Today we’d like to introduce Prime from The Gypsygals. Prime shares about her right-fit practice, Oracle cards and her Goddess Isis.
Journalist and traveler Prime Sarmiento helps women craft their own journeys. She blogs at The Gypsygals, where she offers inspiring stories and practical advice to solo female travelers. You can follow her at Twitter or join her growing community of solo female travelers in Facebook
Conversation with a Goddess
by Prime Sarmiento
Here are some of the things that have to be in my backpack whenever I travel – hypoallergenic soap, first aid kit, cash, passport, travel journal and my deck of Goddess oracle cards. Most of those items I need to survive as I travel in an unfamiliar place. But my journal and my oracle cards – I need them to go through my inner journeys.
I find it a bit ironic that the Goddess cards will become part of my daily spiritual practice. In my angst-filled 20s, I spent a lot of time and money consulting psychics, asking them to use their Tarot cards to tell me how to find a career and/or a relationship that will make me happy. I was thinking that if I can see the future, I will have a way of controlling its outcome and give me the happy ending that I was seeking for: a fulfilling job, a kind husband, love, security.
Years later, as I traveled and went through my own spiritual journey, after I read numerous spiritual books and consulted various teachers, I learned to let go. In the process, I also discovered my deep connection with the Goddess Isis – and longed to communicate with her. That’s how I ended up buying a deck of Goddess cards. And this time, I’m not interested in knowing my future.
Raised in a devout Catholic household where I used a rosary and a novena to pray – to “talk” to the Virgin Mary and the myriad of Catholic saints - I needed to hold on to some revered object to communicate with someone higher than me.
That’s how I view my Goddess cards – some kind of device to communicate with the Goddess Isis (and the many Goddesses that represent the universe’s energy). I like touching each card, looking at the colored portraits of Goddesses – Isis, Freyja, Lakshmi, Brigit.
Every day, usually in the mornings before I go to work, I sit in front of my altar, close my eyes, breathe deeply and ask the Goddess Isis to help me to fulfill my mission as Her priestess in this lifetime. After a few minutes of silence, I will get my cards, meditate while shuffling them, and ask the Goddesses for guidance for the day. Sometimes, when there’s a pressing problem in my mind, I ask for help in solving it. Or if I’m really happy because of small blessings that I received, I used that meditation time to send my thanksgiving.
Once I’m finished shuffling the cards, I lay them out in the table, cut them, pick the topmost card and read the message in the chosen card. I will ponder on the card’s message, and if I have time, I write my reflections in my journal and let that message, the energy of the card, be my guide for the day.
There are times that I feel that these cards aren’t enough. That I need to visit a temple somewhere to be closer to Her. Oh, how I sometimes I envy my mom or my sister who can just drop by any Catholic church to hear mass and pray their rosary. In my case, the only way for me to go to a Goddess temple is to travel to Egypt, where Isis temple resides in the island of Philae. There are also no Goddess spirituality groups here in manila, so I don’t even have a support group. Finding The Flock online is for me a beautiful coincidence that must have been facilitated by the Goddess Isis.
I have yet to visit Egypt as I’m still saving money for what is perhaps the biggest trip of my life. In the meantime, I will divine on my cards and let the Goddess Oracle cards take me to journeys within my soul.
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What about you Magpies? Do you use Oracle cards or have a Goddess practice? What is your right-fit spiritual practice?
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Ready to pay it forward? Prime has chosen to support Jenn, the Magpie assistant, and her trip to India this summer. Jenn, an International Development major, is traveling with a group of medical professionals to rural Rajasthan, India for two weeks. She’s raising money for the trip through her blog The Freelance, Unconventional Nun and you can read more in her Magpie Interview. As a thank-you for Prime’s post today Magpie Girl has made a donation in her honor. Did this piece help you? Please consider making a donation.
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Relig-ish is a new series at Magpie Girl dedicated to exploring a new kind of faith — one that suites Y.O.U. Come along with us as we help each other find a spirituality that fits. Click here to read all the Relig-ish posts, and join the mailing list for additional musings on this (re)construction project. Thanks for being here today. Much Warmth, Rachelle
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