Étiquette : inner journey

The Alchemist Grove 33. The Moon

This week we will focus on cycles, and we will enjoy the full Moon to harvest the fruits of our intentions.

The Moon is, to me, the master of cycles. As a woman, my own cycle harmonizes with hers. As a human being, my life is more or less led by her rhythm, as a living being, I follow the cycle of Life. A lot of our life is led by cycles, whether we acknowledge them or not. And as tonight is a full Moon, there is no more perfect day to share with you my views on cycles.

If we look at the Moon cycle more closely, we will see that ours is not that different, from the new moon of our birth and childhood, when we bloom and grow in the womb of our family, to the first quarter of our young adult years, when we start to build our life, our family, when we are on our path, beginning our own unique journey, growing and being stronger, to the full moon of our mature adulthood, when we master our craft, when we know who we are, when we have reached stability and maturity, to the third quarter of our old age, when we slow our pace, when we spend time to reflect on our life, our family, and when we can see the accomplishments of our lifetime. We then go to our passing just life the moon embrace it’s dark moon phase.

We can also align with the Moon phases when it comes to projects, relationships, or spiritual journey. The new Moon of our life would be when we plant the seeds of our intentions, our dreams, into the darkness of our mind, keeping them safe, letting them take roots, slowly, safely, until they are ready to get out. Then they may start to sprout in the first quarter of our desires, and require all our attention and care. This is where we give them our full attention, nourishing them, protecting them, making sure they get all they need to be healthy and grow strong. Then they fully bloom on the full moon of our harvest, and we can see the fruits of our labor, harvest them, enjoy their abundance and make sure to share them. Lastly, the last quarter of our thoughts offers us a time to gather the lessons learned and to be grateful. Before a new cycle starts, again, and again and again, to fulfill our intentions and desires, to make us grow to our full potential and be the beautiful beings we are meant to be.

Our life is lead by cycles: hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, years. We can choose to follow them, to go with the flow of Life, to belong to its rhythm, or we can try to fight against it, it’s up to us. By embracing our cyclic nature, we allow ourselves to embrace the universality of it, as a living being. By trying to go against it, we let our ego take over, and it disconnect us from the universal rhythm. I chose to fully embrace them, and to go back to a more natural approach of my own rhythm and cycles. As women, we are sometimes taught that we go through 3 phases: the Child, then the Mother, and lastly the Crone. There is something missing here, to be honest…. We don’t go from the mother to the crone…. There is this time where we reign on our own life, blooming, confident, where we don’t have anything to prove to anyone. This is the time of the Queen phase. This is when we are shining, confident and accepting, sharing what we know, what we learned, embracing our body and being fully women, not only mothers, not only daughters, not yet elder. This is when we are free to be whoever we want, when we can show our true power over our own life, caring for our kingdom, caring for our family, reconnecting with our body as the beautiful vessel it is, welcoming the changes it went through and will go through, owning each steps. I see my grew hair as a crone, and I held my head up high, proud of it. I embrace my stretch marks and round belly as trophies earned being a mother. And I am happy they are here, as in my case, they are the last signs I once was a mother. I own my shapes, my curves, as feminine attributes, and i don’t try to hide them. I adorn them as something I can be proud of. I am reigning over my own life, being the one I want to be. I respect others, but I won’t tolerate disrespect. I will educate, but won’t hide my power over my own life. I chose to embrace it, I chose to go with the flow, and I am grateful I did.

So this week, be aware of the cycles in your life, and try to align with them. Because you deserve it.

The card

Today is a full moon, so I couldn’t resist the temptation to draw it. it was that simple. Just a plain, bright yet soft full moon. There is really nothing else to add. I hope you enjoy it!

My journey

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Our journal

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I wish you a beautiful week.

The Alchemist Grove 30. The Daisy.

This week, just like daisies, we will open ourselves. To the world, and to ourselves. We will fearlessly expose our heart and receive what the world has to offer.

To be open is not that easy. As long as we are led by fear. Fear to be hurt, fear to be misunderstood, fear to be judged. Trust me, I’ve been there. But it became too painful for me to stay closed, just because of fear. Fear to hurt, fear to have to justify myself again, and again, and again. Then I realized that I locked myself in my own inner prison. My worst fear weren’t the one keeping me from opening. I know this as a fact because I had to face them, and to overcome them. Those fears are led by illusion, by misconceptions. Nothing could stop me from being fully open but myself. And it became more and more difficult to remained in a place of integrity. I needed to find my balance back. And in order to do so, I needed to learn that being vulnerable doesn’t mean being weak. It’s at the contrary a beautiful strength. I made myself vulnerable, exposing my daisy heart to the world. But I am also confident in my ability to face whatever may come, and to grow from that.

