ANCESTRAL WISDOM

Happy New Year, 2012!

2011-12-30T08:06:00.000-08:00

The end of 2011 is here and 2012 is about to begin. As you look toward 2012, what do you want to create? What accomplishments have you been able to manifest? What habits or behaviors have you been able to release? What is working for you and what is not working?

What do you want to invite into the new year? What do you want to "feed" this year, love or fear? It is important to make conscious choices and set clear, positive intentions. Whatever you put out into the world is what you will manifest. If you choose to feed love, love will grow wherever it is focused as you join with other like-minded people throughout the world. However, when you connect with the daily barrage of fear-based news stories or conversations you feed fear. It is a choice.

Currently there are tremendous, ongoing, global and individual shifts. 2012 will continue to bring change throughout the world. How we perceive and respond to these changes will determine our future as inhabitants of planet Earth. So, instead of reacting from fear, anger, and/or resistance, I want to encourage you to respond to any challenge with an open heart and trust that this energetic shift is creating our personal and global transformation.

The global perspective can be overwhelming so I suggest that each of us begin with our personal growth. It is what we become that changes the world, not what we do. So what changes do you want to see in your own life? What fears do you want to release and what hopeful, positive expansion to you want to envision?

This is a powerful time to sit down and write out your goals and wishes for the coming year. One suggestion is to choose the areas of your life where you want to grow and write about them, in the present tense, as if the changes have already manifested. The more succinct you are in the writing, the clearer your vision and resulting manifestation will be. Consider some of the following questions:

1. What do I want this year in my personal life?
2. What do I want this year for my financial life?
3. What do I want this year for my business life?
4. What do I want this year for my spiritual life?

Now take out your new, 2012 journal out and write about each question. For example:

I now have the financial freedom that a stable cash flow provides. I now have a monthly income of at least _____ each and every month, with ease and grace, and I am able to meet all my financial agreements plus put away money for travel and extra expenses.

Do this for each question and then read them daily. This will help you shift old limiting beliefs and change out-dated paradigms in your life. Have fun and be creative! You can also create vision boards or a collage to provide a visual representation. What you do is not important, it's the intention, focus, and passion you have to recreate your life!

I wish you the happiest of new years.

May 2012 be filled with personal expansion and blessings for our world and for all sentient beings on Mother Earth!

Blessings of peace, love and light ~ Gretchen

Inner Light

2011-12-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

The days grow shorter. The temperature has dropped and today I'm sitting at my computer wearing sweats with a cozy wrap around my shoulders and a cup of steaming Peach Blossom White Tea beside me.

Winter is approaching. Solstice is just a few days away and the holiday season is in full swing with parties and celebrations everywhere.

This is a festive time of year but it is also the time of year to reflect on the previous months of experiences and lessons, honoring areas of growth and expansion. The soul's journey requires tending. My past experiences have provided opportunities for learning and my life is enriched because of these life-lessons.

Winter is the final phase of the twelve-month cycle of Earth’s seasons. Like all cycles, winter holds evidence and clues within it about what came before, what is and what will likely be. The energy of winter is an ending and a new beginning. There is increasing darkness, the darkest point and then the shift toward increasing light.

At this time of year I look to nature to show me her rhythm, her way of "being." She is quiet. Her leaves cover the ground, decomposing. During the process of decomposition, the decomposers provide food for themselves by extracting chemicals from organic wastes to produce energy. The decomposers will then produce waste of their own. In turn, this will also decompose, eventually returning nutrients to the soil. These nutrients can then be taken up by the roots of living plants enabling them to grow and develop, so that organic material is naturally recycled. Virtually nothing goes to waste in nature.

During this season of quiet reflection and review, I encourage each of you to recycle your energies. Renew, refresh, and envision the richness of your journey to date and the possibility that lies before you.

I love to search for quotes that inspire. May these quotes help invoke that spirit within.

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~Albert Camus

One is wise to cultivate the tree that bears fruit in our soul.
~Henry David Thoreau

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.
~Mary Dunbar

This is the season we are invited to go within and honor our personal journey. In the darkness of winter, may we find our own light. May we shine and, collectively, may we brighten the world.

Happy Holidays!

Gretchen

Chaos to Order

2011-10-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

Fall is a gentle season. In Southern California there are subtle changes of cool nights, early-morning fog, falling leaves, and withering vines. Monarch butterflies continue to grace my garden but there are fewer now and the milkweed is no longer being consumed by their offspring. The earth seems to be drawing into herself, preparing to rest. She will continue to provide winter fruits and vegetables to nourish our bodies but there is a shift in the elements, even here in sunny California.

This is the time of year when I begin to prepare for my own wintering. My stack of non-fiction books is growing by my bedside ready to assist me in gathering new wisdom and insight about myself and the world I live in. I love this time of reflection and discernment through the written word.

Lately I've been reading Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World by Margaret Wheatley. Margaret Wheatley writes, teaches, and speaks about radically new business practices and ideas for organizing in chaotic times using quantum science and nature for guidance. She works to create organizations of all types where people are known as the blessing, not the problem.

Leadership and the New Science was published in 1999 but the wisdom and insight Wheatley shares is even more relevant in today's chaotic world than it was a decade ago. Daily we observe chaos in government and the global economy. Unemployment plagues once-thriving countries and communities and depression is at an all-time high. There is a growing fear of disorder and chaos.

Yet chaos and disorder, and the falling apart of antiquated systems, is exctly what is required in order to move into the prophesied new era. Old systems that no longer serve must fall away and be replaced with sustainable systems that do not deplete the natural resources of our beautiful planet while supporting the growth of communities.

But where do we look for inspiration, hope, and wisdom? Where are the systems that can serve as a model for more sustainable systems? Nature. Nature is constantly changing from one cycle to another. Look at the cycle of a butterfly, the migration of birds, the seasonal transformation of deciduous forests, and the life cycle of all sentient beings.

Perhaps if each of us makes the commitment to reflect on our own inner nature and spend time each day meditating in the arms the natural world, especially wild places, order will begin to emerge within and without. Inspiration can replace fear and ideas for creating order from disorder can begin to emerge.

Nature is filled with cycles and rhythms of change, order and chaos. What plants thrive naturally in the wilderness habitats where you live? What seasonal changes can you observe around you? What natural systems are working together to create balance in your garden or neighborhood? What is not working and needs to be changed?

We live in evolutionary times, more globally intense than at any other time in recorded history. Human beings are amazingly adaptable but we have forgotten how to live together in balance and harmony. We have lost our interdependence with Mother Earth and are out of rhythm with her cycles. She is reminding us that the world within is reflected in Nature. None of us can live alone. We need each other and our communities to solve the daunting problems in our world.

During this season I encourage you to slow down and look within. Is there any chaos in your life that you wish to transform? Spend some time in nature and allow her to speak to your inner wildness. Reflect on what is working and what is not. Let the chaos within and without guide you to creative solutions as you bring order to your life and hope into the world. Be willing to let go of the things that no longer serve you and embrace the invitation to transform the internal and external chaos. Allow nature to be your compass.

"One is constantly reminded of the infinite lavishness and fertility of Nature -- inexhaustible abundance amid what seems enormous waste. And yet when we look into any of her operations that lie within reach of our minds, we learn that no particle of her material is wasted or worn out. It is eternally flowing from use to use, beauty to yet higher beauty; and we soon cease to lament waste and death, and rather rejoice and exult in the imperishable, unspendable wealth of the universe, and faithfully watch and wait the reappearance of everything that melts and fades and dies about us, feeling sure that its next appearance will be better and more beautiful than the last." ~ John Muir

Compassion

2011-10-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Compassion is defined as a deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. Wikipedia states that compassion is a virtue in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy are regarded as a part of love itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnection and humanism.

Last week a dear friend forwarded a video of Tenzin Robert Thurman speaking at Chautauqua Institution in 2009. Robert Thurman is the first American to be ordained a Tibetan Monk by the Dalai Lama. He is a scholar, author and tireless proponent of peace.

In this video Robert Thurman asks that we develop compassion for all, including our enemies. He prescribes a seven-step meditation exercise to extend compassion beyond our inner circle, encouraging universal compassion and responsibility. Although he shares from the Buddhist perspective, his message is at the heart of all spiritual traditions.
(http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/robert_thurman_on_compassion.html)

I began reflecting on the meaning of compassion in my own life and my limitations in seeing beyond my inner circle. At my core I believe that all human beings carry both light and shadow but I recognize that I often experience judgement about others, especially leaders, who appear to be void of compassion for others. However I want to become a universally compassionate person who lives from an expansive heart space. How do I become part of the change the world needs? How do I begin to expand my perspective of compassion to include all of humanity? How do I become peace?

These questions sent me on a Internet search for deeper insight and awareness about this principle of compassion with the intention to move from my head into my heart, for myself and the world.

I found that Buddah said, "Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It crushes and destroys the pain of others; thus, it is called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed." Christ challenged mankind to forsake their own desires and to act compassionately towards others, particularly those in need or distress. Through the ages Rabbis have spoken of the "thirteen attributes of compassion." The Biblical conception of compassion is the feeling of the parent for the child.

