Bye 2024

 Happy New Years Eve, yall.

Normally my End of Year posts are reflective with Tries for the following year, and plans for my Year Ahead reading.  

This year is different.  I don't really have anything planned--I guess its part of that whole Being Present thing that I've been practicing.  I did my Year Ahead last month.  I mean, I do have plans, other than deepening my Seidr practice and continuing on with the Dedicant Path, the rest, for now, will stay private.

In fact, this whole year has been different in many ways...and honestly not many terrible ways.  It's been really long.  It's a good thing I'm so photo-happy!  

It's been a grief heavy year, too.  Not just concerning my mom and all of that crazy healing and conflict.  I've lost friends, and I've been betrayed and attacked by friends.  I left Facebook which didn't help the loneliness.  

Asking just What is Friendship these days, especially with Social Media?  What does it mean to truly be and have friends in this technological day and age?  Relationships take work.  Social Media feels like laziness.  A way to kinda be in people's lives...like voyeuristically.  Giving emoji reactions, sometimes a comment.  But are we really connecting?  Communicating?  Are we really friends?  

Loneliness is definitely a word for this year.  

The loneliness and grief that comes with making significant changes for your life.  Positive ones, ones for good mental health.  

Grief is another word for 2024.

The numbness and depression that often accompany grief.

Pain and Spiritual Crisis that I think many of us experienced in November, too.  

A distrust in myself and in my deities.

Uncertainty, regarding the future of America.  But reminding myself that it's speculation.  To focus on things that I do have control over.

Uncertainty regarding my business, Hearth Fox Oracle.  With my growing dislike of social media, I'm finding myself not wanting to be on any of it, except maybe Discord because of the ADF community.  Or even on Etsy.  Fighting with needing or maybe needing to have a social media presence...fighting with the truths that I don't get that much traffic or customers because of an unfair algorithm, despite my follower numbers.  How draining that is.  Yet I have to stay online for business, to network and to find events to vend and read at.  

Uncertainty with whether or not I should close Hearth Fox Oracle.  And reminding myself that I get 99% of business from in-person events.  Reminding myself that people do in fact look forward to booking readings with me at events--most of the time, I'm fully booked with people upset that they weren't able to book!  

Keep the psychic part of Hearth Fox Oracle open.  Keep networking and filling out those applications.  Don't do anything drastic just yet.  

Yet what to do with the unsold products that aren't moving no matter what discounts I give.

Questioning my artistic ability.  Mediocre or just trying to compete in an overly saturated field?  Conflicted because I don't want to do what's trending.  I don't want to make what everyone else is making.  Yet those things are making money.  People tend to like what's popular...but I want to be authentic and true to myself, but it's just not enough!  I don't know how to sell myself, and I don't want to sell out for money either.  I don't want to compromise my values and ethics for popularity and potential customers and clients.

Maybe I don't have what it takes to be a business owner in this day and age?

I've been disconnected.

I did experience a fallow periods earlier this year, which was to be expected.  My mom died October 2023.  Deity energy can be very draining, so it makes sense why I went through that period of limited spiritual activity and communications.

Other words for 2024 are...

Community is one.  I've created and built stronger bonds in the Virtual Fire Proto-Grove.  Allowed some of those guards to come down.

I've realized who my friends are, too, the ones who'll make the efforts that I make, especially now that I'm not on Facebook.

Another word is identity maybe?  Compassion?  Understanding?  After talking with my autistic friends and doing some research, I think that I and two of my kids are autistic.  I've got a positive, but needs more testing from one of my kids psychologist for Au-ADHD.  Possibly being autistic has helped me heal and love myself so much this year.  I'm understanding myself better, and how to handle overstimulation, too.  Communicating these things to my family, too, so we can all handle it better.  My hope is in 2025, the three of us can seek a diagnoses, even if it's not autism.

In regards to Hearth Fox Oracle, I had a dismal event this year--my first one so far.  I realized that I was focusing on the wrong thing--money.  Yes, I have a business to make money and contribute to my family financially...but that's not the only reason why I started Hearth Fox Oracle.  I wanted to use my psychic and magikal abilities to help my community.  Once I remembered and refocused on that, the next event was a huge success.  I had a lot of clients and was very connected to Spirit, with new experiences that made me remember why I LOVE doing this work.  I really connected and hopefully helped those people, too.

Since November, I've also put the pendulum down when I'm not with a client, and learning more about my intuition--it's voice, how it communicates to me.  What's intuition, what's intrusive thoughts, what's a trauma response, what's anxiety, what's the Others.  Intuition has a small voice...but it's growing as I'm learning about her.

In regards to the Election, I've been more forgiving towards my Deities and the things They told me.  I've seen what was ego and fear...to seeing the bigger picture...or what might be the bigger picture anyway.  Knowing that something is still happening.  This isn't the end.  Magiks are still working...just not in the way many of us thought or were told.  Things foretold are still in progress.  November 5th wasn't the end of the spell.

Focus on learning and practicing.  Study.

Faith.

Hope.

Be present.

Focus on Joy.

Follow the Sun.  Usually in winters, I'm told to go to my Underworld and brumate, like reptiles do.  But this year, I was told to stay above ground and follow Sunna.  So I have been so far.

A lot has happened this year.  Ups and downs, same as any year.  But this year just felt different to me.  I've felt different all year long.  New.  Empowered.  Leveling Up.  A New Chapter.  Different perspectives. In terms of those what's your personal tarot card for the year, mine was The Hanged Man (apparently the general card was Strength).  Yup!  And then some!

Looks like The Hermit is the general card for 2025.  I can't remember how to calculate your personal one.  I'm sure I'll come across it...or just ask my guides.

The Hermit is kinda funny to me because we just got some pet Caribbean hermies--Charlie, Jack, and Sugar.

Charlie is the largest and has a bright blue claw.

He's the most active, day and night.

Jack, aka Snake, has a damaged left eye, purple claw, and bright red hind legs.

Mostly active at night, but an early riser for a nocturnal animal.

Sugar, formerly Stripes, is the smallest and is only active at night.

(Well minus this moment.  Sugar had been in the nest for a couple of days

and came out for food and waters.)

Everything has been hermit for me lately, even in those most unexpected times.

Also despite their namesake, Hermit Crabs are also very social with their own species.  I've read they're called 'hermit' because they don't share their shells with others.  Although they may change their shells more often than you'd think.

I think the general 2025 card and these little critters may be good teachers for me.  Hermit crabs are very chill animals.  Slow and patient.  Sometimes not moving for hours!  Careful.  Curious.  Observant.  Social.  Provide the basics and they'll care for themselves, like knowing how much fresh water and how much salt water they need in their shells and when to refill.  When to change shells.  They know what they need.  

I've enjoyed watching them.  Getting to know their personalities, their likes and dislikes.  Their interactions.

Lessons in trusting myself, my instincts, my intuition.  Listening to my body and its needs.  Understanding my brain more.  So on.  

Gentle New Year!

- Dedicant and Hearth Keeper, Foxlyn