LunarMusings

My Sacred Life Sunday: Magic

My Sacred Life Sunday

There was quite a lot of Sacred Magic in my days this week.

~Deliciously cooked Indian dinner with friends who just got a new fur baby called Indie.
~Full Moon
~LA Day Of The Dead Celebration
~Farmers Market with our other friends and their brand new chunk of love baby.
~The True Living Project art exhibition by Sabrina Ward Harrison. 
~A brainstorming session with one of my Beloved Soul Sisters on her upcoming art showing.

Its been a lovely week.  Very busy... much busier then I would like, but it has been pure magic and inspiration all the way.  I am so grateful for the week. 

I send you all love and a inspiring gust of beauty to send you into your new week!

e

Wellness Wednesday: Digging Our Graves With Our Forks

I've heard this saying in various forms.  We dig our graves with our forks, that is, that what we eat pretty much determines the quality and length of our lives.  Our bodies are in a continuous state or repair and building using the building blocks we give it via food.

There is so much information out there about what to eat and what not to eat.  I have always felt that information and intuition go a long way towards revealing to each one of us what it is that we should be feeding our bodies.  I think for me the thing that has helped me most is the choice to approach all of it with as much consciousness as possible.  This is such a challenge and a continuous practice for me.

For me that looks like being in a constant state of questioning.  Where did this food come from?  Whats in it?  Are the ingredients in this feeding my body, or are they taxing my systems in an effort to get foreign material out of my body?  Is a meal out of a box healthier then a meal made from fresh whole foods?  What will putting all these preservatives in my body do to my liver and kidneys as they work hard to clean my blood of these things?  Will that deviate energy away from other processes that my body needs its full attention on?  What will nourish my mind, body and spirit more?  Coffee or an herbal infusion in the morning?  What does my skin look and feel like after a month of herbal infusions as opposed to coffee?  What does cafeine do to my adrenal system? Are there consequences to that in the long term?  The hormones in the meat we have in our stores?  How will that effect the delicate balance of hormones in my own body?

My relationship with food is a complex one.  I have been a vegetarian for over 7 years now, and it is a constantly evolving process.  Adding more variety to what I eat, checking in with my body to see how each new addition or subtraction from my diet effects my over all health.  Learning to eliminate allergens from my diet and learning the fine chemical balance that can occur when my body isn't fighting agianst things that I have put in it.  Its a constant dialogue between our bodies and ourselves.  And if we listen and check in closely it will tell us what is taxing the system and what is enhancing it. 

Every time we place something in our bodies that it has to work hard to clean out, or fight against immunologically, we age.  It depletes and weakens our miraculous but delicate system, and thus taking us closer to illness, deterioration and death.

More then anything today, I want to suggest questioning.  Its my daily practice, that sometimes I very consciously ignore, and sometimes I forget, but like today, I remember and embrace.  Today as I opened my refrigerator looking for the yummy carrots and hummus I got at the Farmers Market this weekend, I reminded myself of what goodness it had to offer me, and allowed myself in that moment to give that food my gratitude and eager anticipation for its yumminess.  And this is what I try to do.  Its my practice. 

I think that the act of questioning is the first step in conscious eating, in healthful, life sustaining and life enhancing food choices.  The rest?  We can talk about later!

Be Well.

My Sacred Life Sunday: Ancestral Altar

My Sacred Life Sunday

I'm a bit late with this one too!  I've been a bit distracted this week. 

Yesterday, I took the book of letters I have been putting together and placed it on my newly redone altar.  I love doing this.  Taking an altar down, creating a new one that is reflective of the shifts, changes, stages I am passing through.

The book isn't done yet, but because I am getting deeper in my process with it, I felt the pull to create a space for it to continue gathering energy and intention.  Now that all these letters are bound together in a book it has a magnetic all its own.  I am surprised and also strangely satisfied with its hugeness.  It feels good to hold and touch all over.  It needs a bit more, but of what I am not sure.  I am called to chant a mantra over it while doing my ritual with it in a few weeks, but there needs to be more held within it. 

