Along highway 93, one can pull off the road, and spend some time beside a stream or river, or small lake, and contemplate the peace.
With the peace, the beauty of the Earth shines out like a gift on one’s birthday. Sunlight, warmth, and many elementals work with you to bring down the state of tension in your body.
Use this picture as a focal point for your meditation and see where it takes you. Send me comments to tell me about your journey.
Blessings,
Judy
Over the last while, when I am out with my dog in the park or the neighbourhood, we see a jack rabbit, running through the grass. Rabbit bounds around us, and my dog wants to run with Rabbit.
Rabbit shares these thoughts with us:
I thanked Rabbit for sharing her thoughts.
Many blessings,
Judy
Here is a lovely prayer to use for Thanksgiving if you are looking for something new to share with family or friends.
The Canticle of the Creatures
Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, honor and blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong;
no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.
We praise You, Lord, for all Your creatures,
especially for Brother Sun, who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
of You Most High, he bears your likeness.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.
We praise You, Lord, for Brothers Wind and Air,
fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Water,
so useful, humble, precious and pure.
We praise You, Lord, for Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night.
He is beautiful, playful, robust, and strong.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Earth,
who sustains us
with her fruits, colored flowers, and herbs.
We praise You, Lord, for those who pardon,
for love of You bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
by You Most High, they will be crowned.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in their sins!
Blessed are those that She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.
We praise and bless You, Lord, and give You thanks,
and serve You in all humility.
Written by St. Francis of Assisi
Blessings,
Judy
This picture looks like the parks around our area. October comes in, and the leaves change colour. The changes are reflected in life around us. I have so many friends that are changing – locations, houses, spouses, jobs, and even careers. This year is the year of shedding the things that do not work in our lives.
I see the changes that are happening too, in the world. I see people working to unlock the secrets that are supposed to protect us, the people, because we will panic. When information is kept from us, it means that someone else’s ego is working overtime, saying that they as a person or as a group of people are better than the rest of us. I am grateful to the folks who think it is time to end secrets and end corruption. Change is good. It is hard and takes effort, but it is good.
Here is a lovely poem by Robert Frost that talks about the changes in Nature. Enjoy.
October
by Robert Frost
O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if the were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--
For the grapes' sake along the all.
****************
Blessings,
Judy
A popular tattoo for both men and women is the image of a swallow. Some like the stylized version which is more symbolic. Here is a design that I like.
I began to wonder why Swallow was such a popular choice for tattoos, and why so many people say “Swallow” when you ask them to name a bird.
Some of the reasons that Swallow has such a following are:
Most gardeners love Swallow and build or buy big Swallow Houses for the Swallows to live in while they are in the north. The benefit is that Swallow eats so many insects, including mosquitoes.
Swallow has played a role in our belief systems because of the various legends told about it. If Swallow is hanging out around you, it is a good thing, and she will bring you blessings.
Many blessings,
Judy
As I study Buddhism in its several faces, I am constantly in wonder at how simple the concepts are and how difficult it is to embrace the concept and put it to full practice in one’s life.
This simple story will explain what I mean. It is called “Mind At Ease”, and talks about how we can put our heart at ease. Does this seem contrary to the title? Well, Buddhism is a series of koans. A koan is a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning. This definition comes from wordnetweb.princeton.edu. So, here is the story!
Sometimes, trying to understand a koan is like trying to catch the Sun! Picture from Microsoft Clip Art
Mind At Ease
It was a dark, snowy and windy night. Hui Ko, the Second Patriarch of Zen Sect in China, went to see Master Bodhidharma.
Hui Ko asked, "Could you please teach me the supreme Buddhist Dharma?"
The Master said, "You can't learn the Dharma from others."
Hui Ko said, "I have trying to search for Dharma myself, but in vain. My heart is unsettled. My mind is ill-at-ease. Master, please pacify my heart for me."
The Master replied, "Give me your heart and I'll try to calm it down for you."
After pondering for a long time, Hui Ko said, "I have been searching for my heart, but I cannot find it."
Bodhidharma said instantly, "Now, I have comforted your heart already."
