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January 2022
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Questing Into a New Year

Tunnel Into the Forest by CJ Shelton
Photo by CJ Shelton
 
“New year is the glittering light to brighten
the dream-lined pathway of the future.”

 
Snowflake Mandala by CJ SheltonOnce again, we stand at the threshold of a new year facing more questions than answers, all due to a small, invisible enemy that has held the world in its thrall for almost two years. Instead of gaining freedom this holiday season we have had to face a stark reality – that we are not yet out of the woods and that it was hubris to think we had this virus thing licked or outsmarted quite yet.
 
Pandemics typically last three to four years so they are marathons, not sprints. Which makes it easier to accept that the one we are in is still an unfolding story. A journey. A quest even. And when re-framed that way, our current circumstances become a little more bearable, like a story whose ending we don’t know yet.
 
King ArthurI have always been a lover of quest stories and over the past year I found myself re-reading favourites like The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy. Currently I am reading the young adult sequence The Dark is Rising (which I somehow missed in childhood) and waiting in the wings is a totally new series, The Gifts of the Keltiad, given to me by a dear friend who shares my love of all things King Arthur.
 
Immersing myself in heroic tales of ordinary people doing extraordinary things has been very comforting. Because as the famous mythographer Joseph Campbell determined, humans continually tell and re-tell a singular narrative known as “The Hero’s Journey” where an everyday character must leave their ordinary world to embark on a transformational quest. We find this same theme repeated in popular books, movies and plays that have stood the test of time.
 
All stories are journeys. In fact, what in life is not a journey? We journey daily to work or to do our shopping. We journey through relationships. We journey through our thoughts and emotions. The whole image of “the journey” is like a current moving us through life, an impetus keeping our narrative in perpetual motion and making change inescapable.
 
Covid is a journey too, one we are making both individually and collectively. And it is destined to become a chapter in each of our Books of Life, although each of those books will be unique in its perceptions, its challenges, its learnings, and its ending.
 
Science-Quest Quotefiction author Arthur C. Clarke thoughtfully made the following observation about journeys: “All explorers are seeking something they have lost. It is seldom that they find it, and more seldom still that the attainment brings them greater happiness than the quest itself.”
 
With that in mind, rather than wishing Covid were over-and-done with, is it possible to acknowledge it as an extraordinary quest that is re-forming and re-forging us for a greater purpose? Afterall, change is the driving plot of every heroic story and when we reach the end of this one, we will see that Covid was not a search for something we lost but a chapter in a much longer and more significant journey to finding something new.

One of my favourite non-fiction writers, Caroline Myss, also wrote this relevant reminder on approaching the tasks or challenges we face while on such a journey: “We decide, by choice, that we will do a task with all our hearts – or not. The act of doing what is asked of you, or what is demanded of you by necessity, with an open heart is actually a living prayer. It is a way of saying to the heavens that nothing asked of you is insignificant, that even if the task at hand does not suit your vanity, you do not consider its placement in your world to be a divine error.”
 
Covid, and all its attendant challenges is not a “divine error” or something ill-suited to our vanity but an evolutionary Call to Adventure, a way of opening our hearts to a “living prayer” that will help build a bridge from one way of being to another.
 
2022 Universal YearAccording to numerology, we are entering a Universal 6 year whose energies will support us in building that bridge. A Universal Year Number is calculated by adding up each of the individual numbers within it (2+0+2+2 = 6) in order to reduce it down to a single digit.

Since in numerology each number between 1 and 9 has its own unique signature and vibration, the Universal Year Number acts like an energetic presence or support system, a theme that will be experienced globally during that particular year.
 
The unstable energy of number 5 is what kept us off-balance, out of sorts and in constant frustration throughout 2021. But the energy of the number 6 is significantly different. 6 is about kindness and stability. It is family focused and, like a parental figure, will provide nurturing and compassion … but also tough love when needed. At its heart, Universal 6 is going to help us see that the world does not revolve around us, the individual, but will be focused on the collective. 2022 will be a "we" year and how we grow into that is our primary task on this quest.
 
The year 2022 also holds many “2’s” and the number 2 is all about balance. In addition, two twos together (22) form a Master Number and are also the number of the Master Builder, further strengthening the call for a solid foundation. Our quest then will be highly focused on rebuilding a future together in a balanced, thoughtful and conciliatory way.
 
So as we say goodbye to 2021 and enter 2022, here are a few questions to consider from both an “I’ and a “we” perspective:
  • What did I/we expect to happen in 2021 that didn’t?
  • What major events and realizations were achieved, both personally and collectively?
  • Likewise, what disappointments and setbacks did I/we experience?
  • What did the old year reveal that requires our attention and dedication to changing in 2022?
  • What were the most important lessons learned on the journey through the old year and how can I/we incorporate that hard-earned wisdom into the new one?
  • What is my task or quest for the year ahead, both in my own life and in service to the greater good?
If we are to bridge the gap between where we are now and where we are going, all of us will need to dig deep on these questions. Or at the very least, carry them with us as we move forward.
 
"Invitation" by CJ SheltonThis was the message of the humpback whales in my Solstice painting Invitation which, if you haven’t read can be found online here.

