Sunday, December 26

GIVING EVERYONE, INCLUDING OURSELVES, PERMISSION TO EXPERIENCE GOD IN THEIR OWN WAY!

A few years back I was driving across country with one of my daughters and I had written about the experience.

As we arrive at the Dakotas, as sacred to the Native Americans as the Holy Land is to Christians, I notice the young Indians rebel against the ways of their elders as many Christians rebel against theirs the same way many children rebel against their family traditions.

It’s natural; it’s normal; it’s how we learn; it’s how we grow.

The similarities in the Lakota Ceremonies and the Christian Rites are amazing to me.

I think God – One God – One Creator – One Universe, One Great Mystery, One Holy Spirit, One Great Spirit – One Wakentanka…but as many ways to worship as there are people in the world. (One Great Mystery, beyond all understanding)

If a person’s life experience has turned them from one form of honor and worship, there is always another waiting to be discovered. For me today, out in the open, in the beauty and the Wind of the Spirit, I listen to John Denver’s Eagles and Horses and I realize…that I have been to church.

This holiday season, find your individual way of worship, giving thanks and co-creating life by dreaming BIG, with the Creator of your understanding!

Saturday, December 25

SANITY DURING THE HOLIDAYS...TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES!

Christmas….

How can one day put so many people into a tail spin? After all, it’s just another day…right?

I had a phone call yesterday from someone very dear to my heart….the conversation began…. “ I need a valium to get through the day tomorrow.” This is not the first person who has confessed to me the stress of the holidays and the need for some relief to 'get through it!'

I thought back to the movie, Christmas Vacation….Chevy Chase wanted the holidays to be perfect. He tried to duplicate Christmas from his childhood memories, what he thought he needed to do to make Christmas...Christmas! After every thing he created turned out to be disastrous…he turned to his dad and asked, “How did you make it through so many holidays?” His dad held up a bottle of whisky and said, “I had a little help from my old pal Jack….Jack Daniels!”

I put myself in the category of not fitting into the Norman Rockwell holiday scene and the stress that trying to ‘fit in’ can cause.

One more gift to make, to buy. One more thing to cook, to clean...One more person to visit~

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the preparation that we totally miss the gift, the gift of time and doing what bring us joy.

The question: Can we stay grounded and happy in the Holiday Season simply by taking inventory as to how we wish to spend our time. Who do we want to spend our time with and how much are we willing to give others while still taking care of ourselves.

Maybe the next time a holiday or special occasion comes around, perhaps we'll be able to say 'No' to the things that don't bring us joy....saving space for the things that do! Remember to take some time just for you...resting, playing...rejuvenating! Remember that when you're feeling your best, that will radiate to the others around you.

Thursday, December 16

EAGLES, HORSES AND DOLPHINS ~ DIVINE SUPPORT

I recently recruited a friend to help me do a Rising Star Healing session for a friend, long distance. I hadn't much experience with long distance healing before, however I knew that, Energy follows intention and so we began. Great Spirit was the first to arrive with the most loving breeze, the lines from a song, 'you're on this earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind' came to my mind. The following account was written by my friend after his experience on the table.

Colors of the Wind ~ resonating, pulsating thru out my inner self ~ Wild horses moving joyfully, effortlessly across the plains, eagles soaring majestically, reverently above the mountain peaks. Dolphins swimming, jumping moving exquisitely in the vast sea! Tom’s spirit was there, (a friend in a coma) witnessing. My mom, smiling, assuring, comforting that everything is as it should be and it’s all ok!!!
The long distance recipient reported having more energy.
We had all been touched.
Healing and support come from all sources. Once again, we are all interconnected....we're all One!

