The Power of Gratitude

All of us appreciate when someone expresses gratitude to us, and when we express gratitude to others, we put in motion a good feeling that always comes back around. Thanking someone else for what they did for us can make their whole day sometimes. We all have our work to do and in the course of a day, how often do we really express appreciation to each other? I mean sincere appreciation, not just thanks and duck out the door. When we know we have done good work for someone and they take the time to acknowledge us, it can make our day. And we can make their day.

What a simple, yet powerful act, and we all have the ability to stir up these wonderful feelings in ourselves and others. When we express gratitude to others, they are, in turn, inspired to express it to others.

Knowing that others appreciate us is important. Of course we all work for money because that is the medium of exchange in our culture. And yet, it really stirs up good feelings when gratitude is expressed.

This same energy exchange works with people at work, people we have intimate relationships with, business dealings with, casual acquaintances, and those in spirit. Express appreciation for our various caregivers whether they work in our doctor's office or the stores where we shop.

So even from a selfish point of view, if you would like other people to treat you like that more often, treat other people that way more often.

Extend those feelings to your spirit guides as well. They help us by advising and protecting us. That is their job, but we really keep those channels of communication open, like a dialogue, a two way street with them when we do.

Some people's concept of prayer is that you engage in it when you want something. No. It is good to say thank you to your spirit guides, ancestors and angels every day.

Think of it this way. If you have a friend who only calls you when you want something, you will tire of getting their calls and not want to answer. So if it goes both ways, then you have a good friendship. It is the same way with spirit guides, ancestors, angels. Take a few moments every day to thank them for all the good things that are happening to you. Everything. Who do you think gives you good ideas and accurate instincts? Who helps keep things running? Who helps keep you healthy and safe? Who helps us get more out of life?

Thanksgiving to me has always been the best holiday because it is so simple. We get together with family and friends to share a good meal, some conversation, some games and music and just appreciate each other's company. What a great way to spend a day!

We have always invited some people in addition to family to join us and lots of other people have this tradition as well. Years ago, when I moved around the country a lot for business, people would always get orphan dinners together. That was a word they used for all of us who were transferred in from some other place just for the job and had no family or friends there. So a bunch of us would get together, everyone would bring some food or beverage to share and we would have a good time hanging out that day.

It is in our nature as people to want to enjoy social relations with others, the same way as it is in our nature to help other people.

So enjoy your holiday and know that I appreciate all of you. Every one of you have added something to my life just by your presence.

And I look forward to seeing each of you again whenever you feel that the time is right.

May you all enjoy much light, love and happiness every day, and especially now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Masking and UNmasking

Isn't it interesting how the masking and unmasking we do at costume parties mirrors what is going on in the world around us? The green leaves that sprouted in spring and came to fullness in summer now turn colors and fall to the ground, leaving only the skeletons of the trees contrasted against the sky. 

During the year people see us in different ways. One mask might be our professional status, the face which others see as we present ourselves as skilled individuals. Another face is our personal self where we engage in our relationships, hobbies, activities and other pursuits. Then we have our spiritual persona where we follow our spiritual path or our religious rituals. 

Yet, at the heart of it all, there is simply the person who embodies all of this. Where others may see only one of these aspects of us, few see all of them. 

Standing in our sacred space, reflecting on our place in the world, we choose which aspect of our persona we choose to present next. Consciously choosing what is next we may emphasize a different aspect of our professional practice, relationships, avocations and spiritual practices. 

So the metaphor of masks at parties reveals truth. The characters we choose to inhabit for an evening at a party is a playful way of trying on some other character or characteristics that we wish to experience. 

The masks we wear may be revealing the truth of the direction we desire. Yes, I know that one thought may be that this is only an evening's entertainment.

Now look again, for there is a root of truth that appeals to us when we choose to read the same kinds of books, the same kinds of movies and are fascinated by the same kinds of stories over and over again. There are common threads that appeal to our sense of who we are and what kind of world we want what kind of life we want, how we would like to see ourselves as a person. 