Life is made of many joyful, beautiful moments, and some more difficult, challenging times. They are both part of our life path. We can try to avoid challenges, pain, sadness, but they will come anyway. Or we can try to see them as teachers, as experiences that will make us full. Balance. I hope my darkest days are behind me, but I also know that if such days come back into my life, I won’t have to close to the emotions they will bring. I will recognize them as old friends and welcome them. They will stay a while, then we will part again, and lighter times will enter my life. I am confident enough in my own abilities to learn from each and every experience I live. Because I opened to myself.

On my darkest days, I opened my pandora box. With an open mind, open eyes and open arms. I was ready to welcome each and every part of who I was. In order to do so, I left aside this inner judgmental goblin we all have. This creature made by the culture we live in, the beliefs we were taught, the society we were raised into. They don’t belong to us, they were brought to us, they were imposed to us. We can follow the main rules without being robbed from our proper self. We all have an inner pandora box we kept hidden deep within. And by opening it, away from judgement, I made the choice to free myself from these self imposed shackles. I recognized my pieces, welcomed them, accepted them and integrated them into who I am. in doing so, I freed myself from the goblins, from judgement. And I initiated the beautiful path of self love. it took me some time to really appreciate who I am. To embrace my whole self, my passions, my uniqueness. But it brought me such an inner peace, and I found my integrity back. And it took me even longer to show my core to the world. Not by fear of it. More because it felt to out of place most of the time. Until I realized that I too belong to this flow, and that it was time for me to rise and shine, to show my true colors, with confidence, with love for myself and with a peaceful but strong will to let them bring their own touch to the canvas of life.

Of course, some didn’t understand or accept that I was how I was. We are just not on the same path. And theirs is as valid as mine. I can’t blame them, we are just walking in different directions and they all need to be explored. Still, I can still learn from them, their own experiences adding perspective to what I live. I won’t interfere, I will just watch them evolve and take what I need to take from their insights and actions. But it won’t change my own journey. Others are more difficult to deal with, as they really trigger me. Those are really interesting in fact, and their teachings are deeper. If I am triggered, it means that I still have to work on that very point. That I didn’t free myself from their judgement on that very subject. That I still have to learn about it. I am far from being perfect and I don’t aim to be. And in a way, knowing that I am still a work in progress is a real joy. When I feel triggered, my first instinct is to be in full defense mode… which to me leads to surround myself with high walls and grab my double blade axe. Full warrior mode, full protective mode. I now try to go another way, and it’s not that easy as this is my default way of dealing with this kind of things… but in doing so, I lock myself back… and that’s not how I want to go on with my life.

So now, when I feel triggered, I recognized that I am, and I thank the person who made me feel this way. Not because I love feeling that way, but because they show me where I need to focus my attention in order to grow. And when it’s too difficult (you can’t go from a full warrior mode to a daisy in a blink, clearly), I just ignore them, let it go, and work on it when I am by myself… I may also let some anger get out still, I am only a beginner in this realm… and I still have a lot of pride in me… You can’t overcome some of your personal hells without feeling a bit proud of yourself, can you? So I know, I may have to adjust that too, and I truly believe that this is why I am triggered so easily in some area of my life… I am a work in progress, and I love it, because there is always things to be improved. And I will work on them, with respect and love for myself. Because I deserve it.

So what do I have to fear? To discover what needs to be worked on still? It’s a beautiful thing. To be rejected? By who? They can reject me, but I still can consider them as valuable teachers, while going on my own path, with joy. To be judged? Judgement is an illusion. It doesn’t have to impact me, as it comes from a place of misunderstanding. We just go on different direction and I still can learn from them, with compassion and openness. To be hurt? Pain is part of life, just as everything else. It’s also a wonderful teacher, one of those who make you grow stronger and wiser. I embrace it as much as I embrace peace and happiness.

So this week, let your daisy self to open, to bloom, and to show the world what a beautiful core you have. Because you, too, deserve it.

The card

When I thought about being open, I envisioned a daisy right away. I could have drawn it from another view point, but I wanted it to express the growth openness means to me. I also chose not to show its core, because we don’t need to see it, it’s not aimed to us, but to the world. We built this core, we know how beautiful it is. I instead decided to put the focus on the petals, to illustrate both our will to open (they lead to the core) and our vulnerability (they are so delicate) and on the stem, holding everything together, grounded and rising . We can now spread our own magic into the world… I hope you’ll like it as much as I do!

