 This is absolutely one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. So naturally, I couldn't help but share it with you. Robert Moss is incredible with his work on the power of Dreaming. Soul Tree From Dreaming the Soul Back Home © Robert Moss, used with permission from New World Library "Tree at my window, window tree, My sash is lowered when night comes on; But let there never be curtain drawn Between you and me." — Robert Frost, "Tree at My Window” We can't lose our way if we go to the root of things, to the roots of a tree. By finding the right tree — a tree you know that also knows you — you can reconnect with the soul of nature. You can find grounding for soul in this world, and a shaman’s ladder to travel between the worlds. I once moved to a place in the country because of a tree, an old white oak behind the house that had survived the lightning. I knew it for a guardian of the land and a wise ancient. Sitting with that tree, I would have impressions of all the seasons it had lived. When I walked the farm road toward it, I would sometimes feel its silent greeting. Sometimes I watched the moon rise over the hills from up in its branches. The oak became a tree of my dreaming and a portal to the ancestors. Rooted deep in American earth, the oak also joined me to the ways of oak-seers of my bloodlines in the Old World, to the druids “grey, wood-nurtured, quiet-eyed” (as Yeats sang), to the sacred oak at Dodona where the Greeks listened for the voice of a god in the creak and rustle of the branches. After the first snows, when the cold stung my eyes, I saw that the oak still hung on to its leaves, longer than any other shedding trees on that land. Oaks hang on. When I was leading a workshop by the Bay of Riga, in Latvia, we had a wonderful singer and folklorist in our circle who knew many dainas, traditional folk songs that celebrate sun and sea, earth and stone. I asked her to help open our circle with a song of the oak tree: I found in a field a tall oak tree of spirit his feet go into the earth his head touches the sky Oak tree, oak tree how wide you are the bee flies for three days and can’t get around you The big storm boasted “I’ll break the oak” Oak tree, stand strong but let the wind shake your branches. In the last stanza, this song of oak teaches us to give a little in a strong wind, to avoid being broken. This is one of the lessons of the trees. Spending good time with a tree that welcomes us is a great way to repair and renew our connection with the soul of nature. Trees have personalities, as individuals and as types, and sometimes we find they have a second personality that was not originally arboreal, a spirit from a different kinship group. In front of the farmhouse that I purchased because of the white oak was a great sugar maple. The patterns of the bark around the place where its broad trunk divided made the vivid likeness of an ancient Native shaman with a storm of gray hair and a long, twisted body. I learned later that there are legends in the Native traditions of Northeast America of shamans who have, in one of their soul bodies, taken up residence in trees after physical death. South of the farmhouse was an elderly apple tree that no longer gave fruit but still put out a few leaves in the springtime and let a few branches fall, which I burned in the hearth of the family room. The sweetness of apple, through pine and spruce and hickory, provided a kind of olfactory portal, and I would slip into conscious dreaming of ancestors for whom the apple branch was the passport between the worlds. North of the house was another great old tree, a shagbark hickory, that shed limbs as well as leaves profusely, as the deer sheds its antlers. I would often find antlers in the hickory hollow, dropped by bucks in the great herds of white-tailed deer that made their home in our woods, from which hunters were banned. What trees call to you on country walks or from memory or dream? Any tree may be your soul tree, and it may also be your sole tree, the One Tree through which the three worlds of the shaman’s cosmos are joined, and which may become your ladder between them. At the start of most of my depth workshops, I lead a standing meditation, in which each person in the circle finds the image of a special tree and then lets the body take the form of that tree, rooted in earth, rising between earth and sky, feeding on sun fire. We let our bodies sway as we stand, as a tree will sway in a strong wind, giving a little in order not to be snapped. We see the seasons chang- ing around us. We feel what it’s like to have a squirrel run up our trunk or to have birds nesting in our hair. As the meditation deep- ens, we feel ourselves reaching deep into the earth, through the root system, going deep and spreading wide. We feel, with our inner senses, how we can travel this way to connect with the animal powers, and with ancestral spirits, and to receive healing and blessing in the realm of the Great Earth Mother. Then we let our awareness ascend to the high branches. We picture ourselves perched up there like a bird, or a happy child in a tree house, able to look out in all directions from this excellent place of vision. We imagine that we can fly now to a person or place at a distance and look in on them, and sometimes, quick as thought, we are there. We discover that, from our place in the high branches, we can not only see across any distance in space but also scout across time and travel into the possible future to see what lies on the roads ahead for ourselves and others. This is something that tree-seers have al- ways been good at. Now we go higher, into the world of the tree. We feel ourselves rise up into the canopy, up to the green crown, and then feel our- selves rising up higher and higher until the sky opens and we are in the first of the many levels of the Upper World. We are on our way now to make or renew our connections with our authentic spiritual teachers. They may take many forms and may be using “contact pictures” adjusted to our level of understanding. Beyond all the other forms of the guide on these levels, there is one that will never fail us and that is always waiting for us to resume contact: the soul of the soul (as the Sufis say beautifully), the captain of the heart, the Higher, or Greater, Self. Your soul tree can be your portal to all these realms of adventure, discovery, and connection. 
