You Are Of The Earth

Buddhists believe that every human contains four elements, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.  These four elements make up our physical body, and allow us to feel the energies associated with each of them.  We will talk about those energies in a minute.  What is clear, is that these four elements can help us to stay grounded.  However, it seems that many people choose to be ungrounded, that is, they feel “spaced out”.  And rather than try to change this feeling, the individual seems to encourage the feeling.

          This great picture comes from www.meta-synthesis.com

When we feel “heavy” when we are walking or running,  or “sleepy” or “full” after a meal, then we are feeling the effects of our Earth energy.  The Earth energy is working to pull our bodies – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual – back into the confines of our physical center.  Sometimes our bodies are not pulled back in all the way, so we feel “off center”. It is our Earth energy that allows us to taste and to touch.  When we feel solid, or stiff, or smooth, or hardness, then we are using our Earth element.

When we feel constrained and our movement seems stiff, or we seem without fluidity, then we know our Water element is blocked.  When we feel sticky and emotional and want to cry for no reason, or if we feel depressed, we are feeling Water energy.  Congestion and phlegmy coughs tell us that our Water energy is out of balance.  If we see people in need, our Water energy cries out to support them, to be in service.  It is our Water energy that allows us to see and to make assumptions or judgements around situations.

We know that when we hear things and feel the mental energy of our brain working that the Air Element is in play. Or, when we have visions, or words come to us unbidden, we may find that our Air Element is changing, and with the change, bringing us new information.  Those with a strong air element like to be entertained and to solve puzzles and quizzes.  When we are caught up in our Air element, we float on “cloud nine”.  Playing, pushing, pulling, and all movement are showing us how we use the Air element.

The Fire Element shows up as heat in our body, as passion and anger.  When somebody wrongs us, or we feel something is unfair, then we tend to “burn up” with rage or indignation.  We use the heat we carry to show love and affection, to show protection.  Healers talk about the amount of heat that is generated when they are working with a client. Attraction heats up with the Fire element.

We have all these great sensations that tell us so much about our bodies and that show us that we are in the present moment.  Then, we lose this information by getting into our mind, into our ego, and analysing the information so that the info of the present moment becomes useless. 

If you have some time today, meditate on the Nature of your body, and how the Earth changes may affect how your body feels in the Earth element.  Meditate on the Oneness, on finding peace in the present moment, and on the Ancestors, who have already experienced the circle of life.  Find a prayer that helps you relax, and that slows down your mind.  Allow yourself to be here, now, in the present.

Blessings,

Judy

On Love

 

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.

Mother Teresa

One of the things that makes me the happiest in life, is when people come to our house and tell me that they love the feeling in our house; that they feel sad to leave our house.   I saw this quote from Mother Theresa and I believe that many people feel this way when they leave our house.

May you find people that feel this way in your life.

Blessings,

Judy

Human Kind

 

The picture says:   Human Kind.  Be Both.

"We’re not meant to be vehicles of destruction, but rather the very embodiment of love & light and compassion, manifest."

I recently had an experience where people were not very kind to me or to each other.  I wondered why they were like that.  Then, I met their manager.  He was not nice to any one.  When people say that influence comes from the top, “people” were very correct in this case.  

What makes someone be unkind to those around him (or her)?  Is it their home life?  Is it that they think acting mean makes them powerful?  Or, is it that they don’t like people in general?  What ever the reason, I like to think that most people are kind and that most people want to help others.

Blessings,

Judy

Lion on Love

                

One of my friends sent me this picture.  I looked at it, and thought it was great, and then deleted it.  Then, when I was “Stumbling”, I came across the picture again.  Again, I thought it was great, and hit the button to move past it.  Everything moved, and then shifted back to the picture.  Ah!  I realized that I was being given this picture for a reason.

I sat with the picture and meditated.  I used the mantra, Loving Kindness, to relax and move into that place of peace and stillness.  I was hovering in that place where thoughts come up to you, and you simply wave them away, without really seeing them.  And then a much larger, dark figure walked into my meditation silence.  He coughed to draw attention to himself.  I looked at him, and said, “Can I help you?”

