Out of the Blue

Sometimes confusions reigns. 
Thinking straight can be such a struggle.  You look for a clear mental pathway and one think reminds you of another and soon you're following a trail of memories that lead you far from your original purpose. 
Meditation helps.  We know this.  I don't know about you, but I've got a million reasons why I don't meditate.  Excuses, really.  Still, I don't do it much.  Sure, in the dark of night when the werewolves come I lie in my bed and calm myself, relaxing into my body, my circumstance, and investigating my ability to just be.
I find this to be very helpful.  At least it helps me find my way back to sleep, and at best I feel serene and at peace.
I have a friend who does standing meditation.  20 minutes, and working towards more.  It sounds so hard!  If you've tried it, you'll know what I mean.  Arms curved in front of your body, weight on the balls of the feet, eyes closed.  Now relax.  Don't move.  Relax.  20 minutes of fighting gravity and trying to relax.  Not for me.
Still and all, everyone has their own way of connecting with the universe. I don't think there is any "correct" way to go about it.  Connection is the point.  Connection is all.  It feels sooo good to connect with the all-that-is.
Back to my wandering mind.
I was wandering with it one day, feeling confused and out of sorts, and I found this:

It's a plain blue piece of paper.  That's all.  Nothing on it.  I guess the universe didn't want to add to my confusion.  Blue is the color of peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth.  Sounds like meditation is definately being encouranged!

I continued walking toward the ridge, and I saw this in the sky above:

A red tailed hawk was looking for a meal.  He was suspended in this gorgeous blue sky over a forest of trees.  How could he find what he needed, a small morsel of mouse or gopher, in all that greenery?  Well, he knows his life depends upon his doing so, and he also know that he is gifted in this endevor.  He has the eyes to see, the wings to hover and swoop, and the claws that catch. This kind of hunting, impossible for, say, a bear, is easy for him. It's what he does naturally, and I must say he looks incredibly beautiful in the doing of his day's work.

 I realized that my message from the universe today is that we all are uniquely gifted to be living the life we're living.  We don't have to change or "become better people".  We are all we need.  Our only problem is that we don't trust or even acknowledge our gifts. 

People tend to devalue what comes easily to them, yet what comes easily to them is usually their unique gift.

When we realize this, that our gift is whatever we do most easily and naturally, we will feel at peace with ourselves and experience the fearless tranquility that comes with self acceptance. We will face whatever comes to us with calm hearts, for nothing can shake our stability when we live a life in harmony with who we are, in unity with the Universe, full of trust that all is well, and knowing that the truth has set us free. 

And the truth is, we are our best selves, especially when we do what is the easist and most natural thing for ourselves to do whatever the circumstance. Our unvarnished selves are what we have to give, and to give our gift we need do nothing but be. Share your gift.

And Enjoy Yourself,

Love, Kristine

Enjoy What You Have

I was reading today about mediocrity.  This guy, Vince Stone, writes about our cultural obsession with being the best.  We go for the foam finger (We're Number ONE) and feel bad if we aren't "all we can be".  Nike encourages us to "just do it!" and we compete, compete, compete. 
It's exhausting, this pursuit of excellence.  And to what end?  Mostly, we feel frustrated and unhappy with the people we are, the people we have relationships with, the jobs we have, homes we live in, clothes we wear, food we eat, restaurants we go to, movies we watch, etc, etc.  He says that he supports being "mediocre".  He encourages us to "embrace your inner mediocrity".  Don't try to be better.  Be the person you are.
Vince Stone is a voice for contentment. 
Contentment. 
Sounds wonderful, doesn't it.  It's a word you don't hear too much.  "I'm content" seems like another way of saying "I'm resigned to the way things are".  It almost sounds like giving up.
It's not, though.  It's acceptance with who you are and more, it's a celebration of who you are.  "I'm Content" means "I wouldn't change a thing.  I like myself just as I am.  I like where I am, who I am, and who I'm with.  Maybe my life doesn't look like I thought it would, but it suits the person I am.  Changes will come, and I intend to be content with the changes, whatever they are. I believe that the changes that come are needful, and that I don't need to worry about them. I trust that whatever happens will be to my good. I'm content with my lot in life, for I believe there's a place for me, just as I am, in this world.  It must be so, or else I wouldn't be here.  Yet here I am, as I am.  What I am is enough."

"I'm Content" is the way to serenity, to the peace that passeth understanding.  Give up on striving to be a better person than anyone else, or striving to be a better person than you think you are right now.  Honor who you are in this moment. We need you to do just that: to accept yourself and love yourself.
Think of how wonderful a world of contented people would be.
Be one of them, and be content. 
Love, Kristine

Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Transformation!

Pulling the Judgement card this time of the year, when Solstice has occured and a New Year is soon upon us seems more than perfect.  It's a card of CHANGE, and the desire for change is at its height now.  People are looking at their lives and planning to be better.  The New Year promises a fresh start.

I find it interesting that our culture is experiencing a fascination with Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves. I think this indicates a desire for change, because the ills and negative thinking that are overwhelming us need to be addressed. This fascination allows us to do this symbolically.

Zombies are the physical representative of what we're ashamed of.  Think about it:  Zombies are ugly, shuffling, beings that eat your brain.  You try to kill them, but you can't.  They're already dead, yet still alive.  What could be a clearer symbol of the past errors that haunt us and torment us long after the circumstances we still squirm over are gone?

Vampires are beings that suck our blood, our life force, our energy.  They won't die, either, unless they're exposed to the light of day.  Doesn't this sound like our erroneous thought patterns that keep us from being happy?  Once we expose these ideas to the light of consciousness, we see how our thinking give us nothing but heartache.  When we realize this, we become empowered to let these thoughts go.

Werewolves are human by day, but, by the light of the full moon, they turn into monsters.  Ever lose sleep over worries that you can't shake? Those are your werewolves.

Judgement is a card that tells us that it's time that the lid is blown off all our hidden negative thoughts and "shameful" secrets that we try to hide from ourselves and others. Judgement gives us the opportunity to live a new life, to transform, but first we need to be willing to clearly see, then let go of, the Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves that live in our head. 

You can rid yourself of the Z, V & Ws in your life. How? Ekart Tolle tells us to stay in the moment, because the moment is where our power lies. You know that, as you read this and if you are fully in the moment, your worries are not on your mind.  The Z,V & Ws are not in your now.  They represent the dis-ease of the past and the concerns for the future.  They are not alive in your conscious present.

