Simple Gifts- May 2023

Meditation Thoughts, Upcoming Courses, Letting Go, Recommended Reading, & so much more!

May 19, 2023

Good afternoon!

Right now, I’m thinking about letting lots of “stuff” in my world go. However, even when I choose to release something, letting go can be hard. I bet most of you reading this have, at some time in your life, felt all the emotions associated with letting something go. Often, when I pray about releasing something, I pray about “releasing that which is no longer for my highest good,” and making room for “this – or something better.” But do I mean these comments, really? How do I know what’s for my highest good, and what is going to be truly better?

My friend Anna owns an organizing service. She helps people sort through the “stuff” of their lives and then hauls off what they choose to release. She and I have discussed what “sorting through and releasing things” in one’s life really means. I invite you to join the conversation.

What do you really need? What do you really want? Why do you hold on to objects that you no longer value? I’m asking myself these questions, and more.

Ultimately, for me, the true question is: what really matters in my life? Here, of course, I’m not talking about objects, but emotions, experiences, and relationships – intangibles that cannot be touched or bought. While it is nice or comforting to have a physical representation of these, it isn’t really necessary. It’s about choice.

As I write this newsletter, a small basket woven by my sweet Granny Jean sits on my desk. It holds pens, pencils, a pair of scissors, and a brass bookmark that belonged to my mother. The basket serves a practical function, but it also holds an emotional charge. When Anna comes to help me sort and toss, this basket stays while lots of other things in my office will go.

Author Sue Bender writes in Everyday Sacred about emptying her office of everything except a door she uses as a desk, a chair, a computer, and a Rolodex. Slowly, she adds back into the room what she found she really needed. She quickly realized she needed only a few objects. After a while, she realized she didn’t need the Rolodex and tossed it. I’m trying to drum up the courage to try this experiment. I’ll keep you posted.

So here’s what I’m suggesting we all do: take stock. Deeply examine what you really value, what brings joy and functionality to your life. Ask yourself what brings meaning to your life, and enhances your mind/body/spirit balance.

Toss out the unnecessary, the clutter, and the “might need it.” Give yourself room to stretch and breathe. Have fun with this idea. Let me know how it’s going, and I’ll do the same.

The picture below speaks volumes about what I need in my life – sunsets and marshes and friends. (Anna took the picture!)

Meditation Thoughts

Click on the YouTube link below to listen to Judy Collins’ beautiful version of the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts.” It was written by Elder Joseph Brackett in 1848. The lyrics to this song are my meditation gift to you this month.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we will not be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

If you missed my last newsletter, you can read it here.

Ancient Wisdom & Labyrinths- Special May 2023

Unlocking the Mysteries of Tarot
Three-Session Course Taught on Zoom
Tuesdays, June 13, 20, 27, 2023

Afternoon or Evening Sections Available
https://debbowen.com/product-category/new-category/

If you long to truly begin your journey into the depth and symbolism of Tarot, this introductory course is for you! I’ve been reading and teaching Tarot for nearly 40 years, and have taught hundreds to read Tarot.

You CAN interpret the symbolism of Tarot, and my intensive Unlocking the Mysteries of Tarot course teaches you how to begin your lifetime relationship with this oracle! True Tarot brings together symbolism from many world beliefs, mythologies, and cultures, and these serve as the foundation for your work.

You’ll be introduced in this intensive three-session course to:

The history of Tarot and why it matters in your readings now
The ethics of reading Tarot
How to work with the Major Arcana cards (called keys)
How to work with the Minor Arcana keys
How to interpret reversed keys
Symbolism from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Celtic, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian beliefs and cultures throughout the keys
How to work with the Four Directions and Four Elements in Tarot symbolism
How key colors impact your interpretation
How numerology relates to Tarot meanings
How to create and interpret a three-key spread
How to create and interpret a Celtic Cross spread

AND MUCH MORE!!!

Recommended Reading

A course I’m currently teaching focuses on the works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. Jung’s work with the concept of archetypes, and Campbell’s model of the hero’s journey, guide us to hidden parts of ourselves and our life’s path. As I write this newsletter, I realize the synchronicity (Jung coined this word) among my writing about decluttering my life and exploring parts of myself, and making decisions about the next steps in my journey.

Memories, Dreams, Reflections is Jung’s autobiography, and so much more. In this lovely book, he describes his deep connection to both the psyche and the spirit, which he finds through his work and his study of esoteric thought, including Tarot. It was Jung’s focus on acknowledging the importance of the spiritual aspect of ourselves in relationship to our psyche that sets his work apart from other early psychologists.

Every time I reread this book, I learn more about Jung, and about myself. I think you will too. I love recommending classic books to you. For me, they represent the foundation on which most new works stand.

Podcast

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Deb Bowen, Author
PsychicTeachers
Witches of the Shore

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Just One More Thing Before You Go

I am so grateful for you! You teach me an important lesson, or make me smile and laugh, or make me think, or remind me that, as Ram Das said, “we’re just walking each other home.”

Thank you!