Existence - from Osho

This is an extraordinary message that resonates through me when I read it.  Most people seem to feel unloved, unwanted, and tired of the struggle.  And, they simply give up.   What is the meaning of life?  It is "to be"!  To be a shining point of life on this earth because your existence makes the lives of others also have meaning.  And, if you bring enjoyment and entertainment to millions of people along the way, then your job has been well completed!

-Judy

 

       

You are not accidental. Existence needs you. Without you something will be missing in existence and nobody can replace it. That's what gives you dignity, that the whole existence will miss you. The stars and sun and moon, the trees and birds and earth - everything in the universe will feel a small place is vacant which cannot be filled by anybody except you.  
This gives you a tremendous joy, a fulfillment that you are related to existence, and existence cares for you. Once you are clean and clear, you can see tremendous love falling on you from all dimensions.

Osho God is Dead: Now Zen is the Only Living Truth Chapter 1 

Many blessings,

Judy

Elk - Spirit Animal

 North American Elk picture from Wikipedia

 

 

Whenever we drive to the mountains, to Banff or Lake Louis, or in other park areas, we were constantly on the alert for Elk.  I have had past encounters with Elk on the road, and, in their majestic way, neither the bull or cow Elk will give way.  If Elk appears in your life, and you have a strong, personal energy, Elk may be reminding you that you descend from a lineage of royalty, and to carry yourself accordingly.

Elk is very strong and agile, and can run for miles.  When wolves or cougars attack the herd, all the Elk scatter in different directions to confuse the predator.  And, if cornered Elk will fight to the death either predator.  The message that Elk's strength and courage sends to you is to first understand the environment you are in - either home or work - and watch for changes in energy indicating that some danger is occurring for you.  The message is also about standing your ground and answering to your own principles.  When you are attacked, fight for what is true relentlessly.  To keep from being provoked, Elk cautions that you should take time for yourself and retreat to Nature occasionally, or simply spend time in solitude, away from friends and family.  This time of recharging will regenerate your strength and power.

Elk is well known to The People of the plains and the mountains.  Many of the stories told by the Ancestors tell of Elk being very large - as in giant large, and that in the days of creation, Elk created the mountains and the valleys by dragging its antlers through the ground in pursuit of those who would harm Elk.  Elk is also known as an animal that protects, and therefore is the totem animal for some, and the spirit guide for others. 

When Elk walks into your life, you may be sure that you are in for an adventure!

Many Blessings,

Judy

My First Drum

 

Picture is from the website native-drums.ca 

My first drum came to me in 2001 when I was out in Vancouver.  I was in this great shop of indigenous crafts and clothing.  The lady managing the store asked me what I was looking for and I told her that I was guided to the store to buy a drum but that I was not seeing a drum that called to me.  She said, “Aaahhh.  Wait a minute.”  

She came back about five minutes later carrying a beautiful drum.  She said, “I think this drum is for you.  It just came in this morning.  It is made by a young lady after her first moon and brings the strength of the young girl now woman and her Ancestors. She said that the first drum that a person makes is special and that she was guided to not keep it.”

I took the drum and the drum stick and gently beat the drum.  The tone was powerful but gentle and vibrated through my body.  I knew the drum was for me.  I turned the drum over and there was a little carved paddle attached to one of the support sinews.  I asked what the paddle was for.  The manager replied that it was a gift of good luck.  Again, I knew the drum was for me.  I beat out a few more notes and happily paid for the drum.

I took it back to the house we were staying at, and smudged the drum and hugged it and introduced myself.  I asked the drum for its name but it was not ready to share it with me.  During the next week, we were at several drumming sessions.  Every time I played her, my drum sounded sweeter.  And yes, eventually the drum gave me her name.

Now twenty some years later, the drum is still beautiful and still sounds sweet.  She hangs on the wall in our meditation room when I am not drumming.

Clients and students have asked me if they should buy a drum or make a drum.  I have made several drums.  Each is different.  My first drum still resonates with me the most.  I do not think it matters whether you buy a drum or make a drum as long as the drum or the drum making process speaks to you at a soul level.  I think everyone should have a drum for the resonance of the drum beat creates balance and healing like nothing else.

Many blessings,

Judy

Sadness On Losing Someone

 

Picture Taken by Judy Hirst in Summer of 2022 in Elbow Falls Recreation Area

I know that we have all lost someone and that we all grieve in different ways.  I want to talk about the sadness that we can feel when someone we have had adventures with and laughed with and made plans with, passes suddenly.

My Uncle died several weeks ago.  I didn’t feel grief like I have with other people who have died.  Instead, I felt and still feel this heavy sadness that is like a blanket that I cannot shake off.  It stays with me.  I am doing fun things, liking walking my dog with my friends and out of no where, the weight of the blanket wraps around me and I lose track of the conversation.  I look up to the sky.  I am lost momentarily.  And then someone calls me back.  

Or, I am busing doing household chores, and I stop because I remember a time where we were out to dinner or sitting on the house steps drinking iced tea and telling stories.  Or he was showing me pictures of my cousins, spread out in different places.  

I am sad.  I am sad for me. I am sad for his wife and for my cousins.  I am sad for all the people that knew him and loved him. 

I am sad for all the people that have lost people this year in wars, violence, illness, and accidents.

I know that time will balance out the sadness to memories and the happy times.  Eventually, peace will come.

Blessings,

Judy

Mother Moose - Spirit Animal

Animal mothers always amaze me in that they know who is around them, and if there are people, which people are trustworthy and which are not.

Last weekend, Mother Moose and her young calf were ambling through the bushes, and M. Moose was eating to keep up her strength while the young moose was exploring.  When she saw me, M. Moose turned to face me and assess whether she should flee.  She chose not to.  I wondered how she made these decisions.

Here are some lessons from Mother Moose:

1. Stay close to cover. To be too far out in the open puts the newborn at risk.
2. Don’t walk under rocks or too close to them because the big cat (cougar) hides there.
3. When the new shoots are green, eat your fill. You may not have time to eat later. 
4. Bed down where your back is protected.  You need only fight on one front if you are attacked by wolves.
5. Keep the young fed so they have the strength for the journey.

Many blessings,

Judy

Wolverine Power - Spirit Animal

When I watched the movie “Wolverine”, I realized the significance of the warrior adapting animal characteristics.  Certainly, Logan was a warrior by the nature of his upbringing – parentless and on his own since he was very young.  However, combining Wolverine’s power with his morality and hero complex, a new type of evolution of man is portrayed.  Perhaps this is not so fictional as it seems.  The indigenous people have always believed that one may call on their power animal or spirit animal for help in any situation.

Picture of wolverine from email




Wolverine, a member of the weasel family, was once found through out Europe, Russia, and North America.  It is now only in sparsely populated areas. (The wolverine is distributed primarily in remote reaches of the Northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra of the Northern hemisphere, with the greatest numbers in Alaska, Canada, the Nordic countries of Europe and throughout western Russia and Siberia. – from Wikipedia)

Although it looks bearish, it has the cunning and speed of the weasel, and, it is extremely strong so it can vanquish animals several times its size.  Its ability to survive comes from its ability to adapt.  Wolverine has been appearing to people in dreams and in pictures with a very clear message.

“It is time to retreat from the mass population of humans.  Seek the quieter, wilder places because this is where you will find the abundance of nature to clear the air of pollution and to purify the water that runs with pesticides and fertilizer.  The chemicals change us all.  It is not the way of the Circle (Great Spirit).  The Circle gives us the gift of our strength, speed, and knowing to use to keep our species going (natural selection).  We gladly lend our strength and knowing to those who call on us because we would like to see humans shed the unnatural ways that man has become.  
Once, the wise ones of the tribes, the Ancestors of us all, spoke together and exchanged information.  They taught one another and helped each other keep the balance.  Man has now broken the balance of the Circle.  When that happens, then the Breaker is punished.  In the case of man, who can tell who the Breaker is?  Each thing that man does causes harm.  We say to you, “Dig in!”  Dig into the earth and see how beautiful it is.  See too, how damaged it is in places.  Fix this!  When others try to force you to bend to their will, call on us.  We will gladly come!  We will share our power, unlike the humans who covet power so much.  We will stand with you.
To find your link to us, meditate on the nature of Wolverine. We are not filled with anger.  We are filled with love.  We will fight though, for what is ours by Nature’s law.  We follow the wisdom of the moon, of nature, of the laws of life.  We feel the pulse of the changes coming.  We will help you.”

