Summer Solstice Sun at Stonehenge

The year moves swiftly! It is time to honor the longest day of the Sun. Summer Solstice 2019 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 9:54 a.m. on Friday June 21, Mountain Time. How will you celebrate the longest day?

The summer solstice is associated with change, fresh starts, and with a celebration of Nature.

Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning Sun and sistere, meaning to come to a stop or stand still. On the day of the June solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position, as seen from the Earth. At that moment, its zenith does not move north or south as during most other days of the year, but it stands still at the Tropic of Cancer. It then reverses its direction and starts moving south again.

Traditionally, our Ancestors had huge celebrations for Summer Solstice – a gathering of the tribes or of the people. There were games and challenges and markets or fairs, and huge feasts to share and celebrate the bounty of Nature.

It was a time of creating new things, arranging new trade agreements, and a time of settling old scores in an attempt to move into peace.

Some quotes about Summer…

‘I am summer, come to lure you away from your computer… come dance on my fresh grass, dig your toes into my beaches.’ -Oriana Green
‘When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.’ -Wilma Rudolph
‘A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.’ -St. Francis of Assisi

Enjoy this day, and celebrate the Sun!

Judith

AUTHOR – Judith Hirst has been writing spiritual and technical blogs for the last thirteen years. She is a non-traditional shaman who has studied with shaman teachers from different lineages. As well, she has studied and uses Dowsing, Body Talk, EFT, Reiki, Quantum Touch, Hypnotherapy, Angel Karma Techniques, Angel Therapy, and has taught Star Talker Training classes. She is a seer and medium. Judith joined Questers in 2007, and now serves on the Questers Board as secretary and blog master.

One of the best teaching stories about happiness that I have read comes from Buddhist teachings. Here is a story about happiness.

Each person reading this story will have a different take away, and that is a good thing. What I hope that everybody understands from this story is that our happiness stems from how happy we are at the time we examine our happiness.

As the last line of the “Loving Kindness” Meditation says, “May you be happy!”

-Judith

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“Once I was staying with my mother in London. At the time she was the housekeeper for a very wealthy Canadian who lived in a luxury flat just off Hyde Park. They all went off for a while, and I had the flat to myself. There I was in London, living in this luxurious flat with two huge colour television sets and all the food I could possibly eat! I had enough money for whatever I wanted, lots of records, lots of everything. But I was so bored! I told myself, “Please remember this. If you are ever tempted to think that physical comfort gives happiness, remember this.”

But then, another time I was staying in a cave, not my cave but another cave, which was very small. It was so small that you couldn’t stand up in it, with a tiny box you could only just sit in, and that was the bed as well. It was full of fleas, so I was covered in flea bites. You had to go half a mile down a very steep track to bring up water. There was also almost no food at all, and it was hot. But I was in bliss. I was so happy. It was a very holy place, and the people there were wonderful. Although from a physical point of view the situation was difficult, so what! The mind was happy. I remember that whole place as being bathed in golden light. Do you see what I mean?”

—from Ani Tenzin Palmo, from “Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism‘

About the Author – Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (born 1943) is a bhikṣuṇī in the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is an author, teacher and founder of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India. She is best known for being one of the very few Western yoginis trained in the East, having spent twelve years living in a remote cave in the Himalayas, three of those years in strict meditation retreat.

A while ago, one of my friends sent me the following story in an email. The story moved me so much, and made me also think about all the clients that I have worked with over the years who live their life based on “when” and ‘if”. These folks miss so much because they are waiting for something else to happen. I think this story explains the folly in living like that better than any explanation that I might give.

The Blind Girl – Author Unknown

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see the world, I will marry you.’

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her,’ Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?’ The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: ‘Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.’

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift!

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May all your days be lived in the present moment!

Judith

AUTHOR – Judith has been writing spiritual and technical blogs for the last thirteen years. She is a non-traditional shaman who has studied with shaman teachers from different lineages. As well, she has studied and uses Dowsing, Body Talk, EFT, Reiki, Quantum Touch, Hypnotherapy, Angel Karma Techniques, Angel Therapy, and has taught Star Talker Training classes. She is a seer and medium.

