It’s the New Year…The Past is Over…It’s Time to Make a Difference

Happy New Year 2009!!!

As we head into the New Year I’d like to pass on this information that came to me during my last meditation session.

“We are all charged with healing ourselves and others.  The past is over.  There’s only the NOW…which will affect and can change the future for better or for worse.”

“Is my healing through my blog or through my photography?”

“Healing is showing others the beauty around them and the beauty in themselves.  You can do this through your photography and through your blog.  In your photographs people can see the radiance coming through the smiles and eyes of your subjects.  They can see the beauty of your still lives and this will trigger beautiful feelings inside of them.  It can help the healing process begin.  It can motivate people to pursue the creation of their own acts of beauty.  It is contagious.  Don’t you ever underestimate the power of the written word or of a photograph.  You go Girl.  Fill those portfolios.  Name some of your photographs.  Get some of them in your blogs.  It’s one of your creative outlets.  That’s a big hint Girl!  Take out your old SRL camera sometime…take out your digital camera and start shooting those pictures.  Get all of those cool journals you’ve been buying out of the closets where they are hiding and use them.   Leave one in your car…one at your desk…one at work…one where you meditate.  Fill them up with ideas…write..write…write.  Clear the clutter in your house and clear the clutter in your brain.  Get your ideas out and share them with others.  Get your photographs out and share them with others.  You never know whose heart you are going to touch.  It’s time we all tried to positively affect the future.  It’s the New Year.  Get going.  Make a difference.”

Chocolate Chip Cookies with the Dalai Lama

When the Dalai Lama spoke at the University of Buffalo in September of 2007,  he reminded his audience that everyone has the right to be happy.  Just like that.  I wonder what makes the Dalai Lama happy.  I remember the photographer Galen Rowell said that when the Dalai Lama saw some images of the animals he had left behind in his native Tibet…that he leaped with glee.  I know that he would be happy if the world were at peace, if all religions coexisted peacefully and if there were no more world hunger.  On a smaller and more personal scale, I’ll bet that he might even like to sit and have a cup of tea and eat one of my chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven.  He seems down to earth.  It seems as if something this simple and this good would warm his heart.  I’ll bet my dog  with his wagging tail and winsome personality would make him smile.  We’d share a peaceful moment together…maybe we wouldn’t even need to talk.  Maybe the steaming tea, the warm chocolate chips, smiles from the heart and the breathing of the dog would be enough.  Real peace.  No pretensions.  Just living, and breathing, and eating, and smiling and sharing the company of another.  Sharing the God space.  Sharing what the planet has to offer.  Breathe.  Eat.  Drink.  Be.  Peaceful.  Simple.  Happy.  Serene.

Here’s my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies: 

Mix together with an electric mixer then set aside:  (Organic ingredients if possible)

2 eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup salted butter (softened)

1/2 cup olive oil

In a second bowl mix these dry ingredients with a spoon:

1 cup of rolled oats

1 cup of rice flour

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

When mixed well, add to the wet mixture and mix once again with the hand mixer until all the the dry ingredients are mixed in. 

Mix in 10-12  ounces of semi-sweet chocolate morsels.

Refrigerate for one hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spoon the cookies onto stainless steel cookie sheets, approximately 16 cookies per sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Put 2 sheets in the oven at once.  After 6 minutes switch the positions of the sheets on the racks for more even cooking.  After 9 minutes take the sheets out of the oven, push in the sides of the dough to create crevices and a more appealing appearance.  Slide the cookies back into the oven until the 12 minute period is over.  Remove the cookies from the cookie sheets.  Cool the cookies on metal cooling racks!  Makes 64 delicious cookies!  Mmm!

Pour yourself a cup of tea.  Sit with a few warm cookies and imagine that the Dalai Lama is there with you.  Experience the peace.

Meditation – I Let Go into the Pool of Forgiveness

I let go into the pool of forgiveness. 

Sometimes I visualize myself floating in a large scallop shaped shell.  I think the idea of floating effortless is showing me that it’s not a fight to forgive or to set your negative emotions free…it’s your natural state…float…clear…expand…enjoy…dip your foot or hands into the water…PLAY.  Sit and imagine yourself floating…feel the ebbing of the water, the sun on your face, the feeling of letting go of everything, just BE.

