Lessons in Balance

The Twelfth Night of Christmas

Again, a strong female voice creating her kingdom/world as a place which acknowledges female qualities of compassion, cooperation and connection as vital to abundance (wholeness and well being).-Penelope Clement

The Empress holds a scepter in her right hand, a book in the other and the world sits at her feet. I get the message that all the tools I need to embellish my world are already in my hands.

Thanks to the Twelve Nights, Penelope Clement, and the message of the cards, I have a powerful, creative foundation for this new year. In review of the past Eleven Nights:

1. Compassion. Cultivate compassion by being grateful, actively search for good news and recognize a connection with everyone I encounter.
2. Inner Knowing. Refer to my Inner Being before acting.
3. Lechery. Use steps one and two as a filter and a guide rather than my current 'on board critic'.
4. Integration. Integrate my intentions by thinking, writing and speaking it.
5. Strife. Remove Strife by a constant contact with my Source.
6. Death. Learn to renew myself with a simple complete breath (as in my yoga practice).
7. Generosity. Play Life with an open hand.
8. Competence. Go with the flow. It's an on-going discipline to let go and trust.
9. Knowledge. Keep building it, but also keep it open.
10. Wheel of Fortune. Just stay on course and move forward, I doubt that it ever gets completely done so ease up.
11. Spirituality. Experience the inter-relatedness of all Life.
12. Empress. I expect a magical year and take full responsibility for it. It's my kingdom, after all. :D

I have a lot of wants for this new year and feel that I won't be disappointed if I continue to focus on the lessons and qualities suggested throughout my Twelve Nights.  The choice of perception is mine alone: am I carrying the world on my shoulders or does it sit at my feet?

The Eleventh Night of Christmas

Obviously, the new world is ready to acknowledge the need for spirituality in our lives and in our selves. This is the energy which will bring answers to our questions and fulfillment to our lives. - Penelope Clement

I'm told that when I was a toddler, I had a make-believe friend that I played with, talked to and invited to dinner. Although I stopped talking to my friend as though he were right there, I have always felt a protective presence around me. Now, I sense my friend inside me and am beginning to see him (my toddler sense of gender) in others.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is credited to have said, "We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection." That human affection that lies beneath personality and/or ego, is to me, Spirituality. The more I tend to my flame and allow it to burn bright and strong, the brighter it burns in others. That's the energy I seek.

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Ninth Night of Christmas

It is important that we consciously express knowledge that we are gaining the power of compassion and generosity in our thinking, speaking and visions. -Penelope Clement 

The swords in this card appear to be weaving themselves and visually remind me that knowledge and beliefs are but a collection of thoughts. Again, they can serve as tools or weapons.

The open weave of the six swords underscores my intention to keep an open mind, to allow room for new thoughts.   Even though the Prince of Swords brought Competence, I still hold the Prince of Wands, Inner Knowing, ahead of it.

Traditionally,  Swords symbolize thoughts. What does this card convey to you?

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Eighth Night of Christmas

With the New Year, we realize that we have the competence to realize all our generous intentions that we generated for ourselves. This is a step into our ability to have mastery on the physical level. -Penelope Clement

This is the perfect night for this card. The figure in this picture appears to be offering the thought (sword) and allowing it to guide him, just as I've been doing for the last week. On the First Night, I decided to focus on the things I'm grateful for, send healing thoughts and wishes whenever I read or hear of tension or anger, and to recognize my connection with everyone that I meet or see. As it turns out, I'm the one who's really benefiting from this exercise.

What I'm beginning to see is far less criticism in my self-talk. For example, where I might fault myself for some disorder at home, I'm just getting into the action of tidying up. When it's done or when I wake up to the order, I thank myself. It's a small but pleasant change that I've noticed. 

I'd like to think that I'll be able to Competently navigate this year with thoughts that will guide me through with the least resistance, as opposed to having to hack through unwanted situations. That's another pleasant thought!

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas.

