Tag Archives: pro-choice

Virtual Housekeeping, some more.

          When we first started doing cards here in JulieLand, many months ago, I searched The Burrow for all the decks I could find.  It’s a big house, and we’ve lived here for over 15 years (16 now?), so there’s a bunch of stuff on two levels.  Since I don’t ever get rid of anything (besides actual garbage, you won’t be seeing me on Hoarders any time soon) it was fairly likely I’d miss a few in my half-assed search.  I did.  I missed an entire deck, with a guidebook.  In a box.

            I sat down with it today, trying to figure out where it had come from and why it was stashed on a shelf.  Right away it was apparent to me that I didn’t like it.  Nothing I could put my finger on, it just didn’t feel right.  There was a receipt in the book (from a craft store) with the date stamp of June 1999.  I don’t know whether I bought it, or someone gave it to me, or if it just appeared.  But I do remember the last time I went through it.  I didn’t like it then either.

            It’s called The Sacred Circle Tarot -which certainly sounds like something I’d enjoy!  No.  It is not.  Here is another picture, of some cards I pulled while I was touching everything and trying to recall what the hell was wrong with it.

            Each minor arcana card has a title at the top.  Okay, that part isn’t bad.  Many of the cards have, what looks like, actual people’s pictures as representation.  Still, not terrible.  But … the over all feel is just off somehow.  (The pages are boys, that’s slightly bothersome, and not even youthful boys either.)  I always look at The High Priestess to see what her sense gives me.  That one isn’t too bad.  It’s still just not quite good either though.

            There is absolutely nothing wrong with this set.  It’s just not for me.  If anyone wants it, I’ll gladly hand it over.  Just toss me a couple of bucks for shipping, and it’s yours.  Let me know in the comments or send me an e-mail.  It has obviously been waiting around here for way too long.  If this one grabs you, if the colors or impressions seem perfectly right for you, simply say the word.  (If more than one person is interested I’ll hold a drawing.)

            There has been another “drop the ball moment” here.  Two more missed birthdays … Cat yesterday and Stormy on the 24th.  My apologies ladies, slacker virgo qualities seem abundant right now.  Hope your day (or in Cat’s case, week, go read her excellent post from last night) was blissfully joyous and filled with love. 

           We have a Testimonials update as well this evening.  Thank you so much Anna for your kind words and exuberant praise.  I put it up, just as you sent it (this time with no glitches).  That tab is looking so fabulous these days.  And it just makes me all kinds of smiley to read it, thinking of those people who freely offered their kind words in my direction.  Thanks, all of you, for sending (or typing) those in.

            I was checking in on Dan Savage yesterday, as I do daily, when I noticed something I need to share.  It is a very cool, and far too late in the coming, on-line feature that gives folks the opportunity to speak out about Pro Choice.  Now, this is a topic I stand behind, in a massive and militant way.  It will be added to our Important Places blog roll.  And I’ve included a link here as well.  Worth checking in on, it updates as Elizabeth gets new submissions.  Ours To Tell

             Our home phone had messages the past couple of days on it, from the library.  Yay!  That meant some books I had requested were in.  I’ve already started one and it’s great.  I highly recommend any and every thing by Barbara O’Neal.  Unless you are hungry or dieting, then maybe read something else until that passes.  While I was out picking up my treasures, I had to stop in and say hello.  To you know who….   at the dog wash.   Yes, it’s one of my grand-dogs Max.  (Good buddy of Chacho, formerly in the bucket.)  He and Empress walked to work today, which caused our Maximum Dog to get slightly dampish.  There were no other dogs being washed while I was there, so his mother put him in a tub.  He’s fresh as a biscuit now!

            One more wee item and then on to our card du jour.  Some of you are familiar with the Lucy March website, and if you are not, see the details    <——      over there in the side bars.  One of our own Betties has a new blog.  I am happy to include her and offer you a link, to future greatness.  Novel Truths   Can’t wait to see where this one takes us.  I know that already, I like the look of it very much.

