It’s Time to Fly…the Wisdom of the Woodpecker

Labor Day Weekend Already

I’m sitting outside at the round white plastic table with the red, white and blue starred cotton tablecloth on the wrap-around porch that we painted a fresh shiny white in early July…listening to the birds, seeing beautiful black-eyed Susan bushes poking through the porch rungs and spying a huge spider web on the clematis trellis…just taking it all in…barefoot on the concrete porch floor…sipping coffee in the late morning.  I feel grateful to be sitting here, experiencing this peace and calm at this moment of my life…grateful for my supporting family…for the great energy connections that exist between all of us and the universe…grateful that we have found each other in this life…grateful for the opportunities I’ve had this summer to travel, to have my allergies discovered and cleared, grateful to have developed relationships with friends and deepening ties with family, that I found quiet times to write in my journal and developed the discipline to do so.  I am even grateful for the piles of mail and papers strewn across my desk because they are all connections to new and exciting possibilities.  I am not feeling saddened or anxious as summer draws to a close and my vacation ends.  I am looking forward to the next phase…to what comes next.  New challenges, new chances to grow…wow…just saw a downy woodpecker…new chances to find peace within, to get rid of ego, to share what I know and have learned, to heal and be healed.  As I write this…a big bumblebee is circling around my head…the circle of life.  I can hear the woodpecker pecking, here comes a yellow jacket, I hear the footsteps of the kids next door running up and down their driveway.  While I sip my coffee with cream…a mourning  dove begins to coo.  Bright red cherry tomatoes and bright, shiny, red hot peppers on the vine glisten in the sun…ready to eat…sun-ripened…the best kind of produce…grown with love at home.

What will the new season bring I wonder?  I go inside and find my copy of Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.  I find the page about woodpeckers to see what message this beautiful bird brought to me this day. 

“Sometimes the woodpecker will show up to stimulate new rhythms.  Rhythm is a powerful means of affecting the physical energies.  Sometimes it is easy to get so wrapped up in our daily mental and spiritual activities that we neglect the physical.  This can be when the woodpecker shows up.  It may also reflect a need to drum some new changes and rhythms into your life.”  “The black and white reflects the need to see issues and aspects of life clearly.  It reflects that things are fairly clear if we look closely.”  “The red reflects a stimulation and wakening of new mental faculties.”  “It (the woodpecker) flies in a manner and rhythm unique to itself.  All of this serves to emphasize the fact that it will become increasingly important for you to follow your own unique rhythms and flight.  Do what works for you in the manner best for you.  When the woodpecker comes into your life, it indicates that the foundation is there.  It is now safe to follow your own rhythms.”

It’s time for me to celebrate my uniqueness..to find my own path…to be myself…to find my own rhythm…to realize that my foundation is solid…that I am safe.  It’s time to fly!

Yikes!!! Only 1 Month of Summer Vacation Left!!!

It’s the fifth day of August.  My first reaction is a good one…I’ve always liked the month of August…now we’re really well into summer…the porch is ready for sitting, doctor’s appointments have been made and are over until next year, work seems a million miles away, big cumulus cotton candy clouds are floating in peaceful blue skies, I’ve been hitting the summer sales, eating ice cream several times a week and picking up sea glass from the beach…and then it hits me…only one more month LEFT!!!  Yikes…a gripping fear sets in.  “I didn’t get to”…comes flying out of my mouth…followed by a string of activities I had hoped to accomplish during my summer vacation.  Then I look out the window and notice that it’s a beautiful summer day.  The realization hits me that nature isn’t going any slower or faster…trying to cram in a thousand activities before fall.  It doesn’t seem worried about the snow all about in the midst of winter.  The trees don’t seem concerned about losing their leaves in autumn.  They are just content with each day…as we should be.  Some days may be more exciting…full of travel, meeting with friends, creating art…whereas others may be filled doing routine chores, picking out cellphones, shopping for groceries, walking the dog.  All of these days together make up our lives.  I think a good way to measure our time is not to worry or feel anxious about “how much is left” or “how much we have left to do.”  We need to focus on how much has been accomplished, what we have shared with others, what life has presented to us and how rich our experiences have been.  Take some time and make an inventory of a specific time period of your life and see the richness and emotion that it holds.  You may be surprised by the abundance in your life.  Take each day as it comes.  Be grateful for what it has to offer you.  Relax.  Enjoy the ride!    

