfolding, be it a creative project, a relationship, or an emotional process such as takes place during grief and loss.  Sometimes it is difficult to trust that things are working out as they “should”, particularly when there is no tangible evidence, and there is no way of seeing the trajectory.

When this card has been drawn it may be a confirmation that things are evolving in the way they need to. This can be a reassurance and a reminder to trust the process, and hold the space.  Sometimes we can do damage to the natural growth of something by attempting to artificially speed up the process.  The fiddlehead cannot unfurl faster than it can, to push it would be to damage the life that is to become. Sometimes we perceive slow growth as “bad” when it is simply a process of unfolding.

 

Some questions that may be helpful when this card arises are:  Where do I need to honor a process in my life?  What is unfolding at this moment?  Am I trying to hasten a process?  How can I relax into the knowing that things are unfolding just as they should?  What would it be like to be more in the flow and movement of life?

 

© 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 purchase, or view the full deck please visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

Direct inquires to info@fuzionhealingarts.com

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: WHOLENESS

 

Definition: An undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting; integrity; unity; a coherent system of parts working together as one.

When we are whole, we feel complete, fulfilled, and that nothing needs to be added or taken away from the moment or from ourselves.  This sense of fulfillment is neither contingent upon experiencing simple pleasures in life, nor from achieving lofty accomplishments.  The experience of wholeness usually comes from a sense that all aspects of one’s self are aligned in dynamic harmony.

As we move through life, we may encounter difficulties that shock us, or we may suffer losses, some of which may feel so devastating they shake us down to our core.  Very strong emotional experiences can create deep injury to Self, wherein parts of our emotional world may become frozen and lost to us.  We may become unbalanced in body, mind, soul and spirit.  Coming back into our wholeness is a journey of healing and reclaiming and accepting all parts of ourselves.  We are greater than the sum of our parts.

If you have drawn this card it may indicate a movement towards or a confirmation of an inherent integrity of someone or something.  You may want to explore how integrity impacts you at this moment.  What do you need in your life to feel whole?  Do you make choices that will allow you to flow towards wholeness on all levels of your being?  As you examine your collection of moving parts, is something missing or misaligned?  Are you only expressing part of yourself?

 

© 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. 

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards are now available for purchase! If you would like to order or view a video of  the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: RETREAT

Definition: Withdrawal; a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet; withdrawal for prayer, study, or meditation; to pull back or move away from.

Moving inward is a natural rhythm of nature.  After the abundant growth of summer, and the letting go of fall, winter provides us a natural pause and movement inward.  We all need to retreat once in a while, to have a break from our normal routine, and to move our attention inward to reevaluate, refresh and integrate our experiences.

These sojourns are often seen as an inward journey to the stillness of one’s soul for connection, answers or rejuvenation. Generally introverts need to schedule periodic withdrawals more frequently than extroverts. We may go on retreats for a day, a week or a month; sometimes whole lives are dedicated to this inward journey.

Retreats, however, do not have to be a formal event. They can be times that we set aside throughout our day to cut down on distractions, reflect, recharge and have a more inward focus.  Mini-retreats such as meditation, journaling, prayer, or simply sitting in stillness are ways that we can turn inward.  These mini-retreats can be helpful to maintain centeredness in our busy lives. 

At times retreats may simply be taking a breather from something that has required much of our focus.  The act of distancing can be helpful in allowing us to see more clearly.

If you have chosen this card you may benefit from some stillness, quieting your mind, or journeying within for answers.  Perhaps it may indicate a project, or that the subject of your question is paused for reevaluation.  Do you need to withdraw to get an alternate perspective?  Or perhaps someone around you is retreating.

 

© 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.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: PROTECTION

Definition: The act of shielding from danger, injury, destruction or damage; to safeguard the integrity of something; to guard or defend.

Moving into a protective stance is something that we naturally do when there is a potential threat.  It can be seen at the microscopic level wherein our cells have defense mechanisms to identify and guard against organisms that may be detrimental to them.  Similarly, our bodies move instinctively when we fall by raising our hands as a shield. All organisms have a built-in biological mechanism for self-preservation.

These same protective mechanisms can be seen on emotional and spiritual levels and similarly usually arise when there is a threat to the integrity of our being. Each person has a “set-point" as to when they need to move to a protective stance.  Some highly sensitive people may feel the need to shield themselves more than others, whereas others may be more “thick skinned”. 

When you are feeling apprehensive and perhaps the need to protect, it is important to honor these feelings and do whatever is necessary to feel protected: lock the door, energetically shield yourself, back up your hard drive.  Often these impulses need to be acted upon, and when people do not they have regrets.  On the other hand it is also important to reflect on the nature of the apprehension and identify where the apprehensions originate – from internal unresolved fears, external threats, or both.

When this card arises it may be confirming some unconscious apprehensions you have been feeling.  Is there something integral to you or in your environment that needs to be safeguarded? Are you perhaps being overprotective?  Where in your life (do you need? Not sure what you mean) to safeguard something? Is there anything happening around you that is contributing to feeling unsafe?  Are you feeling protective of your space, your time, or your energy?

© 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 purchase or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products .  Should you wish to order a deck, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: OPENING

Definition: Any empty space in or between things; a ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise; becoming open, or being made open; an opportunity; a vacant or unobstructed space; the first of a series of actions.

 

When we experience an opening in our life it is as if a door has opened up and an opportunity presents itself that was not there previously.  Sometimes these openings come into our lives when we are not even looking or aware that we need a change; but suddenly we experience a relief, a shift, or a release.  This shift takes us out of our normal routine and our usual way of seeing, and prompts us to take notice.  It can be as dramatic as the sun peeking through the clouds on an overcast day, or perhaps more subtle as a gentle shift of feelings through music. 

Opening may be experienced as a new perspective, interest, or even making a connection with someone that proves later to be an important one.  In order to experience it, it is important to remain open to possibility, not be so quick to judge circumstances; to  don an attitude of observation, and allow new information to come to light.