As I bound the pages, words and phrases came to me.  I have put them down on paper, and also spoke them into a circle of sacred sisters the other day.  It was a spontaneous sharing, and added to the potency of the work that is wanting to take place.  I am not sure exactly how all this will come together in the end, and am very nourished by that.  Its as if I am following a trail of bread crumbs through a dark forest. 

This time of year is always filled with the other worldliness of dream travel, divination, and ancestral connections.  I am finding that in my efforts to unravel past dysfunctional patterns and karma, I was forgeting to tread this holy ground with reverence.  While creating this altar space, that came to me.  A shift in this work.  This is no longer just an act of extricating myself from patterns and history that I want to be free of, but it is also an act of making room for healing and freedom for those that have come before me and for those that may follow.

Blessed Be.

Reweaving...

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

~Rumi

He's home.

Wellness Wednesday: Rest

I'm a bit late to Wellness Wednesday this week.  I spent the entire day yesterday flying to New Mexico, attending to some personal business and then flying back in the same day.  It was a bit of a whirlwind and although the day was incredibly productive, it completely zapped me. 

So I let myself sleep today.  As in sleep in... 9 am sleep in.  And for the rest of today I have lounged around in my Pjs, had some yummy tea, caught up on some email and generally just milled around from one leisurely interesting thing to the other.  No agenda, no schedule.  Just rest. 

I think its important to have "do nothing" days.  It give us a chance to recharge, and allow mind, body and soul to just Be.

I'm off to moisturize now...  :)

Be well,
e

dawn of a new year...

Fogged windows because I am making Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Candles lit to warm up an overcast day
A little dash of hope
A little dash of sadness
A big dollop of comfy clothes and my soft wrap
Dagoba Hot Chocolate, with my secret weapon ingredient :)
Great hair day
A potent art project
Patti Griffin
Love no matter what
A very generous tip from a client!
A small but exciting delivery from Apple
My huge kitchen

36 is a much prettier number then 35...

And its a good beginning...

 

Sacred Life Sunday: Chloe

Sacred Life Sunday

This is my precious Chloe taking a nap on my desk.  She likes to position herself in the sun, and will follow it around the house to get the optimum coverage! 

There is something so subtle and instinctual about our relationships with our pets.  She brings me back down to earth, softens my edges, and is a constant Love transmitter.  This little nose is often nuzzling against my side, my arm, my face, to get her my attention.  Its almost like a cool wet, "Hi mommy." 

I love her so much.  It surprises me how much pours out of me to her.  Its spontaneous, and warm and delicious.  I know that she is in my life as a teacher of Love.  I'm so lucky to have her in my life. 

This morning I woke up to her sniffing my face.  Then there was a slight tap of the cheek with her paw.  Almost as if to say, "Are you in there?" 

She is my Divine Feline Goddess.

Wellness Wednesday: Small Deviation From Water

I was getting ready to post the third Wellness Wednesday installment on water when I became distracted with an entirely different experience.  Although perhaps not too off the track.

This morning I went for my walk/jog along the Bluffs here in Belmont Heights.  This is very much a part of my Wellness regimen and I love doing it here.  The old homes, the beach...  Its a great environment to walk around in, and it is also my chance to catch up on my podcasts. 

I don't really listen to music anymore when I go on my morning walks.  I have so many podcasts that I subscribe to, that this is what I listen to most.  And its been an amazing process, because I have always felt that physical activities clears the channels in the body, everything opens up, the chakras, the vessels, the mind, the soul... 

So today, on my early morning jaunt, under the cloud cover from the Ocean that hadn't burned off yet, I was listening to an episode of Speaking of Faith.  Its an amazing podcast, and I am constantly moved and blown away by the wisdom and beauty in this radio show. Krista Tippett has a brilliant mind, and her ability to live in the questions constantly moves my soul to expand and embrace more and more. 

