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[ Death and Temperance ] & [ More Mind Training ]

Well, Fall is here and it came so suddenly, we are going around trying to prepare for the winter.  Solstice is not to far away and we all are starting to think about the holidays.  I am making some toys in my shop for Underprivileged Children.  This season is often a time to think of giving, to those deserving charities in our communities.

Cindy's Feature Article:

Death (Transformation) and Temperance:
 

The Death Card XIII

The death card always scares people. It has even been renamed in some decks to Transformation. That is actually a much better descriptive for Card number 13. The Death card represents a time of letting go of old beliefs, situations and other things that you have out grown and that are blocking your forward movement. Death creates a void that we can then fill based on our newest level of growth and understanding. Like the death of Santa Claus leaves room for an understanding of the generosity of our parents, the death of an old belief system allows room for our consciousness to stretch and reach new levels of understanding. Death of a relationship that no longer serves our highest good allows for a new, healthier relationship to come along.
 
Transformation can be a powerful thing. We experience a void that we fear we can't control how it will be filled. Once we understand our true roles as co-creator, transformation can be more like cleaning out a closet of clothes that are outdated and then going on a shopping trip to fill it up with things we can actually wear! We can control what we bring into our life after a time of transformation. We may not always control when a transformation happens, but we can definitely create what we put in its place. We will see how to have more control in that creative process as we visit Temperance.
 
 

The Temperance card XIV

The temperance card is like the calm after the storm. If we don't take some down time after a transformation, we find it harder to control what we create to fill that void. Temperance speaks to us about taking little baby steps. If you have seen that movie called ?What About Bob? with Bill Murray, you will know the power of little baby steps. When we take things slow and steady, we are less likely to jump into the same pattern we just left. When we slow down, we bring more mindfulness into our life and less knee jerk reactions. We can start to create what we want in our life instead of what we are used to. Often fear accompanies big leaps. It is not to say that big leaps are a bad thing, but they are best after a time of contemplation and mindfulness to make sure that, a big leap is the best choice. Some of us would never move forward if we didn't do it by leaps, but most of us get much further just putting one foot in front of the other, taking small steps to reach our big goals.
 
Temperance also tells us that a little of a good thing can be better than too much of a good thing. An all or nothing attitude usually gets us a whole lot of nothing or more than we bargained for. Whether it is food, alcohol, books or crystals, a little bit can be appreciated more than a truck load full. When you have three books on the bed side table that you haven't read, it often causes you to rush through the one you are reading so that you don't get the full satisfaction. Three scoops of ice cream start to melt together and you don't get the fullness of each flavor. You will also feel sick after you finish it which spoils the whole thing if the guilt doesn't spoil it first!
 
When you get Temperance in a reading, you are looking at a time when you need to slow down, take little baby steps and bring moderation into your life.
 

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Article by Cindy Griffith visit www.PsychicSupport.com for more original content like this.  Reprint permission granted with this footer included.

Dave's Feature Article:

More Mind Training:
Last time we spoke of tools to develop mindfulness, well here are some more examples. We all have those times in our life when everything has been turned upside down.  My near Death Experience, and many years latter when I was told I had lung cancer and get my affairs in order, were time like that.  Those are times we need to be gentle with ourselves even more. When you are in one of those times, it is like the world has stopped for you. You are watching the world continue but you are connected on a higher level.  It is like something in our whole being has changed and we can see more and experience more. 
 
In the past I spoke about mindfulness as being aware and in the present moment, because in the next moment this present time will only be a dream. When you have had a life altering event you can see the dream of this moment before it has passed. OK what have we learned from this?  This can be an approach that is much different from affirmations and mantras.  In those approaches we tell and train our minds to work a certain way, over the whispers of the mind.  Here we use gentle and non judgmental labels to the whispers of our minds so we know them as thinking.  Then when we hear our thoughts becoming a colossal, passion filled event, we can let it go as a dream that does not need to be realized. 
 
If you label those thoughts as thoughts then you will see the emotion and aggression attached to them simply as a memory.  This sounds easier than it is, because when you are having an emotion driven thought, your mindfulness can be left in the dust.  As you start attaching the label to those thoughts you will achieve a level of mindfulness. This is a way to an awakened heart. By labeling you can start to turn those emotions and aggression into a compassionate heart and understanding others on their paths.  Everyone?s path is personal and between them and their Creator.
 
Here is an example, you are in a store and you over hear someone aggressively speaking to the person beside them.  Your mind immediately whispers "this aggressor is out of place" and you feel the warmth of anger welling up inside yourself.  That anger that is now inside you could carry on for minutes or hours.  For all you know that drama in the store may have been a turning point for someone?s path in life, and a necessary action.  If you hear the whisper in your mind as the judgmental mind, then immediately label it as a thought, you are able to maintain your center.  The anger and emotion does not need to be fulfilled.
 
Remember to use the labeling with great gentleness towards yourself.  Use labeling as a way to acknowledge the drama in life as the stories your mind has made up and been telling you.  That way you can let them go.  When something starts brewing in your mind you can let it go sooner. The more you can label the whispers of the mind, the more centered you can maintain your life.  No matter what you are cooking up, let it go.  If something great that brings you happiness happens, then share it and let it go as well, before you start grasping it.  When you start to disregard the dramas in this life then you can say you are getting closer to an awakened heart and stop acting like the Energizer Bunny banging your drum.

You have permission to reprint what you just read.  Use it in your ezine, at your web site or in your newsletter.  The only requirement is including the following footer...
Article by David Bennett visit www.dharma-talks.com for more original content like this.  Reprint permission granted with this footer included.

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