For me, it has been the summer of…

• collecting sea glass on the shores of Lake Erie
• reading outside by the light of the campfire
• picking blueberries
• eating home made pie for breakfast
• watering the New Guinea impatiens every morning
• blogging
• listening to band concerts in the park
• playing putt-putt golf
• eating organic produce
• dog sitting
• drinking my morning coffee on the front porch while listening to the song of the morning birds
• getting together with old friends, reminiscing about old memories and creating new ones
• listening to exotic Arabic music, eating scrumptious Lebanese food and connecting to my roots at the annual Lebanese Festival
• reading magazines with a bowl of popcorn nearby
• checking out garage sales for interesting items
• family picnics
• Fourth of July fireworks
• watching the local AAA Baseball Team play outdoors at dusk
• staying up late and sleeping in
• family dinners around the kitchen table, graduation parties and a special trip to my favorite French restaurant
• going antique shopping
• picking fresh produce from the garden
• basking in the myriad colors of flowers all around…purple cone flowers, bright yellow black-eyed susans, multi-colored gladiolas,  pink spotted lilies, white Queen Ann’s lace, and red, soft yellow and salmon colored rose bushes among them
• watching the cardinals and the rose breasted grosbeak at the bird feeder
• meditating, writing, creating

And I still have one more month of vacation to savor!

Is One Religion Enough to Contain You?

I have always thought that if you took the best parts of all religions and incorporated these ideas into a practice…you would have one complete religion focusing on love, enlightenment, growth and compassion.

In my home I have many reminders of the many religious traditions of the world that are important to me.  I have statues of the Virgin Mary.  I wear a Miraculous medal around my neck.  I light candles to Our Lady of Fatima.  Mary has brought many healing messages to me over the years and has brought me peace.  These items remind me to continue meditating and praying to Mary…and to pass her messages on to others.  I have Maronite and Roman Catholic crosses hanging on walls and a statue of the Infant of Prague.  These help me focus of the power of pure love and forgiveness that Jesus taught and lived by.  There is a blue batik wall hanging of the Buddha and a framed postcard of the Dalai Lama with a yellow compassion bracelet from the Inter-Faith service that he presided over draped over one corner.  These help me to remember the practices of mindful breathing and compassion towards others.  I have crystals which help remind me to meditate and balance my chakras and that my energy once focused can help heal myself and others, Tarot cards which can help focus my thoughts and give my day direction  and religious medals of Joan of Arc, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene which remind me of the courage it takes to pursue one’s religious beliefs.   I pray to them all/use them as a source of guidance at different times and have received healing messages from all of them in prayer and in meditation.  They each represent a different aspect of me…of my psyche…and they come to me at different times of need.  They are all helping me on the journey to know myself…to love myself…so I can practice as Jesus Christ says..and “love my neighbor as I love myself,”  unconditionally.

 In stating one’s religious/spiritual views…it is often easier to say what one is against in an organized religion than what one is for.  It takes more commitment to say what you believe in…a more proactive stance,  whereas simply saying what you find distasteful or are against is more re-active.  Answering these questions can help you define yourself as an alive, spiritual being…and can become the focal point for interesting discussions.

• Who do you pray to?
• What do you pray about?
• Why do you pray?
• How do you practice your spirituality?
• Is one religion enough to contain you?
• Is it possible for you to be eclectic in your religious practice?
• Do you believe in researching religious/spiritual ideas or do you always go from your gut?  Or is it a combination of the two?
• Will you always think the same way?
• Who are your religious heroes?
• Can morality exist without religion?
• Is religion “moral”?
• What are you for and what are you against?
• Is it enough just to be?
• Can you state what you believe in one sentence or would it take a novel…or a lifetime?