Sometimes I visualize the creek where my siblings and I would play when we were young…behind our summer cabin near Allegheny State Park…rainbows reflecting off sparkling shallow waters, mossy rocks that felt like velvet to our bare feet creating paths of stepping stones…downed tree trunks crossing the creek for us to climb on and hang off of…so alive with life…dragonflies, small fish and tadpoles…moving and staying still…hidden from the rest of the world.  I see the rainbows reflected off the moving water…the tiny waterfalls.  I pick a color and take it into my essence.  I become that color…it is alive…dancing in the air.  I become part of nature…part of the stream life around me.  What is this color teaching me?  Showing me about myself?  About life?  What message does it have for me?  I can leave it at that or continue the meditation with any other rainbow colors that catch my fancy…drawing on the messages and emotions presented throughout the day.  I am at peace.

My Daily Meditation – Aligning the Chakras

Meditation can mean different things to different people.  This is my process, my way of centering myself for the day, my meditation.   

First I pray to the Archangels Raphael and Raziel…the Archangels of healing.  I say three times “Archangel Raphael, Arhcangel Raziel…hear my prayer.”  As I say each line I imagine the beautiful white healing light from these angels is running through me. 

Then I say this affirmation, “I let go into the pool of forgiveness and become once again the ever shining light of love that I am.”  As I say the first part I imagine myself descending into the water…arms extended up…slipping downward into a silvery pool of deep water…I glide past sparkling pieces of turquoise sea glass, pretty shards of pottery, long, flowing strands of seaweed…the sunlight glistening through the water.  I slip down, down, down to the depths…into the depths of my subconscious.  I forgive those around me that I need to forgive and let go of any negative emotions that I may be holding on to from the present and from the past and most of all, I forgive myself for judging myself to harshly, for holding on to fear and not accepting love, for feeling guilty about expressing my emotions.  I bask in the beauty of what I see and for the moment…all that matters is just being.  I then see myself being raised out the the lake…arms extended and I shoot upwards.  At this point I am saying the second part of the affirmation.  I see myself high up in the sky.  As I bring my arms in a semi-circle downward…crystals appear…always different…depending on the day.  It is the light of the universe, the God force of the universe shining on me.  Most of the time I see white light, sometimes it is blue, sometimes green, sometimes other colors.  Sometimes the light is centered over my head , sometimes I visualize many crystals following the curve of my arms as they create an arc.  Sometimes I see a big crystal heart.  I have even visualized myself holding my child self, my inner child…in the pose of a Madonna and child…basking in the light that surrounds us….connecting me to the free spirited child that I still am.  I imagine this light surrounding me, protecting me, connecting me to God, bringing me peace and strength, connecting me to who I truly am.  I finish the affirmation…”I accept myself.  With this prayer I am healed.”   

Finally, I align my chakras…the seven energy vortexes of the Vedic seers of the Hindu tradition.  On a simple level, the chakras are seen as spinning wheels and when they are functioning correctly, we feel both physically and spiritually balanced.  Here is a web-site where you can see where each chakra resides: www.whats-your-sign.com/chakra-symbols.html  Also, the book entitled  “Healing with Crystals and Chakra Energies” by Sue and Simon Lilly has excellent in depth explanations and exercises related to healing through the chakras.  I have developed my own chakra meditation.  This is how it works.  I start with the red or root chakra and visually send the energy in the form of red light up to my head, through all of my body parts and then back down.  I see myself basking in the red light of the primal life force of this chakra.  Next I move to the orange or creative chakra, then the yellow or vitality chakra, the green or heart chakra, the light blue of the throat or creative expression/communication chakra, the indigo or intuition chakra and then the violet or connection to the universe chakra as I call it.  When I visualize the light blue chakra,  I usually chant the word blue as I send the light blue energy through my body.  I let the sound reverberate throughout my being.  This chakra is related to the thyroid and as I have a thyroid imbalance, I feel that this is the chakra that I need to work on the most…finding my voice, my own form of expression and spreading my ideas without FEAR.  Some days I chant the colors of all the chakras.  The indigo chakra is the one which often flows the easiest for me…it is the easiest for me to visualize.  I have been told that I have had past lives as a priestess…maybe there’s a connection.  As I visualize each color passing through me, I  become that color and take it into my essence.  I am that color, it is alive within me. I see what emotions and images it conjures up.  I ask myself what it is trying to teach me.  I return to these thoughts and emotions during the day.   Finally, I visualize a beam of white light, the presence of all the chakra colors, coming from a few feet above my head and shooting through my body, protecting me, connecting me to the God force, the life force.  This light, this force goes through me, touching all parts of me and then comes out my feet, going several feet into the ground…grounding me.  I am now ready to start my day…and remember that I am both a being of the sky and of the earth, full of the life force, full of the love of the Universe.  I am reminded that this love, this energy was not intended to stay in me.  I need to complete the process, to be a part of the continuum, and to pass on what I have received to others.

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!

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.