Welcome New Subscribers!
I'd like to take a moment to send out a warm welcome to the 93 new subscribers (wow!) that have joined us since my New Year's issue went out. Thank you so much for signing up. I hope you will be inspired to invite your friends, or please do forward a copy of WINGS to them, too! The more, the merrier!
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HOWEVER --
With the Spring comes Spring cleaning, and I feel that the time has come to streamline my WINGS mailing list to just those folks who really do enjoy reading it.
In other words, I do not want my newsletter to seem like One More Chore in your to-do list.
So as much as I cherish having you as a reader, if you would rather opt out from your WINGS subscription, please do so by going here.
No questions asked, or offense taken. On the contrary, I offer my thanks for the time you were here.
Of course, if you DO decide to stay on, no action is needed. If so, I am delighted and grateful, and look forward to many new adventures together.
And speaking of adventures...
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Living Like Heroes
Life is a daring adventure, or nothing...
~ Helen Keller
With
Spring's new beginnings, it might seem odd that I would be thinking
about death. Maybe it's because it was a major theme at the phenomenal Sacred Space Conference I just attended.
Granted, death is not usually a favorite topic (were you tempted, just now, to bail on this article?). Especially
as the whole world now awakens with burgeoning life: flowers budding,
babies hatching, and renewal everywhere we look.
But
as you know, death doesn't take a Spring break (if only!). And of
course in my readings, the Death card comes up regularly.
In my younger years, I was apt to quickly reassure my clients that it had more to do with rebirth than dying.
Okay, well, that is not untrue.
But
now, in my sixties, I am less inclined to be hesitant about the Death
card's message of permanent endings. I more readily see Death as our
life-long companion, adviser, and teacher.
Death reminds us to be honest and live to the fullest. From
our earliest beginnings to the end of this incarnation, whether we
realize it or not, we are on an odyssey, as the hero of our own story.
Once
we realize we are the authors of a fantastic, never-seen-before
adventure tale, we are more easily able to see things from a wider
perspective.
We
are on a daring journey, often faced with impossible odds. And, yes,
with an inescapable ending that we already know comes for us all.
But until that day arrives, we have enormous power to edit the themes, plot, and subplots that color our days.
We
may regularly invite new characters to participate, although only we
ourselves can determine the motivation and actions of the primary
character (us). And all the while, we can polish the denouement until it rings with truth and lyricism.
Occasionally, we may even be treated to a deus ex machina,
disliked as a device in modern narrative, but often a saving grace in
real life. In fact, the more we cooperate with the hidden flow of the
Divine, the less struggle and difficulty may thwart us.
But not always.
As
in all good sagas, the way forward is not often simple or
straightforward. Let's be honest -- no one really likes a story where only pleasant things happen.
Naturally, then, our ripping yarn of derring-do is fraught with conflict, testing, complexity, uncertainty, and even danger. Especially at this pivotal moment in history.
But
we, you and I, are the stalwart heroes of this time. Like all our
favorite book and film characters, this adventure urges that we keep the
faith, bravely defend those in need, recognize helpers (even if they
are in disguise), overcome adversity, and celebrate with our kindred
allies every chance we get.
Never
mind those chapters when the hero makes mistakes, is feeling low, or
all may seem lost. That, too, happens in every story worth telling.
Instead, let us encourage fierce strength in one another. With Spring
Herself as our ally, let us be up and about our most sacred quests.
Let us take the important risks that call so deeply to us, and stand tall like the women and men we most admire.
For until we close the book for the last time with a sigh, we are the irrepressible, irreplaceable champions and heroes so needed in this world.
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Tarot Boutique
The
Tarot Boutique is a monthly opportunity for Tarot aficionados to polish
and practice their skills, through my small, private workshops.
Now Enrolling:
Working with Tarot Spreads, Part One
Saturday, May 31, 2014, 1-5pm
at my home, Laurel Hill, in Durham County
Combined with well thought-out questions, Tarot layouts create the container in which we are able to interpret the answers.