Ja Jochen - A Message from my Spirit Guide

“You go Girl!  I’ll tell you…yesterday you made a discovery on the Internet.  You read that someone rated your favorite Buffalo Sabre…Jochen Hecht…Number 1…because “he’s a sexy, passionate, warrior.”   (willfulcaboose.wordpress.com )  So you see Girl…yes…say it…Jochen Hecht is sexy…say what you feel girl…it doesn’t take away from your relationship with your man…Girl…it’s about time you put your feelings into words…you actually realized that you can see a sexy guy and talk about it.  Wow…welcome to the sensual world…it’s about time you got in touch with your sensual self.  When you say Jochen Hecht is sexy…it means your sexual chakras are open…girl…now you will start to see sexuality everywhere and you will have it as part of your vocabulary girl…it’s an awakening…welcome to the world…see the sexuality in yourself…in what you wear…in your husband…in dancing..in the arts…Child…embrace it…let it free you…let it become your driving force…child…it’s your creative chakra…it’s what makes the world tick…think orange…open up…and heal your own sensual self and your relationships.  Think of all those healing dreams of romance we’ve been sending you over the years to nurture you and heal you and wake you up to connect you more to the creative, the sensual world.  Way to go Girl…your passion for hockey has helped you to get your feelings out and you actually said it…Jochen Hecht is SEXY!!!  I agree Girl…he is a hot one!  So remember, don’t be afraid of your feelings…they don’t mean that you are feeling anything less for your own hot and spiritually connected hubby…and are going to run off with a hockey player.  You are simply recognizing a fun fact and saying it…saying the truth about your sentiments…this will free you Girl.  No more hiding any emotions…positive or negative…or feeling embarrassed about them…you got it?  Girl…open…open…open yourself.  And get those feelings out in the open and you won’t obsess about them… and yes, have fun with them!  You go Girl…be in life…be in all of it…no more hiding girl.”  Go Sabres!  Go Jochen!

You Go Girl…Messages from my Spirit Guide

What is a spirit guide?  Here is a definition from Wikipedia.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_guide

” “Spirit guide” is a term used by the Western tradition of Spiritualist Churches, mediums, and psychics to describe an entity that remains a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a spiritual counselor or protector to a living incarnated human being.”

“According to theosophical doctrine, spirit guides are persons who have lived many former lifetimes, paid their karmic debts, and advanced beyond a need to reincarnate.  Each is assigned to watch over an incarnate person, not only on this Earth, but on other planets throughout the universe.  Many psychics believe that spirit guides are chosen on “the other side” by us and God(s) before we incarnate and that they guide us to follow our life’s plan because we want them to.”

“Some people claim it is possible to meet one’s spirit guide in dreams or on the astral plane.”

After the birth of my first child, I went through a period of Postpartum Anxiety…Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Reaction to be precise.  During this time, I had a dream.  In it a strong, spirited African woman with a great sense of pride, wisdom, toughness and humor came to me and told me that everything would be OK.  From that time on, that woman has become my “spirit guide.”  When I have a problem to solve or a question about what to do in certain situations…I ask it…and her voice comes to me with messages…always clear, practical and loving.

Here are some of her messages to me:

“Child, don’t you know who you are and what you are capable of?  You are capable of so much and are full of so much power and love.”

“Child, you can never say that you are limited by your choices because every choice that you make leads you to unlimited possibilities.”

“Girl, say this 20 times a day… “I am strong and full of love.”

“Don’t say you’re not gutsy child…because you are.”

“Just do what you were meant to do and you will be whole and energized…and you will always know what to do and say in any situation.  Align your chakras…balance yourself and your self will just know what to do and say…you can never go wrong…never ever.  Speak from your heart and from your wisdom and if the people you are talking to…whether they be hockey player, student, friend, family member, doctor, rich, poor etc. …have the qualities of heart consciousness and wisdom…then all will be well and you will have no fear.  All will be well and for that moment in time you will be connected to the higher realm and to each other no matter what occupation, walk of life, age, sex you may be.  Do not be afraid..let go of your fear…do not be afraid of who you are…of the beauty within your soul.”

