For thousands of years, Native Americans and other cultures have used Features as sacred objects in rituals. To them, feathers were a representation of a gift from the higher realms, and should be treated with a great deal of respect.
The uses of Feathers are also very reaching. On a purely spiritual level, it was believed that carrying a feather around, especially particular kinds of feathers, would imbue the wearer/carrier with the blessings of the higher realms.
On a more physical level, they were known to be incredibly useful for spreading the smoke of sage, or other incense around in a space to energetically cleanse a space, and create a particular energetic environment.
Just remember, if you find a feather on the ground, it’s a good idea to wash it with Sage smoke. Running the feather through the smoke would cause any mites that could be on the feather to die, which would preserve the feather for a very long time.
This reading is a yang to the yin that was yesterdays reading, which is about a struggle we are having, letting go, and moving forward with a higher understanding.
Have a look. Note the symbolism of both cards, one is about a perceived gain and loss, where the other is about leadership, and a higher spiritual understanding.
The 5 of Swords, on the left, depicts a man who has just won a battle, and two men who have lost, given up their swords at the feet of the victor. The sky is cloudy, and the seas are not peaceful, showing that not all is right in the flow.
The swords is also a card of the Mind, and in the Thoth deck this card is called Defeat. While the battle may be over, and you may be on either side of the fence (winner, or loser), there is still an aspect that is incomplete. Order has not been restored, and even the winner of the battle, still loses what could be two good friends.
This card is about engaging in conflict or finding yourself disagreeing with the flow that was set before you, leading to tension, and a begrudging hostility.
In this conflict, it has not resulted in an inner connection, but a mental battle that only yields more suffering, loneliness, and a feeling of ego.
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In order to correct this, we look to the next card, the Hierophant, to understand.
The Etymology of Hierophant is as follows:
“expounder of sacred mysteries,” 1670s, from Late Latin hierophantes, from Greek hierophantes “one who teaches the rites of sacrifice and worship,” literally “one who shows sacred things,”from hieros “sacred,” from extended form of PIE root *bha- (1) “to shine” (see ire) + phainein “to reveal, bring to light” (see phantasm). In modern use, “expounder of esoteric doctrines,” from 1822.
This is indicative of our seeking someone who can help us on our path, and tells us that in order to resolve this, we must seek out a higher knowing. This can be from anyone but it should be someone or something that genuinely IS functioning with a higher awareness of the situation, or who can look at the situation and give you support based on their point of view.
In order to correct the mistakes of the past, and bring balance to the force, we must not be afraid of humbling ourselves, and showing respect to those who have already gone through these troubles, and come out on the other side with a greater sense of knowing.
It is in this action, the seeking information from those who have demonstrated wisdom, that we ourselves will become wise.
A-HAAAH!!! For the first time ever, the Magician appears in a reading! Okay, not EVER… but In all of Daily Divination at least, I believe this is the first appearance of the Magician!
The Magician of course, is notorious because it is card #1, and the first steps on a journey into the Light.
Along with our magical friend is the 10 of swords reversed.
Similar to how the Fool represents pure raw potential, the Magician (or Magus) is the essence of the first step on that journey into enlightenment. It is a time when you have the creative power and energy to create a new life for yourself in whatever way that looks for you. It is the WILL to do so, and the courage to see your dream come to life.
In it, you see all 4 elements laid out on the table. Fire, Earth, Water, and Air. His arm holds a staff which channels the energy and intent of the Cosmos through his body and into the physical plane.
You also see that his tunic is white, symbolizing his spiritual purity, but his cloak is red, emanating the fact that he is having earthly experience. This character is now experiencing LIFE, as you are.
This is a Tarot card about manifesting your goals by utilising the skills, tools and resources that are available to you. The Magician suggests that you will come up with creative ways to solve problems and you will be able to use your existing knowledge and networks to arrive at solutions.
But there is more to this reading than simply the magician. There is the added element of this card behind it, the 10 of swords reversed.