My journey

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Our journal

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I wish you a beautiful week. Rise and shine!

The Alchemist Grove 28. The Elements: Air

This week, we will focus on a third element: Air. To me it represents clear thoughts, clear mind, that helps us to take decisions, to make choices. Air is also this soft breeze inspiring us. And it’s this deep breath we take from time to time, to come back to ourselves, to our serenity.

I am a very fiery person myself. But in time of crisis, or when facing choices, I have a secret weapon: I am able to clear my thoughts and mind, keeping my emotions at bay and analyze the situation with a clear mind. It took me a while and some really tough times to be able to just go from being a full empath to a pure mental being in a second. It’s not my favorite state of mind, to be completely honest, but I learned to use it to take really difficult decisions, or when I am overwhelmed with emotions. I must have like an emergency mode in my brain, that activates automatically when I am stressed or confused. This is what I call my survival mode. It’s a bit as if I could unveiling the situation with a lightning. I then see it clearly, in all its aspects, and act accordingly.

Most of the time, though, I just try to clear my mind and/or thoughts each evening. Putting things into perspective, trying to have the clearest vision, and determining the different paths I can choose. In a non emotional way. Which doesn’t mean in a cold way either. More in a state of peace, serenity, non judgemental. There are no bad or good choices. Each of them is a teacher. Just think about the last time you felt a soft breeze on your face… The way I see it, my thoughts connect into a web of possibilities, and offers me choices. I then can take my decisions depending on where I am right now in my life, pondering risks, and keeping in mind my main path.

Aside from helping us to see the situation as clearly as we can, Air also inspires us. When I am in a clear state of mind, when thoughts are wandering as they wish, they can connect to each other and give birth to ideas, plans, creativity. I then can add my own emotions, passions and skills to the project in order to bring it into reality. So when I feel stuck, or when I lack of motivation, when I lost my vision, I take a few deep breath, imagining it unveiling what I lost sight of. And as everything is clearer, I often get a motivation boost, or the ability to take a project to its end.

So to me, Air is a precious ally. It keeps me going as long as I can breathe. Helping me take decisions, make choices, inspiring me, relaxing me… And see as clearly as I can.

This week, take time to get in touch with your thoughts, your mind, and unveil what needs to be seen. See it as an opportunity to be at peace with yourself. Because you deserve it.

The card

Third one of the series. This one was challenging. I didn’t want to just draw an empty circle (I would have, if I got stuck, clearly hahaha). I took a break and went to make a cup of tea. And it hit me when I saw the steam… clouds. Oh, I know, technically it’s water… but then while I kept wondering how to represent the idea of something you can’t see, I took my cup of tea and watched through my window… a big storm was coming, and I could see the clouds moving really quickly… ok… so yes, clouds it will be! I didn’t get frustrated, I kept my thoughts on the idea of air, and opened my mind in order to allow it to inspire me, so I could make my choice… Air in a nutshell! I hope you’ll like it.

My journey

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Our journal

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I wish you a beautiful week.

The Alchemist Grove 27. The Elements : Water.

This week we go on exploring the four elements. After the passion of Fire, it’s time for us to dive into the deep purification of Water.

When I feel stressed after a working day, or after simply being with too many people, I go and take a long shower. I love to see it as a special self care moment. I put some calm, but powerful music on, light a few candles, grab my favorite towel and I enter this quite meditative state. I set the water temperature to rather high, because to me, warm water is protective, loving, comforting. I am now ready to let Water do its magic. Let me share this practice with you. I call it my cleansing meditation.

As I let the water running from top to bottom, and I envision it washing all away. I focus on each part of my body. I am perfectly conscious that the water is only running on the outside of my body, but I try to envision each part of my body being cleansed too.

