Let Your Hair Down in 2011

"Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."
Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace

Over the Holiday, my youngest son and his adorable girl friend came to stay with us.  They're hoping to leave their Seattle home and come to the Bay Area to live, so this was a reconnaissance trip for them. 
I, of course, love this idea, but instead of thinking about all the ways I would enjoy having them close, I thought about how difficult the transition might be.  I woke up in the middle of the night worried that they wouldn't find work here, or a place to stay, and on and on.  First thing in the morning, I sat my boy down to talk to him about his moving strategy.  I outlined what I would do and watched his face get grim. 
"Mom", he said, as patiently as he could, "We've already thought about all of that.  It's in our hands.  You don't need to worry about any of it."
"I know", I said, "But everything in my life seems to be falling apart.  I just wanted a little certainty.  It's hard for me to trust my choices, since, right now, I'm not where I want to be and my choices put me here.  I want to make sure you're making the right choices for you."
"There is no certainty about that, "He responded, "but one thing I am sure of;  if you don't accept in your own mind where you are, and if you continue to judge what you've done and who you are, you're not going get where you want to be.  You'll stay stuck in regret.  You have to change what's in your head in order to change your life." 
Smart boy.  Heaven IS right where I am right now.  I just have to let go of my judgements and realize it. 
Confirmation came of this realization on my walk that day. I found my first message of the universe for 2011.  It's this little yellow butterfly.  The butterfly is the symbol of change, joy, love and  metamorphosis and yellow is the color of wisdom, joy, and happiness.  That it's a hair ornament for a child is symbolic too.  Hair is the symbol of spiritual power, and children remind us of the wisdom inherent in trust and innocence, and the joy inherent in taking a fresh look at life.

Transformation and happiness are in store for all of us this new year, but only if we can accept what is and flow towards what will be.  Taking a page from the wisdom of my darling son, let's not look back.  The past holds nothing for us, especially our recent past with all the stress of economic and environmental turmoil.  Let us accept what is, determine what we want, and move towards our goals with confidence, remembering that all change is good - even if it may not seem so at the time. Change is essential if we wish to grow.
Here's wishing you all a happier 2011.  Make it so! The power is in our hands.
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

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

When the Lion Comes

Yesterday my sister told me about the recent deaths of two young people who were close friends of her son. She's dealing with her own grief, the pain of her boy and the impossible-to-imagine agony of their parents.

Death comes and we feel sad when we think of the person who is gone. We will miss them, and, depending on our connection with them, they will leave a hole in our lives. Still, when an old person dies, it seems the right and proper end to an active and full life.

When a young person dies it seems wrong, somehow, because, in a certain sense, it takes away our hopes and dreams for the future. Gone are the longed-for grandchildren, the excitement of viewing another's careers, love affairs, and home-making, through the close and loving lens of family. The seasonal celebrations, the phone calls to "see how you are", the visits with long conversations about triumphs and defeats; all those are gone.

We don't feel sad for the person who died. They've gone beyond sadness, pain, all the comforts and discomforts of life. We feel sad for ourselves. And deeply lonely. How to we heal? How do we become happy again?

We learn how much of our happiness depended upon the very presence of another, and very precious, being; and how much of it depended upon our vision of the future. Our salvation, and the way to heal, is to focus as much and as deeply as we can on the present moment, even when it's painful to do so.

Acceptance of our feelings is key. Allow the sadness and know that the food still needs to be cooked, people still need to be tended to, jobs still need to be done. Accept and do, focus on each task and find the small joys in each moment.

Your life will go on. Pay attention, and let your new future emerge from within the seeds of this closely observed present, and when you think of your loved one, think of the times you were happiest together. Forget any regret or judgement. You were together once and you loved each and still do.

Remember the love. Hold it close to you. It's all there is. It's all there ever was. It's still here for you. It will always be here for you.

Remember love.