When you pull this card you may notice opportunities that were not there before, a solution or a way out of a dilemma is found. Sometimes you can take actions that create openings in your life.  Such things as: clearing your space, your calendar, or simply bookmarking “open” time.  Perhaps you are embarking on a new venture and would benefit from the ritual of an opening ceremony?  Whatever you do to welcome the space for this new energy, holding a nonjudgmental and observational stance will allow you to move into more “apertures of possibility”.

Here are some questions that may be helpful to ask yourself. Is my judging mind or critical stance preventing me from noticing possibilities? How can I stay present to the moment and notice alternate solutions?  How can I find an opening in each moment of my life?  Are there actions I can take that facilitate and welcome something new?

 

© 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.  

 

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards are now available for purchase! If you would like to order or view the full deck visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products . For questions email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: LOVE

Definition: a strong positive emotion of regard and affection; used as term of endearment; a deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction.

When we love someone or something, we have a feeling of fullness and wholeness that is experienced in the heart center and can expand outward throughout our whole being. This feeling is often accompanied by openness, expansiveness and a deep abiding connection to what one cares for. In loving there is both an acceptance of, and attention toward, someone or something.  This acceptance is – at its deepest level – unconditional positive regard.

Having unconditional acceptance and love for another takes practice, patience and awareness. Sometimes such acceptance is easily achieved in relationships, but most often, our personal desires to be seen and met in a particular way drive our expectations in different directions. Our expectations, judgments, and resistance can ultimately create strong barriers to our sense of connection. Loving requires deep self-examination to determine where we judge others and ourselves.

Love can never be acquired, manipulated, bought, or forced. Love is an energy that is experienced only through its giving, and its movement is outward from our center. It arises from total acceptance, appreciation and attention to “what is”. Grasping for things to fill us only temporarily satisfies a desire that has its origins in scarcity and fear.  We can never be filled from the outside in – be it through food, material objects, or another person.  Love’s movement is from the inside out: “love is an inside job.”

Mystics and sages have called this energy in its purest essence “divine love” – and this energy has been considered the cohesive force of the universe itself. Learning to love is our soul purpose. Some say it is not learning per se, but rather remembering our inherent connection to all life.

If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself where in your life you are experiencing love. Can you find confirmation of an abiding presence of love?  How are you embodying love? How can you expand the love that is within and in your environment?  How can you bring more love to each and every situation? Are you seeking someone or something else to fill you?

© 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.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: TRUST

Definition: A feeling of certainty; believing in the honesty and reliability of others; confidence in a person or plan. 

When we trust in someone, something, or the world, we generally have greater confidence that things will work out. When we trust others, we become open and receptive in relationships, allowing for experiences of connectedness and intimacy.  Trusting the world around us requires a general optimism and faith that allows us to take steps forward and take risks in new endeavors. The more trust we have in our lives, the more we can move into a flow of being in which we feel supported and connected to a deeper fabric of existence – whatever happens. 

Our ability to trust is strongly influenced by our experiences in our early childhood relationships and environment. A sense of security established in the early part of our lives provides a template for future relationships. If we weren’t able to feel secure, we may put up walls of protection, and fear can hamper our ability to move forward in the world. Trust is basic to our very being, giving us the confidence we need to grow and the ability to be fully present. However, even if early circumstances hampered our ability to rely on others, we can still learn to trust through corrective experiences, step-by-step.

We can experience trust on either an emotional or cognitive level. On an emotional level, trust is felt as assuredness, faith, optimism and confidence about oneself, relationships, and the world at large. On a cognitive level, we make logical and rational assessments of situations that help us discern whether there will be greater gain than loss. When we trust without the qualities of discernment, we may end up being disappointed. When we are unable to trust emotionally, we risk losing the joy of connection in our relational world. Ideally, our experience of trust has both emotional and cognitive components. As the Sufi saying goes: “Trust in God, but tie up your camel.” 

 If you have pulled this card, you may want to ask yourself some questions about trust in your life.  Are you able to trust?  Has your trust been compromised?  Do you need greater trust in your own abilities? Perhaps you need more trust in the world, that things are unfolding just as they should, and that you will be able to meet the challenge of whatever comes your way. 

 

© 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.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: STRENGTH

Definition: The quality of being physically or mentally strong; physical energy or intensity; power to resist stress or force.

We often think of strength in physical terms. However, there are other kinds of strength such as inner strength that is far more lasting than the physical strength of our impermanent bodies.  Inner strength helps us endure life’s vicissitudes or be a rock of support for others.  It propels us forward when outer circumstances seem to be a challenge.  It holds up and strengthens our character, as muscles do to our physical body.    

When we have inner strength we can take a stand and call upon inner resources that assist us in moving through more difficult moments, or in dealing with temptations that may challenge our goals, or personal integrity.  When we have “strength’”, we have qualities that are beneficial in achieving accomplishments in life, be they career, relational or personal goals.   Inner strengths can be qualities we naturally have, as part of our temperament, or ones we develop through life.

Though strength may at times be about endurance and stamina, inner strength is also about knowing when to yield and when to temper our strength with benevolence and compassion.  Strength is not to be confused with force aggression, or stubbornness.

If you have drawn this card you may want to ask yourself if you need to tap into your inner strength to move through a situation.  Perhaps you need to be the “point person”, holding the strength for others.  It may simply reflect that you have the inner strength you need and that it is time to step into your strength.

You may want to ask yourself, where do I need more strength?  How can I exercise my inner strength?  Is my strength needed in a situation I am part of?  How can I honor and recognize the strength that I already have?  What are the strength and qualities that I bring with me to any situation?

© 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 click Soul Navigation Cards on the navigation bar, or email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

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

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: Communication

Definition: the activity of conveying information; a connection allowing access between person or places; an exchange between two or more people in a group; transmitting information thoughts and feelings.

Communication is the act of exchanging information about ourselves, and the world around us.  It enables connection to others, our external world and our inner world.  We engage in an interchange of ideas, feelings and thoughts, as well as a myriad of other possible exchanges that may be out of the range of our conscious awareness. 

Communication is a two-way street, in that we are both sending and receiving information.  This exchange is both expressed and perceived in numerous ways with verbal communication being the most obvious.  However, over 70% of communication is non-verbal and includes: gestures, subtle facial expressions, sounds, intonations, actions and non-actions, and even more subtly, the energy we bring into the conversation.