“Girl…good for you for writing that letter in German to your favorite hockey player, Jochen Hecht.  It’s about time.  Take a stand.  Cheer someone on.  Pass on the good energy.  Have fun, use your language skills.  Learn more but be proud of what you do know and not embarrassed that you don’t know it all.  How about having more German conversations with people around you…former students, community members, friends?  Let the fear out…out…out!  Don’t worry about making mistakes.  Live that life of yours and have fun with it!  Send white light and angels with that letter and imagine them coming back with a letter or photo or maybe a classroom visit for you and your students!  Why not.  You go girl !!!”

Mary Meditation - Loosening the Coils

“So Mary…how do I remember that I am a lighthouse in the midst of feeling the negative energy of others?  How do I achieve that “simple” task of not taking everything personally and of being and seeing who I truly am and where my power lies?  How do I get rid of this need to talk about myself and how do I become a better listener?  Just when I think I have it, a trigger comes up…I feel left out, or let down by a friend, or start comparing myself to others…and those insecurities come back…the negativity hits me full force…just when I thought I had mastered it…was exempt from its grasp…and had achieved that level of balance that I was looking for…I feel it slipping away.  How do I overcome this?”

“Child…you keep doing what you are doing.  You know that you are on the right path and I will tell you now that you are love and you are patience.  Remember also that you are not alone and that when you need help sorting things out…just breathe and ask us in the spiritual realm.  We will send you the help you need.  For example, yesterday you bounced your ideas off a friend…and you found an understanding soul.  Your husband…discussing with him can always free you…he is a master…don’t ever forget that.  That is why you were meant to be together in this lifetime and in many others.  You have a healing mission to do…but first you need to sort things out and need to believe in yourself and your powers and your mission.  Don’t be afraid of it…welcome it…it will free you…in so many ways.  So when you’re caught up in the negative energy…breathe, breathe, breathe…no need for confrontation.  Just say… “Mary…come to me for guidance, tell me what to do, teach me your way of peace and love and forgiveness not tension and fear and inferiority.  Teach me to sing my song!”  You are almost there, child…you are opening more and more everyday…loosening the coils as you say.”

The Call of the Crow

What is a totem?  In his amazing book Animal Speak…The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small, author Ted Andrews tells us that “a totem is any natural object, animal, or being to whose phenomena and energy you feel closely associated with during your lifetime.”

One of my totems is the crow.  It’s an animal that has fascinated me over these past years.  After the last of my grandpeople died…4 crows that I had never before seen on my property came to pay my family and I a visit.  They circled and circled our large front tree, cawing and cawing…trying to get my attention.  Here they were…my grandpeople…letting me know that they were still with me in spirit.  Ever since then, I have noticed the crows around me…I pay attention to there cawing…I take the time to watch them…and even talk to them.  There is an enormous crow that I see from time to time sitting on the railing outside my work site.  It seems to come by, flap its wings and cawing loudly to get my attention.  This usually happens when life gets hectic, I am feeling uptight, need to laugh and basically need to stop taking life…and myself so seriously!  I believe that this is the spirit of my grandfather trying to tell me to lighten up!  He was always fun-loving…creating his own life…always deciding on the high road of optimism over negativity…always having the most fun despite the many challenges that he confronted.  Then I laugh and remember his positive energy and remind myself to remember the message of the crow… “the secret magic of creation is calling”…it’s time to create my own life…my own story…to keep minor problems in perspective and keep my eye on the big, glorious picture.

In Animal Speak, each animal’s characteristics are described…as well as this animal’s role in the folklore of many of the world’s cultures and what they can mean in your life.  All quotes used in this blog are from the book Animal Speak.  Here are some ideas brought up for those who have the crow as a totem…