During my exploration I came across an organization called "Charter for Compassion." The original contributors of the Charter are a group of multi-faith, multi-national religious thinkers and leaders. The council of contributors has grown and includes many spiritual leaders as well as muscians and writers throughout the world. (http://charterforcompassion.org/share/the-charter)

The Charter for Compassion states...

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the center of our world and put another there, and to honor the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the center of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

I encourage everyone interested in world peace to explore this amazing website. There are inspirational resources and ideas for acting with compassion on a daily basis. By affirming your participation in this project you join thousands of others, worldwide, who have made the same agreement.

May we become the change we want to see. May we practice universal compassion, finding joy in living in kindness for our self and others. May we practice peace!

Blessings of PEACE, COMPASSION, and LIGHT ~ Gretchen

Reveal, Release, Transform: The Soul's Journey

2011-08-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

My parents loved to read. They loved the language of a well-told story, especially historical fiction, and passed that love for reading down to my sister and me. Sometimes my mother or father would share a story from their own childhood as a value lesson. My grandmother in Oregon loved to take me out into her garden where I would help her pick peas or feed her flock of chickens that cackled and scratched around the yard. I always felt as if my parents and grandparents, especially my mother and maternal grandmother, saw me as their hope for a better future. They courageously dreamed new dreams for me, hoping to release old family limitations and patterns in their own life.

I remember times during my childhood that were filled with laughter, times when my mother, my sister, and myself would be thrown into hysterics by an unexpected mishap during one of our songfests or a family outing. We would roll on the floor giggling! I have passed many of those stories on to my children and hope they will be shared long after we are gone.

But I'm also keenly aware of the many secrets my parents and grandparents harbored. There are family secrets that I have spent a lifetime uncovering, trying to unravel the patterns that have unfolded throughout my own life, patterns repeating themselves over and over again in my family's history. What was my mother hiding and why? Why were my grandmothers so angry at the world? Why did my father mistrust anyone who got too close to him? Was it shame, guilt, fear, or self-judgment? How can I shift their grief into positive lessons for healing, not only for myself but also for my ancestors and my descendants?

I just finished reading a beautiful story, The Silence of Trees, by Valya Dudycz Lupescu. Here's what an editorial review on Amazon.com says about this book:

"Too often the women of history have been silenced, but their stories have power - to reveal, to teach, and to transform. This is one such story. In Chicago's Ukrainian Village, Nadya Lysenko has built her life on a foundation of secrets. When Nadya was sixteen, she snuck out of her house in Western Ukraine to meet a fortuneteller in the woods. Ignoring the threat of Nazis and Russians, Nadya was driven by love and a desire to learn the unknown. She never expected it to be the last time she would see her family. Years later, Nadya continues to be haunted by the death of her parents and sisters. She clings to her traditions and stories from Ukraine, the only parts of her past that she can share with her family. The myths and magic of Nadya's childhood are still a part of her reality: house spirits misplace keys and glasses, dreams unite friends across time and space, and a fortuneteller's cards predict the future. Her beloved dead also insist on being heard, through dreams and whispers in the night. They want the truth to come out. Nadya needs to face her past and confront the secrets she buried within-THE SILENCE OF TREES."

This book has stirred my sleeping and waking dreams with thoughts about my own story and how I can use it to reveal, to teach, and transform myself and others. It brings up memories of my father and my mother and the parts of their stories I know and the parts I don't know. As I grow older I realize that both of them wanted their daughters to love them and respect them. They wanted my sister and me to experience success and happiness and they wanted us to love and respect them.

But neither of my parents loved themself. My grandmothers were angry and felt that the world had been unfair to them. There were too many secrets in their closets that brought personal shame, disappointment, and fear. The untold stories created festering wounds and they were afraid that they would be rejected if the family knew who they really were. They never felt safe enough to look deep within and release the subconscious beliefs that lay hidden deep within their very being.

It's only now, having reached the maturity of my 60's, that I have come to have deep compassion for my parents and grandparents and have uncovered enough of their personal histories to allow forgiveness and healing to permeate my inherited DNA, releasing and transforming the past for my ancestors and the future for my descendants.

My prayer is that I find ways to share my own story with my children and grandchildren - to reveal, to teach, and transform. As I move through elder-hood, may I remember the lessons learned from my parents and grandparents and my own childhood and weave these memories into the fabric of my relationships with the people I love. May I be transparent in the journey I have taken to get to this point in my life and may I release any secrets that need to be transformed.

"Your soul knows the geography of your destiny. Your soul alone has the map of your future, therefore you can trust this indirect, oblique side of yourself. If you do, it will take you where you need to go, but more important it will teach you a kindness of rhythm in your journey." ~ John O'Donohue (Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom)

Blessings of peace, love, and light ~ Gretchen

What the Mayan Elders are Saying about 2012 by Carlos Barrios

2011-06-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend sent me this letter from a Mayan Elder. In light of current world events I believe this is important and valuable information to share.

Blessings ~ Gretchen

Carlos Barrios is a Mayan elder and Ajq'ij (a ceremonial priest and spiritual guide) of the Eagle Clan. Carlos initiated an investigation into the different Mayan calendars circulating. Carlos along with his brother Gerardo studied with many teachers and interviewed nearly 600 traditional Mayan elders to widen their scope of knowledge.

Carlos found out quickly there were several conflicting interpretations of Mayan hieroglyphs, petroglyphs, Sacred Books of 'Chilam Balam' and various ancient text. Carlos found some strong words for those who may have contributed to the confusion:
Carlos Barrios: "Anthropologists visit the temple sites and read the inscriptions and make up stories about the Maya, but they do not read the signs correctly. It's just their imagination. Other people write about prophecy in the name of the Maya. They say that the world will end in December 2012. The Mayan elders are angry with this. The world will not end. It will be transformed."

"We are no longer in the World of the Fourth Sun, but we are not yet in the World of the Fifth Sun. This is the time in-between, the time of transition. As we pass through transition there is a colossal, global convergence of environmental destruction, social chaos, war, and ongoing Earth Changes."

He continues: "Humanity will continue, but in a different way. Material structures will change. From this we will have the opportunity to be more human. We are living in the most important era of the Mayan calendars and prophecies. All the prophecies of the world, all the traditions are converging now. There is no time for games. The spiritual ideal of this era is action."

Carlos tells us: "The indigenous have the calendars and know how to accurately interpret it -- not others. The Mayan Calendars comprehension of time, seasons, and cycles has proven itself to be vast and sophisticated. The Maya understand 17 different calendars such as the Tzolk'in or Cholq'ij, some of them charting time accurately over a span of more than ten million years.

"All was predicted by the mathematical cycles of the Mayan calendars. -- It will change --everything will change. Mayan Day-keepers view the Dec. 21, 2012 date as a rebirth, the start of the World of the Fifth Sun. It will be the start of a new era resulting from and signified by the solar meridian crossing the galactic equator and the Earth aligning itself with the center of the galaxy."

At sunrise on December 21, 2012 for the first time in 26,000 years the Sun rises to conjunct the intersection of the Milky Way and the plane of the ecliptic. This cosmic cross is considered to be an embodiment of the Sacred Tree, The Tree of Life, a tree remembered in all the world's spiritual traditions.

Some observers say this alignment with the heart of the galaxy in 2012 will open a channel for cosmic energy to flow through the Earth, cleansing it and all that dwells upon it, raising all to a higher level of vibration. Carlos reminds us: "This process has already begun. Change is accelerating now and it will continue to accelerate.

If the people of the Earth can get to this 2012 date in good shape without having destroyed too much of the Earth, we will rise to a new, higher level. But to get there we must transform enormously powerful forces that seek to block the way."

The date specified in the calendar Winter Solstice in the year 2012 does not mark the end of the world. Many outside people writing about the Mayan calendar sensationalize this date, but they do not know. The ones who know are the indigenous elders who are entrusted with keeping the tradition.

Carlos tells us: "The economy now is a fiction. The first five-year stretch of transition from August 1987 to August 1992 was the beginning of the destruction of the material world. We have progressed ten years deeper into the transition phase by now, and many of the so-called sources of financial stability are in fact hollow. The banks are weak. This is a delicate moment for them. They could crash globally, if we don't pay attention. Now, people are paying attention."

The North and South Poles are both breaking up. The level of the water in the oceans is going to rise. But at the same time land in the ocean, especially near Cuba, is also going to rise. Carlos tells a story about the most recent Mayan New Year ceremonies in Guatemala. He said that one respected Mam elder, who lives all year in a solitary mountain cave, journeyed to Chichicastenango to speak with the people at the ceremony. The elder delivered a simple, direct message. He called for human beings to come together in support of life and light.

"Right now each person and group is going his or her own way. The elder of the mountains said there is hope if the people of the light can come together and unite in some way. We live in a world of polarity -- day and night, man and woman, positive and negative. Light and darkness need each other. They are a balance."

"Just now the dark side is very strong, and very clear about what they want. They have their vision and their priorities clearly held, and also their hierarchy. They are working in many ways so that we will be unable to connect with the spiral Fifth World in 2012."

"On the light side everyone thinks they are the most important, that their own understandings, or their group's understandings, are the key. There's a diversity of cultures and opinions, so there is competition, diffusion, and no single focus."