This is your clue to eliminating Z,V, & Ws from your life: don't take them seriously and don't pay them any attention.  It's difficult, because we're in the habit of thinking that the way to solve a problem is to obsess over it, worry about it, and try to figure out a solution; however, the mind that created the problem will be hard-pressed to resolve it.

Christ had another, more productive, approach.  He said "Turn the Other Cheek", or as Abraham Hicks says, "put your attention on what makes you feel better."
 
Your true power is in the moment.  Be in it.  The past is dead, the future hasn't come yet.  All you have is this moment.  Here we are.  Here is where we'll always be, and where we've always been.  Sharpen your focus and stay in the moment.  This moment holds all you need, and so many wonders.  No scary monsters live in this amazing place.  Just you, the wonderful person you are.  Just YOU.  Now, live the miracle of yourself.

Love,
Kristine

An Economic Address from the Universe

The holidays, the new year, and income tax arrive hand-in-hand; leaving a free one to slap you in the wallet.  It's the time of year when one's thoughts lightly turn to ones bank account, credit card debt, reserves, FASFA's, plus loans, and business projections for 2010. 
I don't know about you, but it's hard not to worry about the economy, both personal and private.  My question to the universe this morning was: "how can I be more productive in my approach to my finances."
Here is the first piece of information I picked up:

I looked at this little piece of purple prose and the first words my eyes fell on were "Spring Pictures" and then, at the bottom "no money".
OUCH!
OMG.
I needed help interpreting THIS more positively.  What I know for sure, in my heart, is that the Universe will bring messages of light, not darkness, or at least a way to find the light in darkness.  This felt dark, dark, dark; like a prediction of my financial future.
The word "school" let me know that there was a lesson here for me.  In dream symbology, that's what being in a school or taking a test or talking to a teacher means: that some where in the dream is an important teaching so pay attention.
I still couldn't shake the feeling of dread.  No money.


Then I saw a bit of white that had been run over and mushed into the road from the last rain but dry as paper mache now.  It had a bit of yarn attached to it, so I knew it was something that some child had made.  Those are always intersting to me, and often valuable, so I picked it up. 
Here's what it is:

 It's a little snowflake, and some sweet kid had drawn hearts and music signitures and arrows on it to make it more snow-flakey.  So cute!  And what struck me about it most forcefully was that it looked like a directional guide on a map.
Then the message became clear.
What I had been doing is picturing no money in the Spring.
What I had NOT been doing is charting a course towards more pleasant hopes and dreams. 
Some talk of what is and say "Why?"
I dream of what can be and say "Why Not?"
I'm paraphrasing this quote, and forget who said it, but the meaning is clear and very apt:  Staying with the reality of the situation keeps me stuck in it.  Dreaming of what might be moves you toward a better life.  Both ways of thinking have power.  Which power would I rather manifest?
A car is another dream symbol that indicates one's life.  The fact that this little snowflake was run over by, probably, several cars means that the "facts" about my economic life were multiplying and crushing my dreams.  I want and need to reactivate the powerful thought process that moves me in the direction of creating what I want in my life, not more of what I fear. Therefore, hope needs to be reborn to shed light on the darkness of my current economic thought.
Nothing in the future is gauranteed.  Nothing.  My advice to me and to you?
Start dreaming of what you want and stop fearing what you don't want.  Choose hope, eschew worry, and see what happens.  Why not?
 Love,
Kristine

Karma and Sleeping Beauty

So, there I am walking by the school, and  I've just asked the Universe for a message regarding creating a better dynamic in my relationship.  I see a tiny slip of paper on the ground, and here is what I found:

For those of you who don't know the Disney Princesses, this is Sleeping Beauty.

I felt a little, well, insulted.  What was the universe trying to tell me?  Grow up?  Then I thought about the story, and realized that it's all about WAKING UP!

To recap: A young girl is seperated from her home because of a curse of a wicked, jealous fairy.  Hoping to keep her from the fate in store for her, her parents send her to live an isolated life in the forest.  Circumstances call her back to the palace, where she lives out the curse by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel spindal and falling asleep.  The entire castle falls asleep, and a thorn bush grows up around the castle keeping everyone outside of it firmly out.  A prince battles his way through the thorns, fights a dragon, and finally arrives at the princesses side where she is awakened by his kiss.

This story is ours in so many ways. 

We are taught to seperate ourselves from others, that people are dangerous at worst and compitition at best.  We are not given the tools we need to explore our interconnectedness.  We are, instead, given advice and guidence based on fear. 

With that kind of information, our heart (our castle) becomes cold.  We explore the rooms looking for  . . .something, but finding instead the Karmic Wheel that locks us into our false life.  Taking the wheel seriously, believing that there is no escape, that the wheel is the way things ARE (our curse) we fall deeply asleep.  The thorns that grow around our heart are the justifications we give for all our unhappiness and isolation.

It takes a lot of work and understanding to heal from all this negative training, to find a way through our defenses, and do battle with our unconscious reactions.  But once we find our true selves; when we finally learn our importance in the scheme of things and have an idea of our value, we are then ready to connect to life in a more fulfilling and satisfying way.  We are finally ready to love.

Love,

Kristine

Catch a Falling Star and Put It In Your Pocket

I found another fallen star on the trail.  Another messag from the Universe.  As you can see, It's incomplete, so I figured that meant I had more to say about stars then I said on an earlier blog (light is returning).

 
I remembered a book by Neil Gaimen (and movie) called "Stardust".  In short, it's about a star that falls from the sky and becomes a beautiful girl that witches chase to cut out her heart in order to put it in a box and use it to stay immortal.  Phew.
This, I think, speaks to the desire to be ageless, and not just ageless, but ageless in a way that stops time.  No More Change!  We fear change, because the process of change reflects our own mortality.  We watch ourselves grow older, and, thinking that we are only a body, we fear our demise.
Abraham tells us that we are eternal beings, and the star speaks to that.  Once again, I quote Joni Mitchell
"We are stardust, we are golden, and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden."
I'm told we truly are made of the stuff of stars, but we only begin to shine, to become golden, when we learn to see ourselves as bigger than our bodies: as spirit.
The contentment we feel when we accept ourselves as spirit allows us to see life as it really is. 
We then develop a sort of fearless tranquility, a calm acceptance of our own corporal mortality.  When we accept our mortality, we can genuinely appreciate and allow life to flow through us freely and fully.  We then become as beautiful, light, and light-filled as the stars that gleam in the darkness.
Our gift of light manifests as the joy we inspire through acts of kindness, humour, comfort, food, a sympathetic ear or a pair of arms, music, art, theater, enthusiasm etc.  All these break through the darkness of illusion and unconsciousness and light the way for others on their path towards fulfillment and joy.
Now THAT is true immortality.
Love, Kristine

No Room at the Inn, but There's Lot's of Room in the Heart

A friend and I were talking about an heirloom she had from her parents.  It was a creche, and she had so many associations with it that were not positive.  As a lapsed Catholic, she shied away from anything remotely related to the Christianity and the spiritual practices that she had been taught, and, let's face it, with its attitudes toward women and gays, not to mention the flurry of child molestations by priests in the news, the Catholic Church has done much to dissappoint and dissillusion. 
I have always had a fondness for the creche: the tender look on Mary's face, Joseph's protective presence, the gifts in the hands of the Magi, the shephard kneeling by the manger, the animals surrounding the scene, and, of course, in the middle of it all the tiny baby.
Not being of any traditional religious faith, I wondered why I was so attracted to this scene.  As I reflected on it, I realized that the creche reminded me of the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child".
As with Jesus in the manger, people from all walks of life, high to low, Maji to shephard, surround and help us throughout our lives. Many have generously aided us in our growth and development. Even the ones who impact us negatively have something to teach.  Add to that the animals that we share this world with.  They are essential to our survival and teach us to open our hearts to the variety of creation.
Like Jesus, we all come into this world helpless; dependent on our circumstance for our survival.  The creche is a symbol of that universal human condition and I believe it's also a symbolic restatement of an essential truth of the Christian message: that we all have the power to become evolved spiritual beings, despite our humble origins.
This is a powerful message that puts the responsibility of our lives in our hands, AND it also encourages us to help each other through life, just as the inn keeper, shepherds, and Maji helped the holy couple and their son.
When I became a mother, I suddenly saw everyone else as the dearly beloved child of a mother like myself.  It softened my heart to my fellow human beings, and encouraged me to appreciate the value of each human life; to look for, and  love, their amazing potential, and to honor the variety and richness of their life's journey.  Approaching any relationship with these values in mind (and heart) will radically alchemize it from the iron of the satisfaction of basic needs to the gold of interpersonal spiritual power. 
Through our own efforts, and with the help of others, we can achieve great heights in our development.  As we grow and change we will encourage, and demonstrate to others, the ability to rise above circumstance and reach for the stars.

Love, Kristine

Light is Returning

Yesterday we bought our Christmas tree. 
I feel faintly guilty about doing this, politically incorrect, kind of like the way I feel when I admit to liking football, but I do enjoy having a tree in the house. 
Although the tree itself will dry up and land on the sidewalk, to be picked up and recycled, during it's time brightening our living room its branches hold the memories of all the holidays our family has spent together. 
Every year, from the time my three children were born, each one has received a decoration just for them.  My dream is that, when they have their own families, I will collect and give them their personal ornaments so that a part of their past will adorn their future trees.
So, yesterday we bought a tree. 
Usually, I feel a surge of energy when we do this, an increase in my joy and holiday cheer, as if  the season has really begun;  but I didn't feel as good as I usually do, so this morning before my walk, my question to the universe was: "how can I feel more joy". 
An almost immediate answer came.  I looked down, found, and rescued this star from the mud of the ridge trail:



I immediately remembered a Solstice song that we sing every year:
"Light is returning/ although it is the darkest night/no one can hold back the dawn.
Keep the candles burning/Keep the light of hope alive/Earth mother is calling her children home."
As I softly sang this song to myself, I felt so much comfort.  Joy kindled a fire in my heart. 
This song reminds me of  life's cyclical nature, and I realized that  I was attaching way too much weight to my current attack of the blues.  I mistook my mood for who I was, forgetting that the sunshine always follows the rain. 
I'm gradually learning to negotiate my mood swings with more grace and patience, to not think that my sadness is me, or is even bad or wrong.  Sure, it doesn't feel as good as joy, but neither grief nor joy lasts.  Life is a constant ebb and flow, and I'm learning to ride the tides of fortune and not attach who or what I am to what I feel moment to moment. 
After all, essentially there is something of the eternal in all of us.  True, our history is held by us like the tree holds decorations; but it's merely the "bling" of our life, moments that once were, but are no longer.  Our history is not who we truly are. 
We are more than our past, present, or future.  We are, and that's enough. Our bodies will fade away, but the world that we have created through living our distinct and amazing lives is our eternal legacy.  Light fades, but light returns.  No one can hold back the dawn.
Love,
Kristine

The King of Swords-Cutting out the BS

The King of Swords sits rigidly on a stone throne carved with butterflies, a gold crown on his head and wearing clothes of purple, red, and pale blue; colors of spiritual power, passion, and truth. Clouds and a few tall trees are in the background. He holds his sword upright and gazes intently at the viewer, as if asking you to contemplate it.  Contemplate it we shall. 
Swords represent the mind. 
The interesting thing about the mind and the sword is their dual nature. The mind, for example, is a good tool for analizing a circumstance or position.  It looks at many sides of an issue, and, depending upon how resourceful and open the mind is, can come to many different and even contradictory conclusions which lead to confusion and doubt. 
The sword has two sides as well.  Like the mind, it "cuts both ways". 
The well trained mind can free you from patterns of thought with a swift slice of logic.  It can also enmesh you in them if the "blade" is dull. 
To sharpen the blade of the mind, introspection and contemplation can be applied.  Ironically, that requires stilling the mind and focusing on the self, in a feeling and emotional way, with no analysis.  This will lead to more clarity, and clarity is what's needed for the mind to discover the truth that sets you free.
The King of Swords wants you to get to the truth of the matter, and the matter of interest is enlightenment (the gold crown).  The butterflies carved on his throne are also symbols of spiritual transformation.  He encourages you to become aware and awake, conscious of who you truly are: a fully realized spiritual being.
The clouds in the sky (that we see behind the throne) symbolize the assumptions we make, based on our past, that we use to define our future.  As in Joni Mitchell's song "Clouds", they create a life of confusion and distortion.  She sings: "I've looked at life from both sides now, from win and lose, and still somehow, it's cloud's illusions I recall, I really don't know life at all.
And we don't know life,  if we see it only through the perspective of our duality-mad rational mind.  When we finally see that all there is is all that is, and that all that is, is one, we won't worry about better or worse, win or lose, right or wrong.  These concepts are the clouds that block the sunshine of our radiant hearts. 
The King of Swords calls to you to cut to the truth.  Let yourself.   Not.  Know.  Anything.  Let life show you what it is, in all its beauty, creativity and freedom.
Love,
Kristine

If wishes were horses . . .

This message from the universe knocked me out.  I was, as usual, out on the trail with dog and friend, and I saw a flash of blue.  It was an unusual color, and, being plastic, didn't belong out on the trail, so I picked it up.  I didn't think much of it.  This particular blue is not a color I like all that much, so I didn't think I'd be putting in in a found art piece.  I figured I'd be doing my bit for outdoor esthetics by putting it into a recycling bin when I returned home, but before I did, I decided to take a closer look at it.  Here it is:

I don't know if you can read this, but it says "share the power of a wish". 
We all know about wishes.  We wish on stars, we make a wish before we blow out birthday candles, if you tell your wish it won't come true, and, one of my favorites: If wishes were horses, beggers would ride.
Thinking of wishes like this takes the power from wishing, making it something only children do, at best, and valueless at worst. 
When I was a child, I set great store by wishing, and many of the things I wished for came true.  I look back on the things I achieved as an adult, and I recognize that I now live where I wished I would, and I did (and do) many of the things I wished I could. 
Yet, despite this evidence, I lost faith in the power of my wishes.  Life seemed too big, too fast, and too out-of-control for me to make wishes about.  Wishing seemed an impotent and frivolous return to past naivety. 
When my children entered my life, and I had the opportunity to see again how powerful a simple, believed-in wish could be.  I reconsidered.  For THEM, the wishes worked, but was I too jaded for wishes to work for me?
I pondered that idea, and came to the realization that I never stopped wishing, I just stopped noticing the results. I saw that the universe continually supported my heartfelt desires, and that even if the answer to a particular wish was "no", in retrospect I would see that "no" was the right answer for me.
Wishes, hopes, prayers, and dreams: all of these guide the mind to focus on a lovely vision of what might be. As you continue to wish, to dwell in the energies of hope and excitement, you encourage these energies, and the vibration around the wish grows.  These powerful vibrations increase the attraction to the fulfillement of the wish, and therefore the likelihood of recieving what you wish for grows.
I now think of wishes as Visions, visions of a better, more enjoyable future. 
Be a Visionary.  Make a WISH!
Love,
Kristine

Baby Steps Toward Abundance

When I woke up this morning I went through my usual ritual: Coffee, newspaper, crossword, journal, pull amulet, and pull an angel card for the daily message from the universe.  For the first time, both the amulet and angel card I pulled were about:

I was struck by the coincidence, but the duties of the day took my mind off of it.  The duties of the day placed my mind on something entirely different:  my business. It just wasn't as fulfilling as it used to be.
I wondered what I could do to create more ease, abundance, fulfillment, and prosperity in my life. 
Since the kids were adults, and my own work was feeling the impact of the economy, I needed a way to open myself up to a life that would be as satisfying as raising my kids had been or as exciting as beginning my graphic art business.  Been there, done that, now I wanted something new to focus on.
I pondered what that might be as my dog and I trudged up the hill to our favorite walking trail.  I happened to glance in the middle of the street and spotted this little lump of cloth.  Curious, I went towards it and here is what it was:

A very dirty baby's sock.  With hearts on it.  What in the world could this mean? 

In a flash, I got it.  I've been collecting found objects with the intention of creating art pieces with them.  I've found some pretty amazing and inspiring things, and I still haven't moved forward in this work.  This little sock was telling me to begin doing the thing I love to do; Make stuff.  Start small, but start.  Prioritize doing what I love and follow my heart. The very dirt on the sock itself indicated to me that by doing this, I would ground myself more fully in my creative nature. 

I started to think about all the things I was going to make.  I got idea after idea as I continued on my walk, but, as usual, doubt set in.  I worried that I was too old to start making the objects I was dreaming about, that I didn't have time, that they'd take time away from what was more important: making money not things, and that my time to be an artist was past.  Then I saw THIS:

A tiny buckle from a wristwatch.

It told me to detach from any notion of time, that the way to connect to myself was by being in the moment, by doing what I enjoyed moment to moment, and prioritizing doing what I love to do, just as I prioritized the activities of my children when they were small. 

It's my turn to reconnect to myself and my dreams.  That's all I need or want to do right now.  More importantly, it's time to get back to the pureness of my creative spirit: what I felt as a child when I made something, painted something, sewed something; not thinking about anything except the joy of creating, having no idea or ideal of  "being an Artist", but simply doing what I did because I wholly and fully enjoyed it.  That's truly heaven on earth!

Love, Kristine

The Kindness of Strangers

Zooming to the Oakland Airport, my boy decided he couldn't return to Seattle without an In & Out burger.  There was one right by the Hegenberger turn-off.  Considering the time constraints, we decided to take out his meal and find a place to park near the airport so he could eat it.  We opted for the Park & Call, and pulled into a handy spot to eat and chat and enjoy the final moments he had in the East Bay before he flew north.  I guess we forgot to turn the lights off in the car when we parked it, for when the time came to begin our drive to the terminal the engine did not turn over.  The battery had died!
I got out and began to ask everyone in the Park and Ride for jumper cables. No luck. Conner got on his cell to call a taxi when I realized that everyone in the Park and Ride was going to the airport.  I flagged down a departing car and, though pressed for time themselves, they ever-so-kindly gave my boy a ride to the Alaskan Airlines terminal.  I then called AAA and gave them specific instructions regarding where I was and the make and model of my car.  They told me it would be about an hour before a tow truck would show up, so I waited.
As I waited, I remembered something:  long ago I had been given a car emergency kit.  I'd never used it, but it was in my car somewhere . . .
Somewhere close, it turned out: right under the driver's seat.  Now, did it have jumper cables? YES!  All I needed now was someone to supply their car engine for the jump start.
Across the lot I saw four college-age kids waiting in their SUV for their airport summons.  I scared them to death when I tapped on their window, but they recovered and helped me start my car. 
I called AAA to cancel the truck, and they told me that my call had already been cancelled.  The tow truck driver had reported that he couldn't find me.  AAA was of no help to me. I don't know how long I would have been waiting there if I hadn't remembered the emergency kit and been aided by those wonderful boys.
I wondered two things: Why I didn't remember the emergency kit in the first place, and why AAA, usually so reliable, couldn't find a bright blue car with it's hood up in the tiny Oakland Airport Park and Call lot?
I think the message from the universe was this:  Trust in the kindness of strangers, and realize that even though you read about so many bad things happening in the news, those events are really just a blip in the radar.  Most people are good and kind and willing to help out if need be, even if it's at a cost to their own plans. 
It was a message that I might have missed if I had thought immediately of the emergency kit or if AAA had come to my aid.  I'm grateful to the people who helped out, and the circumstances that led to that lesson. I feel so warmed by the kindness I recieved from these strangers, and I will remember this when I lose trust in the benevolence of the universe.  All truly is well.
Thank you, one and all!
Love, Kristine

