Lighting the Way

 

 

One of the beautiful aspects of this time of year are all the lights that decorate both public places and our residences. The lights work a sort of magic with us, inspiring us to simply enjoy moments of visual beauty and also trigger moments of reflection.

Reflection then lights our way forward, just as lanterns along a path do. Thoughts prompted by the winter evenings and lights find us making ourselves cozy at home in the evenings, and as we relax with a warm beverage, a fire or candles, we may suddenly find our minds recalling a person we have not seen in a long time, or things that we did long ago.

At these moments, remember what the best aspects of that person are (or were) and how that helped you on your path. When recalling something we have done that we are proud of, and things that brought us great joy, notice how our hearts fill with love and the warmth we feel is directly related to those memories.

Now as we contemplate what we are about now and what we are going to do and wanting more of in our life, keep that same warm feeling of joy, pride, satisfaction and peace permeating those thoughts about what we really want now. This is the fire in the belly that fuels our engine and propels us forward.

So in this way, the outer lights lead to our inner light and propels us forward. Bear in mind that when we light the way for ourselves, we also light the way for others. When they see us enthusiastic and enjoying life, they may get inspired to pursue their dreams too, in addition to picking up attitudes from us, like our habit of being grateful and happy every day.

The magnificent holidays that come at this time of year are invested with many fond memories and good thoughts and so we literally and figuratively bring light and joy into our lives during the deepest, darkest, coldest time of winter.

We bring the light inside to remind ourselves that this darkness is seasonal, and that as it passes, we shed burdens and redirect energy as we reconnect with people and create new events. As we dance, sing, tell stories and jokes and the atmosphere is filled with lightened spirits and humor, we light up wherever we are.

In our fires, we can burn off those things we are done with, whether they are things, attitudes, or ideas. And then we can light our way with fresh energy, warmth and light, letting go of what no longer serves us while welcoming in that which will expand our sphere of influence for the better.

There are not just little bits of light reflecting off decorations, windows, ice and snow but off of us as well. When we light up, we invite more people to share in our energy and we see more smiles all around us as we light the way for ourselves and others.

Is Your Heart As Light as a Feather?

In the Egyptian mythology, the goddess Maat weighs a person's heart, which they equated with the soul, at the time of their death, and if their heart is light as a feather, that person gets to move on to the next level of consciousness, the next level of existence.

Is your heart as light as a feather? Do you do the things that make your heart sing? Or do you plod through life not believing that you could be more or do more? Have you ever said things like "I hate my job, but at least it's a paycheck?" Have you ever said "My marriage really sucks, it has been that way for years but I don't want to leave until I get a better offer?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to dance, but I don't think I am coordinated enough?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to see that place, but no one wants to go with me?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to learn more about that, but I never seem to have the time?"

Your heart will never be as light as a feather until you ask different questions and get different answers.

All of us can make our hearts light as feathers if we choose from love instead of fear. We can make our hearts lighter if we are kind to other people. We can make our hearts lighter if we do things that bring more joy into our life.

When we are living with joy and love, we are radiant and others can see that inner light glow through us. When we are living with light in our hearts, we enjoy all aspects of life: our work, our relationships, our play, our life in this world.

Changing our thinking is the first step on the way to lightening our heart. Positive thinking can light the light. Would you like to make your heart as light as a feather? How do you think it would feel to live that way?

Rhythms to Magically Shift Our Spirits

The rhythms of our days vary. Some days we get up and feel eager to get going. Other days we wake up slowly and we welcome the slow pace of a day with no urgent appointments on the agenda.

Rather than force ourselves to be one or the other, we can either increase our pace and speed things up or we can slow things down.

When we match the pace of our feelings, we are in sync with our spirit.

Have you noticed how some days it seems to take a while to get in sync? How the rhythms of our day may take a while to catch up with our feelings? Or how are feelings seem to be brought into line with our pace?

It is always a matter of fine tuning. After all, we do not just have one pace all the time. It fluctuates, just as our mood does.