Masking is a way of looking at the world through different eyes for a while and letting others see us differently for a while. As we all have experienced, this can be very enlivening and enlightening. And that is why we look forward to doing it. 

Knowing this about ourselves is revealing of inner truths as we enjoy our revelry. Knowing this about Halloween is like appreciating the difference between soul cakes and trick or treat.

You see in the old days, at Halloween, visitors would come to visit and sing songs, say prayers or tell stories about those who had died this year and the hosts would offer them soul cakes and drinks in appreciation. The Celts called this day Samhain and it marked the beginning of winter. They would also set a place at the table for the person who had died, and this was called the dumb supper.

Ironically, in a far a way country which we now call Mexico, on that very same day of the year, the Celebration was called La Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. And on this day too, the dead were honored with their favorite food and people told stories to remember them and wish them well on their journey into the next world, and like the Celts, they also bake special breads just for this holiday.

In both cases, the honoring of the dead was also a celebration of life. The Day of the Dead prominently features skeletons dancing, affirming that life goes on on another level. 

So the sweetness of life and the recognition of the various levels of self that we consider on this holiday offers a great insight into what life means to us, how we see ourselves and the impact we have on others. Masks and treats of this holiday are other aspects of self hidden in plain sight. And the pleasure is that all of this can be enjoyed with a great deal of fun, illumination and imagination. It is delicious, isn't it? 

Celebrating Freedom from limiting thoughts and openness to new ideas

We recently celebrated July 4th, which is about how we fought for our freedom as a country by choosing to free ourselves from the British Empire and create our own country where we would have the freedom to live as we like and elect leaders who would represent our interests, first and foremost.

In some ways, we do this every day when we wake up and begin another day. Each day, we are given another opportunity to make new choices and explore new ideas.

What kind of new ideas? Within recent years we have chosen to explore new spiritual paths and practices, many very different from the ones we knew earlier in our lives.

Energy healing is another practice that many people are opening up to, and as we open to these practices, we experience how well they work.

Ideas about positive thinking and the Law of Attraction give us a different perspective on life, which encourage us to choose more consciously to create our lives.

When we look at life from a fresh perspective, we change the way we eat and the ways we relate to food. We change the way we think about voting and who we choose to represent us.

New ideas also lead us to choose different forms of entertainment. Growing numbers of people have now disconnected from cable and satellite dishes and get their news and entertainment through the internet, independent radio stations, watching documentaries and independent films and reading different books or joining discussion groups, book clubs and meetings which support their new exploration of ideas.

Many people have been forced by changes in the economy to figure out new ways to make a living, and although the changes can be wrenching and traumatic at first, many have found more satisfactory ways to make their living.

One of the things I do most often is help people see other possibilities and support them in their transitions. Often at times like this, we need people who will support and encourage our choices and our new thinking because in our explorations some of our old friends may think that we are off track, so it takes someone else who has an objective vision to help us see more clearly and encourages us to continue our explorations to have a happier new phase of life.

Given the changes in our world, we need new friends and helpers who will support our new visions for our lives and are traveling down these new roads themselves to create a better life for themselves. Opening our minds to new thoughts will lead us to explore new territories and these new worlds we are living in may bear little resemblance to our earlier lives.

As we enjoy the fireworks, what are the ways that we are freeing our minds to live in new states of independence? What new ways of thinking will help us enjoy our new freedoms? What will our next step be? Even though changes can be kind of scary and upend our old status quo, the rewards on the other side are exciting.

Remember that courage means proceeding even in the face of doubt. Doing a sure thing requires no courage. As we call upon our courage, we can feel the physical sensations in our body when we rise to meet new challenges. New thoughts may encourage us to act swiftly and decisively, and as we make progress, there will be new waves of joy that confirm our choices.

Creating a new country and creating a new life have these things in common. Countries can be pieces of geography and they can also be states of mind. What will you choose next?

In a few days we will be celebrating July 4th, which is about how we fought for our freedom as a country by choosing to free ourselves from the British Empire and create our own country where we would have the freedom to live as we like and elect leaders who would represent our interests, first and foremost.