  • I begin with my head, my thoughts, my mind, my meandering analysis… it takes me a while, because I stocked there everything that happens during the day, and it need to be ordered a bit. I acknowledge what needs to be acknowledge, release what is not required to stay. Until I am back to inner peace, to the calmness of thoughts.
  • Then, I move to my shoulders, I acknowledge the weight I put on them during my day, piece by piece. I am now and here in a safe place, I don’t need to wear is anymore. I release it, washing it all away. I can feel my muscles relaxing under the action of the warm water, this waterfall of cleansing water coming from my shower head. My neck can move more easily, I don’t need to control anything anymore, I just go with the flow. I start breathing more easily, as I don’t feel this heaviness anymore.
  • Next step is to focus on my lungs. I take deep breaths, envisioning clean fresh air coming in, filling my lungs, taking all the remaining particles of stress away, allowing my lungs to expand. I usually take deep inspirations, envisioning this clean fresh air, then hold it for 5 to 6 seconds, to allow it to do its job, and exhale through my mouths with strength, in order to let it go. I do it 3 to 4 times, until I feel my respiration is far easier. The water drops in the air bring this extra cleansing, in my mind anyway.
  • Now is the time to focus on my heart. I can feel it pulsating calmly by now, and I can let all the emotions go too. I free it from everything I felt during my day. And I focus on the circulation of this clean stream of blood it sends through my whole body. This is when I usually let go of overwhelming emotions. In particularly tough days, I can let my tears go to. Connecting my inner water to the one cleaning my body from outside… I stay there, until I feel an harmony between my inner flow and the waterfall still flowing from above my head.
  • I then move my attention to my stomach, to my bowel, to my lower abdomen… What do I need to digest from this day, from this event? I try to really be honest with myself… Once I found what really was difficult for me to digest, I let it go, I let it be washed away too. I acknowledge its reality, I don’t need it to bother me anymore. It can go away.
  • Usually at that time of the meditation, I focus on my spine, moving slightly my body so that the warm water can massage it. I need to take care of my backbone, as it allows me to stand up, it brings me the solid structure to build my whole self from, being flexible when required, but strong. I try to have the water run on each of my vertebraes. They are part of a whole, they support each other and together they offer me a solid frame. I thank them for that.
  • I move to my hips, my pubic area, contracting and release my perinea, center of my body. I like to envision the water going from the top of my head to my perinea, cleaning this pillar which is my spine. My perinea is the base of it.
  • I then focus on my legs, making a stop by my knees, thanking them to support me. I release any tension I may feel there, focusing on these words in my head « I am fully supported, I support myself fully ».
  • Now is the time to close the meditation, I envision a last time the water running through my whole body, and I let it go through my finger tips and my toes, joining the warm water running on my body, to be released and letting me be cleanse from inside out.
  • And I take a last deep breath before stopping the water, wrapping my in my towel and going to make me a good up of my favorite tea of the moment. I feel at peace.

So here it is. I hope you can try it and enjoy this as much as I do.

You can also do it a sole meditation practice. You can go through the whole process without standing under a shower, just envisioning a waterfall going from the top of your head through your body.

Water is also the element of emotions, of cycles. I decided a while ago to go with the flow, to listen to what I feel and act accordingly. I feel in harmony with myself. And if I can’t, for whatever reason, I hold on, thinking about the good shower I will take when back home.

On my darkest days, I shut my emotions. It was a matter of survival, truly. I needed to get out of the place I was in my life, and I thought I wouldn’t be able to do so if I listen to everything I could feel. It was my way of dealing with those events and I learned a lot. I also actually got out and when time has come, I could open again to my emotions. It took me some time to align myself again with the intensity of some of them, but I embraced the process. I now welcome each of my emotions, as they are mine. They are part of my own life experience. They are landmarks of my journey. I don’t try to repress them or to judge them. They all have something to teach me. And each of them is valuable. The palette of my emotions is what makes me who I am. And I am thankful to be able to feel the way I do.

So this week, let Water guide you. Embrace your emotions, purify yourself inside out, and enjoy the cycle of life! Because you deserve it.

The card

Second one of the elemental card! I went with the idea of a soft wave, with some depth. it’s a simple design, but these cards are more about the essence than the representation. I hope you’ll like it.

My journey

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Our journal

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I wish you a good and beautiful week. Next week, we will explore Air!

The Alchemist Grove 26. The Elements: Fire.

This week, we will start to explore the four elements, beginning with Fire. Fire is passion, motivation, will, action.

As I feel at the edge of beginning a new cycle of my life, I felt as appropriate to check with each of the elements, to remember and integrate each of them within me for the time being. And as the last stage was Sun, starting with fire seemed appropriate.

I am a rather passionate being. When I feel drawn to something, I will aim all my will to understand it, put it in perspective, master it. I am strong willed and nothing can stop me if I set my mind on something. I am driven by a seemingly endless curiosity, and I am not afraid to act upon things I think deserve my whole attention.

My inner warrior is fueled by this inner flame of mine. I am fearless (what is left for me to lose? Nothing), strong willed, and I can take a lot. I am not afraid to fight for something I feel is worth it. I am not afraid to be defeated, as I know that I will then rise from my own ashes, stronger, wiser, and even more determined. I have this thirst for life that pushes me to act whenever I feel like. I am not afraid to show my true colors to the world, and they can definitely feel the fire burning within.