Optimally, communication is respectful, with an overall balanced exchange between listening and talking, sending and receiving.  Oftentimes however, our communication can go awry.  We may not feel heard, have difficulties expressing ourselves, or perhaps we are too expressive and possibly dominate the conversation, cutting off others’ dialogue and even our own ability to receive.  Sometimes our communication difficulties involve our own internal dialogue.  We may need to pay attention to our self-talk, and even the way our soul is speaking to us. 

When you pull this card, it may be time to pay greater attention to your communication.  Notice how you are engaging, or not engaging in dialogue.  Are you feeling heard?  Are you expressing your needs? What stops you from expressing yourself? What are you communicating?  What is the emotional tone of your conversations?  What are your “non-verbal’s” conveying?  Are you open and receptive to what others are communicating? Are there communications of spirit or soul that are needing your attention?

 

© 2010 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/produts .

 

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

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: FREEDOM

Definition: the condition of being free; the power to act, speak or think without externally imposed restraints; ease; unreservedness; without a felt sense of obligation or duty.

Freedom is the condition of feeling unrestricted and without limitations: free from emotions that may constrict our ability to be fully present, and free from physical limitations that may constrict our well-being. Freedom brings with it a sense of ease of movement, and allows for spontaneity and full expression of self.  Ultimate freedom is experiencing this lightness of being and unencumbered spirit on all levels.

In Greek mythology, when Heroes were sent to Hades (hell) they were usually subjected to a punishment of a repetitive never-ending task that they had no power over, as though they had gone unconscious and lost their will and ability to choose.  Similarly, when we are caught in destructive habits – be they related to habits of action, thought or emotions – we have lost conscious choice and are encumbered by habits or addiction. At such times, our own internal complexes may restrict our freedom.  At other times, impediments to our own freedom may come from being weighed down by too many responsibilities.

When limitations seem impossible to change or seem in the distant future, remembering or imagining what it is like to be free allows one’s spirit to remember its essence, and transcend the illusion of restriction to forge a path toward regaining one’s freedom.

If you have chosen this card it may be a confirmation of the freedom and ease that is upon you.  Or perhaps it is time to look at what may be restricting your freedom internally or externally.  It may be time to pay attention to freedom in your life and what it means to you.

If you were to allow yourself more freedom what would it look like? If you were to exercise the freedoms that are inherently yours what would you do?  What are the constraints – real or imagined – that you can let go of to recapture your freedom?  Where have you given away your freedom to unconscious choices? If you were to spread your wings, where would you fly?

© 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 will be available for purchase in  July 1 2011.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: INSPIRATION

Definition:  Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling; something that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention; a sudden creative act or idea; the quality of inspiring or exalting; divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind; the act of drawing in, especially the inhalation of air into the lungs.

To be inspired is to feel bursts of creativity, motivation, flashes of insight or ideas that propel us forward. Inspiration can come from something that moves us deeply. It motivates us towards creative endeavors,and elevates our spirit. Inspiration can help us regain motivation when it is lost, bringing the breath of new ideas to life. 

The word inspiration literally means to “breathe in”, or “breathe upon”. Historically, it has been associated with a form of divinely-directed, inspired, or mystically-imbued “communication”. The Greeks called upon the muses and gods for inspiration. Jung saw inspiration as coming from the personal and collective unconscious - the dwelling place of racial memory and archetypal schemas.

If you have pulled this card, be open to inspiration, and notice when you are inspired.  You may either already be in touch with your inspired self or something that is motivating you, or you may need to delve deeper to reconnect with what moves you. If your are already duly inspired, this card may suggest it is time to take notice of this state, and allow it to grow. To follow one’s internal inspirations is to follow one’s bliss.

Are you living your bliss? When was the last time you felt inspired? Where did you feel this inspiration came from? What inspires you and how can you bring more of what inspires you into your life?  Is it time to act on your inspirations?

 

© 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 will be available for purchase in mid June 2011.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: STRUCTURE

 

Definition: morphology, form; the organization of something; the manner of construction of something and the management of its parts.

Without structure there would be no form. Structure provides a framework within which life arranges itself. Our skeleton provides the basic structure around which our bodies are formed, without which we would fall into a heap. Similarly, organizations, language and society all depend on structural elements that provide a framework or form from which their elements arise.

Structure is a principle that organizes life and allows things to take shape.  Our individual lives are usually structured around meaning, value and beliefs.  They provide the impetus for our choices, which determine our daily routine or structure.

In our daily lives, it is helpful if structural elements upon which we depend are flexible enough to adapt to life’s many changes. Excessive rigidity in structures keeps one locked into a way of being that hampers one’s growth – this is true on both the individual and collective level. On the other hand, excessive flexibility or fluidity in structure leads to a dissipation of energy and often elements do not take shape and fully actualize. 

When you pull this card, you may want to examine the structures in your own life – both internally and externally. External structures can include organizational or societal elements that can be overbearing or restricting on one hand or, essentially non-existent and lacking on the other. Internal structures are beliefs and assumptions through which we perceive the world and see ourselves.  Are you working under old frameworks?  Perhaps you are lacking a framework and way of containing the energy you are bringing into your life.

Do you need more structure in your life, or has it become too rigid?  Do you need to reorganize the current structures in your life?  Is attachment to your routine and structure your sense of security?  In what ways is your structure helping you? In what ways is it hindering you?

 

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bamic 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 will be available for purchase in mid June 2011.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: DIRECTION

Definition: the act of setting and holding a course; the concentration of attention or energy on something; the spatial relation between something; a general course along which something has a tendency to develop; something that provides advice as to a decision or course of action; a message describing how something is to be done.

Direction moves us towards our intentions, goals, or life vision, providing a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives and in our day-to-day activities.  A sense of direction guides our choices, movement, and the paths we take, moving us forward towards our goal, and unfolding Self.

Sometimes our direction is clear and focused, choices are obvious and there is a strong sense of progression towards our goals.  At other times our direction may seem unclear, guided by a sense of what we do not want or by what feels good in the moment. When we are guided by an inner knowing that is congruent with our soul – or deeper sense of self – direction may still not be clear, however a resounding “YES” in your whole being affirms the correctness of your path.