So what is a good layout? What should be avoided? How might we choose a layout for a particular situation?
In this first part of two, we will practice with lots of popular
spreads, including an in-depth exploration of the ubiquitous Celtic
Cross layout.
By
experimenting and playing with a number of pre-packaged spreads, you
will build your repertoire and gain a clear idea of what works best
according to your own style.
This class will also lay the groundwork for June's workshop on creating your own, customized spreads for every occasion!
The
dates for Boutique classes through August are also now posted, with
additional registrations opening soon. So save the dates, and add new
sparkle and depth to your personal or professional practice. Details are here.
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 Green Living
This Spring, Let's Go Wild!
From the National Wildlife Foundation newsletter …
If
you’ve ever wanted to create a wildlife-friendly garden, but weren’t
sure how to keep it from looking too “wild," now is the perfect time to
start.
While you're waiting for the last frost date in your area, you can be
planning for a beautiful, bustling Spring garden. Get started today and
then certify your yard as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat® site.
Here are five simple tips gardeners of every experience level can use to create a yard both people and wildlife alike will enjoy:
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Develop a design. Layout is key to
creating a space that is pleasing to wildlife and humans. Use pathways,
borders, hedges and even fences to create order and group plantings.
Sketch out a basic design ahead of time and work from your plan.
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Start
slowly. Don’t tear up your entire yard at once or you can easily get
overwhelmed. You can start small — such as with a butterfly garden — and
gradually expand it.
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Cluster
flowers and ornamental grasses. Grouping plants together creates a bold
impact and makes flowers more visible to the birds and butterflies that
enjoy them.
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Include
natives. Because native plants are indigenous to a specific region,
they usually require less maintenance and are welcomed by birds,
butterflies and other wildlife who have adapted to them over time.
Native doesn’t have to mean “unfamiliar” to you — there are many popular
natives that you might already be familiar with, like some hollys, oaks
and dogwoods. (I'll be posting more about native plants in an upcoming
issue of WINGS).
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Create
orderly cover. If you aren’t thrilled about brush piles in your yard, a
rock garden or neatly stacked logs can provide appropriate shelter for
many small wildlife.
Remember -
April 22 is Earth Day...
And every little bit makes a world of difference.
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Can You Believe It?
The Birthday Club turns THREE this month!
For the many folks
who have been with me from the very beginning, I will be sending you a
very affordable, streamlined renewal offer, so watch your email this
week!
Wait a minute -- what?
You haven't joined yet? Where have you been?
I think that having our very own personal
holiday, where we can bask in the glow of our Solar return; where
friends and family take time out to wish us happiness and blessings (and
hopefully bestow cake and gifts!); when we can mark the quiet
anniversary of our beingness, in whatever ways our spirits know we need,
is so wonderful … and it is important.
Rather than dreading getting another year older, it’s a time for
counting our blessings, commemorating our milestones, and gazing into
the future.
Your birthday is sacred. It’s when you are invited to pause and
observe the importance of your private endings and beginnings.
And when you blow out those birthday cake candles, you can set a powerful intention for the coming year.
So I created the
Birthday Club to help you align with your Tarot year, and to use each
month as a catalyst for making those truest wishes of yours really come
true.
You can join any
time, but the real fun begins at your birthday. So why not treat
yourself (or a loved one) to a most magical year? Visit here for more info!
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 Let’s stay in touch!
I specialize in helping visionaries, healers, artists, and innovators thrive while integrating career, creativity and spirituality.
If you seek inspiration as well as practical wisdom, I will show you how to predict your future by creating it.
I would be happy to welcome you in person to my magical cottage in the woods of Northern Durham County. I also visit twice a month at Dancing Moon Books in Raleigh. And I am available worldwide, by phone.
Pick Your Ideal Appointment Time
To find out when I am available for a phone appointment, drop by here. Pick a time, and afterwards, you can "lock in" with your PayPal payment.
Or if you wish to meet at my home, in person, you can see my availability here. My bookstore reading dates are in another section of this newsletter.
