Friday, October 31, 2014

Samhain/Halloween Week

  Wow! What a week! It's really seemed to just fly by.  It always seems like the time surrounding a holiday goes so quickly.  This week seems to be no different.  However, I want to slow down a minute. Catch my breath and open to the blessings of the day.
  Today, is Samhain Eve or Halloween.  I love this day!  When I was younger, like all kids, I loved dressing up and trick or treating and such.  There was always such a mystery and magic attached to this day for me.  As I grew older, I began to realize why.  The more I learned about the traditions and history of this mystical day, the more I realized the importance of it.  
  For me, Samhain is the time of year to give thanks and prepare for the winter months that lay ahead.  In ancient times, it was time for the last harvest.  The livestock was brought in from the fields and the last of the harvested goods were prepared for keeping for the winter.  What couldn't be kept was typically used in celebration of the final harvest and for giving thanks for all that the harvest had brought.  So, this day reminds me of that gratitude.  
  grat·i·tude
ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/
noun
  1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

  So, much has been said and taught about gratitude and what it means to live in gratitude.  I have certainly learned that living in gratitude doesn't mean just one or two days a year.  It means everyday.  Waking up every morning and being thankful for all that you have.  You see.  Gratitude is a cycle--a flow.  It is not static.  In being grateful, we create more of those things for which we are grateful.  In creating that flow of abundance, we find that we have not only enough for us. But, enough to share with rest of the world.  So, we pay it forward.  We share our abundance with the rest of the world.  Lo and behold, look what happens! More abundance!  So, by learning to live in this cycle daily, we set up a constant flow.  That is an amazing space in which to be.  But, it all starts with saying Thank you! "Thank you, Spirit, for all of the amazing things in my life." And Samhain is a great time to give that thanks voice and celebrate!
  Another great thing about Samhain is that it's a time to celebrate the Ancestors and all of those who have gone before.  Those who have blazed the trails.  Those who have contributed to our growth both literally and figuratively.  
  Some people believe that there is a veil that separates this world, our physical world, from the world of Spirit.  At Samhain, this veil thins and it becomes easier for these energies to make themselves known.  So, this is considered a great time to honor the spirits of the Ancestral Dead.  In many latin countries, like Mexico and South America, there a festivals and celebrations that happen at this time of year. Dia De Los Muertos has also gained popularity in the U.S. as a way to celebrate those who have not only contributed physically to our being here but spiritually as well.  This tradition,of course, is not limited to Latin America.  For many ancient cultures it was a common practice to honor the Ancestors.
  Furthermore, not only do we honor our direct ancestors, we can also honor great teachers, ascended master and those who have taught and influenced us from the other side of the veil.  Buddha, Jesus, Einstein, whoever you look to for guidance when are looking for inspiration.  We all have our heroes.  The energy of those heroes can move us forward.  One phrase that seems to have gained popularity in the last few years is "WWJD".  "What would Jesus do?"  I have seen the phrase used with other names substituted for Jesus.  So, regardless of the names used, it is the inspiration or guidance that one is seeking that matters. So, celebrate your heroes.  Even if you didn't know them personally, their energies are all around you. Those inspiring stories you read about your heroes or the movies you watch. The knowledge of their accomplishments.  All serve to inspire you.  So, I invite you to celebrate that.  Thank Buddha for his guidance.  Thank Einstein for his genius.  Thank Jesus for his peace and calm.  Whatever your heroes give you.  Thank them for it. 
  So, when we look around at our life and do an honest personal survey.  We see that we have a lot for which we can be thankful.  So, give thanks everyday! But today, maybe say or do something a little extra. Celebrate the Harvest of all the great work you have done over the last year and get those new seeds ready for planting. 
  Happy Samhain to all on both sides of the Veil! 