In some ways, we do this every day when we wake up and begin another day. Each day, we are given another opportunity to make new choices and explore new ideas. 

What kind of new ideas? Within recent years we have chosen to explore new spiritual paths and practices, many very different from the ones we knew earlier in our lives. 

Energy healing is another practice that many people are opening up to, and as we open to these practices, we experience how well they work. 

Ideas about positive thinking and the Law of Attraction give us a different perspective on life, which encourage us to choose more consciously to create our lives.

When we look at life from a fresh perspective, we change the way we eat and the ways we relate to food. We change the way we think about voting and who we choose to represent us. 

New ideas also lead us to choose different forms of entertainment. Growing numbers of people have now disconnected from cable and satellite dishes and get their news and entertainment through the internet, independent radio stations, watching documentaries and independent films and reading different books or joining discussion groups, book clubs and meetings which support their new exploration of ideas. 

Many people have been forced by changes in the economy to figure out new ways to make a living, and although the changes can be wrenching and traumatic at first, many have found more satisfactory ways to make their living. 

One of the things I do most often is help people see other possibilities and support them in their transitions. Often at times like this, we need people who will support and encourage our choices and our new thinking because in our explorations some of our old friends may think that we are off track, so it takes someone else who has an objective vision to help us see more clearly and encourages us to continue our explorations to have a happier new phase of life. 

Given th

Gaining Control by losing control. How does this make sense?

We have all heard of that expression "one day at a time." I am getting an exercise in that right now as I continue to live where I live without a lease and without knowing what will happen until someone buys the property and announces their intentions. So each day I get up and give thanks for the opportunity to live here and for having another day of life. Whether I get to stay or have to move will be a decision that is out of my hands at this time. I appreciate each day for what it is and I do what I need to do every day.

It takes a lot of courage to trust that things will work out without knowing the answers to all our questions. It also takes a lot of courage to be open to possible developments that we had not anticipated. Actually, doing some research now is revealing some patterns that I had only been vaguely aware of before. At this moment I am keeping those discoveries to myself until I see how they all add up and how they may influence future choices. Suffice it to say that I am making discoveries because these factors are causing me to research and reconsider what I know and what I prefer.

Face it, it can be unnerving when we have a plan and it unfolds in a different manner than we expected because it took a different turn.

We all like it when things go according to our plans. But sometimes, it just happens that someone else makes a decision or takes an action that sets in motion a chain of events and next thing you know, your schedule has changed and your plans have changed.

Be patient. The changes work out just fine. Just like that old saying about when one door closes and another opens.

Sometimes we gain control when we lose control. Here is a simple example of a fun way to experience this. I used to lead drumming circles and still use the drums with people who want a different kind of meditation experience. By just listening and following what we hear, we feel the music and our minds are just following that track. Malidoma Some, an African drummer and shaman whom I had the pleasure of encountering says that "a person who has trouble with drumming has trouble with listening."

Consider that for a moment. When we become more aware and pay attention to the signs we pick up from all around us, we find new paths. We learn melodies that we did not know. Fresh thoughts come to us. And we learn to work with others more beautifully, more harmoniously. We play together, listening to each other, we find a groove and that frees our mind to travel. And we would never have discovered those paths had we not opened our ears to listen.

So you are not drumming, you say? All drumming comes back to the first drum, our heartbeat, our breath. As we are more observant and aware of our surroundings, we perceive in ways that were once not visible to us. Hidden in plain sight is also revealed by listening to things that we have not been tuning into before.

It's also interesting how sometimes pieces of information come to us that help us make decisions that we were not even searching for. Guess all you can say is that the guiding influences in our life must have intended for us to have those, whether we call those guiding influences God, Goddess, spirit guides, ancestors, angels or something else. So here we are. Once again making a decision that veers off our original course. Is that bad? No. Making changes often leads to finding a better way to do things.

If we allow things to come to us, they will. Sometimes not being certain will get us where we want to be, except that the process of discovery reveals that we are in a place that we did not know we wanted to be but it is working out well although it was unexpected.

And we can gain control by losing control.