The Lion moved into my consciousness, fully, and said he had some information for me.  I settled back and said that I would be glad to hear it.  He began speaking.

“We often hear in the great whispers that go around through the air, that you two leggeds do not think that we love.  Love, as we understand it, is when you totally commit to protect and to honour those charges around you; that you realize that without them, you would feel lost and perhaps incomplete.  We lions love absolutely in the nature of our kind. 

We are different than two leggeds because we do not intentionally plan treachery – to hurt or to kill – the ones we love.  WE work to protect them. 

And, so it is that we are different.  We say to you, “judge us not as dumb beasts”.”

                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Blessings,

Judy

Sheep Says Count Your Blessings

 

Picture of sheep comes from www.animalspapper.com

Last night, I could not sleep!  I tossed and turned, and I tried all of the different mediations, breathing exercises, and mind calming techniques that I knew. (And, I know a lot!)  At 3:00pm, I finally tried counting sheep.  

I saw a path, with me sitting on the fence, counting the sheep as the sheep filed by in single file.  I was on sheep number 15, and waiting for sheep number 16 to appear.  She walked up the path, and stopped and looked at me, and began to talk.

“Why are you sitting on that fence counting sheep?  Why don’t you come and walk with us out to the pasture.  Why don’t you enjoy nature instead of simply sitting perched like a bird?  Does counting sheep really make you feel sleepy?  Don’t we all look lovely and white? We get better colours when we walk in dream time with people.  Yes, you are dreaming – you are actually in that in between state, between true awake and true sleep.”  

And she paused for a breath and started again.

“There are four hundred and forty-three sheep in this flock.  Our job is to help people fall asleep.  We all signed up for this task because it is one of great service, and by being in service, we sheep are all allowing our souls to evolve – some of us faster than the human souls, I might add.  This is a fun job. We see all sorts of people around the world that have this particular past time.  We do not often get to Africa, China, Russia or South America.  We used to be confined to Europe, and then to parts of North America.  I have been to the Alps, the Andes, the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, and even to the depths of the Pacific and the Atlantic to work my special brand of magic sleep!  

You humans are so funny.  Sometimes we have a good chuckle at your experiences that cause you not to sleep.  Everything has happened before, and everything will happen again.  Everything that happens to you has happened to one of us in the flock, at one  time.  What we dream time sheep have learned to do is to look at each of you humans and your experiences, and then bless you and your experience.  That blessing is actually part of the magic that we work.  When you are feeling low, we suggest that you count your blessings.  

Do you know that a blessing is anything that benefits you?  It may be food, water, a hug, finding a penny, listening to music or meeting someone incredibly gifted like all of us sheep.   If you move through the blessings, and count them, you will find that you have so many in a day, that you simply take them for granted.  It is the nature of this world to provide you with blessings.  Blessings are bestowed out of love.  Why don’t you try counting your blessings now?  Sleep child!”

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It seems to me that the dream Sheep are extraordinary, and are actually Spirit Animals assigned to work with us.

Blessings,

Judy

Archangel Michael’s Message

 Most beloveds! I AM Archangel Michael.  I joyously greet you as you move through this time of change and self realization.  So many of you are being called to look deep inside yourself to see those events in your life that you have labelled as “wrongs done to you”.  You are being called to see them in a new light – the same light or perspective that we have of you – as though you were all players on a big movie screen.  You know that when you watch a movie, only part of the action is visible at one time.  Now, you are seeing the whole picture around the event that is in question.  You see that perhaps there was no wrong intended.  You see that you took it upon yourself to create the wrong and live by that moment.  You have created a world that is false.

All of you have done this over and over in your lives.  You have created this world so that you could learn lessons that would help your spiritual growth and so that you would understand the ranges of emotion, and the depth of cleansing that the I AM presence offers to each of you upon your return to infinity.  Each soul has a chance to move to that place of unconditional love for those that seek to harm the vessel (human body).  There is no place like it (Earth).  

So, instead of looking out ward to those around you for validation of who you are, look inward.  Look past all the abuse that you have placed upon yourself, and see yourself for the pure, bright, white light that you are.  See the magnificence of your journey, even though there were those who tried to stop you and send you home early.  Know that you have been honoured by your soul group, by your angels, and by those beings that watch your journey.  Healing is something that is best done from the inside, and not from the outside.  Nature – the beasts, birds, fish, and reptiles, do not have someone come and sit over them to heal them.  They find a safe place to heal themselves, or, they perish.  In that perishing, they are then reborn to take the lesson again to understand that choice makes a difference.

So too for each of you is choice an important lesson.  Choose to  heal, or not.  Choose to love, or not.  Choose to be generous, or not.  Choose to be grateful, or not.  It is your choices, and not what others do to you that makes the difference.  Peace is found inside your heart, not outside.  Those that have peaceful hearts may be in a noisy football stadium and be at peace.  This life that you are in is a “how to expand awareness” lesson on a grand scale.  Do be grateful.  Do not close yourself to the beauty and abundance around you.  Each of you deserve the best.

                              ***********

Blessings,

Judy

Betrayal

The poster says:  In every life….. for every love….. with every trust….. there is a risk of BETRAYAL.  -Part of the poster for the movie called “Betrayal” based on a Harold Pinter play.

So often in life, we feel betrayed or wronged because we expected someone to behave in a certain way, and then they do something that hurts us. The many meanings of the word include -disloyalty, sell-out (informal), deception, treason, treachery, trickery, duplicity, double-cross (informal), double-dealing, breach of trust, perfidy, unfaithfulness, falseness, and inconstancy (from www.thefreedictionary.com).  

The word means “be + traitor”. Generally, the traitor is someone close to you.  The BIG question is always, “Why did the other person betray me?”  The answer is, “It is all about power, and making themselves look good at the expense of others.”  Some psychologists say that betrayal is about jealousy. I believe that it is about causing pain for the other person.  Of course, the karma returns to hit the betrayer immediately.  When others see that the betrayer has betrayed once, then other people are very careful not to get to close to the betrayer because they expect him/her to betray again.

For the one that is betrayed, the question becomes, “How do I learn to love/trust again?  You do not need to learn – you already know how.  What is required is to get past the fear, and realize that the issue of feeling betrayed is real? One must honour the feeling, and then, let it go! One does not need to hang on to the feeling.

Blessings,

Judy

Touch The Earth

Humans, and mothers especially, have a love-hate relationship with dirt.  Yet, dirt grows what we eat.  The minerals in it are part of us.  We need it!  Sometimes, the quickest way to ground absolutely is to touch the earth.  Sometimes, getting down in the mud brings a relief to a time filled with stress, grief, and worry.  

So, today, if you are having a difficult time with family, work, relationships with friends or lovers, go and find some dirt.  it will make you feel better. 

Blessings,

Judy

Love With Actions

This poster says:  Let us not love with words or speech….but with actions and truth.

Well, this poster says it all!  Of course, our Ancestors have always said that actions speak louder than words.  They also say that love is the way.  Strangely, those caught up in material growth and wealth never seem to find time for love.  And, by their actions, they show us just how empty they are.  

Love fills you up!  You do not need to eat, drink, or buy to fill the craving that emptiness brings.   Finding that love is not something that you need to go on a quest to find, although I will say that quests are fun.  No, the loving is right inside you.

Today is a good day to rummage around in your body and find the love.

Blessings,

Judy

April 1 For Love and Fools

“Spring Palomino Colt” from Microsoft Clip Art    

                                                  This is what we call “April Fool’s Day”.  Yet, to our Ancestors, this was the day for “Love”.  Romans, Greeks, and Norse-Germanic traditions celebrated the goddesses of love, sexuality, orchards and growing things, and water.  

This day symbolically represented the day of planting. It was, therefore, necessary to have the Blessings of the Goddesses, for the second Universal Law is “all creation comes from the female”.  Women offered fires and incenses and wine to the Goddesses Aphrodite, Venus, Freya, and Hathor (Egyptian).  In return, the women wanted a blessing on love, family, birthing, and joy for the next part of their life.  In some cases, women might even court the man to let him know they were interested, and then drop him, so that he, in turn, would court her.  

It was this day that made fools out of lovers, and lovers out of strangers, for sometimes, the Goddess would sprinkle potions on the food and drink of the humans.  It was a day that nothing serious should happen except for the extolling of the virtues of one’s beloved.  

April is also the time of the pairing of birds (love birds is the nickname for this time of year), and the building of nests. Baby animals are either present or on their way.  This is the month of the “Budding Trees” Full Moon. Planting begins and is sometimes completed during the month.  

May your April bring newness to your life!

Blessings,

Judy

Love Is In All Beings

 

 

Horse on its mum's lap
Some pictures just don't need captions.
There is nothing like Mum's lap no matter who you are. 

This is a newborn offspring of Taskin, a Gypsy Stallion owned by Villa Vanners of Oregon ..
These pictures were taken immediately after his birth on April 6.   The mare lay down, and then he trotted around and crawled right up into her lap

 

 

 

One of my friends knows how much I like animals. She has gifted me with a set of animal pictures that are amazing!

There are some BIG messages in these actions.

1. All beings on Earth are capable of love.
2. Love is about acceptance, caring, responsibility, and freedom.
3. All beings do better with love.
4. Every being does better with a hug!

Blessings,

Judy

Keep Smiling

The poster says:  Sometimes all it takes is a SMILE to make everything better!

Reason to Smile

-by  Lendl Ian Servillon

How can one smile such sweet smiles, 
When one is so saddened by sorrows for miles, 
How can I smile the same smiles, 
When life brings me nothing but tears, 
I wondered for so long, 
What reason you had to smile that long, 
To keep smiling though troubles come, 
And still remain sweet and silently overcome, 
It's such a mystery to me, 
Your smiles from heaven with glee, 
I adore and yet envy thee, 
But I'd rather you smile those at me, 
I feel happy when I see you smile, 
Even if I'm sad and lonely, 
Your smiles bring me somewhere, 
I don't even know where, 
But it was you, 
You gave me the reason to smile, 
To smile with no reason, 
To smile for a smile, 
I guess life is just like that, 
We need not a reason to smile, 
For a smile is the reason itself, 
To rejoice and open-heartedly give thanks, 
I learned to smile because of you, 
Because your smiles bring me joy when blue, 
It proves how well and powerful, 
A simple sweet smile can become so beautiful, 
Smile for the sake of a smile, 
Smile for the sake of happiness, 
Smile for the sake of life, 
Smile because of hope left in life, 
Smile my friends, 
Smile for me my Love, 
Smile those same sweet smiles, 
Smile so the world can be a peaceful dove... 

**** 

Dear friends, 

Smiling is the best medicine. 

Blessings, 

Judy 

Gopher It!

Sometime this week, you will be given a chance to do something different, something you would not ordinarily do.  It might be the rekindling of a great love, or the opportunity to work in a different career and still use the skills that you have accumulated over the years.  Or, it might be the chance to move to a different city, province, or country.  The Gopher’s guidance is…”Go for it!”   Nothing happens unless you make a choice to change your life.   Gopher knows that no matter how far you “dig” to try and change your life, much of life happens by being in the right place at the right time.  Some call this coincidence.  In Science, a coincidence is when two rays of light strike a surface at the same place at the same point of time.  Sounds like the Universe sending light, doesn’t it?  Moreover, Science refers to this event as non-casual.  In other words, there are not any events that lead up to it.

So, if you see a Gopher, or several Gophers, or, if you see a lightening strike, know that the Universe is giving you some warning that something unusual is about to happen.  It is up to you to choose to accept the gift, or not.

Blessings,

Judy

Valentine’s Day 2025

Check out the amazing ways to celebrate Valentine's Day, even if you are single, or, by yourself for Valentine's Day.  This wondeful posting was on www.Gogratitude.org. 

