Do you tend the garden of your self as well as you tend your garden of flowers? Is water enough to slake your thirst? Do you uproot the things that choke out the things you want to grow? Do you prune off the damaged branches so that the healthy branches can grow stronger?
Do you sing to soothe your soul and make up poetry in the dark when only you can hear it? Do you like the feeling of the rhythm in your body? Do you like the sound of rhymes in your ears? Do you give voice to your dreams to see who else has similar dreams? Do you sing for no reason and for all reasons? Does it feel good to shape the words, shape your feelings with your mouth? Does it feel good letting all that energy express itself through your throat? Does your voice reveal the real you? Or is it more?
Do you dance even when no one is looking or especially when no one is looking? Do you laugh at your self as well as at others? Do you find reasons to laugh at the slightest provocation?
Do you pursue your dreams with passion? Or did you quit dreaming because you have been disappointed before when you were not able to realize your dreams? Did you give up before you got what you wanted? If you had another chance would you go for it? Are you ready to give your self another chance? Are you ready to dream again and this time see if you can make it real?
What is the difference between dreams that are possible and dreams that are impossible? What will it take to move you in the direction of your dreams? What is the passion that you want in your life? Are you ready to speak for it now? Are you ready to receive it now?
Can you get up every day and say "I am looking forward to doing this?" Can you get up every day and say "This is what I like?" Can you get up every day and say "I am becoming one with my dreams?"
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A Detective of Life
When I look at a card spread, I am looking at the trails of energy, looking for clues as to what is going on in this life.
I see the traces of love, fear, anger, joy, seduction, suppression, the victories, the secret desires. I see the tracks of the path well worn as well as the path only traveled in dreams. I see the impression of a being grown too robust for its cage to contain it. I see the passion abandoned by the one who felt that it was better to disown it and choose the safe route. And I also see the one who chose safety over passion a little further down the road, wishing they had pursued their passion after the bottom fell out of the safety net. I see the disillusionment that led to the collapse of the old and now provides the rubble strewn ground that will be cleared to build something new in its place.
I see the discoveries that lead out of the old life and into the new. I see the taste for adventure that lights the lantern on the path, the very glimmer of hope, bringing joy to the seeker who is walking their path.
I see the footprints of experience and the light on the horizon, the openings where friends will join in this journey and the tears from the drama that now water the wildflowers. I sense the change of temperature in relationships, where the body heat has cooled, and the tremors of awakening where the sleeper is awakening.
I hear the whispers of those who are saying yes to life, who have not the courage yet to speak it out loud or let it out in a passionate scream of delight.
I catch a scent of the subtle aroma of wakening from sleep, of reaching for more, breaking a sweat, the satisfied air of breathing deep.
I read the stories to see what is there, to read the patterns, and point in the directions of discoveries of life. When they are at the crossroads, not sure if their map will serve them, I reconnect them with their inner guides to help them feel their way to the treasure, the abundance that awaits those who move in the directions of their desires, their dreams, their heart connections.
I read them the stories that open the way. It is their choice to whether to read a new interpretation of the story, to follow a new path, to believe in a different set of possible endings. Like other detectives, I can see what is there, and how the evidence outlines the story. How the story ends is up to the choices made by the main character.
I see the traces of love, fear, anger, joy, seduction, suppression, the victories, the secret desires. I see the tracks of the path well worn as well as the path only traveled in dreams. I see the impression of a being grown too robust for its cage to contain it. I see the passion abandoned by the one who felt that it was better to disown it and choose the safe route. And I also see the one who chose safety over passion a little further down the road, wishing they had pursued their passion after the bottom fell out of the safety net. I see the disillusionment that led to the collapse of the old and now provides the rubble strewn ground that will be cleared to build something new in its place.
I see the discoveries that lead out of the old life and into the new. I see the taste for adventure that lights the lantern on the path, the very glimmer of hope, bringing joy to the seeker who is walking their path.
I see the footprints of experience and the light on the horizon, the openings where friends will join in this journey and the tears from the drama that now water the wildflowers. I sense the change of temperature in relationships, where the body heat has cooled, and the tremors of awakening where the sleeper is awakening.
