History Lessons

Lately, days after Saint Patrick's Day, I've been finding Shamrocks.  I wondered if my message from the Universe was that I needed some extra luck, but that didn't feel right.  Instead, what came to me was a subject that has always interested me;  we use our history to predict our future. 
After all, the Shamrock is a cheerful reminder of a charming celebration. Finding some several days afterwards keeps me thinking of those good times.
So often the tendancy is for us to remember traumas from our past and allow those to guide our lives.  That urges us live defensively.
For example, let's say we go the baseball game.  We're having a wonderful time.  Our team is winning, we're with people we really like, the hot dogs and beer taste really good, and the weather is perfect.  Then, out of the blue, a pop fly hits us in the head.  OUCH.  The pleasant day is gone in an instant. 
We may choose to leave the game, and we might even decide, from that one incident, that we'll never go to a baseball game again.  Too dangerous.
In one fell swoop we've discarded all the good things that happened and just looked at that one bad event.  We then make a decision about baseball that colors the rest of our life: We'll never go to another game again.
This seems extreme, I know, but people make choices like that everyday.  They drag out their unpleasant history and use it as an excuse to eliminate certain  activities, actions, even types of people from their lives, as if  life events can be exactly reproduced from past to future. 
People, even mass-produced fast food hamburgers from the same venue don't all taste exactly alike. Far from it.
An old saying holds true here: "You can't step in the same river twice."
Life is flow.  It keeps moving, evolving, and changing, just as we do. 
Sure, we can keep creating misery if we go to the ball game again and EXPECT something bad to happen.  We might not get hit on the head again, but we'll spill our beer or it'll rain. When we push against what we don't want, we're sure to make more of it. 
Why not, if we feel we must use our history to define our future, take out of our memory banks examples of the great things that happened and focus on them.  Concentrate on the fun time we had the last time we went, the happy conversations with our friends, the taste of the dogs and beer, the loveliness of the weather.  Use that history.  Try to recreate that.  Sure, we won't get the exact same day again.  That day is gone.  But we'll get a shiny new one, a day that makes us glad to be alive because we'll be using that magical mind of ours to look for fun instead danger. Seek and ye shall find!  Ignore the weeds, find the shamrock!
Now that's the way to live.
Love, Kristine

Who is the Judge, and Who the Jury?

Yesterday a dog peed on my leg.  Really.  I was out at the park with the pack of people and dogs we see at the end of the day, and one of the new males came up to me as if he wanted a scratch on the back.  I was about to oblige when he lifted his leg and peed on mine.
It was embarrassing and funny.  I also found myself taking it personally.  Did this mean that this dog was feeling dominate over me, or did he just mistake me for a tree? Neither analysis felt very good.
I ruminated about this for a while when I realized that I was judging the situation poorly and, since my judgement didn't place me in a very good light with regard to my self image, I was racking my brain in an attempt to find a way to view the incident in a positive light, stewing over something minor that had taken place over two hours ago!
This reminded me of the story of the two Buddhist priests and the lady. It goes something like this:
Two priests were walking from one city to another when they encountered a lady in a beautiful silk kimono trying to cross a stream.  A recent rain had flooded the footpath, and she risked getting her lovely garment wet.  One of the priests offered to carry her across the stream.  She accepted, he lifted her up, and the two of them crossed together.  He put her down on the other side and she thanked him for his trouble. 
The two men continued their journey.  The priest who had not helped was mulling the incident over.  In their sect, they were not allowed to touch women.  He wondered how his comrade could break his vows.  He worried about it for several miles until he could not be silent a moment longer.  "Why", he cried "Did you carry that woman on your back?  What about your vows to our order?"
"Oh, "said his friend, "are you still thinking about that?  I stopped carrying that woman long ago."
Judging our actions, our lives, our friends, a dogs behaviour, everything, takes us out of the moment.  We forget to appreciate where we are, prefering to analyze actions and conversations long past. 
It's as if we're building a case for an imaginary court.  We're so concerned with being in the right that we try to justify everything we do. Why do we do this? Who are we appealing to?  Who is hearing our case and making that decision?  Who is our judge, and who our jury?
We are.  We are making our own selves miserable. Who else do we answer to?  No one and no thing has any moral authority over us.  We are completely responsible for how we feel about ourselves, our lives, and our companions.
Perhaps it's time to give up all our judgements and just let life happen.  Don't name or blame or be ashamed of anything, and put down whatever you're carrying that causes you pain.  Leave it all where it belongs; in the past.  Let's step out of our mental courtroom, release ourselves from the jail of our judgements, and travel the broad, open path of moment-to-moment connection. 
I think we'll be happier if we do.
Love, Kristine

