Rules of Karma - Rules for Parenting

The rules of karma are simple and straight forward: What you

#11, Justice also stands for karma.
As you can see, not blind at all.
RWCS by US Games©

put into the Universe returns to you threefold, so play nice and if you don’t listen to what the Universe is saying to you the first time, you can bet It will speak louder and clearer next time.  Lastly, and most importantly, there will absolutely be a next time. I’ve done a lot of reflection on karmic rules this weekend as, like so many others, I’ve read the online articles and posts concerning the vandalism of Brian Holloway’s home, his amazing and generous response to it and the resulting furor.  If you are not familiar with the story, please Google™ it.  

What is a parent’s responsibilities in shaping their children’s karma?  It is, after all, the child’s karma, not the parent’s.  However, as parents it is pivotal that we lead by example and when our children fall down, both physically and metaphorically, we are there to pick them up as best we can, whether or not it’s comfortable or convenient to do so.  That’s what me signed up to do when we became parents.  

Most of us strive to teach our children right from wrong and the Universe in its wisdom provides us with object lessons.  If our child passes an object lesson then our reward is to breathe a sigh of relief until the next one.  If they fail one, then as parents, it’s our responsibility to hold them accountable, to help them learn the object lesson and not to circumvent the consequences of their own folly. To do so is to interfere with the child’s karmic journey. Remember, if you don’t learn the lesson the first time, the Universe simply raises the ante on the next such lesson.  Ignore it again, and the Universe will continue to raise the stakes until the cost is higher than any parent ever wants their child to pay.  The parent, likewise pays a terrible price because as the child didn’t the lesson, neither did the parent.

As parents, my husband and I had to make many decisions regarding our children’s lessons from the Universe.  It was a struggle sometimes to hold them accountable for their actions and to hold ourselves accountable as parents.  The end results, however,  were phenomenal.  It still astounds and humbles me how much we learned from them even though all three of them claim it was the other way around.  They are all amazing individuals who learned their respective lessons with grace and dignity.

By not running misguided interference and by offering appropriate support instead, our children learn that while sometimes there are irrevocable consequences for their actions, a true parent’s love is unconditional.  They also learn that everyone makes mistakes and that messing up matters much less than how well you recover yourself and whether or not you do so with integrity.  

To not allow your children to recover from their messes honorably is to not allow them to redeem themselves in their own eyes.  Deep down, no matter how much they deny it there will always be a part of your child, long into adulthood that feels diminished.  They will believe that they couldn’t make the cut because in their parent’s opinion they weren’t worth the inconvenience, or the aggravation.  That’s a horrible legacy to hand any child.

LADY ORACLE

Venus in Libra August 16th To September 11th - "Love, Sweet Love”

“Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed
And the world stood still”

"Love Is A Many Splendored Thing"

(Words by Paul Frances Webster and Music by Sammy Fain)

The Empress is the tarot card for Venus
from Barbara Moore and Aly Fell's
"Steampunk Tarot"©

When Venus comes home to her planetary sign, Libra, she trades in her boogie shoes for a pair of four-inch stiletto heels – flattering, fabulous and perhaps just a tad bit naughty.  Venus blooms best under the harmonious eyes of Libra, though the signs Pisces and Taurus are close runners up.  During her transit through Libra, our planet of love enhances our softer, more charming nature.  We are in love with love itself and naturally explore the romantic side of any situation.  We value harmony in our relationships – personal and professional – and are willing to compromise without drawing battle lines.

During Venus’ transit through Libra, we will be more inclined to actively seek out partnerships. We strive to make our homes calm spaces that foster creative energy.  There will also be clearer signals between people spotting a mutual attraction across the proverbial, ‘crowded room’ and much less need for gamesmanship.  That doesn't mean that we're willing accept crude overtures from the people we find attractive; quite the opposite. Male or female – we'll want romance with a capital 'R' and that includes all the bells, whistles and social niceties.  Sun in Leo lends a little extra gloss to our own patina of charm.  Avoid sounding glib and overly smooth, lest you be accused of being superficial.

The only downside to all this harmonious compromise is the

Libra's tarot card is Justice
from Ciro Marchetti's
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

tendency for people with self-esteem issues to become overly agreeable for the sake of romance.  Healthy boundaries are a necessity no matter who’s transiting what.  If you abandon your own needs for the sake of romantic harmony you end up short-changing yourself and in the long run, build up resentments against your partner (again, personal or professional) and risk engaging in passive-aggressive behaviors farther down the road.

Venus in Libra is a gift of romance and romantic possibilities.  It’s a wonderful way to close out the summer and either relive a little magic from your past, or create some that’s brand spanking new.