Of course you can also visit my website or phone me at (919) 620-7525.
As we navigate these tumultuous, exhilarating times, I am honored to be of service to you, and help you find your own WINGS.
Live in balance. Focus your creativity. Manifest your vision.
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Published by Beth Owl's Daughter © 2014
Tarot and Intuitive Guidance since 1972
Durham, NC 27712-9101
Email: beth@owlsdaughter.com
Website: http://www.owlsdaughter.com
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Last Call:
Tarot Without Tears:
The Wisdom Journey
Learn to read the Tarot by the end of the day
Saturday, April 5 11am – 6pm $80
Dancing Moon Books - Raleigh, NC
If you've wanted to learn how to read the Tarot with skill and confidence, this is the class for you!
In this all-day Tarot exploration, you'll move beyond the basics,
working with the Tarot as a tool for accessing your deep wisdom.
No prior experience is required, however, we will only briefly review fundamental basics.
NEW: If you are not sure whether you're "up to speed," no worries! I am giving away some of the resources from my earlier class, so you can jump right in!
Go HERE to download this gift from me to you!
Don't miss out. I don't expect to
offer this again this year, and even Tarot readers don't know what the
long distance future may hold.
Also: This class is required for my "Reading for Others," and "Going Pro" workshops coming this Summer. Go HERE to get the details!
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My Upcoming Schedule
Tarot Readings at Dancing Moon Books
1840 N. Wake Forest Rd., Raleigh
Friday, April 11
Saturday, April 19
Friday, May 2
Saturday, May 17
Bring your smart phone or other recording device so you can save our conversation for later review.
Hour or half-hour appointments begin at 11:30 am, ending by 6:30pm.
Walk-ins are welcome but why risk disappointment? Call (919) 833-8081 (Tuesdays-Sundays) to schedule your visit! You can even reserve your time months in advance!
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Raleigh-Durham
Triangle Tarot and Friends
Just Gets Better and Better!
In April, partly due to the upcoming, very intense influences, we'll be
discussing the relationship between the Tarot and astrology. In May, we
might be hosting a special celebrity guest, if the scheduling works
out.
Our group is very friendly and there is no charge to join, but space is LIMITED and RSVPs are strictly observed!
For time and location details, please become a member (no charge!) by going here.
We're some of the most talented, enthusiastic Tarot people on the
planet. Whether you are local or not, please join us for laughter,
learning, and insight.
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 Astrological Tidbits
Warning: Whitewater Ahead
The month of April is prompting even the most laid-back astrologers I
know to take a somber tone. In a year that promises extremes (as I wrote
last time), this coming month is where things ramp up.
Get ready, my friends. We are now locked in on a ride that will leave few unchanged, and there's no turning back.
It all centers on the buildup to the next exact square between Uranus and Pluto, which, if you've been reading my blog and newsletter a while, you will have heard about. (If not, my friend Lynn Hayes has an excellent, easy-to-understand series of articles here.)
This will be the fifth of seven showdowns, stretching across nearly
five years, between Pluto, the planet of death/transformation and
Uranus, the planet of rebellion/liberation.
The drama is being amplified this time because the square will be sandwiched between two eclipses and their square-off is forming a Grand Cardinal Cross, which astrologer Lance Ferguson calls, "The most powerful and discordant configuration of planets I have ever seen."
He explains, "The Grand Cross consists of Pluto in Capricorn who wants to stick with routine and the conservative side. He is square to Uranus in Aries who wants change NOW! They are both squared or opposed by Retrograde Mars in Libra and Jupiter in Cancer. All exactly on 13 degrees of these Cardinal signs. making four exact squares."
But before all that comes together, the March 30 New Moon in Aries is the catalyst.
Jeff Jawer of StarIQ notes, "This New Moon
kicks off the most dynamic lunar cycle in decades. Radical changes and
breakthroughs can take us to higher levels of awareness, awakening minds
and freeing hearts while rattling normal reality...Political and
personal lives are shaken and shocked in this cosmically and
geologically unstable environment."