Carlos believes the dark side works to block unity through denial and materialism. It also works to destroy those who are working with the light to get the Earth to a higher level. They like the energy of the old, declining Fourth World, the materialism. They do not want it to change. They do not want unity. They want to stay at this level, and are afraid of the next level.

The dark power of the declining Fourth World cannot be destroyed or overpowered. It's too strong and clear for that, and that is the wrong strategy. The dark can only be transformed when confronted with simplicity and open-heartedness. This is what leads to unity, a key concept for the World of the Fifth Sun.

Carlos said the emerging era of the Fifth Sun will call attention to a much-overlooked element. Whereas the four traditional elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water have dominated various epochs in the past, there will be a fifth element to reckon with in the time of the Fifth Sun --- that element is 'ETHER'.

The dictionary defines Ether as a "hypothetical substance supposed to occupy all space, postulated to account for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through space." Perhaps it could be defined as the "space between space". I would suggest it could be manifest as the alignment of charged particles from our solar system (Sun), and our galaxy (Milky Way) surge. The Ether element represents spiritual energy.

"The element of the Fifth Sun is celestial. Within the context of Ether there can be a joining of the polarities. No more darkness or light in the people, but an uplifted unity. But right now the realm of darkness is not interested in this. They are organized to block it. They seek to unbalance the Earth and its environment so we will be unready for the alignment in 2012."

"We need to work together for peace, and balance with the other side. We need to take care of the Earth that feeds and shelters us. We need to put our entire mind and heart into pursuing unity and unity now, to confront the other side and preserve life."

"We are disturbed -- we can't play anymore. Our planet can be renewed or ravaged. Now is the time to awaken and take action. Everyone is needed. You are not here for no reason. Everyone who is here now has an important purpose. This is a hard but a special time. We have the opportunity for growth, but we must be ready for this moment in history."

Carlos says: "The prophesied changes are going to happen, but our attitude and actions determine how harsh or mild they are. We need to act, to make changes, and to elect people to represent us who understand and who will take political action to respect the Earth."

"Meditation and spiritual practice are good, but also action. It's very important to be clear about who you are, and also about your relation to the Earth. Develop yourself according to your own tradition and the call of your heart. But remember to respect differences, and strive for unity. Eat wisely --- a lot of food is corrupt in either subtle or gross ways. Pay attention to what you are taking into your body. Learn to preserve food, and to conserve energy. Learn some good breathing techniques, so you have mastery of your breath. Be clear. Follow a tradition with great roots. It is not important what tradition, your heart will tell you, but it must have great roots."

"We live in a world of energy. An important task at this time is to learn to sense or see the energy of everyone and everything -- people, plants, animals. This becomes increasingly important as we draw close to the World of the Fifth Sun, for it is associated with the element 'ether' -- the realm where energy lives and weaves. Go to the sacred places of the Earth to pray for peace, and have respect for the Earth which gives us our food, clothing, and shelter. We need to reactivate the energy of these sacred places. That is our work."

"One simple but effective prayer technique is to light white or baby-blue colored candles. Think of a moment in peace. Speak your intention to the flame and send the light of it on to the leaders who have the power to make war or peace."

Carlos reminds us this is a crucially important moment for humanity and for Earth. Each person is important.

He said the elders have opened the doors so that other races can come to the Mayan world to receive the tradition. "The Maya have long appreciated and respected that there are other colors, other races, and other spiritual systems. They know that the destiny of the Mayan world is related to the destiny of the whole world."

"The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way."

Becoming Peaceful Change

2011-05-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived in all her glory. After much rainfall during the winter months, the coastal community where I live is alive with vibrant shades of green, purples, pinks, and yellows. I sit on my patio overlooking the quiet little canyon in Laguna Beach where I live and I feel peaceful. The giant cottonwood rustles as the breeze tickles her branches and the air is filled with bird songs and wind chimes. Peace.

It is these moments that I want to imprint on my heart and mind for future reference. When life's challenges "invite" me to explore the depths of what I've learned and who I am becoming, I want this peaceful moment in nature to soothe me, give me hope, and remind me that this too shall pass and balance will be restored.

Throughout the world we are watching situations where Mother Nature is actively tearing down everything in her path. It's difficult to see the impact of these events on the communities affected but we need to understand that this isn't a judgment or punishment for anything that people have done. Nature is not vengeful. She is going through a powerful process of transformation, restoring balance with the assistance of the elements. The dilemma is how do we come together to support the needs of those suffering without becoming hopeless or pessimistic? How do we envision a peaceful outcome and create hope?

Sandra Ingerman recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post, "How to Heal Toxic Energy." She says,

"Throughout time spiritual teachings have taught that our outer world is a reflection of our own inner state of consciousness. When we look at the environmental pollution and the state of the world today we are seeing a reflection of our own inner world. If we want to change the world we need to focus on changing ourselves. And this includes the need to be more conscious of the thoughts we send out."(read full article)

We need to be conscious of our thoughts, words, and intentions, treating others with the kindness we would like to receive. As I have stated many times, we need to become the change we wish to see. How are you evolving? Consciously or unconsciously?

One of my favorite monthly newsletters is "Astro Alchemy" written by Simone Bulter. In her current newsletter she shares about the three eclipses we will experience between June 1 and July 1:

"The June 1 partial solar eclipse in jumpy Gemini (2:03 p.m. PDT) gets things going, followed by a total lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on June 15 and another partial solar eclipse in Cancer on July 1. Eclipses are known for bringing abrupt change, especially when they hit sensitive points in your chart...Consciousness is rapidly evolving as dimensions merge and a new world is born. It's our choice: adapt and flourish or resist and suffer.

Does something in your life need dramatic improvement? Since eclipses break through stagnant patterns, now's the time to align with the incoming energies and make a change..."(read the full report)

Here are a few suggestions for living more consciously with the intention of becoming part of the solution and helping to restore balance, first within yourself and then for the planet:

BE GRATEFUL. Gratitude transforms your negative thoughts and brings peace of mind. Make a daily list of ten things you are grateful for and read through them frequently. "When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears." (Anthony Robbins)

SPEND TIME IN NATURE. Sit with your back against a tree and relax. Just be. Take a walk in nature and listen to the sounds around you. Feel the wind, listen to the birds, smell the fragrance of the natural world. "Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.” (George Washington Carver)

WATCH CHILDREN PLAYING. Or better still, play with a child! Pay attention to the freedom they experience when they are playing, especially in nature. "Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play." (Henri Matisse)

LAUGH. There is nothing as uplifting as laughing with friends. Seek out people who have a positive attitude about life and laugh often. Spend time involved in activities that encourage laughter. “Laughter is the spark of the soul.”

DANCE. Put on music that you love and move to it. You can be alone, with friends, in public, or in the safety of your living room. “To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.”

Celtic prayers have their roots in nature, the seasons, the elements and the beauty of the world around us. In closing I share this old Irish blessing with you.

May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within.

May the blessed sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart till it glows,
Like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come
and warm himself at it, as well as the friend.

And may the light shine out of the eyes of you,
like a candle set in the windows of a house,
Bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of the rain be on you - the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up,
And shed their sweetness on the air.

And may the blessing of the great rains be on you,
that they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there many a shining pool, and sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the earth be on you - the great round earth;
May you ever have a kindly greeting for people you pass
as you are going along the roads.

Blessings of peace, love and light,

Gretchen

Living in Integrity

2011-04-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Recently I had a conversation with a friend who expressed her frustration with the lack of integrity she often encounters with businesses that claim to care about the environment but in fact have no clear understanding of what ethical environmental practices are. Documentaries abound exposing us to the unethical practices by the global banking community, pharmaceutical companies, and big corporations.

Human population growth has altered nature’s systems for maintaining long-term balance by reducing the impact of natural disasters. Through such interventions as fragmenting the forest into smaller and smaller pieces, harvesting timber for immediate profits, "importing" invasive plant and animal species, introducing genetically modified seeds into the food chain, suppressing natural wildfires leading to larger more destructive ones, and spraying for insects creating conditions for out-of-balance wildlife, we have interrupted the natural cycle that allows nature to take care of itself.

What is personal integrity and ethical behavior? We are in the midst of global change--our planet is evolving. How do we become part of the solution in restoring balance? How do we co-create the world we want to leave for our descendents? Mother Nature demonstrates restoring balance through natural disasters. She steps in and takes control of imbalances through earthquakes, floods, and tsunamis.

Sometimes we pray for change. We ask the Universe to show us the way to become our authentic self, a person of integrity. Discomfort forces us to change our situation, to move us into balance. But when we find ourselves losing a job, a home, friends or a spouse, we can feel like victims.

Two decades years ago I began to envision a new way of being, one that included living with nature all around me and a life where I was able to be my true, authentic self out in the world. I yearned for a home where fences did not surround me, a place where I could experience the natural world. The changes that had to occur for this dream to manifest have been extensive and if anyone had told me what the journey would look like I probably would have declined and settled for the familiar, limiting circumstances that I knew.

In response to my prayers the Universe invited me to go deep within myself and ask difficult questions. Each new step of the journey required me to consider what it meant to be my authentic self and what needed to shift in me if I wanted to stand in integrity. I was provided new opportunities to expand along the way, some easy and some very challenging: leaving my teaching career before retirement age; selling my home of twenty years to move into a small condo near the ocean; caring for my mother during the last five years of her life; going to Africa to learn traditional healing from a Zulu shaman; moving every three to five years; moving four times within six months.

