My dear friend,

“Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!” ~ Henry Ford

Mr Ford was right about as many things as he was wrong. He was an avowed fascist, but he also elevated women in the workplace, using automation instead of male brawn.

I feel as though I'm occupying a similar duality at the moment. I like to think that I have a positive mental attitude to most things - I’ll volunteer to leap out of a plane or abseil down a cliff edge at the first invitation - and yet I am also prone to long periods of slowing to a halt - and staying there awhile.

Last week I pulled the 7 of clubs/wands in several readings. It speaks to roadblocks and the struggle to stay ahead of things. It seems very apt for the global last few weeks. We have witnessed how hard it has been for entire countries to stay ahead of virus mutations, invading armies and the actual will of their people. I have felt the stubborn pull forwards and the opposing resistance to action in equal measure. It has felt as though the energy of the last week was one of halted, blocked flow.

This morning, ahead of writing to you, I pulled a card to help me determine my direction. This time it was the 7 of Spades/Swords - The Chariot. Speaking to reason and intellect and the element of air, it pictures a brave warrior standing inside a chariot. He wears armor decorated with crescent moons (representing what is coming into being), a tunic with a square (the strength of will) and other alchemical symbols (spiritual transformation). The laurel and star crown signals victory, success and spiritual evolution. Although he appears to be driving the chariot, the charioteer holds no reins – just a wand like The Magician’s – symbolizing that he controls through the strength of his will and mind.

The charioteer stands tall – there’s no sitting down for this guy, as he’s all about taking action and moving forward. Above his head is a canopy of six-pointed stars, suggesting his connection to the celestial world and the Divine will. In front of the vehicle sit a black and a white sphinx, representing duality, positive and negative and, at times, opposing forces. Note how the sphinxes are pulling in opposite directions, but the charioteer uses his willpower and sheer resolve to steer the chariot forward in the direction he wants.

Behind the chariot flows a wide river, symbolic of the need to be ‘in flow’ with the rhythm of life while also charging ahead toward your goals and intentions.. When I read about this card I hear 3 phrases over and over again : a triumph, a breakthrough, an inventive solution.

The energy of this week is of flowing movement towards an inventive solution to the blocks which have been keeping us stuck in the struggle of the last few weeks. Where have you been experiencing your own personal sticky blocks? Where can you look for the triumph of a breakthrough? What do you hope will be the outcome here?

I personally am looking forward to the ease I sense around the warming weather. The sight of blossom in the trees reminds me how quickly we return to a state of ease and playfulness after our own personal winters. For me, those times feel so long and heavy, and yet are so quickly overcome by the sunny warmth of new growth and life. I’m grateful for these reminders.

We’re moving into spring “proper” now. It’s a time of change, movement and growth; both internal and external and we might feel a little ungrounded because of the swiftness of these changes. So here’s a little exercise you can do whenever you start to feel untethered or in need of grounding deeper into the earth. It can also help you to let go of old ideas and internal commentary which is unhelpful and no longer serves you. It was written down by Jose and Lena Stevens in their book Secrets of Shamanism. It can feel even more effective if you are barefoot directly on the earth.

Deep Grounding:

• Begin by relaxing and closing your eyes. Take a couple of deep slow breaths in and out. Then become aware of your physical body from top to bottom.
• Next, shift your awareness to the earth directly below you. Go with your awareness downward into mother earth, through the layers of strata, rock, clay, and dirt until you reach the molten quality of inner earth. The shaman believes the earth is alive, so greet each layer as you go down deeper into Mother Earth.
• Then establish a connection from the base of your spine to the molten center of the earth. Now with your feet firmly planted on the ground, permit your spirit body to stretch all the way down as if you had a long tail reaching to the earth’s center. Then let the energy from the earth rise up into your body, causing you to feel more solid and present.
• Leave the connection in the past, and return your attention back to where you started.
• Open your eyes and continue your day’s activities. You can repeat the exercise whenever you feel the need.

Grounding Exercise:

Relax and close your eyes / Become aware of your physical body / Become aware of the earth / Establish a connection with the center of the earth / Drain out tension and foreign energy / Bring up energy from the earth / Open your eyes / Breathe deeply inwards / Relax and expand your chest and exhale.

I hope you feel more connected after reading this letter. Please do write back to me - or send my letter on to anyone else who you think would benefit from it.

Wishing you lightness of heart and spirit,

Lizzy xx

​www.elizaraven.com​

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