Sometimes when we are down, we can play directly into it to lift ourselves out, singing blues, dancing slowly with ourselves, maybe drumming a little or reading a good book until we move into another rhythm.

So the rhythms we work with can alter our moods. We could be feeling out of sorts, but then by simply taking a walk, we can come back refreshed and come up with fresh ideas.

We could even be discouraged or disillusioned, but after going out to dance for a few hours, come back with a whole new attitude.

We can use rhythms in our life to lift our spirits, improve our health, find inspiration, grab a hold of the joy of life and clasp it to our chest, so that we are heart to heart with our aliveness.

Consider the ways in which we establish and shift the rhythms in our days. It is a magical energy that is always at our fingertips, at our feet, the sparkle in our eyes and the sweetness of discovery. Every day has new things to discover, if we just open our senses and engage with them.

We always have the power to bring things into alignment with movement, and rhythm is the tuning fork for what drives us.

Celebrating the M Days

May is the month of M days. After kicking off the month with high spirited Mayday Maypole dances, the month then brings us Mother's Day and we wrap it up with Memorial Day.

With each of the M days, we return to the heart of matters. Each of the three M days is about heart. We begin the month with exuberant energy pouring off us, dancing for what we really want. It makes a difference. When we work up a sweat going for what we want, we are following our heart's desires. Is it even possible to work up a sweat for matters that we do not really care about? So we work up the energy to bring our dreams into reality.

Mother's Day is an opportunity for us to express gratitude to our mother. The purpose is simple yet profound. You don't really have to buy anything to express your feelings. It is simply taking the time to do so. As we examine our own story on this planet in this lifetime, lessons can be derived from the story of our mother and father. Reflecting on this story and the related stories can be useful in sharpening our vision of our own future. When Mother's Day is an opportunity to tell stories, there is an opportunity for enlightenment.

As we wrap up the month with Memorial Day, we give honor and pay our respects to those who have died in war. Begun as a day of healing after the Civil War, it was later expanded to include those who died in all wars in which Americans were involved. Then it also expanded generally to remembering our dead. It was a natural progression. I suppose many people who were going to the cemetery to place flowers on the graves of military veterans also figured it would be a good time to stop at other family members graves.

Memorial Day is a potent holiday because of course, we cannot conjure up the memories of wars without also bringing up feelings about why we ever got involved in those wars. I have hope that in the future we will be much more reluctant to go to war and much more skeptical of those who urge us to do so. Of course, I, like John Lennon, imagine different futures for us all.

In fact, those of us who are seers have accepted the challenge of seeing things differently, of being able to interpret the stories differently, of being able to see what others are missing. It is what we agreed to do with our abilities.

We do not always want to see what we see, and sometimes we do not like what we see, but as seers, we take a look and then report back to the one who is asking us questions.

It is our nature to like questions. I started out by picking up a deck and asking myself what can a deck of cards do? I started doing energy healing on others because I asked if people really could do that. I started to learn about past lives after I asked the questions about whether it was real and whether it mattered. I found the answers to the questions were extremely gratifying.

And here we are, celebrating the magnificent M days in the month of May.

So do a little dance to energize your dreams. You can start right where you are. Right there, in the privacy of your home, move around to call to your spirit guides and send your intentions off into the universe. Funny how the whole world seems a little brighter when your clear intentions are empowered by energetic movement. Signal to everyone that you are ready to get moving.

And if you enjoy dancing with other people, there are always places to go and do that too. Take time to reflect, then get up and move, stirring up the energy that will advance you in the direction of your dreams.

The Power of Enthusiasm

It has been said that to enjoy swing dance, all that is required is joyful enthusiasm and a ready partner. Much of the pleasure and adventure in life only requires these same two ingredients.

How many times have you wanted to try something new but hesitated because you didn't want to go by yourself?

But sometimes, that beginning of the new journey is all about you deciding to get up and go, and in so doing, finding others who enjoy the same things as you do.

Part of the adventure is simply being willing to get started and trust that you will meet others who share your enthusiasm.