But today, something else opened for me.  I was so in each word that was spoken.  Not as part of the whole interview or even a sentence, but each word.  Words became these morsels of nourishment and I like a vessel that was being poured into.  At one point the word "substantive" was used, and spontaneously, I stopped and found myself taking the deepest inhale.  Slow, deep, blissful.  I am getting teary just typing about this. 

I suppose that this post should be under My Sacred Life Project, but it also fit here as well.  The ways to nourish ourselves are so varied.  This wasn't about the food I eat, or the lotion I place on my skin, or the amount of water I take in.  Its an entirely different arena where literally my soul gets fed in a manner that ignites my very cells.  (inhaling deeply again...)

The other thing that came up from this, much later as I took my bath, was the energy of words.  This thought came up while I was sitting with writing my next WW post, and Dr. Emoto's experiments with water and thought and words.  (sorry... more on this next week!  I promise)  I remember listening to an interview with Dr. Maya Angelou several years ago, where she said that she believed that words where actual beings.  That they stick to things, infusing the walls, the people, the food, the furniture with their vibration.  I also believe this.

And today as I listened to Krista Tippett's voice, enunciate each word with passion and interest, as I absorbed these words that were being put out into the universe by this woman with the intention of enlightening, educating, uniting, and healing, I felt in my body just how potent and enlivening words of truth, conviction and love can be.

Almost like powerful vitamins.  Health morsels.  Words can be health morsels, or poison.  Perhaps they can be a bunch of other things in between, but they are never static.  Never nothing. 

Hmmm... I wonder now if I really have to post something on Dr. Emoto?  Isn't what he found in water a manifestation of what words can create? 

This all motivates even more consciousness on my part to allow my truth and conviction to come through my words.  To only surround myself with those who speak with the same intentions as I have, not necessarily the same beliefs, but the same vibrations of positive impact on the world.  Builders, lovers, nurturers, creators, healers, worshipers, joyful givers, grateful celebrators, and the passionate mad ones...

I send each of you and me too, the celebration of wellness.
Blessings,
e

 

New Moon in Libra 2007

Energetics:  Libra is ruled by the element of air and the planet Venus.  Its symbol is the scales and that of course symbolizes Libra's propensity for balance, justice and diplomacy.  It is also the sign of love, relationships, marriages, partnerships, art, beauty, romance, and femininty. 

This Libra New Moon happens late Wednesday evening and will be transiting my 7th house which is also the house that Libra rules.  For me this means that the effects of this moon are just more intensified. :)  Here is a read up on the 7th house from Astrology.com:

The Seventh House is commonly referred to as the House of Partnership. With this House, we see a shift away from the self toward another -- a partner. By cooperating with and relating to another we unite for the purpose of achieving something. Purpose is important to the Seventh House -- the act of accomplishing something great or small for the self, the partnership and even society as a whole. In uniting with another, we also become a more valuable member of our world: we make a contribution, one small cog in the wheel of life. We have purpose. Cooperation and partnership help to expedite our purpose in life.

Through a partnership, we fill out our essential being. Suddenly, we see ourselves in context. Through a partnership in which we work, play, love and/or create, we are fully formed and completed. The other half helps to make us whole. Ultimately, how we relate to others will help to define the success we have as a human being and as a member of humankind.

The Seventh House shows us that partnerships can take many forms: marriage, business relationships, contracts, legalities, negotiations and agreements. We will cooperate to a greater or lesser extent in these varied partnerships. The quality of that cooperation, in essence how we relate to the other, is key to the Seventh House. Why do we choose this partnership? Is it for love or money? Practical reasons? Social considerations? There are many reasons for uniting with another. We may choose to fill voids we see in ourselves. We may simply want the company and companionship of another. The partnerships we form say a great deal about ourselves and also serve to teach us much. This House wants us to know that the quality of our partnerships will enhance our lives, make them fuller, more special and better for everyone.