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Seventh Night of Christmas

What a beautiful way to make our resolutions for the New Year. How about living in an abundant world where generosity flows, both to us and from us? How can we express our generosity to ourselves, our families, our world? - Penelope Clement

The hand in this card appears to be deftly twirling coins and what it symbolizes to me is the importance of playing life with an open hand. In order for me to adopt an easy-come-easy-go attitude, do I not have to fully trust that this is an Abundant Universe? I think so.

In the coming year, I want to be more vigilant about my thoughts and emotions in regards to giving and receiving. What could I give more of and what more can I receive?

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Sixth Night of Christmas

An important card for the end of the year. We are allowing the old year to die so that a brand new opening is available in the new year. Why just repeat the old one over and over? That's no fun! Also, with the work we have done with the cards, many of our automatic assumptions need to die as we open up to a more open and giving relationship with life. - Penelope Clement

The red reclining figure reminds me of lying in Savasana at the end of a yoga practice. It's the time to completely relax and let go, but I also like to think that my body's absorbing the benefits of my practice, while releasing tension and fatigue.

It's a good way to view this time of the year too. I'm going lay down in Savasana and with each inhalation, allow all of the good from this year to be absorbed into my life and as I exhale, release old patterns of thought that don't bring me joy. When I'm done, I'll roll over to my side into a fetal position. When I slowly unfurl and sit up, I'll be ready for the New Year.

I could actually do that everyday or whenever I feel like starting over. Death does not have to be the final act.

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About my TwelveNights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Fifth Night of Christmas

With integration, we are now conscious of the sources of strife - both inner and outer. Now is an opportunity to be responsible for our creation of strife in our lives and our world and to be able to release ourselves from these patterns. - Penelope Clement

I like the solidity of the sword in the center, where all thoughts should be referred. Although I feel more conscious of my inner being these days, I often allow conflicting thoughts to spin me around.  Until it becomes a reflex action to check inward, I'll let this card remind me of my ever present Source.

The more I think about it, Strife occurs when I stray from that centered sword.

What image do you hold of your inner strength or do you believe it's outside of you?

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Fourth Night of Christmas

It is important that we take time to consciously look at our thought patterns and integrate our new realizations in our speaking and thinking. - Penelope Clement

Swords can be used as weapons or tools and they also symbolize thoughts. In just these past three days, I can already feel the power and efficacy of the first night's actions as I direct my thoughts everyday to gratitude, care and connection with others.

Tonight as I think about Integration, I'm wondering what would happen if I continue to think, write, and speak of caring terms, consistently. How would I change? How would the world around me change?

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. -Mahatma Gandhi

 

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

 

The Third Night of Christmas

With the inner openings of the first two cards, we can now start to see/hear those interior voices that rob us of our emotional energy. It's our own ego that wants to be right at all cost and blames us for all our mistakes, making us feel depressed and unloved. As our awareness increases of how detrimental these patterns are, we can actively bring compassion and inner knowing to change them, to support ourselves and others. -Penelope Clement

Lechery is another word, like Compassion, that is shaded by moral standards so when I look at this card, I view it as waste. We often have ideas or inspired actions that could fill the needs and wants of others but because we allow the critics (outside and in our own minds) to have their say, we discard our creative juices and no one wins.

The lesson here for me is to go back to the first two cards, Compassion and Inner Knowing, and use them as filters and gauges for my impulses. Rather than throwing away the contents of my Cup, I might find one simple ingredient that could make it palatable, even exquisite. Bottom line: focus on solutions, not problems.

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About my 12 Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Second Night of Christmas

Our compassion allows us to start moving forward on a spiritual/creative level based on our inner knowing, rather than our assumptions and judgments. - Penelope Clement

I love the glowing heart center of the Prince and how he seems to be guided by that pulsating life force. He knows what he's been put on earth to do: follow his heart's signal. It's a reminder for me to always check in with my Inner Being before setting fire (action) to an idea or thought, to cultivate what my yoga teacher calls a Cool Head and a Warm Heart.

Look at the picture for a minute, what does it say to you?

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About my 12 Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement