Keeping Our Balance

This month, we celebrate the Full Harvest Moon on the 26th and the Autumn Equinox on the 22nd.

As I reflect on the harvests of this year, the amount of food that we get from our garden adds some to our meals, but does not make a huge dent in the total grocery budget, but there is some satisfaction to tasting something we planted from seed and now has produced a vegetable that adds not just flavor and substance to a meal, but also the Spirit of working with nature and learning something new about plants and nurturing them every year.

We do get enough herbs to dry, including thyme, tarragon, oregano, rosemary, lemon balm, lemon grass, chives and basil to get us through the whole winter. Then there are the herbs we have dried for healing uses, including comfrey, goldenrod, rue, mugwort and lambs ear.

Most significantly we get a great deal of comfort, joy and peace of mind from spending time in the garden, and every year even though we always spend some time dealing with pests like earwigs and grasshoppers, we also have the pleasure of watching birds, bees, squirrels, garden snakes and other creatures.

We see nature demonstrating to us how different creatures work together and play together, when one bird is bringing food back to its partner and nest, or when the squirrels jump for joy when they find something to eat. There is a squirrel that loves laying on the branch of a tree to watch us, and so have the birds, like the flickers, hawks, owls, towhees, sparrows, chickadees and others.

There are also rabbits who live out front who just continue to graze without running away because they know we are not going to hurt them, and apparently, they stay out of the garden.

It is very relaxing to just sit in the garden watching the stars, moon and sky as well as the creatures and plants. We also have a fire pit and like to make a bonfire every full moon. Way better than watching TV.

Which also brings to mind the currently fight over data centers. AI is plugged into a lot of things and I don't use it much. By now, we all have to deal with robots answering phones at companies we call. But when it popped into my text messaging saying that it could answer my messages for me, I deleted that. I will answer messages myself. I also write all these newsletters myself. I will not have AI write these for me. Even though Google always uses AI for searches these days, I still research the old fashioned way, looking up the various websites it brings up, rather than trusting AI.

So we have harvested some useful things from AI, but I will not have a smart speaker in my home that will record all I do and say. That is like having a spy in your kitchen. And although I use GPS to find my way to places, sometimes it makes mistakes. So I limit my interactions with all AI. We need to use other sources beyond AI to verify important things. Having a camera send a speeding ticket is one thing. These Flock and Axon cameras are not that. We do not need cameras that record everywhere we go all the time.

I agree that the data centers are a problem and all these devices are about spying on us, and I am against creating facilities that waste millions of gallons of water a day. That is insane. Our farmers and ranchers need to water to produce our food. And we need the water for our every day living to drink, cook, and clean. It has also been reported by ranchers and farmers that these developments have negative effects on the people, plants and animals who are near them.

To balance, I like to read books that are ink on paper. Studies are now showing that students who read from books and use pen and paper have better learning and retention this way, compared to doing all on screens. And I still get a local newspaper delivered every morning so that I can get the local news and do a crossword puzzle with my coffee.

So that leads into the Fall Equinox theme as well. Keeping balance in our life between work and play is important. Some people are successful at work because they are always gone, working hard and making money, but then they have no time for nurturing their private interests and personal relationships. We all seem to be more conscious of that and are taking steps to balance.

This is also the time of year when they days become shorter, the temperatures drop and we will spend more time indoors. Time to go within. Time to read and study. Time to give serious thought to what's next. The time of year when we will spend more time indoors, just like spring and summer we have more time outdoors. Balance.

This quarter of the year contains most of our emotionally laden holidays that can be incredibly festive for some people, but sad for others. Once again, we look for the balance in our lives. Which people do we want to spend more time with? Which ones less time. We make choices for balance. Who will be with us from here forward? Where do we want to spend our time?

So as we savor the bounty of our year, let us give some thought to how we balance everything.

 

Coincidences and Connections

Earlier in my life, I noticed coincidences but did not know what to make of them. Maybe you have too.

One definition of coincidences is when two seemingly unrelated things happen at the same time.

Carl Jung coined the term synchronicity as when an internal psychological state like a dream, thought or feeling aligns with an external physical event that cannot be explained by cause and effect, yet feels deeply significant to the person experiencing it.

The photo above contains three items that fit that description.

The first item is my father's and my uncle's (his only brother) dog tags from World War 2. Dog tags are military ID necklaces that you get when you join.