But now here I am, settled in the town I’ve envisioned living in since adolescence, making my living through work I am passionate about, being of service to Spirit, and living on an amazing piece of property surrounded by the tranquil sounds of the natural world, within walking distance of the ocean.

This journey of life leads us through many adventures, asking us to work with the situations our journey provides, learning to trust in the evolutionary process. In this process we can discover our true nature, our authentic self.

Nature can teach us how to regain our balance. Spending time alone with a tree, in a garden, at the ocean, or hiking on a favorite trail is the perfect way to go within and listen to your inner voice. Remember who you truly are, your authentic self. Your soul came here with a blueprint and lesson plan. However each of us gets to choose how we move through our days on Earth. We have free will. The path of self-discovery is one of remembering our true purpose, our authentic self, while engaged in this experience of life.

When we choose to flow with life, we have the opportunity to learn about the importance of integrity within others and ourselves. Before we can expect global integrity we must accept the responsibility of standing in our own truth. Then we become part of the solution, part of the co-creative process.

"A life lived with integrity, even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune, is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come."

~ Denis Waitley

Embracing the Shadow

2011-02-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

Recently I asked a group of my students to spend the next four months getting to know their chakra energy centers personally and up close. The directive was to spend two weeks intimately connecting with the issues and lessons of each chakra. I knew this would be a powerful exercise but I had no idea how deep this would take all of us.

Intention is everything. Once I had given the assignment, the deep work began within me as well. I must admit some of my shadow issues - traits, fears, and hidden agendas - surfaced and I was humbled.

This is a planet of duality: yin/yang, light/shadow, sun/moon, day/night. Each of us has a light and a shadow side. The light side is expressed through joy, compassion and unconditional love. Shadow is operating when fear, anger, resentment, hatred, and jealousy are present. Through conscious awareness the shadow becomes a powerful tool for expanded perspective and a deepened awareness of self. Once we become comfortable that both light and shadow exist within us, we can explore these polarities with detachment, observing our subconscious beliefs without judgment, and step into our lives from a place of empowerment.

The first chakra, the "root" chakra, is located at the base of the spine and rules survival consciousness and represents our deepest unconscious and most primitive self. At the first chakra level we address issues of standing up for self within the family or group, recognizing self-blame, guilt or shame, and the need to clarify personal boundaries.

While exploring the first chakra I found myself confronted with recent decisions and the consequences of having ignored my intuition. I had not set clear boundaries and it had resulted in a difficult situation where a number of people were being affected. I had to rethink my responsibility for my students' overall highest and best good. I had to back track and reset boundaries. It meant that I had to make difficult decisions and there were hurt feelings along the way. It was messy and uncomfortable. I experienced self-doubt, guilt, and self-blame for not having handled things in a more loving manner. This moved me into issues of the second chakra.

The physical energies of the second chakra symbolize that all relationships are essentially spiritual messengers. They bring into our lives, and we into theirs, revelations about our own strengths and weaknesses. From relationships within the home to those at work to community, no union is without spiritual value; each helps us to grow as individuals. We can more easily see the symbolic value of our relationships when we release our need to judge what and who has value and instead focus on honoring the person and the task with which we are involved.

The second chakra’s energy has an inherent duality. The unified energy of the first chakra, represented by the tribal mind, becomes divided into polairites in the second chakra. Understanding the significance of these opposites is key to working with second chakra issues. It is crucial to accept our own "shadow" as part of our whole being. The spiritual challenge of the second chakra is learning to interact consciously with others to form unions with people who support our development and to release relationships that handicap our growth.

Throughout this process I considered how the first and second chakra issues where affecting my third chakra, personal power. The third chakra is our power chakra that helps us manage life on earth. It is very helpful and we need it as it is the center of our egoic self. However, it is has limited usefulness. When we try to do everything with this chakra, we get caught in anxiety and fear. Most personality problems are centered in this chakra because it has to do with defending oneself and polarizing judgments.

Managing the power of choice, with all its creative and spiritual implications, is the essence of the human experience. All spiritual teachings are directed toward inspiring us to recognize that the power to make choices is the dynamic that converts our spirits into matter, our words into flesh. Choice is the process of creation itself.

With this new perspective I was able to look with fresh eyes at the situation that had been presented, for myself and others, and accept the "invitation" to forgive myself and then take responsibility for the choices I had made. In the end I felt like I had made the correct decision but also recognized that in future situations I need to pay attention to my intuition before making decisions that affect a group that I am responsible for.

We have chakras that focus on issues of higher consciousness that are not stuck in polarities. The chakras focused on these issues are the fourth through seventh. The fourth chakra is located at the heart center and is connected to universal love, compassion, and empathy for self and others. Located at the throat, the fifth chakra is about speaking our truth, communication, and creative expression. Intuition, physic sight, and visualization is the focus of the sixth chakra located at the forehead (third eye) and the seventh chakra is your spiritual perfection and your connection to Divine Love.

Healing and balancing the chakras of the body is an important part of maintaining a healthy body, mind and spirit. Understanding the chakra system and restoring the balance of light and shadow is essential to wholeness and well being.

May you find the beauty that is inherent in your soul. May you appreciate the lessons provided through relationships and have gratitude for both light and shadow in your life and may you learn to embrace the shadow in your own life.

A Blessing for 2011

2011-01-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

Blessing others is a lovely Irish tradition. As we embark on a new year, in honor of all my Irish ancestors, I offer this beautiful blessing by one of my favorite Irish writers, John O'Donohue.

Blessed be the longing that brought you here and quickens your soul with wonder.

May you have the courage to listen to the voice of desire that disturbs you when you have settled for something safe.

May you have the wisdom to enter generously into your own unease to discover the new direction your longing wants you to take.

May the forms of your belonging - in love, creativity, and friendship - be equal to the grandeur and the call of your soul.

May the one you long for long for you.

May your dreams gradually reveal the destination of your desire.

May a secret providence guide your thought and nurture your feeling.

May your mind inhabit your life with the sureness with which your body inhabits the world.

May your heart never be haunted by ghost-structures of old damage.

May you come to accept your longing as divine urgency.

May you know the urgency with which God longs for you.

Blessings of peace, love, and light be upon you and yours in 2011 and beyond ~ Gretchen Crilly McKay

Going Within ~ Welcome Winter Solstice!

2010-11-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

A year has passed since I began writing this blog. What an amazing journey it has been! Last December I learned that my landlords were moving back from Hawai'i and that I would need to find a new home. That proved to be a wonderful journey filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, but I landed in a cozy little cottage in a gorgeous Laguna Beach canyon surrounded by Nature and friends. I lost my feline companion of eleven years, Rusty, but found a new kitty friend who is also proving to be a "medicine cat." And last, but certainly not least, I turned sixty! What an amazing year!

So I enthusiastically look forward to bringing a peace-filled close to 2010 and dreaming in 2012 with intention and focus. This is the time of year where we review and reflect upon our journey.

Throughout history, in the Northern Hemisphere, this has been the time of the inward journey, planting "seeds" to germinate through the winter months. The Winter Solstice occurs when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.

The upcoming Winter Solstice/Full Moon/lunar eclipse is on December 21, 2010. This is always an important time of year but this year there is extra energy involved. It is a good time to focus and set intentions.

A lunar eclipse is a very special Full Moon. Decisions we make, things we let go of, and things we finish during this waning cycle have significance in the future. It is an excellent time to give up an old habit. Full moons in general, and lunar eclipses in particular, are times of high emotion, and they bring awareness. The sun and the moon, our animus and our emotions, are on opposite sides of the sky, as if the other were a mirror. This is a time of mirroring; we can see ourselves in others if we are willing to look.

This lunar eclipse brings an unprecedented opportunity to bring about a new way of being with regard to others with whom we share Mother Earth. We are called to act in a higher, more authentic way and to keep our mind on the oneness of all beings. In light of the world situation at this time, this lunar eclipse presents an opportune time for each of us to focus on this spirit of oneness with all others.

Blessings be upon you and yours during this holiday season. I leave you with this blessing from John O'Donohue ~

May you recognize in your life the presence, power, and light of your soul
May you realize that you are never alone,
that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.
May you have respect for your individuality and difference.
May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here,that behind the facade of your life there is something beautiful and eternal happening.
May you learn to see your self with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God sees you in every moment.

Celebrating the Beauty of Life

2010-10-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Daily I come across articles and books written about the process of evolution that we currently find our world going through. Irregardless of the cultural or ethnic group, religious affiliation, or socio-economic environment, the world is experiencing profound change. Whether it is on the news or in a personal conversation, people are discussing the systems that are falling apart and old paradigms that are breaking down. Some project great fear about the times. Others see the possibility to create a new future. While old ways of being break down, innovative ideas surface to inspire us to reinvent the way we live in our world.

As I watch and listen, it seems that the biggest challenge for all of us is to find a way to evolve without becoming dis-empowered. How do we each step fully into all that our soul came here to be? How do we step forward, into our power, without needing to know the outcome?