How many of the things in life that give you pleasure and satisfaction are things that you simply had to learn by doing? Yes, most of them. Of course, at times we need teachers to show us the way to do things and give us knowledge about subjects we want to learn more about. But in the end, it is still all about getting up and putting one foot in front of the other.

How many things can you do that only require joyful enthusiasm and a ready partner?

If we remove all the other considerations from the picture and just get going, how much more joy would there be in our life?

Mysteries of Energies

Monday evening kirtan was a great way to get in touch with the spirit within that loves to sing. After a few hours of singing, there is a very mellow vibe that is upbeat and enlivening at the same time. Voices blended in the traditional Hindu style of chanting is a delicious experience. The call and response rhythms is similar to the blues, except with a different intention. Chanting the sacred chants which are embedded with bits of wisdom and lots of love invokes a sacred presence and a presence of mind into those who participate.

Tonight, I went to hear Stan Romanek speak about his experiences with UFOs and alien abductions. Quite fascinating to see the photos and hear voice recordings of other beings in his life. One photo in particular sticks in my mind, that of a girl attending one of his talks who is a hybrid human/ET. She had human features and those distinctly large almond shaped eyes that are common to depictions of ETs.

And there were also quite a number of photos and film clips where the ETs were in and around his house. Then who would not be impressed with his story about how he fell off a ladder and tore his ACL (muscles around the knee). The doctors were prepared to operate, but then one night he got another visit from his ET buddies who fixed his knee for him. His doctor didn't believe it when he called in and said that he no longer needed surgery. The photos showed a line of little scars, sort of round, like puncture marks.

Listening to Stan speak, I get the same impression I got when I heard Whitley Strieber speak, which is that these are normal people who have been exposed to highly unusual adventures, rather than just people who made stuff up to get attention. Clearly, when you read their stories, you can tell that they did not want all this attention from their visitors.

I find a lot of this stuff interesting. I have no idea what it all really means. No idea how it all happens. When I look at presentations like this, or photos of crop circles, or the photos released by the British government of their sightings, it just all seems so amazing. I think it all has something to do with our evolution. I love a good story, and these stories are full of mysterious things and mysterious doings. There is plenty of food for thought in all this. By now, who hasn't seen photos of UFOs?

But that hybrid girl photo is absolutely stunning. That one image is the counterweight to the goofy end of the spectrum. Remember those two old geezers who got on TV several years ago and claimed that they made the crop circles by dragging pieces of wood around fields on ropes? I suspect they had a few snorts of whiskey before coming up with that one, and it would probably would be fun to have a drink with those old guys. That's part of what I like about this stuff. It contains the full spectrum from the silly to the spectacular and sublime.

On Friday, I go back for another joyous jolt of energy contra dancing. The fiddle music, the foot stomping, the whirling and swinging bring the energies back to earth so that we can ground and take off again. Dancing leaves me the same way as singing after a few hours, energized and euphoric and somewhat spent from the effort.

Every bit of it is worth it. There are all kinds of ways to tap into energies, and all kinds of ways to experience them. These are some of the ones that work for me. If you are looking for ways to perk up your energies, there are lots of other ways out there as well.

Earlier in my life, if you would have asked me, I would have told you that all this stuff is too far out for me. Years ago if you would have told me that I would be devoting my attention to doing readings for people, I would have thought you were mistaking me for someone else.

Then again, it is a strange and wonderful world we live in isn't it?

Blue Healing

The blues has a way of lifting your spirits by taking you down to the bottom and letting you bounce up. I love the blues. Something about the urgency of the music, the gut level feel of it has the power to energize and move. It's also kind of sexy, seductive and playful.

Wonder where you get that feeling when you are hearing the blues? Considering that blues inspired some creative soul to draw eerie, edgy sounds of out a guitar using a beer bottle neck, the earthy vocals fit nicely alongside it. That primal feel is what grabs your attention when the singer not only sings sweetly but mixes it with a range of sounds, growls, shots, and sensuous moans mixed in. And if at some point you don't find yourself laughing or smiling over some of the lyrics, you haven't been listening.