Hui Ko was enlightened all of a sudden. It is impossible to show the heart as its existence is only an illusion. The whole process of the creation and cessation of the heart, or the mind, is also an illusion.
When we are void of the illusion, the 'heart' is not there at all. Without any attachment, the pure Buddha's nature is revealed. The mind is finally at ease.
*************
What do you learn from this story? Is is something that you can share with all of us?
Many blessings,
Judy
Meerkat picture from www.irishviews.com
Is the third time the charm? I am about to find out as I try again to connect with Meerkat to receive her message.
Meerkat pops up beside me and snuggles in. She seems to be more comfortable with me than vice versa. I find her quite comforting. She sighs, and then begins to speak.
“We are so much like you humans and yet you know very little about us. I find that rather disturbing. We have many of your traits – politics, breeding practices, pup and elder care, and survival tactics. We originally came up from the depths of the Earth. We are some of the life forms that went underground when there were difficulties in the air and ground, difficulties that have re-emerged. We have learned to burrow underground and to build safe nests deep enough to avoid having to be poisoned by the air.
As the food above us died, we moved downward in search of food that we could eat. We found that others had also moved downward. We became hunter and prey. We learned the value of cooperation. We learned to be respectful of our resources and therefore to adjust our numbers to the food that could support us.
We watch you now and wonder why you fight against the obvious laws of nature. We wonder why you are destroying that which gives you life. There is nothing that you can produce with all of your machines that is as wonderful as what She Who Feeds Us All can provide.
We have black masks because our eyes are still sensitive to the light. We find the blackness dulls the glare of the Sun. It seems however, that humans find our mask fearful. We are part of the issue of fear or darkness that humans have to deal with. We are therefore, part of your path – just as you are part of our path. The easiest strategy to cope with fear is to meet it head on, much as we do. We wish you well.
Blessings,
Judy
Picture from Wikipedia
I am fortunate because I live close to a provincial park and close to the Bow River. The Bow is world wide known as a great place to catch trout. The other day, I was out walking with a friend and we watched for trout in the shallows. We did not see any. Later, when I was doing my meditation, the following came up.
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Rainbow trout swims into your life if you are feeling over run by emotions. Right now, with all of the Earth energy moving around and realigning, we are feeling emotional and often slightly depressed.
Trout tells us that life is good, and it is about swimming against the current to stay alive and keep the species going. Trout goes on to say:
In January 2024, we had abnormally high temperatures ranging from plus 4C all the way to plus 15C. This weather has confused the animals and birds. Here is what bear has to say.
Picture is from an email from a friend.
Great Bear comes out of his den early, and sees the ground covered with snow. He pauses. He says that the seasons of the Earth and the seasons of the Bear are no longer in synch. By Bear’s calendar, it is time for him to wake up. The agreement is that The Spirit of Mother Earth will have food available when Bear wakes up. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is not happening. Yes, there is some green sprigs of grass in places. However, the insects are still buried deep in the bark and the ground.
Bear notices the movement of the Sun. Many Moons ago, Bear could predict where the Sun would be in the sky, and could plan his route around his territory. In his mind map of the terrain, he could mark the far boundary by the Sun’s position. Now, he cannot. Sometimes the Sun seems to bounce around the sky. Sometimes, it seems like there are two Suns, superimposed on one another. Bear also feels the pull of the Sun – it has extraordinary strength. This has caused Bear to be pulled to be outside, and not underground.
As Bear rambles, looking for food, he remembers that there was rumbling in the Earth while he slept in his cave. The rumbling is new, like the mountain is restless. As Bear swings his head around, he senses too, that the birds are moving, heading North, even though this seems early. Bear grunts to himself and wonders if all the land is now in movement.
Many blessings,
Judy
After a long span of winter with cold temperatures and lots of snow, all of us in the North look to February to signal a change in the weather. The first really warm rays of sun hit us and we feel better for the sun on our face.
February is a time of Peacefulness when we know that the worst of the weather is most often behind us and we start looking at our seed catalogues for ideas for the garden and for the flower beds.