All Things Being Equal

It's the Vernal Equinox, so happy first day of Spring to you! At this time the night and day are equal in length. 
In honor of this, I want to talk about the concept of equality.  To help me ride this train of thought, I picked a card out of the Tarot deck.  What I got delighted me.  It's the 6th of Pentacles, which talks about equality in an interesting way: as seen from a distance and with a visionary turn of mind.
Consider this: as we move around the wheel of our lives, we find ourselves living all aspects of existence.  Sometimes we're prosperous and have much to give.  Sometimes we rely on and appreciate the generosity of others.  Neither position is better or worse.  BOTH sides of life can bring us satisfaction and contentment when looked at in a spacious and expansive way. 
We only need to remain open to the gift inbedded in each of life's aspects.  When looked at in this way, we see that both the "good" and "bad" of life are of equal import.  Sometimes they even switch places.  I'm sure you've had the experience of a disaster that became a blessing is disguise. 
Judging an experience leads to confusion, frustration, and pain.  For example, we can feel superior if we have much, or inferior if we have little.  These feelings and perceptions rob us of the ability to live life fully, to appreciate the ups and downs of existence, and most of all, to understand that the wheel of life continues to turn. 
What's up now will soon be down, richess melt away, youth turns to age. Our preferences may lead us to try and make time stop.  We want to hold on to what's "good", and push away whats "bad".  This stance of defensiveness and mistrust keeps us upright, but also uptight and out of life's flow.  As we learn to experience both "good" and "bad" with a sense of appreciation for the natural balance of life, our varied experiences of whatever stripe will feel more fruitful and benificial, no matter if they put us on the top of the wheel or on the bottom. 
When we master this, we've truly learned to dance to life's tune.  Around and around we'll go! After all, what would Spring be without the Winter?  The contrast life provides us gives us the material to seed our dreams in the fertile soil of our imagination. Welcome the contrast.  What seems like so much manure now is the compost for your future garden.
Have a fruitful Spring, and keep dancing!
Love,
Kristine

Communication from the Heart

I saw Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland yesterday.  Having loved the Lewis Carroll books, and Tim Burton's take on just about anything, I was curious about how he'd handle this classic tale.  In short, I liked it.
And it got me, pardon the pun, "wondering" about the red queen.  For the first time, I noticed that this person, who represents the heart, was, well, not very nice. It was an unexpected take, but as I thought about it I realized that it was true to the book.
It hit me, then, that there are a myriad of ways the ways of the heart can manifest themselves; from understanding, love, and compassion to jealousy, sorrow, and obsession. 
We may know what we mean when we say "love", and think that we are communicating clearly when we refer to it, but that ain't necessarily so. Communication is so much more than words.
Today I passed the kindergarten yard.  Three little boys were taking a "time out" because of their inappropriate actions on the playground.  I wondered what they had done, and didn't have to wait too long to find out.  They were set free from their bench in purgatory and went directly back to the scene of their crime.
"Finn!"  the teacher shouted, "I told you to stay out of the mud".
"Oh", replied Finn "Is this mud?  I thought it was dirt."
Communication is hard.  Even simples words have different meanings to different people.  How do we know if we're truly understanding someone, or making ourselves understood?  In order to communicate most effectively, we have to dive into our instincts and free up our animal nature. 
With animals, you can tell that communication is happening, even if it has nothing to do with a verbal language (as far as I know).  It seems to be about body language and energy.  Sometimes a strange dog will come up to another dog and any observer can tell right away if the dogs will get along.  Something about the two dogs' energy tells that story well before the initial "getting to know" you exchange of sniffs.
I think people have the same kind of instinctual response to others. We've been trained to disregard our first impressions, but they are very telling.
You know when you like someone, when you don't, when you feel comfortable in their presense, when you don't, and when you can trust them and when you can't.  You may not know how you know these things, but you do.
When you "understand where someone is coming from", it implies more than just knowing the meanings of the words they use. You see them energetically, and feel who they are.  Your understanding is multi-dimensional when you allow yourself the full range of your instinctual nature, because then you have the sensitivity for your understanding to be energetic, deeply empathic,and non-verbal
Since understanding is so important to creating a more peaceful world, it's time for us all to see beyond  a person's words and straight into their hearts.  Despite our disagreements, common ground does exist.  It's our job to find it, stand on it, and redirect our lives from there. Let's take the position that we're all in the same boat  and find a way to harmoniously pass the time on this voyage around the sun.
Love, Kristine

