Working with the Goddess

Whether you are man or woman, we can all benefit from working with the Goddess ~ in any of her many forms. When you focus your gaze on the wise woman living within you, there is a connection there not found in other spiritual haunts. Connecting with Goddess is connecting to the womb ... Home ... the darkest places of the earth ... the furthest depths of your soul.

Whenever I have a question that requires the greatest truth and wisdom, I call upon the Mothers and Grandmothers, the keepers of the light, the Ones who went before. And they always have the answers to my most profound queries.

The chant above is one I use when I need to draw upon the well of woman's knowledge. It always takes me to the place I need to go. I always hear what I need to hear, even if it's something I don't want to hear. But connecting with Goddess will give you the strength to listen, follow through, and stay strong ~ through the most challenging of journeys.

Trust in her and she will offer you her strength. Blessed Be ~ Nicole

Reincarnating ~ Choosing Your Destiny

I felt guided and inspired to write about a controversial subject today. For the past little while, I have been deep in thought about reincarnation ~ something I strongly believe to be a truth. I believe that when we finish this life, we go to a place of resting until we are ready to take on a new life. I believe we choose the life that will help us to learn the lessons we need to learn. I believe that we make a conscious decision about many of the details that will mold us into the human version of our spirit selves: Parents, siblings and other carefully placed influential people. Living conditions, place of birth, and most especially our challenges. Some of those challenges may be outside influences that we have no way to control. Some might not have enough food to eat, fresh water, shelter, or clothing. A person might be abused, physically, sexually or emotionally.

It is important to honour every being's path and existence, no matter what it is, and that includes the thought that somebody may have chose to learn their lessons in a life changing way. It is not for you or I to say that someones existence is right or wrong, good or bad, just or unjust. A wise woman I met once said this while giving advice to another: "You should be thankful to this man for the lesson he taught you; You learned your lesson very well. You will not forget what he taught you, and you will not make that choice again."

While you can go through life with this belief that we all choose our experiences, it is not a reason or an excuse to turn the other cheek when you see something you do not agree with. It is important to listen to your inner guidance about who to help, and when. Does our compassion for others ebb and flow, as so many other things do in our lives? Some days it is very important to care for others, reach out with love, nurture the souls of others and to truly participate in the feminine side of life. On the other hand, it is also important to honour the times for turning in that nurture to our own souls, allowing the more masculine side to take over and allowing us to be concerned with only what is immediate.

Whatever we choose to believe is just that, a Choice. My question to you is: Where did your choices begin? Do you believe that some unknown force decides your entire destiny? Or do you believe that you chose what is happening in your life? Have you ever decided you wanted your life to be a certain way ~ and has it ever manifested?

If you could plan out your next life, what would you choose? How to approach a question like that .... How can you be better, today? What can you focus on to change into the person you long to be? Is there anything you can do to love your life, every moment of it? I would love to hear your thoughts on this post ... so please feel free to comment!

Meditation Ideas:

See the joy in the small things in your life. Every once in a while, sit down and observe what is happening in your own world. Watch the wind blowing through the trees, silently. Immerse yourself in your surroundings, notice things that you see every day, and honour them in reverence. Look at your hands and feel what they represent. Take deep breaths and relax your face ... just be in this moment. Choose to live mindfully, today.

The Prerogative to Change One's Mind

Change. The word itself makes some of us want to turn around ... and run away. Change, whether imposed or willed, is difficult for many of us. Deep in the core of our beings, we long to fulfill some destiny, but sometimes the actual steps required may be more daunting than we initially thought they would be. You must remember that you are the master of your own destiny ~ anything that you long for can most definitely happen!