And some nights, that's exactly what I want to hear. The visceral feel, going straight for the emotions, and kicking it into gear with those rhythms that just call you up to dance. Dance, and let it stoke the fire of seduction. Let it bounce in those playful ways you like to do. I see that sparkle that comes with that smile. Funny that works, isn't it?

On those days and nights when you feel like you need some medicine to lift your spirits, bathe yourself in some blues. You might be having a drink while feeling funky about the way things have been going. But after you soak in that music for a little while and feel it moving you to dance, you will be feeling better.

Blues can heal. What sweet medicine.

A Moment at Sunset

This evening I was sitting by the window facing west, having a drink and watching the sunset. I am feeling quite happy with the progress of events right now. No, no sure things, but delicious opportunities.

I have opportunities again to do more of the work I love most. I am relaxing, knowing that tomorrow will be a long drive to the next gig. That's fine. I am ready.

For now, things are moving forward. New friends. New work. More dancing. More music.

It is always a good thing to toast the setting sun, and feel gratitude for what is going well.

For now, I offer you this one simple thought. Nothing more complicated.

Just toast the setting sun and feel gratitude.

Paying Attention

Paying attention is key to enjoying life. Of course, enjoying life includes getting what we want.

Examples. If a person is not paying attention to the music, all of a sudden a beautiful dance turns into a chaotic mess.

If a person is driving a car and not paying attention, accidents happen.

If a small business owner does not pay attention to excellent performance or making use of every opportunity that comes their way, they fall short of their goals, or worse, lose it all.

If a person does not pay attention to their physical well being, they can create consequences that make their own physical comfort decrease.

What makes one person a better lover than another? Paying attention.

What makes one person more creative than another? Paying attention.

Malidoma Some, an African shaman, says that "A person who has a problem learning to drum is a person who has a problem with listening."

Carry that thought out to those things which are important to us. We can never become excellent at anyting without paying attention.

If we pay attention to the things we say are important to us, success has got to come to us, in larger or smaller amounts.

Paying attention is the true cost of success.

Yang Energy for the New Year

Now that I have enjoyed some time resting and gathering energy in the yin space, I begin the new year with yang energy reaching out to accelerate the drive to build up my business, crank up the networking and getting the new year off to a start with a vigorous thrust of energy.

Although work has not fully reengaged yet, lots of dates are being put on the calendar and plans are taking shape.

I have culled through my book and music collections and traded in a fair number of things and renewed my focus my attention on what I want to grow this year.

As I was doing a deep cleaning of my living space, it struck me that this would be a good time to review the writings of Carlos Castaneda and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Listening to some of the dance albums I have not heard in a while also reinforced my decision to spend more time dancing every week as well as working out more.

Tarot trading has been fast and furious for me and I have a great new inventory to offer those who are looking for something special.

Exercises like this are always valuable to me, because no matter how many times I have done this, things slip by and I find that there are things laying around that I do not use any more, music I don't listen to or books that I will not get around to reading, and once I strip them away, then there are the ones that it will be good to use more.

Things can pile up and get out of hand when you let them. Clutter hides important things from view and delays decisive action. It takes a motivated effort to prepare for the next stage of action, clarifying thoughts and getting ready to spring into action with a burst of yang energy.

All in all, I am glad that I spent my new year's time this way. I am feeling ready for a new year.

Finding the One

I went salsa dancing this evening for the first time. Of course, when you take up a new kind of dancing, you have to learn the steps. Just like other kinds of dancing and when I was drumming. When you are trying to find your place in the music, you find the one, the beat that starts it all, the beat that starts the progression and kicks it all off, then you join in there to start.

Finding the one is a way to find your place so that you don't get lost. You can always get back to the beginning and start again.

Fortunately, at these dances, there are lots of dancers who will kind of show you the way until you get the hang of it.