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 Women have access to a wellspring of deep wisdom.
However, in a culture that places so much emphasis on productivity, “getting ahead” and doing, it’s easy to lose touch with your radiant feminine essence. And when you lose this beautiful connection – you’re truly missing out on a vibrant, soul-powered way of being in the world. That’s why I want to invite you to The Shift Network’s special, no-cost event, The Inspiring Women Summit, taking place May 17 – June 19, 2014. During this LIVE online series, 30+ visionary women – including people like:
If this sounds good to you, you can save your place here. This year’s program is packed with illuminating wisdom and life-changing techniques for deepening your spiritual connection, standing more powerfully in your feminine leadership, sparking your creativity, enhancing your health and relationships – and MORE! You’ll find that the more you learn to live in alignment with your natural essence, the more all the aspects of your life will become easier, more joyful and abundant. And you’ll become more inspired and empowered to create the kind life you want – and make your best contributions to the world. That’s why I’m inviting you to learn more. Whether it’s leading a multi-million dollar company or a small home business,empowering your community or being a more conscious parent, enjoying deeperemotional and sexual intimacy or birthing a creative project that will change lives – the information and guidance in this summit can be applied to and by every woman. Register for the Inspiring Women Summit now – and get ready to embark on a journey that promises to transform your life. Yours truly, Danielle P.S. Here are just a few quotes from past Inspiring Women Summit participants: This is the MOST awesome event I’ve participated in for women EVER. I FEEL the love, the power and the change. Meeting women from so many places… has been a wonderful bonus and blessing! It is an empowering feeling to be connected in this awesome way. Thanks to all the sponsors, organizers and participants for an amazing experience! – Christine O’Dell I am fascinated as I discover that all women around the globe share same needs, feelings, and aspirations and have the inner power to sustain good life for their loved ones and inspire those beyond boundaries of culture, time and space. I am an Egyptian woman from Cairo who can relate to everything being said and who is deeply moved by the resonant power of women’s voice and self-determination despite their struggles. – Hala Abdel Moneim, Cairo, Egypt THANK YOU for the graceful way you’ve harnessed technology to serve women lovingly during this summit. You’ve helped us reveal and share our beauty, strength, vitality, courage, creativity and ALIVENESS. What a prayer this is. And what a lifeline for some. Wow! How moving to feel myself to be part of a web of women from so many countries – all listening as our hearts beat faster with connection, each of us with equal access to these life-changing conversations, these moments of historic proportion! – Dana Cunningham Anderson  If you’re lucky, you may have already taken the time and chance to discover many of your passions and get to spend much of your time enjoying things that bring you excitement and joy. On the other hand, maybe you’ve not yet connected with activities, skills, and interests that ignite your passion.
As many of learn, and sometimes the hard way, it takes time, soul-searching, and some life experience to identify your true passions. These prompts are written to tap into your wants, needs, desires, and fantasies. Have fun with them and discover what you can add to your life that will fill it with delight.
