The moment of change is here

There is a quiet energy in the air…

The temperature is neither cold, nor warm

It is neither light, nor dark

A breeze touches the trees softly…

People are going about their business

Yet the market square seems larger as they cross it

The path through the forest is longer than anyone remembered

As the wind clears out the last leaves on the ground…

The roads and pathways have an emptiness about them…

As if everything that used to occupy them has left

And everyone is waiting in quiet anticipation

While the wind picks up, and whispers: “Change…”

The space we live in is ready to receive all that is new

The soil is awaiting new trees to be planted

The air is fresh, and breathing is easy

As we are invited to step into this opening in space and time

To discover new things about ourselves

To express our newly recognized selves in new ways

To bring out the best we can be…

To build a world from Love, and Light, and Peace

The earth is cleansed, and ready to support us

To listen to our wishes and desires, our voices

Singing ancient songs that have never been heard before

That are carried on the whispers of the wind…

So fill this quiet energy with life, and dance, and song

There is no need to wait for permission

How you live the expression of your unique self

Is ultimately just your decision…

Return of the light

It is that time of year again when the light returns.

Whether we look at it from the physical, seasonal perspective of the Winter Solstice or from the perspective of the celebration of Christmas — these last days of the year are marked by the return of the light. Or Light as the case may be.

With that, it starts a time of new beginnings. The most obvious one the beginning of the New Year. And that often spills over into our lives when we start the year with our New Year’s Resolutions; our decisions to make the New Year even better than the old one has been. To set out to become an even better person than we have been up to now in our lives…

With the physical return of the light on the Winter Solstice, our vital energy starts building again, enabling a greater focus on everything we want to accomplish over the next year. At the same time the days are growing longer again, literally shedding more light on just about anything we focus at so that we can see it with more clarity.

With the return of the Light as we celebrate Christmas, the inspirational Light returns. This is the Light that guides us — and while some may see this Light as outside of themselves, others will experience it as the inner connection to the highest counterpart of themselves. As this Light returns, it brings us closer to the (higher) wisdom we need to make the best, the wisest decisions in order to move ahead on our personal paths.

It means that just over a couple of days, both the physical light as well as the inspirational Light come into our lives to give us that opportunity to set our goals for the New Year — whether these goals are personal or even global. Independent from our drive to come up with the best New Year’s Resolutions, or whether we have given up on those entirely (as we tend to forget about them, sometimes as early as January 2nd when ‘real life’ begins again), we are pushed to look ahead, to make plans and set goals.

The timing gives us all the tools to see clearly what we want to do, and why. It gives us the light and clarity to envision the structure through which we will achieve the goals we set out to achieve…

This makes this time of year — on top of all of the celebrations — a truly productive time of year as well. Even if you just use it to create a little list of the ideas and plans that come up so you can revisit them later.

First published 12/25/2016

Song Lines

Although I have never been to Australia, Song Lines are an intriguing concept to me.

Let’s start with a description of Song Lines…

For the Aboriginals all land is sacred and alive. Their ancestors gave it life in singing, and gave them life through song, and dwell in the land still. Therefore songs must be continually sung to keep the land "alive". In singing, they preserve the land, the story, and the dreaming of their ancestors, and in doing so recreate it in their oneness of past, present, and future.

For me this ties in with my shamanic path, as well as with the understanding that we are the creators of our own lives.

But how many of us actually create all things in our lives with purpose, in such a way that a oneness with past, present, and future is (re)created with every step we take?

Looking at myself, I tend to look at something — one thing — I want to create or manifest in my life. And depending on whether I just desire to have this thing, or whether I really need it in my life, the manifestation of it happens faster, or in some cases, not at all.

In my efforts, I turn all of my focus to this one manifestation. And in doing so, I let my Self, and the rest of my life, ‘roll with the punches’.

Through Song Lines, the Aboriginals recreate all that is with every step they take on the path of life. They not just recreate their Selves, they recreate nature and the path they are walking through nature. And in doing so, they remember the age-old pathways, the wisdom of those lines, and they acknowledge the sacredness of the land and nature.

I have often wondered what would happen if I would do the same thing. I would need to do it in a manner that fits our culture and that suits my life...

I might not actually sing it — although making up the songs would be a great deal of fun — but my singing is not that good (and this is just the first of a bunch of reasons not to sing these things out loud). 

But what if I started acknowledging all the parts in life that are good to me, that are working for me — all the things that enrich my life? They would include people, and that which provides my income. They would also include parts of me that I have ‘inherited’, like a family history, or values that are part of the culture I have grown up in…

However, I think I would start with acknowledging my Self.

Singing the song of how my body as the perfectly healthy temple of my soul. The song of how my mind is strong, and can give direction to my path. The song of how all my experiences are precious for what they have taught me...

I would start with singing “I am”…

First published April 23, 2009