#1: Hug a Tree
Appreciate Nature. Go hiking. Surround yourself in
the great outdoors. Soak up the beautiful energies
of Mother Earth. She has a heartbeat. Tune into it.
Express your Love and Gratitude for all the blessings
the Earth bestows you.
Then listen. Who knows? She may have a message for you.

#2: Sit Under the Stars and Appreciate the Cosmos
We live in a vast Universe. Contemplating the Infinite
need not make us feel small.
With love in our hearts, we remember our Connection
to All-That-Is. And recognize we are THAT too, the
realization of which fills our soul with the WONDER of
the Mystery.

#3: Express Appreciation to Your Beloveds
Expand the traditional sense of Valentine's Day Love
to include all your Beloveds. Your kindred. Your soul-
mates. Your friends. Your family. Your children. Your
parents. Your animal companions.
Make it a point to consider what you most appreciate
from those closest to you. Then make sure to express it.
Face to face. Or call them up. Or email them. Or text them.
Or write them a note.

#4: Hug Your Self
Love your Self. Appreciate your Self. Feel deep compassion
for your Self. This is probably the most important thing any
of us could do on Valentine's day and every other day.
For it is only as we Love, accept and honor ourselves -
ego shadows and all - that we can truly love and uplift others. 

I love this.  I love that we need to do self care, and that we can show our appreciation to ourselves.  It is time!

Blessings,

Judy

Love and Conservation

 

In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught." – Baba Dioum

Rachel Carson

"The real wealth of the Nation lies in the resources of the earth - soil, water, forests, minerals, and wildlife.

This poster says:  Without love of the land, conservation lacks meaning or purpose, for only in a deep and inherent feeling for the land can ther be dedication in preserving it.

I am writing this post because I just learned that the Alberta Conservative Government has just opened up the Rocky Mountains for more coal mines.  When we are to be conserving emissions, this seems like a counter productive move as well as allowing more of the natural habitat of animals to be destroyed.  It makes me sad.

Blessings,

Judy

Positive Affirmations For Your Life

Picture taken by Judy Hirst at Elbow Falls in summer 2024.

Saturday

February-1-2025

I have great inner strength. 

 

I am living my most blissful life.

 

I enjoy immersing myself in nature. 

 

I am feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

 

I am in a state of profound contentment. 

 

I spend my time doing what I love.

 

Joy is flowing into my life. 

 

I invite a greater sense of balance into my life.

From the site - https://www.dailymotivation.site/affirmations/?utm_source=dailymotivationsite.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=feb-1-2025-what-is-stonewalling-6-signs-8-causes-tips-to-promote-open-communication&_bhlid=dec498738272080a847521b61bfe5730f383d887

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I sometimes get behind in reading my email.  I get daily updates from the site - Daily Motivation - and I love the positive words that the site shares with us.

The affirmations above were sent out on February 1, 2025 but I did not read them until today.  My bad.  I am sharing them with you so that you can pick the affirmations that speak to you and so that you can add them to your life, if you want.

Each day, I look to find an affirmation that speaks to me and that helps me make sense of something going on in my life in a positive way.

Enjoy the journey!

Blessings,

Judy

Compassion For All

The poster reads, “Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike, each has their suffering.” - Buddha

I am seeing more people go out of their way to help others.  Still, many people try to put down others, one-up the people around them, and compete with others.  These actions are not the way of love and compassion.

I wish for you to find tolerance for others, kindness for all, and compassion for those having trouble.

Blessings,

Judy

A Prayer For Being Grateful

 I was walking through the park, and my thoughts turned to the idea of being grateful.  I am grateful for everything, even the tough things that challenge my faith in a compassionate world, filled with love and laughter.  I heard someone say, very far away, “Take it back to the basics!” 

Immediately, I knew that meant that one needs to be grateful for all the basic things in life – food, shelter, clothing – all the things in Maslow’s needs hierarchy.   And then the Angels, in their mysterious way, directed me to this wonderful prayer.   

I share it now with you.