If you take the time to thoroughly ponder each of these questions, you’ll be pleased with what you discover. Your true passions are inside you, just waiting to be let loose to bring you excitement, joy, and fulfillment. Here is some lovely, inspirational writing from a fellow Metis, Aaron Paquette. He is a brilliant artist and a very talented writer, and I could not resist sharing his latest write up. Enjoy! The lesson is simple. Let go of the desire for things that you think are valuable and they will fall away, revealing your everlasting, shining spirit. I wouldn’t tell you what to believe but I would urge you to examine the feeling of lack in your life, the feeling that there is not enough. If you were to spend a day, and another and another in gratitude and humour for what is at hand that sustains you, it would open the door for a fundamental shift in your perception of your wants and needs. There’s no point in comparing your relative wealth to someone living homeless in the Third World, just as there is no point in comparing your relative poverty to Bill Gates. Both comparisons will simply feed your ego, for good or ill, and bring you feelings of shame. Comparison is the fastest route I know of to unhappiness. If you must compare your life, then compare it to the deer who runs freely, the wolf that hunts, the bear that sleeps. Compare the impact of your existence to the marching ant or the spinning spider who reminds us that we are all connected by the great web of life. Remember that in that web, what you do to one life comes back to your own in some way or another. When you kill the songbird, your song also dies. When you take the life of an animal – without humility, awareness and gratitude – you take the life of the land, and so, eventually, your own life as well. We see this unfortunate truth playing out in front of our eyes. They killed the buffalo, they now cull the wolf. They rip the resources from the land without thanking the land. They cut the trees and foul the water. They destroy the diversity of the fields for single crops and spray chemicals on it to obliterate the insects who feed on those crops. And with sorrow we see the rivers clog with soil runoff. We can no longer drink safely from the streams. The lakes are overrun with algae and even the honeybees are dying. We destroy our ability to live on the land itself, all because we have forgotten to be grateful, to listen to the song of our spirit. This is why it’s necessary to stop, to be silent, to let go of the desire for material things and immaterial things. As we treat our own spirit, so too, do we treat the land, and neither can survive the harm caused by neglect, anger, apathy and greed. The great orator, Chief Canasatego said: “We know our lands have now become more valuable. The white people think we do not know their value; but we know that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone.” There are only so many heartbeats given to every living being. You have already used up many of your own. For those that remain, use them well. hiy hiy —-- Words & Art: Aaron Paquette Painting: The Past Shows Us The Way  We have just moved past the cross quarter point on the year's wheel, known as Imbolc, and also known as Candlemas. How has it been for you this winter? Did you use the dark of the nearby passing season to inwardly reflect, and find those nuggets of wisdom and gems of self-realization that tend to bury themselves and hibernate?
Now is time to take note of the increasing light of each passing day, and begin to call forth the seeds that were planted over the winter months, and that are now germinating. Feel the life of these seeds stirring, and beginning to crack open and release their gifts, reaching with longing and grace toward the sun. Imbolc translates to "in the belly". Feel your dreams and visions awaken from deep within your being, and extend gratitude towards them, and toward the energies of Spirit that have assisted with the incubation of these dreams. Tune deeply now into your intuition, into your 'gut feelings', into those sparks of life and information that reside in your belly. Try to get a sense for any new ideas and projects that are prepared to spark, and send to them the love of your presence and conscious awareness. Breathe life into them, communicate with them, and ask them in which way they wish to work with you for the highest good of yourself, your family, your community, and the world community. How can they best be served by you sending love and intention to them, and how can you co-create with these sparks of life and creativity in order to bring them to light and into their fullest, divine potential? Here is pictured an image of Brighid, the Celtic Fire Goddess of renewal, healing, purification and creativity. Finding Your Creative Spark: Don't you love it when your creativity manifests itself? Creativity brings us benefits that go far beyond artistic expression. Even if you don't think of yourself as an especially creative person, you'll be glad to know that it's there within you just waiting for you to use it! Creativity can be expressed in many different ways. Plus, there are many techniques you can use to develop and nurture your natural creativity. Like many people, you may think that you're either creative or you're not. What a myth! If you long to be more creative, then go for it! Here are ten tips you can use to become a new, more creative you:
Remember to be patient when nurturing your creativity. Make a habit of enjoying some creative techniques daily and, make the commitment to yourself that you will continue to move from your creative center, from the fire in your belly, dancing with the magic that continually moves within and around you.  Ahhh… magic. This is a word I truly love. There are many synonyms to this word, plenty of which can stir up unsettling emotions and thoughts for some people. One synonym however, is one which I have personally chosen to use in my professional business, and that word is Alchemy. Alchemy, in its very basic sense, is the art of transformation occurring at its deepest level. When I looked up the definition of magic at dictionary.com, this is what I found:
As a noun - 1. the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of hand, deceptive devices, etc.; legerdemain; conjuring: to pull a rabbit out of a hat by magic. 2. the art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of incantation or various other techniques that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature. Compare contagious magic, imitative magic, sympathetic magic. 3. the use of this art: Magic, it was believed, could drive illness from the body. 4. the effects produced: the magic of recovery. 5. power or influence exerted through this art: a wizard of great magic. As an adjective - 8. employed in magic: magic spells; magic dances; magic rites. 9. mysteriously enchanting; magical: magic beauty. 10. of, pertaining to, or due to magic. 11. producing the effects of magic; magical: a magic touch. verb (used with object), mag·icked, mag·ick·ing. 12. to create, transform, move, etc., by or as if by magic: I magicked him into a medieval knight. If I am to be blunt, I will say that I believe that an individual holding magic is not a myth. This brings me to the essence of why I started this blog – the essence of the truth that is held within each of us to change things, from the inside out. From our deepest levels of self, in order to see outward results that are filled with beauty, with truth, and with awakening. To reawaken the memory of our innermost wild selves, to recall that we are here in order to hold divinity and right relationship with all beings – with all our relations. To come to the understanding that we did not just chance upon being here, and simply stumble into a human body, and then flounder in confusion and distress as to why we have extrasensory experiences and deeply affective emotions that bring us continually to new understandings and seemingly obscure crossroads. To wipe the sleep from our eyes so that we may see – truly see – that there is so much more to our time on this planet than earning a living and getting the newest, the bigger and the better. We are here. We have already earned our living – our right to be here. So what will we do with our time? What will we do with the magic inside of us as humans – the magic that we truly hold to produce desired effects that are heart centered, to drive illness from the body, to recover from disastrous events, to re-enchant ourselves with our world and the beauty that surrounds us every moment of every day? What will we do… to create… to transform… and to move ourselves into a more harmonious state of living? There is a deep process involved in recovering the understanding of our true potentials, embracing them, and then learning to work with them. Many people are presently working on this process. If, however, I had an accumulation of directly shifting powers at my fingertips, right now, and without question, here is what I would do. I would immediately remove all nuclear power plants from the face of the planet and simultaneously wipe the slate clean of how to create these structures from human memory, thereby solidifying the impossibility of ever doing it again. I would reach forward into the future and delete any future possibility of creating anything even slightly related to nuclear energy and set the precedent within the human psyche for tangible, readily working ways to utilize that which mother nature has already gifted us with. In this I mean, I would set within the collective human mind a greater understanding of how solar and wind power could be utilized immediately. Then, I would use my magic powers to create all of the necessary means to remove radiation from our oceans, atmosphere, and all things connected to these that have been poisoned. I would remove from the collective human psyche all of those emotions and thought patterns that have caused destruction in any way, shape, or form, and on any level. This includes the removal of jealousy, belief in scarcity, and fear of the unknown. I believe that even just these three things have held the potential to bring the world into the mess that it is