What do we learn from disasters?

 

What do we learn from disasters?

Disasters, while tragic, often serve as a poignant reminder of our resilience and the unyielding spirit of community. Observing the California fires, it’s heartwarming to witness how adversity ignites a collective drive to support one another, showcasing the innate goodness of humanity. Many survivors, despite losing their homes, emphasize the priceless value of life and loved ones, a perspective that, while seemingly simplistic, starkly contrasts our often distracted daily lives. These harrowing events compel us to re-evaluate our priorities, fostering gratitude for the little things we might otherwise take for granted. Remember the fires here a few years ago? For a while, those of us who lived in nearby towns were hyper alert, hoping the fires would be put out before they could spread here. We were greatly relieved when they did not. The sight of entire neighborhoods consumed by fire is both chilling and awe-inspiring, as we are reminded of the fragility of our built environments. Ultimately, disasters teach us that while structures may crumble, the bonds of community and the appreciation for life endure, and that is a lesson worth holding onto. Disasters are literally the end of one phase of our life and the beginning of our next phase. Our things may all be gone, but our spirit helps us begin again, this time, with even more heart.

Midwinter Joys, Snow or No

 

Midwinter Joys, Snow or No

As we embrace December this year, there is a palpable shift in energy that feels notably more serene than in years past. While the festive atmosphere still hosts its share of gatherings, they resonate with a quieter, more intimate vibe that encourages us to slow down and savor the moments. This season, illuminated by the Full Oak Moon or Cold Moon, invites us into a space of profound reflection and introspection. It is a time when the Sagittarius season inspires us to dream boldly about the future while honoring the cyclical nature of our lives. The cold, characteristic of this time of year, serves as a gentle reminder of the strength that lies in the restful depths of winter. As the Oak symbolizes resilience and the promise of new beginnings, we are reminded that, like this magnificent tree, our spirits too will awaken and flourish as the sunlight gradually returns, leading us into the vibrant renewal of summer. December was also the time when druids harvested mistletoe from oaks. Mistletoe does not grow on the earth or in the sky, but rather high up in the tree, between heaven and earth. An appropriate sort of meditation for this time. With the festive spirit of the season, we treat ourselves to parties and special events before putting renewed energy back into our work after the holidays. Some of us are enjoying popular Christmas traditions while others of us are enjoying other ways to celebrate the season. Some people want snow so that it fits their picture of the season. Of course, some parts of our country now have so much snow that they are not hoping for more. People who work in ski resorts want all they can get, yet one of the odd results of global warming is that some ski resorts are not open due to lack of snow, and in places around the world, glaciers are melting, including our own Glacier National Park, which some time in the near future, will not have any more glaciers. Part of the changing realities of our present world. Let us embrace this quieter energy as an opportunity for growth and rejuvenation, setting the stage for the blossoming possibilities that lie ahead. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do!

In the Wee Small Hours

 

In the Wee Small Hours

A frequently asked question is what does it mean when we wake up at 3 am with thoughts and dreams that are powerful enough to wake us, and then we go back to sleep. It seems that the universe opens its doors, inviting us to receive messages from the spirit realm. It's almost as if the cosmos has set up an exclusive late-night hotline just for us! Tied intricately to the number 3—often celebrated as the number of manifestation and creation—this hour becomes a golden opportunity for inspiration and enlightenment. So, if you find yourself wide awake, staring at the ceiling, take a moment to embrace the magic of the night. Who knows? You might just be on the brink of a profound revelation or a brilliant idea waiting to burst forth into existence! Jot it down so that you can reconsider it after you wake up to start your day. Awakening during the early hours of the morning, such as at 2, 3, 4, 5 can hold intriguing significance beyond mere sleep disruption. Many cultures and belief systems suggest that these awakenings may be linked to our body's natural rhythms or even spiritual messages. For instance, waking at 2 AM might indicate a time for reflection and self-evaluation with a focus on balance, while 4 AM could be associated with heightened intuition and creativity and how they can be used for stress relief. Waking at 5 can be about connecting with higher realms and aligning with circadian rhythms. These moments of awakening can serve as invitations to explore our inner thoughts, reevaluate our goals, or connect with deeper aspects of ourselves. Embracing these early hours with curiosity may lead to profound insights and personal growth, transforming what may seem like an inconvenience into an opportunity for self-discovery and inspiration. It is a common experience to awaken with a flurry of ideas and insights, only to find ourselves drifting back into the comfort of sleep, allowing those valuable thoughts to slip away into the recesses of our minds. Imagine the potential unlocked by simply keeping a notepad by your bedside, ready to document those bursts of creativity and reflection. Embracing this practice not only helps preserve our ideas but also empowers us to harness our subconscious mind, transforming those ephemeral thoughts into tangible actions that can lead us toward our aspirations. So, let us strive to awaken not just our bodies, but also our creativity, ensuring that no brilliant thought goes unnoticed or unrecorded. Does this season, this part of the year, bnring you any different awakenings?