The Spring Equinox 2019 is on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. An equinox is the moment in time (not a day-long event) when the Sun stands directly above the equator and day and night are of approximately equal length.

In the twenty-first century, people are not in harmony with the earth, the seasons, and the shifting skies compared to the way our ancestors were in harmony with what went on around them. A good example of people not being aware is that so many pedestrians get injured or killed by cars because they are not paying attention.

Regardless of the noise and activity around us, and the demands on our time, we can still practice being in harmony with the earth and nature. Spring Equinox is a wonderful time to begin looking at life in a different way. Since Equinox is about balance, bringing one’s life into balance is a positive way to move forward with a life change.

Some ideas are:

Make a date with yourself for once a week to walk outside, in a park, near a river, or through a forest, to feel the energy of the Sun, and to hear/feel/smell all the life around you.
Today, Equinox, have a small bonfire, and celebrate the changing of the seasons. Throughout this year, plan to have a small bonfire or whatever type of fire works in your situation, and have a few friends over to relax and talk about the miracles that are happening.
Sit outside, under the night sky, and watch the stars. If the city lights are too bright, drive to a large park or to a place outside the city to see the stars and contemplate where you want your life to be moving to – a goal perhaps.
Think about some new rituals that you would like to add to your life. Meeting a friend for coffee once a month is a great ritual.

Walk in peace.

Silhouette

“Silhouette of an oak tree in early spring 2008”

Copyright March 2008 by Judith Hirst

I was flipping through some pictures and I found this picture that I’d taken in the early spring. The silhouette of the tree against the sky and the bleakness around it makes the tree seem dead. Yet, it is very active, and as one walks the path near it, the smell of sap beginning to rise fills the air.

In my musing, I realized that each of us is similar to this tree at the moment the picture was snapped. We come into this world, and we grow and learn. As people pass us by, they see the form or shape of us, a silhouette of what we look like against the background of a busy world. Yet, they fail to see who we really are. Like the poplar, our sap may be rising, but from all appearances we are not active, not productive, and not following our path.

I think about Eckhart Tolle who writes about himself sitting on a bench. He must have been a silhouette for many people that simply walked by him. How could they know what his potential was, and how much he would help shift the consciousness of millions of people around the world?

I remember a verse that someone once wrote in my autograph book. It goes like this….

Don’t worry if your jobs are small; Or if your rewards are few.

Remember that the mighty oak, was once a nut like you!

I think we are all much like the acorn. We are just starting out. It will be a while before our silhouette is big enough to contemplate. When we are ready, however, we too will change lives!

May the moments of frustration in your life lessen as the days pass and you grow more content.

May you walk in peace.

The following article comes from the Mindful website at https://www.mindful.org/a-10-minute-meditation-to-work-with-difficult-emotions/?mc_cid=a90e05e723&mc_eid=7d9c1418f4. The article has been presented in its entirety.

A 10-Minute Meditation to Work with Difficult Emotions

When we deny what’s difficult by putting our heads in the sand, we create more suffering. Here’s a 10-minute meditation to reverse the tendency to start digging.

BY CARLEY HAUCK OCTOBER 11, 2018

Can you feel the heat?

Life feels a little more intense these days: at home, work, out in the world. When life begins to feel more intense than normal, it’s important to remember to slow down, turn toward these bigger feelings, and see the bigger picture. Take each day at a time.

Life is always in flux. Every thought, feeling, and moment is quickly changing into the next. In the moment, when something feels difficult, it seems like it will never pass. The practice is learning how to stay with and turn toward the difficulty.

What I hear from most of my clients and students is that uncertainty is what creates the most difficulty. As much as we would like to know, to control, and to plan every little part of our lives so that it all works out in a way that creates more security and ease, we cannot. Life will always be impermanent and therefore always uncertain. We never really know what is coming next and sometimes the best and most courageous thing we can do is put one foot in front of the other and keep breathing through all of it. The power of learning how to live a mindful life is to embrace this truth as much as you possibly can and live for the moment with some future planning that you hold loosely.

The more we can meet any difficulty with presence, compassion, and kindness, the easier we can move through it. It requires that we learn to stay by turning toward the difficulty versus pushing away.

Meditation trains you to be resilient. The more you can learn to stay with all the highs and lows of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, the more strength you can bring to each moment and experience.

For example, the other week, a good friend was going through a lot of difficulty and loss. After meeting with him recently, I was struck by how intense the feelings of sadness and loss were transmitted between us. I spent a few days afterward feeling off center, crying off and on, and feeling a bit agitated in my body. At first, I was taken aback by how intense these feelings were and noticed my mind trying to make sense of what was happening. The more I could turn toward my experience, and the physical sensations in my body, with compassion and understanding, I could feel the emotions passing and releasing.

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor shares in her research that most emotions don’t last longer than 90 seconds. I first heard about the lifecycle of emotions several years ago. I felt relieved to hear this 90-second timespan because it had mirrored some my experiences as a meditation practitioner for nearly 20 years. In the beginning of my practice, I had big waves of emotions that definitely lasted longer than 90 seconds. Why? I had never really sat with myself or allowed these feelings to be seen so there was a lot inside of me that wanted to come out. However, with time and practice, whatever feeling I was having passed through me more easily—as long as I brought my attention, understanding and compassionate observing to the table. In the case of grief, PTSD, and/or depression there may be more time needed to work with these feelings and I recommend that anyone with depression or mood disorders consult a mental health professional before beginning or altering any course of treatment.

I have also found, personally and professionally, that other somatic-based therapies can be complimentary to a meditation practice for approaching difficult emotions, including somatic release, acupuncture, yoga, and daily movement.

What Does Staying with Uncertainty Look Like?

We have a tendency to resist, reach for something pleasant, or deny the difficulty by putting our heads in the sand and this can ultimately create more suffering. This is a phrase I say to myself at any time I feel fear, anger, or confusion arising. It encourages me to stay and be here no matter what I am experiencing:

“I am here.”
“I am now.”
“All I need is within me.”
“All I need comes to me.”

Below is a meditation practice I have been using on myself and with clients that can support you to stay with what is difficult.

Guided Meditation for Difficult Emotions

Come into a comfortable sitting position. Imagine something difficult that you are going through. It doesn’t have to be the most difficult, but something moderately difficult. We want to practice with moderation before we move into the most difficult. Now, recognize your desire to push away the difficulty, to reach toward something that would soothe the difficulty in the moment (reaching out to someone, chocolate, distracting with technology, etc.), or denying that this difficulty is actually happening.
Now turn toward it. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth a few times. Now invite into your awareness a large figure of compassion and strength who envelops you in a blanket of love, acceptance, and security. It can be a big cloud of compassion, a large grandmotherly figure, anything that feels loving and kind. Now, imagine this figure is holding you.
Turn fully towards your difficulty. Face it, head on. There is no need to be scared. Feel this wise being enveloping you and speaking kindly to you: “It will be okay, you are okay, you are lovable, you are enough, you are not alone, and we will get through this together.” Let yourself offer and receive loving and kind statements as many times as you need until your mind and body can soothe and slow down.
Each time, you notice yourself reaching for the old familiar way of turning away from discomfort, try gently turning toward it. The more you train the mind to acknowledge and name whatever difficulty is here, it won’t feel so challenging. In addition, your limbic system and specifically your amygdala will send a signal to your sympathetic nervous system that you can physiologically relax.
When I do this meditation, I often hold stones that are comforting to me, such as rose quartz, while sitting on my meditation cushion. You can find the props or comforts that speak to you.

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To cultivate the tools to use every difficulty as an opportunity to awaken and live a mindful life, sign up for the free Mindful Living workbook.

Find a place to be quiet in.

Sit down, or stand, and bow your head.

Straighten up and breathe in deeply.

Breathe in the joy of a child’s laugh.

Breathe out the anger you hold in your body.

Repeat 6 times.

– Many blessings!

From the Editor – This is a simple exercise that I have used with clients who have bottled up anger. Not all of the anger disappears by just doing this exercise once. Many of us need to do it at least twenty-one (21) times. Let me know if you try this and what happens for you. Thanks, Judith

The fall equinox arrives on Saturday, September 22, 2018. This day is special because it is the second day of the year when day and night are almost equal. Different cultures refer to the Autumn Equinox as “Mabon” – a time to express gratitude, complete projects and honor a moment of balance.

The following invocation is one that I used for our Fall Equinox celebration in 2006, and that I have used for various celebrations since that time. You may recognize some of the phrases from other prayers. It is all good.

Invocation for the Fall Equinox

I invoke the Great Spirit, the God, the lord of the Sun, the father of man and woman, the father of all that is wild and free, the protector of all.

Descend I pray, with your power and protect, guide and assist those within this circle. We ask that you receive our thanks, that you continue your bounty through the winter sleep, that you help us with blessings to all, and that you help us release that which no longer serves us.

We ask that you teach us to live in the way of peace. We welcome you. I invoke the Great Spirit, The Goddess, the mother of the Earth, the mother of man and woman, the mother of all that is wild and free, the protector of all.

Descend I pray, with your power. I ask for the healing of all your children – The Stone People, the Plant people the four-legged, the two legged, the creepy crawlers, the finned, the furred, and the winged ones, all my relations. We ask that you continue your bounty. We welcome you.

To the Caretakers of the Earth, the fairies, devas, sprites, elementals, and all wild and faery folk, descend to the circle with your power and protect and hold the energy that healing of all may take place, and that the healing may flow to the earth and all its inhabitants. We welcome you.

To the Winds of the South, we welcome the Great Serpent and ask it to teach us to shed the past and to walk softly on the earth.

To the Winds of the West, we welcome Mother Jaguar and ask her to teach us the way to live impeccably and to show us the way beyond death.

To the Winds of the North, we welcome Hummingbird, Grandmothers and Grandfathers and Ancient Ones, we ask you to be at our fire, to allow us to honor you and those who will come after us, my children’s children.

To the Winds of the East, Great Eagle, we welcome you, and ask that you keep us under your wing and teach us to fly with the Great Spirit.

Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, Star Nations, and Great Spirit, we welcome you.

Ah Ho.

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Editor’s Note: This meditation by Osho comes from his famous,”Book of Secrets”, and was a wonderful tool to help me become more mindful. I hope that you try this meditation and practice it for the next several weeks. – Judith

STOP! A Meditation by OSHO

Just as you have the impulse to do something, stop.

You can try it anywhere. You are taking your bath ― suddenly order yourself to “Stop!” and stop. Even if it is only for a single moment, you will feel a different phenomenon happening within you. You are thrown to the center and suddenly everything stops ― not only the body. When the body stops totally, your mind stops also.

When you say, “Stop!” do not breathe then. Let everything stop…no breathing, no body movement. For a single moment remain in this stop, and you will feel you have penetrated suddenly, at rocket speed, to the center. And even a glimpse is miraculous, revolutionary. It changes you, and by and by you can have more clear glimpses of the center. That is why inactivity is not to be practiced. Use it suddenly, when you are unaware.

For example, you were going to drink a glass of water. You have touched the water, the glass ― suddenly stop. Let the hand be there, let the desire to drink, the thirst be there inside, but you stop completely. The glass is outside, the thirst is inside; the hand is on the glass, the eyes are on the glass ― stop suddenly. No breathing, no movement, as if you have become dead. The very impulse, the thirst, will release energy, and that energy is used for going to the center. You will be thrown to the center. Why? Because any impulse is a movement outward. Energy is always in movement ― either going out or coming in. Energy can never be static.