The 10 of swords typically means exactly as it implies. It is a dude stabbed to death, lying in his own death. However, upside down it reverses the polarity, and demonstrates the transformation that arises from the death or extreme that is experienced.
In this, the reading gains a new meaning. It is the fresh new steps that emerge from the dust of the old, that which destroyed a part of us. It’s like, we experienced a wild hardship, but in that we birthed a new part of ourselves, like the Phoenix, and rose to a new level that we hadn’t experienced before.
And that’s pretty amazing!
Thanks for reading,
Jordan
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Daily Divination runs daily at 5:26 am PST on SS Facebook! See you tomorrow!
In a series of 8 experiments involving a number between 159 and 527 adults, researchers examined the psyche and relationships between belief in God or Spirit, compared to an analytical mindset and moral concern. What they found… was quite interesting. What they found, in the simplest sense, was akin to the difference between the extreme right brain, and extreme left brain.
On the Atheist side of the equation, we see extreme examples of intelligence, but we also see signs of psychopathic tendencies, meaning a lack of compassion and fundamental care for other human beings.
Yet on the Religious side of the equation, we see a much higher sense of compassion and care for other individuals, however, they lack a fundamental sense of intelligence.
It is in this comparison that we (meaning, the Spirit Scientists) believe that a complete balance between the two will be the most harmonious path. It is there in the middle, between both hemispheres is where true understanding exists. You see, when we put all of our focus into religious or spiritual practices, we are putting more focus into the right brain, and our intimate connection with All. By doing so, our analytical, left brain thinking goes away.
When we put all of our focus into logic, we are putting focus into the left brain. By its very nature, it is more “disconnected” from the All, meaning is it less concerned with it. It is not looking at the big picture, it focuses on the details that make it up. It is a fundamental part of existence, but it is more concerned with the structural pathways that things connect by. By doing so, it doesn’t consider the whole of the equation, it likes to takes things in piece by piece.
So it does seem like by the nature of this study, that the natural path truly is the way of the Middle. The Spiritual, and the Science. I read a quote recently by one of my favorite authors that described this very well. So much so, that we made a spirit science picture about it.
If we can have the temperance to focus on our left brain mind, with the understanding of the right brain, we can be spiritually present to other peoples needs while also maintaining that logical, scientific understanding of the cosmos. In this, there is great power.
This connection can be achieved by practicing a focusing meditation, of bringing the two hemispheres of your brain together. By laying down, relaxing your body, and focusing on the central point between the two hemispheres of your brain, and the yin and yang of your mind, you can begin to merge your two points of understanding. It can bring you deep understanding of the nature of reality, and really let you unravel the web of consciousness we’ve weaved.
Todays reading truthfully is about honesty, and opening up our emotions.
The Cards are: 4 of Swords (Truce) – Ace of Cups (Essence of Emotion) – and the 9 of Wands (Strength). Together, they tell a story about the balance of mental energies, and opening up your feelings to create meaningful growth.
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Lets go through these cards one at a time:
The 4 of Swords is Truce. Swords is a mental energy, and the card depicts 4 swords pointing towards each other around a blossoming flower. Together they create a large X, self contained around all of the chaotic mental energies.
The Book of Thoth describes this as “the strong man armed, keeping his house in peace”.
The nature of the Air element is constantly in Motion, but the 4 is what happens when the mind solves a problem, finds a solution, completes a process, or has come to a satisfying compromise. Truce, a peace, can be enjoyed. If it stays still for too long it can lead to stagnation, but in this state, there is still a peace.
It is in this space that we come to card number 2. The Ace of Cups. Water in its most secret and original form.
This card shows the way deep into our soul: our inner beauty and trust. It is our greatest source of love, for growing feelings, and the desire for a relationship or the readiness to have a friend.
This is pure feelings and sensitive intuition. It is the essence of the emotions itself.
This card signifies the central theme of this reading. We need to express our emotions, let them flow – truthfully and graceful. This is the desire to melt into one another, and devotion to the connection.
It is in this that we build great strength, which is our final card. The 9 of Wands.
