Synchronicity in Action: Squirrels!

A month ago, I was planning to have several tests to determine how to deal with problems concerning my heart. Two weeks before the tests, I dreamed of squirrels being killed by snakes. For me, it was a brain dream about how scared I was, since I am fond of squirrels. A week before the tests, I drew the Four of Pentacles, represented in the “78 Tarot: Animal Tarot of the Wild” (Note 1) as King Squirrel holding tightly onto to four walnuts, unable to move. (Note 2) That was the Universe telling me I was hoarding my worries, unable to release them. I was making myself sick with worry.

Finally, I was watching a TV Judge Show (Note 3). The case involved squirrels living in an attic. The judges were asking how the squirrels got into the attic in the first place. Then they asked who was responsible for that, and who was responsible for getting them out. It was plain to me that the Universe wanted me to deal the squirrels in my attic. I had let the metaphorical squirrels in my metaphorical attic. Now, I was responsible for getting them out of my head.

I think the synchronicities between my dream, the Tarot card draw, and the TV Judge Show brought home how worried I was. The string of occurrences was informing me to let go of the results. I had to release my fears if the tests were to go well. This was the experiential truth for me. (Note 4) These synchronicities were important for alerting me to pay attention to my distorted thinking.

Notes:
Note 1. The card can be seen at “78 Tarot: Animal, Limited Edition” by Kayte Welsh. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kayti/78-tarot-animal-limited-edition-tarot-deck
Note 2. The heart has four chambers – right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle and left ventricle. Also, in an odd way, a walnut could resemble a heart since it has two halves with a seam around them.
Note 3. I can watch certain TV shows if they are short, slow, and repetitive.
Note 4. The doctor determined that my heart problems could be corrected by medicine.

Instruments of Magic(k) and Writing

Dear readers, I accidentally put up a draft of my blog.

For me, in my religious and magical studies, it is important to have the correct tools. That means paper notebooks and ink pens. Unlike electronics, the physical aspects slows the mind, allowing it to focus and ponder. It also allows for no distractions.

I write and note things daily in my various notebooks. I use them for future reference of ideas and any synchronicities. I, usually, keep them for years to review trends in the weather and nature and also to review writing ideas. Therefore, I have separate notebooks to use for observations, prayers, ideas, and general journalling.

Because I am particular about my pens and notebooks, I am choosy about what I use. I dislike ball point and flare pens since they do not glide on the page. I prefer fountain pens or gel pens since I like flowing pens. Being left-handed. I look for pens that do not smear across the page.

For my notebooks, I use the Rhodia A5 Webnotebook. Made in France, Rhodia is known for its iconic orange and black covers. Mine are hard cover journals with a dot grid and ivory paper. I agree with the ad, “Rhodia notebooks are well-loved around the world for their smooth responsibly-sourced paper that is resistant to feathering and bleed through.” (Note 1) They lie flat for writing and have a book ribbon for a marker. I can use them left-handedly with no problems.

Notes:
Note 1. Feathering is the spreading of the ink as it is being laid down by a pen, most notably a fountain pen or a marker.

Here is the draft. I do a lot of rewriting.

I am a writing addict. I write and note things daily in my various notebooks. I use them for future reference of ideas and any synchronicities. I, usually, keep them for years to review trends in the weather and nature and also to review writing ideas. Therefore, I have separate notebooks to use for observations, prayers, ideas, and general journalling.

Because I am particular about my pens and notebooks, I am choosy about what I use. I dislike ball point and flare pens since they do not glide on the page. I prefer fountain pens or gel pens since I like flowing pens. Being left-handed. I look for pens that do not smear across the page.

For my notebooks, I use the Rhodia A5 Webnotebook. Made in France, Rhodia is known for its iconic orange and black covers. Mine are hard cover journals with a dot grid and ivory paper. I agree with the ad, “Rhodia notebooks are well-loved around the world for their smooth responsibly-sourced paper that is resistant to feathering and bleed through.” (Note 1) They lie flat for writing and have a book ribbon for a marker. I can use them left-handedly with no problems.

Why Revere Extinct Animals?

Living in the place between reality and imagination, Extinct Animals have taught me that life endures. Our predecessors survived four mass extinctions. In addition, during the Great Dying of the Permian Era, about ninety percent of all life went extinct. The Ancestors of all beings today are the ten percent who managed to survive the “Time of Hell on Earth,” which occurred 250 million years ago. As generalists, these Extinct Animals were flexible, possessed sheer stubbornness, and had good luck. From Them, I learned that extinction happens, but as long as we are flexible, we can transform ourselves.

Besides having an altar to Extinct Animals, I make offerings to Them. I also tell their stories, or at least try to. My work is to instill respect for Extinct Animals among humans. I think, in my case, a part of relating to Them was losing part of my brain. Without my “superior reasoning powers,” I could no longer subscribe to the narrative of the inevitable dominion of humans in the Universe.

For me, revering Extinct Animals requires that humans recognize that we are only equals to Them. They came before us, and their struggles gave us our lives. Their story is that all of us are a part of life; no one is any more important than anyone else. Those who came before us, no matter how ancient should be honored for their adventurousness, courage, triumphs and tenacity.

I try to recognize all these Beings who existed from the Ediacaran Fauna of the Late Precambrian to the most recently Extinct Animals. To honor Extinct Animals is to honor all who came before us. By our remembering these Beings, They will continue to live. Some of the Extinct Animals are friendly, some are curious, some were vain, but They all want to be remembered.

