What to do during Mercury Retrograde

My Meditation calendar marks today, June 26th, as the beginning of a period of Mecury Retrograde.  I understand that this is when the planet Mercury appears to move backwards until July 20th (although not really since this is an optical illusion) and people are cautious about making plans or signing contracts.

"Mercury is the messenger, and in this time, the delivery is warped or the message gets lost en route.  Some people find that their computers go on the fritz or phone lines go down.  If your're at all jittery about it go ahead and back up your important files."

Since apparently technology can be affected, my first suggestion of what to do during mercury Retrograde is spend time where technology isn't, and perhaps do something useful with your hands.

"There can be delays, so allow plenty of time to get places."

Since this Mercury Retrograde is in the water sign of Cancer, why not travel by water, if you can.  Riding a ferry will also do if you don't have an aluminum skiff for doing oyster work.

 "What happens in those down times?  Mercury retro is known to be a time of 'fated events--

who will you meet?  What will be revealed?

You can encourage interesting visitations during Mercury Retrograde by inviting other than human creatures to dine with you.  Organic breakfast cereal and sliced almonds put out--and the table is set!

"Some dreams and goals get lost in the hectic rushing around of daily life.  The Mercury Retrograde period can be a rich time of reflection on those longings.  This makes it a time for the soul to ponder its destiny.  You might look over old journals, review your creative work, muse on the serendipities of  the past that have pointed you toward your spirit's calling.  It can make the retrograde period a time of solidifying a sense of your personal story and where your're headed."

Even though my partner John is clearly enjoying himself on this day-off picnic, I am creating the best example of Mercury Retrograde gone warped in this blog for my Journey Oracle website.  All this wonky text is courtesy of Mercury beginning to go backwards today!  I think my time would be better spent going to meditate.

Ways to celebrate Summer Solstice

When planning ways to celebrate summer solstice, find a place where the sun can easily attend.  My understanding is that summer solstice is the Sun's wedding day, and so of course He will want to be there.  If you do not live in the desert--choose a location with a big view, or mountain or massive stone;  choose a place that has the Sun in its majesty and scale already present.

Bring gifts to the creatures whose homes you are disturbing with your wedding festivities. The animals, birds and insects will likely feel better about you descending on their neighborhood if you come with shiny colorful objects and feast foods just for them.

Invite the spirits of place in their sacred plant forms to sit with you to honor the Sun.  Bring special handmade offerings, food and incense.  Spirits are attracted to our effort, and want to taste a little bit of the bounty we create at this summer solstice time.

Leave something precious for the place to enjoy after you go.  At this time of year a cup of water may have great value. So might also a song given to the wind, who could play with the vibration and keep flowing your breath long after you depart.

Leave spirit in place when your festivities for summer solstice are complete.  Leave every small deliciously attractive natural object in its true home.  When we take what is not freely given we leave a hole in the spirit of place, and this in turn leaves a tear in the fabric of our obligation to the other-than-human-creatures, forms and forces that share this earth with us.  

Happy Solstice from the Journey Oracle.  May you find yourself  dancing at the Wedding Feast, and may you remember the taste of the Groom's cake long after the Sun has left the party. 

Shamanic painting of a ritual to pray for rain

This chalk pastel painting is the image of a true story of a ritual made to pray for rain.  Many years ago on Cortes Island the rains did not come and the salmon were circling and circling in the sea, waiting to come into the rivers to spawn, but there was not enough water to bring them home.

Myself and two other women spent a day pounding on an ancient stone on the Cortes shore, calling the rain to come and help the salmon.  Earlier I had been given a Heron's wing by someone who just left it in my living room, with no note of explanation.  Since I understand that the Heron is the sentinel of well being in these waters--we burned the wing so that its breath could rise to the clouds and call the rain.

We danced in the smoke and cinders until two porpoise came close to the shore and in their spouting breaths we understood that our call would be answered.  And a few days later, the rains came.  

There are lots of ways to be of service.  And many forms for an Oracle speaking.  I am just now reading Memories, Dreams, Reflections, the autobiography of C.G. Jung.  He describes how we can ultimately only tell our personal myth.  "Whether or not the stories are 'true' is not the problem.  The only question is whether what I tell is my fable, my truth."  This story of  my inner, invisible life with spirit--and how it irrupts into ordinary reality--is for me, the only art worth making.

Sailing in Desolation Sound

We have just returned from sailing in Desolation sound.  What a beautiful place and life this is, to be able to cruise out of Gorge Harbour with a westerly, make a run with the wind abaft the beam to Refuge Cove, sail to Tenedos Bay with a following wind, and then have a sparkling South East wind on the forequarter for the way home.  We are so blessed to have this world famous cruising ground literally out our back door.

Next week there will be a more usual post from the Journey Oracle about the arts of drum making and shamanic painting--but right now I'm going to just sit back with a nice glass of red wine and reflect on the joys of being out there.