12/6/2022
The overarching theme for last night's class was undulation - from the latin
undula, which means wavelet. The tarot card of the night was the 9 of Pentacles.
Waves move through matter more easily when there are no constrictions, obstructions, or blockages. Our bodies undulate best when we have first released tensions and connected to a sense of spaciousness in the body. Then we can surrender & allow the wavelets to flow through us, a nourishing, freeing and beautiful feeling from the inside.
I had planned for class that we would be practicing undulation energy by way of body rolls up and down, by practicing traveling with the 'camel walk,' and with snake arms.
On the morning of class, I pulled a tarot card asking for a message that would weave some wise energy into the lesson. I shuffled and fanned the deck, holding the cards in my left hand as the fingertips of my right hand slid along the edges. My hand stopped of its own accord. I trusted and teased out the card. Here it is:
[Nine of Pentacles is from the Rider-Smith-Waite tarot deck]
The nine of pentacles shows a woman luxuriating with an exotic bird in her peaceful private garden. Right behind her are luscious vines dripping with juicy grape clusters ripe for the picking.
The suit of pentacles in tarot is associated with the element Earth. We always recognize in belly dance that we are Earth dancers, connected to Gaia, Sky and World through our body, expressing Cosmic shapes and energies - circles, spirals, waves, shimmy vibrations - through our form.
In this deck pentacles are golden disks with a magic star etched on each; they relate to things on the material plane -- body, garden, home, finances, e.g.
When I draw pentacles for a dance class it is always validation that the attention to cultivating good energy in our bodies through dance movement will grow our self-connection & enhance our well-being overall.
The woman's fingers right hand rests gently on the top of a golden pile of 6 pentacles (6 in numerology represents love - nurturing). This pile supports her and accentuates her connection to love, abundance and self-nourishment. The other three pentacles of the card (3 is the number of creation and the creative force) are grouped together near the elegant train of her gown. It is as if wherever she glides, creations & creativity flourish in her wake. The woman's intention, attention and seemingly effortless magnetic energy has attracted a rare bird that has flown to rest on her left hand. It appears their relationship has been established over a long time since she is wearing her birding glove and has gained the trust of this wild winged creature.
A small snail in the foreground suggests the savouring of slow movement, which I tried to bring into class practice, as slowness is a beautiful teacher of embodiment.
The woman's sumptuous robe feels good on her skin. She is comfortable and at ease. The fabric is adorned all over with flowers that resemble the Venus - goddess of Love - symbol. This symbol echoes the theme of love contained in the 6 golden disks that support the woman in the card, and since the flowers are on fabric close to the body - this element reminded me that through our dancing and undulating we are cultivating our own love of our bodies.
Our bodies are gifts of nature that carry us through life. The 9 of pentacles validates that we are right to take time, slow down (snail energy!) and cherish our form and presence in body in a way that is not selfish, but self-loving. This nourishing energy in turn amplifies out to the world and invites in blessings of rare birds and abundance in all forms!
This card vibrates a juicy oasis of peace and calm, her red lined (color of VITALITY!) robes and relaxed demeanor shows her appreciating what is pleasing to her under an illuminated golden sky. Do at least one thing every day that sumptuously PLEASES YOU! Fill yourself up with your own beautiful energy tea so you can serve others tea from a sense of abundance.
9 of Pentacles has an energy of maturation - the woman has, through dedicated practice, cultivated these qualities of peace, calm, self-care - she has cultivated that relationship with herself over many years to arrive at this sense of home in her space.
And so with undulating we allowed the 9 of pentacles energies to flow in, around and through us, with pleasure gracing the process.
