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ISSUE NINETEEN
December 2013
Greetings <<First Name>>!
December: The Only Month of the Year?
Recently I was confronted with the fact that things are different in my family’s life. A very long process is finally near completion in this month of December: fortunate  or unfortunate, according to the perspective from which we choose to see it.
This month is not like any other month of the year, no matter what religious background you come from. It brings a lot of togetherness in many ways, shapes, and forms. Fact or fiction? Fact.
I was having a discussion with my daughters about the 24th and 25th and what that looks like for them. I started this discussion with the intent that we could get settled on new traditions and a new way of being together so that we can find joy in the season - so THEY can find joy in the changes.
I have known this whole year that the holidays are not going to be the same, but I am confident we will find reverence and great joy in a new way of being with one another during this beautiful season of light and love and peace.
What became even more clear as I read about and researched the archetypal energy of the Messiah is that it’s not about the 24th and the 25th of December, truly. It is about the way in which we choose to live our lives each and every day of the year.
For the past two and a half years, I have been studying the teachings and life of Jesus, and from what I have learned about Jesus, I think He would agree.
What I have been sharing with my family and what became of the conversation with my daughters is that it’s not about those two days for our family. I am happy to celebrate with them whenever they will feel most peaceful and rested. This is my heart’s desire. I am not attached to those particular days; I choose to make a point of connecting and making the time throughout the year to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus. His presence is in all things and in all of our experiences. He, The Messiah, is the greatest teacher of finding joy each and every day, and He teaches us to share that joy with one another.
May you be blessed this year, no matter what you are celebrating or when, with the simple joy of the moment.
With much Love and Peace to you and your loved ones this season,
THE MESSIAH ARCHETYPE
Symbolic Living Through the Lens of an Archetype
The Messiah (Redeemer, Savior)
This archetype is associated with the embodiment of the divine and being sent on a mission by Heaven to save humanity. For all of its Judeo-Christian significance, the archetype of the Messiah has also become associated with psychological behavior. The Messiah complex, for example, applies to a person who is convinced of his divine mission and, in almost all cases, becomes obsessed with his mission to the point of psychosis, reaching an extreme in which a person begins to hear voices directing him to take lethal action. Criminals such as Jim Jones and Charles Manson are evidence of the shadow Messiah in its extreme.
Its subtle expression, however, is far more common and more difficult to identify as a personal pattern. People can become obsessed about their spiritual purpose, convinced that God needs them to do something.
Films: Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire in Pleasantville; Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro in The Mission; Marcello Mastroianni in the Organizer.
Religion/Myth: Mashiach (“the anointed one” in Hebrew, the descendant of King David who is expected to restore the Jewish kingdom); Jesus Christ (“the anointed one” in Greek, believed by Christians to be the promised redeemer); Adam Kadmon (“Primordial Man,” in the Jewish Kabbalah, described as the most perfect manifestation of God that humanity could contemplate, later identified with the Messiah); al-Mahdi (“the guided one” in Arabic, awaited descendant of Muhammad who will herald the end of history and restore Islamic purity); Maitreya (“the loving one” in Sanskrit, the fifth and final earthly Buddha who will help all those who have not yet realized enlightenment); Kalki (in Hindu belief, a future reincarnation of Vishnu who will arrive on a white horse to liberate the world from strife); Tang (a Chinese messiah who saved mankind from a great drought by sacrificing his body in a mulberry bush, immediately inducing rainfall).
Work Cited
Myss, Caroline. Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2002, 2003.
399. Print.
A MESSIAH TESTIMONIAL
Please give to yourself this holiday season, 4 minutes to listen to this beautiful version of Handle's Messiah. It will bring you to the present moment peacefully. Happy holidays!
I'd like to dedicate this to Nelson Mandela.
Love Builds Bridges
Let us give the best of what we have
and create a life filled with love
delight, enchantment and beauty.
Let us not wary too long in differences
that naturally take us apart.
Love builds bridges, it does not destroy them.
WISDOM FROM THE CARDS
Auspicious Influences
by Anne Barton
This month I thought I’d start to share some of the unique and auspicious influences that the cards can reveal. In this system, we are shown life influences – interpretations of the cards that provide information about who we are as a personality in this lifetime and how that contributes to our larger path as a soul. Also,  yearly influences are revealed, a new set of cards that changes on our birthday every year, influencing our whole year. These provide a theme for our year as well as specific opportunities for transformation, gifts to support our work, and a pair of cards that changes every 52 days to provide immediate support and guidance throughout the year.
