by Andrew Machon | August, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
In drawing this card, you are invited to look a little deeper into yourself. To consider who sits beneath your superficial awareness and how knowing this person may offer insight into what you may truly need. The words of the card talk about ‘feeding an insatiable appetite’. What does this phrase refer to you from your own experience? What is the insatiable appetite that we may be tempted to continually feed? We may have previously ascertained and yet it is worth repeating how our constant outward search for something more appears not to offer complete satisfaction. Once again, consider this from your own experience. In having and finding what you want – does this satisfy your need to search further? At best our commonest response may be ‘momentarily’ or ‘for a short while’. Generally, our outward search though extending over the course of our lifetimes does not appear to offer complete satisfaction. So, we arrive at a beautiful question: if we cannot satisfy our hunger for wanting and having something more by outwardly searching – how do we find satisfaction and end our hunger? What’s your response? Take time to consider this question for yourself. What these questioning invites of us, is to look towards the source of our hunger more deeply. Are we automatically reacting to a deeper want in us for something more by outwardly seeking? And in doing so do we overlook and neglect that within which truly wants and has needs? This invites a vital re-orientation, one that many of the other cards that you may have drawn also point towards – that of being...
by Andrew Machon | July, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
This card invites you to recognise the limitation of overthinking and trying too hard to work things out and the wonderful opportunity that imagination and creativity offer you. The imagination can often be viewed and judged negatively as the ‘softer sister’ of rationality and logic, less grounded and more playful. So, despite our tendency to at times negatively judge, does the imagination have a vital role to play in our working lives and development? You may recall the saying of the dog chasing its tail. Round and around, we go without end. Similarly, there is an old myth of Sisyphus, who was forced by Hades to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll back when it neared the top, repeating this action to eternity. So, if and how does this metaphor and myth speak to us? Consider both and see how you respond. I sense personally and maybe for each and all of us that this metaphor and myth are closer to home and have meaning in our lives, more than we might imagine. Our rationality and the way we think are often perceived as ‘King’ in that one of the greatest gifts of mankind is that we can ‘work things out’. We are great problem solvers. But is there an edge to this so-called gift? I believe that if you study any gift, you will discover equally an edge and limitation. Try this for yourself. Eckart Tolle in his work speaks about the greatest hindrance to mankind being our tendency to over-think. In other words – we think that we can work everything...
by Andrew Machon | June, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
Consider how much the words ‘must, should, and ought’ impact and shape your current life. Do you always do, what you must, should, and ought? Consider this carefully and take time to respond. When we do what we ‘must, should, and ought’, we meet with expectation – the expectations of others – such as our family, our boss, and our own – how we think we should be. Let’s explore if you are willing; does meeting with expectation limit in anyway? And if so, how? In meeting with expectation, might a part or aspect of you remain unlived? Take time to reflect and respond from your own experience. Imagine now that you have full permission to free yourself from all expectation: How would you be? What would you do? And, what would be different? The composing of this set of cards emerged because of my own contemplation of this very question. Let me share a little more. One of my major ‘shoulds’ is that I should always work very hard. This was instilled at an early age through observing how my father worked. There were times I recall when my dad remained at work for a full day – a double shift – in a local colliery. Without doubt, I imbibed his work ethic and almost unknowingly began to live by that expectation. And I did for a good portion of my life, believe that all work had to be very hard. However, when I permitted myself to look and live beyond any ‘must, should and ought’ in the same way that I am inviting of you, I realised...
by Andrew Machon | June, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
I have always been interested in the symbolism of doorways. As a photographer, I loved taking photographs of different doorways that I am drawn towards and then I place the completed image on solid walls to create a new aperture, an imaginative way through and beyond what may seem to be impenetrable. When I coach and a client mentions a door – I am always deeply curious to inquire “Is your doorway an exit or an entrance and or both?” In this photograph of the Aurora Borealis the sky suddenly and quite miraculously opened to reveal what seemed like a portal, a doorway in the darkness of the night sky, through which the Northern Lights were able to enter. I recall in this moment, contemplating that if I were to discover such a doorway – one that led me away from my own darkness and what may be troubling me most – my fears and doubts and the things I may tend to push away – then, where would this doorway lead me? And what would I discover on the other side? And bring back? In drawing this card, you may wish to explore your own imaginary doorway and where it might lead you, and the opportunity it might offer you right now. Clients I have worked with who are ending their current employment and leaving an organisation, refer to this as ‘exiting’. Sometimes we may be forced to leave our work and the ‘exiting’ can be painful. However, in the wise words of my mother “when one door closes, another one opens”. Imagine that you have your own...
by Andrew Machon | June, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
We often think that being in the dark is scary. As a light seeker, having travelled out and into the night many evenings with the hope of catching sight of the elusive Aurora Borealis, I have learned how to befriend the dark. The night may not be the void that we fear, more the home and heavens of a million stars. Staring into the night sky can be a wonderous thing. Recall your own experience. The image above was one evening where once again I found myself staring deeply into a dark, night sky, observing and marvelling at the milky way. Suddenly the Northern Lights appeared and graced the sky with bands and striations of movement and colour. The sky now appeared even more remarkable than I had dared to imagine. We may fear being lost in the dark, but in truth might we also discover a vast otherness therein and what we refer to as the Universe. Maybe less of an absence and more a vast presence. Maybe less lost and ‘apart from’ and maybe more ‘a part of’ the whole. Consider for yourself if you have ever stared into a vast dark night sky. What was your experience? And what did you discover? How different might our lives be if we could approach all aspects of what we may deem to be ‘dark’ and fearful with more of an adventurous spirit and without trepidation? The self to which we revert when feeling the pressures of life and work sees the world through a monochromatic lens, that is in very black or white terms. In needing to feel...
by Andrew Machon | June, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
The world can sometimes feel like a real effort as we strive hard to be better. Whether we seek a bigger home, a better job, or to have more for ourselves and or our family. Striving seems to be central to our everyday life and work. Wanting and having seem to be key aspects of our daily living. Consider what you do not have and want most right now. And what would having this bring you? Take what time you need to consider and respond to these questions before reading on. In summary, effort and striving appear essential to getting what we think we want or to get us where we want to go. But let’s look more closely and question this premise a little more, is this true from your own experience? Is having, wanting, and striving essential to your betterment? A common theme through our conversations and a simple model to which we often return is that when we feel the pressures of life, the self to which we commonly revert is a version of ourselves that is set on striving and forging its way forward. And what is it that compels this effortful existence and our need to strive for more? To answer this question let’s see if we can go beneath the surface of who we commonly present and look beyond the outer mask we commonly present to explore what the underlying belief of the self is, to which we revert. And once again what you may discover in your deeper self-reflection and exploration is that your core and underlying belief is commonly one of...
