#spiritualtools – Cara Carozza

Living Maya Time – Symbols of Iq

Both of my step-sons were born on an Iq day. It’s an energy that I should have a deep understanding of having known them both for most of their lives. Yet, the essence of Iq is not a force that you can see, it’s one you that you must feel or perhaps hear. Iq is the wind and the breath of life. It offers purification and renewal after the embers of Toj have received our offerings and burned away any imbalances. Iq also rules communication and fuels manifestation through our words. It’s not surprising that one of my step-sons is a songwriter and the other one a salesman. They’ve both harnessed their innate powers as wordsmiths to make their way in the world.

Words have come less easily for my own son. Numbers have always been his favorite language. He’s mastered the compliance side of my tax business with ease over this past year. What he’s still learning is the art of conversation. This weekend, Toj offered my son the perfect chance to practice his communication skills and make an offering. An elderly patron of our local coffee shop was in need. Julia’s lost her sight in one eye and can no longer pay her own bills. She’s also struggling with her memory and is afraid she might forget something important.

I wasn’t sure if my son wanted to take on Julia’s paperwork. She would need a lot of patience and she can’t afford to pay very much. The job is a charitable one. So far in my son’s young life, he’s mostly been motivated by earning money. Julia even needed help getting to and from her car. My son shepherded her with ease, having done it many times before at the coffee shop. The image of his six-foot frame tip toeing alongside fragile Julia with his arm offered as support suggested that he might be willing to take her on as a client. His words confirmed that he certainly was when I told him that I didn’t think that he was going to make much money on this job.

“I don’t care about the money Mom. I just want to help her. She’s part of our community. It was also really good practice for me. Only about ten percent of what she said is relevant to the job, but I wouldn’t have heard it unless I was patient.” Sometimes Toj brings an offering. This weekend I was the recipient of one and my heart is full. Now I’m ready to embrace the winds of change and the renewal that Iq offers.

Iq’s spirit animal is the hummingbird. The hummingbird is a master of the wind. It can fly in every direction and even hover. It reminds us of the power our words carry. Each and every one. Even small statements can have a big impact. Just like the tiny hummingbird, we live through vibration. Our words and our voice are powerful tools for creation. Over the next thirteen days they will be infused with the magic of Iq . I intend on chaneling this frequency to plant seeds of intention on the Solstice. Our family will gather to exchange gifts and a meal and then we will all read the intentions that we recorded last year and craft new ones for the coming year. I’m delighted to have Iq and the spirit of the hummingbird at our table next Sunday.

Happy Solstice,

Cara

Living Maya Time – Symbols of Aq’ab’al

We’ve been blessed with some early rains this year in California. Always something to celebrate. Both for the earth and the sky. The parched soil cherishes every drop and the rain clouds paint the horizon in a most spectacular way. Especially at dawn and dusk. This transition time is the energy of Aq’ab’al. It is the moment when the light changes. New concepts and ideas are revealed. Supported by the wisdom of N’oj the scribe and the unconditional love of Tz’i the dog, it’s time to start imagining our new creation for this calendar cycle.

This Spring I bought a journal just for dreams when I took a Rest and Digest workshop. I’ve always recorded the lucid dreams that come through with vivid clarity, but never kept a journal specifically for dreams. Remembering all my dreams has been more challenging than I expected. The images dissolve quickly in the first light of morning. Stillness is how I’ve learned to capture them. My mornings have become a quiet prayer to my soul. A totally new concept for me.

I am a morning person. I always awake before the dawn. When we had our four kids all living at home with us, my morning energy was channeled into making lunches and wrangling paperwork into backpacks while my husband made breakfast for everyone. I relied upon him to tell me what the weather was going to be like because I rarely looked outside until it was time to take the kids to school. It was exhausting and left me feeling disconnected from myself.

These days, I allow myself more time to rest and be still in the morning. When I do, I can remember my dreams much more easily. Rest, renewal and stillness are symbols I’ve come to understand as embodying the energy of Aq’ab’al. If we’re busy all the time and darting around from here to there, we might miss out on hearing what spirit is trying to speak. Or we might not even see the beautiful sunrise that is right outside our window. It will be gone in an instant, just like the images in our dreams.

Over the next thirteen days, I invite you to rest more and find time for stillness. If you do, new ideas and important messages may arrive. Mother nature may also gift you with a beautiful sunrise or sunset. This is wisdom of Aq’ab’al for me. Be still and all will be revealed in its’ own time.

Happy Listening,

Cara

Living Maya Time-The Trecena of Aq’ab’al

Our faith has been renewed during the Trecena of T’zi and now we are ready to see the glimmer of a new dawn. In the Kiche language, the word aq’ab’ means night. When combined with the suffix- Al, it suggests change and the beginning of a new concept. The new concept may not be completely visible yet, but it has been conceived. It begins its gestation period today.