The Page of Pentacles-the original thanksgiving turkey

The page of Pentacles is an interesting card to have pulled so close to the Holidays.  The flash of meaning I got immediately is that it speaks of youthful dreams and nostolgic-based future creation.
Here's what I mean by that:
The Pages carry messages for others, they don't themselves know who they will be when they grow up.  They are only just coming to understand their own power to create the life they will live.  They are apprentices, really, and their creations are youthful ones, full of idealism and promise. 
They hold the past in their hands (the disc) as a tool to anticipate and create the future, i.e. they create an idea of life based on the dreams and examples of their parents, the boasts of their peer group, the demands and expectations of the educational system, the heros and mores of their culture, etc. 
Their life experiences are limited, fresh and uninformed, and their ideas on how to live are based on what others have told them.  They know what to fear, what to love, what to expect, what to hold dear, what is pleasurable, what is right and what is wrong because their elders and teachers have told them these things.  They have not yet experimented with these concepts and learned how THEY feel about these issues.
Our past can define our present and influence our future in an unconscious way that might not serve the person we have become; for we are not our past.  I think this is one of the most important messages from the universe, that we need to sort out who we are from what we think, what we've been, and what we've done. How do we do that?  I believe that if we feel bad, then what we are doing is not the right thing for us. If we feel good, then we are in alignment with who we are.  Our emotions tell us who we are and who we are not all the time. Using our emotions a our guide, we can discover our true nature.
A friend of mine spoke of a civics teacher who taught him how to think critically.  He had worked very hard on an essay that basically rubber-stamped his parent's beliefs.  After laboring over it, he reread it with his newly aquired critical eye and realized with a shock that he really didn't believe anything he had written.  His life as a Page was over, no longer was he interested in carrying his parent's messages into the world.  It was time for him to move away from his parent's ideas and form his own views in order to live a more authentic life.
Thanksgiving and the winter holidays can be stressful times.
Because of their repetative nature, they allow us to see and feel the split between who we are NOW and who we were then so much more clearly.  If the split is percieved as a painful wound seperating you from yourself and your loved ones, the holidays are a miserable affair.  If the split is understood as a record of your growth on your journey toward your authentic self, then you will be able to see and celebrate how far you've come.  When looked at in this way, the holidays can be a true time of enjoyment. 
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Kristine
I mys

Dog's Day

I've been getting some peculiar messages about dogs.  Not really about dogs, but messages with the word "dog" in them.  Of course, I immediately think it has something to do with my dog, Pixie, but then again my website, business, and email name is kyote DOG, so I know they apply to me. 

The first scrap I recieved at the dog park is this one:

I wondered what this meant. I assume it's my message from the universe for the day.  One of the problems I had understanding it was that I couldn't make out the word after "Gifts".  I finally decided it was "for", so the message reads "Gifts for the Dogs", but It could be "Gifts IN the Dogs"  Naaaah.

I have, lately, been thinking about how much happiness my little dog has brought into my life.  She is a gift herself and deserves many gifts in return.  She gets her little doggy treats quite often since food is her dearest desire, and she gets a nice warm and loving home as well, so gifted she is, but this explaination didn't resonate. It does say for the dogS, so that means it's not exclusive to one.  I decided to just wait a bit and see what else showed up.

First thing this morning on the dog walk I picked up this card:

Back to the dogs again: 

On this card is some student's note from a children's book calls "The Heavenly Zoo".  The story is part of the Mahabaharata, one of two Classical Sanskrit epics from ancient India. In this story, five brothers begin a journey to the heavens with all but the eldest, Yudistira, falling off along the way to follow their hearts to do something close to their nature (Arjuna, the all-powerful, joins a battle for his country: Sahadeva, the all-wise, joins holy men in study and prayer, etc.). By the time the entrance to heaven is reached, only Yudistira remains with his faithful dog. He is invited to enter, but only if he leaves his dog behind. He refuses to do so because his dog had given his heart to him.

How can having the gift of a dog's heart be a barrier to heaven?  What kind of heaven is this that won't allow dogs.  This will take some thought.

So:  five brothers enter heaven by following their hearts and their natures, and one refuses because he holds the heart of his dog.  Does this mean that having the responsiblity of someone's love makes following your own heart impossible?  It does make it harder, perhaps, to recognize the pure impulse of your own beating desire when other's wishes and needs must be considered.

Or is that merely an excuse. 

Trying another approach, since the dog is a symbol of loyalty, and perhaps in this context means unwavering loyalty, perhaps his dedication to his dog rather than his own heart kept him from fulfilling his true purpose. 

In my own life, I realize that it's very difficult for me to really see who I am under the cover of my social obligations, family life, work life, etc., all that I've given my heart to.  I know who I want to be, who others want me to be, but not really who I am.  I can see how I use love for animals or people as a way to keep the discovery of my true self, my true heart, from my consciousness; or romance as a way to keep from growing, by repeating disfunctional old patterns for the sake of temporal happiness.
 

Maybe the gifts I need to give myself is permission to actually BE myself, to interact cleanly and clearly with others as my fullest and most present self.  Perhaps I won't do that because I fear the loss of love when my loved ones meet my true face, but maybe that's what one needs to show in order to live more authentically and truly create heaven on earth. Love indeed, has a place and leads the way to heaven, but ultimately the love of the universe in it's broadest and truest sense is the love that's needed.  Narrowing our focus to a single object misses the point.

There is more to be gained here in these messages from the universe, and I will be pondering them for a while.  If you have any insights to bring to this, please comment.