Finding the one is about getting your bearings. Finding the one in dancing or drumming means you can play with the others. Finding the one means you can begin confidently and move on. The starting point keeps coming around again, no matter how many times you lose your place. Start over again until you get the hang of it.

Now I know that somebody was probably reading this thinking that it might be about finding "the one" but it's not. In fact I don't think that there is just one for any of us. I think that there are a bunch of people who could be great matches for us and we choose who we want to spend more time with out of all those.

There is not just one person in the world who is perfect for us, any more than there is only one beat in the dance where we can start dancing from. We find a partner to dance with and then we begin this dance. In time, we find dance partners who we really enjoy dancing with and then maybe we find one we like dancing with more and so we keep dancing with that one.

We have infinite chances to find one we can dance with, drum with, sing with, laugh with, be intimate with, and of all the ones we find who are quite wonderful, we choose to start the dance again with finding the one.

Now that you have found the one, step into the dance. Yes, together. Now let go and give yourself to the dance. Start again.

Dance is the Desire, Expressed

Dancing, any kind of dancing, works to still the mind while you move the body. Once you get up and dance and start to work up a sweat, all the things that were stressful about work, school, or anything else, just seem to fade away.

In this way, it has a cathartic effect. Cleansing, deep down to the bones. By the time I come home from dancing and take a shower or a bath, I feel so clean, so peaceful, so happy, that a state of relaxation sets in, now that the body has stopped moving and the muscles are feeling that good kind of exhaustion from being taken to the limits, and sleep comes easily.

Dancing can be a moving meditation. Why do you think that since ancient times, rituals and ceremonies included dancing? It can alter your state of mind and make an event special.

The body takes on a mind of its own, as it becomes entrained to the music and develops movements that ride the waves of the music. As the body pursues that single focus, there is nothing other than the present, the dance.

You have this moment, this music, this movement, this joy, this peace, this energetic shift that has changed your consciousness. As the body does what the body does, the mind is quieted, and the joy of living comes to the surface, front and center. In this moment, where there is nothing but the dance, there is nothing else to desire, except to feel the dance. The dance is the desire, expressed.

Stir the Energy Up

When our energy gets stuck, we have to get up and stir things up in order to draw new energy to us and magnetize ourselves for good things to come.

If you are wishing that you had an opening, that events were moving in your favor more, keep focused on your intention and do anything to stir things up.

Funny how it works. I am looking for ways to keep my business expanding. So I spend more time dancing and swimming and walking. Then I go home and find new business in my email.

What is the connection? I just keep putting my energy out there in the aethers, projecting, attracting, magnetizing.

Bodies in motion create vibrations. We are the greatest tools of magic. Focus and project. Then open to receive.


Of course, there are some evenings when I just stay home and kick back. And there are also lots of days when I send out emails, make calls, go to events to meet new people and take other actions to generate business.

That's right, just fire up the engines, put those ingredients in the cauldron and stir until ready to drink.

And then sometimes, I just have to step away from it and go knock back a few scotches and dance or better yet........

I will let your imagination complete that last thought. And if you have a good imagination, you know how to reach me and tell me how you would end that sentence.

A Sense of Adventure

For many people, the word adventure conjures up images of climbing mountains, snowboarding in the back country, riding big waves on surfboards, sailing around the world, jumping out of airplanes with parachutes, and other such daring physical feats.

However, not everyone wants to do such things, and so perhaps it is worth considering the many things a person could do that would constitute an adventure for them.

For example, wouldn't many people who create their own business consider it an adventure? What about people who overcome a fear of public speaking and then become known as a speaker or actor? What about the person who writes a book, or paints pictures that hang in art galleries? Or the person who goes back to school later in life and earns a degree or learns new skills to start a new career?

Yes, earlier in my life I hiked fourteeners, crewed on a racing yacht, walked on fire, went on vision quests, drummed all night around campfires and did other such things.

Then I did other things that I thought of as adventures that depart from the vigorous physical model.