Many Blessings,

Judy

Gorilla on Strength -Spirit Animal

Teachers tell us that when animals appear in our dreams, visions, and through pictures in our daily lives, that the animal has a message or wisdom to share.

Gorilla has been showing up to give remarkable demonstrations on strength.  Some of her thoughts are:

• Strength must be both physical and mental.  To achieve your strongest physical capability, you must practice (workout). To achieve your clearest mental state, you must take on challenges.
• Your personality must be clearly defined with a strong sense of goodness and fairness.  Bullies and nasty actions are not accepted.
• Make either your hearing or your sight one of your strongest traits.  Hearing will let you hear those that plan to harm you.
• Strength lies in the loyalty of the tribe to one another and to finding food for the good of all

Gorilla tells us to evaluate where we stand with family, with friends, and with our colleagues at work.  She asks us to measure the worth of sticking with them.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Robin Sings

The Robins returned to our yard and each morning, at about 4:20 AM, they begin singing and sending cheer throughout our yard and surrounding neighbor yards.  Much like the Monks who rise at 4 AM to chant in the day, Robin's music meditation lifts your spirits and lets your imagination soar.  

Robin, legends say, is celebrating that it could steal a fire ember and bring fire to earth.  In the process, its breast feathers were scorched red and its head was blackened with smoke and soot.  So, Robin sings of bravery and of going beyond your self.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Catching The Dream

Great Spirit!

Hear me, your child of many birthing times call to you.

I feel the shifting of the buffalo in dream time. I feel the Earth shudder as the Sun and the Moon call her name.

Great Spirit, am I called to walk with you and learn some wisdom that will help my people?

My tribe is in need of peace and healing.

I see tribes around us fighting, greeding, polluting and killing.

I wish peace for all.

May the smoke of my sage carry my request to you, Great Spirit.

May you bless us all.

Blessings,

Judy

You Have Boundless Energy Within You

 

You have heard the saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going".  It seems that the last several months in Alberta have proved that saying over and over as various things happen to people.  Fires, displacement from homes because of fires, layoffs, tragedies, giving up homes because mortgages cannot be met, facing disease, and the list goes on.  The balance of life seems out of whack. 

I look at the firefighters that have been battling the fires in the North of Alberta, and I say that these men must have found that place inside themselves where nothing is impossible for they are doing the impossible.  They are filled with Purpose.  They have created a change in the way that the fire behaves.  They have fought and prayed, and called on Creator to help them.  They are filled with positivity, with hope, even when everything is black and smoke filled.  Wow.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Smoke and Wild Fires

   Photo is from three days ago from the Toronto Globe and Mail

The last several days have been incredibly smoke filled and in some places, have caused poor visibility.  I went outside to have my coffee on the deck and came back in immediately because it was too smokey.  

The smoke made me think of smudging - the smudging that you do to clear yourself (and others) before ceremony or before meditating.  It made me think that perhaps Mother Earth is smudging all of us with these big fires.  Smudging is for clearing away issues, problems, negative energy and actions. It is a form of purification. It is a very unusual time as at the moment, 87 fires are burning, and 25 are out of control, while the rest are confined.

I say a silent prayer for all the animals that people have had to leave behind as they are rushed out of danger areas.  Blessings to the firemen that are going into abandoned areas and trying to feed the pets left behind.  

Strength and compassion to all the fire fire fighters that are working in Northern Alberta and BC to fight fires.

May the rains come to tame the fires and clear the smoke.

Many blessings,

Judy
 

Having A Clear Vision

 

Every thing that I have accomplished happened because I had a vision.  That is, I can see what it is… the end result that I expect… before I start a task or project of any kind.  I am grateful that I can “see” an outcome in my mind.  Some people cannot vision like this.  They can, however, create a vision board where they cut out pictures or draw pictures of what the end goal is whether it is work related, sports related, or a personal goal.  

The interesting thing about a vision is that so many people tell you that it has to be long term and very big.  Really though, all you need to do is have small, easy to accomplish visions that help you to move through your day, and, eventually, you find that you have moved quite a bit in your life.

Let me give you an example. Suppose you plan a birthday party or retirement party.  You need to see what the end result should look like, in your mind.  Then, you take the pieces of that vision, and break them down into the smaller steps like – catering – and then smaller steps about how to get the best caterer.  You can go back to your vision and see what the food looked like.  Then, you make sure that the food order supports that vision.  You can do the same thing with decorations – what do they look like?  Then find them or find a close match to the vision.

