A friendly reminder that since it’s getting hot out, people of all sizes and genders are entitled to wear whatever they want to keep themselves cool and comfortable and under no circumstances is it cool to shame or sexualize them for it.

I’m blessed to have my life, that’s for sure. Meaning: I’m blessed to know that how I think affects what comes to me, and that I can chose to exercise my free will to discipline myself to stay focused on things I like so that more things I like may come to me.

He who knows that this body is like froth, and has learned that it is as unsubstantiated as a mirage, will break the flower pointed arrow of illusion and never see the king of death.
— The Dhammapada

When we feel a loved one is gone from our life for good since they have passed out of physical form, we misunderstand. It’s just a misunderstanding when we mistake the death of the body for the death of our loved one. The caterpillar doesn’t die when it becomes a butterfly, it just moves its consciousness into a new body, leaving the old one behind. We survive in consciousness after the change called death. You meet again when you drop your own body. You can also in quiet times feel their presence and imagine you are hearing them talking to you. You’re not imagining it. Sometimes you see signs everywhere. They’re just letting you know that life goes on, it just changes form. You will meet again, know that.

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Stay vigilant. The media wants to enflame us into action for ratings. Keep your cool. The powers that be want to divide us to make it easier to bring in martial law. Be kind. Stay mindful. We’re all in this together. We’ll get through this. Who’s hopeful? I am!

My dad turned me on to tarot and astrology in 1976.  I quickly saw there were very few books interpreting reversed cards, and the ones that did had nothing good to say. I’ve always been a Pollyanna kind of person because my mom was, so I initially intuited that reversals had to do with a stalling, a delay in expression while it’s evolving, with a sequence having to be performed before the upright meaning of the card could be granted, i.e. Mary wants C to happen but she gets a reversed card because before C can happen, she has to do A and B.  Reversals can have to do with plans pondered yet not put into action, lack of sufficient effort, or something they feel they are being held apart from. It can be where they feel blocked or discouraged, where they feel fearful. It indicates working through an issue. We work through issues every day so we’re not talking about the world crashing down around you. It simply indicates something at play in your life right now and those things come to pass, they don’t come to stay. When Rachael Pollack’s 78 Degrees of Wisdom came out in 1977, my world changed as I incorporated her interpretations with my own. With some friends/clients, they don’t want the reversed card to be read so I honor their wish. A reversed card however does give more complex and greater levels of insight, which is what she is there for in the first place. I find reversals especially helpful in answering Yes or No questions.

So which is it? Do you look for the silver lining or do you be an activist? Can you do both? I made an earlier post about something I saw at the beach tonight and included a photo. One Facebook friend saw the beauty of the photo but the majority saw an environmental danger and let me know all about it. I completely agree the danger exists, yet the purpose of my post was to share the beauty of the moment. But I’ve been guilty of doing the same thing when friends post pics of heavy, fatty, fried, sweet foods. I look at it and all I can see is health problems in the making. Sometimes I can smile and shake my head because their experience is none of my business, but I can seldom revel in the joy of that particular moment for them. It’s a razor’s edge, isn’t it, how to fully experience the beauty of a moment while staying mindful of consequences and implications.

A comforting truth — if you’re no longer there by choice or chance. “Responsibilities are part of the play, the maya or illusion of our lives. At any time that you abandon or are snatched from your life — the people in it will be taken care of by God. So just know, pray for them, play your part with them as far as you are prompted to do it. But be aware, they will be okay if you are not there. That struggle to stand on their own may be part of their growth.” — Marie Dooley

You can leave out of misery or leave gracefully. You can stay and be miserable, or stay gracefully. The turmoil lives within limiting options. Find the grace and the options will appear. — Zanda Gutek