It is a time where it is easy to close your eyes and sink into peaceful meditation as you contemplate the beauty of Nature. An easy mantra to use is:
Nature surrounds me and protects me.
Nature heals me.
Nature supports me to be me!
Blessings.
Judy
When we were out for our walk at Christmas, my dog and I were regaled by five Blue Jays, sitting at the tops of pine trees and nearby shrubs. Their song sounded like “get ready, get ready, it’s here”, and it sounded like they were speaking of spring. Or, maybe they meant that the days were now getting longer.
As we continued our walk, I could see the Sun shining through the trees, and it looked like the Sun had gotten bigger. I remembered what I read from a mystic’s channelling – to pay attention to the Sun because it knows what it is doing. And then I remembered that one of the legends about the Blue Jay. The Blue Jay has its colour from flying back and forth between the Earth and the Heavens and that Creator gave it the colour, blue, to represent all the truth that it carried.
This made me think that Blue Jay was once again carrying the truth of great energies hitting the Earth, and that Blue Jay was telling all humans to prepare for the onslaught of light.
Many blessings,
Judy
The Once and Future Stars of Andromeda
Credit and Copyright: ESA/Herschel/ PACS/SPIRE/J.Fritz(U.Gent) / XMM-Newton/EPIC/W.Pietsch(MPE)
The Angels say that the spiral of life can be found every where on Earth, as well as out in the stars. They say that our Ancestors could travel great distances without compasses because they could read directions in the stars, even though the paths were spiralling around the Earth.
To our Ancestors, following the stars meant that one received clear direction about which way to travel. And, when they could not see the stars, the people stayed put. The one constant in life, beside the Sun rising and setting and the Moon lighting up the night, was the stars, and where they appeared.
The Angels tell us now that if we follow the stars, and look at where they were ten and then five years ago compared to where they are now, that something has shifted. It could be that the entire Universe has shifted, or, it could be that the Earth has shifted orbit. The stars tell us that all is going a new direction. This is not good or bad, simply different. That means that there are no precedents about what may happen. Each day is brand new, ready to be opened like a big envelope full of newsy letters.
This is a time to follow the stars.
Many blessings,
Judy
Picture comes from an email so the source is not known
My dream time is always very active. From time to time, Dolphin comes in to teach me or show me a different way to do things. This blog is about Dolphins for all those folks that dream about Dolphin.
Dolphins have been called the “Ambassadors of the Oceans” because they are so friendly and love to play around ships, boats, and even swimmers. They more truly should be called the Messengers Of the Oceans” because when Dolphin shows up, she comes to lead a ship through treacherous waters, or help out a sailor, or do some healing work.
When Dolphin shows up in dream time, then these may be some of the messages that she brings.
This picture of an owl comes from an email so the source is unknown.
Owl is a night-time creature so we do not expect to see it during the day. However, when Owl has pressing messages, she will fly at any time. Owl has these messages to share.
“Owls have very good vision. It is time to practice improving your vision. Do not look only ahead. Look to the sides. Increase the flexibility of your neck and shoulders, and learn to look behind you. What comes up behind you is as important as what is ahead.”
“Owls sit in the branches of trees and watch the ground to spot tasty morsels to eat. This is also a good way to observe the patterns of animal life on the ground. Take time to get up high or to step back ten paces from your life so that you can see your daily routine objectively. What is it that you do over and over that gives you no pleasure and no gain? Why do you do it? What old pattern drives this? Think about what you can do differently.”
“Owls operate best at night and in the early morning because that is our high energy time. Do you shun the night and the early morning? This is the high energy time for humans too. You feel the pull of the Sun and the pull of the stars and planets. This is the time to gather the energy of peace. Try changing your routine for three months to see when you feel like you have more energy and will. Do you feel better on your current routine or getting up earlier, for example, at 5:30am?”
Blessings,
Judy
I have been having several conversations around energy, with different people over the last two weeks. Some people maintain that they cannot feel energy. Others – healers – say that they meet with much resistance to the energy work that they do. And, there are those who post anonymous vicious comments about various healers and energy workers. The events started me thinking about how differently people can feel energy.