I thought of it as an adventure to work in the Renaissance Festival, to be a security guard for the Chicago Cubs baseball team for a season was an adventure, to edit a magazine and write for publications was an adventure. Writing books was an adventure. Teaching was an adventure. Moving across the country and starting my life over again several times, was an adventure. Learning to develop my psychic abilities was an adventure. Learning to be a gardener and herbalist was an adventure. Learning to dance was an adventure. Learning how to be a lover was an adventure.

If we have a sense of adventure about life, we can define it in many ways, all of which enhance our sense of aliveness, joy and excitement.

What are the adventures you have had? What adventures would you like to have?

Dancing Omens

Omens come in many forms. When something comes to your attention at least three times, you are being advised to take action by your spirit guides. This is an example of how it worked for me to get busy dancing again.

Earlier this year while I was reading at a festival, a couple who I used to see at dancing came to me for a reading. They asked me why I quit dancing. They reminded me that I have to do what feeds my soul.

One day last month at the rec center, I saw a familiar looking woman on the track. It took me a moment to recognize her. She asked me if I used to go contra dancing, and I said that I did. She asked me why I quit dancing. She said that was too bad and wondered if I would come back.

When I went dancing in one of the bars the other night, I ran into a healer I know from working fairs, and I know that she always liked to dance a lot. She talked to me a bit and so I decided to stay and dance. Until that moment, I wasn't quite sure if I would stay or go.

I was having dinner with a woman the other night and mentioned dancing to her and she encouraged me to go back to it, and said that she would like to go and see what it is like too.

Dancing was the first exercise I got besides walking after my heart attack 10 years ago. I feel like it helped me recover. They say that if you are going to have a relapse and another heart attack, it will happen within one or two years. I was dancing through that whole period, with no relapse.

It took me a month to be able to walk around the block for a half hour after my heart surgery. About four to six months later (can't remember exactly), I was introduced to contra dancing, and I was able to dance for three hours a night every week.

I could not believe that it took that much effort to get back on my feet at first, then later, I found myself wanting to dance at every opportunity. I am sure that dancing did me good. During that period, I never lifted any weights or walked on any treadmill. Just danced.

So I am being prompted to dance again. When you pay attention, omens help you choose. My spirit guides are clearly saying that this is part of my path for now.

Dancing, Healing, Spirits

Some psychics smoke cigarettes to ground when they are taking a break. Some eat sweets. Me? I like a shot of scotch. And I dance. Let me note right here that I don't drink while I work. Not even when I am working parties or events where they are serving liquor. I have my scotch after work, when I get home. I am always sober when I am reading. I know there are people out there who might think that psychics should just do things like eat vegetarian and do yoga in between doing their psychic work, but that's not really how it works. Put a plate of BBQ ribs or meatballs in the break room at a psychic fair and watch them disappear.

This year, I felt the veil part about a month before Samhain, and I have been asked to do work I do not ordinarily get called on to do. The events I have been working have been very busy for me, and I have felt the energy open up new channels. It has been a profoundly heavy time this year.

Tonight, and a few nights recently, I have done something I have not done in a long time. I went to bars that feature blues or rock, and I drank and danced.

You may not think that is noteworthy, but here's why. Years ago, I used to dance every week. You could count on seeing me at contra dancing every Friday evening. Then I tried some other forms. One of my inspirations was a guy in Atlanta who told me that he took off a lot of weight and kept it off by dancing. He danced several nights a week. One night was contra, one night was Cajun, one night was Irish, one night was waltzing, one night was swing. He asked one question. "What's more fun? Going to a gym, lifting weights and walking on a treadmill, or dancing with women?"

I didn't have to think long. And I danced more. And I always felt good when I danced.

When I moved to Colorado, I started doing the Dances for Universal Peace as well as the contra dances.

Then I met a woman who did not care for the dances I took her to when we started dating, so I quit dancing to spend more time with her. She didn't take me up on my offer to go dancing in bars either. As a result, years went by without me dancing again. I missed it. But you do crazy things sometimes when you are in love.