LADY ORACLE

Below is my Top Ten Picks for favorite romantic movies.  Make your own list, or borrow some of mine:

1)  Casablanca

2)  Sleepless in Seattle

3)  When Harry Met Sally

4)  Love Is A Many Splendored Thing (You had to have seen that one coming)

5)  A Summer Place

6)  Splendor in the Grass 

7)  Under the Tuscan Sun

8)  Doctor Zhivago 

9)  An Affair to Remember

10) It Happened One Night

Actually, the list is endless!  

Send me yours @ ladyoracle.net

New Moon in Gemini - June 8, 2013, "Communication Is Key"

The High Priestess - Intuition, the  Moon

In life everything carries both yin (female) and yang (male) energy.  These are not oppositional forces, they compliment each other and the very nature of one depends on the existence of the other.  We refer to the Moon as Lady Moon and use her mysterious female energy to celebrate the divine feminine within all of us. The Moon is no exception to the duality in nature.  Each New Moon phase marks the beginning of a new cycle in life. It’s here at the beginning of the Moon’s journey where we find evidence of the yang, or masculine energy coupled with the feminine yin. The New Moon is a time to commit to new directions and projects - to start afresh. It’s a time to take that first step.

On June 8th the New Moon appears at 11:56 EDT, in 18 degrees, 1 second of Gemini, the Twins. Gemini carries a vibrant, social energy and our Gemini New Moon continues this month’s theme of communication. The 8th presents an opportunity to assess how you express yourself to others and change the things that aren’t working for you. This New Moon asks us to consider something we too frequently ignore in life - listening attentively.   We have two ears and one mouth.  June’s New Moon asks that we use each one equally.  Communication is often about using words sparingly and therefore using them to greater effect.

June’s astrology is challenging our communications skills not only in fact, but also in a philosophical way this month.  The intentions you set this New Moon should reflect that challenge.  Listen with both hears open for the incoming messages from your family, friends and colleagues.  Internalize the message and then respond appropriately rather than simply letting old patterns guide your way. The

Justice - universal fairness, karma

Major Arcana cards for June 8, 2013 are, #2, The High Priestess and, #11, Justice.  The High Priestess is the Moon’s card and speaks to us about using our intuition while, #11, Justice sends a message about fairness and karma.  Listen fairly and remember that in karma, what we give comes back to us threefold.

LADY ORACLE

Sunday, April 28, 2013 - Saturn in Opposition To Sun in Taurus

Just when we decided to sigh with relief for surviving this month’s Full Pink Moon in Scorpio, the cosmos began snickering behind our backs.  We have another litmus test to face this month - Saturn in opposition to the Sun in Taurus.  Cue the organ music and hang the garlic.

It takes Saturn 29.5 years to complete an orbit around the Sun and every 378 days Earth and Saturn come into alinement.  What makes this year’s Saturn alinement so interesting is that this will be Saturn’s closest point to Earth for the next ten years.  Also, Saturn’s famous rings will be tilted at an 18 degree angle, making them much more visible.  Get your telescopes ready.  Saturn, like any good party hound, will be visible throughout the night of the 28th.  It rises out of the East after sunset and sets in the West after sunrise.  The planet will be easy to recognize as the second brightest object in the night sky.

Astrologically speaking, the 28th offers us some challenges.  This isn’t a big surprise because Saturn is the Zodiac’s teaching planet and likes to offer us lessons that inspire us to grow as individuals. Saturn remains in Scorpio until next December 24, 2014 and as you’ll remember from my blog on April’s Full Pink Moon (You might as well check it out. You’re in the neighborhood.), Scorpio carries transformational energy.  Both Saturn and Scorpio’s characteristics will be supped up due to Saturn’s oppositional stance with the Sun in Taurus.  

Your challenge on the 28th will be to scrutinize familiar behavioral patterns and discover whether they move you forward in life, or hold you back.  The House of Taurus, also revved up by opposition, lends you its keen focus.  Once you’ve determined which behavioral patterns must be revised or eliminated, don’t waste anytime.  Start making changes.  Several astrologers have mentioned a karmic component to April 28th.  The Major Arcana card for the day happens to be #11, Justice.  This card is about a fair and balanced universe, but there is also an element of karmic energy attached to #11’s meaning. Funny how things all fits together, huh? 