This process of becoming our full potential is the first step of participating in the global community that so many of us envision. Becoming is an ongoing, evolutionary process that leads us through many changes, both physical and emotional. It is the time on our beautiful planet to reflect, release and re-vision. We can't change the past but we can forgive. We can't control the future but we can project loving thoughts for creating a peaceful, harmonious way of living in alignment with Mother Earth and all Creation. But living in the present is essential to all of this. And living joyfully, without regrets or fear is the key.

Recently I joined Sandra Ingerman and a group of sixty shamanic practitioners and teachers in New Mexico to share expanding realities and celebrate the wonder of community. The red rocks of Ghost Ranch were a perfect backdrop for deep introspection and profound ceremony. We connected with the stars and experienced the collective power of joining as one with the Light. Throughout the four days together, Sandra spoke about this being the time of moving into community and the need to project the vision of abundance and joy out into the world. We must continue to come from the place of gratitude, forgiveness, and love as we become One.

Becoming an active part of the One community requires each of us to do our personal work, stepping into our own inheritance, our own power; we must BECOME. It is essential that we deepen our own spiritual path, whatever that may be. It is time to recognize and identify the spiritual path that resonates within our heart and follow that calling. Find a community of like-minded people, folks who come from a place of unconditional love and acceptance. Deepen your relationship with nature. Let go of fear and set the intention of working with a loving universe.

Time spent in nature can help transform fears and illusions of limitation. Become intimately acquainted with the natural places where you live. Nature gives us omens and messages and restores balance within and without. Watch the seasons and signs of change. When you see imbalance, envision these places in balance. Our relationship with nature teaches us how to live in harmony in the world.

If there is something you are called to "do" in order to affect change, do so but do it with a peace-filled heart, not out of fear or in retaliation. Spend time in meditation and prayer, envisioning balance and harmony within nature, seeing these places in their perfect state. See the waters healthy and vibrant. They are a reflection of the water within humans. See the forests thriving and filled with flora and fauna. They are a reflection of our way of being in the world.

Another part of becoming is understanding the power of words. What thoughts about yourself and others are you holding? What words do you send out into the world? Are your thoughts and words blessings or curses? I continue to consider the power of thoughts and words daily. Some days I feel quite successful about sending blessings out into the world. Other days I'm not so successful! However "the observer changes the observed" so I know that the awareness of who I am becoming helps me evolve.

Projecting thoughts and words of blessing, of love and light, out into communities throughout world make a difference and create positive change. Don't add to the existing fears that the world is experiencing. Your loving, healthy projections can assist in alleviating pain and suffering, empowering countries and people to become their full potential. Join with others in envisioning a healed reality where everyone is in their highest good with all their needs met, with vibrant health and thriving. Feel this in your heart and radiate that love out into the world. Become the change you want to see. See yourself as part of a greater, global community where there is hope and joy. Envision, within and without, the world you want to leave your children. Radiate love, project well-being out into the world.

Celebrate life!

One of my favorite poets, John O'Donohue, writes...

Now is the time to free the heart,
Let all intentions and worries stop,
Free the joy inside the self,
Awaken to the wonder of your life.

Open your eyes and see the friends

Those whose kindness watchful and near,

Encourages you to live everything here.

See the gifts the years have given,

Things your effort could never earn,

The health to enjoy who you want to be

And the mind to mirror mystery.

Remembering Rusty

2010-09-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

My cat Rusty and I were meant to be together. It’s one of the best “relationships” I’ve ever had, one filled with mutual respect and love. May I have the privilege of finding a two-legged male companion that I am so compatible with!

In April of 1999 I lost my feline friend Rover to cancer. I was devastated as she had been one of three four-legged creatures that had shared our home while my children were growing up. Her passing marked a turning point for me in many ways and the loss of her was deep. I had not intended to get another kitty for a while but destiny had other plans!

A dear friend knew how much I was grieving the loss of Rover. Reluctantly she came to me one day to suggest that there was a very special kitty who needed a home. Her daughter was getting married and had to find a place for Rusty. After much deliberation I agreed to go down to Encinitas and meet him. Well, let’s just say the meeting went well. I drove away with Rusty in my car. He “talked” all the way home – the beginning of a perfect friendship.

Not long after his arrival at my condo in Dana Point, Rusty began bringing me presents from nature: dead bunnies, birds, and mice. He had amazing strength and would go hunting and then drag his “gifts” over a 3-foot block-wall fence into my bedroom. I was careful not to scold him, as I understood the significance of his offerings. I could see that he was grateful to be with me in my home.

One of the things I will never forget is an endearing way Rusty had of showing his affection. He had this sweet way of hugging me. He would wrap his paws around my neck and purr and drool in ecstasy. The only other person I ever saw him do this to was my niece, Dawnielle.

Rusty and I needed each other. We both had abandonment issues and we grew to understand that we could trust each other completely. When I left on trips he had a very hard time because he wasn’t sure I’d come back. I understood that and we worked on making him feel safe. I always had “sitters” that came and stayed with him while I was away.

Through the years Rusty continued to be an incredible hunter and often supplemented his meals with birds and mice. He loved to be outside in the sunshine, smelling the grass and feeling the breeze. This was true up until the end. The day before he passed away he was outside on the patio in a patch of sun, sniffing the breeze.

In the last few years Rusty and I matured in our spiritual work together. Almost three years ago he got sick and I thought I was going to lose him. It was a fearful time for me and I sought out assistance from my shamanic community, asking for insight and guidance. Rusty participated in this process and offered his wisdom to all who would seek it. Many people would communicate with Rusty and receive incredible insight about the process of life and death. During this time Rusty and I began to respect each other at a whole new level. We became healing partners.

Both clients and students came to respect Rusty’s presence during a healing circle or class. He would often come into the circle and sit on my lap while the group was doing work. More than once I found him lying on top of a client when I was doing energy work or shamanic healing. I came to trust his presence and listen to what he had to tell me.

On August 28th I woke up to the sense of Rusty falling. He fell over if he tried to walk and we both knew it was my turn to help Rusty on his final transition. I have been sensing him getting weaker and weaker and we’ve both been aware of a coming shift. It’s the end of another era in my life. Rusty has been with me through many transitions. Thank you, Rusty, for staying with me. Thank you for your unconditional love and support.

Rusty, I miss you. I look forward to meeting you again on the Other Side. I love you.

Becoming the Offering

2010-08-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the privilege of spending time in circle with an African shaman, Mandaza Kandemwa, a Mhondoro (one who is in constant prayer on behalf of others) from Zimbabwe. I have known Mandaza for several years now and am always inspired by his teachings and wisdom but this year I was particularly moved and motivated by the things he shared.

We spent a weekend on a pilgrimage in our local Cleveland National Forest, learning from the land and Nature, seeking insight and guidance about what we can do to heal our beautiful planet. The information we received was simple, yet complex. In Mandaza's words, we need to "clean our own kitchens" first - it's not what we do that changes the world, it's what we become. We need to become the prayer, the tobacco, the sacred, the offering. But what does this mean?

During the weekend our group hiked into the forest, meditated in an oak grove and perched ourselves on ancient boulders that provided a panoramic view of the canyons and Lake Elsinore. What needs to be remembered to bring about peace and healing? What do the ancient ancestors of the land have to teach us? What wisdom is held in the stones, in the plants, in the trees? Are we in alignment with the ancient ancestors of the land? Do we show respect for the indigenous people of this place? What is the appropriate protocol for working here?

We received many messages from Nature. "I Am" is in all of Nature. Creator is everywhere. Some of the information saddened us because many generations of people have been disrespectful and disconnected from Nature. This is true throughout the world. Nature is our teacher and yet humans have quit "listening." God/dess is speaking to us through the natural world. Our current global crisis is the result of our disconnection.

Throughout the weekend I was invited to reflect on my own "kitchen" and look at how I walk in the world. As I pondered this thought I found myself feeling uneasy and I silently became critical of other people in my life. I was uncomfortable with my judgments so I meditated, wrote, reflected and prayed to uncover what was really going on. After all, this was a pilgrimage.

My conscious desire is to be a peacemaker but what thoughts do I have about others and myself? What words leave my mouth? Are they thoughts and words of love and healing or do they pollute and damage? Our thoughts and words become blessings or curses...it's that simple and that complicated! It is a call to take personal responsibility first. There is no healing in blaming others, adding to the already prevalent fear in the world. Instead we must become the change we want to see. We must become love and become the hope and peace we pray for.

It was during a water ceremony that I realized that each of the judgments I was experiencing were not about others but about the unforgivable aspects of myself. People serve as reflections of ourself, the best and the worst. When we are unable to forgive ourself for the mistakes we've made along the way, we project that onto others and often find comfort in projecting our self-judgment on others. It was unnerving to see how unloving I am to myself, how judgmental and unforgiving!

But the grace of Divine Love is profound. As soon as I began looking at my own short comings as reflected through the mirror of others, I began to weep. If we are all mirrors for each other, if we truly are all one, and we are all part of the Divine, why are we so critical? Why do we see the worst in each other instead of the sacred? This has to change in order to find true peace and to walk as peacemakers.