The trick is, you have to allow the changes to occur. And sometimes, on rare occasion, you have to be the enforcer of the change. It is okay to turn your back on a path you are walking, even if it is just to look over your shoulder with a longing glance towards yesterday. Or to a time you felt was flowing more smoothly. It is okay to change your mind about something when it is not becoming exactly what you thought it would be. Sure, there are times when it isn't possible to quit or slow down, and you may not want to ~ those times should be honoured ~ maybe there is a lesson there. But when something is feeling complicated or difficult, or if you keep coming up against obstacles, it is okay to try something different. Perhaps there is another area of your life that needs attention ... Perhaps your energy would be better spent on something that is constantly nagging at you: Exercise, schooling, laughing, meditating, doing yoga, going for long walks ... Perhaps all that you need is a momentary break to figure out some nagging details of a recent venture. Then maybe it will be possible to continue on the path you were on, with ease, joy, and love. The flowing river of life.

Whatever decisions you make in your life will never be considered mistakes in the end. Look at your life as a meandering journey filled up with as much experience as you can pack into it. Take chances. Take breaks. Be in love with yourself. Be in love with the whole world. Try something new, and then rest if you can. Reflect on your life, daily. Be grateful for all that you have. Live your life in a balanced way ~ Make sure that you feel at peace sometimes. And above all, don't be so hard on yourself. You are the master of your own destiny.

Connecting with Trees

Tree Shadows - translated from Japanese

All hushed the trees are waiting
On tiptoe for the sight
Of moonrise shedding splendour
Across the dusk of night
Ah, now the moon is risen
And lo, without a sound
The trees all write their welcome
Far along the ground

I recently watched a documentary on KCTS explaining the history of the Appalachian mountain regions. It was titled "Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People". One of the things that I got from this beautiful story was the strong sense of connection the early settlers had to their surroundings. There was a respect for the land, including her mountains (there are hundreds of named mountaintops in this region, all with a story), trees (including one tree that was nearly put into extinction by an imported tree of the same name), rivers, streams and of course - the earth itself. These people understood that trees, especially, offered so much to them in terms of food, protection and more.

I love trees. I think we all do, because they offer a kinship. And a connection to the deepest parts of Earth, through roots that plunge into depths we couldn't reach on our own. When we lean on a tree, we can feel that connection very strongly. There is nothing quite so grounding as leaning on a tree, allowing that tree to support us, to remove negative energy, to drain away tension and anxiety and sadness. When I see large roots surfacing to the ground I walk on, I see it as a great gift. The roots of trees remind me of veins and arteries, carrying lifeblood from the light of day down into the depths of our beautiful planet. Where this energy can be cleansed, and where seeds can be sown for later, drawing strength over time, and gaining ancient knowledge to be used at exactly the right moment. There is no greater incubator for such things than our dark, moist and feminine earth.

I find it interesting that trees announce themselves each season as well, constantly reminding us of their importance to the nature of our world. They reflect our own nature as well ... leaves transforming before falling from the tree, preparing for winter. The dormant, introverted process of winter. The burst of energy and colour in the spring. The bold and boisterous, celebrating green of summer. It all reflects our humanity in some way.

And so, now and then, take the time to appreciate a tree. Sit at its' base, gaze lovingly at one, hug one, decorate one ... allow yourself to feel your roots extending into the center of the earth - grounding you, teaching you, understanding you. Draw on the ancient wisdom of the great tree ... one of our great teachers.

Balance?

Balance is something many of us strive for, and many of us never achieve. If every day we are struggling to: eat well, sleep well, be good parents, work hard, exercise, pick up the mail, go to the bank, do the laundry, do the dishes, cook the meals, AND schedule some time for spiritual, creative or intellectual pursuits ... Do you think you should beat yourself up at the end of each day wondering if you "achieved" balance?

What is Balance? Is it fair to ever think that Balance is something we can have? If your life is not balanced, is it chaotic instead? And why do we think that Balance should be the focus of our lives? Is it ever okay to throw up your hands and say "f*%k it!" and live in the moment? What would happen if we could all pass on the responsibility for worry to our spirit guides, angels and others?