Picture of energy flying up from US… from www.lockheedmartin.com
From the time we are born, we can feel the energy of our mother’s love or disapproval. As children, we feel the energy of the relationship between our parents. And, we feel the energy of the warmth of the Sun, that, by the way, is traveling about 93 million miles to touch our skin. This means that we can feel energy from afar, and that energy that is created at a distance, can travel and effect a change in the person that it hits.
From a healer’s point of view, this means that distance healing is real, and that it does work. Even though the person receiving the healing energy cannot see the healer create the energy, the process is like the sun creating energy and sending it out. No one actually sees the Sun create the energy, however, over time, everyone on the planet agrees that the energy is real.
If the energy that the Sun sends out is real, then, by application of logic, all stars and planets send out energy. This is particularly true of the Moon, the closest celestial object to Earth. The Moon does not send out the same type of warmth as the Sun. However, if you go and stand outside for an hour under a full moon, then you too will feel the energy. The Moon is an average of 239,000 miles from the Earth according to www.nasa.gov. So, the effects of the energy of the Moon should be stronger than the Sun, because it is closer.
Mosaic of the near side of the moon as taken by the Clementine star trackers. The images were taken on March 15, 1994. In this view, north is up. The bright crater near the bottom of the image is the Tycho. www.nasa.gov
We already know that the Moon’s energy has an influence on Earth because wise men, philosophers, and now modern day scientists have proven that the Moon’s energy affects the winds and the tides. Medical people will tell you that the Moon’s energy also affects many people, causing anxiety, sleeplessness, and even profound personality changes.
So if the energy of the Moon can cause physical and mental or emotional changes in people, why is it difficult to believe that people can cause energetic changes in other people? Again, a behaviourist will tell you that the energy of the “one bad apple” person in a work environment or class room will often quickly change the energy of the other people in the area, bringing them down to that energy level. The same is true of the energy of a very charismatic leader or speaker. The energy in the room, and of the people, will rise to that level.
Again, if we have this kind of proof that the energy of one person can affect the energy of another, why do so many people discount energy healing?
Many blessings,
Judy
This is also the time that we prepare Mother Earth for her winter sleep. Traditionally, farmers harvest their fields, and then bale the straw for animal use, or, plough it under. At the same time, they are preparing for the next crop.
Here are two meditations to use for doing some self work at autumnal equinox.
Releasing a Habit
What are you doing to prepare for the winter? For the next crop? When you are sitting in meditation, why not release one bad habit that plagues you? These are the “weeds” of our lives. 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.
Healing Mother Earth
When the Universe/Great Spirit does something good for us, then we need to reciprocate. This is called “The Law of Reciprocity”, and means that we balance the energy by doing something good ourselves. In this meditation, you will need a candle, and a comfortable spot to meditate. Light the candle. Then, create sacred space by calling in the Angels to be with you and keep you safe while you do sacred work. Now sit in front of the candle, with the candle a comfortable distance from your eyes, and express to the Universe that you will be working on healing a part of Mother Earth. Close your eyes, and think of the one place that you know of that bothers you because it may need so much healing. It may be a park, a play ground, someone’s yard, a beach, a forest, or anything that you know of. Now open your eyes, Stare at the flame, and hold the image of the place that needs healing. Next, in your mind’s eye, start the process of cleaning up the site, and replacing it with grass or trees, or what ever it needs to make it healthy. Stay with this process until the site is completely healthy looking. Now, feel the energy that arises in you from working with the Universe to co-create this beautiful place. Give thanks for this opportunity to work with Mother Earth. Release sacred space.
Blessings,
Judy
Several people have asked me for examples of how clearing karma in this life time works. I am sharing a story about the experience that I had eleven years ago when my husband and I were going to experience a medicine wheel.
Years ago, we visited the Sun Dial Medicine Wheel and I was grateful that I knew how to clear karma. You see, I was quite resistant to going to the medicine wheel, and I did not know why. I just knew that something dreadful would happen.
I let this emotion build and build and I talked myself out of going several times. Finally, common sense kicked in and I realized that there must be some reason for the reluctance to go to the medicine wheel.