I hear the whispers of those who are saying yes to life, who have not the courage yet to speak it out loud or let it out in a passionate scream of delight.
I catch a scent of the subtle aroma of wakening from sleep, of reaching for more, breaking a sweat, the satisfied air of breathing deep.
I read the stories to see what is there, to read the patterns, and point in the directions of discoveries of life. When they are at the crossroads, not sure if their map will serve them, I reconnect them with their inner guides to help them feel their way to the treasure, the abundance that awaits those who move in the directions of their desires, their dreams, their heart connections.
I read them the stories that open the way. It is their choice to whether to read a new interpretation of the story, to follow a new path, to believe in a different set of possible endings. Like other detectives, I can see what is there, and how the evidence outlines the story. How the story ends is up to the choices made by the main character.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Galaxies of Galleries
I think of tarot decks as little art galleries that a person can carry in their pocket or purse, or keep in their desk or on a coffee table. Portable art collections. So there seems to be natural connection doing readings in art galleries. People who really appreciate the visual arts have an eye for the special effort that artists put into creating unique decks.
Packs of cards with 78 images can offer the same reflective and meditative qualities as coffee table books of art or framed pictures hanging on walls. Plus there is one advantage: portability.
Plus another quality, and that is that no matter what theme or style the artist chooses to work in, the pictures all relate in ways that tell stories, share ideas and explore many different paths to wisdom, many different ways to appreciate beauty.
Pocket art galleries. A world of choices. A world of inspiration. Other worlds in your hands.
Packs of cards with 78 images can offer the same reflective and meditative qualities as coffee table books of art or framed pictures hanging on walls. Plus there is one advantage: portability.
Plus another quality, and that is that no matter what theme or style the artist chooses to work in, the pictures all relate in ways that tell stories, share ideas and explore many different paths to wisdom, many different ways to appreciate beauty.
Pocket art galleries. A world of choices. A world of inspiration. Other worlds in your hands.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Beyond the Subject at Hand
Tonight as I was teaching reiki, all of the wonderful aspects of it became clearer. Going over various points about the techniques and the ideas behind the techniques, many positive habits and useful concepts were reinforced. The elegance of reiki is in its simplicity, and that is also what makes it both powerful and accessible.
As with teachers of any skill, it is rewarding to see a student progress. It is pretty normal that when a person decides to take up a new study that they are tentative at first, and as their practice increases, so does their confidence level, and as that increases, so does their ability. In reiki, one of the traits of a healer is the heat in the hands from the energy traveling through them.
In teaching of a method such as this, it is also part of the continuation of the tradition that it is taught personally with hands on practice rather than just watching a video. A good teacher will also hold the vision that those they teach will also one day become teachers themselves.
Reiki also offers incentives for the student in that they can observe their own progress in a rather short period of time compared to other types of skills, and being aware of their own progression encourages a person to do even more. It is rewarding to the teacher to observe the student grow. It is a good feeling to pass on traditions to those who are dedicated to learning.
Good students encourage teachers to become even better teachers, and good teachers encourage students to become better not just in the subject at hand, but more as they use what they have learned in their life, beyond the specific applications at hand.
As with teachers of any skill, it is rewarding to see a student progress. It is pretty normal that when a person decides to take up a new study that they are tentative at first, and as their practice increases, so does their confidence level, and as that increases, so does their ability. In reiki, one of the traits of a healer is the heat in the hands from the energy traveling through them.
In teaching of a method such as this, it is also part of the continuation of the tradition that it is taught personally with hands on practice rather than just watching a video. A good teacher will also hold the vision that those they teach will also one day become teachers themselves.
Reiki also offers incentives for the student in that they can observe their own progress in a rather short period of time compared to other types of skills, and being aware of their own progression encourages a person to do even more. It is rewarding to the teacher to observe the student grow. It is a good feeling to pass on traditions to those who are dedicated to learning.
Good students encourage teachers to become even better teachers, and good teachers encourage students to become better not just in the subject at hand, but more as they use what they have learned in their life, beyond the specific applications at hand.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Questions About Past Lives
One of the questions that prompted me to inquire about past lives is this. Why are some of us born healthy while others of us are born with various physical conditions that require surgery to correct? Why do some of us have a fear of small places, or heights, or deep water or crowds which has no rational or logical explanation in any life experience?