When you get this card it may be time to review the direction you are taking in your various life paths. Perhaps you need to concentrate your energies on what you are wanting to achieve, or on becoming more aligned with your goals or life vision. Recalling our direction reaffirms meaning and purpose in our activities and can reinvigorate our motivation.

Do you need to clarify your direction?  Are you moving aimlessly? Or, is your direction in line with your life vision, or with your soul’s path? Are your current direction and vision in conflict? Are the choices you make directing you towards your deepest goals?  Do you feel that you know what you want but not how to get there?

© 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

“We need a path, not to go from here to there, but to go from here to here”.  Jakusho Kwong

“It furthers one to have somewhere to go”. I Ching

 

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 will be available for purchase in June 2011.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: OBSTACLES

Definition:  a person or thing that opposes, hinders, or holds up progress; something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted.

When you pull this card there may be something blocking your desired goals, destination or achievements.  Obstacles are an impediment of your natural progression, and as with most things, obstacles may originate from within, without, or from an interplay of the two. 

Externally, obstacles can originate from a multitude of things: weather, traffic, mail delivery problems, unexpected delays, etc.  Internally, obstacles may be attitudes, outdated belief systems, or ineffective approaches towards your goal that may be blocking you.

Obstacles may become stronger through our resistance to them.  It is thus helpful to explore the nature of the obstacles we are encountering. Though obstacles may be frustrating at their onset, they may have a beneficial value in the long term.  For example, a delay may cause us to revise plans in a way that ultimately brings improvement; the obstacles can make us stronger, and more appreciative of what we have gained.  Obstacles may often lead to opportunity, lessons or benefits.  Sometimes they are felt as large insurmountable boulders on our path.  At other times, they are like fog, easily burned through by the light of the sun. 

What is the purpose of any obstacles you may be facing?  What are you learning through these obstacles? What happens when you accept the nature of the obstacle?  Is your will in alignment with your spirit?  Are there inner obstacles, beliefs, or other hindrances that are obstructing you?

 © 2010 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 will be available for purchase in June 2011.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: RELATIONSHIPS

 

Definition: a relation between people; a state involving mutual dealings between people or parties or countries; a state of connectedness between people; relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption; family relationship.

Relationships are of paramount importance in our life, from our primary relationships in early childhood that lay the groundwork for other interactions, to our sibling relationships, friendships, and deeper intimate ones. Relationships are fundamental to our learning, our growth, and connectedness in the world.  We are after all social animals despite the occasional recluse, and occasional retreats from socializing.

When in relationship our interactions become as a dance that is ever changing in rhythm. This dance can be sometimes graceful and smooth, boring and uninteresting, full of tension, and other times seemingly unskilled.  How do we meet each change in tempo?  Do we blame the other for their lack of skill, do we try and work on our rhythm as a team, or on our own, do we keep changing partners hoping to find the best dancer, or do we give up on dancing all together.

In relationships we can be deeply seen, met, and accepted just as we are. Relationships are where we learn to love more deeply, loving and accepting ourselves, and the other person.  Dropping our agendas, our hurts, and expectations we become vulnerable, we allow ourselves to be seen, we allow ourselves to see the other. 

It is easy to forget the importance of relationships, especially when other commitments get in the way or when the dance is not the way we wanted it to be.  All relationships are important from life partners, intimate friends, light-hearted friendships, acquaintances, and people we meet in our day-to-day comings and goings.  The most important relationship is the relationship we have with our self, for this relationship informs all other relationships.

If this card has come up you may want to examine the nature of your relationships. Is it time to pay more attention to your relationships? Have you lost yourself in your relationship?  Do you need to re-examine your relationship? Are you opening your heart in relationship?  Do you feel seen, and are you seeing the other?  What is your relationship like with yourself?

© 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 will be available for purchase in June 2011.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: GRATITUDE

Definition: A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation; the state of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favor received.

“Gratitude is the mother of all virtues.” 

-Marcus Cicero

When we are grateful, we experience a feeling akin to love. Our heart opens up in appreciation to that which we are grateful for, and we may experience an expansiveness throughout our whole being.

Gratitude is one of the most important feelings to cultivate in our lives.  Cultivation of gratitude involves noticing and appreciating that which we so often overlook - from a blade of grass, or a roof over our heads, to a supportive loved one. Finding gratitude towards life’s challenges - though difficult - greatly reduces stress and depression, and increases overall resiliency to future challenges. Perspectives change more easily and appreciating abundance in the moment becomes more evident.

Gratitude, in its pure essence, without attachment or dependency, opens the heart and one’s feeling of connectedness to people and the world around us. Feelings of isolation and separateness decrease. When we are grateful for both the mundane and the significant, painful things in our lives, we become open to the subtler ways in which we are deeply connected to all life. The synchronicity and magic of every moment becomes poignant and charged with appreciation, creating a ripple effect in the world around us. Gratitude exercises the heart of your soul. With an open and loving heart, all things are possible.

If you have chosen this card, explore the meaning of gratitude for you. Do you need more gratitude in your life, or is this a confirmation of your growing appreciation that now exists? How often you express your gratitude? Do you need to increase your expression of gratitude? What are you grateful for? How can you find gratitude even during life’s challenges?

© 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 will be available for purchase in June 2011.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

 

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: PURIFICATION

Definition: the process of cleansing by getting rid of impurities; refining, refinement; a ceremonial cleansing from defilement or uncleanness by the performance of appropriate rites; the act of purging of sin or guilt; moral or spiritual cleansing.

When we engage in the act of purification, we are essentially cleansing or removing impurities from whatever we are focusing on is, be it drinking water, our bodies, or our soul. Cross-culturally there are numerous ways we purify ourselves, including: cleansing our bodies with daily showers or detox regimens; space clearing with sacred smoke or sound; or, soul clearing rituals such as sweat lodges, chanting, or religious confessionals. These rituals assist symbolically or in other ways by helping us rid ourselves of something we perceive as being misaligned with our self, or our soul essence.

