Rachel’s 12 Days of Christmas with Arcana Stones

[Rachelcat]

I did this last year, and I want to follow it as a little tradition. The questions are based on Christian holidays and saint days, but I generalized them! I’ll be doing this concurrently with the Sacred Days of Yule, but this will take me a bit farther, until Jan. 5. It’s also a chance to use my Arcana Stones, which I might not have used since last year!

You are welcome to join in here, or start your own thread with these questions, or whatever!

Today is the first day of Christmas!

1. Dec. 25. What is being born or coming to light for me?

17-Star-Blue Lace Agate
I’m becoming more and more aware of my blessings in this life. And I’m growing calm and steady and flowing. It’s been a long road, but I feel like I’m approaching my best life. It’s definitely my best life I can live now, so that’s good. What a great feeling to realize all this on Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!

[Rachelcat]

2. Dec. 26. What gift do I have to give?

4-Emperor-Carnelian
I can use my authority to do some good. I have a perceived authority with the students because I’m old and at work because I’ve been with the firm for over 20 years (and I’m old!). I need to grow into that role and do some good with it. I feel like I have a good grasp on (and really care about) right and wrong, which goes with the Emperor too. I might be wrong to think that morality is kind of confusing for younger people these days, but that’s how it looks to me. The whole world is just so complicated! Maybe I can do some good by helping clear little bits of the fog, for myself and others, as wanted or needed.

[Rachelcat]

3. Dec. 27. What is my wisdom, and how can I share it?

11-Justice-Aventurine
Well this ties in with yesterday, doesn’t it? I’m trying (not very successfully) to study philosophical ethics to get a better grasp on the various ideas about morality out in the world. There’s nothing new under the sun, so I’m sure someone else has had the same ideas that I have at some point. And I think having the right, accepted terminology might help me express what I’m understanding and feeling about the subject.

And the other meaning of Justice: I’m slowly learning about proper balance in life, which is more like 2 Coins for me, but this is a majors-only thingy, so I’m sticking it in here! Balance what comes in and what goes out. And the different pursuits you put your efforts into. I don’t know if I have deep wisdom on that, but I know the words and the goal, and I’m trying to follow it!

Enjoy the day today, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

4. Dec. 28. How can I honor and help the children in my life and the children of the world?

12-Hanged One-Sodalite
I need to stop stressing about what and how I’m doing with my students. My role will become clearer in time. For now, I just need to show up and be there for them.

I remember how I felt when I was a young teen (or maybe younger). I was fascinated, confused, and grateful that there were adults other than my family who cared about me and were there to help me. In my case, they were church members who organized activities for us kids, choir, youth group, etc. I never put this realization into words or thanked them. I guess I realized it later. (I never really felt that way about my teachers. They were fine, but I guess I figured they were just doing their jobs.)

In the same way, maybe I will make a difference to someone and never completely know what that is. I just want to help in any way I can. Young people’s lives are so complicated these days. It’s good just to be a stable presence I think. Like the Hanged One, just there!

[Rachelcat]

5. Dec. 29. What is the state of my spiritual life? What do I have faith in? How can I increase tolerance in myself and the world?

20-Judgment-Petrified Wood
I might deal with each of these “faith” questions separately. They seem much more different from each other than when I created the spread!

The state of my spiritual life is that I’m rising up to a higher level. I’m leaving conventional religion and esotericism behind and trying to create a more humanistic, sensible, but spiritual spirituality for myself. It’s happening, but slowly.

I have faith that there is something greater than getting and spending, but not necessarily gods and souls and afterlives. Maybe it’s fulfillment of everyone’s potential, a world in which we can all be the best we can be, and what we want to be. That would be enough! And none of us can get there until all of us get there.

I can increase religious tolerance by backing separation of church and state. That way people of all religions and no religion are treated equally and fairly. It’s the only way forward that makes sense. This works with judgment because it’s a higher level of thinking. Instead of backing one religion or none, separation is an umbrella that helps everyone.

Well, that was a fruitful reading! Have a great day!

[Rachelcat]

6. Dec. 30. How can I honor my parents and ancestors? How can I be a better parent?

8-Fortitude-Tiger Eye
I can honor my parents and be a good parent by being strong!