right now. The reason why I did not say that I would remove fear, is because I believe that fear has its place. Despite what many like to propose, fear is natural, much like anger. It is these emotions that we have shunned which deserve much deeper understanding from us. These two emotions are major catalysts, and once moved through, we find that we have moved to new understandings and feel much more mobilized than we did previously. I would use my magic to heal the earth and all her peoples, and instill joy as the new paradigm. The natural, organic state of joy that comes from within, and has simply been forgotten. Only because, we have allowed ourselves to forget. So then, I would use my magic to help us all to remember. To remember who we were, who we truly are, and the paths of true joy and divinity that we came here to take. I would use my magic to help us remember, that at the core of our essence, we are divine. And we can all make this magic.  Artist: Autumn Skye Morrison The Full Moon in Gemini is one that we find to be in a direct opposition to the Sagittarius Sun. Both Gemini and Sagittarius rule the mind and mental processes, but in different ways. The Gemini mind consists of thoughts and processes that deal mainly with the individual, personal mind. The Sagittarius mind takes thought processes well beyond the 'normal' scope and ventures beyond the Self, beyond the here and now and stimulates the mind to encapsulate that which one may not have previously believed possible to conceive of. It is somewhere between these two mind processes that we are now being asked to strike a balance. Along with this, there are strong polarities being placed before us to take a look at. This is not only due to the Lower Mind and Higher Mind functions of Gemini and Sagittarius respectively, but it is also due to the Feminine/Mother aspect of the Gemini Moon and the Masculine/Father aspect of the Sagittarius Sun.
This would constitute a very good time frame for going inward and doing some work on any parental issues we may be holding, as well as addressing our own internal Matriarchal and Patriarchal energies. If you have been moved lately by an intense drive into the action of getting things done, have you also been neglecting to nurture yourself in the process? If you have been shoving projects, deadlines and aspirations aside in order to take some time for yourself, might you now have the energy to put your projects into motion and see your aspirations through to completion? This full moon is also about communication and adventure, along with emotional expression and creative fertilization. Take your emotional drive and express anything within you that has not yet had the chance, or the space, to fully breathe itself into recognition. All parts of you, all thoughts, all emotions, hold relevance and power. Therefore, they also hold sway upon the decisions you make regarding which paths and journeys your life leads you to. From here on forward, it is all about illumination and truthfulness - including truth to ourselves. Gemini's air needs fresh ideas in order to ignite the fire of Sagittarius. These two, when they come together for a cosmic dance, create a sense of play and of freedom. Allow whatever inspires you to propel you into forward movement, growth and creation. Just as the essence of Mother energy and Father energy is all about creation - so we are. Find new ways to embrace lightness, fun and play! Now is a wonderful time to contact old friends, access your social circles, network, and celebrate life in all of its forms and all of its splendor. This time of year can have many feeling creatively 'stuck', so here are some ideas to help you rekindle your creativity: Allow yourself to experience more joy. Creativity flourishes when you think positively. Find your passions and cultivate them. Embrace challenges with curiosity. Observe the conditions that help you get "in the zone." Do what you can to improve your physical health. Even if you feel your physical health needs no improving. Studies have shown that creativity exercises are an effective way to relieve stress and boost our immune system. Do a herbal cleanse, or maybe try out a new physical activity altogether to get the brain working in new ways. Those who think resourcefully also cope better with aging and experience fewer declines in their cognitive functions. Work on strengthening your relationships. A sense of imagination can help to enhance your personal relationships. Break out of the same old conflicts releasing old thought patterns and seeking common ground. Look at challenging situations from the other person's perspective and try out a different response. Push yourself to your creative edge. We all have some form of creative genius. Enjoy the pleasure of developing your own gifts. With persistence and an open mind, you'll expand your skills for responding to all kinds of challenges. Brainstorm. Generating ideas is usually the first step in the creative process. Put aside any judgments and just let the options flow. Now's your chance to get zany and experimental. Incubate. Before inspiration