One concept we hear frequently among metaphysical practitioners is that of bringing in white light for healing, protection, and clarity.
Just as some people see auras and some feel them, I agree with the concept of bringing in light and heat to help with healing, but I just do not always see it as white light.
Light can come in all colors. Look at fire when it burns. Does it appear white to you? No, there are many colors, including red, orange, yellow and blue that share their light and heat with us.
This, no doubt, has its roots as a concept that comes from polarities, like black and white, ying and yang. Although in movies and other popular culture references, black is the color of bad guys and white is the color of good guys, white is the yang color and black is the yin color.
Yin is the nurturing, feminine energy, and just as when a seed is in the ground nurturing, it is in the dark until it sprouts. There is a richness in that dark that provides energy. We are in the dark before we are born, we are in the dark at night when we dream, we are in the dark again when our bodies are either burned or buried.
I want the fire when it is my time to be done with this body. I want the fire now too. When I do healing for people I feel the ancient fires coursing through me, the fires around which our ancestors warmed themselves, cooked their food, told their stories and lit the places where they lived. People have long gazed at fire until they could see visions of the future.
The dancing of the flames opened passages in the dark, casting light and heat and welcoming vibrations as it moved in the cool, dark space and air. The dancing of the red orange yellow blue light is like our blood circulating through our bodies, mixed with liquid sunlight and moonlight coursing through our veins, strengthening and nourishing us.
Fire is poetry. Fire is percussion. Fire is beauty and inspiration. Fire is healing. Fire is purifying. Fire is passion. Fire is life reaching up from the ground. Fire calls to us to rise up and celebrate. Fire calls us to give light and heat. Fire calls us to dance with each other, to intertwine our energies, to move to the ancient rhythms. The fire within and the fire without call to each other.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Darkness and Fire
As the darkness settles in on us in the shift from summer into fall, there is something special about how the darkness draws us together.
The days get shorter, the weather becomes cooler. The leaves turn colors, many plants enter their dormant stage.
The spirit of this season crosses cultural borders. Perhaps it is the signal the changing foliage sends our subconscious, as we celebrate harvests with a festive, yet wistful spirit that prompts Octoberfests, with joy and gratitude for food and drink.
Then we take time at Halloween, also known as Samhain, Day of the Dead, All Souls Night, All Saints Day. The plants at the end of their cycle remind us to take time remember those of our friends and relatives who reached the end of their cycle in this life, on this earth. People of all ages celebrate this crossing, as children do their trick or treat and adults throw costume parties and masked balls.
The wonderful, heartfelt civic holiday of Thanksgiving is a time when family and friends get together to enjoy each other's company. It is the quiet, sweet, relaxed pause between the exotic masked, costumed holidays of Halloween and the hyper-commercialized shopping extravaganza of Christmas.
And all this time, the fires are growing. The fires in our hearts, the fires in our fireplaces, in our candles, our lanterns, our spirits. It is the fire of learning for those who go back to school, the fire of creativity for those presenting new seasons of theatre, music, movies, and books. It is the fire that gives heat and light, within us, without us, among us, around us.
The days get shorter, the weather becomes cooler. The leaves turn colors, many plants enter their dormant stage.
The spirit of this season crosses cultural borders. Perhaps it is the signal the changing foliage sends our subconscious, as we celebrate harvests with a festive, yet wistful spirit that prompts Octoberfests, with joy and gratitude for food and drink.
Then we take time at Halloween, also known as Samhain, Day of the Dead, All Souls Night, All Saints Day. The plants at the end of their cycle remind us to take time remember those of our friends and relatives who reached the end of their cycle in this life, on this earth. People of all ages celebrate this crossing, as children do their trick or treat and adults throw costume parties and masked balls.
The wonderful, heartfelt civic holiday of Thanksgiving is a time when family and friends get together to enjoy each other's company. It is the quiet, sweet, relaxed pause between the exotic masked, costumed holidays of Halloween and the hyper-commercialized shopping extravaganza of Christmas.
And all this time, the fires are growing. The fires in our hearts, the fires in our fireplaces, in our candles, our lanterns, our spirits. It is the fire of learning for those who go back to school, the fire of creativity for those presenting new seasons of theatre, music, movies, and books. It is the fire that gives heat and light, within us, without us, among us, around us.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Off The Beaten Path
One of the things I notice about metaphysical fairs that has remained constant over the years is the underlying sense of optimism about them.
The variety of things that a person might encounter there have one thing in common. People who offer natural and traditional methods to healing, products that contribute to a healthy environment, alternative energy, ways of developing our pyschic and creative abilities, all are putting forward solutions to problems, and offering mind expanding concepts about life.
While the wide open and accepting nature of metaphysical people and events has also provided a platform for things that are without much merit, those things usually fade away while the people and methods of substance remain.
