The Winds of Oyá Blowing

I haven't been able to post as much as I've wanted to of late. I think about it every day and between teaching, managing, parenting, and doing many (wonderful) readings for (lovely) clients, I never have the time or the energy. But I'm making space tonight, to release some of this energy. Throughout the month of October much movement was taking place. I started to see 333 everywhere, and it's the first time I've ever noticed numbers like that, and felt its significance. Eventually I came to feel that it was an acknowledgement that I was in good (spirit) company, and I felt that attention quite pointedly. It was comforting.

I've already written about the crazy happenings with our car so I won't recount it, but I was both aware of struggle, and aware that there was something more transpiring. In those moments where the challenge of the moment felt sharpest, I kept this mind, and placed my faith in what I couldn't see, but what I knew was there nonetheless. I pulled a lot of 10 of Swords, but one of my more memorable draws was during the Shadow Work October challenge where I pulled Obatala, Elegua, and Oyá from my New Orleans Voodoo deck. It was a powerful line for me: my father, my best friend, and the sacred presence of Oyá; the shifts and transitions she brings along with her. 10 of Swords, Oyá.... the car died, my egun, Elegua, always Eshu-Elegua, 333 and 33.... so many things sifting through my mind.....

Oyá is called the "owner of the marketplace" and the "owner of the gates of the cemetery." These are often treated as literal, and they can be taken as such, but they are metaphorical first and foremost. Oyá is owner of change. The marketplace is Earth. The market is where we engage others, we barter for what we need, we pay and are paid, we argue and laugh, we learn about the affairs of others, we sing, we eat. We live. The "marketplace" is simply another word for the world in which we live, where constant change, upturns and downturns, is the way. There is a saying, "The world is a marketplace; our real home is the spirit world." Oyá is not the owner of the cemetery itself, rather the passage - the doorway - the portal between the marketplace and the spirit world. The cemetery is a physical place. But she ushers us from an old way of life into a new, encouraging us to let go, to shed our skins, and thus she governs the process of transformation of which death is a part.

Oyá's winds tell us that it is time to leave; to leave what we are used to, what wasn't working, to pack our bags and get ready to go. She helps us to peel away our old selves, she gives the courage and strength to burn down and rebuild, always better than before, always more than we could have ever really understood. She gives us the gift of change, a gift always meant to bless us when all is said and done.

In so many ways my life has changed in the last month alone. I've been scared, sad, anxious, speechless, furious, determined, worried. I've been grateful, moved, touched, thankful, speechless (again), honored, humbled, in awe, triumphant. My life has utterly changed. The reality I see as I look out from these eyes is not the same as it was a month ago. I have possibilities now that I never imagined. There is newness in my life that I didn't anticipate and could not have imagined.

I have learned a lot. And I realize that I'm somewhat inarticulate here; I am forming these words with the last dregs of today's energy, but it's been over a week that this has been calling for release. Hope and faith are everything. Trust is so important. To stay positive, even when the outlook appears dark, is the only way. It's not easy, but it's the only way.

Maferefun Yansa, maferefun todos los días.

Taroscopes: February 2015

I skipped January 2015; I was off in the northern lands of the United States, trekking across frozen fields and through icy forests. The internet still doesn't work too well in those parts of the world (fortunately, I think). Yesterday I asked my little daughter to go to my divination bookcase and pick something for me to use for this month's 'scopes. She walked off happily, enjoying this small-yet-important way she would be contributing to my work, and when she came back she handed me the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot. That's my girl.

Happy feast day of Oya, Happy Imbolc, Happy post-Superbowl, Happy February!

New Orleans Voodoo Tarot
S. Glassman, L. Martinié

Capricorn - Petro Hounsis: If things aren't blossoming the way you'd hoped with a special project or even a relationship, take a step back and consider what can be adjusted or improved upon. Reconnect to your sense of self, your spirit center, and consider how you can best express your unique purpose and intention in this world.

Aquarius - 9 Petro: The pressure is on and the kitchen is heating up, but you've got the reserves to see your tasks through to completion. You've already been here, in one way or another. Know that you can do it again.

Pisces - 7 Rada: You're getting a sense of sharp reality, and coming to terms with how to move forward with your life. The truth can hurt, but in this case difficult knowledge will help you create a better, healthier world for you to thrive in.

Aries - 7 Congo: This month pay attention to what attracts and entices you. What possibilities hold real value, and which are best left by the wayside? The first step to finding out is to tune into the source of your own desires and motivations.

Taurus - 3 Santería: February 2nd is Oya's feast day, and this card represents her energy - lucky you! You've got ample power to turn projects out this month, and in matters that bring you together with others, things are likely to go smoothly. If you confront any bumps in the road, reach out for help - you'll receive it.

Gemini - Possession: In a sense, this card is about self-possession, which will be the key energy for you this month. Tap into your abundant inner strength to power through all of the circumstances that come your way in February. Grace and confidence will be your best friends.

Cancer - Secret Societies: If the scales are feeling a bit off this month, consider how you can work to right them again. Sometimes it takes just a commitment to truth and a willingness to do things a little differently.

Leo - Ti Bon Ange: If you're feeling drained, take some time to reflect on how well you're balancing out the different areas of your life. Are you working so much that you don't have enough time for self care? Are you emotionally invested in something that isn't showing much return? Whatever it is, discover what is true for you, and consider ways to act positively on it.

Virgo - 10 Rada: This month the key term is "paradigm shift." One door closes, but trust that it's always so that another door can open. Take care of yourself, and make sure to get enough sleep!

Libra - Couché: You may feel the desire to step back from the world this month in order to spend some time exploring your rich inner landscape. Listen to and honor your need for introspection, and use the self-knowledge you gain to enrich your outer world - you may have valuable perspectives to share with others.

Scorpio - 7 Petro: Stand by your own point of view this month, and know that you have ideas worth being heard by others. The first step is to know what you want - the second step is going after it.

Sagittarius - Z'Etoile: You have a star shining over your head this month, raining hope and love down on your head. Open your arms and dance in the clarity and positivity that is manifest in your life, and look for ways that you can share your own light with the world.