Tensions within a partnership also serve to teach us lessons. For this reason, the Seventh House also focuses on the darker side of our unions. Divorce, lawsuits and treaties all fall within this House. At its worst, a partnership may create enemies -- and on a more global scale, these rifts can deteriorate into war. It is our reaction to this adversity which will shape the partnerships yet to come.

Lunarmusings:

I wrote an email recently to our magical blogging sister, Maddie, where I said that Love is not for the faint of heart.  And for me, at this time, with this Moon, this is what is up for review for me.  Who am I in Love?  Who do I choose to be?  And when the dance becomes too tense, too risky, too unstable, what do I need?  Who will I be?  What do I do?  And more importantly, what lesson is Love trying to gift me with? 

For the rest of the world... :)  tomorrow is a perfect night for that list. You know the one I'm talking about.  That list for the Beloved.  And if you find yourself next to the Beloved already, then perhaps your list can be about all the things you are grateful for and perhaps what more wonderful things you want to add to the partnership.  Let this moon be a celebration of what you have, and what is on its way to you. 

Relationships are the places where we meet ourselves, grow and find that there is indeed an Other.  Who do you choose to be in relationship with?  Who are you in your relationships?  How can we all learn to bless each other in the time we spend together on this Earth?

Intention for this Lunation Cycle

Right now, mine is to breathe and be present.  And always in all ways, to trust Love.

Blessings to all of you.

My Sacred Life Sunday: Legacies And Letting Go

My Sacred Life Sunday

This entire week has been sacred.  Moments of presence and time stand stills... I have begun to get more space to breathe with myself, and it has been Divine.  I'm grateful for that. 

Today I spent time with a huge stack of letters I inherited from my parents.  These letters are from old family members in Cuba.  They date back to the early 60s when my parents fled Cuba during the Revolution and most of their families stayed behind.  There are hundreds of these letters from various people, some that I know of and some that I don't. 

I would love to say that there are pages and pages of beauty and wisdom, but sadly that is not the case.  I find myself overwhelmed by just how intimately I know the individual dynamics of each individual by how things were growing up for me in the home my parents created for us.  Family legacy is not only through tradition and culture, but it is also psychic, cellular... almost photographic. 

The issues I deal with on a daily basis, are issue that are all over these letters. Scarcity, fear, the habit of resistence...  Of people I have never met!  It floors me, but intellectually, its a reality I have been aware of for years.  We are so molded by the existence of those that came before us.  I look at these letters and feel a sense of understanding and claustrophobia all at once.  The bigger picture of my existence is spread out before me in these letters, and I wonder if there is a way to karmically clean the slate?

I'm a ritualist.  Creating ritual around rites of passages, marking turning points in my life, and celebration is something that I have been actively doing for over 11 years now.  I find that creating ritual creates a container for the intention I want to set forth in the world, or within myself.  A marker for the pictorial/experiential subconscious to work with and integrate. 

So as we approach the Day of the Dead, I am creating a ritual that will take place over the course of the next few weeks.  I am binding all of these letters into a book.  Then placing in this book the pictures I have of people that I know and don't know.  The act of separating each page, making signatures for binding, creating covers, sewing them together, and doing this while chanting a karma clearing chant has begun and is feeling intense. 

As I group pages in signatures (the name given to a group of folder pages) containing 8 letters, I am informed of a word, a dynamic, at a few points even family secrets... They come up for naming, review, and release.  I felt the presence of family around me, and the stirrings of underground connections to experiences that although not my own, reside very deeply in my DNA. 

This ritual is a living ritual, meaning that how it will end has yet to write itself, although I have a very strong pull towards what that will look like.  But for today, this task was potent.  I have questions that are coming up, like is it appropriate for me to do karmic releasing work for other people?  For the dead?  What does it mean to work towards severing these karmic ties with my family?  How does this affect my ties to those that are living?  Does it effect those ties?  Is this an act of healing, or an act of liberation from ties that have begun to feel oppressive to me? 

I trust that the answers will continue to reveal themselves as I immerse myself in the methodical task of sewing and bind the book.  I trust in the process, and I give thanks for the ability to explore this.