by Andrew Machon | October, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
Have you considered and or already realised what value there may be in befriend suffering? In drawing this card, you are invited to cultivate your resourcefulness and resilience as you go through life. Often the way we automatically think may be back to front. We think that if we ‘box’ or push unwanted emotions away, we rid ourselves of them. And doing so makes us strong and more resilient. But what if the opposite were true? Takes some moments to reflect across your life to date. Consider the times when rather than turning away from emotions you have been able to turn toward them. When we suffer, we are invited and learn how to bear our emotions. Rather than pushing them away we begin to ‘make with’ their acquaintance. If you have experienced times like this, then recall them. Did a willingness to suffer – to bear your suffering – give or gift you anything? If so, what? Take what time you need to reflect and respond to these questions. When we fear and push things away, we banish our emotions to the edge of our consciousness and beyond. We think that’s the end of it. But what if we are gravely mistaken in our rational logic – what if, what we push aspects of ourselves beyond our consciousness rather than disappearing they may takes control and silently govern our behaviours and key aspects of our life. Some believe that what we push into our unconscious becomes our symptomology and compulsions. And what we place beyond our conscious control may certainly cause unrest if not dis-ease. You may rightly...
by Andrew Machon | October, 2023 | A Guiding Hand, Andrew Machon
Many of us fear getting lost. And might avoid this experience it at all costs. But what if getting lost was just another natural aspect of being human and living our daily lives? If we were to view being lost not as something to be feared, but more as an opportunity, then how much more may we open to the experience and discover? In drawing this card, you are invited to open more fully to explore your sense of feeling lost. Less as something to be feared, and more as a vital opportunity. Ask yourself the question: Where am I feeling lost in my life right now? And rather than turn away from any potential fear, take some time to turn towards and into this experience. See what happens when you are willing to meet with and even embrace these feelings. If you are willing to name where you are feeling lost in your life and work? Be as specific as you can. Express I am feeling lost here and here – and name where? Then turn towards this experience by being willing to befriend any fear that you may have felt. Notice how this allows you to relax more into the experience. You may inquire: What have I been fearing? And name your fears. And then mindful of these emotions, reflect upon – the opportunity or opportunities – which may now be able to open for you. It’s quite remarkable that if you are willing to ‘turn towards’ what you would automatically ‘turn away from’ – in this case your fear around feeling lost – rather than discovering...
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...