If you have pulled this card take stock as to whether you are feeling the need for something to be purified within your physical body, emotional body or outer world. Sometimes the need for purification may be particularly pressing in a crisis or during a strong emotional charge caused by something that persists over an inordinately long time. If one has been ignoring one’s inner signals, the outer environment may bring an externally-driven crisis to us. At these times we may benefit by simply cleansing our workspace, or by tackling a mounting “to do” pile.

Though the process may not always be enjoyable, purification can be seen as a needed preparation for a new phase.  It is a way of “rebooting” or “cleaning the slate” before moving forward.

Are there some strong repetitive emotional charges that need to be “cleansed” in your life? How are experiences you may be going through a part of your cleansing process?   When is it time for some “spring cleaning”?  What are you needing to clear out before moving forward more freely?

 © 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 will be available for purchase in 4 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: LEARNING

Definition: The cognitive process of acquiring a skill or knowledge through inquiry or other effort; getting to know, or becoming aware of something; gaining knowledge.

Learning is something we do daily. We interact with our external environment and adjust ourselves accordingly. Learning can pertain to acquiring new skills or knowledge, such as learning a new language, or it can refer to more internal processes such as learning the language of one’s psyche.

We learn best when we are open and receptive to taking in new information and integrating it into our life. Though we are always learning and adjusting ourselves to the external environment, we may have different areas where we are more receptive to learning than others. 

Learning is not always easy. It can be difficult when we feel coerced or are forced to learn something new by life's challenges.  At these times, we are more likely to come upon our own areas of rigidity or defensive posturing than when we invite our learning. The Greeks called this pathei mathos – through suffering there is learning.  Learning comes most easily when we engage inquiry, decrease resistance to let something new in and integrate it.

The axiom of “know thyself” reflects a process of internal learning that can lead us towards a deeper understanding of ourselves, others, and the world.  It suggests that a key to our contentment and peace in this world revolves around deeper self knowledge.

If you have chosen this card, reflect on what you may be learning about now.  Are you open to this learning, or are you resisting?  What is your learning process?  Are you patient or are you hard on yourself for not knowing already? What are you resisting learning?

 

© 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 will be available for purchase in 4 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: COMPLETION

Definition: The state of being complete; culmination; closing; concluding of an action; winding up; “bring to a head”; fulfillment.

Completion refers to the end of a cycle, the natural conclusion or fulfillment of the course of something.  Completion does not necessarily indicate a full finish or ending, but rather the close of a cycle or phase.  Natural cycles have phases which over time “come full circle.”  Completion in nature is seen in natural cycles such as: sunrise to sunset, spring until winter’s end or birth until death. 

Completion may also refer to a conclusion of a project, or a phase of a project.  Psychologically, completion may refer to a need for internal resolution of an emotional matter.  Often there is  “unfinished business” being resolved within us personally - or in our interpersonal relationships – that require completion. 

When completion is reflected as a state of being, it may be accompanied with other feelings such as peace, tranquility, or wholeness.  In this state nothing needs to be added to or subtracted from yourself or the moment.  All is well, whole and compete as it is.  One can say that each and every moment holds within it its own completion, completeness - its own wholeness.  This is true “perfection” – the perception that everything is as it should be at every given moment.

If you have chosen this card, reflect on natural cycles and sense of completion within you and the world around you.  Is there something that has run its course and needs to be completed?  Has something ended its natural cycle?  Is there some nagging emotional residue that needs corrective emotional conclusion?  Are you feeling a growing sense of fulfillment within?

 

 © 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 will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: EARTH

Definition: The third planet from the Sun; the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface; the ground forming part of an electrical circuit; according to Empedocles, one of four elements composing the universe.

Earth is the substance of life itself, - the rocks, clay, sand and soil from which emerge the trees, plants, and all creatures.  Symbolically, it is the substance from which matter emerges into manifestation.  Some cosmologies see earth as the clay from which our physical bodies were formed. Mother earth, Gaia, and Demeter are all associated with archetypes of the Earth Mother.

Earth holds the qualities of nurturing, strength, steadfastness, and creativity in that it supports and nurtures growth.  It is connected to the physical dimension and the realm of the senses.  In our language we have sayings such as: “down to earth”, “earth mother”, and “earthy” that reflect our perceptions of a practical, level-headed and caring person.

When you pick the earth card reflect on the deeper meaning of earth for you in your life.  It may be time to tune into your body, to pay attention to your physical needs, to slow down, and perhaps become more grounded.   It may be time to “get your hands in the soil”, to practice patience and honor the growth of whatever you are nurturing.  Perhaps it is time to contemplate your connection with the web of life on this planet, become more aware of and honor all the ways this earth sustains us, and reflect on the spirit of true stewardship.

Are you needing to ground your energies?  How do you connect with the “groundedness” of your own being?  How do you feel when you spend time in nature? How to you listen to and honor your physical body?  How do you listen to and honor the needs of the biosphere of our planet earth?

 

 © 2011 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

For a beautiful Essene blessing for mother earth visit http://humanityhealing.net/

 

 

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 RODUPCTS on the navigation page of this blog.

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: WATER

Definition: A molecule that at room temperature takes the form of a clear colorless liquid; according to Empedocles, one of 4 elements composing the universe; a liquid necessary for life; a major component of the earth’s surface.

Water is a very powerful and important substance.  It sustains all life and is more important and precious to us than all the gems, minerals and gold in the world.  Symbolically, water represents emotions, feelings, and the unconscious - its properties are seen as formless and limitless.  In alchemy, water is required for the first stages of transmutation.  Some cosmologies see water as the preserver of life circulating throughout the whole universe, and where all life is born.  Chinese tradition suggests that all life comes from waters, the abode of dragons.  Ancient Mesopotamian peoples saw water as symbolic of unfathomable impersonal wisdom.

When you pick the water card reflect on the deeper meaning of water to you in your life.  It may be time to go inward and tune in to what is going on for you emotionally.  Perhaps it is time to be more present to your feelings and just allow them to be, without controlling or analyzing them.  You may need a good cry and to allow feelings to flow through you as waves on a shore.  It may be that you are experiencing overwhelming emotions.  Honor them, as they will teach you great lessons and eventually balance with time. Like water, emotions can be very cleansing and purifying as we allow them to flow through us.