Fire is also creativity. It’s the spark that ignite inspiration, the enthusiasm of creation, the visions I try to manifest. Anything can be inspiration. Anything can be the source of a blazing spiral of art, in the form they choose to be.

Fire is the life that burns within, is what makes me go further, go deeper, go higher, without fear, expecting the unexpected. It’s what inspires me, what makes me create, share, with enthusiasm.

Fire was meant to be the first element I align with, this week.

So this week, explore the element of fire in your life, accept it as a part of you and enjoy the ride it will offer you!

The card

I drew 4 cards last week, one for each of the elements. They are all in the same format, they all represent the essence of each element, to me. Therefore they are simple, straightforward, but full of their own magic. I never truly drew a flame before, and it was an experiment I really enjoyed. I hope you like it too!

My journey

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Our journal

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I wish you a sweet week, because you deserve it.

The Alchemist Grove 24. The Hill

This week, we will focus on reaching a goal, on accomplishing a quest.

Sometimes, we feel stuck in our everyday life. We loose the motivation or the little spark that makes us willing to go further, to project ourselves into something. We just take one day as it comes, and live through it, without any enthusiasm or joy. This year was like that, to me. I went to work, did my job the best way I could with all the boundaries and blocks placed by the pandemy, with a fear anchored in my guts each and everyday. To be sick, to have a kid pass it to one of his high risk family members… We couldn’t use common material, we all had to wear a mask (not the 2 first months though, only teacher had to). Have you every tried to teach language and phonology with a mask on? Yeah, not that easy. Have you ever tried to get 25 kids attention while the only facial expression they can read are your eyes? Nearly impossible… Anyway, I decided to just do what I had to do and to get them where I was supposed to get them. No sparks, no enthusiasm… I almost thought about quitting at one point (because the situation was difficult, but if you add administration blindness and meaningless orders, well, it’s getting close to mistreatment… ). Then I decided to have a goal, something that would ignite my spark back, something that would give a sense back to my job. I decided to change my whole way of teaching, next year. This year is almost done, I can’t do anything about it, but next year, I want to be the teacher I usually am, and I also want to balance my private and professional life in a way that won’t let the second one take over the first. I did my researches, and the simple fact that I will take a new start made me feel relieved. As soon as I set my goals and acted upon them, everything changed. I have something to work towards, I have a challenge to face, I have a lot of work to do, this summer, but it will be something I build, not something I just follow while I wait for the end of the year to come. This is something that I can do no matter the circumstances, that I will be able to improve and to take joy doing. My spark is back. And I already am in a better place. Right now.

When I think about it, it’s not even the actual goal that made me find my motivation back. It’s the action I took, once I took my decision, once, I set my intention. I was stuck in a swamp, up to my waist, wondering how to get out or even to go on… And now I feel like I was lifted out of there, and projected in a whole different direction, just like that. And then I realized that this is the way I work, actually. I go on the way I am supposed to go, because this is the way I am told to go. I lose myself in the process… especially when the orders are contradictory, that you also have to deal with unexpected additional difficulties to overcome… when I have to adapt to meaningless things… It increases my frustration, and I spend a lot of energy to deal with it… And I am still not good at that, even if I work on it… It took over my professional life. And I felt helpless, instead of finding a way to own it and to go my own way, to find a way to creatively make everything more meaningful.

As soon as i decided to react, to act, and to gain back some control, in a way, I wasn’t crushed anymore by all this. I wasn’t enduring it. I was overcoming. What was my comfort zone became a very uncomfortable place, I needed more space, I needed a new breath of fresh air. And that’s what I managed to do: allowing me to take some fresh air and to expand my vision on my job. By looking at it from another perspective, I wasn’t stuck anymore. It wasn’t boring anymore, it wasn’t frustrating anymore. It became exciting again, it made sense again, I was enjoying it again.

This is true for other realms of my life too. I can feel overwhelmed sometimes, stuck, but as soon as I decide to act on it, I discover that it was only an illusion. I can do whatever I put my mind to do. I just have to stop running, stand up and declare that from now on, I am working on it. Weirdly, everything goes in the right direction far faster than I first thought it would. And all the energy I spent feeding my frustration is now aimed to something more positive, actually meaningful, something that lift me up instead of crushing me down.

So this week, set goals for a realm of your life. A small easily reachable goal. And act towards it. Baby steps or giant jump, it doesn’t matter, just act. Do researches, get the material you need, make a plan, and go forward. Because you deserve it.