Love,
Kristine

Harmony

The other day I ran into Starfire, a wonderful Tai Chi teacher.  We hadn't practiced together for a long time, so I asked him what he was working on.  He said he was focusing on "yielding" as he practiced the form. 
Tai chi is all about balance, black and white, yin and yang, yielding and resisting; so I wondered why the emphasis on yielding.  I decided to try it in my own practice and discovered, much to my delight, the lack of balance I had in my own practice.  (Oh boy, something new to notice and work on).  Unconsiously, I had been emphasising resisting much more than yielding when I did the form.
This stands to reason since I started practicing martial arts in order to "defend" myself more ably and become stronger and more powerful.  Even though both Tai Chi and Aikido stress gentleness and flow, throwing people more effortlessly and with less muscle was how I enterpreted those ideas.  Many of my teachers also stressed harmony, but their ideas sort of bounced off me without taking root. I couldn't figure out what they meant.  Harmony with what?  The attacker?  The form itself?  How could I use the idea of harmony to be stronger and more powerful?  And throw people better.
Practicing yielding, I began to understand the idea of harmony.  I realized that my body felt softer, more opened, and more available to what was around me.  I enjoyed the feeling of peace and depth the practice gave me. Suddenly I was struck by the realization of a simple truth:  yielding to what is means totally accepting what is, and when you accept completely what is, you are in harmony with it. 
There is no more powerful place to be then in a harmonic relationship with the universe.
When I made my practice about resistence, I was anticipating conflict and preparing myself for it.  When I practiced yielding, I noticed that I anticipated nothing and was therefore more able and available to flow with life. As I practiced I also noticed that I felt more and more like an integral part of the natural world.
That's what we all are, of course, but in our attempts to control our environment and those around us we lose touch with those subtle forces that help us feel our connection to it all.
Yielding demands that we trust: ourselves, each other, the world around us, and life itself.
Today's message from the Universe?  Yield. 
This is a fascinating practice. Try it and see what harmonizes with you, and what you harmonize with. 
What beautiful music you will make.
Love, Kristine

Temperance

For some reason, I am reluctant to analize this card.  It feels like too much to me, so that is a sure sign that this is a card I need to look at.

An angel with red wings pours water from one goblet into another.  She stands with one foot on the land and one in the water.  In the background a path over the foohills and into the mountains leads to a shinning crown.  Three yellow lillies grow on her left, one bud and two in full flower.

The red wings are interesting.  Red is the color of passion, and passion and angels just don't seem to go together.  Passion and temperance don't seem to go together either, so perhaps the red wings indicate that passion is what lifts and motivates us out of our everyday cares and woes and into more inspirational and inspiring activities.  That idea feels pretty good.
 
The feet placed both on land and in the water indicate  the willingness to be rooted in "reality" (i.e. accept what is) and at the same time the willingness to accept change and flow in one's life and to be guided by one's emotional nature.
 
The water being poured from one cup to another tell us that despite our perspective on any subject, there is no duality, no good or bad, victim or vicimizer; all is truly one if we have the wisdom to let go of our ridgid constructs and let life flow.

Lillies symbolize purity, chastity, and innocence. Yellow lilies represent the pure joy of the spirit that show us our own beauty and creative importance in this world of ours. The flowers are our current blessings, and the bud indicates the growth of more in our lives if we cultivate our ability to appreciate what we have.

The path shows us the way towards enlightenment (the crown representing the crown chakra).  Sometimes the path is gentle, sometimes hard and rocky, but, as O Sensei said , "There are many roads to the top of Mt. Fuji, but the summit is always love."

Temperance, the title of the card, reminds me of the old Greek adage, "Everything in moderation".  It reminds us to take things slow, be patient, and allow life to show us the way.  Don't try to force anything, even spiritual growth.  Trust yourself, trust life, and all will be well with you.

Well, that wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.  I guess the lesson is to trust what's in front of me, begin the enquiry, be patient, and new understandings will emerge easily and naturally.  This is just the message from the universe that I need.  I hope you benefit from it too.
Love, Kristine

And I thought no one loved me . . .

I have had a dirth of messages from the universe lately. 
And no wonder. 
I've been feeling overwhelmed and distinctly out of sync in my life.  Abraham-Hicks says that we attract what we're vibrating, and I've not been vibrating at my happiness peak.  Far from it, so how can I expect a sweet word from the universe when sweet is not how I've been feeling? 
I decided to change my tune.
I started to deliberately look for, listen for, and feel for things that made me feel good.  I'd wake up in the morning and think of all the good things in my life and the fun and interesting things I had to look forward to in the day to come.  I'd take time to meditate when I'd get anxious to put myself in a more receptive and happier frame of mind.  It sounds like a lot, but it really wasn't too hard to do. I just started to really care about how I felt.
This morning on my walk I wondered if I'd get a reward for good behaviour, you know, a little "atta girl" to show me I was on the right path.  I looked out on the empty school parking lot (Vetern's Day Holiday) and saw one tiny piece of paper.  I thought it probably was a reciept of some kind, or some kleenex.  I leaned down and picked it up, and this is what I found:

Atta Girl!

Love, Kristine

What's Driving You?

I was coming out of my Network Chiropractor's office (Lisa Hartnett-so much more than just a chiropractor-her wisdom and insight are invaluable) when I found this card.  In dream symbology, a car is a symbol for your life.  How big it is, who's driving, and what direction it's going in are all keys to how you feel about your life in general and yourself more specifically. 
I thought it was ironic and more than a little funny to find this image where I did, because I think of Lisa as my "repair" person.  She restores and realigns body and soul, and gives me tools to help the healing continue when I'm on my own. 
Picking up this little card near her office sparked some new ideas about "healing".  What, exactly, do I think needs being healed in my body, or in my life?  This conversation is today's message from the universe.
I asked myself exactly where I would put the X.  Would I mark the right, intuitive, side as "damaged" or the left, more linear side?  Would I mark the rear of the car, thus blaming the lessons from the past for any present injuries, or the front, giving my feelings of insecurity about the future the black mark?
I thought about that, and realized that, really, none of these areas were the problem.  The "problem", if there is one, lies in the present moment.
So I examined the present moment.  Was anything really wrong?  Not really.  If I thought about it long enough, I could see where my intuition is sometimes wrong and gets me into trouble, and I could feel bad about that.  Or the linear side of me, with it's insistance on things being a certain way, could compromise my happiness.  Or, I could regret a past wrong or worry about a furture event. There were all sorts of thoughts available to me that could make my life miserable for me, but truly, at that moment, at this moment, nothing was and is wrong. 
All is well.
My life is only about this present moment.  Nothing needs healing.  Nothing needs to change.  I just need to bring presence to what is as I'm living life.  When I do that, I can be more responsive to whatever I'm doing or whoever I'm dealing with. This feels like a much healthier approach than my responses in the past.
Does that mean I no longer need to see Lisa?  Not at all.  With her help, living in the present moment has become (relatively) easier to do.  I'm recognizing the patterning in my thought processes that drag me out of fully living my life and create conditioned responses that do feel wounding.  Recognizing this allows me the space to make other choices in my life, to not repeat old patterns, to find new ways of relating to my life and my self that are more empowering. 
Most importantly, I'm learning that happiness really is a choice, and I'm learning to be more adept at making happiness my priority.
It is a cliche, I know, but it is true that the present is the present. Let's give it our full attention.
Love,
Kristine

The Universe Suggests Veterinary Care. Really. No Kidding.

