Stones....more spiritual support!

My niece is wanting to buy a turquoise stone ring....like anything "real" it comes at a price. To become "real" in life, means to become genuine. Even in the Velveteen Rabbit story, the Skin Horse knew that becoming "real" means "becoming loose and shabby in the joints and having all your hair loved off..." And so it is with anything authentic, including stones, they come at a price, however, while I believe it an investment, more importantly, if you are drawn to a particular stone, I belive that it is also calling you. It is in the Native American Tradition that I first recognized that we are all one, we all inhabit this planet together, from the smallest creepy crawler to the most magnificent stones, along with the creatures in the sea (which was proved with the dolphin and manta ray swim in Hawaii.) The support for us here on earth from the divine is, well, simply humbling.

Let's take a look at what the turquoise stone brings to us.
Turquoise is a most efficient healer, providing solace for the spirit and well-being for the body. Turquoise promote spiritual attunement and enhances communication with the physical and spiritual worlds. Turquoise is a purification stone. It dispels negative energy and clears electromagnetic smog, providing protection against pollutants. It aligns all the chakras. (Energy centers of the body, Mother Earth has them as well.) A promoter of self-realization, it assists creative problem solving and calms the nerves.
Psychologically, Turquoise is a strengthening stone. It dissolves a martyred attitude or self-sabotage. Mentally, Turquoise instills inner calm while remaining alert and aids in creative expression. Emotionally, Turquoise stabilizes mood swings. It stimulates romantic love. Physically, it is an excellent stone for exhaustion, depression or panic attacks. Hmmm sounds like a miracle stone! My dad loved turquoise....he didn't know all this, but he knew that his spirit was drawing him to them.

OK...so if you are drawn to this stone, it's drawn to you...pick it carefully, hold the stone, how does it feel, tune into it, treat it as a friend, a very old wise friend. Wear it with a sense of sacredness and gratitude, carry it close to your heart....So the question now becomes, not should you get one, buy, why wouldn't you get one?
With love and gratitude for all the divine help and inspiration that surrounds us in this life!

"Geologists tell us that there are certain crystals that can come only to their perfect form through a season of great stillness." Sleep with the angels....

Feeling Love from a Tree ~ More Spiritual Support

I was at a point in my life that I was not allowing myself to receive any love or affection from any human being. I felt alone and isolated, angry and mad at the way my life was turning out! It absolutely was nothing that I had ordered! Wasn't God paying any attention to me? "Hey buddy", I screamed out one day to God, "Are you paying any attention....do you see what's happening down here!" Of course He was, and of course He knew...it was just different than I thought my life was going to look at age 50! Holy crap! 50! Aren't we supposed to be grandmas rocking the babies at age 50! Well the old 50's sitcom's on TV would have us believing that, I wasn't even married any longer, the children were all gone, my job was no longer my purpose in life... my life definitely didn't look like that of my friends or what I had thought it would be at age 50!

So I pulled away, from family, friends, etc and began a quest, a search for a new way of life, a new vision, a new purpose. It's been 8 years now, many adventures, many tears, a lot of kicking and screaming and staying in bed...to angry, depressed, mad...to even begin the day!

However during all this growing, there were also times of consoling from God, through his creation. I learned to be present in each and every moment, saying "yes" to what shows up, and I became sensitive to witness the support and love that God has sent my way, as unconventional as some may think.

On this particular day, I had written a note via email to a friend, that read, "Hi friend, I'm so happy to see that we are on the same wave length. I've been to the river a lot lately...45 minute walk, a goats path around the rocks, down a rope into a pool of water that is very secluded as the rocks are large and steep, an incredible canyon feeling...it feels like God has his arms around you there. I've felt the presence of the Divine in nature, but what was even more amazing to me; I took my friend to Vina, a retreat center,in Northern California and I spent several hours on the grounds myself before leaving. There was the most awe striking, magnificent, massive, Walnut tree with a beautiful slab stone bench underneath it which I laid upon, with my arms stretched out, opened wide,soaking up the majesty of this sacred tree. I felt humbled and privileged to be in the presence of such a glorious creation, who by the way has managed to survive, and flourish for over a 150years!

This selfless creation of God, reached down and gave me a hug. I felt more love and comfort from that tree than from any person. Tears began rolling down my cheeks, resting on the stone. I was once again reminded, we are all interconnected. We are all on this planet together. We all have a part in this life here on this earth together. When I was unable to receive love from anyone else, God used something I could understand, nature, his creation. Something non threatening to me and a place to begin to learn to receive and trust, I'd say, once again, but that isn't actually the case, to learn to receive and trust for the first time.

I later read from Francene Hart's Book Sacred Geometry a bit about trees. "Many cultures around the planet hold trees in reverence. Most cultures native to forested or jungle environments have elaborate myths surrounding the powers of trees. Some even considered them gods, or a means of traveling to the spirit world. Their names were many, Tree of Life, Tree of Knowledge, Tree of Perfection, World Tree. For the Maya, it is Raised Up Sky Tree.

