2018 – 18 The Moon – INYANGA
inyanga/izinyanga n. (-nyanga) : Month; moon; healer; traditional doctor
As we begin our new year with a Super Moon bright in the sky on a Monday we will begin to feel the changes within and around us. 2018 is a year all about phases and faces. The aspects of self, and with each face/phase we will experience different parts of ourselves. Thankfully some phases will be ending and new beginnings are just around the corner.
The word inyanga means month; moon; and what a month we begin with – a super moon, on a Monday and January and March both have Blue Moons. January 31st has a Blue Moon Lunar eclipse. Buckle up, its going to be a bumpy ride for some.
Inyanga also means healer; traditional doctor. This indicates that in a Moon year we are to be our own spirit-physicians, because we are responsible for how we live and how we feel and only we can heal ourselves.
Some people are very sensitive to the phases of the moon. Life is experienced more intensely and totally during full moon. We can be extremely sensitive and emotional during moon phases. The best way to mange this is to surround ourselves with a structured environment and positive people. The word Lunatic comes from Old French lunatique “insane,” or directly from Late Latin lunaticus “moon-struck,” from Latin luna “moon”
The Moon is the card of intuition, dreams and the unconscious. It’s an excellent time for starting new projects or at least initiating change. Use the tools that are available to help you with connecting to your unconscious and the Divine. Meditate, breathe, pray. Go for healing, Yoga/exercise, a reading or take time to research and learn about what interests you. Trust those flashes of inspiration, you are being guided and shown a path. Follow up with positive action and start something meaningful.
When we keep rhythm with the moon we are more likely to succeed. As the moon waxes (grows) we build and develop, we nurture and tend to what was begun. By the time of the full moon we should have realised our goals, everything is seen in a better light. When the moon starts to wane (decrease) we reap the rewards of our past efforts and in the last quarter we need to consolidate our efforts, complete anything left undone. This is a time for reflection and to face the darker side of our natures.
The Moon has many faces – We know that we behave and respond to our world differently at home, at work, with friends with lovers. At no stage when we are in one of these persona’s do we feel conflicted, because we know who we are and we are adapting and adjusting to our environment. We also know that “this too shall pass” change is inevitable and when we are prepared, change is welcomed, when we are not paying attention change can be dramatic and traumatic.
Remember that we all have the right to get the most out of life. 2018 is a good year to expand your consciousness beyond the level of everyday reality. Each individual is able to bring about changes that affect every level of their lives and in turn their society. We owe it to ourselves to at least try. Some challenges and changes we choose to acknowledge and work with, but for the most part, we tend to want life to give us the answers, before we have understood or even asked the question. This only leads to confusion and depression – of soul and spirit.
One of our greatest tools and ‘life-hacks’ is our dream world. Dreaming is one of the ways our unconscious can talk to our conscious – take note of what is being done and said. Walt Disney said “if you can dream it, you can do it”. If not already doing it, start a dream diary. Journaling each day will show you the differences in your consciousness. Most common are dreams where we are simply downloading the day, our successes and our failures, our fears and triumphs – we can learn a lot about ourselves from these dreams. Then we have dreams of clarity – these are the dreams that leave a lasting impression and often we find them staying with us for days. Sometimes these dreams can be precognitive (showing us clearly of what is to come) and then there are the dreams when we connect with Divine inspiration. These dreams are rare but when they happen we will change our course no matter what.
Don’t let your dreams die! Live each day with intuition, passion and purpose. We have time and should make the best of it. We owe it to ourselves to manifest our dreams into our reality. 2018 is the year for awakening and self realisation.
The Moon is also about deception, we need to be vigilant about what is being presented. Not all things are as they seem and we need to trust our intuition when looking for the deeper meaning of self and life. We need to keep awareness of whatever persona we are projecting and ask – we are holding our truth. Adapting does not mean we have to give in or sell out our core values.
What additional energy supports us through 2018.
Lessons from the past: 9 – The Hermit – INDUNA
We have heard and seen a lot of chatter about the Super Moon, and for some it may be quite an emotional and spiritual time. Some may have noticed a change in their dreams or a pull towards their spirituality.
The Hermit invites us to build on those experiences and work with our own personal wisdom and insights. What did you learn about yourself in 2017. What coping mechanisms did you instill, what were your successes and why? What were your failures and why? Issues that have seemed difficult may now have a clearer meaning. The path that we are meant to follow is illuminated and we need to reassess our goals – taking note of our achievements. 2018 is a time of self examination and assessment. We are exactly where we are because of the choices we have made in the past, acknowledging this is what brings our wisdom, order and harmony into the light.
The energy of the Hermit is to radiate our inner spiritual force and bring light to others. As the light bearer he asks that we show the way by self acceptance, which translates into confidence. As long as the intention is pure, the results will speak the truth with wisdom and insight. Share your knowledge freely, offer guidance based on your own higher learning and experience. Lead by example in a quiet and gentle way. We are all teachers in some way.
Laying Foundations for the Future
11 Strength – AMANDLA
amandla n. (-ndla) : Force; strength; power; might
Most of us are tested in some way on a daily basis to reach down deep and find our strength. Be it to overcome an obstacle, to persevere in a relationship or project or those fighting disease and loss.
Strength is about focus and purpose. Living consciously is living with focus and intent. Understanding our motivation and preparing ourselves for the right responses to life and her lessons. Being focused allows us to make the right choices in the moment, which in turn results in the desired result.