I sat in meditation one night, and asked why I had this issue. I heard that I needed to clear Karma using the guidance of the Angels of Karma. I have a great meditation for this purpose and I sat in meditation.
The first story that needed clearing was that several thousand years ago, I was a Medicine Man working with my tribe at the medicine wheel. At the end of our ceremony, the sky went dark for three days because of an eclipse. At that time, the Earth turned more slowly. My tribe believed that I had stopped the Sun. They thought that no one should have that power, and they killed me. Coincidently, the Sun returned after they killed me, and the People believed that they had done the right thing.
There were several more stories that were similar in that I died near or because of the medicine wheel.
When I cleared the energy of imbalance around these stories, my body relaxed and I was able to travel to the wheel, and to enjoy.
Many blessings,
Judy
One of my young friends loves otters! She identifies with their swimming, their playfulness, and their resourcefulness.
She wanted to know an old story of the otters. The following Cree legend is for her.
*****
As the story is told, in the days when the earth was new and there were no men but only animals, the sun was far away in the sky. It was so far away that there was no summer. It was so far away that the trees and the grasses did not grow as they should.
He-Who-Made-the-Animals saw how it was that there was not enough sun to heat the earth, and so he fashioned a snare. The Sun did not see the snare in his path, walked into the snare, and the snare held him fast.
Then the sun was close to the earth. In fact, the snare held the sun so close to the earth that there was no night. Day after day the sun shown and the earth dried and the grasses withered. There was not enough food or water for the animals and they desperately called a council.
"Sun," the animals said, "You give too much heat to the earth."
"Set me free from this snare" the Sun said, "and I will go away."
"But if you go away, then there will not be enough heat."
"Set me free," the Sun said, "and I will come to the edge of the earth in the morning and in the evening; then at noon-time I will stand straight above the earth and warm it then."
The animals sat around the council fire and they said, "Who is going to set the sun free?"
"I shall not do it," Wildcat said. "Whoever sets the sun free must go so close to the sun that he will be burned to death."
Lynx said, "Whoever sets the sun free must chew the leather thong that holds him; the sun will burn him to death before he can do it."
"I shall not do it," said the deer, the wolf and the raccoon.
"I shall do it," Otter said. "How can you do it?" said the animals. "You are too small, your teeth are for fish, and your fur has already burned away." None of the other animals liked the otter because he played too much. They did not think he was brave.
"Let him try," Bear said. "He will burn to death, but we will not miss him. He is of no use to us. He looks silly now that his fur is gone." The animals laughed.
Ignoring the taunts, the otter set off to the place in the sky above the earth where the sun was held by the snare. Otter took many days to get to the sun. The sun burned him. The sun was so bright, Otter had to close his eyes. When he reached the sun, Otter began to chew on the leather thong that held the sun. His skin was burning and blistering, his eyes were hot stones. But Otter did not stop chewing.
Suddenly he chewed through the leather. The animals saw the sun rise into the sky. The animals felt the cool winds begin to blow on the earth. Otter had freed the sun from the snare.
Time passed. Otter lay in the center of the council ring. There was no fur at all left on his body. His skin was burned and scorched and his flesh was falling off his bones. His teeth were only blackened stumps.
He-Who-Made-the-Animals also stood in the center of the council ring. "Otter," he said, "the animals will not forget what you have done for them. I will see that they do not forget," and he gave Otter new strong teeth, tireless muscles, keen eyesight, and a powerful tail to help him in his hunting and in his play. He did not have to give him bravery. But he gave him new fine fur that was like down on his skin, and a second coat of fur to guard the first so that he would not get cold in water or in winter. Then he gave him joy so that he would always be happy in his otter's life, and Otter has so remained until this day.
Many blessings,
Judy
God is the friend of silence. See how nature... trees, flowers, grass... grows in silence. See the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls.
Mother Teresa
There seems to be an extreme push from the heavens, for all of us to be in silence. Creator seems to be looking to have us experience Oneness. Whether we do this through silent observation, prayer, or meditation, the result will be an expansion of consciousness or awareness, of all that is around us.
Try it!
Blessings,
Judy
