2/7/2016 (Day38) Happy New Moon in Aquarius

New Moon in Aquarius
(2/8/16 9:39 a.m. EST)

Luminous bodies

Aligned in Aquarius

The Dark of the Moon

~Amie

 

Every month, when our Heavenly Luminaries, the Sun and Moon, occupy the same Astrological sign, we have what is known as a New Moon. The Sun shines it's light on the side of the Moon facing away from us, so that we cannot see it from our beautiful Earth home. The New Moon represents the end of one moon cycle and the beginning of a new 28 day cycle. With the Sun conjunct the Moon, their energies are combined, enhancing their individual power and creative forces and opening up the possibility of creating anew. It is like a blank page of the Universe upon which you may write your dreams and visions. The New Moon is a great time make a fresh start, to create a "to do" list, initiate new beginnings and set intentions for what you want to manifest, create, and cultivate over the next cycle and beyond. It is a potent time for focusing on manifesting because there is a concentration of celestial energies gathered in one particular sign. There can also be a tendency to be impulsive and overly enthusiastic at this time and get carried away with intentions, so don't be discouraged if not all of them come to fruition.

This New Moon occurs, at 19 degrees Aquarius, on February 8th, at 9:39 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. One aspect involved in this moon is that the Sun is square Mars, which may cause some irritability, impatience, the urge to lash out and/or be more aggressive than usual and can lead to feelings of anger, resentment and sexual frustration. This combined with the New Moon tendency toward impulsiveness can make for some challenging energies. I know that, for me, the past couple of days I've been feeling a little too much of the Warrior planet's, scratchy energies, and, being a Cancerian, Mar's fieriness tends to be a little too hot for my watery nature which makes me CRANKY and irritiable (or are those both the same thing?) I have been feeling somehwhat out of sorts the past couple of days and finding it very difficult to concentrate and focus (it is taking me forever to write this blog because I can't keep myself from distracting myself...lol). 

But Aquarius is the Water Bearer and she a cleansing and the winds of change that herald a new beginning. According to Astrologist Kelley Rosano:

“This is your moment to acknowledge how far you have come. Where you are now and where you want to go. Is it time for you too boldly go where you have not gone?”

“…Aquarius reminds you to follow the beat of your own drum. Be unique. Be original. Be who you really are…Love you more than the need for approval of others. Love your creative side. Love your weird self. Love you...”

“The change you want to see in the world begins with you. Change your mind. You change your life. See your challenges from a different perspective. See your trials as opportunities for growth. They build muscle and make you strong. They keep your life fresh and lively.

“Your life can be much freer than you may have realized. In this way, new opportunities will emerge for you. Believe in your dreams coming true. Believe…

“Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius…Having Saturn supporting the New Moon gives you strength and endurance.

“You are to balance your emotional needs with your sense of obligation. You are to get your ducks in a row. Saturn encourages you to be focused and disciplined.

“You can accomplish a great deal. You are not in the mood to be frivolous. You will be in an orderly state of mind. You may have a strong sense of self-discipline. This is a smart approach to the New Moon and New Year.”

© Copyright 2016 ~KELLEY ROSANO All Rights Reservedhttp://www.kelleyrosano.com/2016/01/31/aquarius-new-moon-fortune-favors-the-bold/

By learning to work with the naturally occurring flow of the Universe, we can tap into the Universal force of Creation that is our Divine birthright to utilize and live happier, more fulfilling and ''successful'' lives here on the face of Gaia. So, go ahead, and be fearless, allow yourself to dream and set some intentions for this New Moon. Blessed be, dear friends <3 

2/6/2016 (Day 37) Ice

Ice castle ahead

Causes childlike excitement

Results in downfall 

Winter finally came, just in time for the Winter Carnival here in town. The ice sculptures are fun to see every year, and made my walk to Stone Soup Cafe extra delightful today...that is until the part where I got so excited about seeing the castle ahead of me, that I forgot to pay attention to where I was walking, hit a patch of ice and fell down. I am lucky to seemingly have escaped actual injury, but I am getting more sore by the moment and am feeling just how many muscles are involved in the act of falling. And there's something about falling down that brings out the inner child in me, so I feel like I've been in injured kid mode most of the day. I've been cranky and sensitive and feeling a bit off the wall all day, and so I'm gonna leave you with my haiku, these brief words and some pics of the ice sculptures and call it a night. Good night folks, and remember, you're never too old too feel like a little kid. 

Ice fish at the end of the alleyway...

Later in the day, it had melted quite a bit and looked a little more like...not a fish exactly...