           We are back to Colette’s Wisdom of the Hidden Realms on our card altar.  As always, this illustration is just so rich and deep and over the top exquisite to look at.  The message is outrageously timely as we stare down that approaching retrograde.  (Tomorrow!  Deep breaths, we can laugh this off kids, I just know we can.)   And it has that all-encompassing theme that I so adore: positivity in all things.

“The Word Lord  ~  communication, praise, honesty.

The Word Lord rules communication of all kinds and lets you know that positive interactions can be expected when he arrives as your Ally.  He only speaks with positive words and praises all he sees.  He reminds you of the laws of Abundance and Praise.  When you bless the world, it blesses you back.  When you say affirming, supportive words, they carry an energy that returns to you in physical form.  Remember that each one has power and will resonate into the Universe, seeking its refection in manifest form.

Your body responds to praise, as does everything in the world around you.  Praise it for its inherent health and beauty.  Applaud yourself for everything you do, as even the tiniest accomplishments are important.  Praise your bills; give thanks for the services you enjoy, and watch the ability to pay them increase as you align with Spirit’s increasing power.

This is also a time to remember the powerful practice of affirmations.  Write them down and speak them aloud as a spiritual exercise.  Say it is so – and it will be.  It is a very auspicious sign when the Word Lord chooses to be your Ally.”

Transforming, Growing, Changing.

        I got on line early today because we had to deal with some local issues.  Nothing big or even things I cared that much about, but it kind of threw my “creature of habit” aspect right off, in a sort of unbalanced way.  When a day goes sideways, it’s uncomfortable for me.  I’ve grown so much in what I can learn and what I can now do, as opposed to what I used to be able to accomplish.  But days like this remind me that this whole Learning our Lessons process is still a process.  And it takes as long as it takes.

       Megan was talking about time this week, and how we view it.  It’s very different when we are children, and the summer feels endless.  As we age, it seems to speed up.  We are flinging along so quickly that we have to consciously stop, and make moments, so that we don’t miss anything.  As we watch a younger generation make advances we are proud, and yet sometimes we feel left behind.  I do not believe in living a life of regrets.  And as I’ve said here tons, there is no such thing as a mistake.  There are only lessons and opportunities to learn.  We can just do better the next time, then (hopefully) not have to learn that damn lesson again.

         In my own case, I have watched the infants I gave birth to transform themselves into phenomenally fabulous adults.  My son, who I just heard on the police radio, is doing exactly what he set out to do.  He is mere weeks from being an officer like his father.  His generosity is boundless, and it is an honour for me to see my first born wear that badge and gun.  My last baby, our Empathic and gorgeous Empress, has a delightful new home, the extremely photogenic Max, and a fulfilling job (which could potentially turn in to a fulfilling career).  Then there is our Hurricane.  Who made me nearly weep with adoration last night and today.

          She has been helping me learn all of this business and blog nonsense from the start.  (Her patience with me is probably a lesson that, at this point, has driven her to increase her alcoholic consumption to frightening levels, poor thing.)  But in her own process of growing, she has shown a brilliant insight into how the world functions, or should function, when it is not performing to our exacting standards (and believe me, I raised all three of them to have some pretty freaking high standards).  Her most recent blog post just about makes cry with the beauty of it.  (And I personally think it needs much more exposure than it is getting, not just speaking as her mother here, but because it’s so truly well done.)

         We all know though, that as we learn and grow, there are still limitations to our progress.  I have worked on many of my deficiencies, sharing them here, and making changes in a more private way.  I have done some good work, but there is still much I need to change, ways I need to grow.  Some things I can never alter, or even contemplate transforming.  Conquering the kitchen is never going to happen, with this body, this brain, in this lifetime for me.  But then, I also don’t want to transform my wee self elf into a master chef.  I get fed.  I am not starving (obviously).  Daniel likes creating edible items.  It works for us.