This card is referred to as the Foundation; bringing energy back into balance. This card reflects upon itself, which is why you see both the Sun, and the Moon in the same card. It shows strength, determination, and discipline, preparing itself for the final step to completion.
Let us remember that in being true to ourselves we release energies that will help us deal with whatever we find within. Whatever we find in our own subconscious is, for better or worse, a part of us.
This is our inner strength that shines like the sun, and invokes personal reflection, from what came before.
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So open up, and share in a sacred space with someone you care dearly for.
It will build your strength and open you up to all kinds of new, like you never before believed could be possible.
Thanks for reading!
With love,
Jordan
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Daily Divination is posted every morning at 5:26 am PST! See you tomorrow!
Cannabis, a word which still gets you in trouble if you speak it around police officers except in specific places on planet earth, is a plant that has been around for longer than we have. There are depictions of ancient people with it, and even more writings supporting its use throughout recorded history. It’s about time things changed, this plant has been described as a powerful healing agent for centuries, and it should be used as such.
Lets look at all of the Ancients with Cannabis, shall we?
The Ancient Egyptians
It was upon seeing these pictures of Shesat below that inspired this article. just have a look at the images. It says everything, I shouldn’t even have to write anymore.
That’s right, by far the very vast majority of modern day Egyptologists agree that Medical Cannabis was used by the ancient Egyptians in their medicines. This viewpoint was highly fought by egyptologists up until the 1930’s, when the evidence was no longer refutable, and historians had no choice but to agree – Yep, it’s weed.
“The papyri contain an extremely rich material medica of which only a fraction has hitherto been identified. This has been done through the patient work of Egyptologists who, by studying finds in graves, hieroglyphic inscriptions where plants figure near their names, and late Coptic texts, have helped considerable in this still unfinished work of identification.”
What they used it for:Uterine Contraction, Sore toe-nail, Irrigating the Rectum (no joke), and general Fevers and Illness.
The Ancient Japanese
The Japanese (among other asian cultures) were into the cultivation of Cannabis, in fact, its said that they were (potentially) doing it before civilization even existed – as far back as 10,000 BC! This time period is called the “Neolithic Jomon Period”, (10k – 300 BC) – Jomon itself actually means “Pattern of Rope”, which was a common rope made from Cannabis Hemp.
These ancient asians lived a civilized, comfortable existence, and used the Marijuana plant in many of their creations – weaving clothing, baskets, and eating the seeds as food. What isn’t clear however, is how the seeds first got to Japan. It is believed that they were imported and adapted from the Chinese, or Korea.
To the left is a Korean pot painting, which shows Korean traders bringing Cannabis to Japan. I know, it’s a little difficult to make out with our modern symbolism, but historians agree – this is what is being depicted.
Surrounding the Cannabis at the top of the staves is a sun-like aura, which is a depiction of the connection between the sun and cannabis in Shinto. It is very similar to hieroglyphic carvings from Mediterranean cultures – which also describe the connection between the plants, and the sun.
Shinto, as we just mentioned, is actually an ancient spiritual practice of the Japanese, about reverence to the “Way of the Gods”, an expression of profound respect to Nature, and through Nature – God. Plants, animals, rocks, trees all possess a spirit or reverence which can be terrifying or peaceful. Purity and fertility are very important to those who practice Shinto, and Cannabis is an essential symbol of both.
In Japan, Cannabis wasn’t just used for basket weaving, it is through the Shinto practice that they would in fact smoke it as well. Here is a painting of a Geisha smoking a bowl with their customers.
At Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, certain objects are symbolically made from hemp. For example, the thick bell-ropes must be hempen, as is the noren, a short curtain which acts as a symbolic purification “veil”, meant to cause evil spirits to flee from the body as the head brushes lightly beneath it.
Cannabis was outlawed in Japan after World War 2, when allied-forces occupied Japan to help rebuild and reshape the nation after all of the destruction of the war…. Wow. In a time when they’d need it more than ever, am I right?
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The Ancient Chinese
Of course, if the Japanese got it from the Chinese, then we need to cover this next!