In addition, in some years of our life, we encounter unique and special influences that augment our journey and provide opportunities for leaps in our progression and evolution. These are called Auspicious Influences.
Here is an introduction to a few of these (more will be revealed next month):
The Fated or Purpose Finding Years
This event occurs when there is at least one occurrence of a Six card in your Yearly cards in a prominent position. This gives you a special opportunity, but it’s one that is only taken advantage of by those who are aware of it. Sixes give us an opportunity to discover what our true purpose is for our life. Most people search their entire life to discover what their life is about and whether or not they have some special purpose or goal that they are to achieve during their time here on the planet.
Many never find this purpose at all. With the presence of a Six in a prominent position, you will have an opportunity to discover what your purpose is. Of course, this only applies if you have the desire to know. If you are not that interested in knowing more about your life's direction, this will probably manifest itself as a year of steady progress towards existing goals.
Another important aspect of having a Six card that governs the entire year is that there is a good possibility that fated events will occur that year. Though there are many things in our life that come by our choice in the here and now, there are also some events that are destined to happen because of things that we did or said in lifetimes past. During a year with a Six influence, it is entirely possible for some life-altering events to occur.
 Years of Recognition
These years have to do with your Birth Card's position in relation to the King of Spades (which, on a material plane, is considered the most powerful card in the deck) or the Crown L
ine. Having a kingly influence is most beneficial when you are prepared to act as a king. This means being willing to take on a leadership role or a responsible position in whatever you are doing. During these years of recognition you are more likely to receive promotions or job advancements, to be recognized for your contributions by those in high places, and to become well known among your peers. Younger people will experience success and popularity at school. During these years, anyone in
business would be wise to promote and advertise their products and services, seeking to expand the scope of their influence. Many people have received titles and other forms of honor and recognition during these years.
The Wish Fulfillment Years
This year comes with the blessing of Jupiter; so, you will get one or more of your wishes fulfilled during this year. Though it would be incorrect to say that all of your affairs will go without a hitch, Jupiter's influence guarantees that some of them will definitely work out in beneficial ways. This indicates a prosperous time for you in general. Think about some of the things on your wish list and see if you don't get some of them during this year!
Millionaire's Spread/Good Money Cards
The Millionaire's Spread indicates a year when the most fortunate card (7 of Diamonds) is in Jupiter, the most fortunate planetary aspect. Think of the phrase "do what you love and the money will follow" to make the most of this highly "valuable" year. A year with Good Money Cards is a time when you may experience increased income if you are engaged in a business that has the potential to expand dramatically. A fixed income, with no room to grow, will not likely increase under such influences.
Years with Blessed Endings
Nines are generally regarded by most people as experiences to avoid and ones that will bring heartbreaking situations and circumstances. In general, we as humans grieve somewhat over anything that comes to an end in our life, and we have a tendency to avoid Nines because they signal an ending. This is part of being human, however, and not necessarily a bad thing. When a Nine appears in a favorable position, it brings many blessings and rewards along with the completion of some relationship, job, phase of life, plan, or lifestyle. These Nines come bearing gifts of many kinds. So, during these years you can still expect some endings to occur, but they will usually be painless or at least accompanied by some wonderful blessings that will ease in the transition to the next phase.
All of the above influences can occur multiple times throughout your life. There are other auspicious influences that only happen once in a lifetime, which I’ll share next time.
I hope you have taken the opportunity to look up your card! If not, here is where you will find a chart to help you do that. Just look up your birthday and you’ll find your Birth Card. (And do it for your friends and family too!) http://tiny.cc/FindYourCard
WISDOM FROM ANIMALS
by Anne Barton
To complement this month’s animal, which reminds us among other things to use our breath consciously, I thought I’d share my favorite breathing technique. In my personal growth process, I have read countless personal stories about other people’s personal growth journeys. Well into that study, I started to notice that most of these people shared several of the same tools that they had gathered and incorporated in their daily routines: meditation, journaling, and breathing. I have found that simple conscious breathing really does, as most experts say, bring us back to the present and help create a calm, centered state. I use this when I feel anxious, fearful, or just out of flow.
Simply breathe in through your nose for 7 counts, then hold your breath for 4 counts, then breathe out for 11 counts. Repeat a couple of times. I’ve heard and read suggestions where the number of counts varies, but this one appeals to my ‘numbers’ brain because 7 + 4 = 11. So now let’s learn more about Dolphin …
DOLPHIN/Manna, Purposeful Change, Returning to our Roots
Key concepts when Dolphin is present:
• You are a link to a solution for Children of Earth.
