The Hebrew word “Shekinah” translates loosely to “dwelling” or “settling.” At the Sword & Rose, our Shekinah incense and oil connect us to the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within ourselves. On March 18, 2022, we reblended this incense to bring the Holy Spirit of The All into all things, and especially into our work at our temple. Shekinah is also an incense used for heart opening; when we are settled into the spirit of The All, we cannot help but feel the ever connectedness and deep compassion for everyone and everything around us.
As is our tradition, we asked the spirits to speak on our times through a reading. We asked The All to let us know what this incense had to say to us for this time. The first card was all about integration (Alligator). This was a reminder that Shekinah is about connecting us to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and that we must integrate our individual spirits into the greater cosmic Spirit. This is also a reminder to integrate our emotional lessons from the experiences we have had in the past so that we can move forward with the knowledge gathered - while also being able to keep our hearts open and ready to receive as we move forward in our lives.
The next message from the spirits heralded great joy (Hummingbird). Through the connection of the open heart with the connection to The All, we can find supreme joy and ecstatic union with the divine. If we keep our hearts open to the world, we can see the beauty of the world and the beauty for which we continue to strive.
The next card reminded us to let go of control (Mouse). Stop being so picky about every little detail, and be open to Spirit’s version of your life. When we try to tell Spirit how an outcome has to look, we close our hearts to the way that Spirit is trying to help us manifest our deepest wants and needs in this life. Sometimes we need to surrender that control in order to allow for the thing we want to come to us, and when we open our hearts to Spirit in this way, we are also granted peace of mind.
After we relinquish our control, we are led to the highest spiritual connection (Eagle). When we are open to Spirit, and simply ask for its presence, it will always appear to us. Remember that we must be open to receiving the Holy Spirit within ourselves before It will come. Shekinah helps us to be open to that connection, and also helps us to transmit that power, love, and gratitude outward into the world. The Holy Spirit becomes manifest in our world through our words and deeds.
When our hearts are open and honest, we are ready to make the right decisions (Antelope). If you are allowing Spirit to fill your heart, and you are willing to listen, the decisions you make will be guided to the beat of divine timing. Trust and faith go hand in hand in the decisions you make when led by Spirit, yet Shekinah helps us to know that these decisions are the right ones for us.
The last card served as a reminder of our karmic destiny (Whale). What could be more connected to our destiny than to be connected to The All? When our hearts, spirits, minds, and bodies are all connected to Spirit, we are in alignment with the highest will of fate and fortune. All energy, from our past, present, and future selves will be granted the healing and guidance needed to fulfill our greatest spiritual destiny - if we allow Shekinah to set the stage of our lives.
May Shekinah dwell within you, and help your hearts be open to understanding.