The card

When I thought about a goal, I envisioned this stone on top of a hill. Something you can reach, something you can keep your eyes on while you walk towards it. It had to be special, so I went for a pinkish color, to contrast with the environment. I feel more confident to try new stuff, to experiment, and I had a lot of fun playing with the tree and bushes, and to try and draw the rocks and moss. I first went with a far darker color for the rocks, but changed it to this more neutral hue. Because our eyes have to be on the stone on top of the hill, not on those protective but blocking rocks. I think I managed to express it. I hope you’ll like it too.

My journey

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Our journal

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I wish you a sweet exciting week!

The Alchemist Grove 21. The Standing Stone.

This week, we will hold our ground. We will stand strong and proud, guarding and protecting what needs to be. And we will let the light go through us and release it for the world to enjoy.

The time has come for us to show the world our growth. There is still so much to discover, but we are strong and firmly grounded enough to start standing by ourselves, to rise. Sometimes, we don’t need to fight against adversity. Sometimes we just need to stand still, to raise our head and to face it calmly, grounded, silently. We don’t need to go anywhere. We own this place of ours. We own this life of ours. And nothing, no one is entitled to take it from us. Our core values and beliefs make us as strong as we need to be. And we are wise enough to avoid keeping any negativity within. On the contrary, we let it go through us, releasing what needs to be released in the ground and into the world, charged with a new positive, peaceful energy, our energy.

When everything seems to be chaotic, I just stop and step aside. Chaos is often an illusion brought by contradictory energies, thoughts and actions. Looking at them from a different perspective, from a peaceful standpoint allows me to decipher what is really going on. I can then see what I can act upon and what is not my responsibility. I don’t have the time or the energy to deal with the later, but I can do something with the former. And if I am still bothered, I try to find a way to change my point f view on things. But I don’t allow anything to take over my peace. Of course, I sometimes don’t have the time to step back and then my first move is to protect myself. I am really good at building thick walls and to defend them fiercely. But I always find a way to go to a a more peaceful open state of mind, as soon as possible.

The most important lesson I had to learn was to let go of what doesn’t belong to me to be acted upon. I considered for a long time that if it came on my way, I had to deal with it. And it was both exhausting and vain. I now realize that I just have to acknowledge its existence, and let it go its on way. We both are on each other ways. We just go different directions and if we notice each other presence, we don’t have to disrupt our journeys. Some persons or situations are not our responsibility. We are all on different journeys, following different rhythms and processes. Sometimes they are just here to remind us how far we already are on our path, sometimes they are here to make us realize how much we have still to learn. So we just need to thank them and go back on our journey.

Standing firmly and strongly doesn’t mean blocking the way. We are just filtering illusions and releasing clarity into the world. By refusing to participate to the circus around us, we can use our different perspective to change it into a more peaceful energy. We are the guardian of our space, and it belongs to us to bring our specific energy to it. Each of us are part of it. We all bring our own personality, our own passions, our own energy to it. We can choose what to share and what to conceal still. It only depends on us. And we can make this choice by standing still, filtering and releasing. We are strong enough to do so.

So this week, take a moment to hold your ground, and to stand still, and release what you choose to share with the world. Because you deserve it.

The card

I first went with a simple standing stone, as I really feel something special about them, about the amount of will and vision it took for them to be erected the way they were. It really expressed the idea of a really ancient vision of life, and the grounding roots we all have if we let them be. Then in my researches I saw hollowed stones and I fell in love. They added this idea of letting go, of transformation. These stones are allowing the light to go through them while keeping the warmth in their core. What a beautiful metaphor! I then decided to go with a more open space, to contrast with the vertical position of the stone. And of course, the setting sun seemed to be the perfect time to place the whole card into. Its warm light would enhance the magic of the alchemy we practice every day. I also love the idea of contrast between the raw material of the stone, humble and strong, and the light and sparks it lets go. I hope you love it as much as I do.

My journey

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Our journal

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I wish you a beautiful week. Ground yourself, let go of what needs to be, and rise!

The Alchemist Grove 20. The Linked Trees

This week is all about independence, healthy relationships. We can have a strong bond with people but still be able to grow our own way.

I am not really sociable, let’s be honest. But I have very good friends, and no matter what life brings to our paths, we are connected to each others. Life can throw us int he middle of the strongest storm, and we may have to go through it by ourselves, but once we tamed it, and that we are getting out of it our lesson learned, stronger, wiser, we know who to share it with. We can go as deep as we want, no one will judge us. But they will enjoy the journey as we did, and they will bring their insight, always welcome, to ponder.

