Turning Down the Volume

I’ve always been partial to November. Although we’re midway through Autumn in Southeast Texas, we don’t usually firmly experience the seasonal shift until sometime in November. If all the conditions leading up to November have been right, the leaves will change just before Thanksgiving week. In October we get some small respite from the summer heat as the cold fronts begin to come through, but the temperature jumps right back into the 90’s after only a day or two. November is appropriately cool and grey, and I can feel the darkening. Although we’re still several weeks away from the winter solstice, the sense of quiet stillness begins to creep in.

For most of my adult life, this time of the year was the calm before the year-end storm at work. I used any remaining vacation days in November and tried not to think about the avalanche of work that would tumble down throughout December and January. The seasonal clock inside me said ‘slow down, turn inward’. My career obligations, however, were shifting into overdrive.

I formally ended my career in December of last year, still living in temporary accommodations while structural repairs were done at my condo. I didn’t have work responsibilities, but I was in a state of limbo and out of sorts. This year, things are different.

I may have some residual work-related hangups, but for the most part I’ve completely transitioned from full-time corporate management to part-time writer, mystic, tarot consultant and procrastinating goof-off. My goal for next year is to shift the procrastinating goof-off energy into my other goals and become more creative and productive but in the meantime, I intend to fully immerse myself in the darkness of late November, December, and January, using the time to map out what I truly want to create in the coming year.

I’ve always felt the connection to the winter season through the Cailleach of Irish folklore. Emerging into our world in early November, she brings the winter weather as she begins her work. She shapes the hills and valleys with her hammer, herds sheep and fights the coming Spring by freezing the ground with her staff. If the weather at the beginning of February is cold and rainy, she’ll remain in her abode and winter will soon end. If the weather is sunny and bright, she’ll go out and collect more firewood, and winter will last six weeks longer (sound familiar, groundhog?).

Following the activities of the Cailleach through the winter is an opportunity to realign with ‘real time’, as opposed to the man-made creation of busyness in the slowest of natural seasons. The sole purpose of the dark time of the year is becoming still enough to feel the wheel turning, to find the shift in space and time that leads to the connection between the past, the present, and the future. Then to be brave enough to walk through the opening that leads to everything on the other side of fear.

As the saying goes, I’m not too old and it’s not too late, but I am far too meek and fearful. Finding the opening isn’t enough. If I’m going to make this last quarter-life count, I need to cultivate bravery. This was one of my primary focus points during my Daoist seminary training and I made a lot of headway. But, I became distracted when unexpected events demanded my time and energy. I’ve given enough attention to those now and I’m taking it back.

Thinking about it makes me feel the loss of Lao, more specifically his guidance, but at the same time, the library of his teachings continues to provide a source of strength and inspiration. And, although I didn’t realize it at the time, they are the basis for me to cultivate bravery. The lessons he bestowed by the example of his life and his death are a gift, and I won’t waste any more time.

I’ll start in earnest next February. In the meantime, for the first time, I have the luxury of aligning myself with the coming darkness. I have the time and space and energy to follow the descending energy where it leads, to rest and reflect at the bottom, and follow the path again to the surface when it’s time. And not before. I’ll do this on the winter solstice using a tarot spread I designed for this purpose based on the tale of the Sumerian goddess Inanna’s descent into the underworld. There are similar tales in other cultures that use a similar premise to describe the deepest dormancy of winter.

I’ll include the positions for this spread at the bottom of today’s column, should anyone want to give it a try. You can email me if you’d like to discuss how it works.

The winter solstice is still several weeks away, giving me plenty of time to start turning down the volume. My social media presence will begin to slow over the next few weeks, except for my daily tarot posts which I will post on IG and push to my Facebook page (same name as this column) and will go completely dark just before the winter solstice until sometime in late January when I feel the return of the light. The same will apply to life outside of my online presence, and while I’ll almost certainly be writing, the column will be on intermittent hiatus. I don’t expect anyone to notice but that’s okay because the point is for me to shut off the world, not the other way around.

If you really miss me, I’ll be available through emails and text, (mostly because I don’t expect to get many, but I’ll happily engage in one-on-one discussions). I’ll emerge when I’m ready, knowing that the world both on social media, and outside of, carries on just fine without me.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my Winter Solstice Ritual, inspired by the story of Inanna’s descent to the underworld. Please feel free to use or adapt to your own needs but do not share without permission and credit. The photo at the top of this column is an example of how I create the space and lay the cards. For more about the poem and the myth: Inanna's Descent: A Sumerian Tale of Injustice - World History Encyclopedia

I will demonstrate a guided session of this tarot meditation live on December 19th. Keep an eye on my socials for specifics.

Descent of Inanna Tarot Spread - An exercise in courage and bravery.

After sundown on the Winter Solstice, settle into a comfortable place in a softly lit room. You’ll want enough light to see your cards and journal clearly, but it should be soft enough to create shadows and an otherworldly atmosphere.

Lay one card to represent each of the seven gates, stepping one down slightly after the other. As you approach each gate, by turning over the card, ask yourself “what needs to go?” and “why must I release my attachment?”.  Then – let it go. You can symbolically strip something away at each gate, such as a piece of jewelry or a scarf, if you wish. In your journal, write whatever words, images, or feelings you experience at each gate.

When you reach the seventh and final gate stop to contemplate and reflect on your journey of descent. Chant, ohm, meditate, or drum, some action to frame your arrival. Again, write your experience as completely as possible in your journal. When you are ready shift your energy to begin the ascent by stating “And now, I build”.

Ascend the gates by revisiting the cards you laid on your way down. At each gate/card, stop and ask yourself “What lesson did I learn? How am I changed by letting this go?”. Document your thoughts in your journal.

Once you have ascended to the top, spend some time alone there, familiarizing yourself with the changes. It is best not to see people for several hours, or until the next day. Ground yourself with a glass of cool water and something light to eat. Write more, as thoughts or visions come to you and keep your journal near the bed to record any dreams that are part of this experience.

If you would like to know more about my ancestral connection work, my Daoist path, or my other offerings such as tarot readings, spiritual guidance and mindset coaching, you can find more detailed information by using the drop-down menu on my website: The Mystic’s Parlour (the-mystics-parlour.ghost.io)

You can also contact me via email at themysticsparlour@gmail.com or on any of my social media channels. Your continued support and encouragement are greatly appreciated.