 

May We Be Grateful

We are blessed today, with enough to eat,
May we be grateful.
We are blessed with clothes to wear,
May we be grateful.
We are blessed with shelter from the elements,
May we be grateful.
We are very well blessed today.
May we remember that there are many people
who do not have these blessings.
May we be grateful enough to help others when we can.

Copyright Abby Willowroot 2008

Many blessings,

Judy

My Connection to Polar Bear

                         Picture is from Wikipedia - Polar Bear in the Arctic

While writing this, I was listening to "Unto The Burning Circle" by Andreas Vollenweider

Polar Bear north of Churchill from https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/polar-bear

  In my blogs, I talk about about many topics connected to spirituality. Each topic reflects something that is going on in my life.  Therefore, I truly enjoy writing about animals since the ANIMALS are such a large part of my life. 

The Polar Bear has been receiving a lot of attention recently.  Polar Bear, however, has been a part of my life since 1972.  That is the year that I went to work with Hudson Bay Northern Stores.  The clerical work that I did was for the Northern Stores in Churchill, Lynn Lake and north in Manitoba, Northern Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario. 

In the winter, the Store Managers, Trainees, and sometimes District Managers from our office in Winnipeg travelled back and forth.  Many of the residents from the north would come and visit at my desk.  They always had great stories of encounters with polar bears, arctic wolves, arctic foxes, and whales and seals and walruses.  As they realized that I really loved to hear stories of polar bears, they began to snap pictures of the animals and send them off to me in the next batch of books to be analysed.  I began to get several pictures a month during the winter. I kept some of the pictures, however, the earlier photographic paper does yellow over time, and does not stand up to much handling.  

Pictures like this one, of a mother and cubs were common.  This picture comes from www.nwf.org.  

The point of the story is that when an animal shows up over and over in your life, especially from an early age, a Shaman says that this is one of Power Animals.  A Power Animal both shows an aspect of your self as well as showing an external source of power that is always available to you.

At the time that I was meeting Polar Bear for the first time, I did not realize the implications of the true power of this Bear.  Polar Bear is truly a specialist in the North - the colour, the ability to hunt all prey in such a camouflaged way as to be invisible, and the great speed - send a message that I did not "get" until a couple of years ago. I think that I am still learning some of it.

What Polar Bear did for me during the time that I worked at Northern Stores was create a love for all things Northern, and a great sadness that the company that I worked for was sponsoring hunters to kill the animals of the North for their fur.  I realized that I did not want to be part of that culture and within the year of starting my job, I began taking night classes at University to become something else.  

One of the messages that I received from Polar Bear, in a retrospective look at my life, was to move away from being somebody without a goal or a specific purpose.  Polar Bear was a BIG motivating factor in moving into Education and then into Accounting, and finally specializing in Accounting Software.  

The other thing that Polar Bear did was make sure that I was with the perfect mate.  When I met the guy that is now my husband, one of the things that impressed me was that he had a picture of two Polar Bears playing.  That picture hung in our bedroom for many years.  It is now in our guest room.

I wish you happiness and days of playing!

Blessings,

Judy

The Message About Family and Percy Jackson

I finished reading the five book set of “Percy Jackson and The Olympians” by Rick Riordan, and I was left with some questions.  Now, I loved these books.  They were, however, written for children.  There was so much in the books, I wondered why the message had been targeted to that age group.  Whenever I have questions like this, I ask my Angels.  Here is what they said…

“ Dearest beloved!  You are familiar with the phrase, “History repeats itself!” and with that idea, Rick Riordan was given information from Earth’s history – your ancestral history – to use to shape into ideas that youth would understand today.  There are several messages in this work:

• Love is better than anger.  
• Anger and grudges held over time become very destructive.  
• When one does something out of anger and fear, it will rebound on them. 
• Families who turn against one another will destroy the family. 
• Family violence may turn outward and involve many people, and may eventually escalate into a war.

How many wars were started by family feuds?  Sometimes it is the responsibility of the children to heal the wounds of the parents.”

I see the wisdom in teaching the children those things that have been difficult to teach adults.  Perhaps if enough children read these books, that will change.

Blessings,

Judy