Today, try the visioning process to see where it takes you.

Many blessings.

Judy

Wisdom Comes

 

When I am asked, "How can I get back into balance with my life?", my answer is, "Go to Nature".  I see that wisdom comes from Nature, whether it is for me or for others.

Yes, it really is that simple. Yet, most people seem to want a long, difficult method of rebalancing.  I think it is because, over time, we have learned to believe that everything is complicated and that we need to go through a lot of steps to get to the end goal.  After all, that is what work is.

Being in balance is a natural state, so, it seems to me, that the best place to balance is in Nature.  It doesn't matter what the season is; it only matters that you go out into nature willingly and with an open mind.

My best drive home from where ever I am is one where I have time to look at the trees along the river and, if I am lucky, I see the Eagle guarding the river bank.  The sight of the river, trees, Eagle, and what ever else shows up brings me firmly into the present moment so that all that has been floating in my mind clears away.  I feel refreshed.

Many blessings

Judy

What You Seek Is Looking For You

The wonderful thing about life is that it really is a long, long, vision quest.  As you search and seek (not hide and seek), you send out energy to the Universe, telling the Universe what you want.  The Universe responds to thoughts, words, and energy, and She does her best to send what you need back to you.  It's really a lot like little kids sending out letters to Santa, outlining their wishes for Christmas presents.

When you receive what you have asked for, the cool phrase that describes the process is "manifesting".  You have manifested your desires.  What are the prerequisites?  That the wish is good for all and harms no one.  Therefore, you cannot wish for people to become ill or to die, or to be harmed.

Many blessings

Judy

Canada Goose and a Spirit Message

    

                                       "Canada Goose Gander In A Tree" 

 

The first time that I saw a Canada Goose in a tree, my reaction was, "What the ..?"  And then I saw a goose several more times in this tree and in various trees, and I began to be curious. I have been seeing geese in trees for the last five years.  First, my curiosity was around why he was behaving this way, and second, I wondered why I was continually seeing this behaviour. I finally snapped this picture.

After I took this picture, I realized a certain irony in the situation.  There are wonderful stories about goslings (baby geese) being imprinted with the first thing that they see upon hatching.  The imprint leads the gosling to regard that object/animal/person as their mother and supreme leader until the gosling is ready to fly on its own.  Now, here I was, imprinting the goose forever in my memory by actually taking a picture of it. There had to be something going on at a Spirit level.

I remember reading in a Ted Andrew's book that goose is about the call of the quest  and travel to places of legend. Perhaps goose was reminding me that my life is  a quest and that I better get moving on it.  Or, perhaps it is to be a reminder that magic is possible, as in legends - that the impossible such as a goose in a tree, does happen.  Since the goose is sitting up high, and this particular group of trees is in the middle of a grassy field, it seems that the goose is actually a "guardian or look out" for the small group of geese that were below the tree and along the stream.  There are several coyotes in the area that do use the long grass for ground cover as the coyote quests for food.

The idea of "look out" sent me on a new wave of thought.  Perhaps this is a warning to be on the look-out for those things which may creep up on you.  Or, it may be a reminder to be protective and to guard your mate and your family and friends.  Goose is often associated with writing and telling the story because our ancestors used goose quill pens as writing tools.  So, the idea of being on the look-out for a story or for workshop material also seems like part of the message.   

The message that resonated with me, however, was "responsibility".  This goose shows that one must accept responsibility in the group to help the group's survival.  Further, goose accepts that there is a role each of the group must perform, and in doing that role, one doesn't get to indulge in self serving actions (eating, drinking, resting, playing, or simply refusing to get involved but wanting others to do the work). This realization caused me to do some soul searching.  Was I stepping up to the plate?  Was I doing all that I could do to assist my group? Was I self indulgent?  

The answer, I realized, is in the perspective.  When you are higher up, and more removed from the situation, such as goose is, up in the tree, one sees the bigger picture.  One sees how the field merges into the trees and into the bank of the stream and even the stream itself.  One sees the symmetry and balance of being able to forage without worry while another guards.  If however, you are one of the geese on the ground, all you see is the detail around you.  Part of the balance then, comes from each goose taking a turn at sitting in the tree as the look-out while the others, including the previous look-out, take time to eat and rest. 

