September 2010

I am a few days late publishing my column this month due to technological problems. Therein are my thoughts for this month – our reliance (is it dependence or addiction?) on technology and how it separates from the world around us.

On a recent gorgeous summer day I sat inside at the Apple Store getting my computer replaced while Charles, my husband was out in the woods leading a walk for the New York Mycological Society.  The irony of the situation made me laugh. 

How is it possible that my healing practice has become so reliant on the computer?!

While I was riding the subway home from the Apple Store I looked at the other passengers. Most of them were plugged into some device, listening to music or playing games, many others were reading on an e-book device, fewer were reading print books and no one was just sitting.  (I must confess I was plugged in too; I love my audio books!)

 I was struck by how disconnected we have become from nature and the world around us.  How many of us no longer notice the people we walk past on the street? Or the beauty of the trees as we drive down the road? Or the fragrance of the flowers as we walk through the woods?

A couple of nights ago we were having a picnic dinner by a lake where we often go.  As the sunset I was in awe of the light playing through the trees and how it was reflected in the water.  The sounds of the night crickets felt like a cloak that embraced me completely with the beauty of that moment. 

So maybe I have not become completely disconnect from the natural world.  But I don’t want to be taken over by technology.  I guess it is similar to my spiritual practice – I want to live in both worlds at the same time.

As the fall comes and paints the trees with colors, disconnect from your favorite piece of technology and go out to savor the season!

The new moon is Wednesday, September 8 (happy Rosh Hashanah to those who are celebrating the New Year!)

There are various areas of turmoil in the world at this time: raging fires in Russia, severe flooding in Pakistan, a collapsed mine in Chile holding 33 miners, among others. In my morning meditation I have been playing with a new practice to support the earth. I would like to share it with you for this New Moon.  

Join the Medicine for the Earth group who will be journeying at 8:30 PM local time.  Journey or meditate with the intention of connecting to the group and to your heart.  Then connect your heart to the heart of the earth, the heart of water, the heart of air, and the heart of fire.  See them in their divine perfection.

If you have questions about this journey or would like to share your experience please contact me.

Full moon is Thursday, September 23. Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.  Bring light into the darkness! To read about creating a human web of light click here.

The Fall Equinox is also on September 23!  This is the harvest season.  How are you celebrating your harvest?

**************************

August 2010

While we experience a heat wave on the east coast, I am sitting in air conditioned comfort (?) and thinking about going to the lake to go swimming.  The water will be a welcome refuge.

I am often struck by how we take water for granted; having enough water is a right not a privilege. There was one place I lived in Central America where we got water once a week. Our water tank was filled and that was it till the following week.  Or another place where I kept large (new) garbage cans filled with water under my kitchen sink and in my shower so I would be supplied when the water was turned off.

As you take a drink or bathe, think about water – it’s properties as an element; it’s power; connect with it, learn from it.

 

For the new moon journey in August  I would like to work with the waters that run beneath the surface of the earth.  There are many places on the planet that are facing drought and there are vast regions of desert.  In these areas human life as well as plants life  struggle for survival. 

Recently in Botswana that struggle was made even more difficult for the Bushmen of the Kalahari who have been denied access to water by the government (http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6257).

For the new moon on Tuesday, August 10 I am inviting you to join the Medicine for the Earth group who will be journeying at 8:30 PM local time with the intent of connecting to the spirits of the waters that run deeply beneath the arid regions on the planet and seeing them their perfection so that they may feed the lands above and the people who inhabit those lands.

If you have questions about this journey or would like to share your experience please contact me.

Full moon is Tuesday, August 24.  Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.  Bring light into the darkness! To read about creating a human web of light click here.

      ***********************

July 2010

Though we Americans are still obsessively watching the news about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, we have missed even worse oil spills in the Niger Delta.  Shell Oil has been dumping into these waters since the 1960’s:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/17/world/africa/17nigeria.html?hp

Some how this situation has not captured the media’s attention so we are not informed about the situation.

I am not suggesting that we become upset by yet another travesty unleashed upon the natural world.  But I am pointing out that all over the world, whether we know about it or not, the earth, the waters, the animals are being adversely affected by a human imprint.  We are stewards of the entire world as such we should hold a broader vision for our work.

For example, each morning in meditation, instead of working with the waters off the Gulf of Mexico, I work with the spirits of the Hudson River, which is right outside my front door, and I “see” this river connect to all other waters on the planet, as if they were arteries of a body.  I send healing energies through this system of arteries so that healing may flow through all waters on the planet.

Likewise with the earth.  Each morning I go to the spirits of a favorite mountain, often Mt. Bachelor and the Sisters Mountains in Oregon.  I see these mountains as the beginning of the electrical circuit that runs through all land masses.  I send healing energies through this system to all lands.