Yes, a person could say that it is simply genetics or an inherited trait, but where would that originate? People certainly are born with conditions that run in families like diabetes or heart conditions. But not everyone in a family is born with a fear of heights or a fear of water.
It is interesting that in my own case, I was born with one leg not properly formed and it took many surgeries to correct. They did a great job with the surgeries and I have been able to get around just fine.Still, doctors advised me not to play contact sports like football because they were afraid I might break it and that they would not be able to get it set properly again. So one past life revealed that I was a great athlete in a previous life, but that in this life, I was born with an unmistakable sign that this lifetime was not to be about being a great athlete. Another aspect of that life is that I had visions that I wanted to express but was never taught to read and write. I also had other lifetimes where my ability to write was a pivotal part of the story. I have always wondered why writing came so easily to me. For a good part of my adult life, I made my living as a writer, editor and writing teacher. Today I write on this blog.
Sometimes another person's story will reveal that their fear of water might have been as a result of drowning in a past life. Or a pain in a certain part of their body is related to a severe or fatal injury in that part of the body in another life.
Or a certain relationship pattern reflects patterns present in other lives. When we notice that we keep repeating a certain pattern, we have an opportunity to change it. Perhaps we never even realized we had a pattern until we recalled some stories and noticed the similarities.
That is why sometimes we feel like we know someone, even when we have just met them. They say that we reincarnate in groups, so that is why when a person is recalling a past life story, they feel that the person in one story reminds them of someone they know in their present life. Perhaps they do not look the same, but their energy, characteristics and manner are clearly recognizable.
Brian Weiss and other well known authors on the subject of past lives offer many examples in their books of how many people found release from fears, pains and anxieties after stories were recalled. Sometimes it is simply peace and freedom from anxiety that are found. Sometimes it was relief from a recurring pain, and sometimes it was just the ability to relax and be able to sleep through the night.
In my own case, it was the doctors who reconstructed my leg, but knowing that there was some reason, or at least a plausible story from my past, that explains why I was born with that physical challenge plus an ability to write that helped confirm for me that I am on the right track and that using my available energies in the way that I do fits a larger picture and confirms the pattern already working in my current life.
Yes, a person could say that it is simply genetics or an inherited trait, but where would that originate? People certainly are born with conditions that run in families like diabetes or heart conditions. But not everyone in a family is born with a fear of heights or a fear of water.
It is interesting that in my own case, I was born with one leg not properly formed and it took many surgeries to correct. They did a great job with the surgeries and I have been able to get around just fine.Still, doctors advised me not to play contact sports like football because they were afraid I might break it and that they would not be able to get it set properly again. So one past life revealed that I was a great athlete in a previous life, but that in this life, I was born with an unmistakable sign that this lifetime was not to be about being a great athlete. Another aspect of that life is that I had visions that I wanted to express but was never taught to read and write. I also had other lifetimes where my ability to write was a pivotal part of the story. I have always wondered why writing came so easily to me. For a good part of my adult life, I made my living as a writer, editor and writing teacher. Today I write on this blog.
Sometimes another person's story will reveal that their fear of water might have been as a result of drowning in a past life. Or a pain in a certain part of their body is related to a severe or fatal injury in that part of the body in another life.
Or a certain relationship pattern reflects patterns present in other lives. When we notice that we keep repeating a certain pattern, we have an opportunity to change it. Perhaps we never even realized we had a pattern until we recalled some stories and noticed the similarities.
That is why sometimes we feel like we know someone, even when we have just met them. They say that we reincarnate in groups, so that is why when a person is recalling a past life story, they feel that the person in one story reminds them of someone they know in their present life. Perhaps they do not look the same, but their energy, characteristics and manner are clearly recognizable.
Brian Weiss and other well known authors on the subject of past lives offer many examples in their books of how many people found release from fears, pains and anxieties after stories were recalled. Sometimes it is simply peace and freedom from anxiety that are found. Sometimes it was relief from a recurring pain, and sometimes it was just the ability to relax and be able to sleep through the night.