• Connect to Great Spirit for answers to yours and others’ questions.
• Commune with the rhythms of nature and your body.
• Imitate Dolphin and ride the waves of laughter, spreading joy to the world.
• Use Manna (life force/Great Spirit's essence) thru breath to connect to the Universe.
Dolphin speaks to us of the breath of life, the only thing that humans cannot go without for more than a few minutes. We can live without water and food for days, but oxygen is the source of our sustenance. Within the breath we encounter the rhythm of energy that all life emits. In changing the rate or rhythmic texture of our breath, we can tap into any other life form or creature. This is a very easy way to connect with divine energy coming from Great Spirit, as well as with your own personal rhythms.
Dolphin is the keeper of the sacred breath of life and teaches us how to release emotions through Dolphin breath. Dolphin creates rhythm, swimming through the water and breathing before submerging, then holding its breath for the duration of underwater travel. As Dolphin comes above water again, it blows its breath out in a manner resembling the popping of a cork. We can use this same technique to pull the stopper on our tensions and create total relaxation.
The evolution of Dolphin as a sleek, playful, gregarious, and intelligent mammal of the sea, swimming with ease and grace in oceans and rivers, started as a four legged, furred mammal of land. Tens of millions of years ago, when the metamorphosis began from land to water mammal, Dolphin patiently transformed. This is a reminder to us – to have patience in our own journey of transformation. It is a process of baby steps, and with slow determination and celebration of each step, we all will find our purpose and passion in life. With this process of conscious breathing and evolution, we can move mountains, create miracles, and become the person we desire.
 Despite her change from land to water mammal, Dolphin still must breathe outside the water. Thus, she serves as a bridge between worlds. She is constantly reminded of her roots as a creature of the land and reminds us to always honor our own cultural and familial roots, for they have made us who we are today. Search these out, if necessary, to help form a complete picture of where you came from and who you have become.
Manna is life force. Manna is present in every atom and is Great Spirit’s essence. Dolphin teaches us how to use life-manna through our breath. It revitalizes each cell and organ and breaks the limits and dimensions of physical reality so that we may enter the Dreamtime. Dolphin is the link between Great Spirit, the Dreamtime, and children on Earth. He is the carrier of messages of our progress.
The final message of Dolphin is demonstrated in the way they move as a group. They have been called the wolf packs of the sea, traveling in intelligent cooperation, repelling their enemy, the shark, while protecting the weak as they gather food. They remind us that the whole is so much more than the sum of its individuals.
Works Cited & Resources
Green, Susie. Animal Wisdom: Harness the Power of Animals to Liberate Your Spirit.
London: Cico Books Ltd., 2005. Print.
Sams, Jamie, and David Carson. Medicine Cards. New York: St. Martin’s
Press, 1988, 1999. Print.
CONSCIOUS EATING
This month's recipe from Alexandra Topp
Peppermint Chocolate Crinkles
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- Roughly 70 peppermint Hershey kisses
Instructions:
- In a bowl mix together cocoa, white sugar and vegetable oil.
- Add eggs in and then stir in vanilla.
- Lastly, add the flour, baking powder and salt into the cocoa mixture.
- You may chill dough at this point to allow it to firm up. I was too anxious to wait and proceeded to bake right away and the dough was sticky but still workable.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll dough into about 1 inch balls. Then coat each ball in the confectioners' sugar before placing on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 6-7 minutes. Then remove from oven and press an unwrapped peppermint Hershey kiss in the middle of the cookie.
- Place back in the oven and cook for an additional 1 minute. After this time remove sheet from oven and place cookies on a baking rack to cool.
Enjoy during this wonderful holiday season!
Kendra Goheen is an Intuitive Guide, Spiritual Director and Certified Life Coach in the Twin Cities. To learn more visit http://kendragoheen.com.
Yola Dunne, Yola Dunne is a Poet, Intuitive Healer and Archetype Consultant with a private wellness practice in Chelsea, Québec, Canada. For more information visit www.yolaunlimited.com and poetry.yolaunlimited.com
Anne Barton, a California native currently living outside of San Francisco, has dedicated more than 30 years to her journey of personal growth and spiritual development. Visit http://tiny.cc/AEBProducts for more info.
Alexandra Topp, a Registered Nurse who lives in the Twin Cities, has a special interest in nutrition and healthy eating.
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