Midwestern Mystic

We're on Day 3 of Hilary's #5daysoftarot challenge - today's topic was the Little White Book.  It was a timely discussion and my Intuition gave me a high-5 for following through on getting back into the cards.  I'm loving the approach of this challenge, and feel like I'm more comfortable than ever with my deck.   My card of the day is the Father of Wands.  My interpretation of this card today is that there is a strong energy, and that it's time to start taking action in creative ways.  It's time to start chasing the dreams I say I want.   If it doesn't work out, or the vision changes - that's ok, but it's time to step forward - the time for indecision has passed, get a move on. 

The waterfront (any waterfront) is My Favorite Place.  Since I've never lived more than 45 minutes from a beach, and never more than 15 minutes from a river...it makes sense that I would find solace there. For me, it's the place where time stands still and shalom takes hold.  The lapping of waves or coursing water over rocks and rapids calms all of my anxious thoughts, fears, and frustrations.   It's a place where I can go and simply exist - my swirling thoughts fall silent, instead becoming swirling intimate prayers.    There's an old, old Spiritual called Down to the River to Pray. It's one of my favorites...and is known by several names.  I grew up singing this song while working in the yard with my Grandpa, hearing my Grandma hum along from the kitchen window.    This hymn has  always  moved me profoundly.  In it's simplicity, it is deeply powerful.   This Spiritual is believed to have held advice for s...

I have another confession to make…12 years later, I still hear this Foo-Fighters song in my head whenever I say that phrase.  The irony of referencing that song in this post isn't lost on me, either.  Because the confession I'm about to make is one that's taken quite awhile for me to work up the courage to write.   I haven't read my Bible in over a decade. Walking away from an Evangelical community was more of a life-altering decision than I imagined.  I lost more than my Faith - I lost much of the only community I'd ever known.  There are relationships that I had, where I could say I'd known someone "forever" - and mean it, literally.  There are family relationships going back generations that fell apart, friendships I thought would last a lifetime ended when I walked away from a single aspect of my life. It's a very unique pain - to leave behind everything you've ever known, but stay in the same place geographically.  Being ...

Hi, y'all! I'm the Midwestern Mystic.  A former Evangelical turned Indie-Spiritualist to (currently content) Spiritual Nomad...my thrashing about was a mostly private affair, though Mandy's experience is beautifully documented here - and I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that her Zine  is a subscription that finds me literally dancing to the mailbox each month to grab it!   As I continue to emerge from a dark night of the soul, I find myself rebuilding a spiritual practice - but on my own terms, in lieu of loyalty to doctrine and social norms.  I'm not a theologian, though I do enjoy a good hermeneutics discussion.  I'm weary of the judgment and legalism of my youth, that never seemed to line up with the Jesus who told us to love our neighbors...and this is my journey back to myself.   My spiritual practice is ever evolving, in so many different ways.  From prayers in the car, pulling tarot cards for clarity, to belti...