In each of our lives, there are those people who are always demanding that we do more - that if we do not do more, we are "not responsible" or "not loving" or "not being part of the group".  As goose shows, one needs to be on the  "look-out" for those people in your life that will manipulate you, and will put your life out of balance.  The goose sends the message, then, of being discerning in where one goes and in the people or groups that one associates with, to guard against being out of balance.  That is a soul felt message from Great Spirit!

May you be peaceful and at ease, and may you be balanced.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Seeing Beauty in Flowers

I love this time of year because I get to grow flowers and to buy uncommon flowers and plant them in the garden and in pots!  I love the color.  I love that the bees come to check them out.  I love the smell of the blossoms.  I love watching them grow and change.

There is beauty in all aspects of Nature for me.  Not everyone agrees that Nature is beautiful, but they do agree that parts of it are.  I love seeing the flowers that grow in people’s yards and the flowers out in the meadows of the parks.  The colors are amazing.  

The flowers, too, bring some healing to those who see them and look at them with awe and respect.  To be a flower is a very special task.  The growing season is so short, unless the flower is a perennial, and there is no telling when your flowers will be picked or eaten.

Flowers have a message for us:

• Don’t be afraid to shine your colours.
• Stand straight to get the Sun but be flexible when the wind blows.
• Put your roots down deep so that you can be sure of your foundation.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Life Has Many Faces

Often, we thing that someone is beautiful, or we think they are homely, or we think that they talk funny.  Often, we have judgments about others that has absolutely nothing to do with the other person.  It has to do with us!  It is our ego, comparing everything outside ourselves to attempt to protect us.  The ego keeps us from learning about others and about ourselves.  

When we see someone or something, we are seeing a reflection or ourselves; our thoughts; our emotions; and our dreams or imagining.  This becomes how we see the world.  Indeed, what we are seeing are the many faces of life, and how we participate in life.  WE see OURSELVES as we see the many faces of Nature, the Ocean, the Sky, and all of the people.  

Blessings,

Judy

About Bat as a Spirit Animal

"Common Bat" found throughout North America - from Wikipedia

There are many beliefs in this world about BAT.  Some people in Africa believe that the Bat is a physical manifestation of the soul - thus allowing the soul of the individual to travel at night to complete the work that the Soul has left unfinished.

North American indigenous people believe that the Bat is a trickster type spirit whose home is in the Underworld.  Bat comes to Earth to trap those with weak morals or ethics and when the individual shows their weakness, Bat takes them below ground to work out the person's sins.  Eastern cultures believe that Bat represents abundance and long life.  It seems that all of these beliefs might be true.

Since Bat represents the link between the Day and the Night because it flies only at night, it is said to be blessed by Mother Goddess of the Moon.  The colours of Bat - red, brown, black - connect it with Mother Earth and with the base chakra - representing how we walk on this Earth.  If we walk in harmony, one does not fear Bat.  Just as Bat uses sonar to find its food and discern obstacles, we can use our "hidden" connection to Mother Earth to know which of her creatures and plants and trees are around us.  If we understand that Bat is nearby, Bat does not scare us.  If we walk in power on this Earth, we do not understand the ways of animals, especially Bat, and we fear it.  We make up stories about what wrongs it does.

Bat has been appearing more and more in writings and in pictures.  For the west coast of North America, it may be the hero that is needed to fight against the pine beetle which is stripping the pine trees of their needles, and eventually killing the tree.  

Medicine Woman sees Bat as representing the Night - and with Night, astral travel, dreams, intuition, and past life scenarios.  Bat is also about seeing without one's eyes to see what is REALLY out in the world.  Bat is known for seeing TRUTH.

Bat brings messages such as:

- perhaps it is time to stop and reflect on life and make some changes.  When Bat thinks and sleeps, it does so up side down.  When the God, Odin, wanted to understand and make changes, he hung on a tree for nine days and nine nights.  So take some time to yourself.

- some say that seeing is believing.  Bat will tell you that is not true.  What truth is it that you are missing because you are looking right at it?  Close your eyes.  Be in silence and "listen" for the TRUTH as you send out your thoughts around the situation.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Why You Should Take Time To Read

 

Sometimes, we need to be alone and occupied.  The Angels say that reading can be a form of meditation, if you allow it to be.  You can read meditation books or fantasy or non-fiction.  It is the time that you take to be yourself, to be in a place where you are not wearing a mask, that makes this a wonderful experience.