hits, there's usually a quiet time while we allow our ideas to digest. Help your unconscious mind along by taking a quiet walk or a relaxing shower. Routine tasks like washing dishes can also trigger insights. Think about a dilemma right before bed, and you may dream insights to wake up with a solution. Take action. Make a plan for how to implement your ideas. Regard every attempt as a learning experience even if the immediate results fail to pan out. Lighten up. Free up your fertile mind. · Some gentle stretching, breath work, or dancing are all great ways to awaken your body. · Meditation or soft music can dispel anxieties or boredom. · Humor is a very powerful tool for lowering inhibitions and seeing things more vividly. Change your routine. Any adjustment to your usual way of doing things can help you take a fresh look at life. Take an alternate route to work or visit a coffee shop on the other side of town. Expand your horizons by looking for ways to experience novelty on a regular basis. Ignore the clock. Get up early so you can savor the luxury of open-ended time. Focus on the present moment instead of thinking about the next task you have scheduled. Feel what it's like to be free from hurrying. Try to remember that sensation as you start your day. Communicate with nature. Make the most of your leisure time with creative outlets that incorporate your passions. You may delight in watercolors, or want to take time to read a book on nature spirits. Seek inspiration. Surround yourself with whatever you find invigorating. Visit art museums or go camping. Spend more time playing with your kids - or borrow your friends' children for a day - and allow yourself to get caught up in their excitement each time they see something new. Transform your life into a work of art by tapping into your creative side. Once you discover and develop your passions, you'll be on your way to feeling more accomplished, centered, and fulfilled.  We have entered the time of New Moon in Scorpio, which allows us to tap deeply into the energies of water, emotional healing, and the deeper more hidden aspects of our emotions and psyches. Occurring right after Samhain, this New Moon is also known as Lunar Samhain. The days are growing shorter as we approach Winter Solstice, and everything around us seems to be calling us to go inward and reflect.
Scorpio energy is very strong in its ability to bring shadow aspects up for acknowledgment and to shine light on them. Now is a good time to feel out where you may be projecting thoughts, emotions, or feelings such as anger, jealousy, or unresolved childhood issues. This is also a time where issues surrounding "leadership" can come to the forefront - particularly issues regarding those that we feel we should be able to count on to truly lead us toward where we feel will be a "better place". This boils down to leadership within all arenas, the political, the spiritual, the parental, and so forth. Scorpio is a strong contender energy in supplying and evoking creative/sexual energy. Tapping deeply into your own creativity and fine tuning this energy to tackle creative projects that have been simmering for a good while would be very beneficial right now. Also, doing some internal work to take a close look at your thoughts and views toward leadership - and how you can begin to take steps toward acknowledging the true Leader within and begin taking reverent responsibility for your own creation of life's circumstances. Fine tune the essence of where you may have given your power away at any point in your life, and do the necessary work to heal and reclaim that power so that once we begin to move out of this beautiful 'silence', forward movement can be made in great strides toward healing and harnessing the Light in a more potent fashion. Here are some tips and suggestions for working with this Scorpio New Moon energy:
Remember to be gentle with yourself right now, but hold a strong vision for what you wish to see take place within your entire body/mind/spirit system, your life and those closest to you, and the global community as a whole. Now is the time to get as real with ourselves as we can get, and visualize, move, and breathe our deepest heart's desires into fruition. Always remember your Soul's true potential. We are all so much more than we have allowed ourselves to believe. Let us REMEMBER. Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Deep peace of the shining stars to you. Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.  I wanted to share this lovely article on Criticism, as I feel it strikes a deep chord with so many of us these days. In particular, we have learned to criticize ourselves and compare our 'failures' and 'successes'. We would be much better served to find ways to celebrate all of our experiences, and to hold compassion for those things we have judged against ourselves or others. This is not always easy and it certainly takes work for most of us to get there - to rewire those old programs and heal old wounds. Simply in making the choice to do so however, will have taken us leaps and bounds forward on the journey.