I am really independent. I need my personal space, I need my secret garden, my sacred space to grow and explore. But I can do it because I don’t feel alone at all. I have friends and my family. They all are aware of my way of being, and accept it, or learned to accept it. Because this is who I am. I always take time to share and learn from them, then I go back to my own growth, being myself. I also accept that they are following a really different path, and I enjoy seeing them being happy about their own path. There is no competition. We each respect the other, and take a real pleasure to exchange, to share our latest discoveries or enlightenment. But I also know from experience that if any of them start to judge me or try to convince me I should do things this or that way, I will raise boundaries pretty clearly and take some distance. Time will always bring us back together, but with a new respect for each other independent growth.

I really am grateful for the people I have in my life, they each are wonderful and I really love to have them in my life, as I hope they love to have me in theirs. But what makes these relationships both stronger and long lasting is the respect we have for each other’s space. I am always happy to spend time with them, but I also need my alone time. It doesn’t mean that I don’t love them anymore, I just love to have time when I can reflect, and learn, and live things I can share with them afterward. I am always there for them, they can call me whenever they need me, I’ll be there for them. In times of need, I know I can also count on them, they will be here, and give me the strength I need to face whatever requires their presence by my side.

We are part of each other’s life, but we are not each other’s life. We all have our own path to journey on, and no one can do it for us. But we can choose to be bonded to people who will give us the strength to face whatever comes, and with whom we can enjoy each step. As we will enjoy the way they live theirs. We will always take the time to get together and to share. But we will also need to journey by ourselves. The key is to find balance between the two.

So this week, find time for yourself, and share what you learned with your loved ones.

The card.

A friend of mine went for a walk and took a wonderful pic she posted online. And she agreed to have me use it as a reference for one of my cards. She also went back to trail and took more pics for me, and they sure inspired me. But these two trees just called me. The sun playing with the empty space between them, the strong tangled roots… everything. This is really the way I see my relationships. Strong intricate roots, anchoring them in the nutritive soil, giving them a strong base, and two trees launching themselves upward. They really inspired me, and I decided to give them this teal hue to add a bit of mystery. In the picture my friend took, there was this awesome effect of the sun light playing with the camera. I tries to reproduce it as much as I could. And of course, added sparks of magic ;). I hope you’ll like it too.

My journey

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I wish you a beautiful week. Because you deserve it.

The alchemist Grove 19. The Cave

Even in the darkness of the cave, we are building each other by sharing the drops of wisdom we receive from the Universe. We first can use them to grow stronger, but then we need to release the part we don’t need anymore to allow others to grow in their turn. We are building connections, and contribute to the elevation of others while benefiting of the process too. There is no place here for spotlight, for ego. We are just sharing what made us a bit stronger, wiser. We also add to this drop our own essence, sparks of our own being. We are building connections.

In order to do so, we need to realize that if we feel in the dark, if we don’t see the immediate results of our actions, somewhere, someone is receiving what we let go of, and use it as a source of growth. We don’t need the same amount or nature of nutrient, as we don’t grow the same way. Some will inspire others, some will offer others a strong base from where they all can expand and contribute to the whole.

I feel strong connection with people who really helped me to grow. I also never miss an opportunity to let go of seeds I know can grow into beautiful plants. I truly believe that someone, somewhere, will receive them and allow them to become whatever they were meant to be, and that they will both benefit from it. If I am lucky, I will hear about it, or even witness it.

And there are these deep strong connections with people who make us stronger, who give us the confidence to be who we are, who support us and seem to benefit from it too. We are interconnected, and each of us contribute to the expansion of who we are. Each drop reinforce who we both are, and solidify the union we created with time.

We are also aware of the same phenomenon taking place with others around us. There is no competition, no jealousy, we all go at our own pace, trusting that we are contributing to the collective growth and expansion.

So this week, let go of drops of what helped build yourself lately, and trust in the process. You may not see an immediate result, but trust that someone, somewhere, need it to grow too. And that somehow, someday, you will find in them the strong base you need to expand even more.

The card

I had a lot of fun drawing these stalactites and stalagmites. I wanted a really neutral palette, because it’s not about showing off who we are that matters, but being a part of something bigger. We each have a role to play, and this idea of connection was quickly associated in my mind with these columns built with time, drop by drop. To me it was the perfect illustration of letting go to letting grow. Of course, between my vision and what I was actually able to do, there was a huge gap, but I’m pretty happy with what I did. When the time came to add my sparks of magic ( seriously, is there anything more magical than connection?), I couldn’t go with my usual cloud of sparks… it had to be something stronger, something that would express the light it brings in the darkness… I hope you like it as much as I do!