As we have seen in recent years, politics and power are often the stumbling blocks to progress. For example creative people have been promoting alternative energy for years, and invented methods to produce it. More energy efficient vehicles and homes are already possible, it is just that the powers that be have long chosen not to really promote their development and use.
Herbal healing has been a fact of human life for millennia, so it is interesting to hear experts express doubt about it. But it is about the money. Energy healing, hypnosis and other methods which have ancient roots are also considered alternative, although they were here first.
It is satisfying to see the wheel turning, as more people become interested in these things all the time. When grocery chains become interested in organic foods, there are yoga studios and herb shops in every shopping center, massage has become readily available, and people going through major life changes get readings to gain another perspective and some insight into how to deal with these changes, there is more acceptance of these concepts and methods across the general population.
This is one of the reasons I have long been involved in all this. Looking through a lens of life affirming methods and associating with life affirming people adds to our resources for getting more joy and satisfaction out of every day. Workshops and courses of all types will continue to be popular because people are always open to finding ways to improve their quality of life.
Looking into those many things that were at times dismissed as foolish, outdated or superstitious has proven to be a boon to many. When many of the realities of our world are crumbling and being replaced or rebuilt in unfamiliar ways, the whole spectrum of metaphysics, holistic health, environmentalism and personal growth have much to offer.
Journeying off the beaten path has a great deal to offer the traveler who is open to life's journey, savoring the experience and adventure of it all, and finding hidden treasures of joy and discovery in these unlikely places. Optimism, like laughter, and curiosity, make good medicine.
The variety of things that a person might encounter there have one thing in common. People who offer natural and traditional methods to healing, products that contribute to a healthy environment, alternative energy, ways of developing our pyschic and creative abilities, all are putting forward solutions to problems, and offering mind expanding concepts about life.
While the wide open and accepting nature of metaphysical people and events has also provided a platform for things that are without much merit, those things usually fade away while the people and methods of substance remain.
As we have seen in recent years, politics and power are often the stumbling blocks to progress. For example creative people have been promoting alternative energy for years, and invented methods to produce it. More energy efficient vehicles and homes are already possible, it is just that the powers that be have long chosen not to really promote their development and use.
Herbal healing has been a fact of human life for millennia, so it is interesting to hear experts express doubt about it. But it is about the money. Energy healing, hypnosis and other methods which have ancient roots are also considered alternative, although they were here first.
It is satisfying to see the wheel turning, as more people become interested in these things all the time. When grocery chains become interested in organic foods, there are yoga studios and herb shops in every shopping center, massage has become readily available, and people going through major life changes get readings to gain another perspective and some insight into how to deal with these changes, there is more acceptance of these concepts and methods across the general population.
This is one of the reasons I have long been involved in all this. Looking through a lens of life affirming methods and associating with life affirming people adds to our resources for getting more joy and satisfaction out of every day. Workshops and courses of all types will continue to be popular because people are always open to finding ways to improve their quality of life.
Looking into those many things that were at times dismissed as foolish, outdated or superstitious has proven to be a boon to many. When many of the realities of our world are crumbling and being replaced or rebuilt in unfamiliar ways, the whole spectrum of metaphysics, holistic health, environmentalism and personal growth have much to offer.
Journeying off the beaten path has a great deal to offer the traveler who is open to life's journey, savoring the experience and adventure of it all, and finding hidden treasures of joy and discovery in these unlikely places. Optimism, like laughter, and curiosity, make good medicine.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Travels with Spirit Guides
When doing readings in big public events and I am very busy, I am more easily able to enter that zone where I am in close contact with my spirit guides, and the readings just flow through me. Time disappears and I might notice that when I pause to eat because my blood sugar is running low.
Whether I am doing one-on-one sessions in my home office or meeting and reading for large numbers of people in a festival or fair, I always affirm that I am bringing through something that will be useful to this person at this time.
Opening the connection with my spirit guides this way, the altered state produces a feeling that leaves me tired, but in a good kind of way. That is why sometimes on festival weekends, I do not have the energy to make blog entries when I get home, and that is part of the natural ebb and flow of energies I work with.
I am happy to have met so many new people and to have been of service through my readings. It is an affirmation of my work, and we all need and love that. Who would not like to get feedback from others that the work that they have done has benefitted them and that they feel better as a result? This kind of feeback is an important part of the process of giving and receiving.
Life is good. I am thrilled to be busy. Hope to see you again soon.
Whether I am doing one-on-one sessions in my home office or meeting and reading for large numbers of people in a festival or fair, I always affirm that I am bringing through something that will be useful to this person at this time.
Opening the connection with my spirit guides this way, the altered state produces a feeling that leaves me tired, but in a good kind of way. That is why sometimes on festival weekends, I do not have the energy to make blog entries when I get home, and that is part of the natural ebb and flow of energies I work with.