From A to Z: More Kindergarten Lessons in Life

I have often asked my questions to the Universe with this codicil: 
"Remember who you're talking to when you answer!  For me, nothing subtle.  Simple phrases in BLOCK LETTERS."
Ahh, the literal Universe!  It really takes you seriously, in an extremely funny way.  To wit:
I've been reading "You Are the Answer" by Michael J. Tamura.  Great book.  My son got it for me for my birthday and I've really been enjoying it.  Anyway, the chapter I've been reading is about finding answers to our questions by looking within. 
I've been used to looking without for my answers; friends, teachers, books (like the one I'm reading) and, naturally, my Messages from the Universe.  I know, of course, that ultimately the outer mirrors the inner, so it's all coming from the same place.  The problem I have is that, even though I know that, I often don't trust my own answers and love confirmation from others regarding the appropriateness of my choices. 
Reading this book has inspired me to acquire the confidence and trust it takes to think for myself.  The Universe agrees with me, apparently, because look what appeared on my path today:

X-ray X-- simple phases in block letters.  Do you think it's hinting that I need to look within?  I'm guessing so.

Also, as an added emphasis, just check out old X-ray's hair.  Green, the color of healing, and purple, the color of spirituality, but only colored in 4 places (the number of stability).  Sounds like trusting my own guidence and intuition will be healing, spiritually fulfilling, and will add a dimension of stability to my life.

I have my assignment.

By the way, there are religious traditions that hold hair to be very powerful.  That idea gives having a "bad hair day" a whole new dimension, doesn't it? 

Love,

Kristine

The Karmic Wheel of Fortune

Sometimes things happen that seem to come out of nowhere.  It takes a huge leap of faith to assume responsibility for random acts, and the Wheel of Fortune recommends that we make that leap.
If the universe is all about energy, then we have to assume that we attract to ourselves energy of the same vibrational frequency that we are exuding.  I'm sure that you've noticed that when you go out with a smile on your face and confidence and love in your heart, the day goes well.  When you wake up feeling sour and miserable, the day tends to go poorly.
If this is true, and my experience tell me it is, then there is no such thing as a random event.  You get what you put out there.  If you're worried about illness and disease, you get sick.  If you focus on lack of money, you struggle with your income. 
However, if you start to notice what is going well, and begin to look for and see what you wish to see in people and circumstance, you change your energy frequency.  The universe responds to that change by bringing more of what you are wanting into your life.
Changing your vibration takes work.  We're so used to complaining, skepticism, and feeling like the victum of circumstance.  It takes courage to accept responsibilty for your life and wisdom, focus and persistence to change it, but it's not impossible.  Count your blessings.  That's a start. 
Looking at the Wheel of Fortune card provides more guidence.  At the top of the wheel sits the sphinx.  The sword she's holding represents wisdom.  She is able to answer the question of who's in charge of your life in every circumstance, your job is to ask.
In the four corners of the card sit an angel, an eagle, an ox, and a lion, possibly representing water, air, earth and fire.  The books that they're studying, indicate that there's always something to be learned in every situation.
Even though the wheel is in the air, which is the element of wisdom, we can be a little too "in our heads".  The snake on the left encourages us to ground what we've learned in our own experience in order to validate the truth of it. 
The little red jackel/human creature on the bottom right of the wheel I see as the trickster.  He represents the sway of our agendas, the plans we have for ourselves and our life.   We often try to mold ourselves to our ideal constructs, plans and dreams, even when they aren't right for us.  Following our agendas too ridgedly blocks the true wisdom that comes from the heart. When we disregard the heart, and turn away from who we truly are to what we think we SHOULD be, that's when the wheel turns toward trouble.
As a friend of mine once said, "the mind changes the heart wants what it wants".  As you learn to become more sensitive to the promptings of the heart, your mind will turn from a nagging dictator full of "shoulds" to a gentle guide offering quiet counsel, and you'll feel wonderful.
The wheel of fortune reminds us that whatever happens, good or bad, the universe is giving us loving guidance.  All we need to do is trust life to lead us where we need to go.  When we do that, we'll ride the ups and downs of the karmic wheel with grace and power.
Love,
Kristine

Kindergarten Yin Yang

I often walk by the Kindergarten yard on the way to my favorite hiking trail.  I find such interesting objects along the way.  Today I found this piece of paper in a mud puddle.  It's a worksheet that helps kids with their vocabulary.  It deals with opposites like in/out, up/down, etc.