To be completely truthful: The first recorded use of Marijuana as a medical drug occurred in 2737 BC by the Chinese emperor Shen Nug, who documented the effectiveness of the plant in treating Gout, and Rheumatism. Both Hemp and Marijuana were widely used across ancient China probably long before the Emperor wrote his notes.
They used virtually every part of the Cannabis plant, the Root for medicine, the stem for textiles, rope, and paper making; and of course, the leaves and flowers for getting high, as well as a medicine. They also used the seeds for oil, as well as food.
There is a lot more to learn about the Chinese use of Marijuana! You can read much more about it on Ancient-Origins.net!
Christ
There is ample evidence to suggest that Christ himself used Cannabis in his healing practices. Not necessarily that he “relied” on it, but used it in his practices. Here is a painting called “Jesus Healing the Blind” from the 12th Century, Painted by Basilica Catedrale di Santa Maria Nouva di Monreale in Sicily. (Isn’t that quite a name?)
According to a study of scriptural texts published in 2003, Jesus was almost certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the plant.
The study suggests that Christ and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous healings. The anointing oil used by Jesus and his disciples contained an ingredient called Kaneh-Bosem, which today has been identified as Cannabis extract. You can read about that here, in an article by Chris Bennet.
Christ also used an incense during his ceremonies which also contained this cannabis extract. The scholar who did a lot of this research, Mr. Bennet quotes many scholars, such as Carl Ruck, who writes:
There can be little doubt about a role for cannabis in Judaic religion. […] Obviously the easy availability and long-established tradition of cannabis in early Judaism would inevitably have included it in the [Christian] mixtures.”
-Carl Ruck
But this wasn’t the first, nor the last time that Cannabis was used in these times. In fact, the bible is filled with references to Cannabis! Check this out:
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I have a feeling you’re starting to get the point, so for the sake of brevity, we’re going to go over a bulleted list of a bunch more!
India
Bhang – a drink made from Cannabis and Milk is used as an Anesthetic
The Middle East
In the Venidad, one of the volumes of the Zend-Avesta the ancient Persian texts, describe Bhang from India, as well as lists Cannabis as THE MOST IMPORTANT of 10,000 medicinal plants.
Ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, Cannabis is used as a remedy for earache, edema, and inflammation.
Rome
A Greek Psysician who was a Roman army doctor and travelled on many campaigns throughout the Empire at the time, studied many plants, and published a book called De Materia Medica (On Medical Matters). This book became one of the most important medical tomes for the next 1500 years.
It basically said bluntly, that Cannabis was incredible in treating earaches, and suppress sexual longing. If you were a soldier in the army who left his wife at home, then you need some cannabis while your away!
Shakespeare
In the South African Journal of Science, they published the results of a chemical analysis of the plant residue in many tobacco pipes from the time period of William Shakespeare, including several pipes that came from Shakespeares garden itself.
Results of this study (including 24 pipe fragments) indicated Cannabis in EIGHT samples. It was suggested that Shakespeare liked Cannabis because of its mind expanding properties!
Britain
In 1621 a book was published “The Anatomy of Melancholy”, which suggested Cannabis as a treatment for depression.
It is then used by Queen Victoria for her menstrual cramps.
America
There is nobody more “American” in the modern “United States” sense of the word, than George Washington. Who himself, grew Hemp for about 30 years on his plantation. He has a particular interest in Medical Cannabis, and several of his journal entries describe that he was purposefully growing Cannabis with high levels of THC.
As you can see, Marijuana only really became illegal globally in the last 100 years or so, as the World Wars forced countries into positions of submission to other powers, we saw the global shut-down of Marijuana as any sort of beneficial thing, and it became a cursed plant in the eyes of the masses.
Today, with the powers of information, we can break through that veil and once again open up the world to the curiosity that comes from a stimulated mind on Marijuana, and the healing powers that comes from such a plant when used purposefully as a medicine.
There is no better time for change!
Thank you for reading,
Jordan Pearce
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For those interested in learning and reading more, here are some of the sites that I referenced in creating this article.