* A note about the photos. The image on top is the 4 of Wands from Ciro Marchetti's Tarot of Dreams which is one of the decks I read with all the time. The bottom photo is Layne Redmond, one of my teachers in the world of drumming.

November, the Month of Gratitude

November to me is an entire month of celebrating gratitude, with the civic holiday of Thanksgiving as the crowning event in the month. This year I am also happy to see a growing list of companies that are closing for Thanksgiving so that their employees can also spend time with their family and friends, reversing the ugly trend of just turning this magnificent holiday into just another shopping day.

One of the best things any of us can do to improve our lives on a daily basis is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. It helps me to maintain a pleasant atmosphere and improve the results I get in my business. How does that work?

Easy. When you smile and are easy to get along with, people like to talk to you, do business with you and be kind and happy in return. When we express gratitude to our spirit guides for all the help and good they have brought into our lives, they appreciate our expressions because that makes our interaction more of a dialogue rather than a one way communication from someone who only calls on us when they want something.

I am grateful for having a good landlord who keeps the building where I live in good working order.

I am grateful for an auto repair shop that keeps my car in good working order and is honest and efficient, so I am happy to recommend them to family and friends.

I am grateful for the helpful and knowledgeable people who work in the grocery stores where I shop because they help me find things and offer useful advice.

I am grateful that my chiropractor, massage therapist, doctor and dentist are all people who not only do their work wonderfully well but they also have good attitudes and I am happy to work with them.

I am grateful that I have family and friends who live nearby and I enjoy spending time with them, and help them when needed.

I am grateful to live in a city that does a fine job of providing service to us, including the rec centers and the library which I use daily.

I am grateful for all my clients who have provided me the opportunities to serve them, and in turn I am grateful that being able to do so helps me make a living by doing work that I love.

Notice how when we express gratitude that everyone seems more cooperative and pleasant.

Notice how when we express gratitude that more and more unexpected good things happen for us or to us.

Notice how when we express gratitude that even things that at first seemed difficult or troublesome can often produce something good before it is over.

Notice how expressing gratitude fills the air around us with vibrations that are loving, kind, cooperative, compassionate, happy and good natured and these vibrations draw more of the same back to us. Like attracts like. Law of attraction. Sympathetic vibrations.

So if there is one thing that I could share with each one of you that would help you create more positive and beneficial results in your life right now and every day from now on, this is it.

Express gratitude every day, and watch developments in your life blossom and thrive.

Discover more joy every day, in every way. Life is good.

Welcome to the month of gratitude and Thanksgiving!

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?

Mentoring Your Manifestations

I have been thinking about how we can continue our relationship in the most flexible and useful way.

What I mean is this. One of the main types of service I offer at metaphysical fairs is tarot card readings.

However, for steady growth and development, you probably could use other of my services, beyond tarot readings.

As a mentor, there could be a number of things I can help you with. For example, perhaps you would like to spend some time looking into your past lives to see what you can learn in this way.

Then again, maybe you would like to spend time doing some energy work, learning about your chakras, learning ways to clear, strengthen and heal your energy fields.

Another beneficial thing would be to spend some time doing meditation with light percussion or visualization.

Maybe you would like to do some dream work.

Mentoring can also include sessions where you simply want to explore possible paths and life choices that are presenting themselves. A combination of discussion, accessing my clairvoyant abilities and insights based on experience. During major life changes in career, relationships, spiritual development and more, this flexible mentoring approach can be most helpful.
 
I am offering a special bundles of sessions at a significant discount as a way of expressing my gratitude to you and to be able to offer you a variety of ways to help.

There is a maximum amount of freedom here. You are buying some of my time and energy, but how you use it is totally flexible.