The areas of love and finances may be particularly vulnerable to karmic lessons on the 28th.  The chickens may come home to roost in your bed.  The wolves who were at your door, may now be sitting in your living room with their feet up on the coffee table hollering for pizza.  If either scenario mirrors your life, remember to focus on the recurring patterns in your behavior.  See what changes you must make and make them.  And as with any challenging time, concentrate on the positive energy around you, using its power to keep yourself moving onwards and upwards.  Don’t worry.  We’ve got wonderful stuff coming in May.

LADY ORACLE

A Case for Divine Balance # 11 - Justice

#11, Justice - Divine order and
universal fairness - RWCS deck

September 4, 2014 = #11, Justice
Here's some things for your consideration 
on this day of universal balance...

Justice sits squarely upon her throne, the chaos of the universe discretely hidden behind the scarlet drape at her back.  She knows the fundamental truth lying at the heart of all matters.  Her judgment is never clouded by her own perceptions.  We know this because her right hand holds her sword upright, straight and true, not tilted to one side or the other by her personal bias.  Never confuse justice with judgment, because one has little to do with the other.  Judgment is about decisions based upon facts, happenstance or personal preference.  Justice is about balance and fairness.  Justice is karma.

If # 11 has shown up in your reading ask yourself where you need fairness and balance in your life.  Did something happen in the past that has caused you regret?  Is the universe sending you a message that it's past time you forgave yourself and moved on?  Life has a way of balancing things out, sometimes in a straightforward manner and sometimes in a pattern that may take years to unfold.

I told you all that to tell you this...

This past weekend was miraculous and I was there to see it all unfold.  At the beginning of the month (see post - "The April Fool")  I told you the story of the sailboat my husband and I bought to rebuild on April Fool's day, six years ago.  Before this latest project boat, "Enchantress," there was another sailboat, a wooden, ketch named "Jenny."  Jenny was our first major project boat.  She'd been the victim of a fire set as revenge for a tattoo gone wrong.  I know... but that's a story for another time.  We bought her and painstakingly repaired her.  Once Jenny was complete, we said goodbye to our home in the city and took our children cruising among the San Juan Islands of Washington and into Canada.

When we returned, circumstances forced us to sell Jenny.  It wasn't easy, especially for my husband.  He knew every bolt, every plank in her by heart.  We all loved Jenny, but she was part of his soul. Sailors will tell you that wooden boats hold a spirit, a life force all their own because they are made of organic material.  They're right.  Each of us could feel Jenny in our own way, but my husband, felt her more than any of us.  For him, he was losing a piece of himself.

 

Ciro Marchetti's more yin and yang
view of Justice.  Works for me.
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

The last weekend she was ours, we took her sailing, spending one last night with her.  We were all pretty miserable.  We said our goodbyes, thanking her for all her gifts to us and for protecting our family on the ocean.  As the years passed (16 of them) we heard tales of her, but never saw her again.  Frankly, it would have been too painful.  Just after we purchased Enchantress, we heard Jenny was for sale, but our commitments were elsewhere and so we let her go again.

Jenny often drifted into our thoughts as we undertook the momentous task of reconstructing Enchantress. We rebuilt her hull, purchased a galley stove and an engine, along with hundreds of miscellaneous parts.  Then trouble hit.  The engine we purchased for her refused to work correctly.  Now bear in mind that during the past 6 years I'd heard my husband say, "If we only had Jenny's engine.  That would have been perfect," no less than a hundred times.  And now that we were in need the cosmic tumblers started clicking with blinding speed.

Last week we saw an ad for a used engine that was the same make and model as Jenny's.  The seller said the engine had been pulled from a wooden Tahiti Ketch - just like Jenny.  Long story short, when we saw the engine my husband was suspicious and seeing the boat's title only confirmed what he knew at first sight.  It was Jenny's engine. She'd found her way back to us.  The seller told us he had other parts from her as well.  He produced a pair of brass reading lamps, lamps I'd turned on and off a thousand times.  We bought them.  I held them in my lap as we drove away, tears streaming down my face.  Our girl had never given up on us and in the strange balance of the universe, she'd found her way home.

A lot of things had to happen quickly and in a certain way to make

#5, The Hierophant from
Ciro Marchetti's "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

this all come about.  This story is so much more than just a story about replacing an old boat engine.  My husband's year card is #11, Justice.  Amid the chaos of life, the universe has restored balance for him at least in this piece.  Karma.  If Jenny had a heart, then surely that's what this engine is.  I believe it.  We will transplant Jenny's heart into Enchantress and we will have many new adventures with both of them.
Numbers 11 and 5, justice and faith.  It's a darn good year.



(I originally posted this blog in 2012 and it looks like we'll have a launch this summer! You can be sure I'll keep you posted!)

Lady Oracle