Paying It Forward

Sending sunshine and sparkly blessings to Anne at Artisanne-Scotland and MysticWynd for awarding my blog with the Sunshine Blogger's Award. It really means a lot to hear from you, my dear readers and especially when you comment - it makes me feel less alone out here in the hinterbloglands of virtual reality and you can trust that I'll be doing my best to "Pay It Forward" and respond to all of your comments when I get the chance.

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world. The rules for accepting the Sunshine Award are: 1. put the logo on your blog or within your post. 2. pass the award on to 12 bloggers linking to the nominees within your post. 3. let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 4. share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Sending tons o' sunny Southern California sunshine and kick ass kudos to: Goddess Guidebook Life Unfolds Jamie Ridler Studios Art Biz Blog TERI REES WANG Susan Rodio Art by_Rheaa Goddess in a Teapot Vital Planet Healing Communication Reiki Awakening Bliss Chick

Thank you to all bloggers everywhere who are doing a good job, and carrying on with heart, passion and intelligence above all, to enlighten our hearts, minds and souls often without pay or appreciation, so keep the comments flowing and let's keep our blogger's world alive, kicking and changing the world into the kind of place we want to live in and pass on to the coming generations.

Finding Our Heart-Home

Sometimes it feels like I spend more time shutting out the world than I do being in it, through meditation, deep thinking, deep feeling. The time spent on this is immeasurable - time does not equal money. How little money can we exist on? How to simplify so that basic needs are met, leaving room for art-making, play, deep reverie? A longing for one-ness with the universe, the Divine, the source, the thread connecting all I do. Sometimes we seek outside of ourselves to fill this emptiness, this loneliness felt deep within our soul, but outside sources can never fill this bottomless pit. Instead we need to recognize our yearning for what it truly is, a search for source, a longing for re-connection with our Divine self.

When we realize this - that our heart-home lies always within reach and that our true home is always within ourselves, we are home, we are blessed, we are free.

"I love the ground whereon he stands." From the song "Black Is The Colour" by Marcy D'arcy & The Prodigal Sons from the album "Women of the World Celtic II"

The photos above were taken after experiencing a sound healing bath played upon quartz crystal singing bowls at the Integratron in Landers, California.

How To - A Quick Meditation Pick-Me-Up

A quickie meditation guide to help you balance and recharge your soul and bring you peace of mind.

Meditation How-To

1. Find a comfortable place to sit - I prefer my ergonomic typing chair.

2. Light a candle.

3. Burn sage or incense (or say a prayer) to clear and cleanse your space and yourself. I like to say a Native American blessing "May I walk in beauty" as I brush sage smoke under my feet.

4. Call upon divine guidance: God/dess/Divine/Angelic Beings - whatever works for you - the name is not important!

5. Close your eyes and focus upon your breathing - in, out, in out. Let your whole being relax and let go of all tension and worry as if you are floating on a cloud, upon the water or enveloped in a fluffy bath towel as small angelic hands massage and nurture you, body and soul.

6. Next is a quick chakra cleansing. Chakras are seven major energy centers within the body. They process energy and connect us with our spiritual essence and the realm of pure consciousness. I begin by envisioning a ball of pure gold/white light above my head which represents the Divine and then I breath in and let that light change and flow through my chakras. I breathe color and emotion into each chakra as I work my way down through the colors of the rainbow (being an artist I love this part!):

Crown of head - violet - I experience feelings of blissed out knowing, spirituality. Forehead/Third eye - indigo - Feeling in tune with my sixth sense, psychic sight
Throat - blue - Speaking my truth, communication
Heart - green/pink - Feelings of pure love for everything
Solar plexus - yellow - Feelings of inner strength, creation of self
Sacral/Pelvic - orange - Feelings of desire, creativity
Base of spine - red/black - Grounding and connecting with survival instincts

I finally exhale when I reach the base chakra and allow all my tension to empty into the earth as I ground the energy and repeat the exercise starting at the top (above my head) and continuing in a giant circle until all colors and feelings are flowing, focused and clear.

6. If you have a question or concern for the Divine or your guides then you may ask it now and be prepared with paper and pen! I begin my request with a prayer and request that I receive information that is only of the deepest, highest and most profound good for my soul. While you wait for a response, be conscious of any images, feelings or words that come up - this is the message you've been waiting for.

7. Continue to let your consciousness drop as you feel more and more relaxed, letting go and releasing all pain, discomfort and stress, as you continue to let your thoughts flow in and out.

8. To end your meditation say a prayer of gratitude and blow out your candle as you send out a prayer of healing to all those in need.

And voila, you will be refreshed, recharged and ready to continue on with your journey. I wish you many sparkly blessings along the way!

Do You Believe In Dreams?

I've been writing and researching alot for the online course I'll be teaching - trying to determine the outcomes of the course. Perhaps my lunar based course is trying to teach me something; to let go of outcomes. Aren't there enough courses out there that beat that into our heads? How about a course that seeks to awaken us to our passion, our instincts, our inner knowing, our emotions? I know how easy it is to cut oneself off from these ways of being. Society and the media cannot package and sell these qualities - we must spark and grow them on our own or in cahoots with like-minded souls who now, thanks to the internet are much easier to find.

Today I look at my pure white canvas board and I realize how important it is to be true to myself and to express this truth in all I do. Why, you may ask...Because happiness breeds happiness, passion - passion and joy - joy ... I revel in this fertility.

By picking up a pen, a brush (whatever works for you!) we focus our attention, our minds, upon the other, as we let our soul speak. It's truly amazing how we are able to manipulate our own feelings, change track, or get back on track, fall off track - do we even realize how powerful we are?

As I press myself into it's surface (the masonite) I leave an imprint from my soul to yours.

"Do you believe in dreams? That's how I found you." From the song "Fallen" by Delerium

Moon Cycles

Learning to live with duality, maybe one day I'll find triplicity. "I'll keep your heart with mine Till you come to me..." From "Penelope's Song" by Loreena McKennitt

The moon cycles us through an understanding of relationship - with the sun, our source, our spirit mission.

The moon's glow a mere reflection - in blue of night we 'see', we intuit, we reason, about that which is too bright to view by day and the naked eye.

"The moonlight it was dancing On the waves, out on the sea." From "Beneath a Phrygian Sky" by Loreena McKennitt