Package of 3 half hour sessions for $129 (my normal rate for these would be $150)

Package of 3 one hour sessions for only $199 (my normal rate for these would be $300)

Package of 3  90 minute sessions for $299 (my normal rate for these  would be $450)

If you would like to engage in a mentoring program that encompasses a larger view and a longer term of development, consider this:

A series of 24 one hour sessions, consisting of 
2 hour life assessment session to clarify your life purpose
2 sessions on your vision for your directions, your goals
2 sessions to explore pathways to achieve your dreams
2 sessions focusing on your spiritual gifts
5 sessions on personal energy development
5 sessions of developing intuitive skills
4 sessions on self healing practices specific to you

This is a total of 21 sessions, and 2+1 = 3, the number of manifestation, the power of change in your life. The initial session would be 2 hours, and all the other sessions 1.5 hours each, or 32 hours of my time, for a total of $1899. This same amount of time, purchased one session at a time, would normally be priced at $3200.

If you would prefer to make all of your sessions one hour each (after the initial 2 hour session) for a total of 22 hours, the tuition would be $1299, compared to the normal price of $2200.
 
Because of the huge discount I am offering to mentoring clients, I am requesting payment for these bundles of sessions in advance.

Are you ready to manifest your dreams?

If you have any questions, please ask.

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?

What Makes Us So Mysterious?

What makes us so mysterious? Why do we sometimes not know why we chose what we did? All of us have had some experience in life where we find ourselves thinking that if we had a chance to do something over, we would choose differently.

Our lives are full of moments like this. Yet, every choice we have made has altered the course of our lives. For better or for worse? Those are judgements we make. When one door closes, another opens, and we are the ones opening and closing doors. Sometimes we just want to see what is behind one of those doors. Other times we get help when someone else opens a door for us.

We are complex. All kinds of factors go into our decision making process. Why we choose what we choose is often not even known to us. We do what we like. We do what we want. We do what makes us feel good. We get feelings and we act on them. We get thoughts and we act on them. Sometimes we choose wisely. Sometimes we choose impulsively. Sometimes strange choices can turn out magnificently. We are mysterious.

We change so frequently in the course of our lives that careers, relationships and choices we are making now, we didn't even imagine years ago. We are living experiments, evolving, always evolving.

Our dreams often foretell of things to come in our lives. We also have experiences of how powerful we are when we have a strong desire and focus on something and our actions, even the little subconscious ones, lead us in that direction. Then, poof! One day we find ourselves exactly where we thought we would be.

We weave in and out of levels of consciousness, sometimes recognizing the correlation between our thoughts, desires, actions and where we find ourselves, and sometimes wondering how we got where we are.

We are mysterious because we weave in and out of these levels of consciousness and that makes life look mysterious, as well as making ourselves look mysterious to others. That is exactly what makes each one of us a work of art, a work in progress.

We all love mysteries, and that is why we are fascinated by each other.

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.

Out of Context

The story of Augustin Hadelich, who I wrote about yesterday, touches on the story of another great young violinist, Joshua Bell. Some experts see the two as comparable talents.

In 2007, Joshua Bell was put on a baseball cap and ordinary clothes and stood playing Bach on a Stradivarius in a Washington subway station. The thousand or so people who passed by while he was playing obviously thought he was just a street musician playing for tips.

He was in Washington to play at the Library of Congress and he regularly sells out symphony halls, commanding $100 a ticket. Yet, that morning in the subway, no one recognized him.

The Washington Post put him up to the idea to see what would happen.

How often do we fail to recognize talent when it is out of context?

Is a musician only good if they are booked into a concert hall? Is an artists only good if a gallery or museum features their work? Is a writer only good if a major publishing house publishes their books? Can we recognize true beauty when it pops up in unexpected places? Do we have trouble recognizing true beauty and true talent when it pops up in unexpected people?

Asking

In the process of making our transitions and achieving our goals, we can get help from other people simply for the asking. It is good to be reminded of this in a simple elemental way. It feels really good when our task just got made easier because someone helped us.

People like to help other people. That is why when disasters hit, people suddenly and spontaneously to see what they can do to help. It is as much human nature to be compassionate as it is to be concerned about survival.

Sometimes what another person might need to achieve their goal is something that we can easily provide. However, if we don't ask, we will never know.

Of course, nobody really likes someone who is always asking for something and not giving anything in return. Gratitude is an important aspect of giving and receiving. But returns do not have to be in terms like money.

For example, there is an old Celtic tradition that if a stranger is given food and shelter for the night, the stranger repays the kindness with a gift of song, poetry or storytelling.