"The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us." -- Black Elk (1863-1950)

I choose to be a peacemaker. I choose to reflect the Light, the love and goodness of all God's Creation. I choose to be a prayer of healing for Mother Earth and all sentient beings. All of Creation is one. Humanity is a part of the whole. We must step forward and join other like-minded beings in bringing about peace and healing. This is not something that any government agency or organization is going to do. This is a grass roots movement. It is time for us to join with our communities, our neighborhoods, and problem solve how we can become sustainable communities, watching out for our neighbors. The time is now for demonstrating true peacemaking. Become the offering. Be the prayer. Be peace.

May each of us become peace, may we become the offering. May we see the Divine in all Creation and may we be a prayer for peace. May we become the change we want to see. I leave you with an ancient Celtic blessing...

Deep peace of the running waves to you,

Deep peace of the flowing air to you,

Deep peace of the smiling stars to you,

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,

Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you,

Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.

http://www.ancestralwisdom.com

Gratitude: Manifesting Dreams into Being

2010-05-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
-- Melody Beattie, author and journalist

Two months ago I was packing boxes, sorting through my accumulated memories and treasures, letting go of things I'd been holding on to for twenty years while choosing to keep others. But all the while I was anxiously envisioning the perfect home where I could create a new place to live and work. I had done all the preparatory things I tell my students and clients to do: I had written about the place I wanted to live - near the ocean with an expansive view, a place where people felt safe and loved, a new relationship for me; I had done ceremonies to release fears and was focusing on gratitude for all the blessings in my life; I was envisioning the manifestation of my dreaming. Little did I know that this process would be more complex than I had imagined and that unpacking would be on hold for six months and that I would be invited to detach completely.

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." -Albert Schweitzer

How true this quote is! It was the generosity and unconditional love of friends that gave me hope and allowed me to have the time and space to sort through my situation. Instead of finding a place to unpack my boxes, I was gifted the opportunity to put my things in storage and stay with a generous friend. Then I received an invitation to sublet a little beach cottage in my favorite town for another six months.

During the first month of separation from my belongings, I went through a myriad of emotions ranging from anger to grief to relief. I was given the chance to reflect on what I had accomplished in my life up to this point and come to a place of gratitude for all the blessings I have received throughout the years. Then I began to see that this uncomfortable place I found myself in was exactly what I had been praying for and envisioning! The surprising lesson was that in asking for the expansion of my living situation, my work, my finances, and my relationships, I was imagining the creation of something completely new.

When we are focused and heart-centered, we must trust that we are in the process of co-creating our dreams. But the manifestation of our prayers may not unfold like we think they should. When we get really uncomfortable about "unfamiliar" circumstances, change is on the way!

In this process I have come to realize that I have been focusing on creating a big shift in my life. For at least two years my focus and intention has been to dream into being a way of life that I have not experienced yet. It has come to my attention that at a deep soul-level I really didn't feel like I deserved the abundant life I wanted and that I had become a master at settling for less and adapting to circumstances. This current experience is new. This is change. This is the shift I've been praying for. This is the beginning of a completely new way of being in the world!

So I find myself in a deep state of gratitude for all the "kisses" I've received from God/Source/Divine Wisdom. What seemed random during this process has turned out to be an intricately planned web of interconnected circumstances and relationships.

We are never alone. There are no mistakes. When we ask for change, and do our personal work to allow the shift we are praying for, "shift happens!" When we stay in a state of gratitude and thankfulness, we find ourselves in the presence of miracles and "magic."

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road." -John Henry Jowett (1864-1923)

Metamorphosis: Lessons from a Butterfly

2010-04-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

METAMORPHOSIS

In a world filled with sweet scents and blue sky,

lives the gentle, uplifting butterfly,

whose metamorphosis has this truth to teach:

Our aspirations are within our reach.

For this fluttering flyer of soaring worth

was at one time a creature that crawled the earth.

When she climbed a plant and learned of the sky,

She looked down at the earth and wondered why

her destiny was to live on the land.

Something inside her did not understand.

'The sky is my home', every part of her felt

‘How could crawling be the lot I’ve been dealt?’

Keeping those thoughts safe, where they could be found,

She slowly descended back to the ground.

When she found the right plant on which to rest,

She brilliantly wove a cocoon for her nest.

Inside the chrysalis, she went to sleep

tucked in with those thoughts that she wanted to keep...

...One sunny day, the cocoon came unsealed.

Magically, a butterfly was revealed.

Seeing this miracle with my own eyes;

of caterpillars becoming butterflies,

brings real hope of the possibility

of the total transformation of me!

Like the caterpillar that crawls the Earth,

We are destined for a divine rebirth.

~Vegan Poet

(http://www.veganpoet.com/humanity/metamorphosis.htm)

Currently I find myself in challenging circumstances with the potential to forever transform the way I live in the world. I've been praying for this "invitation" for years; the problem is that when I prayed for the expansion of my work, my living circumstances, and partnership, I saw it happening in this rather magical, peaceful, way, like a Disney film. Well, that's not how big change usually manifests and, like so many other people on the planet, I wasn't ready for the circumstances that are necessary to manifest this big shift!

Recently a good friend reminded me to surrender to the circumstances I found myself experiencing. In Africa I remember the teaching of surrendering to the unknown while taking responsibility for what I was going through. Perseverance, patience, persistence. That was my lesson. So how do we take responsibility while practicing patience, persistence, and perseverance and surrendering to a higher purpose? Wow! That's a lot to consider, isn't it??

I can't say that I have a definitive answer but I can share what I'm learning. Letting go and detaching from previous expectations is an ongoing process. If we say that we believe that we are not alone, that we are loved by the Divine Presence in our lives, then it means that we are loved unconditionally and will not be left without guidance or resources. However we are human and live with emotions and physical constraints in the world. Some days it's just not possible to navigate our way through the day with grace!

My clients and students teach me how to regain faith and release fear on a daily basis. I have heard incredible stories of overcoming devastating circumstances through intention to live a healthy, abundant life. They are willing to do the work it takes to heal, to move through illness, trauma, loss and find wholeness and hope through faith in the presence of God in the world. Considering the challenges that these people face, I am humbled by my current challenges and inspired to focus my intentions on the blessings and gifts in my life, not the limitations.

May each of be willing to be a part of the bigger picture, to be an active participant in transforming the planet. May we each take responsibility for our life and look for the beauty around us in the everyday blessings in Nature. May we be reminded that we are interconnected and interdependent and that together we create the whole. Together we transform the way we live on this beautiful blue planet, Mother Earth. With each death experience in our life we have the opportunity for rebirth. When we pray for big changes and focus on manifesting a new way of living in the world, the circumstances around us change so that our prayers can be manifested.

May we have the faith necessary to learn from the metamorphosis of the butterfly and have the courage to move through the transformative process with dignity and hope.

Finding Inner Equilibrium

2010-03-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

When I was walking at the beach the other day I spotted a pelican "frozen" in place by the wind currents. He seemed relaxed, waiting for a shift. He had the ability to to maintain his equilibrium. He hovered for some time and then suddenly the wind changed, allowing him to move forward quickly. With this shift he soared ahead, enjoying the ride.

Stability is defined as the capacity of an object to return to equilibrium or to its original position after having been displaced. This is exactly what the pelican was able to do. He didn't fight the unseen. He understood that relaxing into the air gave him a period of rest that would give him more energy to fly when the situation shifted. He was completely free. I've been thinking of this omen all week, wondering how I can apply this insight in my own life.

In alchemical writings and shamanic traditions, animal symbols give insight into spiritual wisdom. These animals may appear in dreams or in real life. The important point is to consider the deeper meaning. When I walked on the beach that day, I was looking for answers, looking for an omen to appear and that pelican was the first creature I saw. I knew that the pelican's message was important.

One esoteric perspective on the pelican is that it teaches us that we can consciously use the forces of the etheric body to maintain our equilibrium and stability in the world.

The pelican is at home in the air and in the water. Groups of pelicans can be spotted flying effortlessly in formation high in the air or skimming the ocean's surface. It's magical to watch. Despite their size they are light and buoyant and can float like a schooner. Pelicans can suddenly plummet into the water and then pop up to the surface. They have this ability because of a system of air sacs under the skin that make the pelican unsinkable.

According to Ted Andrew's book, Animal Speaks, this hints at being able to be buoyant and to rest on top in spite of the heaviness of life's circumstances. The pelican can teach us that we can plunge into life's challenges, trusting that we will be able to pop up to the surface again and again.

The shifts that so many of us are experiencing currently are taking us to the core of our fears and even asking us to reevaluate where and how we live. When we find ourselves caught up in the instability around us, we must find our inner equilibrium. It is during the challenging situations that the invitation to apply the lessons learned appears. When we can trust Divine Love and willingly plunge into the inner realms, we will find ourselves popping up to the surface with new insights and "nourishment." It is through this ability to shift our perspective and maintain our equilibrium that we create stability.

I don't always recognize this opportunity but am ever grateful when Spirit is finally able to get my attention and I call upon Divine Love. Then I am able to regroup, find my equilibrium, and wait for the current to shift and a resolution to present itself. God's plan is always better than any of the ones I come up with!

Forgiveness

2010-03-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

One of my shamanic teachers, Sandra Ingerman, says that it's what we become that changes the world, not what we do. Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must become the change we want to see.” In these evolutionary times, it becomes a challenge to maintain faith over fear in all situations. Sometimes the situations we encounter push us off course and we experience old, uncomfortable emotions.

