Oracle: Magnolia blossoms beckon
A story:
One morning, just after it rained, I went for a walk to a nearby park. I was about 16 years old. The greens of spring were vibrant in the humid air, and the earth smelled alive amidst the new grass and flowering trees. I noticed a magnolia tree in full bloom standing on the slope. It seemed to be calling me, inviting me to come to it. I couldn’t help but walk toward it. As I approached its canopy, the air took on a subtle pink, fragrant aura. A branch reached out, offering me a flower. I drew nearer and noticed that its petals were filled with rainwater, like fairy cups.
“Drink,” the tree said.
My mind, in a split second, started to wonder whether the rainwater was safe to drink, or what a passing observer might possibly think if they saw me. But the invitation was so clear that I set those thoughts aside. I chose to listen to the tree. “Drop your inhibitions,” it said. “Drink, and enjoy the magical moment I am offering you.” So I did.
I can’t remember exactly what sipping rainwater from that magnolia petal tasted like, other than a sacrament. It was a profoundly intimate and joyful experience, a deep communion with the flourishing of the earth, and an initiation into my own experience of the bliss body. It was a kind of pleasure I had not experienced since childhood, not tied to any other person, or any other thing I needed to pursue.
It simply offered, and I simply said yes.
Another story:
One spring day, a family I was caring for as a midwife called to say that they thought their labor had started. It was 3 weeks before their due date, and it was their first time birthing. Typically, a circumstance like this ends up being a false alarm, or maybe early labor. But this time it sounded like it was active labor, and things were actually moving quickly.
I rushed to their house, and as I approached, a small magnolia tree in the front yard greeted me. Its blooms in the warm air made me feel my breath, feel my feet, feel myself slowing down. The walkway to the front door was scattered with a blanket of pink and white, and the tree dropped a few more petals at my feet as I approached.
The offering of those petals felt like the most generous gesture of love and reassurance a midwife could ask for. This tree was watching over us all, and reminding me to slow down, be present, and tune into the sweetness and beauty of the sacred unfolding I was about to be a part of.
The message: Bliss and beauty are all around us. Notice the sensual pleasures offering themselves to you now. What do you want to say yes to?
An invitation:
You have an opportunity now to give yourself to an experience of sensual beauty. You are being invited to slow down and say yes to what feels good. If there is something you are feeling called to do, but you worry about looking ridiculous, it is time to drop those inhibitions and let yourself have the experience. If there’s work you are approaching and you’re rushing, you might be missing the joyful parts of the process. Or maybe you’ve “arrived” at some desired outcome, and you’re forgetting to pause and let yourself bask in it. Let yourself be wild and free. Let yourself enjoy the simple pleasures. Open yourself to enjoying the gifts, the bounty, and the moments of magic life is offering you.
An affirmation:
May I be open to fully experiencing pleasure, bliss, beauty, and bounty.
Magnolia Blossoms Beckon - oracle card original art