Remember three things…. One, try it only when a real impulse is there. Secondly, do not think about stopping, just stop. And thirdly, wait! When you have stopped, no breathing, no movement ― wait and see what happens. When I say stop, it means stop totally, fully. Nothing is moving, as if the whole time has stopped. There is no movement ― simply you are! In that simple existence, suddenly the center explodes.

~~~Osho: Excerpted from The Book of Secrets

The second total lunar eclipse of 2018 will be visible in large parts of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. Totality will last for 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century. (From https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2018-july-27)

Alas, in Canada, we will not see the total lunar eclipse on July 27/28th. We will, however, feel the effects of the eclipse energy. Eclipses are famous for triggering necessary changes in our lives – and often very suddenly. So get ready to see what your destiny is calling you towards – and away from.

And, oh yes: Surprises are quite likely! Often something happens that “eclipses” – or takes precedence over – your plans. Depending on your particular karmic journey, these surprises can be tiny minor adjustments or major life changes.

Here’s some other qualities of eclipses:

We often discover something that has been hidden, cloaked or disguised that can permanently change how we see a person or situation
Eclipses can “hurry” a decision or situation: If something has been teetering, an eclipse can force it to happen – pronto!
Eclipses usually involve an ending AND a beginning
If something ends during an eclipse, it is usually done. No going back.

Walk in Peace!

“Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and around and about me was the whole hoop of the world… I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit and the shapes of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the Sacred Hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as day light and as starlight and in the centre grew one almighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father,and I saw that it was holy.”

From the vision of Nicholas Black Elk (Lakota Holy Man: 1863 – 1950) . Black Elk was a famous wičháša wakȟáŋ (medicine man and holy man) and heyoka of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) who lived in the present-day United States, primarily South Dakota. He was a second cousin of the war chief Crazy Horse.

What is this world condition? Body is the world condition. And with body and form goes feeling, perception, consciousness, and all the activities throughout the world. The arising of form and the ceasing of form–everything that has been heard, sensed, and known, sought after and reached by the mind–all this is the embodied world, to be penetrated and realized.

Quoted from Samyutta Nikaya ((Saṃyutta Nikāya SN, “Connected Discourses” or “Kindred Sayings”) is a Buddhist scripture, the third of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the “three baskets” that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism. Because of the abbreviated way parts of the text are written, the total number of suttas is unclear.)

Editor’s Note: These vision quotes are favourites of mine that I have used in my classes over the years.

Sadness is nothing but the same energy that could have been happiness.

When you don’t see that your happiness is flowering, you become sad. Whenever you see somebody happy, you become sad: Why is it not happening to you? It can happen to you! There is no problem in it. You just have to uncondition your past. You will have to go a little out of the way for it to happen, so just make a little effort to open yourself. Even if it feels a little painful in the beginning…. In the beginning it will feel painful.

Start one meditation in the night, from tonight. Just feel as if you are not a human being at all. You can choose any animal that you like. If you like a cat, good. If you like a dog, good…or a tiger — male, female — anything you like. Just choose, but then stick to it. Become that animal. Move on all fours in the room and become that animal.

For fifteen minutes enjoy the fantasy as much as you can. Bark if you are a dog and do things a dog is expected to do — and really do them! Enjoy it and don’t control, because a dog cannot control. A dog means absolute freedom, so whatsoever happens in that moment, do. In that moment don’t bring in the human element of control. Be really doggedly a dog! For fifteen minutes roam around the room…bark, jump. Continue this for seven days. It will help.

You need a little more animal energy. You are too sophisticated, too civilized, and that is crippling you.

Too much civilization is a paralyzing thing. It is good in a small dose

but too much of it is very dangerous. One should always remain capable of being an animal.

Your animal has to be freed; that is the problem as I see it. If you can learn to be a little wild, all your problems will disappear. So start from tonight — and enjoy it!