Criticism - by Nissim Amon A coral reef is a place full of life and vibrant colour, where hundreds of different species of fish and plants live free of the need to criticize each other. Although an immense variety of life exists there, every plant knows its place and each and every fish knows exactly where it belongs. Once in a while a human diver appears with a mask and air-tanks, and like everybody else down there, he is not critical either. The diver enjoys being a visitor to the underwater world, observing the richness and beauty of Nature without judgment. Things change the moment the diver steps out of the water and back onto dry land. Dry land accommodates an infinite variety of humans, humans however seem to have innumerable opinions about each other, so the game of criticizing one another, is one of their most favourite pastimes. On the human reef, we sit on small balconies, observe our neighbours and complain: the octopus is a mess, the crab is an idiot, the jellyfish is spineless, the silver fish is obsessed with glamour, the eel is too slippery, and all the shallow water fish are limited and without depth. This takes place, in every house, in every city, all over the world. Criticism is so widely spread that some consider it the ultimate social skill and are constantly polishing their expertise. They are unaware that the stronger the stream of criticism flows, the further happiness drifts away.... Two thousand five hundred years ago, the Buddha gave a small discourse on criticism. He said that while it is easy to observe and point out other people's faults, it is extremely difficult to see one's own. He also said that most people hide their faults, like a dishonest gambler hides unlucky cards. The Bedouins of the desert have a similar saying – A camel cannot see his own hump! So how can we see our own humps? To solve this riddle we must realize that we are not able to criticize our own humps, because the hump is the very place where criticism comes from. When we discover "what is wrong" with other people, we criticize them, but this criticism is entirely of our own fabrication, and it has nothing much to do with the people themselves. Our shortcomings, flaws and negativity are a reflection or projection of ourselves on others. Our hump is what criticizes other people for having a bigger hump. This inner voice, residing in our transparent hump, guarantees its survival thanks to the satisfying feeling we get from patronizing others. It specializes in finding their faults and feeds off the elation the feeling of superiority gives us. If we lack a sense of self-worth, criticism becomes our way of avoiding self-examination. Becoming aware of this is an important step in the right direction. The next step is to have the courage and fortitude to remove the hump and consciously rid our lives of obsessive criticism. Not only must one decide to do this, which is a huge step in itself, it is imperative to constantly remind ourselves not to falter on this decision. Try writing yourself little notes and stick them on all the mirrors in your house, make it a conscious effort - because it is so very easy to go back to criticizing everything again. Your hump has a knack of playing tricks on you by telling you that you have a good sense of self-criticism, don’t be deceived by this. It is a very common deception. All forms of criticism come from the same hump.... When the positive spotlight is turned within it has nothing whatsoever to do with condemnation, disapproval or judgement. When YOU look inside of yourself, it is called wakefulness, mindfulness and awareness, not criticism. The realization that you are neither superior nor inferior to anyone is a very high spiritual achievement. When this understanding is no longer purely intellectual but goes to the deepest level of your heart, it will give you the freedom that you seek, and also allow you the freedom of letting everyone else, be exactly who they are and whatever they choose to be. The person who doesn't feel he is superior behaves without pretension and one who knows that he is not inferior feels no fear. "One hundred percent ordinary, Is extra-ordinary. From moment to moment, Without judgement, The truth we seek is reality itself." -Nissim Amon  I came across this blog post tonight, by Aaron Paquette, and it really hit me. There is a whole lot of intense and powerful movement happening right now, with all of the energy surging around the awakening of the Divine Feminine. I love this, I really do. As a trance dancer and medicine woman, I have been anxiously awaiting this time in our earth's history. I could feel it coming, ever since I was a small child. I am prepared for the upheavals that the earth has in store for us, the cracking open of surfaces that have been still for too long, the washing away of old and harmful patterns, and the healing of ancient wounds as the dust is wiped from our eyes. Now, as a mother and wife, I have witnessed and experienced firsthand the struggle that our men face. There is a bit of a sense of loss, a triggering of deep and old wounds, and an uncertainty that can shake one to the core. New ground is being paved now as a new world is being formed. And for those men and fathers that, with thanks to the mainly unconscious conditioning of our 'modern' society, feel that they have nowhere to turn with their emotions... this can be a time of depression. It has been long bred