It may be time to reflect on the “fluidity” in your life – is your life moving too slow, too fast, do you need to be more fluid and allowing?  How can you be more in the flow?

How can you honor your feelings?  How do you allow waves of emotions and feelings to move through you?  What is your relationship to your emotions and feelings?  Do you welcome your feelings, dam them up or become quickly flooded?

 

 © 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. 

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: HIGHER SELF

Definition: The part of you that holds all aspects of you; wise self; true self; the atman; beyond personal self; transcendent self.

The Higher Self is that part of our being that holds the whole of our being – all aspects of ourselves. It is an expanded felt sense of self, and goes beyond the personal: beyond ego, beyond references to time and space.  Consequently, it holds a greater vision and sense of our inherent wholeness and how to move towards this wholeness.  When we are connected to Higher Self we may feel deeply integrated and whole, and have a sense of guidance by a wise knowing part of self.

Higher Self is you – an expanded, connected divine aspect of you.  You may feel more connected to it in moments of calm clarity, of creative flow or inspiration, or during times of joyfulness and deep loving connection.  Some believe that the spiritual path is about learning to sustain connection to this part of ourselves.

If you have pulled this card it may be helpful to take some time and go within, connect to this expanded aspect of you and listen to what your wise self is saying.  Listen to the subtle ways in which this wise knowing directs you.  Perhaps you are already deeply connected and this is a confirmation that you are connected. 

How do you know when you are connected to Higher Self?  How do you feel when you are connected to this aspect of you?  How do you feel when you are out of connection to your Higher Self?  How do you reconnect with your Higher Self?

© 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. 

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com.  To view all the cards visit www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: SENSITIVITY

Definition: responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation; the ability to respond to physical stimuli or to register small physical amounts or differences; sensitivity to emotional feelings of self and other; the ability to respond to affective changes in one’s interpersonal environment.

When you pull this card you may be more perceptive, receptive and responsive to what is happening around you or within you. Your five senses - your perceptual abilities – and perhaps more importantly, your “sixth sense”, or intuitive faculty, may be heightened beyond the normal range, and you may be able to sense more subtle realms.

When a person has heightened ‘unconscious awareness’ it may be a recipe for feeling a little “crazy”, for one’s perceptions are not easily validated. Some people have such strong sensitivity to others that they take on their emotional or physical pain.  They are often referred to as “empaths”.  You may be an empath, and your empathic abilities may be heightened now. 

Trusting your senses is primary. However, what you are sensing may be subtle, so it is important to tune in to your center, and seek more clarity about what you are sensing and what you are responding to. From this “still point” you will be better able to differentiate between your sensitivity and your personal response. You have entered into reactivity when external events, situations, or people activate a strong emotional response that dominates your feelings and clouds your ability to see clearly. This does not discount what you are sensing. At these times it is important to carefully filter, identify and separate your personal emotional responses to help provide clarity.

How do you experience your sensitivity?  Do you use your sensitivity to navigate through the world?  Do you find yourself overwhelmed by strong emotional undercurrents? How do you determine when your sensitivity is over activating your own emotional charges?  

 © 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. Should you wish to view the whole deck vislt www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products, or youtube 

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email leslie@fuzionhealingarts.com

 

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: BOUNDARIES

Definition: A line or plane indicating the farthest limit or extent of something; border; perimeter; the greatest possible degree of something; the marked limit of the playing area; parameters; threshold or dividing line demarcating one thing from another.

Boundaries are the limits and guidelines that we set for ourselves. Their development involves multiple psychosocial factors involving physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of self. They mark the edges of our comfort zone and define us as individuals, but they are also the places where we come together and meet each other. Without boundaries we would not be able to tell where one thing starts and another ends. 

When psychological boundaries are too soft, we may give in too easily in situations or find ourselves taken advantage of. We may continually give in to something that intrinsically feels wrong for us – we may lack the self-esteem to say no. When psychological boundaries are too rigid, on the other hand, we may be cool and “walled-off”, unapproachable, and not open to the influence of the world around us. We may also be unable to accept another’s well-meaning support, because we may lack the self-assuredness to tolerate differences.  The happy medium is having selective and flexible boundaries, that allows both protection and interaction.

Trust is the psychological membrane that holds the boundaries together. When trust is misused, through abuse, dominance, disrespect, neglect, or when one is taken advantage of by another, the container of mutuality and safety where relationships grow is breached and requires repair.

When this card is picked it may be time to examine your boundaries. Take a moment to reflect on your boundaries. Are they ever infringed upon?  Perhaps you are saying yes, despite feeling no.  Is it time to firm up your boundaries and to start exercising your right to say “no”, or “maybe”?  Are you infringing on someone else’s boundaries?

© 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. 

Please note:  Soul Navigation Cards will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, please email info@fuzionhealingarts.com.  To view all the cards go to http://www.fuzionhealingarts.com/products.html.

Soul Navigation Card of the Week: UNIVERSE

Definition: All matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole; macrocosm; cosmos; the entire aggregation of items from which samples can be drawn; the sphere or realm in which something exists or takes place.

The universe is vast.  To begin to comprehend its vastness, with our rational mind is beyond our abilities, and yet we are a part of this amazing universe.  By taking a “transrational” perspective we can begin to embrace all that is.  You are in the universe, and the universe is in you.  Perhaps it is time to honor your place in this universe and take your place in this vastness, no matter how big or small you feel you are.  

It may also be time to take a broader perspective of your current situation.  When you take some distance, the intensity of any emotional charge around your concerns may change.  The further out you get, the less problematic your situation may seem, and the more facets of your situation you may see.  If you were as far away as the Milky Way how would your situation look?  This is not to dismiss your concerns, but to find solutions from a different, perhaps more objective perspective – even when things may seem chaotic, confusing, or filled with uncertainty.

All is happening within a natural order of the universe, which is not always comprehensible from our perspective.  It may be that there are many other things falling into place without your knowledge.

Where are you in your universe?  How are you co-creating your universe?  By pulling back from your situation, how does it change as you get further away from it?