              This is what he made today.  I saw a recipe in the paper.              It is a flour-less chocolate cake, baked in a deep dish pie plate.  Personally, I think it needs some frosting, but that wasn’t  the presentation recommended (they just called for that powered sugar, so he sprinkled it, as you can see).  I’ll let you know how it turned out.  (And if I added frosting.)

          Our card today is from The Celtic Shaman’s Pack and it falls under the category of The Empowerers.  This group is defined as “beings who support the shaman on his/her journeys into the inner realms… each of these, in a different fashion, acts as guide and counsellor to the ways between the worlds.”  I think as we move along, on our paths, learning our lessons, the best way to go confidently forward is to listen to guides like this.  Pay attention to the helpers we have here with us in life, as well as whatever guidance the Universe sends to accompany us.  I feel blessed that three of the people who are there for me, are people I helped to create, and the other one, well … he bakes me cakes when I ask him to.

“The Woman Made of Flowers  (Blodeuwedd)  ~  Transformation.

 The Woman Made of Flowers not only possesses the ability to change her form but has a deep awareness of the natural forces which exist in all the worlds.  From her flower nature she derives empowerment from the world of growing things; in her female form she shares the lot of human passions and desires; as bird (owl) she rides the passageways of the air and reads the secrets of the night.  She can also open the way to our true nature and encourages us to follow our heart’s desire.

Journey:  enter the wood between the worlds and walk there. It is night and a full moon rides high above the trees, casting a cold light through the branches.  As you walk, become aware of an owl floating silently above you.  It lands on a branch and perches there, regarding you with its glowing eyes.  In the depths of those eyes you may catch a glimpse of another face, lovely beyond mortal beauty.  Ask your question or request guidance to a place where you may share in the nature of the flowering world.”

Subversive cross stitching update:  I am about halfway done with Emmy’s first sampler.  It is looking quite nice, I’ll have a picture for you tomorrow.  But there is a Secret Project in the works…more on that later.

The Business update:  I tried to work on the Links tab, but my Special learing disabilities delayed me, Hanny helped out and we have made some progress there, but it’s slow.  PayPal is also percolating (thanks Jen) as are the new card designs (thanks Stormy), not to mention the research that’s being done (thanks Cat).  We’re gettin’ there!

One Last Thing:  over at the Lego A Day site he’s having a vote (using a real poll, not the way I did mine, he’s fancy like that).  Go look at it, if you have not already been checking in there, he’s very clever and talented.

Me, and How Some Cards Work.

    There are two topics I will address today: how this blog functions, and how it impacts the Card o’ The Day format we are running with right now.

   First of all, it was made evident to me lately that this is a difficult place to navigate sometimes, or, for some people (no Delia, I don’t mean you).  I write in a journal-like style, one day following another, making references to things I’ve said before.  If you just drop in here, and are new to me (and my odd little life), it can be confusing (especially since my titles sort of suck).  Until I can either revamp the place, or learn new technological skills, it’ll just have to be like that, not a ton I can do about the present situation.  So, I’m sorry if we lose readers, but I’d like to invite everyone to poke around in the archives (my History Quilt), or go backwards to old posts you haven’t read yet.  Many are very short and wouldn’t take more than few minutes to skim through.  It is the only way I can come up with right now to get everyone on the same page (no pun intended, but still kinda funny).

   In our mini-rotation around the card altar today we’ve come to the deck Christine just asked about.  To proceed from here I ask your indulgence (again).  Since we all arrived here from a different spiritual starting point, I’m going to request that you play along, suspend a belief or two maybe.  We are launching from where I stand on this one.  Whether you believe in living more than one life or not, I do.  And this deck was put together by a woman who also does.  She and I can see people’s past lives.  There are a variety of cards in this deck, but the one that presented itself for us today is called

 ”Past Life Memories.” 