I am happy to have met so many new people and to have been of service through my readings. It is an affirmation of my work, and we all need and love that. Who would not like to get feedback from others that the work that they have done has benefitted them and that they feel better as a result? This kind of feeback is an important part of the process of giving and receiving.
Life is good. I am thrilled to be busy. Hope to see you again soon.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Bargaining and Consciousness
Of the different interpretations of the term bargain, probably the first one that comes to mind is something that you buy because the price is significantly less than usual. But is that really the best definition? No, but it is one of them. After all, if the only reason you would consider buying something is because the price is cheap, then all you have is some cheap stuff which you may not ever use, and it will just clutter up your space and will eventually end up in the garbage. So is that really a bargain?
Of course, if you bought something you would normally use at a greatly reduced price, then you have gained something an advantage, a real benefit, and now there is money left over from the normal purchase price that can be used for something else.
These are examples of a bargain as a thing. But when we take a look at the word bargain as an action, we see something different.
Perhaps the greater sense of the word is when we use it to mean giving up something that has value to us in order to obtain something else that has an equal or greater value to us. Part of life is that we have to give something of value in order to get something of value. The concept of haggling with another person to try and get price concessions is a very limited view of bargaining.
Sometimes we may even feel that we don't want to give up anything in order to get what we want, but sometimes, that is exactly what is required.
We may not always see it this way, but bargaining is a constant part of life. When we buy a new car, a new TV, a new computer, new house, new clothes, or whatever else, we are actually agreeing to spend an equivalent number of hours doing an equivalent number of tasks in order to pay for that item. Our agreement then, means that we are trading away a number of hours of our life in order to make this purchase. (Of course, if there is someone who will simply give us these things as gifts, that is not a bargain, it is simply a gift.)
The best bargains are the ones where both parties get something they want. We can structure them by our own definitions. We enter into bargains with the intention of giving and receiving prepared to give and receive. We decide what we are willing to give and receive. We decide how much of a price we are willing to pay. Some cultures treat it as a game, where going out to buy anything is all about haggling over prices until a bargain is reached. In our culture, we have come to see the prices on the shelves as the price, and commonly we do not haggle with shop keepers. The invisible bargaining that is going on involves what we are willing to do in order to be able to afford that price. Today with the changes in the economy, people are more readily engaging in bargaining, even in standard retail stores.
Life is all about giving and receiving. We are always engaged in both. Bargaining is the fluidity of change and growth. It is the necessary component that helps us adjust to growth and change. The more conscious our bargaining, the more conscious our change.
Of course, if you bought something you would normally use at a greatly reduced price, then you have gained something an advantage, a real benefit, and now there is money left over from the normal purchase price that can be used for something else.
These are examples of a bargain as a thing. But when we take a look at the word bargain as an action, we see something different.
Perhaps the greater sense of the word is when we use it to mean giving up something that has value to us in order to obtain something else that has an equal or greater value to us. Part of life is that we have to give something of value in order to get something of value. The concept of haggling with another person to try and get price concessions is a very limited view of bargaining.
Sometimes we may even feel that we don't want to give up anything in order to get what we want, but sometimes, that is exactly what is required.
We may not always see it this way, but bargaining is a constant part of life. When we buy a new car, a new TV, a new computer, new house, new clothes, or whatever else, we are actually agreeing to spend an equivalent number of hours doing an equivalent number of tasks in order to pay for that item. Our agreement then, means that we are trading away a number of hours of our life in order to make this purchase. (Of course, if there is someone who will simply give us these things as gifts, that is not a bargain, it is simply a gift.)
The best bargains are the ones where both parties get something they want. We can structure them by our own definitions. We enter into bargains with the intention of giving and receiving prepared to give and receive. We decide what we are willing to give and receive. We decide how much of a price we are willing to pay. Some cultures treat it as a game, where going out to buy anything is all about haggling over prices until a bargain is reached. In our culture, we have come to see the prices on the shelves as the price, and commonly we do not haggle with shop keepers. The invisible bargaining that is going on involves what we are willing to do in order to be able to afford that price. Today with the changes in the economy, people are more readily engaging in bargaining, even in standard retail stores.
Life is all about giving and receiving. We are always engaged in both. Bargaining is the fluidity of change and growth. It is the necessary component that helps us adjust to growth and change. The more conscious our bargaining, the more conscious our change.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Harvest Moon in Pisces
The full moon in September is known as the Harvest Moon, and it arrives this Friday, September 4. This moon celebrates the fall harvest of nuts, corn, apples, grapes, pumpkins, squash, beans, wild rice and other crops. The light of the moon enabled farmers to work a little longer in the fields to bring in the harvest.