“…You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” (Desiderata -Max Ehrmann)

“The Human being is a space, an opening where the universe celebrates its experience.”  Brian Swimme

“There is no universe outside this mind.” – Zen saying

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:  Soul Navigation Cards will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks.  Should you wish to reserve a copy for the next printing, 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.

Oracle Card of the Week: PATIENCE

Definition: good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence; calmly or diligently enduring.

Whenever I get this card, I sometimes notice a twinge of irritation arising in me that usually means I need to stop pushing, slow down and allow myself and/or others to move through their process of unfolding.  In short, I need more patience.

Sometimes we have a lot of patience in certain areas of our life and not in others.  Some people may have copious amounts of patience teaching complicated material, or caring for the young, and yet none while driving.  Often we have the least amount of patience for ourselves. 

Regardless of our level of patience, there are usually situations or places where we can apply more patience.  I have never heard anyone ever say, “That person has too much patience.” Patience is not a resignation to the endurance of pain or discomfort.  Patience is the belief or expectation that everything will eventually work out and change for the better, that “this too shall pass.”

When this card shows up, you may want to ask yourself where you need more patience for yourself, others or in the world around you.   Where do you have the most patience?  Where do you have the least?  Imagine what it would feel like to extend patience to yourself. 

© 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.

Oracle Card of the Week: AGITATION

Definition: a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance; turbulent change or development; the feeling of being agitated; the act of agitating something causing it to move around.

When you select this card it may bring attention to areas of your life where you are experiencing agitation.  You may want to ask yourself if your agitation comes from an external or internal source, or both.  Your internal desires may not be in alignment with your external environment.

Agitation may be internally felt as frustration, irritability and anger - perhaps your will or desires seem to be continually frustrated.  Externally, you may be experiencing your environmental circumstances as not cooperating with what you are trying to do.  No matter how hard you try to control, organize, or push through it, things seem to not be working out.  This card may also bring awareness that someone near you, or in your environment is affecting you in a similar way, or that they are in a state of agitation.

If you are experiencing agitation, it may be important to ask yourself, “What are you resisting?”  How is your idea of what you want, or your view of how things should be, interfering with your ability to enjoy the moment?  What do you need to release in order to come back to your center? How is your resistance to “what is”, creating frustration and turmoil in your life

© 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.

Oracle Card of the Week: (Blank)

Definition: Empty; void; the unknowable; the divine; spirit; limitless; unbounded.

When you choose this card it is a reminder of your limitlessness, of the place where you create from and the unending possibilities that come out of this place.  This card can also be interpreted as being about the void, emptiness, and nothingness.  There are no conditions about what you can or cannot do.

Perhaps it is time to let go of preconceptions about what you feel you can and cannot do, or even what you expect. Move into your quiet center within and expand into your own spaciousness.  Remember the possibilities of unbounded and unconditional creation.  You have a blank canvas.  You are the artist.  What will you paint? 

Within emptiness comes a freedom - freedom from limitations, from definition, and from any ideas of perfection.  How do you react to this emptiness, are you fearful of nothing to attach to, or can you just be.

Can you see yourself as limitless?  If anything was possible how would you create your life, your world? 

 

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

Oracle Card of the Week: CHOICES

Definition: options or things that one may select from; the power or opportunity of choosing; the determination of the mind in preferring one thing to another.

Choice is one of the most important cards in this deck.  On the path towards meaningful growth, choice enables us to change and keep changing towards authentic self.  It is a necessary component of free will.  Without choice we live in a prison, of our own or someone else’s making.  Without conscious choice we maybe doomed to repeat things in our lives again and again.

Every time we make a conscious choice, we take a step towards where we want to be.  Every choice we make affects us, and the world around us.  The more consistent our choices are towards what we want, or believe in, the greater the potential for alignment with self.

If our choices turn out to be detrimental to us, we can shift our course and make different choices.  If our choices are reflexive, or rooted in habit, outdated beliefs, or motivated by being accepted by others, our choices may not be aligned with authentic self.  In this case, one is not truly choosing but is directed by external factors and, as a result, less connected to true self. 

Sometimes it appears we have few choices in our lives, and this may indeed be so.  However, at the most basic level, we can choose how we react to something or not, to let it go, breath through it, or explore different perspectives.  By increasing our self-awareness, we increase our range of choices.  Sometimes deep-rooted psychological patterns may lead to choices that come from our unconscious motivations and which are not always in our best interest.  It is important to reflect on the consequences of these choices in our life, to take stock, and examine the conscious and unconscious mechanisms behind the choices we have made.  By being more self-aware of our choices and any consequences, we become more-and-more aligned with our deeper nature.  The greater our awareness, the more conscious our choices can become, down to the level of choosing what thoughts and feelings we entertain in the moment.

What choices are you facing now?  How conscious are you of the choices you make on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis?  Are your choices reflexive, following group consensus, or stemming from authentic self?  What ripple effect do your choices have on those around you?  How do you accept the consequences of your choices?

 © 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: INCUBATION

Definition:  Maintaining something at a most favorable temperature or state for its growth; the gradual development in some interior environment, until fully formed; the act of keeping an organism, a cell, or cell culture in conditions favorable for growth and development.

When this card arises there may be something “brewing”.  It may not be visible yet, for it is in its beginning phase.  There may be alchemical stirrings of unconscious energies within you that are percolating and forming a new aspect of yourself for discovery, or a new creative project. 

The incubation phase is an important part of how we grow, change and create. Jung refers to it as an alchemical process towards individuation.  It can be a vulnerable time and how we move through this phase may be critical to what comes forth in our life.  If we have difficulty being with ambiguity and uncertainty, we may push too soon and let what is incubating out into the world before it is fully formed.  Opening the chrysalis of a butterfly in any part of its process may stunt its ability to fly.  Yet, if we are fearful and too cautious and stay in the incubation period too long, what is to come forth may suffocate and never experience the joy of its birth and life.

When a woman is pregnant her body prepares a perfect environment within her womb. This period of incubation is accompanied by nesting urges, wherein the environment is prepared to receive the new child.  When we incubate an idea, or project, it is important that we nurture the new growth.  We must prepare ourselves and our world around us for the changes, and listen deeply to the small voice of what is incubating within.