It seems that I have been confronted lately with an old emotion, in new ways. Judgment. However now it's not as blatant and in-your-face as it used to be. Now this emotion has taken on subtleties of its own and I seem to meet it daily in some form or another. Judgment about how another person is choosing to live their life. Judgment about someone not taking responsibility for their actions. Judgment about how a friend is dealing with a challenge in their life. No matter how I look at it, my "judgment" is not a healing emotion for another person or myself.

As I've prayed and explored my heart, I recognize that the only antidote is love and forgiveness. Whatever I am judging in another's behavior affects me because we are all connected. I desire unconditional love from others. That means I must choose to express unconditional love as well. When I am uncomfortable about a behavior or choice that a friend or family member makes, it's because they remind me of an old behavior of mine or it brings up old wounds that I thought had healed. Layers of the onion. One layer at a time, delving deeper and deeper. It's not the other person's responsibility to change. It's mine. Hard!!

I think one of the most difficult things in rectifying this attitude/emotion is to identify it, to admit that I'm judging another. Then the resolution comes from seeking forgiveness. God's love is perfect and unconditional. That's the model. We are human and imperfect but saying "I'm sorry," seeking forgiveness, is a powerful healer.

In the Hawaiian shamanic tradition there is a spiritual practice called ho'oponono. Ho'oponopono means to make right. Essentially, it means to make it right with the ancestors, or to make right with the people with whom you have relationships. It is believed that the original purpose of ho'oponopono was to correct the wrongs that had occurred in someone's life.

For example, let's say your five-year-old grandson punches another five-year-old intentionally with hate in mind. If asked, then the one who was punched would forgive the other immediately, because it is inappropriate for anyone to carry guilt any longer than necessary. This is called the Hawaiian Code of Forgiveness, and it's an important thought, because when we forgive others, who are we forgiving? Ourselves, of course.

Throughout Eastern philosophy, there is a tradition of being aligned with and cleaning up relations with the ancestors. In Japan and China, as well as the Hawai'i, it is thought to be important to align and clean up any past problems that you've had in relationships, especially with relatives.

At the same time, perhaps there are family patterns you do not want. Certainly you have heard the saying, "We just don't do that in our family," or "That's the way it is in our family." What happens then, is that certain generational themes get passed along in families, like depression or any number of different traits. Ho'oponopono will allow you to clean this up.

One theory is that we carry inside us as parts of the unconscious mind all the significant people in our lives. (These parts of us often look very much like Carl Jung's archetypes.) Ho'oponopono makes it "all right" with them. The process of ho'oponopono is to align with and clean up our genealogy as well as to clean up our relationships with other people in our lives.

The Process of Ho'oponopono

1. Bring to mind anyone with whom you do not feel total alignment or support, etc.

2. In your mind's eye, construct a small stage in front of you.

3. Imagine an infinite source of love and healing flowing from a source above the top of your head (from your Higher Self and God/Source/Creator), and open up the top of your head, letting the source of Divine Love and healing flow down through your body, filling up the body, and overflowing out your heart to heal up the person on the stage. Say:

I'm sorry

Please forgive me

I love you

Thank you

4. When the healing is complete, have a "discussion" with the person and forgive them, and ask them to forgive you.

5. Next, let go of the person, and see them floating away. As they do, cut any cords that connect the two of you that feel inappropriate.

6. Do this with every person in your life with whom you are incomplete, or not aligned. The final test is, can you see the person or think of them without feeling any negative emotions. If you do feel negative emotions when you do, then do the cleaning process again.

“You have two ways to live your life - from memory or from inspiration. Memories are old programs replaying. Inspiration is the Divine giving you a message. You want to come from inspiration. The only way to hear the Divine and receive inspiration is to release all memories. The only thing you have to do is clean.” ~ Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len

Nurturing Hope

2010-02-03T00:14:00.000-08:00

As I watch my grandchildren developing, I am reminded that we all began like this - full of hope, curious, innocent - pure potentiality. Our parents dreamed of a better life for us, wanting to provide us with the security they may not have felt as a child, a life filled with abundance and love.

But life is a complicated journey and things don't always evolve as planned. Challenges enter the picture and families are confronted with forks in the road and decisions to be made, some simple, some complex. How do we provide the foundation for our children to become good problem solvers, understanding that when they take responsibility for their actions they will feel empowered and find balance in their lives?

This simple concept is in reality complicated. Some situations that we are confronted with put us in harms way; sometimes children aren't provided a safe environment to grow. Not all children receive the unconditional love and nurturing that creates a feeling of safety and harmony. When children don't feel safe, they grow up to be fearful of life and often angry. Disharmony creates fear. Fear creates disharmony.

As adults of our world's children, all of us need to take responsibility for nurturing and loving our children into tomorrow's adults. Our planet's future depends on this. It truly takes a village to raise a child. But how do we find inspiration in the world? How do we teach peace when we have lost our ability to find harmony in our daily lives?

We can look to nature for examples of how to live in harmony. When humans come into harmony with nature they learn how to live a balanced life. Nature reflects the harmony, or disharmony, within humanity.

Children intuitively understand this. Have you ever been with a young child as he excitedly discovers a spider's perfect web securely attached between two shrubs in the yard? They are naturally in awe of the intricately woven creation. It is the balance and harmony of nature that can restore balance within and without human beings. Childhood innocence. Hope. Curiosity. Inspiration. Living in the present moment. This is the gift nature gives us and children can help us remember.

Open your heart. Embrace childlike wonder and dream a future where humans are in harmony with the natural world. Learn from a child. Teach a child how to become a thriving, optimistic adult who loves the Earth and is inspired to live in harmony with all sentient beings. Nurture hope.

"If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in." (Rachel Carson)

An Invitation

2010-01-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

I have been feeling such gratitude for life and those in my life. As I look around me I see shadow and light sitting together, watching each other, forcing humanity to make difficult choices about how to be in the world. It seems that on a daily basis I am made aware of a challenging financial, health, or emotional situation for myself, my family, or friends. It challenges me to consider faith over fear and what that really means. It calls me to consider balance and what that entails.

Recently my nephew's wife used the word "invitation" in regards to facing challenging circumstances. I have long referred to challenges as opportunities for growth but I like the energy that the word invitation brings. The definition of invitation is: the act of inviting; an allurement, enticement, or attraction. That shifts the energy for me. It's as if God is inviting me to explore new terrain, participate in creative problem solving to change my circumstances.

My daughter and niece are both going through physical circumstances that limit their daily activity. My niece is in the final weeks of a miracle pregnancy and has been relegated to bed rest -- challenging when you have an active three year old in the house! I have watched her accept the "invitation" to reach out to friends and family and accept the willing assistance they offer. It's been a gift for everyone because my niece is very self sufficient and readily gives but hasn't needed to receive the same from her friends.

My daughter recently had an elective surgery that put her in the receiving mode as well. She found herself alone in the recovery phase and had to accept the "invitation" to reach out to others and allow them to provide the physical aide she needs to get through the healing process.

Observing my beloved daughter and niece, as well as several friends facing very difficult circumstances, has made me reflect on this balance of giving and receiving in my own life. When we give readily to others but ignore the invitation to reach out and ask for help when we need it, we aren't participating in the Divine principle of giving and receiving. Consciousness in giving is an awareness of the spiritual principle in alignment with receiving. There must be a balance, as in all of life.

The spiritual law of giving and receiving says that giving and receiving form a circle of energy which is incomplete if either aspect is missing. Know that in order to fully give, you must be able to fully receive. When a person receives, she is actually giving. That is to say, she offers others an opportunity to give to her.

Whatever space you currently find yourself in, take a moment to feel gratitude for the people in your life. In these challenging times it is key that each of finds the grace to feel grateful for the invitation to see events as lessons. Learn to balance giving and receiving. Allow God to shower you with new understanding and to trust the journey and the people with whom you share the journey.

"The art of life is to live in the present moment, and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are the instruments and expression of God Himself. " (Emmet Fox, 20th century minister, author, teacher, healer and mystic)

WELCOME 2010!

2009-12-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

As the end of 2009 approaches, I have been searching the Internet, looking for inspiration. Every December I spend time reflecting and envisioning the upcoming year, writing my new "story." This year it seems even more important because New Year's Eve is a Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse - extra power for illumination and manifestation.

I found this inspirational saying and wanted to share it. It resonates with thoughts I have been having about creating my new life for 2010.

"I enter the new year with the understanding that I am making a fresh start. I begin by discarding thoughts, attitudes, and habits that are not compatible with an excellent life. I let go of whatever caused past discouragement, disappointment, or disagreement. I know that seemingly negative outcomes are desires or goals that are yet to be fulfilled. I am open and receptive to new ideas, activities and relationships.

Each day, I can follow a fresh plan of fulfillment. I act on divine ideas that I receive in moments of prayer and inspiration. These ideas flow through wholesome, positive thoughts. As I use creative thinking to build upon divine ideas, my activities become more dynamic and my abilities are enhanced. Therefore, I enter this new year with optimism, joy and enthusiasm." (Anonymous)

Welcome 2010!

Hope Inspires Endurance

2009-12-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Change. Transition. Hope. Change is inevitable. Transition requires letting go of our comfort zone to move from one place to the next. Hope is what inspires endurance for the passage.