The second item is a book that was my grandmother's (my father's mother).

The third item is a coffee cup showing a map of Poland at it's peak, when it was the largest country in Europe.

Here is what is so interesting about them.

My sister has been cleaning out mom's house, and she found the dog tags and asked me if I wanted them. So I said yes right away. One psychic way of getting information is called psychometry. That is when you hold an object in your hand and pick up impressions from it. Most often that is done with a piece of jewelry or another thing that a person wore or carried a lot. The method also works on other things. I have done this for others with a variety of objects, such as a sword, a doll, a piece of pottery and other things that are not jewelry. So that is what I had in mind.

When she sent the tags, she also sent the book that was grandma's. That totally surprised me because she has been gone 50 years or so, and I never thought I would see anything from her again because her house was cleaned out way back then. Poland was the country where that part of my family immigrated to the US from, and so recently I have been reading books about Polish and Slavic history, and here is a book about that. You can tell it is an old book because it cost $1.45 when it was new. Been a great many years since books have been priced like that.

Part of my curiosity was tweaked because Poland and Ukraine have been in the news for the last several years, and I have bought tarot decks from artists in Poland and Ukraine. Plus the fact that there are things we pick up when we do spirit guide meditations, and of course, often spirit guides are ancestors. Another aspect is that my mother's side of the family was much bigger and so I have more information about them than I do my father's side. There were only a few of them and all of them have been gone a long time, so I am curious about roots.

By the way, I will bring the Ukranian deck out for readings when I receive it. Presently, shipping to the US is delayed due to tariffs that need to be worked out. Yes, tariffs on a tarot deck I am buying from a Ukranian artist. Poland and Ukraine have a common ancestry and that is why Poland has taken in 2 to 2.5 million refugees from the war with Russia. And yes, Russian people are also Slavic.

The third item is a coffee cup that caught my eye in a thrift store. I shop at thrift stores regularly and I have never seen a coffee cup that said Poland on it before. Since I drink a lot of coffee and tea, I always enjoy coffee mugs with witty sayings or inspirational quotes on them. So the day after I receive the dog tags and book, here is a Poland coffee cup. Once again 3, the number of manifestation.

Coincidence? No. At this time in my life, it is a sign for me that that part of my ancestry has something to say to me.

Have you experienced similar events in your life?

Another way of understanding synchronicity is that spirit is sending us signs that connect things for us. There are reasons why these seemingly elliptical instances help us see bigger pictures about our life. And yes, sometimes it may take us a while to get clear messages.

Sometimes that is what I do for others, and these ancestors may show up during past life sessions, psychometry, or other kinds of readings.

Notice what comes your way when you are focusing on a topic. Notice what seemingly unrelated discoveries pop up when you are in a conscious and subconscious flow. These things happen when there is something on your mind.

I have seen it with clients who are focused on making a transition and something unexpected pops up to assist or confirm, something they did not plan and was unexpected.

Has this been happening to you? What have you experienced? Does this resonate with you?

 

Where is the Lion's Gate?

Yes, I now that the Lion's Gate is when, from July 28 - August 12, with a peak on August 8, when Sirius aligns with the Sun, which is in Leo, which is why it is called the Lion's Gate. This gate also provides us with a where. More on that in a second.

The planet Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, which symbolizes wisdom, growth, rebirth and a cosmic opening into a higher consciousness.

According to Malidoma Some, a shaman, healer, and author, the Dagara tribe of Africa believe that they came from Sirius. Interesting how these things pop up, isn't it? Where do we come from? Where are we going?

We are living in a time of folklore and myth being woven together with science fiction.

You have to wonder if the science fiction authors were envisioning this future or were their works laying out plans that others could follow?

What kind of future do we want?

The number 8 symbolizes infinity, abundance, personal power, heartfelt desires, authenticity and leadership. Making excellent progress on bringing your dreams to life. Or bringing life to you dreams.

What areas of your life do you want to illuminate, so that you can bring your dreams to life? The Lion's Gate is a perfect time to light that fire!

So, you see this portal is not only a when, but a where. Where are you in your plans? Where are you in your life?

The Lion says "Have the heart to go for it! If you succeed, you have the life of your dreams. And even if you fail, at least your have the satisfaction of knowing you tried."

How many times have you seen someone really working hard to achieve something or solve a problem, and others are inspired to help them? It's that heart energy that makes the connection. It is human nature for us to help each other.