into the veins of our society that emotional expression by a man, particularly expression of fear or uncertainty, is unsettling. More than that, it can be looked down upon as a sort of 'weakness'. I feel for our men. I really do. Now more than ever, they could use a place to lay their heads and weep. I have witnessed much anger on the parts of women - anger toward the domination that masculine power has symbolized, and weariness of the patriarchal system. All of this is well and valid. I fully understand the anger toward the patriarchal system which has held us in chains of linear action and scrutinizing thought. Can we turn this into a positive, and allow for the release and emotional expression of the masculine energy? Can we find it in our hearts to allow for this shift, however intense it may be, and make room for new growth? I believe that with deep wisdom and new acceptance, we most certainly can. Thank you Aaron Paquette, for inspiring this post. http://www.aaronpaquette.net/?p=2277 "This piece talks about the legacies of Residential School, of fractured communities, of a culture that is still here despite concerted attempts to destroy it.  Lughnasadh is the first harvest point on the wheel of the year. Most people who are familiar with the sacred timing of Lughnasadh are aware of it occurring on the first day of August each year. More traditionally however, Lughnasadh occurs at the exact opposite point on the wheel of the year from Imbolc. This year, that precise opposition occurs on the 7th of August. This is the time of year that Leo holds sway, and this year in particular will be very exciting since Leo will be in the New Moon coming up on August 5th. This is a very firey time of year, the hottest time of year for many places in our world, and therefore it is a fantastic time for your personal creation mechanics. In fact, the very root of the word, "Lugh", means "Light". This is a wonderful time for you to infuse your ideas and creations with Light and focus on the growth that you have been intending upon in your life, whether it be personal, family oriented, professional, global, or all of these areas. Tune into your inner fire in order to enhance your creativity and ignite the spark within the seeds of any projects that you have been meaning to tackle.
This is a most beneficial time to allow yourself to receive guidance in whatever forms feel comfortable to you. Meditation, divination, and journey work are all excellent examples of tools that you can engage in order to receive guidance. Connect to the Leo energy, your inner wildcat, your lion or lioness self. Leo is also significant in accessing your inner courage, and at a time of year where there is so much Light pouring forth, and especially if you are working with this Light intently, please remember that stronger burning Light will burn deeper into that which remains hidden... the shadow aspects. This pertains to those things that you may have placed upon the back burner or swept under the rug, or have simply been unaware of until now. Along with that which is buried deep, once it reaches the level of conscious awareness, emotion may be brought to the surface along with it. Allow this emotion to come. Beauty lies within its release. Allow this to assist you in connecting with the Earth Mother, and the waters with which she supports all of life. One of the after effects of emotional release, should it occur for you, is a feeling of emptiness, or a void of some sort. This is entirely natural. Now would be the time to plant your new seeds of intention. What do you wish to plant and energize? What do you want to see grow within your own life, and blossom from this point forward? Between now and August 7th, you may wish to intuit these seeds, plant them, water them and observe their growth. Harvest and transformation help to remind us of the wonders of our planet earth. They keep the magic within our hearts alive, seeing how something new and nourishing happens from something so small. But this only happens once that one small thing is planted by us, watered by us, and nurtured by us. Attention needs to be given to these small things, and it is then that we can anticipate growth and change ... transformation and alchemy. Here are some questions to assist in this process:
Giving thanks for, and truly acknowledging, that which you have already received will assist in the process of honoring the Earth Mother. So you can see how it only makes sense that giving thanks before your needs are met will only help to enhance that which you hope to receive. Think of Gratitude as your fertilizer, the feed for your seeds. Once you truly feel this Gratitude take hold within you, move with it. Stretch it, dance it, reach with it, breathe it, sing it. Move it from within, to throughout and around you. This vibration of Gratitude will be that much stronger then. It will anchor much more clearly into your energetic field, and then simply by nature of the business, it will assist you in bringing forth more of that which resides in your heart. How wonderful is that? |
 AuthorWelcome! Thank you for visiting my blog space. In this place, I will share writings of my own, along with other events and musings from the world of Movement Medicine, Dance Therapy, Yoga and Shamanic Healing. 
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Copyright © 2016 Danielle Leigh. All rights reserved.
Email: urbansoulalchemy@yahoo.ca