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Into the Cave

  At the ripe ol' age of 13, I found myself in the midst of a mess.  A mess I wasn't sure how to handle.  A mess I was too scared to handle.  I felt alone--isolated. I was certain that no one could possibly understand me.  Even worse, I felt paralyzed.   I was stuck. Stuck in fear.  Now, I don't know if you've ever been paralyzed by fear.  It's a horrible place to be.  So, I did the only thing my young mind could figure out.  I hid. I hid in what I refer to now as the cave.
  The cave is a place deep within and everyone has one.  Each one is different.  The way we act.  How we behave in the world.  What we do inside and outside of the cave are all different.  Yet, one thing remains the same.  The cave hides who we truly are.  It covers our light--our divine spark.  That part of us that is eternal and connected to all that is.  We may run into the cave to let our light shine.  However, the darkness of the cave is such that no one else can see how bright we really are.  It's not easy to see that reality.  The cave tricks us.  All we can see is that when we are in the cave, we are secure and comfortable.  Our light can shine as brilliantly as it wants.  The problem is that inside the cave no one else can see our amazing light.  So, we become angry and self-loathing.
  This sense of contempt comes from being stuck in a place surrounded by fear.  You see.  In the depths of this cave, there was darkness.  This darkness was made of secrets.  Secrets that I kept from the world.  After all, from what I had seen, the world was a scary place.  So, the secret that I was different from others.  The secret that I wasn't perfect.  The secret that I felt like a disappointment to my family and friends. All those secrets made up that ever existing and encroaching darkness.  That darkness was fed by, not only, my fears but the fears and expectations of others.  The more I learned about the world, the more I didn't want to be a part of it.  Eventually, the cave became a prison.  The darkness growing until, I felt like my light was gone.  All that was left was darkness.  Yet, I stayed right there.
  I stayed in that cave surrounded by fear and self-hatred.  I learned to navigate the world. I reflected back to the world what I thought everyone wanted to see.  Now, one of the great things about sending out a reflection is that they are often returned.  As we reflect to others, they reflect back to us.  In those reflections, I could glimpsed nuggets or flashes of Spirit and Truth. Divine Truth.  The kind of truth that remains no matter what is happening around you.  It began to feel like I had some good qualities.  In spite of the fact that I was living in a cave of secrets.  So, I carried on seeking validation and love from others.  I felt I had to, really.  Obviously, my own way of loving, especially myself, was broken.  However, I began to see that I could be loved.  I just had to keep my secrets and keep my light hidden.  Then I could be perfect and loved by everyone.  Wow! What a flawed logic that was.
  As it turns out, secrets have a way of eating away at a person.  I didn't know it at the time. But, those little "personality traits" that I called secrets were actually gifts.  They were gifts from Spirit.  Yes, indeed.  I was armed with divine gifts and I didn't even know it.  So, in the depths of this cave, my secrets were being transformed.  The hand of the Divine shaping them into gifts.
  One of those gifts was the gift of Stillness.  In that cave, I had plenty of time.  So, without knowing, I cultivated stillness because it was pretty quite in there.  Eventually, I began to realize that when I was still I could hear.  I could hear the voice of Divinity.   Then, I began to realize that when I listened to that voice.  I felt joy.  When I felt joy, my light began to return.  As my light returned, the darkness of my fears and secrets was pushed back.
  Then, something miraculous happened.  The Voice said to me, " You were created to be perfect and divine.  Why would I not love everything about you?"  Upon hearing this, and sensing the Truth in it.  I connected to something greater than the Voice.  I connected to Love--perfect, divine love.  In the light of that divine Love I had one thought.  "If God can love me just the way I am. Everyone else, including myself, should be able to as well."  Then I thought, " God, what if they don't?"  The Voice answered, "Does it matter? I will always and forever love you."  In that moment, in the depths of the cave.  Amidst the darkness and despair,  I glimpsed my Self as reflected to me by the Divine.  I, also, glimpsed an infinity of possibilities.  I was reborn. I was reborn with a new understanding of Spirit and myself.  I had glimpsed my own Divine Nature.  And, man! I liked it! I was ready for more.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Finding the Message in Music

Let it be the joy of each new sunrise
Or the moment when a day dies
I surrender without reservation
No explanations
No questions why
I take it to me and let it pass through me
Yes, I let the music speak
I let the music speak
--ABBA,
I Let the Music Speak


  Music has always been a big part of my life.  It speaks to me.  It's like guidance and light to my soul.  It connects me to the parts of me that are creative and growing.  Music strengthens the parts of me that need support.  The knowing that others resonate with my deepest parts, fills me with joy.  Music always seems to call me out.  Driving home the messages that are echoed in my soul.  When I hear a song that touches me, I can seemingly listen to it endlessly.  Until, it seeps into my psyche and I have integrated the lessons it has for me.  
  Music is teaching.  It is empowering.  Even music that is popculture oriented, such as Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Michael Buble, can hold an empowering message.  Have you ever listened to your favorite song and actually thought about why you like it?  How does it speak to you? Which of your parts is it addressing? 
  I feel that when I know which of my Selves is being addressed, I can then find opportunities for growth and reflection.  I remember the first time I heard Born This Way, by Lady Gaga.  It really made me stop and think about all of the ways I talk to myself.  All of the things that society or other people say about who I am or how I should be in the world.  The empowering part of that song for me is the thought that we are created perfect.  That there is nothing wrong with loving all the parts of yourself because we are all beautiful in our own way.
"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
she said, "Cause he made you perfect, Babe"

That made me think.  No matter how you believe you came to be, you get what you are born with.  Don't let others define you. That is a powerful message that resonates not only with me but with countless others.  So, through this one song we can all come together and celebrate and honor who we are and how we BE in the world.  
  So no matter what you are experiencing at any given moment in your life, remember there are others out there who feel and have felt it too.  I never feel alone when I have music.  It always teaches me something.
  So, I say let the music speak.  It might just be the message your soul needs.




Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Dragonfly


Dragonfly

Dragonfly, Dragonfly
wandering by
my dreams become clear
when you are nigh.
Dragonfly, Dragonfly
whisper to me
your dreamtime tales
and set me free.
Open the gate
to my heart and mind.
Let me enter your realm
one more time.
Dragonfly, Dragonfly
passing so near
show me my Self.
Let the veil disappear.
Dragonfly, Dragonfly
now I see.
The beauty I sought
was always within ME!