Good energy draws good energy. This is a time to speak up for what you want, and draw more of that energy to you. Your focus is intense, your results are more precise.

This year, the Perseid Meteor Showers run from July 17 - August 24, and peaks on August 12 - 13.

Lots of lights to see. Do the lights bring us new energy? New ideas? New inspiration?

What is on the other side of the gate for each of us? Are you ready to put your best foot forward on the path to your goal? Call up your Lion energy and go for it!

The image above is the Strength card from the Cosmic Tarot by Norbert Losche.

 

Who cheers for Who?

One unexpected source of pleasure and good energy this summer has been watching the humorous and lighthearted exchanges between all the various groups of World Cup fans. Videos of the playful spirits of everyone, players and fans, have brought humor and good energy to public places in a big way.

Soccer was not a sport we played when I was growing up, but my kids did. I can appreciate watching a good match, and I am always amazed at that whole thing about bonking a ball with your head and all the ways of kicking a ball while not using the hands.

Since I played baseball and basketball most when I was growing up, those are still the sports I watch most. And these days, the way I see the game highlights on You Tube. Once in a while, I go to a game at the stadium.

Of course, in any sport there are questionable calls, and in soccer, the rules seem more fuzzy to me than the other sports. When two players are chasing a ball while running, and they collide, it is not always clear to me when one player commits a foul.

In sports, we have favorite teams we cheer for, but in championships it is always fascinating to see the incredible amount of energy an underdog can generate when they get father than anyone expected.

The thing to notice here is how much the energy of the fans can inspire players to greater performances because the waves of energy from one group to another changes the whole atmosphere. Who among us has not been amused by some of these events? Don't some of their antics tickle your imagination? Have you noticed a lightening of the mood in general as people banter about the World Cup? To me, it has been a bright spot in this summer.

I don't usually watch a lot of soccer, but now I have a new appreciation of it and may check on it more frequently.

As we notice the interplay of energy between groups of people, think about the ways we use that energy in our lives.

How do we feel when we cheer for other people? How we feel when other people cheer for us?

Who is cheering for who? Who are the cheerleaders in our lives? What do we really want to see happen? Cheering can give us an energy boost toward achieving our goals.

Who are you cheering for? Who is cheering for you?

 

Our Heartbeat is our Drum

When we hear a drumbeat, we are not experiencing something new new. We are responding to the beat we have heard from the beginning of our life.

The entire time we were in the womb, we heard the heartbeat. And heartbeat is what drummers always start off with in drumming circles, the drum beat that mimics the heartbeat. The drum became humankind's first instrument.

That is why when doing drumming meditations, for journeying, heartbeat is a place to start. Heartbeats are used in healing sessions.

Breath was our first drummer. With every breath, breath plays our drum again. The drumbeat accompanies us from our first to last moments in this life. We know these things, but do we listen?

Hearing is our last sense to go when we go. That is why our sense most closely connected to spirit is hearing.

That is why the heartbeat can lead us on valuable inner journeys, using nothing but a heartbeat. Every healing has a rhythm.

When we measure a person's chakras to see how they are flowing, we know which ones need more attention. Similarly, there are different rhythms and tones that can help heal different people.

So certain tones and rhythms bring your energies into sync with a sense of timing that brings you backing into harmony. You know how sometimes you just get the feeling like this is the perfect time to make that call, see this person, or stop in this place, and everything works? You get what you need and it flows with your schedule, and the rhythm of your life is in sync, and agreement with others flows easily.

Rhythm. Flow. Now the aura is the other fluid, visible measure of how we are doing. Some will see the aura around a person. That is what aura cameras can show you. Some people feel the space around a person which either keeps them further away or welcomes them in. The rhythm of your life colors your aura. Different rhythms have different vibrations, creating different colors. When life is in sync, it becomes visible and tangible to others. Our perceptions sharpen and we pick up more signals.

Sometimes we sense that aura in other ways when we say that a person is glowing, or that they have fire in the belly. That is the light drawing attention to you, drawing energy to you. People are drawn to people who they sense are open. That is your gut instinct guiding you. Your gut instinct is one of the ways your spirit guides give you signs.

Rhythms. Feel the rhythms? You know when something is right for you because it flows with your rhythms. You feel in sync.