Editor’s Note: This article comes from “The Passion For The Impossible” by Osho © The Osho International Foundation

Walk in peace!

Summer Solstice is the perfect time to work on self healing and to be kind to others. The blessings of light are perfect for this time.

Try this prayer:

Walk in peace.

Thanks to my friend, Leslie, for sending me this wonderfully inspirational writing.

Your blog master, Judith Hirst

Live It Well

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was a young girl/boy, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all… And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams… But, here it is…the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise…

How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?

I remember well… seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like…

But, here it is… husband retired and he’s really getting gray… he moves slower and I see an older man now. He’s in much better shape than me… but, I see the great change… Not the one I married who was dark and young and strong… but, like me, his age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore… it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will… I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things.
But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last… This I know, that when it’s over…its over…. Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done ,,,,, things I should have done …. But indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done …. It’s all in a lifetime…
So, if you’re not in your winter yet… let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!

Life goes by quickly …So, do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life… so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember…

“Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who came after. Make it a fantastic one.”
LIVE IT WELL!!

~author unknown~

It is the beginning of June. We are coming up the the summer solstice on June 21st. Traditionally, the crops and gardens are planted and we are in high growing season. So, it is time to look at what we are doing to keep ourselves growing physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

What are you doing to prepare for the summer? When you are sitting in meditation, why not release one bad habit that plagues you? Bad habits are like wearing chains. These are the “weeds” of our lives. Each of us carries a habit that may have served us for a while, and now is having detrimental effects on our lives.

Releasing a Habit

Create sacred space by calling in the Angels to be with you and keep you safe while you do sacred work. Simply sit quietly, and breath in and out on a three count cycle. When your breathing is regular and comfortable, say out loud: “I freely give up my habit of ________ and I ask the Angels and Great Spirit (substitute the name that you are most comfortable using – God, Jehovah, etc.) take this habit, and take it to the Sun to be cleansed. I offer this request, without any qualifications or strings attached.”

Now, breath deeply and clearly, drawing in sunlight on the in breath, and releasing the habit on the out breath. This process may take fifteen minutes, or longer. Do not rush it. When you think you are clear, stop, and check in to see if you can feel the habit. If you can, continue. If not, then stop and give thanks. Release sacred space.

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That’s it! That is all you have to do. And, keep meditating. It is a great habit.

Walk in peace.

An Amethyst Geode – Picture by Roger Joyeux

Amethyst (pause, breath in a long slow breath) is often said to be a calming influence. Indeed so, yet I call it the calling card of the soul. Soothing – relaxing – peaceful – are other adjectives used to describe Amethyst. Amethyst is also said to be a stone to meditate with. So how does it work?

Well, it works with light, just like almost all the other crystals that contribute to the enlightenment of Earth. It is quartz with a purple ray. Quartz itself works with the full range of all light frequencies. Smokey Quartz, Citrine Quartz and Clear Quartz share the common trait of embracing all light frequencies on Earth, just as does Amethyst. While not in significant quantities, the full range of all light is significant because every frequency needed to bring Earth and its inhabitants to enlightenment can be obtained by using any variety of crystal with a quartz base, including Amethyst.

Amethyst’s colour gives it its specialization, which, because it works with the purple range of frequencies, involves the soul. The soul wants to work in harmony with its incarnate extensions on Earth – you and me. It wants to connect with us and send its light and energy.

Yet, the soul’s energies and light are extremely subtle. The soul often has difficulty coming into harmony with its incarnation because of the extreme turbulence and density of the person’s Earthly vibration. High and subtle and low and dense are not a happy marriage. Low and dense needs to rise up to join with high and subtle. The mind needs to be still.