Once again we see the traditional emphasis on the exchange of energy.

So on your way to creating your new life, your new career, your healing, your art, your whatever, remember that it is fine to ask. Then also remember that it is appropriate to offer something in return.

Sometimes the giver will not ask for anything for themselves, so the payback comes in more general terms of showing a kindness to someone else.

You know the old saying. What goes around, comes around.

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.

Leaving Marks

We never know who we will dance with when we are open and enjoying the dance. Our partner could be someone we set our sights on and went for, and she can also be someone who we just happened to meet who suddenly clicks with us.

When the music is playing so beautifully and we are moving together with the music, it is effortless and we blend with the sound until our bodies move through space as dreamers who get from here to there without seeming to exert and muscles, simply flowing with joy together. Music, people, all one.

The music is always part of the background except that we are not always conscious of it. We get so used to white noise that we don't hear the dance of life that is going on all around us.

After the dance, we leave the public space and we come home. There were times when we left marks on each other's bodies, times when we were so hot for each other that we did not notice anything except the feelings that were penetrating our souls, consuming our entire consciousness as we consumed each other.

At times like these we were holding each other so tightly that we didn't even know how hard we were touching. We just wanted all the touching we could get. Our nails and our teeth were reaching to touch the part beyond the physical. If we left marks or drew blood, it was not because we were seeking pain, it was because we were seeking pleasure and we were holding tight so that there was nothing between us.

It is always about closeness and it is always about the heart. Long after the skin has healed and the marks disappear, the only marks left are the ones on our hearts.

Going Within

The quiet is rich with promise as we meet at the border, hesitating before going within. There is nothing sweeter once that line has been crossed.

Even the gentlest touch can lead to uncovering that place where the treasures are buried when we go within. There is sweetness and light even in the darkest of places, tenderness moves fear out of the way. Passion and vision accelerate the flow and light up the night. There is only darkness where we do not move and stiffness sets in.

Going within we warm ourselves by the fire that only we can see. Our fire is invisible to those who are not part of it, but the glow illuminates our path and the warmth signals to all who are within range of our senses and announces our triumph in the realm of the senses.

Spirits rise with the embers of the fire we built going within, but the bed of orange coals is ready to expand on the wings of our breath. Breathe into the place where these embers glow and our creativity reaches for ways to build bridges to wherever we want to go. Breathe deep into your belly and feel the flames consume all doubt and propel us to the water's edge, and we sail forth on our second wind, relishing the waters that show our feelings while the juicy orange glow illuminates our horizons and the pulsing drives fire and water to make steam.

Dreaming, Breathing, Quickly, Deeply

What is it that you want now more than anything? What would you do if you if this moment could be exactly as you wish?

Would you turn to see the face that goes with the voice you have been hearing? Would the touch you desire be soft? Would the comfort of the touch open to a whispered sound only audible between the two of us?

Do you know what I was dreaming? I had a feeling that your dream overlapped with mine. That is why when we talk, there is a similarity in our visions, and the things you want to say I say, and the things I want to say, you say.

When we dream and then it comes true, it is precognitive, and these dreams can become stunning in their intensity as we breathe deep and digest the idea that we are here now and we swim toward each other in this liquid atmosphere that surrounds us when we are engulfed in a feeling we savor. It totally surrounds us, this feeling, and we swim in it, and we breathe without effort, quickly, quickly as we look all around to see if we are really swimming, then deeply as we know we are here, and the waters part and we walk through them together, feeling the lifting of water, the lifting away of whatever we were thinking of a moment before we were here.

For You

What we have always desired flows close to the surface in this Valentine tide of energy cascading through the atmosphere.

When we hug, I can feel your desire. In your eyes, I can see the fire. In all the torrents of feelings pulsing through the space between us, there is a sweetness on the air and an earthy sound coming from your throat.

There is nothing so much as as the silvery moon, reflected on beads of sweat. There are outlines of excitement making themselves visible as well as audible on your breath.

