Eleven trail miles Sunday – well on my way to getting to the 13.1 miles required for a half-marathon next week. The nice thing about running on trails is the shade of the forest – today was a cloudless day and the sun blazed its warmth onto the landscape. Yet I like it to be cool when I run, and hot sun does not lead to a comfortable time, especially with nearly two hours of running. Not only does the forest provide shade but it also provides fragrances to delight the senses. Also, a stretch of the trail runs along the river, and the shimmering reflection of the blue sky off the river is very relaxing. Today, I had a dear jump over the trail not 5 feet in front of me, which was startling, but it was a delight to see the majestic creature gallop into the brush. Otherwise, it was a routine run – plenty of other people in the park: hikers, mountain bikers, dog walkers, and other runners. I was alone today, not with my chatty daughter, who by the way slows down to keep up with her old man, so I had time to meditate and reflect.
I recently purchased a tarot deck to provide another conduit to The Universe and her insight. Despite being a scientist, I have always had a strong spiritual awareness and a yearning for understanding more deeply the mysteries that surround us. What has been shocking to me has been the accuracy of the messages in the cards, one of the things I reflected on quite some time as I logged the miles. One theme that has popped up frequently is the concept of being stuck, blocked, uncertain as to what direction to go in, but being encouraged not to stay in place. This theme has confused me as it seemed to be more of a reflection of periods of my past, when that was indeed true. Because of the persistence of the message, I can’t ignore it.
I look at my wheel of life and my spiritual journey. I can see relationships where a theme of being blocked is certainly the truth. I don’t believe I am blocked vocationally; however the persistence of the theme calls everything into question. I may even be blocked spiritually. I have been studying The Insights brought to light by the series of James Redfield books. There, I am stuck in the Seventh Insight, the stage where we are to hone our intuition to read the messages and signs that the Universe sends to us in order to direct us on our journeys and execute our life purposes. I have been stuck in The Seventh for a few years now. It now seems that the Tarot Deck crossed my path to wake me up to this Insight and to guide me back to the path. As a runner can appreciate, it is far easier to run on the trail than in the bramble and brush of the forest, where fallen trees and dense thickets make running nearly impossible.
Therefore, the most important thing for me right now is to find those blockages and remove them. This is the message of the cards and of my long trail run today. Awareness is the key. More importantly is the realization that The Universe has my back, as well as how important it is to stay awake to the messages. We all have the power to remove the things that make us feel stuck in place with no clear direction. So, still the mind, stay awake to the messages, and journey on without fear.
~G