One time, Babatunde Olatunji, the great Nigerian djembe master, was teaching a group of new students to drum, and they just weren't getting the hang of it. So he told them to keep on drumming the way they were and told some of the drummers to leave their drums to get up and try and dance to what their classmates were playing. That's what it took for them to learn their lesson that day.

Our heartbeat is our drum. What is your heart telling you? The beat wants you to move. When we do, we flow into the rhythm easily and our heart sings.

We hear it in our own words. What would you really like to do? We sense that something is really calling to us and yet we allow reasons not to follow our heart turn our thoughts in other directions, and we lose the beat. We are not dancing any more.

Did you ever picture your moving through life, engaging in daily routines, as your dance?

Know this. When you are listening to another drummer, it is your hearing that helps you find your way into the sound, and merge with it, not watching other drummers' hands. You immediately feel when the beats fit together well.

Malidoma Some, a great drummer and spiritual teacher, said that "Anyone who has trouble with drumming has trouble with listening."

So in celebration of the Summer Solstice, this coming Sunday, light a candle and think about all the people who bring light into your life.

A great time to thank your spirit guides for all the enlightenment you have received through them.

Especially when we are going through difficulties and challenging times, we welcome in any new ideas, guidance, or advice that spirit will bring us to help us find solutions. What new information comes to light that encourages us to go forward? Outside on the Solstice, as you enjoy the rays, thank your spirit guides for bringing you the information you need to make wise decisions and give you encouragement.

This is the rhythm of the longest day of the year. A time when many of our herbs are ready for their first harvest. The setting of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

Harmonizing our energies with nature, our higher self and our spirit guides. Basking in the light and letting our light shine. Celebrate the light in your life and whatever and whoever brings light into your life. Let your drumbeat resonate on this longest day!

 

Lessons from the garden

Gardening offers gentle prompts in the most subtle ways. Life lessons and messages from spirit are everywhere when we keep our eyes and ears open.

For example, when we were planting the garden, a hawk perched up in the tree and watched us for a couple hours. Hawks remind us to stay focused on our goals. Use that long range vision to look ahead.

The gnome is enjoying the columbine that I thought had died during the winter, but it came back. He is getting a kick out of that. Before we tear something out and start over, we should always be certain that we are done with it before clearing it out. Plants with good roots will keep on coming back even after the freezing and droughts. Same thing with some of our business plans, and personal plans. We should take a good look so that we see everything clearly before we take action.

Garden snakes always startle us when they suddenly cross our path, but now we are used to seeing them and we know they are helping to keep mice and insects out of the garden. We don't try and harm them. As soon as they see us, they crawl back into hiding. Sometimes things that are unexpected can be very helpful. We might even like those unexpected developments.

Look at all the different physical arrangements we make so that plants will have the light, shade or water they need. Sometimes just moving a plant a few feet will inspire growth.

Then there are companion plants. Plants grow best when they are near plants they get along with. If they are not, they will suffer and fail. The same is true for people. When we are with great companions, we flourish. When we are not, we struggle and fail.

Yesterday while we were working in the garden, we watched a pair of woodpeckers nesting in the maple tree. There are a pair of towhees in the pine. The woodpeckers are all about persistence, continuous effort combined with intuition. They break through barriers to get to hidden opportunities.

Towhees are ground feeders and so they remind us to stay grounded, having respect for the natural world. They hop backwards to kick up leaves and see what is underneath. They can navigate dense, tangled underbrush. They look a lot like a Robin with white speckles on its wings and the bright burst of red/orange color on its breast grabs our attention and prompts attention to awakening passion and vigor.

When I saw the bees drinking out of the bird bath, the bees using the bee house I mounted on the pine, and see them visiting each of the flowers, I see a good omen for this year's garden. Lots of bees, lots of growth, fresh leaves and first flowers. We are efficient with our use of water, since we are aware that we have a drought. Drought doesn't mean you can't garden. It means you need to garden more carefully.

When we notice a change in a plant's behavior or color, we look at what we need to do. Change companion plants? Shade it more? More sun? Add fertilizer? Water more? Water less? Does it need protection from bugs, birds or squirrels?

Do we look at all the factors affecting our growth, health and happiness?

Working with the plants is a pleasure while making daily mental notes about what is working and what needs to be done brings a lot of joy even before they produce vegetables, fruits and herbs. A way to meditate right in your backyard.