I had noticed some small changes in my pup's behavior.  Nothing too bad, just some tiny indications that she wasn't really comfortable. 
As I walked her this morning, I kept an eye on her, wondering whether or not to take her to the vet. 
As a rule, I'm not crazy about going to doctors, so I was reluctant to take her there.  Then I found this:

Some "Caution" tape.  I don't usually pick something like this up since there's a lot of construction around where we live so this tape shows up a lot.  Still, something told me to pick it up, so I did. I do try my best to follow my impulses. I probably could be more careful . . . but what, really, was this about?  I needed clarity!

Then I saw another piece of paper floping around in the wind.  It drew my attention, so I paid attention. It was some sort of school medical form.  Here it is:

And I'm still puzzeled. 

This paper is all about some sort of health and safety regulation requiring a doctors visit.  It didn't mean anything to me, I thought, since my kids are too old to need me to take them to the doc's.  Why did I need to pick this peice of trash up?  I was about ready to dispose of it  when I saw this:

It's a picture some child made of a little dog. 

Ok.  I get it. It all fit together.  Caution, medical need, little dog picture. 

My little dog is going to the vet. 

Once again, I want to thank the universe for the guidence I get.  When I have a problem, I get answers in this wonderfully bizarre way.  Don't you just love this crazy life? I sure do.

Love, Kristine  

The Frankenstein Lover

I'm loving the synchronicity that I'm experiencing when I receive Messages from the Universe. 
It's Halloween, and I found a tiny little, well, Thing, that looks like a minescule tombstone.  How appropriate, I thought. 
On the tombstone was a series of numbers that added up to the number 6.  6 is the number of love.
In the tarot, the number 6 is the lovers, a card that encourages a spiritual, all embracing love: of oneself, of each other, and of the Universe. 

Having the number 6 on this tiny tombstone implys a death of some kind; not of true love exemplified by the lovers, but of conditional love, a belief in a soul mate, a true partner, an idea that one can only love what is perfect for oneself.  This is an objectified love. 
When love is objectified, it loses its "flow".  Flow is essential and life-giving.  What does not flow grows stagnent and limited, a "stopped" thing.  Understood in this way, and practiced in this way, conditional, objectified love creates mistunderstanding, fantasy, and dissappointment. 
Hanging onto an ideal of love, or an "ideal", lover, indicates the need to control others, and the need to control others implies a deep-seated fear and a lack of trust in what is. 
As my brilliant daughter wrote in a paper for school, "Those who cannot face their fears in love turn their partners into monsters", for the object of such a love cannot grow and change.  We've created them with the dead tissues of our fantasy, we bring them to life with the electricity of our expectations, then we've killed them with our jealousy and doubt when they don't live up to our ideals.
The living, flowing quality of unconditional love is absent.
At this time, when traditions says that the curtain between the worlds of material and spiritual thin, we must put the desire to live and love truly on our altars and rediscover our true nature.  Acceptance of ourselves creates a space for true acceptance of others.  When we see them through the eyes of our higher nature, nothing but love exists in that tender gaze. 
Practicing to see ourselves and others through the eyes of love will put a stake through the heart of our fears and doubts.  We will no longer mistake illusion for love. When we are all loving, we know that all is love.  No one is outside of our love.  Nothing is outside of our love.  Fear and dissappointment will vanish.  For certainly, in reality, nothing but love exists, and isn't love all we need?
Love,
Kristine

One Dog's Tale

I was thinking about my blog today, as I often do when I take my morning walk.  I pondered what I was going to write about.  I hadn't formulated a question yet, and I've learned that well formulated questions often create the most concrete results when I'm looking for Messages from the Universe.  What I knew was that I have felt, lately, imprisoned by a mood.
Once I consulted an astrologist who told me that my chart was "shrouded by your father's pessimism".  That's how I've been feeling, like there's a subtle blanket of gloom over my happier nature, like clouds obscuring the sun. 
I've been working on shaking these feelings, but decided instead to just accept them, knowing they'd change, and see where that got me. This is day three of that attempt. I confess to being a little impatient with my slow progress.  I want that sunny day NOW.  I want change NOW.
Then I looked at my little dog Pixie, and I remembered her story.
I found Pix in an animal shelter in Pinole.  I had been looking for a dog to replace (if that's possible) a dearly beloved pet that had died some years back.  I had waited to feel eager about having a new dog in my life before I went out to look.  When that day came, I was also wanted to make certain I chose as perfect a dog as I could find for me and my family and my lifestyle. 
It was going on 6 months of searching when I saw a photo of Pix in the Pinole Shelter web site (lot's of great dogs there right now.  I just checked)
It was such a bad photo, blurry and unclear.  I wanted a small terrier, but had no idea if this photo depicted the dog of my dreams.  When I was looking, it seemed like everyone in the world also wanted a small terrier. I had missed out on several potential dogs before I spotted this one, so time was of the essense. Usually, when I found a dog on line that I liked (oh, I spent so much time dog-hunting in those months before finding Pix) I would go right out and look at it before someone else snatched it up.

I took the chance of waiting a few days, thinking that if this was the right dog for me, she would be there when I eventually got to Pinole.  I waited until the weekend and made the Pinole shelter stop numero uno in my long list of stops on my quest to find my dog.
I have often said to the Universe "any advice you have to give me, give me in BLOCK LETTERS.  I'm bad at subtle hints".  The Universe has been very obliging.
When I finally got to Pinole, she was still there and as adorable as she could be.  To top it off, in block letters, the shelter vet had written "THIS IS AN AWESOME DOG, LOVING AND SWEET".
I adopted her then and there. 
I think now that her acceptance of what is, her confidence in herself, and her loving nature brought her to me.  She sat in her cage patiently waiting for whatever was going to happen, not barking or distressed in any way.  Her initial "getting to know you" meeting with us showed us how easily and naturally she gave love.  Now she's with us, and every day I thank the universal forces that brought her to me. 
I see the lesson Pixie has for me.
Accept what is, no matter what kind of prison you're in, mental, physical or emotional.
Give love freely.  Don't let your situation prevent you from giving what you can.
Whatever gifts you give will be returned to you.
Pix was in prison:

Now she's free:

All it took was a little patience.