Amethyst contributes to stilling the mind because of the way it works with the mind’s thought processes. Amethyst begins to overcome mental jumble by ordering thought. The random confusion of disorganized thought that flips from one subject to the next to the next is grouped into subjects with a common thread. Amethyst then helps the mind focus on one subject area and to push the others into the background. The process continues. Within the chosen subject, thoughts are ordered into a linear pattern. One thought follows the next, follows the next.

At this point, the influence of Amethyst slows the mind’s hurriedness causing it to dwell for a longer time with each thought. A thought begins and ends and the next thought begins and ends. Here is where Amethyst brings the mind into alignment with the Soul. As a given thought ends, the thought to follow does not immediately begin. A gap is created between thoughts. Call this the Divine Pause. Here is where serenity in the mind begins.

Serenity is the condition that allows the high and subtle soul to flow into the mind’s space. Amethyst helps to open the gap between thoughts to allow the mind to commune with the soul in the space of no-mind, no thought – in the state of blissful be-ing-ness unencumbered with distraction or movement. It brings the mind into serenity thus calling the soul to come.

So sitting with Amethyst in hand, let the quiet stillness that envelops be the serenity that beckons the soul.

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Walk in peace.

Tagged Crystal meditation

The conversation began with, “I don’t think that I am smart enough to do …..”

That’s all I heard. I confess. I was eavesdropping. When I heard those words my first thought was – Of course you cannot do it if you think that you cannot! And then my mind went tripping away on a discussion of self esteem. I thought about what I knew. To be sure that I was defining it properly, I looked the words up in the dictionary, the Oxford dictionary to be exact.

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/ – self-esteem NOUN

Confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect.

‘assertiveness training for those with low self-esteem’

I thought about all the people that I know that have trouble with their self-esteem. I thought about how people change their self view. In life, we need to have confidence in our ability to make the right decisions/choices to help us move through life. When an opportunity comes up, it is a doorway to something new. Not taking the door may close on a chance to make a life change.

I remembered a class that I taught on assessing one’s self. There were ten simple questions to answer. The answers were: a) much of the time b) some of the time c) almost never. (Remember, there are many ways to assess self-esteem. There are other quizzes, counsellors, or professionals that can give you a much more definitive answer than this short little test. This is not to replace professional advice or counselling.)

The questions are:

My feelings are easily hurt.
I get very upset if someone criticizes me, even if it is “constructive criticism.”
I feel angry at myself if I make a mistake, even if it is an “honest mistake.”
Instead of making decisions by myself, I usually ask other people what they think I should do.
I usually go along with the group, even if I don’t really agree.
I feel uncomfortable when someone gives me a compliment.
I feel as if I don’t “measure up.” I never feel good enough.
I frequently say negative things to myself, like telling myself I am stupid or fat or just no good.
I don’t like what I see when I look in the mirror. I feel I am very unattractive.
I find myself apologizing for things a lot, even things that aren’t really my fault.

As you might imagine, the more “almost never” answers that you have means that you are quite confident in yourself and your abilities to make good choices. If your had the answer “some of the time” to many of the questions, then you seem to have a pessimistic view of yourself and your ability to make choices. Some good coaching can get you back on track. The answer “much of the time” to many of these questions, then you do not have a good self view, and you lack clarity in making choices. Self work, coaching, and/or counselling will help change your outlook.

I am a fan of Louise Hay. I love her affirmations. Here is a set of affirmations for positive self-esteem. Try saying or writing the affirmations out twenty-one times each over a period of twenty-one days. Yes, twenty-one. Research has shown that repetition over a twenty-one day stretch is what is required to change a habit, view, or belief. Self-esteem is a belief system. You can change your beliefs.

Positive Affirmations for Self-Esteem

I am totally adequate for all situations.
I choose to feel good about myself. I am worthy of my own love.
I stand on my own two feet. I accept and use my own power.
It is safe for me to speak up for myself.
It does not matter what other people say or do. What matters is how I choose to react and what I choose to believe about myself.