This is the ultimate in “Live locally but think globally.”

For our new moon journey in July I would like to work with this idea of a broader vision for healing.  The new moon is Sunday, July 11.  Join the Medicine for the Earth group who will be journeying at 8:30 PM local time with the intent of sending healing through the arteries of the earth – seeing all waters in their state of perfection.

If you have questions about this journey or would like to share your experience please contact me.

Full moon is Monday, July 26.  Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.  Bring light into the darkness! To read about creating a human web of light click here.

 

*************************************

 

June 2010

As I watch the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico blossom, it seems to me that we have been treating the earth and its resources like they are our sandbox, to be whimsically used or abused.  I wonder when we will understand what our indigenous peoples knew so well – we are stewards of the earth not owners; that it is our job to care for and nurture the earth as a precious treasure for the time we are here.

My challenge to you is to look at the nature around you, the garden or trees in your yard, or the plants on your windowsill and see them as if they were the most important thing in your world, as if your well-being depended on this piece of nature thriving. Then treat it accordingly.  As you become accustomed to caring for the trees and plants close to you, extend your vision outward. Allow your actions to reflect respect and care  for the fields, streams, and oceans beyond your neighborhood. Take up your stewardship!

News:

I would like to share with you the trailer of the hospice documentary, “Lessons for the Living,”  that film maker Lily Henderson has produced.  I am very honored to be part of this project.  The film is a dream from the heart for Lily.  The entire cast and crew have donated their hearts, time and equipment to make it a reality.  To watch the trailer go to www.lessonsforthelivingfilm.com  and click on the arrow on the bottom left of the video screen.

I am teaching a special Saturday workshop entitled “Finding Summer: Bask in Your Own Sunshine,” on June 26.  To find out more information click here.

 

Celebrate the Summer Equinox on Monday June 21st!

The new moon is Saturday, June 12.  Join the Medicine for the Earth group who will be journeying at 8:30 PM local time to help clear the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico:

Journey with your helping spirits to the Gulf of Mexico.  See yourself as your true nature (your light) and connect with the spirits of the Gulf of Mexico in their perfection. See the Gulf in it perfection. Hold it for as long as you can.  (Yes, we did this last month. The situation requires on-going attention.)

If you have questions about this journey or would like to share your experience please contact me.

Full moon is Saturday, June 26.  Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.  Bring light into the darkness! To read about creating a human web of light click here.

**********************

May 2010

 

As I was walking to the post office one morning a few weeks ago I was stopped in mid-stride by a magnificent magnolia tree. The blossoms were more prolific and  the colors more delicate than I remember ever seeing before.   Since then I am noticing what seems like an explosion of flowering trees and plants:  colors to dazzle the eye and fragrances to delight the nose. Spring is reveling in special beauty this year!

Recently I was talking with someone about the shifts that are happening on the planet now, like the earth quakes and the volcano.  They commented on the extraordinary beauty of nature this year and that perhaps it was a signal of the end.  I was stunned. I can not  look at such an exquisite display of natural beauty and think it means the world is coming to end.

Quite the contrary.  I see this spring, in all it’s beauty, as the harbinger of what is to come after this time of change.  Together we can insure that this time of natural beauty is our future by positively focusing on it and creating it in our own lives now.

Energy follows thought.  When we envision a world of beauty, compassion, harmony, peace, and loving kindness in our thoughts and day dreams, we create an opening for it in the physical realm.  Then when we align our actions toward that dream, all things are possible.

The new moon is Friday, May 14.  Join the Medicine for the Earth group who will be journeying at 8:30 PM local time to help clear the oil slick that is currently in the Gulf of Mexico:

Journey with your helping spirits to the oil slick 23 miles off the coast of Louisiana.  See yourself as your true nature (your light) and connect with the spirits of the Gulf of Mexico in their perfection. 

 

If you have questions about this journey or would like to share your experience please contact me.

 

Full moon is Thursday, May 27.  Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.  Bring light into the darkness! To read about creating a human web of light click here.

               *****************************************

 

April 2010

For several months I have been pondering and talking to people about the concept of unconditionality and what it means in the big picture. Webster’s defines it as not limited, absolute, unqualified.  Someone I work with questioned how this translates when we love someone unconditionally? Must we accept them without question, without doubts?  If they do something that harms themselves or others, must we accept that behavior?  Where does responsibility come into unconditionality? How do we love or accept someone unconditionally and concurrently hold them responsible for their actions?  I do not have answers.

 

While I was on the White Sand Dunes of southern New Mexico in January, I was better able to understand the unconditionality of nature.  The sand dunes shift with the wind.  They move and cover everything in their path.  A park ranger pointed out that the tiny naturalist display building was standing directly in the path of a dune.  The park doesn’t have the funds to move the building, so the ranger speculated that the dune would engulf the hut soon. However, he said the hut would probably reemerge in four or five years when the dune moved passed it. 