Preparing for 2019
How do you show courage in the face of adversity?
How are you remaining true to yourself?
How often do you submit to your weaker nature and accept the unacceptable?
How do you stand up for yourself?
How do you manage your fears? Buddhism talks about ‘healthy and unhealthy’ fears. Healthy fear is being aware that an activity, choice or action is dangerous and harmful and to be avoided at all costs. Unhealthy fear is reacting to something in the future that may not ever materialise.
”Come to the edge,” He said. They said, ”We are afraid.” ”Come to the edge,” He said. They came. He pushed them… and they flew. Guillaume Apollinaire 1880-1918, Italian-born French Poet
Look for the hero inside yourself when working with the Strength card. Be your own person.
amaNdla 2018! Phambili 2018! Phezulu 2018
Power, forward and upward 2018
iTongo legend
When Unkulunkulu the great god of the universe finished creating the universe, he called upon his dear friend the rainbow serpent to keep the earth safe for all time. The giant serpent with all the colours imagined reflecting on his skin wrapped his body around the earth, putting his tail in his mouth to keep the mountains that rose from the mighty oceans from splitting the earth apart.
Unkulunkulu added the plants, animals and man. And so was born the universal force of substance and matter. A reflection of as above so below with unlimited potential. Man would be natural explorers and adventurers. The sun, moon and stars pledged to guide man. The creation was magnificent with rainbows of colour bursting forth in the darkness. Stars finding stars and clustering together to crate their own families.
Father sun and mother moon were not to be outdone. The sun said he would rise like a mighty warrior in the east; he will travel across the sky and burn out all the stars. When man looks to me he will be blinded, but if man looks to the ground he will see himself. As I travel across the world, I will bring heat, light and comfort. If man does not honour my mighty power I will burn his land and his people. I will dry up the rivers and the lakes. My lesson to man is that he is not alone, he is master of his own destiny.
Mother moon said that she would shine, no matter what. She will be seen in the daylight and at night will cast her glow upon the people to guide their way. She will renew herself every 28 days to show man that as she diminishes in size and disappears, she will always return, slowly each night until her full radiance has been achieved. Then man shall stand on the highest mountain and bring their children to me.
As time moved on, Mother moon watched the people below slumbering, and noticed that the plants lived as she did, they would grow, bloom, bear fruit and then in the autumn, they would drop their leaves and fruit and look like they had died, but in the springtime after the healing rains the cycle would begin again, new growth, new fruit, stronger trees.
With man she saw that they grew a little each day, until they we fully grown, then they faded out a little each day until there was nothing. Mother did not feel that this was right, so she called upon the great god of the universe to help the nations of men. Unkulunkulu called on the chameleon to take the message to man and tell them that they shall not die.
The chameleon set off at a pace, along the way he began to get hungry and he decided to stop for a snack, nibbling on the succulent leaves – after all his important message will let them know that they will not die, so it didn’t really matter how long he took. Unkulunkulu realised after some time that chameleon had not delivered his message to the nations of man. He then called on the speedy lizard to deliver his message. The lizard knew he could outrun the chameleon and he set off darting amongst the rocks. He too became drowsy and said to himself, “I will take the message to the nations of man when the moon rises”.
Mother moons beautiful face rose as a big ball of fire from behind the mountains in the east. Growing lighter and brighter as she rose higher and higher. By the time she was high in the night sky, she saw that man had not received the important message from Unkulunkulu. She saw the lazy lizard under a rock and the chameleon still snacking on the plants. She decided that she would send the message to the nations of man. She called her faithful servant Mantis to deliver the message. She said tell man “as I die and dying live, so shall ye also die and dying live”. Mantis accepted the important task and began to make his way, along the mighty river, near the sacred lake of the ancestors.
Hare was sitting munching his dinner and overheard the message, “Hah” he said, “I am faster than any of these silly messengers, I will take the message to the nations of man”. He bounded off towards the village, repeating in his head “ as I live so shall you die”, no that wasn’t it. He tried again “as I live and die so shall you live”. Nope that wasn’t it either. “Aha – as I die and dying live, so shall ye also die and dying live.” Yes that’s it.
Hopping into the sacred kraal of man, hare thumped his foot hard on the ground. “Listen up beasts, man, woman and child, I Hare have an important message from mother moon”. The people gathered round, they were so excited to hear from the great mother. The head induna moved forward and said, “speak Hare, what is the message”. Hare was so excited being the centre of attention he blurted out “as I live so ye shall die”. The nations of man were struck with the pain of the message. Father looked to mother, mother looked to child and knew that their time together would end. A great sadness and darkness came upon man. This message had come from Unkulunkulu as well as mother moon. “We hear you Hare, we shall make the best of our time allowed”.
Just then mantis came hopping into the kraal, “don’t listen to him, don’t listen to him he is hare brained and stupid”. “The correct message is “as I die and dying live, so shall ye also die and dying live”. Man looked at mantis, you are too late my friend, as we are all already dying.
Mother moon heard the wailing from the people and she was so angry at hare that she slapped him across his face splitting his lip. “Huh! Is this the thanks I get for being your messenger?” Well take this … he sat his tail in the fire and leapt around so swiftly the coals rose up and burnt the moons face. Each time thereafter when man looked up to the moon, they saw the marking of Hare and were reminded that even the gods and ancestors cannot change the path of their destiny. They had to live each day the best they could for one day each one shall die.
africantarot 