What are those things you say without saying, you know without knowing, you feel even now, in memory, in spirit. Your hair is electric, picking up signals from the small sounds of evening, where the singing of all the creatures forms the words I want to say. They give voice to our feelings. Your hair brushes my skin as you lean over me, and you feel me tremble when those wisps stirs the edges of my spirit and the landscape of my body.

I feel your desire in your embrace. The scent of your true desire has escaped from under your perfume and made itself known just as our eyes met again.

The moonlight on your calf ascends your thigh and traces a silken path invisible to the touch, but everywhere to the eye.

I ask you again your name just to feel the way you pronounce it with your tongue.

Body Magic

I am liking the energy of renewing my dedication to getting more exercise. I like the feel of the energy that the basketball players and volleyball players are stirring up as I do my workouts.

I look around and see other people who are also exerting the effort to strengthen their bodies by shedding the extra weight as I am, or rebuilding after various injuries that may make them limp as they gather the courage to keep moving around the track, swim or use the various machines. Yes, of course there are also those who are already fit, perhaps working on being superfit.

The energy of the whole place is kinetic and inspiring.

At first it takes an act of will to get up and go. And the more often we do it, the better we feel. Yes, sometimes I would rather stay in my comfortable chair and watch a movie or read a book, but I make myself get up and go anyway.

That act of will is our necessary way to break out of lethargy and make magic with our bodies.

Magic is defined as change according to will, and we are working magic on ourselves as we express our will. Then the more we do it, the more resistance to this change fades away.

Not everyone looks glamorous as they work their magic on their bodies, but all of them are showing a lot of heart. Gratitude for survival, the intention of health and healing, desire for creating a better life. All are visible.

Amazing things happen when we do magic with our bodies. Change according to will.

Right Time, Right Place

Tonight I had a great time listening and dancing to some reggae music in a great theatre in Boulder. What makes it more interesting than just a night out with some good music was the fact that it was customer appreciation night sponsored by a company that sells supplies to indoor gardeners.

Of course there are all kinds of things that people take pleasure in growing indoors, like orchids, tomatoes, herbs, fruits and vegetables, but the real boom in gardening entrepreneurs came with the legalization of medical marijuana in Colorado.

After enjoying the pleasures of smoke illegally most of my life, it feels very interesting to be living here while this happens and watch the cultivation and consumption of smoke become on the one hand, a gourmet experience, and on the other, a sort of every day above ground business.

Growers have advanced their art so far that smoke is no longer referred to simply as smoke. It now has names for the various strains that these geniuses have cultivated.

Other companies may have customer appreciation golf outings or customer appreciation banquets, but how appropriate for the growers to have a customer appreciation night in a theatre with reggae bands.

I am just smiling about the whole thing. How lucky I got to happen to be living in a state just when legalization happened. It's a weird reality. A whole new crop of green entrepreneurs are doing their part to create local businesses to boost the economy. The reality kind of zings again when talking someone in another state where these things are not legal and they are still worried about hiding everything and not getting caught. And when you remind them that it is not that way everywhere any more, they go "oh, that's right. You're in one of the states where it is legal.

Eventually it will happen. Just like beer could not remain illegal forever. Eventually, politicians will wake up and decide that it is smarter to legalize it and make money taxing these new legal businesses instead of spending tons of money trying to prevent people from doing what they want to do and will do, no matter what their status is. One of these days there will not be legal and illegal states, and there will be customer appreciation concerts featuring reggae bands everywhere.

Keeping in Touch

Lately I have been looking for ways to keep in touch with my previous clients and people I have read for at many of the public events, festivals and fairs I have worked over the last four years.

I am about to begin using an email service since my list is so large that it is impractical to do this out of my regular email account.

There are so many choices. I cannot even remember them all. I cannot even remember all the directory listings I have signed up for.

So the email manager will allow me to send out messages to my entire mailing list on a regular basis. I know that every time I do a mail out, I get results, so I will go that way next. This blog will continue.

Those of you who do not wish to get a more frequent email can just opt out. So don't be surprised when you see the new emails. It will be a monthly newsletter.

We just have to keep on trying new things to see what works.