The invitation of the whales is to join them on their evolutionary quest towards the light, to embrace the challenges and changes that lie ahead by following the stories and song-lines of those who have gone before us. The whales assure us that we too have the courage to undertake such a quest, to ask the tough questions in this “we” year of building a bridge to a brighter future.
 
So, at this dawn of 2022, I encourage you to breathe in, feel deeply, and think back on the past year. And to perhaps reread one of your own favourite quest stories or watch a heroic movie, one that has stood the test of time and whose message is how the light always overcomes the darkness. Because we humans have been telling such stories since our time on earth began … and for very good reason.

"Say quest out loud" quote

Do keep reading below to see what journeys, mentorship opportunities and navigational tools I have on offer for 2022 to help you as you ask your questions. For to “quest” is what lies at the root of the word question. And while no one person or method has the definitive answer to the challenges we face right now, it is our own willingness to answer the Call to Adventure, to live into that which is being asked of us, that will be our saving grace for the way forward.

Living the Tarot Course

A six week ONLINE journey of discovery
January 22 to March 6, 2022

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Join me on a magical quest this winter!
Did you know that the most universal story ever told is depicted in the first 22 cards of the Tarot? And did you know that this story is one that you (and each of us) are living every day?

Join me on this quest to re-envision your life while also learning the meaning behind the most enigmatic part of the Tarot known as the Major Arcana. "Arcana" means "secret" or "mystery" ... and that is exactly what we are going to uncover on this journey. You will also be creating your own personally relevant "deck", set of symbols or visual record of the Tarot's main archetypal themes. No artistic ability is necessary, just the willingness to explore!

If you have always been curious about the Tarot but nervous about where to start, are overwhelmed at trying to understand its complex symbolism or simply want to experience a new perspective on the Tarot then this is the course for you.

To read the full course description and to register click here or on the image above.
 

Tarot Card SpreadIf a shorter journey is a better fit ...

Book a Tarot Reading or Spiritual Consultation with me
If 2021 has left you with more questions than answers, you are not alone. A little divine guidance, a dash of synchronicity and the rich symbolism of the Tarot can help start the new year off right.

This ancient wisdom system will open doors to your own innate wisdom and help us discern what transformative energies you can tap into for navigating the way ahead. We can do a Wheel of the Year reading to reveal specific themes that will be influencing you in 2022 or a reading on a specific question or issue.

Sessions can be done in-person at the studio or via Zoom.

$100 for 60 minutes. Email me to book your session at artist@dancingmoondesigns.ca

 

The Way of the WheelThe Way of the Wheel Mentorship Program
Begins this spring
Another incredible journey around nature’s Great Wheel of Life begins its next cycle this spring. If you are striving to bring more balance into your life, this year-long program will let you discover and live the shamanic path of nature-wisdom and self-healing while being supported by myself and a dedicated group of like-minded journeyers.

This is my flagship program on living in sync with nature's Wheel of the Year and will begin with an in-person introductory session in either February or March (current Covid situation permitting).
 
Click here to read a full description of the Way of the Wheel program.

You can also email me at artist@dancingmoondesigns.ca to express your interest in joining and to be put on the notification list.

Note that entry into this program is only once a year so this will be the only opportunity in 2022 to join.

 

"Hope Blooms" by CJ Shelton"Seed to Seed" - A Sacred Geometry Mandala-Making Journey
Grow your dreams
This popular art-making series of workshops takes you on a journey using sacred geometry and the powerful creation matrix known as The Flower of Life to manifest your goals.
 
Although this series of workshops typically starts at the beginning of February, given the current Covid situation, I will probably be running the first workshop in March when hopefully in-person gatherings feel a bit safer.

Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, you can read about the program here and email me with your interest in participating at artist@dancingmoondesigns.ca.
 

The Artist's CircleThe Artist’s Circle ONLINE Art Classes
Bringing the studio to you
Looking for a more self-paced creative journey? Consider joining my online art classes that I run on Patreon, a monthly subscription platform that gives you access to drawing and watercolour tutuorials, sketchbook prompts and other inspirational content that you can access at anytime. You can even connect live with me and other students every month via Zoom for some coaching and feedback!

For more details and to become a member, please visit   www.patreon.com/dancingmoondesigns.
 

Student paintingIn-Studio Drawing and Acrylic Painting Classes
Resuming soon
In-person drawing and painting classes at the studio may be delayed resuming due to ongoing Covid concerns but hopefully they will be up and running again soon.

If you are interested in joining a small group of fellow drawers or painters or booking private lessons with me when it is safe to do so, please email artist@dancingmoondesigns.ca.
 

The Mystic’s Circle
Mystic Circle Logo Spiritual Discussion Group & Gathering
The Mystic's Circle has been on hiatus for a little while but look for its return in 2022, likely in the springtime, with either in-person gatherings (Covid permitting) or an entirely new format.

Email me at artist@dancingmoondesigns.ca to have your name added to the notification list or with thoughts and ideas about how you would like to see the Circle re-imagined.
 

Finally, I wish you all a very, very Happy and Hopeful New Year with all the wonder and blessings it potentially holds! I look forward to more creating, learning and “brightening the dream-lined pathway of future” with you throughout the year ahead.

With Blessings,

CJ Shelton
Artist, Instructor & Facilitator

Dancing Moon Designs
Illuminating the Creative and Spiritual Life

 
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