Dressed to the Nines

 

Dressed to the Nines

Dressed to the nines is an old expression meaning to the highest degree. As we know from numerology, 9 signifies the completion of a cycle, getting things finished and wrapping things up. Nine is not only the number of completion, it is also the number of wisdom and leadership. That is why people traditionally dress up when going to a symphony, theater performance, a public presentation by a well known speaker, a business event such as an expo or awards ceremony. These kinds of dress up occasions reflect the special vibe of the event, where the participants will all dress up creating an aura of higher energy. Some people joke about having a suit for weddings and funerals, but the other examples named above are times when excellence is awarded and the evening is enveloped in a celebratory aura. This includes getting together with family & friends for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas and Solstice parties, going to New Year's Eve parties. It feels good to be casual for every day, and dress for events. Another way to look at dress is this. We notice that shamans, healers, and spiritual leaders of all kinds don special garments before beginning to lead ceremonies. Why? Because the person getting dressed to lead a ritual of any kind is getting their mind into that altered state. You could say that for the leader, the ritual is beginning from the time they do their ritual cleaning and dressing, then getting their tools ready for use. So they are changing their consciousness as they prepare and they are in an altered state before their performance begins and lasts beyond the night. The energy stays with us for a good while after a ceremony. Changing our appearance is all about changing our attitude and mental state. We are changing our mind as we change our clothes. And this suggests to us excellence, doing the best we can, using our abilities to the nines. Many of us have experienced that feeling of the nines when we have set a goal and accomplished it, whether in our career, a sport, a hobby, overcoming a health challenge, or perhaps as a volunteer with a charity. Even when we are teaching ourselves something new or developing a new habit, and we strive to do our best, we are going for the nines. Notice how you do certain things to shift your consciousness. Is your desk or office set up to facilitate your flow and productivity? Do you wear certain things to get ready? What habits do you cultivate to sharpen your wits and shift your consciousness? When do you dress to the nines? How do you feel about yourself when you do? How does your outer state reflect your inner state? Are you considering some new ideas about this now? I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions.

After the costumes come off

 

After the costumes come off

Dressing in costume is a way of being a different person for a while. We can have fun pretending that we are someone else and we can talk different and act different for a while, and when our costumes and masks are well done, no one knows it is us, we can be outrageous and wild and totally different than our normal way of being. Does some of that stay with us for a while? Do we sometimes like the person in the costume better than our usual self? Do we not sometimes desire a major change in our life so that we are very different from our present self? This may sound a bit far fetched, but stop and think for a moment. Once upon a time, I worked in jobs that required wearing a suit and tie every day, no beard, short haircuts and driving in rush hours to get to office buildings downtown every day. You would never know that by looking at me now. Have you seen anyone at a party who looked absolutely fabulous dressed up, where their every day manner of dress and looks are plain and low key? How did you used to look before I met you? How we look influences how people see us. And now, more than ever, we are free to look however we want. There was a time when certain looks went with certain positions. That has largely changed. For example, it was not that long ago that if you had visible tattoos, a lot of companies would not hire you. Who is the person underneath all the designs, body art and clothing styles? That is the part that really needs to shine through. Does a person's look reveal that? Is the person able to do what needs to be done? Does the way a person looks fit their personality? People are enjoying looking more colorful and why not? If colored hair and body art lifts your spirits, go for it. Employers these days are letting go of those old dress codes as long as you can show up and do the work. Even in medical professions, where we will continue to see those professionals wearing scrubs, how differently do we perceive that person when we see them in their scrubs than when we see them in their street clothes? On the occasions when I encounter someone from my doctor's or dentist's office in another place, I have to do a double take to recognize them, but they don't have the same hesitation recognizing me. How differently do we see ourselves when we are wearing jeans and T shirts and when we are dressed up? Who is the person under those clothes? What kind of energy are we projecting when we dress different ways? How do we want people to perceive us? We put a lot of thought into our costumes. What else do we put a lot of thought into? Do these concepts drive thoughts of change? I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful Halloween, Diwali and Samhain this weekend!