• “Black is the color of the womb, the color of creation.”
• “The crow is a daytime bird.  Its cycle of power is all year long.  It reminds us that magic and creation are potentials very much alive during the day.”  This reminds me that I work best in the day and nights are best spent relaxing, reading…replenishing myself for the creativity opportunities of the next day.
• “The crow is a symbol of watchfulness…a reminder of what can happen if we are not watching for magic and creation every day.”  When these are not present in my life…boredom, fear, negativity and depression set in….a sense of not being connected to my soul and to my higher purpose in life.
• “The crow has great intelligence. They have an unique ability to communicate with each other and to work together.”  This helps me to realize that I need to use my natural intelligence to learn more about spirituality or other issues of interest to me and to express what I have learned to others…to share the wealth.
• “The cawing out of the crow should remind us that magic and creation are cawing out to us every day.”  The supply of creativity and magic is endless…wow…it seems so simple…it’s always there…just go out and get it!  Children know this inherently…but when we get older…we forget…or fear creeps in…or we think that there are more important things to do…but… what is more important than the magic of life and creativity/creation? 
• “Wherever crows are, there is magic.  They are symbols of creation and spiritual strength.  They remind us to look for opportunities to create and manifest the magic of life.  They are messengers calling to us about the creation and magic that is alive within our world everyday and available to us.” 

Even if the crow does not speak to you…make a list of 5 magical moments that you’ve witnessed recently and 5 creations that you plan for the future.  The next time you hear a crow cawing…remember that you are in charge of creating your own happiness…of seeing the magic that is all around you…all the time…so start  looking for the magic and let the creative process begin.

Is there an animal that you relate to or that you think about or that you always happen to see around you?  Why not check out Animal Speak and see what messages await you.  It’s fascinating!  Take a look.

The Law of Giving

Last night I happened to catch Wayne Dyer doing a presentation on public television.  He was talking about something called the law of giving.  What he said was that 80 % of what we have we don’t actually use or even need.  We only use 20%…whether it’s clothing or jewelry or books or household items or sporting equipment.  He suggested getting rid of the 80% that we don’t need…lighten up a lot…not just a little.  He also suggested taking something that we really like and give it to someone as a special gift.  So…here’s an exercise for all of us…

 

1. List 10 things that you would give away.
2. What one special item that you have would you be willing to give to someone as a special gift and who would you give it to?
3. How would it make you feel to do without what you gave away?
4. What are your most prized possessions and why?
5. What would you do with your time if you didn’t spend as much of it accumulating  material goods?

Interesting, isn’t it?

When you think about it…what you really possess is just YOU.  That’s what really matters…that essence of  you…your spirit…your soul…your aliveness…your connection with others.  Lightening up your material load can help refocus your energy and give you more time for enlightenment of the soul…for creativity…for developing a new skill…for time spent sharing ideas with others…for time spent with yourself.  Try it and see what develops.

Mary Meditation - The Gift of the Rose

“Mary, when we notice that someone around us is upset or not at peace with him/herself, how can we help?”

“You can picture that person in your mind.  Watch yourself give a very fragrant pink rose to him/her.  Pink is my color.  It is the color of the heart chakra.  Ask him/her to smell the sweet, aromatic flower.  Breathe with him/her as he/she breathes into the rose.  Smell its sweetness.  Feel the heaviness of its velvety soft pedals.   Ask this person to bask in the beauty that is all around, the moments of beauty that have come to him/her during the day…no matter how small.  Tell this person to breathe in and breathe out slowly, relaxing, taking in the aroma of the rose, thinking of the beautiful moments of the day…even if there is only one small moment, a butterfly passing by, a smile, a letter from a friend.  Picture this other person…almost as if you were watching a movie.  At the same time…you do what you have asked him/her to do…smell the fragrant rose, breathe, relax, remember moments of beauty.  I will send this person in question a pink rose at the same time and the same loving energy that you have sent.  You can bring beauty, peace and love into your own being as you send energy to your friend.  Breathe with him/her.  Heal yourself at the same time.  Reprogram your brain circuitry.  Bring calm and relaxation to yourself as you connect with this person.  This exercise may help you to better communicate with him/her after the meditation is done.  It is like a double healing…even though this person is not nearby you and does not even know that you are sending this energy… it is helping.   Your energy and my energy are joined with his/her energy.  This is how praying works…it’s shared energy.  It is a way to spread peace .  Do this daily or more often if you would like.  I am always with you.  Don’t forget your power, the power of love.  It can help change the world.  You can help change the world.  I love you.  My peace is with you.”