Thoughts about Magical Tools

In her discussion on magical tools (Note 1), Heron Michelle writes, “a Witch’s tools function like a key that unlocks each gate to an elemental realm and then directs that power into Middleworld reality.” She continues to write that they “are consecrated to embody their elemental force, anchor their elemental mystery lesson in our consciousness.” Her logic is that the tools are important to the sacred purpose of a witch’s work. They are an extension of the witch and helps to focus their energy for working magic.

In her work, Michelle developed the “Witch’s Jewel of Power.” She assigned four grand tools (emphasis Michelle) (besom, staff, sword, cauldron) to anchor “the elemental gateways at the boundary between worlds, working magick of interconnection.” These tools also anchor the receptive energies of the Jewel – resonance, wonderment, surrender, and acceptance. Therefore, the four altar tools (pentacle, wand, athame, chalice) empower and focus the witch’s will. These particular tools anchor the projective mysteries – silence, knowledge, will, daring.

Applying Michelle’s ideas to my new perception of magical tools, I realized that they are not trifling. My first impressions of these tools were formed from the various Wiccan rituals that I had attended. I noticed that the participants were causal in working with them. Perhaps they themselves did not understand the true essence of the tools. As a Roman Polytheist, I did not see the tools that I used as being significant either. For me, I needed them to conduct a correct ritual to the Gods.

After working with the magical tools of “modern traditional witchcraft,” I now understand that all tools have power. Every tool needs to be selected with care, since they have a particular purpose. My approach now is to see the tools as embodying the elemental forces. Each allows the magic to happen through the witch. The tools used in my worship of the Gods are now understood for how they interact in the ritual.

As to working with the tools that I assembled for modern traditional witchcraft, I do not have a plan. As a rule, I do not do formal magic. For the time being, I keep them on my Ancestor altar. The pantacle acts as an anchor between the worlds, therefore the Ancestors can employ it during the times when They want to contact me. The athame is something that Mars and Minerva deem useful to Them. I already use the wand (my pencil) and the cauldron (tea kettle) for mundane magic. (They do help to fill my day with wonderment.)

Notes:

Note 1. Her book “Elemental Witchcraft” discusses this in detail.

Works Used.
Greer, John Michael, “The New Encyclopedia of the Occult.” Woodbury (MN): Llewellyn. 2003.
Michelle, Heron, “Elemental Witchcraft.” Woodbury (MN): Llewellyn. 2021.
Zakroff, Laura Tempest, “The Witch’s Cauldron.” Woodbury (MN): Llewellyn. 2021.
Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon, “Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard.” Franklin Lakes (NJ): New Page Books. 2004.

“The Whirlpool of Grief”

Dr. Richard Wilson devised the “Whirlpool of Grief” (Note 1) to illustrate what happens with grief and our responses to trauma. The person is boating on the River of Life, when they are suddenly plunged over the “Waterfall of Bereavement.” Following the shock of the traumatic event, they fall into the “Whirlpool of Grief.”

He describes the Whirlpool where the person experiences the “Breakdown,” which is defined as a falling apart. “The Breakdown” lies in the Whirlpool itself. “All Washed Up” is the exhausted person landing on the shore. “On the Rocks,” at the edge of the Whirlpool, is where the pain of the loss hits us – physically and emotionally. The “Banks of the River” is where they feel stuck and unable to go anywhere.

People have different types of boats that can or cannot withstand the waterfall. Sometimes they have to remain on the Banks and repair their fragile boat. They may wade out in shallow water to test the boat multiple times. This is a part of mourning.

As people mourn and accept the new reality, they move to the lower part of the river. Navigating through this reality, they will find themselves on a new stream. This placid stream is a tributary of the River of Life. This process reminds everyone that “we are all sailors on the seas of fate.” Some are better sailors, but everyone has to navigate the River of Life.

The Whirlpool of Grief can be reflected in Alchemy. There are various processes to undergo before you can bring the Philosopher Stone into being. Translating the relevant ones (Note 2) into a grief line – the first phase is shock, then tears, and finally self-examination. You experience the shock, and then you re-enter the grief which brings the pain to the surface. After experiencing the emotions, you separate them. This is the time of self-examination which results in discernment and ownership. Sorting through the pain, you separate who you are from who you are not.

Moving forward with courage is not something that anyone automatically does. My brain injury brought me this understanding. I experienced the Waterfall of Bereavement with losing my old self. Anubis, one of the Egyptian Gods of the Dead, helped me through this. As I wandered the World of the Dead not knowing where or what I was, Anubis led me to the Banks of the River to regroup. It was there that I separated who I was from who I wasn’t. As Dr. Wilson said, “Bereavement is what happens to you; grief is what you feel; mourning is what you do.”

Notes:
Note 1. Dr. Richard Wilson, a pediatrician, devised the Whirlpool of Grief to help parents grieve for their deceased children. The Whirlpool represented the emotional upheaval and disorganization (anger, guilt, sadness) that follows the traumatic death. He diagramed the states that person goes through until they find themselves in calmer waters. His diagram can be seen here: Coping with loss and bereavement – Counselling in your Community. https://inyourcommunity.org.uk/2017/10/12/coping-with-loss-and-bereavement/

Note 2. The relevant processes are (1) Calcination: heating the material to drive out impurities. (shock) (2) Dissolution: applying water to wash the remaining ash to be in a purer state. (tears) (3) Separation: filtering the dissolved substance. (self-examination)

Suggested Reading:
“Different After You,” Michele Neff Hernandez
“From Beginning to End: The Rituals of Ourselves,” Rev. Robert Fulghum