It made me think about the nature of duality. 

On the one hand, and in a minor way, duality thinking all too easily steers us into concepts like right/wrong, good/bad, black/white.  These are easy to grasp, and often feel like they're the only way to understand this complex world.  They can also make sensing our connection with each other, and with the world, more difficult; and understanding the concept that we are all one almost impossible.  (If I'm black and you're white, we are not one. We're different.)

On the other hand, the Yin Yang sign represents the duality/oneness connundrum in a very healthy way.

Its shape and colors embody the concepts in a tidy package.  It tells us simply and directly that we need the light to understand and appreciate the darkness, and we need the darkness to understand and appreciate the light.  Plus, like the black bit of yin in the white yang, the symbol tells us that there is no such thing as a "pure" feeling.  There is always a hint of sadness in our joy, and a hint of joy in our sadness. 

An art teacher once told me that when shading a figure, the whitest white and the darkest dark meet at the apex of the curve, and the shadowy shaping  flows from that.  Incorporating the opposites gives dimension and depth to our feelings. 

In addition, when we feel bad, we ask to feel better.  That keeps us creative and alive.  We need contrast to keep us moving, growing, changing, and evolving.

In truth, duality thinking helps us evolve spiritually. 

When I finally reconciled myself to the usefullness of duality thinking, I turned the page over.  On the other side was a veritable portrait of oneness.

This little child might have needed to learn his "opposites" words, but his loving heart was speaking the language of connection with fluency and grace.

Love,

Kristine

Kyote Graphics

Some Messages Aren't So Pleasant

I was walking a bit off-trail the other day. My dog had raced through the underbrush in an unfamiliar direction, and I followed. Between her and me was a very steep slope. She had negotiated it perfectly. Now it was my turn.

In the East Bay hills, adobe mud is the most common earth underfoot. It's really a type of clay and, mixed with hay and cattle dung, the ideal medium for making bricks. It comprises many an early California home and cathedral.

It's also very slippery, especially after the rain.

So there, right in front of me, was a steep and slippery path. Should I go in that direction or seek a safer route? Well, I'd been watching too many Olympic skiers sliding effortlessly down snowy peaks to go the safer route. “If I just keep my feet underneath me,” I told myself, “I'll be fine.”

Out I stepped and in no time I was sliding down the hill with my left leg at an angle that defied the notion that the knee is a hinge joint. I also heard a very disconcerting "click".

I'm home now, with a swollen joint and lots of questions. The first night I asked myself the usual "why me?" and I got an answer. It made me laugh.

The last few blogs I've posted have all been about the healing and saving power of art. I blush to tell you that, for all my talk, I've not made anything in months. I started a piece, and it's on my table ready to be finished, but I've resisted working on it.

What happens is that I approach my work, initially, with joy. I love my ideas, and want to see them manifest. Then as I continue working, the doubts come up: doubts about my ability as an artist, my age, my lack of connections in the art world, my conviction that no one will like my work, that I'll never be able to support myself as an artist, and that I'd best get back to the business of living.

Works stops, and I put my creation aside.

My heart keeps working, though, and everyday I think of new things to do and I wish I'd do them, but instead I arrange my life so that I have no time left to actualize my visions.

I guess the universe wanted to send me a message. Through the blog, it's had me writing about the power of art. I realize that I was writing the words that I personally needed to hear, but I wasn't listening nor taking what I was writing personally.

I've been told that when you don't attend to a Universal tap on the shoulder, it will do more to get your attention. It did; up on that slippery slope on my favorite trail, the one where I get so many of my ideas.

Now, I can't go anywhere with this sore and swollen knee, but I can sit in my studio and finish that piece. And here is what makes me laugh: I named that piece months ago and it's called "Slippery Slope". No Lie.

I realized that the true "slippery slope", the one that hurts us more than a fall from a patch of mud, is the discouraging words we use to prevent us from doing what would bring us the most joy. I’m listening now, and I know I need to heed that message from the Universe and get to work!

When I finish the piece, you’ll be the first to know. I’ll post it.

Love, Kristine