So that relationship is over, and recently I felt the urge to start dancing again. I actually was kind of hesitant wondering to myself whether I would like it as much as I used to after a long layoff. A couple of people encouraged me, and I am so glad they did.

Even though putting my foot back in the dancing water began with having a drink and asking women to dance in a bar, my energy really perked up just from doing that. Next week I will start contra dancing again. Then we will see what comes next.

This I know. Dancing is the antidote to a lot of things that bring our spirits down. It must be the endorphins or whatever that kick into gear when we get up and dance.

Or maybe it is just the heart that enjoys the aerobic exercise. The heart also enjoys the touch and the eye contact with a dance partner. Dancing is very healing.

Here But Not Here, Gone But Not Gone

At times of transition, our minds sometimes let us fade in and out of consciousness. Not that we are blacking out, or anything like that. For example, I have moved a number of times in my life, but lived in Atlanta longer than anywhere before I moved to Colorado, and every once in a while I find myself saying that I have to drive into Atlanta for an event tonight.

Of course, Denver looks nothing like Atlanta, and I know I am here, not there. But when I am in that in between state, what is connecting is that I am going in town, and for a long time, that's what it felt like and looked like. Before I get in the car and actually go there, I might actually think I am going there. But then once I am out in the car, the familiar sights remind me that the Atlanta part of my life is gone, but not gone.

It happens like that with people in our life too. Sometimes after the death of someone we knew for a long time, we find ourselves thinking that we will be going over to see them one day soon and then we remember that they have already gone.

When we are used to getting up to go to work at the same time every morning, and then that changes, we find ourselves getting out of bed thinking we need to hurry up and make coffee and get dressed, and then we remember that we don't have to leave or go anywhere right now, and then we can think about what we want or need to do today.

People who have recently ended a relationship can also experience these feelings when they think about going somewhere, and for a moment their memory slips and they picture themselves going with their old partner or being with their old partner.

It is as if our bodies have memories of their own and they remember certain experiences so well that they can still recall a presence that is now gone. It is as if our bodies hold on to these old memories until they are replaced by not just newer, but more powerful, memories that occupy more of our consciousness.

Even then, the lingering memories of what used to be still have a powerful grip, whether we call it nostalgia or sentimentality or romanticism, those powerful memories will never be completely gone as long as we live in those bodies that experienced them.

I have a theory that medical experts may not agree with, and it is this. Although I know that Alzheimers is a degenerative disease that affects the mind, I also know, in the psychic way of knowing that sometimes people will choose to slip in and out of consciousness, and sometimes allow themselves to feel here, but not here, as they recall some more pleasant moment of their past.

I think people sometimes choose that blissful state of here but not here, gone but not gone.

Let me be clear that I am not saying that people can just will themselves out of Alzheimers. I am just saying that even those of us in good health can sometimes allow ourselves the pleasure of slipping in and out of different states of consciousness.

When our energy ebbs and flows in those in between times we may be walking between the worlds, as it is often said of shamans. We are simply enjoying a feeling whether or not it is actually accurate, it may be feeling accurate. When we have a pleasant thought, our body experiences that as if it were happening.

That between the worlds state seems to exist between the highs and lows. There are times when that level of consciousness feels as delightful as anything we might have deliberately cultivated, but it is even more enjoyable because it just comes, without being summoned. There is a flow to it.

Without trying too hard, in fact I will say because we do not try too hard, we find ourselves in a euphoric state that feels effortless. We can be walking between two worlds when we practice being here, but not here, gone but not gone.

Constellations of Remembrance and Joy

Once again, we are on the threshhold of the fall, the autumn, the most deeply felt season.

We begin it by giving thanks for all that we have harvested this year. While for some of us, that may be crops or gardens that we grew that gave us wonderful gifts of flowers, herbs and vegetables, for others it may have been the gift of new friends, new jobs, a new place to live, the recovery of health, and new opportunities.

We are surrounded by the magic of seasonal change as we observe the leaves turning color, and those that don't have much color going from green to brown, trees being stripped of their foliage by the wind to reveal their bones, their skeletons, their stark outline against the sky.