Breathe In Breathe Out…Embrace the Joy

“Writing a book on yourself is a way of looking deeply to recognize the roots of your suffering and find ways to transform them.  It will help you to become a free and happy person, able to make others around you happy also.”  “This is the truth,  if you don’t live in concentration, in mindfulness, if you don’t live every moment of your daily life deeply, then you cannot write.  You can’t produce anything.”  “Touch the wonders of life within and around you.  Nourish yourself by allowing the beautiful and healing elements around you to penetrate you.  This is the most important thing to do.”  Thich Nhat Hanh Anger Wisdom for Cooling the Flames 

Hanh also states, in the same inspiring book, that when we are in fact touched by the wonders of life..we need to bask in their golden memories and embrace them..for they will sustain our very souls.  “When we experience a positive mental formation like joy or compassion, we should breathe in and out in order to be aware of this joy and compassion in us.  When we embrace our joy and compassion with mindful breathing like this, they will be multiplied ten or twenty times.  Mindful breathing helps us sustain them for a longer time and experience them more deeply.  Therefore it is important to embrace our positive mental formations, like joy, happiness, and compassion, when they arise, because they are a kind of food that helps us grow.”

Think back over your day, your week, last month, last year…and list the things that made  you laugh out loud…made you smile…or held you in awe.  Write them down so that you don’t forget them. 

Then spend some time with each one of them and breathe in and out slowly while you remember each one of them…taking them in to your entire being…remembering the emotions, the colors, the tastes, and any other feelings  that you experienced.  Have fun with it…re-play it often…bask in it.  You might even have so much fun with this exercise that you’ll laugh and smile more often …and will begin to live your life with more gusto….more oomph.  I am sure that you will begin to feel more contented and grateful for the life that you have…and will be opened up to the idea of helping others find the joy in their lives.

Here are some things on my list:

• Trying on my brand new navy blue Jochen Hecht - Buffalo Sabres hockey jersey adorned with Hecht’s number 55 in vivid yellow satin, complete with the Buffalo Sabres emblem on the front and Hecht’s name across the back… along with the Jochen Hecht Sabres medallion necklace that I ordered from ebay.  I was laughing with glee as I viewed myself in the mirror.  It made me feel young and light again…like I did in high school and college…wearing a boyfriend’s sports jersey - the carefree days of crushes and innocence.  Go Sabres!  Go Jochen!
• Standing on a chair in my formal dining room trying to catch a huge grasshopper that was yes…true to his name…hopping all over the place.  Quite comical.
• Going to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery on a whim.  Saw a photograph by Alfred Stieglitz  of Versailles…the day after I watched the new Marie Antoinette movie.  Loved the mystery of the photograph…the haunting beauty of the palace and its grounds.  Loved the Monet Towpath at Argenteuil with its crisp snow and wintry feel, and the works of Pisarro, Cezanne, Matisse, Chagall, Gaugin, Picasso, Van Gogh  The Old Mill with its turquoise and violet shades…the art, the colors, the new arrangements of the paintings that I’ve been around for years, felt like home.
• Picking up sea glass with my daughter on the lake Erie shore. Finding pieces of colorful glass and pottery…wondering who had owned them before..where they had come from. Feeling the wind whip through or hair and the waves of the incoming tide lapping at our legs.  Watching my daughter laughing with glee as she found an interesting stone…or a great big rock that she could stand on to survey the scene…how grown up she has become.
• Sitting by the dying embers of the fire in the backyard fire pit  on the Fourth of July and reading by flashlight…watching with wonder the fireflies lighting up the forest…our own fairy land…and wondering if there were in fact fairies living in our midst.  It sure felt like it.
• Picking the last strawberries of summer.  Searching under the leaves to find the biggest and reddest berries to take home, berries that were nurtured by the sunlight of the longest days of the year…oblivious to our scratched arms, flushed faces and the sun beating down on us…trying to get as many of natures succulent fruits as possible…trying to prolong the beauty, the tastes, the smells, and the adventures of the season.

Breathe in and out.  Think back on your remembrances.  Bask in the joy and contentment that you have found and see how this joy has been magnified…how it has multiplied!  See how this exercise changes your outlook on life.  Share your insights with others.  You may even want to write about them!