Ralfee Finn,
another brilliant astro analyst, notes, "Living a conscious life is
going to take more than the usual effort, especially if you want to turn
the wheel of your individual life in a more creative and positive
direction."
With the waxing of the Moon, the energy intensifies. Judy Joyce
writes, "Life altering events and actions are very likely to occur in
the world and in the lives of many individuals during this month.
"Changes and transformations that have been pending for months or years can finally move forward. April 1 to 23 will be the most active and intense period. After that, things will start to settle down and become a bit easier.
"Thankfully, individuals are much more likely than countries to use this energy in a positive and effective way.
"Not that it won’t be challenging. In our personal lives, this can be a
time when we will have the energy, courage and confidence to make
breakthroughs, take chances and start making big changes. Surprising
events could occur to prompt this."
Those born in the cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will be strongly affected, especially those born on (or within a couple days) of the following super-activated birth dates:
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Aries - March 31 to April 5 (10-15º Aries)
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Cancer – July 2 to 8 (10-15º Cancer)
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Libra – October 3 to 9 (10-15º Libra)
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Capricorn - January 1 to 7 (10-15º Capricorn)
And, as mentioned, this is all happening within the window of a pair of eclipses.
Lance notes, "The New Moon [of April 29] and the Full Moon are eclipses in April. Both add power to the Skywatch and the decisions made this month.
"Things that end with the Full Moon and things that begin with the New Moon are likely to be a big deal in your future plans."
He urges us, "Take your time making decisions and realize that many
people will short out and do crazy things with this lineup of powerful
planetary connections in the heavens.."
But while most astrologers admit there is potential danger in this lineup, the overall message is not of gloom and doom. These aspects are challenging us to make profound, needed changes.
Diotima Mantineia of Urania's Well
writes, "You can’t escape change, especially if you have key planetary
placements in the Cardinal signs. In fact, many of you are right in the
middle of a period of profound change. The Cardinal Cross
can give you a lot of power to change your life for the better, but
you’ll need to participate enthusiastically in releasing the old to make
room for the new.
"The choices you make now are exceptionally important. You’ll want to
have goals in mind, and a clear focus. I can’t emphasize enough how much
this chart requires flexibility, focus, and a willingness to act with
empathy and in line with your core values."
I have to admit that sometimes I despair that the hidebound attitudes
and institutions that create so much misery will never be rooted out (a Pluto concept if there ever was one!). Don't you, too, sometimes wish for a sweeping reboot and radical healing?
That is precisely the opportunity for us during this time.
Ralfee tells us, "Over the next couple of weeks, as the tension mounts,
many of us will be experiencing a deep sense of uncertainty, and
whether that disquiet is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual is
dependent upon many factors, not the least of which is where each of us
stands within, in our hearts, or what I like to call 'true home.'
"We live in interesting times," she writes, "times that can be used to strengthen that internal center by allowing the heart to find its deepest truth and then doing whatever is required to honor that wisdom."
Let us all embrace the wisdom that Judy Joyce shares:
(1) Be open to change.
(2) Don’t spend all our energy resisting the changes and
transformations that are pending or necessary in our lives. Focus on
what kinds of positive actions we can take to move forward.
(3) Get on with it! Stay grounded and take one day at a time. Go with
the flow. For some, changes will be minor. For others, this will be a
time of major life direction shifts.
(4) Expect some surprises and maintain flexibility. Planning may help us feel better, but don’t take anything for granted.
(5) Be aware that the powerful energies at play in the world are affecting everyone. Keep this in mind when interacting with others.
(6) Be assured that it is all part of our path on Earth at this time.
Don’t jump to conclusions. We are in the middle of a transformation and
what we are becoming is not clear yet.
She ends with this very astute quote:
My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.
~ The French philosopher, Montaigne
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Until next time....
May the stars shine brightly for you!
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Thank you again for this time together!
May this sweet season encourage your spirit to blossom, and shower you with days of gentle beauty.
Brightest blessings to you and yours,
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