Our journey continues as we honor those we knew who crossed the veil this year, savoring the powerful holidays of the Celtic Samhain (Halloween) and Dia de los Muertos (the Mexican Day of the Dead). These are always moving celebrations, as they should be. We celebrate birthdays, and we should take a day to remember those who have moved on to the next plane of existence, who were once an active and influential part of our life.

When we come to the civic holiday of Thanksgiving, it is really an extension of the celebration of gratitude we begin at the Autumn Equinox, which arrives tomorrow, along with a full moon. Both the seasonal holiday and the civic holiday are part of the same spiritual tide, that of remembrance and acknowledgement.

By the time of Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, we have moved past our mourning, our remembrance, humility and gratitude, and now we are in full blown celebration with many gatherings of friends, family, festive music, special foods and drinks, joking, storytelling, music and dance. And we celebrate the return of the light, the Sun, heralding the new year, the return of hope, the triumph of joy.

There is no constellation of special days of this magnitude anywhere else in our year. As we journey through it, let us be conscious of the ceremonies of thanks for the year past and omens of the planting the seeds of power for the year ahead.

The portrait of our human journey is now painted in saturated colors, and we are privileged to walk once more through this living gallery where the most fantastic images come to life, and we realize that they are us. We are both radiantly alive, sensitive and sensuous, rich with feelings, wisdom and whispered intimations of destiny. We are now in the sacred space where we look both forward, backward and become more centered in our present.

Greetings to autumn and the onset of winter! Light the fires to welcome them and ourselves, home.

Melodies, Mind and Body

When we are young, music speaks to us of the life before us, where there are many possibilities. Many older people may summon nostalgic memories. Since many people are now living longer, hearing some inspiring music or seeing some great live performances may still spark ideas of things yet to come.

Music communicates in many ways, on many levels. It encourages us to dance, engaging the senses, and it also sets our mind off in different directions. It keeps both mind and body limber.

Just as lyrics in music are stored in a different part of the brain than spoken words, it would seem that the memories triggered by songs can bring up associations from our subconscious in seemingly random patterns.

Music has its own history. It may have been created in a certain time or place and it can evoke memories, although the people who heard it when it was new may have very different memories associated with it than those who hear it a long time later.

Interestingly, the composer's intentions mean a lot to them when they are creating the music, but most listeners might enjoy it without ever knowing anything about those intentions. Quite amazing when you think about it, but it points to one simple truth. Just as we have no idea what a painter was thinking when they painted a picture, although we might enjoy looking at it and find ourselves appreciating it and being inspired by the finished product, the same thing happens when we hear a song we like the sound of. We may not ever know what the composer had in mind during the creation process, but we savor, and may be inspired by, the finished product.

So that gives music a unique power. Say, for example, hearing a popular piece of music reminds one person of an old lover from years ago, while another person hearing the same piece of music might have a memory of a career transition, or a summer vacation. Yet, hearing a piece of popular music can massage these emotional touchstones for millions of people at the same time in different ways.

The power of the melody has to be the unifying factor, even though lyrics are bound to send different people's minds off in different directions.

What is often suggested by music that we remember from when we were young is that there was a time when we looked at the world and saw a place where everything was possible. For many of us, good music still does.

Human Signs

I don't know if it is just the area where I live, but on the busy streets, I seem to see more and more of these people who stand out by the curb waving signs at passing cars advertising pizza, sandwiches, shoes, tax preparation and stuff. I noticed that stores that sell beer and liquor don't seem to need the extra signs for people to find their way to them.

That is one of the odd jobs that I have not done, and probably won't do. I wonder how much they make. It must be kind of boring. I notice that some of them are wearing ipods and dancing while they find different ways to shake and wave their signs. It might be kind of a boring job, but who knows, it might be a great way to lose weight.

Who knows? Now that we have legal weed and lots of interesting characters in this area, maybe some passing motorists flip them joints to keep them dancing. One can always hope, eh?