All that is sweet, delightful and amiable in this world, in the serenity of the air, the fineness of seasons, the joy of light, the melody of sounds, the beauty of colors, the fragrancy of smells, the splendor of precious stones, is nothing else but Heaven breaking through the veil of this world, manifesting itself in such a degree and darting forth in such variety so much of its own nature. - William Law

Love and appreciate all that comes your way. From messy trees to bugs...anything you have a resistance to...that which you resist...will persist! I used to get irritated at all the pine cones that were dropping every where on my property! Until one day, I saw them as gifts, gifts of love from a tree that we were sharing the same space on this earth. Now with each pine cone I pick up, I send a heart felt "thank you" to the tree for it's sharing it's life's energy with me. After all, trees breath out what we need to breath in. How could I not be grateful for it's presence!

OK, so we didn't get to the manta ray's yet....absolute graceful angels of the sea! I'm going to try and put a clip on so you can experience it for yourself.....patience is a virtue:)

Swimming with the Dolphin - Spiritual Support Abounds!

THE DOLPHIN

My friend and I had been talking about swimming with the Dolphin in Hawaii for a long time, while I never really felt a strong heart pull to do it, however, it intrigued me and so I said, nonchalantly “Well, let’s go!” and with in the year we had found an extreme bargain, booked the flight and put thought of Hawaii on the back burner of living.…well, that is until one day she called me to said the airline we had booked our tickets with filed for bankruptcy, but her husband had found another airline but within 2 days they had also closed their doors. The tickets on the remaining airlines were going up steadily and our $400 ticket was now going to cost us nearly $800! Whoaaa baby!
I took some time and did some meditation wondering if we were supposed to go just now…if felt like, yes, this is the time. Well then, somebody better help get a reasonable price and there it was, with one push of the button on the computer there it was a ticket for only $12 more than the original ticket. Dolphin, here we come!
My friend has time shares in Hawaii and so had been there many times swimming with the dolphins. She had such a pull to swim with them that after one of our 3 hour swims, she decided to go back in and I put her on a “time out”…she’d follow those boys anywhere!
Our first swim with the dolphin was on a commercial boat. Only 7 other people and by ½ way through the swim only ½ of us got back in the water so it was very cool. While that was the only time we were with a group, I was very grateful for the experience of swimming in the ocean for the first time in many years with “professionals” around. I loved that I was able to recapture my diving skills. But from then on – we headed out on our won, in search of the dolphin. We swam with them several more times but it was our last swim that was intense and a very powerful, spiritual experience.
We had rented the movie, “The Eye of the Dolphin.” At the end the message…we can connect with dolphins spiritually…we just have to learn to listen.”
The day before our last swim we were headed for a remote beach that wasn’t well known. We had several diversions that kept us from making that particular beach that day. We started the day started out needing gas but neither of us had brought any money. To go back to town wasn’t an option as the traffic was stop and go going back to town, so we went to a closer beach we had swam with the dolphin before. On our way back into town is when we picked up Brett. Later after dropping Brett off…a car accident. No one was hurt, just a little diversion a diversion that later proved to have been orchestrated for our surprise party the following day.
Next day, full tank of gas, wallets in the car we head out, our last day to swim with the dolphins we find our way down the windy hilly reminding me of the little beach towns we used to visit in Mexico. Little homes built on the hill side as well as along the edge of the sea. We find the place the tour book spoke of…a little church at the end of the road.
We gather our masks and fins and towels and look around. Now which way? The sea on one side, homes on the other side of this lava covered path, with several forks…a young man comes along…”stay to the left” he offers advice to us.
We stay to the left, uneven lava makes us cautious on the trail. Still wondering if it’s the correct path, we plug away, hoping across rocks to help with crossing in front of a cement wall that holds the sea back from a private camping area.
There it is just ahead in the clearing a beautiful coconut grove with a curved black sandy beach engulfing the bay. We’re the only ones there….my friend cries out like it’s Christmas morning and she just discovered Santa had arrived, “There they are!” Indeed, there they were. We hurriedly put out things down and put on our mask, snorkel and fins and we begin what ended up as a three hour private swim, alone with our friends,our soul comrades; the dolphin. A couple of people came at different times for a bit, but basically we were all alone.
While it is absolutely their pattern to come into the bay to rest in the day, two dolphin absolutely, intentionally pulled away from the pod and swan with us specifically. They were so close we could have reached out and touched them, but following the “rules” which are no touching the sea life, we just sent them love and gratitude for being with us.
They feed at night and in the morning come to the bay to rest by shutting off half their brain and closing one eye, staying close together, gliding back and forth, resting. Now and then several would break away and play for a bit, but quickly returning to the pod. They also like to play the leaf game. You take a large leaf into the water and drop it in front of them and they pick it up, swim with it and drop it back in front of you. It’s absolutely amazing.