I’m seeing that mostly with taking care of my mom. She took care of us for so many years, it’s now time for me to take the responsibility to take care of her. (And my siblings are no spring chickens either, so I need to take some responsibility for my mom off of them, too!) But she’s generally in good health and doing well, so I just need to keep an eye out for anything I can do to help.

As far as being a good parent myself, I need to step up and be strong emotionally. With the wedding coming closer, I need to not be a shrinking violet, take responsibility not only to do things that need to be done but also to connect and create the extended family that young couples need. And be strong enough to give them their space, too!

Got it! I’ll work on that!

In the meantime, have a great day!

[Rachelcat]

7. Dec. 31. What should I forgive? What should I ask forgiveness for?

3-Empress-Malachite
I should have a heart-to-heart discussion with my son before the wedding on just clearing the air about my deficiencies as a parent. I did the best I could, which at times wasn’t that great. Weddings and family gatherings can trigger all kinds of things, and seeing his dad in person for the first time in many years could be such a trigger. So I should try to get my stuff out of the way before he has to deal with all that. Maybe. Or maybe I should just let sleeping bats hang. (That’s one of Dad’s silly sayings.) This is going to take lots more thought before I do something about it. But the stones are at least putting it on my radar here at the new year.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year ahead!

[Rachelcat]

8. Jan. 1. How can I honor my teachers and spiritual friends? How can I be an effective teacher or mentor?

13-Death-Mahogany Obsidian
I can be an effective tutor by letting go of preconceived notions. What is more annoying for a young person than hearing, “the way we used to do it”? My students are living in a different world than I did at their age. I have to meet them where they are to be able to teach them anything. I also need to let go of the person that I was before I was a tutor! I’m moving into a new way of living, but I guess I’m still in the ending part, not so much in the new part yet!

I guess this is a good stone to get on new year’s day? Happy new year!

[Rachelcat]

9. Jan. 2. How can I honor and help my friends? How can I be a good friend?

10-Wheel-Botswana Obsidian
I can go with the flow and be ready for anything! I shouldn’t get into a rut, but instead be ready to be there when I’m needed or wanted. It’s like marriage: for better or for worse! Be there for their joys and their sorrows, their abundance and their needs. That’s what being a true friend means.

[Rachelcat]

10. Jan. 3. What is my greatest inner strength?

20-Sun-Citrine
I’m usually optimistic and can see the good in most things. And I know when I’m getting overwhelmed by negativity and can cut that out of my life in time before I’m an anxious mess. I’m open and honest and pretty much WYSIWYG. (I’m so thankful to be out of an emotionally abusive relationship so I don’t have to lie anymore.) I also have my childlike ways. I figure if something is fun and it doesn’t hurt anyone, just do it! Why not!

So I think that covers all the Sun meanings. I definitely like it for a strength! Have a happy day, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

11. Jan. 4. What needs balance in my life? How can I increase justice in myself and in the world?

6-Lovers-Rhodocrosite
You can’t have true justice without empathy and compassion. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes, feel what they feel, to get a better idea of what needs to be done.

Also reciprocity. It’s not justice unless both sides of an issue are represented and on board.

How does this apply to me? I need to keep these things in mind when I think of social justice and the things that divide us these days. I shouldn’t be so one-sided in my thinking, but without giving up on my ideals and what I know to be right.

One day to go! I hope you're having a good beginning of the year!

[Rachelcat]

Last day of Christmas today. Happy Twelfth Night! It’s my Temperance reading:

12. Jan. 5. What is the most uncharacteristic thing I can do right now? What extreme in my life is ready to transform into its opposite?

16-Tower-Red Jasper
The state of constant emergency in the world is going to switch over to people knowing what’s important to keep and what’s good to let go. And for me too. When your life is pared down to the essentials, you learn what’s truly important. I haven’t had much illness or trouble because of the world situation, thank goodness!, but worrying about it has taken its toll anyway. The opposite of the Tower is really enjoying the present moment and being thankful for what I have. I’m so ready for it!

And here’s the final result!

One last Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!