And Lindy took this lovely of me and the giant...fish, while it was glowing. 

Snowman on the common...

What on earth is this? It looks like a nutria...lol. 

Bear

 The Grinch and his sweet little dog Max

 \

Capturing Light <3 

2/5/2016 (Day 36) Unexpected Snow Day with Fireworks and Leonard Peltier.

Last night I was super exhausted...I slept long and hard and, being that I don't watch TV and rarely listen to the radio, I was oblivous to the fact that it might snow. So, when I woke up, I was imaging the day one way (snowless) when my friend Lindy, who I was messaging with from safely inside my warm, cozy room, with the blinds closed mentioned something being buried under the snow....and I said, ''wait there's snow?" Darn...this was not at all the day I had envisioned, and I laughed remembering thinking just last night, as I walked back from Foster's Market, that maybe I should write a blog post on the Winter that never came...and then I realized it was too soon to proclaim that, and then wondered if pre-writing it would ''jinx'' it, or manifest it...lol. And, now I would never have the chance to find out, because Winter had arrived on this day. And, while being a lifelong New Englander, I should know enough to expect that it would have to eventually snow, I still found myself totally taken by surprise after having been lulled into winter complacency by the mild weather that we have been blessed with for most of the Winter so far.

And then I saw a post about a man in Great Falls (Officially known as Turners Falls...named after Captain William Turner who, on May 19,1676 lead the Peskeopmskut massacre where he and his men fell upon a poorly guarded village of mostly women and children and massacred them...but that's a story for another time)...so this man, David Detmold was interviewed on the radio while he stood  in Peskeompskut Park all day today, in solidarity with Leonard Peltier, bearing a sign that read:  "Tell Obama Yes He Can Free Leonard Peltier."  http://wrsi.com/monte/great-falls-man-stands-for-leonard-peltier/ 

For those of you who don't who he is, Leonard Peltier is an Anishinabe-Lakota Native American who has been imprissioned for 40 for allegedly murdering two FBI agents in 1975. He was a leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), an organization which seeks to promote and uphold Native American Indian rights. On 26 June 1975, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota, 2 FBI agents were killed. Leonard Peltier was convicted of their murders in 1977 and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Leonard Peltier does not deny that he was present during the incident. However, he has always denied killing the agents as was alleged by the prosecution at his trial. Once you hear the whole story, it's quite obvious that he was set up and is an innocent man. You can learn more, and watch an excellent documentary, "Incident at Oglala" here http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/. I highly recommend watching it. 

Just yesterday I was telling a friend the story of when I went to Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations and visited Wounded Knee back in '96...she had been to these places too, and even knew the elder, Albert Whitehat, who had given me a profound message when I met him. It had stirred thoughts and feelings I hadn't experienced in a long time and brought about this strange longing I have always had for this place I only ever visited once, for a week, 20 years ago...and for the ways of a people I only recall from the memories that have been stirred in my Soul from the time I was a little girl whenever I think about the Native American's and the injustice that has been done to them. So all of this was still raw and present when I listened to this and it came to my attention that on February 27th...which is an historic date for the American Indian Movement (AIM) movement, known as Wounded Knee Liberation Day because, on this day in 1973 activists began a second occupation of Wounded Knee which lasted for 71 days in order to protest the failure of the United States to fulfill treaty obligations and the corruption of the Oglala tribal government...On February 27, 2016, students across the country are calling for a National Day of Action to demand that Obama grant clemency to Leonard Peltier. I will be sending lots of prayers and intention for assisting with making this happen, as well as writing to President Obama asking him to do the right thing and grant Leonard clemency before he leaves office. Leonard has recently been diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm and so his clemency is of the utmost urgency at this time. Please, if you are so inclined, send some prayers and healing for Leonard...and  if it is in your heart to do so, please consider contacting President Obama and asking him to grant him clemency. 

These were some intense energies to run into which left me in a rather contemplative and somewhat raw state of mind...my empathness always works double over time when I tap into the energies of the plight of those who have been victims of unspeakable acts such as that of the virtual genocide of the Native American people and all the injustices they have suffered at the hands of our government and corporations that exploit their land and it's resources. Imagine tapping into the ripples of all of their suffering and feeling it inside of your consciousness, evoking a vast sadness within your heart and soul that, if allowed to, would swallow you and drag you into the depths of despair. That's what it's like when your an emapth. So, despite having gotten a full night's sleep, I found myself feeling a bit exhausted and remained in a deeply thoughtful state for much of the day (though I was, at one point rescued by some wonderfully delightful animal videos...which are like sweet salve to the emapthic soul).