In my own case, it was the doctors who reconstructed my leg, but knowing that there was some reason, or at least a plausible story from my past, that explains why I was born with that physical challenge plus an ability to write that helped confirm for me that I am on the right track and that using my available energies in the way that I do fits a larger picture and confirms the pattern already working in my current life.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Past Life Resonance
I know that many people are skeptical about past lives, so let me present it to you the way it was presented to me, and this may open it to a different perspective.
The first time I ever went to someone to experience a past life session, I asked her this. "I have a good imagination, so how do I know if I ever had a past life or if I am just making things up?"
She said "If you go through this process with me and you come up with a story that teaches you something valuable, does it matter how you got the story?"
That is a lesson that has stuck with me, because the past life stories I recalled made sense to me and helped me recognize the patterns in my life. Recalling past lives did not change what I had done in this lifetime, but it helped me make sense of it. The patterns from the stories echoed real life events from this lifetime.
When a person recalls their own past life stories, they see patterns in relationships, patterns in life, perhaps uncover roots of fears or pains. Then once those roots are uncovered, some of the pain associated with them seems to dissipate.
Some of my own stories surprised me, some did not, but all were useful and helpful in understanding the life I have now. There are, no doubt, stories I have not yet remembered, but when the time is right, I will. Our stories are uniquely ours, and it is amazing how our experiences can be felt when we remember them and how cathartic it can be when we recognize our patterns. And that empowers us and frees us. Our past does influence our present. Our free will determines the course of action we choose from here.
The first time I ever went to someone to experience a past life session, I asked her this. "I have a good imagination, so how do I know if I ever had a past life or if I am just making things up?"
She said "If you go through this process with me and you come up with a story that teaches you something valuable, does it matter how you got the story?"
That is a lesson that has stuck with me, because the past life stories I recalled made sense to me and helped me recognize the patterns in my life. Recalling past lives did not change what I had done in this lifetime, but it helped me make sense of it. The patterns from the stories echoed real life events from this lifetime.
When a person recalls their own past life stories, they see patterns in relationships, patterns in life, perhaps uncover roots of fears or pains. Then once those roots are uncovered, some of the pain associated with them seems to dissipate.
Some of my own stories surprised me, some did not, but all were useful and helpful in understanding the life I have now. There are, no doubt, stories I have not yet remembered, but when the time is right, I will. Our stories are uniquely ours, and it is amazing how our experiences can be felt when we remember them and how cathartic it can be when we recognize our patterns. And that empowers us and frees us. Our past does influence our present. Our free will determines the course of action we choose from here.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thunder Moon
Interesting that one of the traditional names for the July full moon is the Thunder Moon because of the tendency of sudden thunderstorms to blow up at this time of year. We certainly have had a number of sudden rainstorms this July. In fact recently we have had more than the usual number of rainstorms. Lots of lightning in the sky.
Another name is the Buck Moon for the new antlers that deer sprout at this time of year. Some people may also call it the Wort Moon, a word that comes from the Old English word, which in turn came from an old German word, healing green plants. That is why some of the old folk names for some herbs end in wort, like lungwort, liverwort, mugwort, St. John's Wort, spleenwort, sleepwort, dropwort, goutwort, and many others. At this time of year, many of these would be enjoying robust growth and people would begin harvesting and drying some for use during the fall and winter months.
These folkloric names for the times of the year are still useful for harmonizing ourselves with the cycles of nature. Even though many other things have changed in the world since people began naming the moons in this way, this knowledge can still be very useful to us, in both metaphorical and practical terms.
Another name is the Buck Moon for the new antlers that deer sprout at this time of year. Some people may also call it the Wort Moon, a word that comes from the Old English word, which in turn came from an old German word, healing green plants. That is why some of the old folk names for some herbs end in wort, like lungwort, liverwort, mugwort, St. John's Wort, spleenwort, sleepwort, dropwort, goutwort, and many others. At this time of year, many of these would be enjoying robust growth and people would begin harvesting and drying some for use during the fall and winter months.
These folkloric names for the times of the year are still useful for harmonizing ourselves with the cycles of nature. Even though many other things have changed in the world since people began naming the moons in this way, this knowledge can still be very useful to us, in both metaphorical and practical terms.
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