Friday, December 10

WOMEN SUPPORTING, SHARING, NURTURING EACH OTHER

Here we are on the last day of APDM and I don't want to miss a minute of it! All Planets in Direct Motion is a very powerful energetic time for us! It happens only 8 times in 10 years!
Looking back to the first day, 4 of us women got together in ceremony to set intentions for the next period of time. We had no idea how it was going to look, we just came together trusting that things would unfold how they were going to. We began by setting up an altar and we all added items that we had on our person to the collection. It began with my eagle, hawk, owl and turkey feathers, resting on a purple scarf, and some dried rose petals that have been accompanying me on this part of my journey.
We all took turns being on the massage table, being tended to, nurtured by the other three, feet, arm, hand and head massages etc. We broke for dinner and returned to complete our session. Some pretty powerful things happened that evening for us all. Not only ourselves personally, but for the collective, all creation, beginning with our families, friends, community, the world etc.
It's not too late for you to use this powerful time and set some specific intentions for yourself. Sometimes the hardest thing is figuring out what we want! If you know you want to climb to the top of Wanapicchu, you can get there! Once you know the destination...you can arrive.
As this last day of this APDM comes to and end, I will stay vigilant to my intention of holding you all in sacred space and that your intentions will manifest and all of our lights will shine making the world full of love and light. The Brightest Planet of all!

LIVING WAGE; CONSCIOUS LIVING

I've been here in AZ, working 2 jobs to try a get enough money together to publish my first book. Something has come into my awareness that I had known about, but never really internalized. I work at Fry's Market for $7.50 an hour and a waitressing job that pays, $4.25 an hour; certainly, they expect you to get tips and the truth of the matter is, sometimes you do and sometimes you don't.
I am definitely not going to be making this kind of money for ever, however, there are many people who do and my heart goes out to them. I overheard someone in the parking lot telling her friend that she just went to The Olive Garden and when asked if she wanted to purchase an item, she replied, "That's more money than I make in an hour." You really have to begin to think about minimum wage and a living wage. While taking a training class, I met a young mother of 2 small children, living alone....and making $7.50 an hour. Come on, give me a break!
When I first arrived at my waitressing job, I met a woman in her 50's who had several jobs and crocheted potholders and place mats that she was selling for $30 a set. I asked her, what it was that she did with all of her money. She said, "Just trying to survive." She lives in a trailer that needs to be torn down, so the heating and cooling bills are high. She has an older Kia car with a car payment and a few cats.
I am trying to be conscious in my living, what I eat and recycle etc. I am not a fan of purchasing chicken after watching how they're treated in chicken farms. So, if I want chicken, my heart tells me that it has to be free range. However, the reality is I have to work over an hour and a half to buy it when the cooked chicken in the store is only $5. While many are against Walmart, I can buy a bottle of juice at Walmart for $3 when it cost $6 at the regular market. Again, I have to work nearly an hour to have a nice bottle of juice.
What this experience has done for me is open my eyes to how many of us are living. It has made me fully aware of why people choose what they do when it comes to eating and the environment. I can get a $1 burrito or $3 happy meal! It's simply about the money!
Until we as a society are willing to pay a fair wage (a people work for it) social justice for all creation won't be a reality. Sometimes it's easier to live with our heads in the sand about where our food comes from and how things are treated simply because there seem like no other options.
When I'm eating fully consciously and giving thanks, the thanks not only goes to a Higher Power, but also, mostly to the one who has sacrificed it's life for my health. I can no longer eat a fish without reverence when it's lying on the platter, looking me in the eye or eat potatoes that just came out of the dirt with their little faces without a sense of gratitude.
The bottom line, working these low paying jobs has given me a new since of compassion and honor for the people who do them. My hat is off to you all!

Sunday, December 5

ALL PLANETS IN DIRECT MOTION!

Today, Dec. 5, 2011 is the beginning of 5 days, known as All Planets In Direct Motion! At a recent Shamanic Astrology class, a graduate did a presentation on this. She researched all the previous times in history that APDM was in effect and while I don't remember exactly the stories, the concept that stayed with me, was THESE NEXT FEW DAYS ARE FULL OF EXTRA ENERGY! This presentation was so impressive that I decided to set a goal to publish my book during these days. Now that we're at the beginning of this gift of extra support, I have found that it has also been an important time for me to reflect and set some specific intentions for where I want my personal and professional life to go.
APDM only happens 8 times in 10 years and we're in one! Lucky us! The next one is Dec. 30 - Jan 26, 2011 and not again for quite a period of time.
My wish for you is to take some time to reflect in the next few days on the intentions you want to set for your life and direction for your life's purpose.