So even though most of us are not farmers, it is an excellent time to pause and appreciate all that we have harvested in this year. Being grateful for all we have received and cultivating that attitude will serve us well in sending out sympathetic vibrations and prepare the way for more good things to come.
This full moon is in Pisces, which rules intuition, mysticism and the collective unconscious. Pisces energy enhances a person's ability to read and develop psychic abilities. During this period, we may also find ourselves picking up more omens and messages than usual, and it is up to us to find ways to make use of these for our benefit. Pisces also brings tenderness, compassion and creativity. Pisces links us through the heart and heightens sensitivity.
If you were not planning to do a full moon ceremony, give it a little thought. Even a small simple ceremony can bring you blessings. Over the span of millennia, people have found many ways to celebrate the full moons. Our ancestors knew that harmonizing our personal energies with the cycles of nature's energies was a wise thing to do, and that's why these practices have continued to this day.
So even though most of us are not farmers, it is an excellent time to pause and appreciate all that we have harvested in this year. Being grateful for all we have received and cultivating that attitude will serve us well in sending out sympathetic vibrations and prepare the way for more good things to come.
This full moon is in Pisces, which rules intuition, mysticism and the collective unconscious. Pisces energy enhances a person's ability to read and develop psychic abilities. During this period, we may also find ourselves picking up more omens and messages than usual, and it is up to us to find ways to make use of these for our benefit. Pisces also brings tenderness, compassion and creativity. Pisces links us through the heart and heightens sensitivity.
If you were not planning to do a full moon ceremony, give it a little thought. Even a small simple ceremony can bring you blessings. Over the span of millennia, people have found many ways to celebrate the full moons. Our ancestors knew that harmonizing our personal energies with the cycles of nature's energies was a wise thing to do, and that's why these practices have continued to this day.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
An Appetite for Growth
We never get tired of finding new ways to work on ourselves. Either we continue to expand our consciousness and find ways to align our lives with our desires, or we sink into misery from which there is no recovery.
Throughout history, we have had to make constant adjustments to our environment. When our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, they kept moving to where the hunting, fishing and wild food plants were plentiful.
When they settled into villages, the ones who learned better ways to farm or make things were the ones who survived and prospered. Those were very outward and obvious skills.
During our lifetimes, there have been revolutionary changes in industry and business. Just look at one cycle. We went from the invention of the personal computer to the boom of that industry, and now, what company even makes computers in the US any more? Yes, we still design software for them and service them. My point is that we have watched the whole industry be born, rise and be transformed within one lifetime. By comparison, it took several generations for most farmers to go from having their plows and wagons pulled by animals to using tractors. it took a couple of generations to go from the Wright Brothers momentary flight at Kitty Hawk to regularly scheduled, widely available commercial air travel.
The world is evolving rapidly now, and we are evolving with it.
As we rise to meet the challenges of our lifetime, we are called on to learn new job skills and make new career moves, not just until their mature adult years as our parents did, but all the way until we die.
As we rise to meet the challenge of changing relationships and creating relationships that are more satisfactory to ourselves, we adjust and stretch to adapt to our new realities.
We cannot retreat back to our old realities. We have no choice but to evolve. The world will keep changing whether we choose to or not. And if we choose not to change, the piece of the world we can relate to, the piece of the world we will be comfortable in, will continue to become smaller and smaller. Even keeping our life small requires us to grow and be more flexible.
Throughout history, we have had to make constant adjustments to our environment. When our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, they kept moving to where the hunting, fishing and wild food plants were plentiful.
When they settled into villages, the ones who learned better ways to farm or make things were the ones who survived and prospered. Those were very outward and obvious skills.
During our lifetimes, there have been revolutionary changes in industry and business. Just look at one cycle. We went from the invention of the personal computer to the boom of that industry, and now, what company even makes computers in the US any more? Yes, we still design software for them and service them. My point is that we have watched the whole industry be born, rise and be transformed within one lifetime. By comparison, it took several generations for most farmers to go from having their plows and wagons pulled by animals to using tractors. it took a couple of generations to go from the Wright Brothers momentary flight at Kitty Hawk to regularly scheduled, widely available commercial air travel.
The world is evolving rapidly now, and we are evolving with it.
As we rise to meet the challenges of our lifetime, we are called on to learn new job skills and make new career moves, not just until their mature adult years as our parents did, but all the way until we die.
As we rise to meet the challenge of changing relationships and creating relationships that are more satisfactory to ourselves, we adjust and stretch to adapt to our new realities.
We cannot retreat back to our old realities. We have no choice but to evolve. The world will keep changing whether we choose to or not. And if we choose not to change, the piece of the world we can relate to, the piece of the world we will be comfortable in, will continue to become smaller and smaller. Even keeping our life small requires us to grow and be more flexible.
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