My journey

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I wish you a beautiful week, let go of these drops and enjoy the process!

The Alchemist Grove 18. The forest.

This week, as we are done recognizing, exploring and integrating our senses, we will dive in our feelings, our connection.

When I have the sensation to be overwhelmed by an emotion, not even being sure it is mine, I go to places where I can be in touch with Nature. Literally. If I can, I remove my shoes (of course, I keep them in winter), and I put my bare feet and hands on the ground. I then imagine that all this excess of emotion goes from my head, my heart, to my fingers and toes, then I release them in the ground. I stay there for a while, until I feel at peace again. Then I switch to a more receiving state of mind, where I really feel like I am a part of a whole, and that I can charge myself with the peaceful confidence nature gives me in exchange of the fiery and chaotic emotions I gave it.

Most of the time, I feel overwhelmed because I didn’t took the time to let go, or to step back from a situation. For a long time, I shielding against any strong emotion, to protect myself and because I had a cause to serve that was, to me, more important than my own little emotions. I couldn’t be hurt or triggered. i had to remain strong and stable no matter what. I knew I would have to come back to a more ‘humane’ state later, but at that time, I was the protector, the rock she needed. I only let myself feel for her, she needed to feel my love, my hopes, my determination, my devotion to our cause. I know it was a lost cause though, but she deserved to have my whole self. Me and her against the whole world. And others only got the warrior in me. Strong, analytic, protective. When she was gone, it was a matter of survival for me to keep my emotions and feelings at bay, most of them anyway.

Because when I feel, I really do. I learned to deal with my emotions and their strength, but they are part of me, and I wouldn’t change that. It allows me to be open to whatever comes in my way. I can perceive intentions, possibilities, have a broader, more complete view on things. I love the way I feel. Because I learned to tame it, to aim it, to use it as an asset, and not let it take over me. I learned to distinct between what I perceive and what I project. I learned to get rid of the later. And yes, it’s often frustrating to see that people mistake their perception with their projection, trying to make what they think someone should feel match with what they know about a situation.

I learned to recognize my own emotions, and why I feel them, what triggers them. I know myself enough to be able to own my own emotions. I also know and own my story, and I accept it as a life path. So when an emotion is overwhelming, I don’t proceed the same way if it’s mine, or if it’s only a projection. I understood that we are all different and that we all see something a different way. To make sure I am not projecting my own emotions on someone’s situation, I contextualize it. I put it in perspective in what I know of the person’s life, education, way of being. No judgment here, just an attempt to understand. I don’t try to think about how I would react if I lived what the person is living. This is projection. I try to step back and to see what the person is feeling, and help her to deal with it. Or just try not to get stuck into the situation myself, let’s be honest hahaha. I can listen to what they say they feel, I can try to help, but I also, most of the time, end up with some of their emotions too, stuck in my mind. It’s the way I am, it’s in my nature. I can absorb a certain amount of negativity, but then I need to deal with it, as it is not mine.

This is when I have to act. Because if I don’t, I will end up making it mine, as it’s there, within… I need to release it, in the most positive way possible. When I feel something is overwhelming, I just take some time to ask myself: is it mine? or is it a reaction to what I heard, perceived? Can I switch it into something positive? Can I let it go easily? Or is it something that is heavier and that I need to act upon? The easiest way to deal with it is to draw, write or play music. Usually, it’s enough to let go of the negativity. But sometimes, I need to go deeper in order to find my balance back. Meditation, and contact with nature are my way of doing it…

So this week, Try to connect with your emotions and distinct them from the ones you received from others. And find your way of letting them go in order to find your inner peace back. because you deserve it.

The card

What could I choose other than the heart of a forest to illustrate feeling? I wanted it to be warm and diverse, but also peaceful and yes, a bit magical. As our emotions are. I loved to play with light on this card, and went out of my comfort zone with drawing foliage leaf by leaf on some of the trees. I also had fun with texture on the tree trunk. I decided to get a bit more serious about my digital drawing skills, and I started to take lessons to go back to basics, and expand from there.. you will probably notice it in the next cards. I really love this one, but it seems that each of them becomes my new favorite, so… but I hope you can see the peace and magic I tried to express. And yes… sparkles….

My journey

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I wish you a good and peaceful week, filled with beautiful emotions and serenity.