I willingly release any need for struggle or suffering. I deserve all that is good.
Life supports me in every possible way.
I am wonderful, and I feel great. I am grateful for my life.
I have the self-esteem, power, and confidence to move forward in life with ease.
I am a radiant being, enjoying life to the fullest.

I am finished with my discussion on self-esteem. Thanks for listening.

Many blessings.

Note for Readers:

The following article is an excerpt from “Take a Mindful Moment: 5 Simple Practices for Daily Life” by By Parneet Pal, Carley Hauck, Elisha Goldstein, Kyra Bobinet and Cara Bradley | May 10, 2018 from the blog on Mindful.Org. To read the rest of this article, go to https://www.mindful.org/take-a-mindful-moment-5-simple-practices-for-daily-life/. Reprinted under the Creative Commons Sharing License.

Wakeup: Start with a Purpose

Intention refers to the underlying motivation for everything we think, say, or do. From the brain’s perspective, when we act in unintended ways, there’s a disconnect between the faster, unconscious impulses of the lower brain centers and the slower, conscious, wiser abilities of the higher centers like the pre-frontal cortex.

Given that the unconscious brain is in charge of most of our decision-making and behaviors, this practice can help you align your conscious thinking with a primal emotional drive that the lower centers care about. Beyond safety, these include motivations like reward, connection, purpose, self-identity and core values.

Setting an intention—keeping those primal motivations in mind—helps strengthen this connection between the lower and higher centers. Doing so can change your day, making it more likely that your words, actions and responses— especially during moments of difficulty—will be more mindful and compassionate.

This practice is best done first thing in the morning, before checking phones or email.

1. On waking, sit in your bed or a chair in a relaxed posture. Close your eyes and connect with the sensations of your seated body. Make sure your spine is straight, but not rigid.

2. Take three long, deep, nourishing breaths—breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then let your breath settle into its own rhythm, as you simply follow it in and out, noticing the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.

3. Ask yourself: “What is my intention for today?” Use these prompts to help answer that question, as you think about the people and activities you will face. Ask yourself:

How might I show up today to have the best impact?

What quality of mind do I want to strengthen and develop?

What do I need to take better care of myself?

During difficult moments, how might I be more compassionate to others and myself?

How might I feel more connected and fulfilled?

4. Set your intention for the day. For example, “Today, I will be kind to myself; be patient with others; give generously; stay grounded; persevere; have fun; eat well,” or anything else you feel is important.

5. Throughout the day, check in with yourself. Pause, take a breath, and revisit your intention. Notice, as you become more and more conscious of your intentions for each day, how the quality of your communications, relationships, and mood shifts.

Around the world, the Eagle is revered for its majesty, size, fierce look, and for its ability to soar so high. A sports team adopts it as a team name. Countries use it as their symbol. Shaman and warriors have worn its wings and claws to represent their power. In the Inca Tradition, the Eagle/Condor represents the Winds of the East. The prayer for the East goes,

To the winds of the East. Great eagle, condor Come to us from the place of the rising Sun Keep us under your wing. Show us the mountains we only dare to dream of. Teach us to fly wing to wing with the Great Spirit. – Alberto Villoldo, PhD. published in his book – Mending the Past and Healing The Future With Soul Retrieval…

The words linking Eagle to Great Spirit give one the sense of the majesty of Eagle, and why our Ancestors believed that Eagle was a traveler between worlds. Stories are told that one may watch Eagle soar up into the sky until she disappears. At that point, she walks with Creator and the Ancestors that have gone before.

Eagle has only ever killed for need, never for greed! If Eagle appears to you, then perhaps she has a message that someone around you is using you to satisfy their greed by using you and what you know. Eagle is known for her swiftness. She counsels that what ever you need to do, you must do it swiftly. However, before striking, Eagle rides the wind up high, and scans the land to see the “big picture”. She does not ever get caught in details. Eagle is a shining example that one must look at the consequences of all actions to see how it affects a much larger plan – Great Spirit’s plan. Often humans only have thoughts for themselves and not for others.

May you live your life with the grace of Eagle!

Tagged Spirit Animal

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