Has My Dark Cloud Lifted? and the Symbol of the Raft - 2/27/06

Thank you very much.

-- Love A.

Dear A.,

It's always fun to do a reading for someone after they have been going through a process of self-healing and personal cleansing. The positive effects of all that work should show themselves in the reading, since a reading is basically just taking a "snapshot" of your energy field. So let's cast the leaves and see what they have to say.

The Symbol of the Raft

When I looked at the leaves, they formed the shape of a raft. It looked like it was hand-constructed of logs, like a raft you'd build if you were stranded somewhere without tools and had to find a way to propel yourself safely across the water.

Drops of tea liquid were beneath the raft, symbolizing movement and moisture.

So that was interesting!

The first interpretation that flowed in was the sense of you having fled something, left a place that wasn't good for you, with only the "clothes on your back." And yet there was a feeling of adventure and power. It's like you constructed this raft with purpose, building it yourself with materials you found on your own, and then set out to sea on a journey.

The energy around all of this was positive and exciting.

Whenever a symbol like a raft or a boat or a canoe shows up in a reading, it usually has several layers of meaning. Let me describe these different aspects.

Traveling Over Water

Water is a sign of spirituality, intuition, and emotion. Since the raft travels over water, it indicates that you have undertaken an important journey and that the impulse to take this journey is coming from deep within you. So you are following your heart and your psychic wisdom in taking this journey. This is all great! It means you have made a true commitment to change your life direction and to make a bold move in a healthier direction.

The Raft and What It Means

Here the raft looks like it is constructed of timbers of wood, or logs. It's held together firmly and looks like a very sturdy craft. So all of this is positive. It means that you are on "solid footing" as you work to change your life around, that you have done a lot of work on yourself and understand what needs to be done. It's like you're a mechanic or a builder, assembling the right ingredients and tools. So the sturdiness of the raft shows that you have stability beneath you as you undertake this journey.

The Journey Itself

The fact that the raft appears to be in motion shows that you have definitely "turned the page" and made a definitive movement OUT of something. So as for those old addictions and bad habits, you're really working to put them behind you and to say, "That's enough of that. I'm no longer going to be in that place."

The raft being in motion doesn't show the END point of your journey. So, obviously, you'll still be facing challenges along the way. But I like how this raft you've built looks so sturdy and strong. This is a very powerful image that shows you have what it takes to make permanent change in your life and to really shift your core energy around.

The raft being in motion means that you are on your way and it's best not to dwell on the past or to do too much overanalyzing. For instance, you probably don't need to be talking about this stuff with a therapist anymore. It's like you've moved beyond it and just need to let go and not give those old energies power or attention anymore.

How Therapy Can Sometimes Be Bad

I applaud psychotherapists and talk therapy for giving patients a chance to discuss their problems. Therapy as a whole can be a good thing for many people. But the problem I've found with psychotherapy is that people are too often encouraged to become DEPENDENT on therapy, like they need to be doing it forever. And this simply isn't true, from an energy healing perspective.

Whenever you've suffered trauma and gone down a negative path, healing needs to happen. You have to poke around and figure out the source of the problem and then release that energy through a variety of methods. Talk therapy can be one important tool. Holistic healing techniques work very well, too. And any work that a person can do on themselves, such as prayer, meditation, shamanic journeying, or writing in a journal is very important, also. You have to become more self-aware and reflective to understand the energies you were caught up in.

But there comes a point when you have successfully discharged the energy, gone through a healing period, and have come out the other side.

And that's when you just need to GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE - boldly, happily, and with great enthusiasm. Stop identifying with the past or obsessing about the past. You are not your past. Don't let your past define your future. Don't let the "old you" influence who are now. Dare to move on.

Many therapists aren't good at empowering their clients to do this. Some of this comes down to money. After all, therapists have many expenses like paying for office space, etc. So it's more convenient for them if a patient commits to a years' worth of therapy! That helps them pay their bills.

But sometimes, if a person is really focused and clear about approaching healing, and if they assume responsibility for this process and take charge of it, they won't need to sit in a chair talking about their childhood for a year. In fact, OVER TALKING about it keeps energizing that old trauma, restimulating and reliving those energies. And that's exactly what you DON'T want to do. You want to CLEAR THROUGH the energy and release it, not keep feeding it.

Anyway, the raft showing up as a symbol in your reading is very wonderful. It means you have already launched yourself back into the waters of life, moved on and embraced your future. So this is very good!

Do Everything You Need to Do to Maintain Momentum and Positive Energy

Once a healing process is underway, it's up to you to keep up the positive momentum in your life and to keep moving ahead with new adventures. The raft shows that you are doing this. Just remember, though, if you encounter choppy waters (difficulties and challenges,) you need to keep moving ahead. You've made the commitment to be well, to be productive and vital and healthy again. So don't let anything or anyone discourage you along the way.

Thanks very much for letting me do this follow up reading for you. Here's wishing you a marvelous, healthy, and happy journey on that raft!

-- Lipstick Mystic

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