Is it possible that there is a natural balance to everything? Most cultures and religions believe that there is, of course: Yin and Yang, Good and Evil, earthly and spiritual. Perhaps this natural balance takes it's form in ways we don't think about, such as:

~ work being spiritual in nature
~ washing our hands as a form of prayer
~ the smile you give a stranger as an offering
~ comforting a sister as invoking Goddess nature
~ holding your child's hand as an expression of Godliness
~ exercising patience as a form of meditation

When you embody your true self in love, and you surrender yourself to the natural order of things, you can truly have the opportunity to experience your life in balance. Living in the moment, breathing in each breath of your life with your natural awareness, maybe you will begin to live your life. When life gets hectic, and your guilt starts to build over what you haven't done, take a deep breath and let it go ... or say F*#k It!! (Whatever works). Perhaps it won't feel like balance, but you might feel instead a true inner happiness, rather than a feeling of dread as you go over the checklist of your life.

Women of Power

The other night I was able to be a part of something amazing. I was invited to a women's full moon ceremony. Now, my good friend and I open circles together several times throughout the year, but this was the first time I would be attending someone else's circle. At first I felt defensive about going, that this circle would somehow overshadow my personal efforts. But I knew I had to attend, I knew there was a reason. I suppose there always is.

We started the evening by writing down "I invite the Goddess of the Moon into my life to ... (fill in the blank)". We were also to write down what in our life we are thankful for. Many of us went on writing for a long while before it was time to move on. Next we were each asked to pull a card from a large variety of decks: Egyptian Tarot, Goddess cards, and others.

The two women leading the circle, Dianne and Beverly, talked for a while about what it means to be a woman ~ the Power we have within us to make anything happen ~ How no man was ever born without a woman's permission ~ How even the Son of God was born from a woman ~ How no thing ever happened to a woman without her authorizing it in some way; We are never victims. We talked about how, during the Feminism Era, we wanted to be like Men ... and how it is now time to be Women again, embracing that deep, connected power within.

We were instructed that we would each have a turn to tell others what the card we chose was saying to us. We were reminded that each card would have a message for not only the person who picked it, but for each member of the group. I was blown away at how much wisdom we had, standing together like that. Dianne and Beverly were consistently aware of the underlying theme to every woman's situations, and were incredibly talented at pulling us together. What really struck me was how each and every woman in that room was going through some kind of huge transformation, including me.

One thing that Beverly said really hit home for me: We need to walk the road between the light and the dark, veering off to experience this or that and then returning to that middle ground. Walk between the light and the dark. Perhaps this is something I have been missing at times ... pushing aside that Shadow Wisdom in favour of love and light ... perhaps I did that out of fear? I do believe that we are here to experience every single moment to the fullest extent that we can. For myself, I am content to take my life one day at a time .. and one moment at a time when things get out of hand.

I am so thankful to have been a part of such a special evening, and to have had the opportunity to channel that ancient women's wisdom with others.

Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again! ~ Nicole

I have been on a hiatus from focused spiritual activity for several months now, and I am finally beginning to feel the pull of the Divine. Could I be ready to tip the scales back into balance?

As I mentioned in previous posts, this is the first time in my life where I truly felt an aversion to "practicing" my spirituality. With this whole situation I have been feeling seriously guilty, as though I am neglecting myself. In a way, I have been neglecting myself, but during a meditation today I drifted into that lovely space and heard the words "It is always here for you, whenever you need it".

That got me thinking ... perhaps I've been led astray in thinking that I need to pick every situation in my life apart, prying it open to find meaning. What need was I fulfilling by deciphering every message with a book, a card ... someone else's words? I have talked about this in the past, that the answers are always available ~ all you have to do is ask. So was it that I didn't believe it? Or was it just fun for me to play a game of detective? Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with asking questions, and trying to get more information about something that you don't understand. But when you are waiting for the next "message" instead of living a life of peace, in peace, is there something missing there? Did I miss anything valuable when my head was bent over a book, floating around in someone else's world? Or is that part of the experience too ~ Not being able to focus on more than one thing at a time ~

During this time of "incubation" I have noticed my family animal totem, the bald eagle, soaring above me ~ reminding me of all the sacredness of life. But not once did I look up the meaning again. I simply nodded my head and watched him soaring in circles, high up in the sky, observing the world with a new perspective, a changed mind, and a strength from that deep, vast place where all our hearts convene.

Namaste, my friends.