When you read, you move to a state of mindfulness.  Experiencing mindfulness over and over as you read, lets you experience it more often when you do other activities.

When people poke fun at you reading, and they will, never apologize for who you are.  Readers have the gift of seeing more and seeing the bigger picture.  Readers move more easily into the Great Unconsciousness.

Many Blessings,

Judy

No Matter What You Do

Have you noticed that regardless of what you do, even if you follow a particular person's advice, that they will complain that you did not do something right?  It seems to be a curse of the decade that people need to continually point out what you did wrong.  

One thought is, if you do not tell someone that what they did is wrong, they will not learn what is right.  But, is that true?  Is there always a right way and a wrong way?  

The best way to get along with others is to go where the people are loving. They will not point out mistakes.  They will make suggestions.

Many blessings,

Judy

Choose Peacefulness

The noise around us all the time creates a disharmony in our bodies.  Some of the noise is silent to our ears, yet continues to bombard us.  If you are at work, there is a constant hum from your computer, your desk phone, your cell phone, the ventilation system, the heaters or fans, the sound of the people around you, the radio, if it is on.  We have learned to adjust to this noise and we cope.

Every once in a while, you need to refresh your body and go where there is not any constant man-made noise.  Going to a park or out into the country will refresh you, and ease the stress in your life.  The noise pollution causes our bodies to be out of balance.  The best place to return to balance is in Nature where the sounds are natural, where electronic noise is minimal (there always may be someone talking on their cell phone), and where the air smells so clean.  It is here that you will be healing.

Many blessings

Judy

Managing Anger

It is a bright and lovely day.  You are enjoying the sun and the feeling and glad to be alive.  Then, someone rains on your parade!  They pick a fight by insulting you or your family, or arguing with something you said, or, they just come and dump on you for no apparent reason.  When that happens, we get angry!

When we get angry, we are seeing ourselves as the victim.  When someone argues with you or dumps on you, recognize that it is their problem, not yours.  You do not need to accept what they say.  You are your own person.

Blessings,

Judy

The Beauty of Rain

 

The last several days it has rained and rained off and on.  Sometimes it spits, and sometimes it pours.  The beauty of the rain is the intensity and the gentleness that it moves between.  The beauty of the rain is the way it acts like a curtain and eventually parts to allow the Sun to shine on the Earth.  The beauty is how it nourishes us all.  

Rain carries down oxygen to the earth to provide life.  It cleanses and eases and offers hope for all life.  There is nothing like walking in the rain.  It offers a healing like no other.  Take some time to walk in the rain.

Blessings,

Judy

Can You Be Like a Tree?

Trees provide beauty for us on this Earth.  So we landscape our yards and our cities and our parks with them.  Yet alone, untended, they provide shelter, oxygen, and life as they stand in the forests on a mountain or in other inaccessible areas.  

It saddens me that the Amazon Forest is burning.  And then I remember that sometimes things need to be destroyed before they can be renewed to a next evolution.  Trees, like humans are evolving as all of the beings on planet Earth are evolving.

We need to remember that we are not Creator but we are Caretakers of ourselves and those beings around us whether human or tree or other.  We are like the tree.

Blessings.

Judy

Swan Energy

It seems that every Monday, when I walk my dog with my friends, we see a flock of twelve swans fly over us.  First, that the swans stay here in the winter is remarkable.  Second, the energy of their flight washes over us and even the dogs get excited.

What is the message that these beautiful birds are bringing to us? The most important message is that you need to acknowledge the true beauty of self and to awaken that inner power of self.  Other aspects are:

• Honour your emotions and the emotions of others
• Work to stay in balance 
• Be in Nature as much as possible
• Honour the ancient and the rituals
• Look to new adventures and new spirituality
• Look at the swan as a totem for the mystic and the dreamer

Many blessings

Judy

Walking and walking

 Yesterday, my good friend and I walked and walked and walked.  It was cathartic!  The weather was just right… before it got too hot.  We were walking in a park and met lots of people also out walking, and we saw and met lots of dogs with their dog “parents”.  That was fun, too!

The birds were singing, the water was running, and everyone was moving.  The leaves are just coming out and the Earth felt warm and alive.  It made me feel grateful to be alive and out walking and sharing the day with others.  My friend said that walking made her feel good and also positive.  For me, walking was about rejuvenation and healing.  