Then later, while cooking dinner, I heard what, at first sounded like a car backfiring? gunshots? nooooo...FIREWORKS???...why on earth would I be hearing fireworks on February the 5th? So I went out front and sure enough, it sounded like fireworks and someone walking by said they were at the Winter Carnival...and I realized I could probably see them out my back door, and I went to look, and sure enough there they were. And at first I was excited to see them and then I suddenly remembered a poem my friend Eric, a veteran, wrote about fireworks. 

"How much like war

these fireworks

the throat tingling reek of sulfur

the bright burning lights

and the ear shattering booms

Perhaps only the veterans know

but wait there is a small child crying

a dog is barking

at the explosions 

they know too

and when the raging battle is over

with the sure victory

the good Americans go home

with bellies full of barbecue and beer"

(by Eric Wasileski in his book Live Free (or die)) 

I remember when I first read this poem last fall, as one who was born on the 4th of July and has always enjoyed fireworks as part of my birthday celebration, wondering how I would feel the next time I saw them...would I remember the poem? Would it change how I felt about them? And then, unexpectedly, here in the middle of winter, were these fireworks going off, and as I stood there watching them from my back porch, I was, at once filled with both an appreciation for and disdain of them. And in that moment, I decided to focus my intention on sending healing and Light to all who had been affected by the ravages of war and who would likely be feeling the urge to hide from the sight and sound of these things that I had always found to be so beautiful (albeit rather senseless and likely environmentally damaging...you see, nothing is ever just simple when you are striving to live in full consciousness...lol). I considered how lucky I am that, when I first heard the unexplained sound of exploding fireworks, never once did it cross my mind that perhaps we were being invaded...that bombs were dropping on us of there were soldiers firing somewhere. Had I been in Syria or Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen or Somalia or Pakistan or Nigeria or the Ukraine or South Sudan or Israel/Gaza...where there are currently wars, with casualties of more than 1,000 per year, being fought...I'm quite certain I would have had a whole different reaction to the sound of the unexpected fireworks. I am thankful for my safetyand pray that I never find out what that would be like, and I am thankful for having had my consciousness expanded by being prompted to look at something I've seen one way my whole life from the perspective of someone who has been to war (thank you Eric). I am thankful that, while this has been a day filled with heavy energies, I have had the opportunity explore my ever expanding, conscious experience of my humaness in some meaningful ways. (And I didn't even speak of my experience with the Archangels in my meditation...lol) I AM blessed <3 

2/4/2016 (Day 35) Time For More Flowers...

These were taken last July, on the Bridge of Flowers, in Shelburne Falls. How lucky are we to have this beautiful place to visit? Every year, I love to visit several times to see and photograph the flowers. I Hope you enjoy these pictures <3 

2/3/2016 (Day 34) Angel in the Light

Back on January 11th, I wrote about beginning the M.I.N.D. (Montague Institute for New Directions) training that I am currently doing in which an amazing group of 11 women met for our first of 12, 3 hour meetings in which we help one another to define and refine our individual goals in order to find the courage to step more fully into our power and bring our dreams to life. I knew that this opportunity was divinely guided and magical from the beginning (I had signed up for it in October, knowing was starting sometime in January, and had had a sense of excited anticipation about it for 3 months). The fortuitous timing of our first meeting on 1/11 and the fact that there were 11 of us women at that first meeting seemed to confirm my suspicion of it being a divinely guided magical mystery ride. As I said in 1/11 entry, "Master number 11 symbolizes the principles of spiritual awakening and enlightenment, high energy, idealism, inspiration and intuition, illumination, visionary, enthusiasm, creativity, self-expression, sensitivity, and mysticism. It tells us that to connect with our higher-selves is to know and live our soul mission and life purpose. Angel Number 11 is a message from your angels to pay special attention to your thoughts and ideas as these are revealing the answers to your prayers. Your positive affirmations and optimistic attitude will manifest your desires and help you to achieve your goals and aspirations.  They will also assist you upon your spiritual life purpose and soul mission. Repeating Angel Number 11 encourages you to be an inspirational guiding light to bring illumination to others and to help raise spiritual awareness. Trust that the angels support you in your Lightwork." I left the training that first week feeling incredibly excited about the next 3 months with this inspiring group of women and all the possibilities this exploration was poised to bring. 