That Sweet Tooth

 

That Sweet Tooth

When I was a little kid, my favorite holiday was always Halloween. We put on costumes and walked around the neighborhood, filling our bags with free candy. What a great holiday, dressing in costumes, playing tricks on people and feeding that sweet tooth. These days, Halloween means doing tarot readings for costume parties, and this is as much fun as going trick or treating. Now, over the years, I get a sweetness that comes from spiritual celebrations where we remember and honor our dead. When we focus on the good things that someone did for us and the important part they played in our life, we summon happy memories rather than the ending of a person's life, we gather encouragement and perspective from that. This is why I always experience October as a sweet time. It was a different appetite that we were feeding when we were kids. Now as adults, the appetite that we are feeding is for wisdom and balance. Taking time to reflect on the people in our life, we express gratitude to those who have given us other gifts, things we learned from them that has lasted us a lifetime. Whether you celebrate Day of the Dead, Samhain, All Souls Day other spiritual tradition, it is a sweet tradition. As adults, when we reflect on the people we know who have already passed into the next realm, we have different realizations about both the tricks and the treats we have bagged during our life. These spiritual celebrations are lights on our path, with the auras of those who have been with us for a part of our life illuminating our visions and goals. Sometimes we get the trick, sometimes we get the treat. Experience teaches us to savor both with a smile. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful day!

Fireside Chats

 

Fireside Chats

See the dragons coming out to play in the fire? Maybe you see the chess piece, the knight, which looks like a horse. Maybe you see a witch with a pointy hat with her arms raised. Maybe you see a person with a walking stick and their dog is laying by their feet. Whole stories can unfold with the flickering of the flames. Each time a log is turned, a different picture is formed. After we get a fire going in the fireplace, the fire is our friend. It warms us and lights our vision. I like to meditate with the fire. When fire is out of control, it destroys, but when it is contained in a stove or fireplace, we create. We cook, we warm ourselves, we appreciate the gift of the element of fire. Enjoying peaceful moments just gazing at the fire is a great way to relax. It is when we relax that spirit likes to plant new ideas in our mind. Relaxing in a way that lets our mind drift brings us into a meditative state. There are many ways to meditate, and this is one of them. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, used to get up and take walks while he was working out his ideas. Yes, visionary technology arose from simply talking walks and talking about it. Now that trees are letting go of leaves we can see farther in the woods. Like trees, when we let go of some old ideas, or old perspectives, we can see more. Simply taking a walk can help us stimulate our mind, get new ideas. Fresh air and simple, natural movements bring fresh thoughts. The spirit of the season brings thoughts of trees, colorful leaves, sitting my the fireplace with a cup of coffee or tea. The spirit of the season brings clarity. The spirit of the season is about savoring the joy of the harvest, the warmth of the fire, the simple pleasure of taking a walk and admiring the natural changes we see all around us. We are in the season of leaf peepers and pumpkin pie flavors. Yes, I love watching the leaves turn color, and I prefer my pumpkin pie flavor to stay in my pumpkin pie, thank you, not my coffee or beer. Amazing how many things are now made to taste like pumpkin pie. I know that a lot of other people like it or they wouldn't be making it, and that's ok. Pumpkins are fine with me. I enjoy eating it just like other winter squashes, baked, and served with butter and salt. In these ways, I am a person of simple tastes. If you are a person who thinks of themselves as having a hard time meditating, try these things and see how it works for you. Savor the season with a walk in the day and a fireside chat in the evening. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful day!