 

Some of the desert plants grow very tall. These are the ones that survive when a dune overtakes them.  Shorter plants are buried by the sand.  Here I understand the unconditionality of nature:  the sand moves absolutely, in an unqualified manner.

 

I continue to reflect on nature, hoping it will reveal answers to my questions about how to live unconditionally.

I am teaching two workshops for women in April and May.  Please check out the Teaching page for more information.

A new feature of my web site is the Shamanic Journeying page. I explain what Shamanic Journeying is and each month I will post a journey (or meditation) for you to do.  If you have any questions about your journey or would like to share it with me please do so.  I have a new Contatct Me page.

 

Each month a group of us who do Medicine for the Earth work do a journey on the new moon.  I shall post that journey here so that you may do it.

The new moon is Wednesday, April 14.  Join the Medicine for the Earth group who will be journeying at 8:30 PM local time:

 

This a time of great change.  Many of us see it in our lives, but we also see it in the earth.  The tectonic plates have been shifting and causing earth quakes – Haiti, Chile, and a smaller one in Los Angeles. Journey to embody your light then go to the tectonic plates and see them in their perfection.

 

Full moon is Wednesday, April 28.  Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.  Bring light into the darkness!

To read about creating a human web of light click here.

       *****************************************************

March 2010

This is dedicated to my dear friend Ilona Copen

who died February 20, 2010.

 

I am standing upon the seashore.  A ship at my side

spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and

starts for the blue ocean.  She is an object of beauty

and strength.  I stand and watch her until at length

she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the

sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

 

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

 

Gone where?

 

Gone from my sight.  That is all.  She is just

as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when

she left my side and she is just as able to bear her

load of living freight to destined port.

 

Her diminished size is in me, not in her.  And just

at the moment when someone at my side says:

"There she is gone!" there are other eyes watching

her coming, and other voices ready to take up the

glad shout:  "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

 

---Anonymous

 

****************************

February 2010

 

It seems to be a time of great challenge.  I have been thinking a lot about how not to get swept up by the trauma or drama of events in the world at large and in my personal world; how to maintain my center and my focus; how to sustain a positive perspective in the face of events that I can not begin to fathom.  I realize that if I get carried away by the maelstrom, I can not do the healing work that is needed at this time.

 

While I acknowledge the gravity of current events, I try not to get caught up in the frenzy created by the news media. This way I am able to hold positive thoughts and healing energy for places and people in need.  My daily meditation practice is my  platform for connecting to  and strengthening my spiritual energies.  In a heart-centered meditative state I am able to imagine the perfect world (big and small).  As I feed this radiant dream I am also sending healing energy to those in my thoughts and prayers.

 

All of our positive energy is needed to heal at this time.  How can you hold on to your center, your spirit?  How can you be in your heart and feed the world with positive energy?  How can you send out healing energy?  Create your own daily practice. 

 

You might use the lunar cycle to feel your spiritual, healing energy and shine it.

 

Full moon is Sunday, February 28.  Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.  Bring light into the darkness!

 

The new moon is Sunday, February 14.  Join a group of us who do Medicine for the Earth work and do healing work for the earth on the new moon. Hold the intention of healing, connect your light with ours and then with the earth.

 

 

            ************************************************

January 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Celtic tradition holds life as cyclical, represented by the spiral. It reveals the pattern of moving inward, going to center, then turning outward, and bringing our light out into the world. Remember that out of darkness, light is RE-BORN. This is the time to remember that you are a cherished light in this world. This truth can sustain you through difficult times in your life. As the Light grows stronger, you find the source and strength of your inner magic.

Here are some ideas for celebrating the beginning of the New Year :

A simple ritual: Peel off a portion of an orange rind while thinking about one thing in your life you would like to "peel away". Once it's fully peeled, eat a section, while thinking about one new wish or intention for the new year.

Nighttime wishing ritual: Go outside and settle into the night. Listen. Think about the night as if it were an island. Have in mind what is important to you; what you want to release from your life and what you want to welcome into your life in the coming year.

Breathe each thing you want gone into the palm of your hand, one at a time, then blow them away into the winter sky. Do the same with each desire you wish to enter your life.

When you are finished, go inside and light a candle. Put it in a safe place to burn out completely. The candle is a symbolic guiding light.

Use this magical energy of the year end to end what needs to end and to begin what lights you up and brings you joy. As the days now grow longer and you feel more light, allow the light in you to grow as you declare:

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE,

I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE...

(My thanks to Lorelie for these ideas.)

Full moon is Saturday, January 30.  Remember to embody your light, connect it with the moon and with the web of light that is being created around the world.&n