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All Things Alchemical is the monthly E-newsletter of personal transformation for those seeking grace and clarity. Enjoy discoveries centered on health, spirit, purpose, archetypes, symbology and artistic expression that will guide you dancing through life.
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Note From Kendra
Dear Friends,
The Advocate archetypal energy has been active in my own life the past 45 days. I experienced two loved ones’ passings and was with them right up until the end.
It is an honor to be a guide through the death and re-birth process that we experience our whole lives; they are sacred rites of passage. In Hospice, I am with the dying and support the family with bereavement guidance. What I never stop learning, and it has been shown to me through a multitude of experiences, is that we have the right to die with dignity.
It is because of my strong personal belief in this right that I will advocate for the dying the rest of my life. In the midst of intense emotion of the person actively dying, the family’s emotions are equally intense, catching every breath of their loved one and holding their own breath as they walk this path together…to a point.
It is at this point when our personal agendas and emotions that are welling up within ourselves need to be put aside. We are called forth to be present to our loved one who is in the process of reaching the finale of their life on earth. It is the greatest gift we will ever give them: the respect, the dignity, and the honor they so deserve to move gracefully and peacefully into a holy space of light and eternal love.
Recently I witnessed this first hand when my uncle died, and I could not be more proud of his family’s courage and strength to be present and respect his wishes, wiping away their own tears as they honored what he prayed for - peace. I was in awe of their grace and honored to hold space along side them.
Peace and with love,
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Archetype
Advocate
(Attorney, Defender; Legislator; Lobbyist, Environmentalist)
Coming to the defense of others is one manifestation of what Ram Dass calls “Compassion in Action.” The Advocate embodies a sense of lifelong devotion to championing the rights of others in the public arena. People who relate to this archetype have recognized early on a passion to transform social concerns, specifically in behalf of others. Symbolically, they are dedicated to inspiring the empowerment of groups or causes that are unable to be empowered on their own. By comparison, archetypes such as the Hermit are clearly more personal and lack the Advocate’s fire for furthering social change. The Advocate needs public expression, even if only through writing or artwork.
The shadow Advocate manifests in false or negative causes or in committing to causes for personal gain. In evaluating your connection with this archetype, you should ask yourself how much of your life is dedicated to social causes and willingness to take action.
Films: Paul Newman in The Verdict; Spencer Tracy in Inherit the Wind; Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief and Erin Brokovich; Robert Duvall in the Godfather trilogy (shadow).
Television: Perry Mason; L.A.Law; The Practice.
Fiction: The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benét.
Fairy Tail: Puss in Boots.
Religion/Myth: David (in the Hebrew Bible, the Jewish champion who slew the much larger Goliath); Hakuim (a pre-Islamic deity of southern Arabia who administers justice and oversees arbitration).
Myss, Caroline. Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2002, 2003. 366. Print.
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Symbology
Divinity Quest Cards
Contributed by Anne Barton
I am a fan of tools – all kinds of tools. I use them in my business – to make managing technology easier, to keep on top of my team’s tasks, to support my clients as they grow their business. And we all have our favorite tools around the house or in the kitchen. My niece often exclaims when we cook together, ‘You have the coolest kitchen gadgets!’ I enjoy the fact that someone else appreciates my tools! And isn’t it great when you find the perfect tool for the job at hand? Time is saved; the job is done well. I love that!
I also have many tools that I use in my personal growth process, and I’m consistently exploring new ones. More than 25 years ago I learned a system of reading cards that I really resonated with, and I’ve been studying and using that system ever since. (I call my readings using this system Life Cycles – from the Destiny Card system.) I bought a Tarot deck once, but that didn’t click with me that well. However, I have friends who are masters with this tool, and I appreciate it when they do readings for me.
Here’s the thing… when we ask for guidance, we can find answers anywhere. We can open a book or newspaper, point to a sentence, and gain clarity about any question. I took a class years ago where the teacher told us that when we have a problem we’re trying to work out, we just need to look up and read or listen to the signs around us – this could be a billboard or a song on the radio in our car.
After we ask for help – and that’s always the first step – then the process is about paying attention and being open to whatever comes our way. Years ago I was driving up the West Coast of the United States from my home in Southern California all the way to Seattle. I was alone, trying to figure out what to do with my life, where I wanted to live, driving long days, listening to music and thinking. One day I stopped at a beach in Oregon and was just sitting in my car looking at the ocean. Suddenly, there was a man at my window trying to hand me something. I honestly don’t know where he came from. When I drove into the parking lot at that beach, the place was deserted. I rolled down my window and took the card he handed me. I started to read, then quickly glanced out the window and he was gone. This is what the card said: ‘You are the golden light that shines within us all. Fly free.’ That card sat propped on my dashboard for years. It was a message (from a real life Angel) I needed right at that moment, and it continues to guide me. Divine intervention… it is available to us always.
We can cultivate deeper meaning in our lives and connect more directly with our intuition by developing a relationship with specific tools like Tarot cards, Animal Wisdom, or Astrology. I believe all of these help us tap into our true essence - the answers we have within us but perhaps can’t always reach on our own.
Recently I’ve been introduced to a new set of cards that I want to share. (They are called Divinity Quest cards.) I still have much to learn about this system, but in just a few months it has proven to be very powerful – simple, but profound. Before writing this article, I set the intention of picking a card that could be used for guidance by everyone who reads this.
Close your eyes and consider a question you have right now. It could be about a decision you have to make, or a challenge you are facing, or something you’d like to create in your life – more joy, less stress, more freedom.
Hold that question, then open your eyes and read the statement for this card. Look at the symbol on the card, in the image below. Try saying the Name (this is actually Egyptian and it is the name of a specific Angel connected with this card – when you say the name, you are calling on the Angel). And then consider the statement again. Repeat it. Does it provide you with a path for resolving your situation? It’s not meant to tell you what to do; it’s meant to guide you to your own answer or solution. Sit with it. Repeat it daily this week.
Card Name:
Masut-krihatar-clavi . (Pronounced: Mah suit-Cree Ha Tar-Clah Vee)
Card Statement:
Through the intimacy of an open and trusting heart do we connect in innocence to the pristine, timeless aspect of one another.
To learn more about my tools, as well as more about me, visit http://tiny.cc/AnneBartonReadings.
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