    We are here, in this body, with these people, at this time, so that we can learn.  We try to do our best, live our life well, and love much.  But we come to this place with the memories, and sometimes baggage, of our other lives.  Sometimes this manifests itself in negative ways like injury or illness.  Often it shows up in very positive ways like strong interests, hobbies, areas of study, or a fascination with certain parts of the world.

   When we recognize these traits as something from a life we have already lived we are acknowledging this current journey.  Adding all that we have learned before to what we are learning now can be a powerful way to calm and heal. 

    A really simple way to see past lives is by sitting quietly, envisioning yourself walking down a set of stairs, entering the hallway of your soul, and stopping at a door.  Every door has a life behind it.  Open one, focusing on a specific issue in your current life that seems to have no rhyme or reason, or is of particular interest to you right now.  Ask firmly to be shown the life that will best help you deal with what needs to be addressed.  Watch with detachment, there is no reason to relive pain or unhappiness.  But once you have honored that valid point, see how it resonates so clearly with what you are facing. 

 

Adult people I gave birth to.

I have the pleasure, on occasion, of spending time with three young persons.  (Often on a daily basis.)  These adults used to be my children.  They were little (okay, one was more like Medium, never Small) and they were gifted to me.  How I ended up with them is still a mystery (I know how they were conceived, that point is  not in question).  They were charming and adorable babies, they were intelligent and delightful young kids, and somehow, with little or no input on my part, they grew in to wonderful, generous, well informed, and fascinating adults.  They hold me up when I am fragile (like tonight, just as one example), they ask my advice periodically (and yes, even accept it when given as well), they appreciate all their father has done and given them (which was basically his entire life after the age of 24), they visit their grandparents (without being asked, and belive me, THAT is quite a test in patience).  And like the piece I am reprinting below from Hanna’s blog, they have something worth while to say.

Thank you J.D., Emma, and our Hurricane.  It is my honor to be your mom.

 

Sorry I missed this. I’ve been working early and sleeping a lot.

Anyway, yesterday was Blog for Choice Day. Also, the anniversary of Roe V. Wade.

I’ve often said that you don’t have to be pro-abortion to be pro-choice.

This is true.

You don’t have to agree with abortion, or even have one if you’re in a situation where the choice is yours.

You just have to believe that the living woman has the right to live a life despite her body’s archaic desire to squeeze one out at every opportunity.

Pro-life is not in favor of the life of a woman. It’s idealistic, in favor of the life that may be led by what is, truthfully, an unwanted child. It’s born of the desire to have children, not raise children.

Pro-life is like “at hope.” It’s a game of language. It’s spin. It makes “family values” voters feel better.

So, here’s a little happy-dance for what we’ve still got.
For all the single ladies who didn’t like, didn’t feel the need to put a ring on it, and didn’t have to re-route their lives for someone else’s belief of conception.

For all the women who just don’t like children. For all the women who like children, but don’t have the money to raise them.

And, for all the pro-choice individuals who like children and adopt someone else’s, don’t just talk about the caring option.

And, here’s a big, huge middle-finger: to all the men, all those good-old-boys and churchgoers who love to keep women inside their marriage vows and hookers in their little Blackberries:

if you’re not going raise the crop, you don’t have a say in crop-rotation.

pro fucking choice.

hell yes.

(The above, in italics, was copied, without written consent, permission, nor knowledge, from cardboardsunshine.wordpress.com [otherwise known as "the recycling of twentysix familiar letters"] or Han’s blog.)

No takers?

So, I made the offer.  No one replied.  Doesn’t any one want me to look something up for them?  Discuss a weird dream?  Find meaning in the phases of the moon?  Just give my, oh so radical opinion on anything and everything?  Come on.  Ask me something.  I have stuff to say, but need be asked the question in order to give the answer!

As an aside, Whit – would you please send this link to Dorothy?  She tried to find me once before, but somehow got lost.  I keep forgetting (before midnight) to text her the Lunarmom/Welcome to JulieLand info.  Thanks so much.