My life has been filled with change, transition and hope: marriage and divorce; themes of love and betrayal; career, travel, change of career; loss of parents and birth of grandchildren. That's the gift of 60 years! Hope has been the glue that has sustained me throughout the many changes and transitions. Some of those changes I intentionally chose. Some felt forced upon me. But all have grown me as a person and developed me as a spiritual being. Throughout I have seen the reflection of Divine Love and grace, not always during the process but certainly upon reflection. And at the end of each transitional period I have recognized that hope is what has inspired me to endure uncomfortable changes and anticipate the transition that will lead to a new beginning. Hope.

My niece is one of the people who recently inspired me to reflect upon the importance of hope during difficult life experiences. She and her husband struggled with infertility for years, finding their way to the adoption that brought our beautiful Asher into the family three years ago. Their faith provided the foundation to allow hope. They continued to pray for another child, preferably one carried by her. Disappointments abounded during the transition period, ultimately leading to a miracle pregnancy and reviving hope in miracles. Now our family is awaiting the birth of Asher's baby brother. This brings added inspiration and hope for all of us who love this family and yearn for our own miracles.

The following passage about Divine Love comes from A Course in Miracles. It is a beautiful reflection on the truth of Divine Love and our responsibility to BE love as we walk through our personal challenges and transitions.

"Divine Love is not human 'romantic' love. It is of a spiritual nature, it is all-encompassing and unconditional. Divine Love is often attributed only to God and/or spiritual beings. Yet as we are all sparks of the Creator (the Divine), and as the Creator IS LOVE, we are therefore also Love - Divine Love is who we really are, yet in our human state and using mostly only our five senses, we have forgotten this and we perceive other people and animals and nature as 'separate' from ourselves. But we are all made of the same 'stuff' and are all therefore ONE and all connected. This is confirmed on a scientific level with Quantum Physics. It is our perception of separateness that causes all the woes we have in this world. What we do to one, we do to ourselves. There is NO separateness, only ONE-NESS."

Matin Luther King Jr. wrote about hope stating, "If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream." (The Trumpet of Conscience)

May we never lose hope. No matter the challenges we face through periods of change and transition, may hope inspire endurance and encourage us to trust in the power of miracles, the Divine Love that brings about change, with ease and grace. May each of us become the inspiration that invokes hope in our friends and family, honoring Divine Love within ourselves and each other. Hope inspires endurance.

Once in a Blue Moon ~ What a Way to End 2009!

2009-12-10T22:04:00.000-08:00

Mercury is retrograde between December 26th and January 15th and there is a partial lunar eclipse on the second full moon in December, a Blue Moon!

Mercury is the closest of all the planets to the Sun, taking only 88 earth days to make a complete circuit around the Sun. Since Earth takes about 365 1/4 days to go around the Sun, we observe Mercury's motion from a moving platform, like two cars moving along two different lanes of a racetrack at different speeds. One effect of the two motions is that Mercury appears to us to go backwards (retrograde) in the zodiac for about three weeks at a time, roughly three times a year. This if the fourth Mercury retrograde of 2009 and there will be four in 2010.

Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. All the planets, except Sun and Moon, have these retrograde periods, but Mercury is most famous for them, probably because Mercury represents our very essential communication abilities. While people speak of Mercury retrograde periods that screw up computers and television sets, today's astrologers believe the mishaps happen in more personal realms. Mercury rules communication, but more informal communications, like writing, speaking, short shopping sprees and other erranding endeavors. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual faculties may not be as acute.

But do we need to be afraid of Mercury retrograde? If we believe that intention is everything and that we manifest what we focus on, aren't we strengthening the possibility of things going wrong if we believe that Mercury retrograde brings chaos? So how do we change our focus? What universal purpose could this astrological planet of communications and networking possibly serve by appearing to travel backwards in the heavens for 21 days out of every 88-day orbit?

Mercury retrograde is the astrological influence that revisits, retrieves, and reveals everything that managed to elude our conscious awareness in the preceding 88 days, because its one universal purpose is to provide us with an opportunity to reflect on what we have learned, created, and manifested in the previous months. This perspective can change our experience with Mercury retrograde! It becomes a universal instrument for bringing things to our attention; it provides an opportunity to make necessary changes in the way we've been communicating. Good things to do when Mercury is retrograde are: meditate, contemplate, edit the book/poem/song/essay you've been writing, clean house, talk to your pet, listen to music, paint, catch up on sleep!

And as if Mercury retrograde isn't enough, we have a bonus full moon this New Year's Eve! This is the Ice Moon, or the full moon following Yule - which is usually in January. There is much legend and lore about the Blue Moon but this particular one packs a powerful punch so that you can truly make a New Year's resolution and actually keep it!! This full moon in Cancer opposes both Venus and the Sun in Capricorn. This will be a time of remembering great traditions of another time as well as faces and places that speak of honoring our ancestors, a perfect time to be in gratitude for the healing received and the lessons learned in 2009 before ringing in 2010!

During this holiday season may each one of us take the time to appreciate life and reflect on who we are becoming. Take some time to sit quietly and reflect on what you are putting out into the world. Are your attitudes and words healing or is there room for improvement? What changes do you wish to make in your communication with others? Are you sharing healing stories? Are you a victim of circumstances or do you bring hope and inspiration to others? Life is a wonderful journey, filled with a myriad of experiences. The difficult times offer the opportunity to go deep within for strength and clarity, gaining compassion for ourselves and others.

May your holidays be filled with insight and inspiration! Remember that we are not human beings on a spiritual journey; we are spiritual beings on a human journey.

Happy Holidays,
Gretchen

TIS THE SEASON...

2009-12-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

December brings up a variety of emotions and memories for people, depending on their childhood experiences and ancestry. Here in the United States we are surrounded by commercial reminders of the holiday in the hopes that we will spend, spend, spend! However this year brings financial challenges for many of us, offering the opportunity to rethink our celebrations during this season, creating new ways to honor the holiday with friends and family.

During December in the northern hemispere, most religious holy days are linked in some way to the winter solstice. This is a time of transition, of looking back at the old year and looking forward to the new. Many cultures around the world have celebrated this season for hundreds, even thousands of years as they watched the days grow shorter and waited for the sun to return.

In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off stored food and the few animals they could catch. The people were troubled as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared that it would eventually disappear and leave them in permanent darkness and extreme cold. After the winter solstice they would have reason to celebrate as they observed the sun rising and strengthening once more.

Our ancient ancestors created ceremonies to honor this event, calling back the sun, the light. As we enter into this time of diminished sunlight, may we reflect on that which we have created during this past year and begin to imagine what we want to birth into the world in 2010. May we broaden our perspective and focus on the world we want to create for our descendents and ourselves. Let us imagine a world of harmony and peace, a planet of oneness, in alignment with Nature's cycles. May we envision balance and harmony, within and without. May we live in gratitude for what we have and honor the sacredness of Mother Earth and all sentient beings.

What do you want to create? How do you wish to honor this sacred season with loved ones? What family rituals do you choose to keep and what new traditions do you want to birth into being? There are many ancient traditions that you can add to your holiday celebration. John Matthews' book, The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas has many ideas that you might want to incorporate this year.

Here are some ideas…

2009 Holiday Season:

Dec 11, 2009: First night of Hanukkah
Dec 19, 2009: Final night of Hanukkah
Dec 21, 2009: Winter Solstice in northern latitudes, Summer Solstice in southern latitudes
Dec 25, 2009: Christmas
Dec 26, 2009: Boxing Day and the first day of Kwanzaa
Jan 6, 2010: Epiphany

Honoring Winter Solstice:

Many of these ideas come from the wonderful book by John Matthews, The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas. This book is filled with ancient traditions that can easily be incorporated into your family celebration.

A solstice candle, lit at sundown and allowed to burn in a safe place through the night, is a simple tradition deeply connected to ancient ways.

Sun-hued oranges are simple, and readily accessible, ritual and gift objects. In Japan, citrus fruits, especially the yuzu, a citron, as well as pumpkin figure prominently in traditions around winter solstice. A yuzu bath taken at winter solstice is said to bring health. Pumpkin is a traditional Japanese dish at this time of year. The traditions harken back to the days when Shinto, an ancient nature-based religion, was more prominent.

For a simple family ritual on Winter Solstice, you can pass around an orange. Each person peels off a portion of the rind, while thinking about one thing in their lives they would like to "peel away." Once it's fully peeled, the orange is passed around again. Each person eats a section, while thinking about one new wish or intention for the new year.

Honoring the directions: Many ancient cultures acknowledge and use the four compass points in their rituals. Here are some qualities for each direction in the Northern Hemisphere.

North: cold, earth, challenge, endings, ice and snow, things waiting to germinate and be born.
East: awakening, new life, air, peace, triumph of the spirit.
South: fire, heat of life ripening in the earth, roots of our lives, stability.
West: water, restless seas and wandering spirits, movement, emotion, seeking new directions.

Create a vision board: A vision board is typically a poster board on which you paste or collage images that you’ve torn out from various magazines. The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself with images of who you want to become, your life changes to match those images and those desires.

I leave you with this blessing for you and your family at this sacred holiday season.

May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. 
May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. 
May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!