The T’zi Trecena has genuinely restored my faith. So much so that I accepted an invitation to go on holiday this week, just as my busiest season has begun. After so much grief, celebrating with family in a tropical destination felt like the perfect medicine. Knowing that I have such a capable assistant to help me catch up when I return, sealed the deal. My son has already found new ways to make my business run more efficiently and, perhaps more importantly, he is really ENJOYING it!

Traveling always gives me a new perspective. Although it is not necessarily recommended to travel during the closing days of the solar year, it has allowed for an even deeper introspection for me. I have met new parts of myself and expanded my view of what is possible for me.

Yesterday we met the new Year Lord, or Mam, 13 Iq. This is a powerful combination that will be influencing the energies of the day for the next solar year. Iq is the breath of life, the hurricane and our words. Combined with the tone of thirteen, we may be able to hear the voices of our ancestors more clearly. We can also expect change to come in unexpected ways. Like the wind, the energy of Iq can change rapidly and if we are not grounded, we could lose our footing.

For a hint as to what may arise, it may be helpful to review what occurred the last time 13 Iq sat in the Year Lord seat. This would have been the time between March 1973 and March 1974. The Watergate hearings happened during this period as well as a major oil embargo. I remember quite vividly waiting in line for gas during this time, sometimes for hours. I was only a girl, but the memory is etched into my brain. Given the current political climate in the United States, it seems quite likely that we will experience dramatic and sometimes uncomfortable change in the coming months. Breath work may be your best ally to weather the upcoming storms. Iq rules the breath and breath work has become a part of my daily practice. It’s transformative and I highly recommend it.

In Peace and Love,

Cara

Equinox Gateway 2022

The Equinox gateway is open, my friends! It started on 22 of September 2022. All those 2s give me chills!…in a good way.

This Equinox date marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Equinox is a spiritually potent time, as the veil between realms is thinner than usual. Maybe that’s why you have been feeling an overwhelming urge to travel to the home you grew up in and connect with old memories? Or perhaps you need to spend some time with family, talking about loved ones who have passed, creating a family tree or scrapbook. Strengthening family roots will make you feel grounded and aligned to life beyond what we can see. It’s a great time to ask your ancestors to support you and to petition on behalf of other family members too.

During an equinox, the Sun crosses what we call the “celestial equator” — an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line.

Just a word of caution: the information, downloads, flashbacks, DNA upgrades, dreams, new codes and experiences at this time can be very overwhelming. You need to find ways to TRANSMUTE, ANCHOR, GROUND & CHANNEL it all. Use the four elements of nature (earth, water, air & fire) to assist you as far as possible.

I plan to harvest some lovely cannabis (earth), spend time soaking in the bathtub with my man (water), hike in the fresh mountain (air) and also write a few release letters which I plan to burn in a ritual (fire). I also plan to cook something warm and delicious and I will definitely be using an onion or two. I don’t know if you know this superstition about the Autumn equinox but legend has it that the onion’s skin has a lot to tell about the kind of Winter that you’re going to have. Thin skin= fairly easy one. Thick skin = …well, let’s just say ….get the Kleenex ready. Ha ha ha!

Let me know how it shapes up for you.

Sending you Libra season love and wishes of balance,

Cara

P.S. Please remember that Mercury is still retrograde until October 3rd. Watch your words! There is a big cautionary about gossip/hearsay/miscommunication/arguments/judgement.

Cultivating Presence in the Chaos

Hello Friends,

It’s been a minute. How are you doing? Truthfully, I have not been doing so well this past month. I am struggling to stay present and grounded. It’s felt like I am in the spin cycle of my washing machine.

My Dad’s health has taken a turn for the worse. His cancer is back and he is on life support. We have said goodbye four times now. I am clinging to a life raft of hope, but my grief threatens to breach the surface each time there is a new update. I now understand how cruel this disease can be, how the suffering expands and diffuses from the victim into the family.

My grief manifested in my lower back. I woke up and I could barely move without excruciating pain. Spirit was sitting on me and was not going to let me up until I felt some of the feelings I had been repressing. The pain in my back invited me to cry, so I let it flow. I sobbed and I shook. I wailed and I screamed. I gave my grief, anger and frustration full license to express.

I felt a release, but my back was still out and I began to wonder how I was going to get up to use the bathroom. Life was still there, insisting that I participate even though I couldn’t move. Sometimes the only thing we can do is be where we are and have compassion for ourselves.

For me that meant spending the entire weekend in bed watching Hallmark movies and eating cannabis edibles. I ignored my task master mind that told me I was being lazy and that I could surely find something productive to do while in bed and I SURRENDERED. And guess what? I woke up Monday morning with no back pain at all.

Sometimes what we need in order to cultivate presence in the face of chaos is to just have mercy on ourselves and allow ourselves to just be human. We don’t have to do it all, every day. We just need to show up and meet ourselves where we are. I invite you to do this the next time life throughs you a curveball.

In Peace and Love,

Cara

P.S. There is a new moon in Leo on the 28th. It’s a perfect time to set new intentions for fun, creativity, romance and entertainment.