Be patient with yourself. And give love. That's what I'm going to do, and we'll be certain to find freedom.

Thanx Pix!

Love, Kristine

FIVE CENTS MAKES A MESSAGE

I woke up this morning feeling pretty scattered. 
Venturing out on my walk, I worked on staying in the moment. Worked is the opporative word, and I was not having too much success (because, for me, it's pretty much a mind game and, as we all know, the mind changes). 
My dog finally brought me up short.  She was sniffing at a bunch of weeds near the road. She's small, but she ROOTS, and even though I outweigh her by not a little, when she stops, so do I. 
Anyway, I got out of my head and watched what she was doing (stay in the moment, good girl!) and right next to her inquisitive nose was a nickel.
Hmmm. 
I picked it up and put it in my pocket, and when I got home I took a good long look at it. What was this simple bit of coin trying to tell me?  It has to be a message from the universe. 
A nickel. 5 cents. 5 sense. 
I thought about our five senses, and realized how much importance I was giving to my external circumstance vis a vis my mood.  I was letting what I could see, hear, touch, taste, and feel dictate my emotional landscape. I wondered if my involvement in the world of my senses was obscuring my connection with all that is. 
An interesting idea, I thought, but it didn't seem to be the whole truth that I was seeking.
Then I thought about what we use coins for, besides paying for things.  We use them to make choices.  We flip them when we don't know the answer. 
That led me to thing about the dual nature of the coins: heads or tails.  When I think of heads, I think of the mental aspect of ourselves, and tails reminds me of emotions, dog wags for example.  So I'm calling heads the mental process and tails the emotional one: two sides of our nature.
And on the coin itself are stamped the words "In God We Trust".
So, adding it all up: in this little silver coin we, symbolically, have the physical nature (the five senses), the mental nature (heads), the emotional nature (tails), and (of course) the spiritual nature (In God We Trust).
Then I saw this on the coin: "E Pluribus Unum". It's latin for "Out of many, one."
I realized that one of the reasons I was feeling scattered was because of my judgements about myself. I was looking at the many parts of me and thinking that this quality was "good", or that quality was "bad". 
But all these feelings, sensings, experiences, emotions, mental processes, spiritual leanings, all of them are all part of who I am.  None is good or bad.  They all just ARE.  I am I, and I am that which I am. 
All makes one.  All for one. 
And it's about time for me to be one for all.  No more parsing myself or my experiences.  When I do that, I lose patience with myself and my life, and that's not a fun way to live.
I think I might have a better time living with myself if I chose to dispassionately enjoy all of myself more. Good behaviour, bad behaviour, it doesn't matter.  It's me, but not all of me, and it's part of my changing nature, not a quality of my essential, fully loving and evolved self. 
And yet, my essential self relishes it all. 
Heads I win Tails I win.  Only win/win in this game of life.
Love,
Kristine

The 4 of Cups: The gift that keeps on giving

We see a young man sitting by himself under a tree and in front of 3 cups.  A cloud is offering a fourth cup.  Will the young man take what's offered?
Usually when you have a question or problem and that you want some clarity on, you reach out for guidence from friends or family.  When you look to the Tarot, it might be because you just don't want the advice of anyone who may have an agenda, or feelings, toward you because you can't be sure if the advice or council they give will be objective.
Sometimes, no kind of outside input is required.  You might find that it's better just to be with yourself, consulting your own heart and mind with no feedback from anyone else.
Our young man sits in front of three cups.  He's clearly been sifting through his problem wisely evaluating his emotions (the cups are the symbol of our emotional nature) to find a solution.  He's arming himself with his passionate desire for clarity (the red shirt) he's considering the pros and con's of the situation (the grey tunic) and he's ready to move when all becomes clear (the blue leggings). 
Still, there might be one more piece of the puzzle he needs to know.  His meditations have brought him help from an external source.  Now he must ask himself, "do I need another point of view, or do I just need the time and patience to see what emerges?"
It's an excellent question, and I believe it depends on how long he's (metaphorically) been sitting there. 
Sometimes inaction is an answer.  It may not be the most satisfying one, but it is one just the same.  Some problems have no immediate solution, and you have to just wait and see.
The number 4 is the symbol of stability, but sometimes you have to know when being stable is really just being too stubborn to make the changes needed, or too fearful to move out of a comfort zone that used to be, but is no longer, fulfilling or satisfying.  In cases like that, the advice of someone you trust, or a tarot reading, can open doors.
And sometimes, you can find Messages from the Universe that clear things up almost by magic.
You just need to be open to what is, and to assume you'll get help when you need it and wise enough to reject help when you don't, because only YOU know what's best for you. 
Trust yourself, and when you do you'll find that you will trust where you are, who you're with, what you're doing, and whatever else is happening much more easily. 
When you can fully and completely trust yourself, you will understand that there are no wrong choices.
When you have aligned yourself with your own best interests, whatever comes to you will indeed be a gift you can receive with confidence.  Open and enjoy.
Much love,
Kristine

I found love

I'm a mom.  I have three wonderful kids at various stages in their lives.  I noticed that what I worry about mostly is how they are doing, no matter what is going on in my life. 
Some things have been going on with them that I've got a tendancy to lose sleep over.  So I walk, and worry.  The questions I've been asking are solution oriented.  How can I help my children through this or that problem?  The messages I've been getting in response are hearts. 

Friday last week I got this:

A pencil, brand new, with, as you can see, a heart on it.  Nice, I thought.  Pencil hasn't even been sharpened.  Interesting.

A couple of days later, and in the same place, I found these:

Two hearts.  A big one, and inside it was this little one.  Hmmm.

Then, today, after exhausting my mind with worry the night before, I got this:

And this:

For the longest time I couldn't figure out what the image was in this ring.  Then I saw it.  It's a mother holding a child.  All of a sudden all the hearts I received made sense. 

My job, the universe was telling me, is to LOVE my children, not to solve their problems. 

The Pencil tells me to sharpen my ability to love without censor.  The heart is not an eraser, i.e. there are no conditions that will take love away or activate it.  Real love just IS.

The large heart holding the small one tells me that my children are safe within my heart.  That's all the safety they need.

The brown heart cut-out, clearly done by a child,  helps me to understand that I am loved in turn by my children and by mother earth (brown is an earth color). You can't beat the healing power of that kind of love.

The ring containing the loving mother and child helps me put this all together.  It also reminds me that love is circular.  What you give will come back to you, and, as John Lennon and the Beatles say, "All you need is love."

A powerful message that I am very grateful for.

Much love to you,

Kristine