My one regret, a lady coming into the water said she saw a shark, I was on my way out of the water and hurried up the process, not liking to touch the bottom, swam with my head above the water as I didn’t want to see him. Later, reading in the guide book, on hammer head shark lives in the bay and is completely harmless. I’m sorry I let the fear of another penetrate me.
It had been 3 hours of swimming with the dolphin and they were becoming more melancholy, and I decided I too needed a rest. I climbed out and lay on the towel; covering with another as not to get too much sun. Finally my friend joins me. I lie with my head on one of the packs; she resting her back on my legs. I commented, “It totally feels like an “after glow” experience, maybe like after a orgasm, just resting in the bliss, the calm and peacefulness.
I added, “The only thing that would make this better is water.” After 3 hours of swimming in salt water, a swig of water would have been grand and we had left ours back at the car.
With that comment I noticed to the left behind the coconut trees, clouds forming, too early for the common afternoon showers. The wind kicked up blowing through the coconut trees and the sound of the rustling leaves of the trees was magnificent. Steadily the clouds began to glide towards us and little droplets of rain gently fell upon us. I said it was like angel kisses. I wasn’t smart enough to tilt my head back and open my mouth, but I was present enough to totally appreciate that they were indeed kisses from the angels.
I began to watch the clouds move slowly past, like watching a movie; they parted and the sun peeked through and I noticed the face of a wolf. What else played out in the clouds, 6 dolphins,(joy) turtle,(navigator) butterfly (transformation) kissing the silhouette of a face. (In Native American Spiritual Tradition the animals have meanings which I put in parenthesis.)
I sat up and began to write. “Oh my gosh! I know exactly what this is! This is an Initiation – for both of us!” I had been planning a ceremony for my friend – a Rite of Passage, but this was for both of us. I say to my friend “We are being initiated here!” She too began to watch the clouds forming into shapes that had meaning for her.
The winds calmed, the dolphin had disappeared but made one last appearance to say goodbye. We acknowledged and sent them love and gratitude.
My friend asked me to read to her what I had written. As I began to read from my notes the wind stirs and the trees begin to blow once again – for me, a confirmation that I we were right; We had been initiated!
Next to our towels was a beautiful branch with coconut buds on it – symbolism of course. I had noticed it, but it was my friend who picked up. I said she should take it home, but when she decided not to, I took it as a reminder of this most spiritual experience.
The next day, before we left, my friend was returning from one last attempt to see the dolphin, when a favorite song of hers came on the radio. It was so meaningful for her she couldn’t turn it off; it was “I’ll Always Remember You.” She came back in of course with her thinking she would always remember the dolphin and yet, I took it as the dolphin saying, “They’ll always remember us!”
I believe that they too had as much of a spiritual experience as we did. While I tell the story from a factual viewpoint, it wasn’t until a week later traveling down south that I integrated it into my heart…by being.
I was listening to a Garth Brooks song and I began to replay it over and over again…”It was you.” It was about my experience with the dolphins. I knew it on a soul level and the tears began to roll down my cheeks. “It was you, it was your heart that shined guiding my heart to find, this place where I belong…you reached into my heart and you found the melody and if there every was somebody who made me believe in me, it was you…it was your voice that gave me wings, (flash back to the sounds they made underwater) …with God’s great angels like you”…Next I noticed a license plate with the whale tale on it with the letters AQ ANGEL – for me aqua angel….The Dolphin! I looked down several times and saw a small jumping dolphin on my left wrist with the Evolve to Live symbol behind it. A constant reminder that I’m not alone in this venture, that I am supported and held in highest regard by all that lives.
Trying to start a business to help people in transition, I believe it is the dolphins who are the cheerleaders, whose energy is opening the channels for Evolve to Live to be born. I applied for a credit card (something I had been declined from for the past 5 years) and I was sent one in the amount of $2,000 and the front of the card… a dolphin, which I had selected from a variety of choices. It was astounding to me.
My boys had brought back a dolphin key ring for me from Mexico. Then this last miracle…I had put on my first Evolve to Live Seminar and only 2 paid people attended. While I took my time sitting on the pity pot, I walked to the end of the pier in Huntington Beach and there he was, a lone dolphin swimming at the end of the pier. He made my heart sing, and for me, the message was “Don’t give up on Evolve to Live.
My friend who accompanied me to Hawaii has a heart to save the dolphins and after our first swim, she got out of the water and very calmly said, “I have to do something about them getting caught in the fishing nets.” It was so calm and clear that I knew it was a “knowing” not something she had come up with out of desperation to help. I told her, that maybe her campaign would be something that would manifest itself through Evolve to Live, maybe something as simple as a petition to be circulated at seminars or a blurb on the Evolve to Live website. It seemed to be simple but will make a big impact on how our friends are treated.

Next: The miracle of the manta ray's.....