Is there something brewing within you? Do you have a sense of something that needs changing? How do you honor your places of ambiguity? How do you nurture your changes when they are in their infancy 

 

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: STEPS

Definition:  a way of access (upward or downward) consisting of a set of steps; the course along which a person has walked or is walking in as in: "I followed in his steps”; a line or route along which something travels or moves; a move, act, or proceeding as toward some end or in the general course of some action.

When the ‘Steps’ card shows up it is a reminder that there is a process involved in all that we do.  There is a natural order to the way things unfold. A needs to happen before B and then C can follow.  It is not necessarily a linear sequence, but whatever parallel or multifaceted sequencing is involved, there are stages and steps, some of which need to happen before other things can. 

The Steps card may alert you that you may need to pay attention to processes and procedures. You may need to map out your trajectory, or pay attention to the steps required and determine where you are right now.  It may be a reminder that you cannot automatically arrive where you want to be.  The acorn did not immediately become a tree though it may have felt the possibility of the tree it is to become.

We often need to take time to breathe and remember what path we are already on.  Remember to explore and appreciate the steps.  We are on a journey and a path of becoming. 

What steps are you taking on your path?  Are you trying to skip steps?  Perhaps you need to just take the first step?   How do you embrace the process?  Do you follow your own steps, or do those of another guide you?  What makes your path uniquely yours and yet common to the human at the same time.

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 .

©Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

Card of the Week: CHANGE

 

Definition:  To alter or modify; to become different; moving from one state to another, to alter the position, character, or appearance of a thing; to transform the countenance; to alter by substituting something else for, or by giving up for something else, e.g. to change one’s clothes, to change one's occupation, or to change one's intention.

When this card comes up, change is in the air.  True, change is always in the air and life is always in a state of flux.  We however, are creatures of habit and thrive on stability, routine, and ritual.  These things help us make sense of our world; as such it is at times difficult to make the changes we need to bring more ease and harmony in our lives.  This card suggests that an internal contemplation of change is best pursued, or perhaps it is time to pursue change outwardly and/or increase one’s actions towards change. 

When we resist change by ignoring our inner promptings, clinging to that which we know, or blocking with fear, we cause more stress in our lives.  This resistance may crystallize into such fixed patterns that only drastic external events can shatter them. 

This card may also suggest external changes are afoot, requiring you to adapt and change for your well-being.  Changes may be monumental – creating great ripples through your whole life – or they can be minor such as disruptions in routine or expectations needing to shift. 

Notice how you move through changes.  Do you resist and find yourself grumbling and complaining?  Do you adapt quickly, finding quick solutions?  Perhaps you invite change as though it was a welcomed breeze. Are you resisting a change that is calling you, or is it time to prepare for change?

One of my favorite Greek philosophers Heraclitus’s statements of truth follows us to this day, over 2500 years later: ”You can never step into the same river twice.”  Some truths are universal, like the natural order of things whose mystery we are still discovering, and do not change.

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. 

On the “eve of the Solstice” and concurrent lunar eclipse, I find the change card very propitious.  This astrological configuration has not occurred in 400 years.   It perhaps is a harbinger of change. 

May we welcome change that brings in the light of truth

into all levels of our being and our world.

  May we know the light of our own true nature.

May Peace and Joy be with you.

 

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season.

Leslie

 

© 2010 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Card of the Week: COMPASSION

Definition: a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering; the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it; tenderness, mercy, clemency, commiseration, deep sympathy and caring

Having compassion is about pure open-heartedness, a witnessing and acceptance of what is without judgment. Compassion is felt in the heart and expands our heart as we let go of attachments to stories. It is not a projection of our pain onto another nor is it an expectation based on our assumptions.

As with sympathy or empathy, compassion implies the ability to feel what the other is feeling - however, compassion moves even deeper.  It is experienced in the present moment not as a feeling for, but feeling with another that at its most profound level has the capacity to heal the spirit, for in this place of deep tender witnessing one is not alone.

We may have compassion for an animal, another person’s pain and suffering, even the earth.  However, it is often most difficult to have compassion for ourselves.  There are parts of ourselves that we wall off through fear, shame, and guilt or through indoctrination, patterns from early childhood experiences, or through group mind.  When we are able to extend compassion to self - dropping the judgment and experiencing the feelings without condemnation or recrimination, but with tenderness and caring - we heal a part of ourselves, not only the wounded part but also the part that judges ourselves and others.

What brings up feelings of deep compassion?  When do you have most compassion for others?  When do you have compassion for yourself?  Where can you expand this level of compassion to yourself, others and or to other places in your life?  If you could feel “with” another, how would that change how you are with them?  If we could all increase our capacity to feel compassion, how would it change the world?

 

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

 

© 2010 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: Dark

Definition:  absence of light; absence of moral or spiritual values; an unenlightened state; causing dejection; showing a brooding ill humor

Dark is a place we all need to dive deeply into once in a while to find our luminescence deep within. Dark is quiet and empty and without pulse.  Its gripping silence and emptiness can be frightening.   In this silence we may hear our thoughts whirling, and feel the grip of strong old pain, or perhaps old beliefs, habits, or ways of thinking hampering our ability to feel joy or our inner peace.  When we dive in, if we hold our breath and struggle, we may be resisting and fighting against ourselves and the very essence of our being.

When we encounter the dark card it may be telling us that it is a time to turn inward and look deeply through the darkness to find the light and strength from within. 

It may come at a time when you are moving through some deep or painful issues in your life where you encounter your shadow or another’s shadow side that may be moving you off your center.  When in this phase, it is important to remember that out of the dark seasons of our lives much growth and light can come. Though the dark is the absence of light, you are never completely in the dark as there are always tiny specks of light. 

How do you move through the dark phases of your life?  When you are in a negative cycle are you overpowered by your negative habits or addictions of various sorts to get you through? Do you run, hide, fight, or accept where you are?  Where is your shadow casting itself?  Are you being affected by someonelse's dark cycle?

 

© 2010 Leslie Helen Bambic Ciechanowski