We had a two week break between sessions and during that time, I began working with Doreen Virtue's Archangel Oracle cards which I had recently been compelled to buy (I have read Tarot for over 30 years) as I had been feeling called to learn more about and connect with the Archangels. On the morning of the second session, I had a powerful reading before leaving home and felt a very strong connection to them. Then, I had an interesting adventure getting to Turners which involved arriving early and walking around the town I grew up in, and where I had lived during the ''dark night of my soul'' time. A stroll down memory lane on a beautiful, sunny, but chilly morning left me contemplating my past, and thinking about how much my process of awakening had changed me in these past few years. And then, in our session one thing we did was to draw an image form when we were 12,24 and 36 and this brought me further down the rabbit hole of remembering who I used to be, which was interesting. We also chose an image, a card from a collection of them, that represented how we see ourselves...who we are. I chose this one 

Ultimately we came up with a statement of who we are in the world, and mine was:  "I am a bridge between Dimensions, fearlessly bringing Love and Light into the World for the benefit of Gaia and All that Is."  

After our session ended, I went over to look at the books in the lending library and instantly spotted one by, none other than,  Doreen Virtue, called "The Angel Therapy Handbook." I got ''truth bumps'' as I picked it up and looked it over. I signed it out and have been working with both the cards and the book this past week and feeling very connected to and lovingly supported by the amazing energies of the Archangels. 

When we met this week, we did a similar exercise, where, we first picked a card that represented where we felt we were right now in life. I chose two images because each one lacked something that the other seemed to contain and singularly neither one seemed quite right. Then, later, we chose an image to represent where were were going...where we wanted to be. After that, we  were given paper and pastels, told to put our "now" image on the left side of the paper, and our future image on the right, and asked to create a bridge between here and there...between where we are and where we want to be. We first were instructed to cover the sheet with white and then create a foundation of color from which our bridge would emerge. At first, I had a hard time with this. I tend to get a little befuddled when asked to draw something because I have never really learned how to draw very well. For me, it was in interesting exercise in letting go of my intellectual process and trusting my intuitive one. As I deepened my connection to the process, my bridge became clear and created an image that felt just right. Here is what I had at the end:

My bridge is a spiral, because I do not see life as linear, and what I need on my journey to the future is represented by the heart (Love) in the center which is radiating Light. The white dot in the center of the heart represents where I currently am on this journey and shows that I AM currently centered in Love and Light and in the center of my own spiral. And when it was complete, it looked and felt completely perfect and made absolute sense to me. 

When I got home later, I needed to find a spot to put my drawing and decided to temporarily rest it against a mirror, on the dresser, in my living room, behind my Buddha statue, crystal ball and my mother's southwestern creche that I still haven't put away yet, until I could find a proper place to hang it. A little while later, I walked back into the living room and when I looked at the picture I could swear I could see what looked like the outline of an angel coming down from the heart in the center standing behind Buddha. At first I thought perhaps the pastels had smudged and the white was coming through but then I realized that it was cause by the light from overhead reflecting through the crystal ball and around the Buddha, and it was, in fact in the shape of an angel! 

I felt so incredibly blessed and thankful at that moment, as I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt (pun intended...lol), that this was a sign from my beloved angels that I am being Divinely guided on this path of my Sacred mission and that I am held and protected and Loved beyond measure. I know, for certain now that working with the Archangels will always be an important part of my Spiritual practice from now on, and that I am being called to help share their gifts with the world in some capacity in the future. I am honored and so incredibly blessed to have such guidance and assurance and I AM so very grateful <3

Angel blessings to you and yours, my friends and thank you for sharing this beautiful journey with me. 

~Namaste <3 

2/2/2016 (Day 33) Blessed Imbolc

Quickening

Oh Blessed Imbolc,

Mother Earth's womb awakens, 

and so does our blood 

~Amie

Imbolc or Imbolg, also known as Candlemas, is one of 8 major Sabats that make up the Wheel of the Year. Sabbats mark the solar, seasonal calander and represent the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. Imbolg is the winter Festival of Lights, it represents the beginning of the new agricultural year and occurs at the midway point between Yule (6 weeks after) and the Spring Equinox (6 weeks before) and marks the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from that of Crone to Maiden.  Traditionally, Imbolc marked the great festival of Brid or Brigid (Brighid, Bride, Brigit...pronounced ''Breed"). She is a Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and of the Hearth. She is a Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft...she brings fertility to the land and its people and is closely connected to midwives and new-born babies. She is the Triple Goddess, but at Imbolc she is in her Maiden aspect. The original word, Imbolg means "in the belly," which describes the underlying energy of the Sabbat. We experience a "quickening of the year" as the first stirrings of new life begin within Gaia's womb. As Spring draws near, the seed is prepared for sowing and there is promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of awakening as the life-force begins to stir within. There is a barely pregnant expectancy as new life is only just visible, if at all, like the gentle curve of a new pregnancy. It is the promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of Mother Earth awakening and the life-force stirring. As we welcome the growth of the returning light and witness Gaia's insatiable appetite for rebirth, there is Hope and stirring within that leads to action.