We all have different reasons to be out walking.  We can walk to exercise, to spend time with friends, to release frustration or anger, and to enjoy the fresh air.  Walking with my friend is a different experience than walking with my dog.  My dog, Merlin, likes to stop and sniff and prowl around a bit.  He likes to greet people and then keep going.  He doesn’t like to stop and talk.  He likes a slow walk and no more than an hour or he is played out.  

Where ever you are, I hope that today you have a chance to walk outside, close to trees and water.  It is so wonderful!

Many blessings,

Judy

An Earth Blessing

 

We have all felt sadness and grief, especially when a relative (ancestor) dies.  We feel loss when a friend moves away.  We feel changes with the changing of the seasons.

The Earth Ancestors tell us that through time, others have felt this way.  It is difficult to say hard things like good-byes for this time and to find words to give bad news.  The People have a blessing to help one get through the tough times.  The blessing may bring peace over time.  

If you need a blessing today, say this one several times to yourself.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Show Love To Others - Plant a Tree

 

People do amazing things all the time.  Sometime the actions are selfish.  Sometimes, the actions are full of love and good tidings to others.

Some of our Ancestors were far-sighted and could see the need for trees for shade, for conserving the land, for cleaning the air, and for bearing fruit to feed us.  Those of our Ancestors that planted trees show us the way to do actions bigger than ourselves.  This is a great service to humanity and to the Earth.  It serves Nature, with love.

This week, plant some trees somewhere.

Many Blessings,

Judy

You Never Walk Alone

 

The Ancestors tell us that we never walk alone.  They remind us that we carry all of the past people, our ancestors, with us.  They remind us that Great Spirit and Angels are always within reach, simply by asking for their presence.

The choice to feel alone and depressed is about choosing your reality.  There is not any need to feel alone or to feel depressed.  The depression is you mind bending you to its will.  

The times when you feel so alone, unloved, and you are moving into depression, call out to the Ancestors, to the Angels, and to your spirit guides.  You will soon have a crowd around you.

Today, give a silent prayer of thanks for those that came before you.  Thank them for the experiences that they had so they could create the wisdom that you inherited.

Blessings.

Judy

How To Live Life

 

Our Ancestors had very little in the way of choice for each activity that they did through out the day.  The one thing that they could choose was how they approached life.  The best choice was to be fearless, hopeful, moderate in eating, more quiet than talkative, and very loving.

This sounds like a great mantra for living life every day, even in current times.  While many say that we do not have a choice in things, all of the activities above are choices we can make to change our life.  

Today, choose one activity and concentrate on achieving it throughout the day.

Many Blessings,

Judy

May 1 - Beltane

 

 

Beltane Fire picture from Edinburgh, Scotland.

 

 

Beltane is the Celtic festival celebrating the arrival of summer.  May 1 is a good day to take the cattle and sheep to summer grazing, and to lighten the load of the farmer.  May 1 signals that the towns and cities will be busier as people come out of the winter/spring hibernation.  Many of our Ancestors honoured Beltane in some way – whether Celtic or other tradition.

In Ireland/Scotland, Beltane is celebrated by all night bonfires, such as the one pictured above. There is music and dancing, and often the burning of an effigy of old man winter.  

“Another common aspect of the festival which survived up until the early 20th century in Ireland was the hanging of May Boughs on the doors and windows of houses and the erection of May Bushes in farmyards, which usually consisted either of a branch of rowan/caorthann (mountain ash) or more commonly whitethorn/sceach geal (hawthorn) which is in bloom at the time and is commonly called the 'May Bush' or just 'May' in Hiberno-English. ~~ From Wikipedia~~”

Beltane is a time of healing because in the celebration of life, all one’s troubles are placed on a shelf, to be dealt with at another time.  This is a time when Nature shows how beautiful she is, and the deer and the wolf give birth.  It is a time of oneness in a community. And often, great fun emerges as people tip back an ale or two, and shed their inhibitions. 

This is a time for newness.  It is a time to become motivated – to work on the yard, the garden; to take up an exercise program; to look up family and old friends; to do something nice for one’s self; to get out of the city, or to get out of the country; to write/paint/play music and allow the creativity.  May 1 is a doorway for loving one’s self unconditionally, and appreciating others.

May your Beltane motivate you to have fun!

Many blessings,

Judy