Energetically, this is time to let go of the past and to look to the future. To clear out the old, and make space in both your inner and outer worlds for new beginnings. The idea of ''Spring cleaning'' actually originated in the ritual of cleaning out of ones space to make way for new life to enter. So, you may watn to take some time this week to do a little physical and psychic housecleaning and to open your heart and mind to allow inspiration to flow into the newly cleared spaces. 

Blessed Imbolc, my friends. 

<3

2/1/2016 (day 32) Oh my Empath-ness!

You would think that after my bad emapthic experience with the trees and the wood chipper last week, I would be on point with taking care to protect my empath self in vulnerable situations. But the truth is, it's just not always something I realize I need to do until, sometimes, it's too late. Tonight was one of those times. I was very excited to go to Soup and Games Night at Hope and Olive which was a fundraiser for Stone Soup Cafe (a pay what you can cafe that happens, here in my town, every Saturday at which I regularly volunteer). I have never been to Soup and Games Night, so I didn't know what to expect. Which, in retrospect, I realize should have clued me in to the fact that I would have been wise to prepare myself by "suiting up" before I went in. (Note to self...unfamiliar social situation=high risk of emapth mode kicking in...be prepared!) In my usual manner, I had planned to help out when I got there...something I always feel the need to do when I am at a social event like that, which I think may be one of the empath coping skills I developed over the years without realizing it. When I have a task or tasks to focus on in social situations involving lots of people, my ''social anxiety'' (aka emapthic discomfort) is much less. I suspect this is because by focusing on the task(s) at hand I am picking up on less of other people's energies/thoughts/feelings/pain/etc. I believe this is probably a common coping skill for many undiscovered empaths.

When I got to Hope and Olive, it was already a bit chaotic and I instantly felt anxious. And then, as it turns out, there wasn't really anything for me to do right then to help out, and it was still a bit chaotic and...oh shit...there I was, before I knew what had happened (and it still took me a while to realize what was going on) engulfed in that state of overwhelming everythingness that I feel when my emapth mode has been un-intentionally engaged. It's kind of like a PTSD trigger...only different. It's like all of my nerve endings are raw and bare and feeling way to much of everything all at once...and I want to run from the room because I am suddenly so uncomfortable in my being there, and I don't want to try and talk to people and act like I'm having fun, I just want to flee. My palms get sweaty and I feel queasy and anxious. This is when I usually go to the bathroom and hide for a few minutes...instead I try again to find something to do and in the process have a brief conversation in which, still unbeknownst to me, further engages my empathic discomfort. 

And as I am feeling more than ever like I want to just leave, I hear the familiar voice of a friend who, I suspect is a fellow empath, and who's presence I am immediately very grateful for. I still do not know what to expect, as people are still just sort of milling around and setting things up, and my friend...she knows what to expect and that soothes me somehow. That, and I am beginning to suspect that fellow empaths have a soothing effect on one another. So we look for a place to sit and it is packed and we can't find a place and so we decide to sit at the bar and the bartender asks us if we want anything to drink and I blurt out, I'm just trying to get my bearings here, and he looks at me funny, so I feel compelled to explain myself by saying I don't do well in these kind of situations if I don't have a job to do. And he commented on how there were so many volunteers and maybe I should just try to relax. I laugh...I like this guys energy...he's calming too...I start to relax just a little. And then we go to get in line, and again it is chaotic, with people all around me, and my palms begin to sweat again, and I start to feel anxious and I suddenly realize...SHIT...I never suited up before I came here and immediately begin to envision the shiny black of my empath suit coming out of my crown chakra and slowly descending down until it covers my entire body. And as I do, I begin to feel my jangled nerve endings starting to calm, my thoughts beginning to clear

, my mind slowing as I take a deep breath and relax. I shake my head and roll my eyes and laugh at myself for having forgotten, once again, to protect myself in a vulnerable situation. As I ease into the room, devoid of everyone else's thoughts, feelings and sensations for the first time since arriving, I am still not thrilled to be there (maybe due to my empathness, or maybe I just don't like being in crowds all that much...it was really crowded), but I am not crawling out of my skin and I am thankful for my ''trusty emapth suit" and for remembering it and for learning the lesson I did about paying better attention to protecting my empath self in vulnerable situations and hope I will better remember next time. 






<3