Healing Earth

After playing around with the zendalas for awhile, I colored in this mandala that I had drawn a couple of days ago. This was one of the times that I sat with an empty circle... waiting...
No tracing (obviously)... next I drew the inner circle and then proceeded with the shapes around the circle... not knowing what they would be.
Finally inside the inner circle, she appeared. I think it is my desire to get in touch with nature. To feel the peacefulness, it's serenity, it's healing ability... just to have that feeling of being one with it.
It's been a "harried" week. Mom had appointments... John had appointments and of course there is work... and it was (and still is) HOT!
Tuesday was spent at the medical center... spleen specialist and cat scans.
Ironically, the place was freezing inside. Blankets were placed around for the taking and I definitely needed one.... while outside it was hot as hell! (figure of speech here - don't really believe in hell) .......anyway.........
There, I met Rose. John went to get her a blanket as she sat freezing and John being John, started up chatting away, making her laugh.
She was from Sicily, so we moved into the direction of travel and we teased John about flying. (He won't fly, but that's another story)
While John was inside getting scanned, I learned about Rose and was reminded "there is always someone worse off that you or your loved ones".
She didn't even have a spleen, was waiting for a liver transplant and has lupus. I learned about the effects of ammonia on the liver and the brain.
So, the cloud formations surrounding the inner circle, were intentions of healing the liver and spleen...
John got one step closer towards more healing as the catheter was taken out on Friday. He is a very happy camper.
Many healing thoughts go out to others today that need healing in what ever form, physically, mentally, emotionally.......
May you feel the breeze on your skin and smell a flower and hopefully it's not too hot for ya!

Blessing Moon

Early this morning the full moon in Capricorn opposed the Sun in Cancer.

Reading from Moon Circles, I was inspired to do a moon mandala. Kate, from MandalaOasis yahoo group, informed me it was called a Blessing Moon.

Yes. Now I see the blessings being poured down upon the Earth, poured down upon me. I went to sleep with the moon shining in my window and thought... just briefly.. of all my blessings.

I quickly was out... sound asleep.

This moon in Capricorn, an earth sign, along with the sun in Cancer, a water sign.. together form mud or clay, that which creates forms, vessels. I am an Aquarian, the water barer, with a mission to help carry these blessings, share them with the world.

When we focus on our blessings, uplifting us with positive and grateful energy, we are then renewed and able to bring these blessings to others... pay them forward.

We cannot give to others if our well is dry.

Therefore, we must allow the time for ourselves to replenish the well, filling ourselves up with sacred time. Time to explore our soul, healing wounds, forgiving ourselves and others, being compassionate with ourselves.

It is time for self-nurturing.

May you be well blessed during this time.

Namaste'

Turtle Medicine

I read something on line and this image of turtle with hearts or the thought of hearts as a doorway brought up this idea... so with sketchbook in hand, sitting in the waiting room at the doctors office, I began to draw... This morning as I colored it in, I kept thinking of Turtle Medicine.
For me, home is important... it is my sanctuary. I need a peaceful environment to regenerate, to regroup, and of course to create. Our home is art and filled with love... two of us coming home to one another... sitting together and coloring.
I found this as well:

The Turtle
The turtle is a creature of the water. Because of its great age and its slow metabolism the turtle is associated with longevity. Turtle medicine can teach new perceptions about time and our relationship to it. It can also help us grow old gracefully and in harmony with our environment. When the pace of life becomes too hectic the turtle shows us how to slow down and go with the flow.
Turtles have amazing survival skills and strategies. They sense vibrations in the water through their skin and shell. Turtle totems hold the mystery of awakening the senses on both the physical and spiritual levels and can stimulate clairaudience.
Turtles carry their homes on their back. The shell is actually the backbone and ribs of the turtle and serves as home and shelter for it. Those with this medicine should remember not to acquire more possessions then they actually need. The burden of responsibility can become a heavy weight for you to carry.
When turtle is flipped on its back it uses its strong neck to right itself. This can be a reminder to use your own head and inner knowledge to right yourself when your world gets topsy-turvy.
All turtles must come ashore to lay their eggs and they are usually buried. When the eggs hatch they make their way to the water. The link between water and land especially for the purpose of reproduction has great significance.
When turtle shows up in your life, it is time to get connected to your most primal essence. Go within your shell and come out when your ideas are ready to be expressed. The turtle cannot separate itself from its shell and we cannot separate ourselves from what we do to the earth. The way to heaven is through the earth and both are interconnected.

and then I found this as well, and found some of this to fit as well:

The Tortoise
The tortoise is a land bound creature and is exclusively terrestrial. In myth and folklore the tortoise represents determination and longevity. Tortoises have high domed shells and heavy elephant like hind legs. The weight of its shell keeps it from moving too fast. The heaviness of its hind legs gives it the strength to carry heavy loads. Those with this totem often carry the loads of others as well as the burdens of self. They make good therapists but must be careful not to take on the problems of other people.
One of the most ancient and adaptable creatures, the tortoise holds the energy of patience and perseverance. They are very sensitive to the environment in which they live and have a strong psychic connection to mother earth. Extreme changes in climatic conditions can affect their overall disposition. Tortoise medicine people need a stable environment for their overall well being. Without this stability they are prone to mood swings.
The tortoise feels vibrations within the earth and reacts strongly to them. By observing the tortoise's behavior we are forewarned of any imbalances within the earth's core before an actual change occurs. This helps us prepare for geophysical changes in a balanced way.
The tortoise is self-reliant and self determined. Its ability to survive for as long as it has is partly due to its talent to stay focused. When this medicine is fully developed within us we use these gifts efficiently. If this medicine is underdeveloped staying centered in spite of the constant distractions that appear in our day-to-day life will be our greatest challenge.
Tortoises are vegetarians and are very terrestrial. Those with this totem can benefit from a similar diet and often place a great deal of importance on a stable home environment. The tortoise carries their home on their backs and reminds us that although stability in our life is important true stability lies within ourselves.
Moving slowly through life the tortoise observes and processes everything efficiently. This movement compliments its inner wisdom. When the tortoise shuffles into your life it is ready to share that wisdom with you. All you need to do is slow down, pay attention and begin to move with patient persistence. In this way longevity, inner strength and a harmonious lifestyle are attained.

Passion

This morning I read from The Painter's Keys something he wrote and keeps around, a reminder, a prayer of sorts..

The world's engagement of beauty is my bible,
And Art is my religion.
I come to it as a child. I add all the grown wisdom I can gather.
Creativity is my salvation.
My easel is the altar.
My paints are the sacraments.
My brush is my soul's movement,
and to do poorly, or not to work, is a sin.

For many years, this is how I have felt.. the beauty of nature was my church. I stopped going to a conventional church because I came away feeling worse than when I went in. I would rather have my time spent with "God" or this Creative Universal Intelligence.. This Ultimate Divine Being alone doing art... Art.

Art is my salvation, the path I use to find that quiet, still voice within... to keep me in touch with the Divine Self and when I don't do any art for awhile, I feel it. I feel the difference in my moods... becoming cranky, irritable.. and when we are not full of Joy, that's what sin is... against Joy and Love is not being with the Divine.. my idea of sin.

Art is my passion, and wherein lies passion, lies the connection to the Divine Self...

Follow your bliss

Decisions.
Sometimes easily made and sometimes not.
I've had my challenges in making the best one.. but the fact is we have them.
We have the freedom to choose.
We ALWAYS have the freedom to choose how we react.. the path we take, where we want to go in life.

We may feel at times, that these decisions are made for us, or forced upon us, but ultimately, it is always our choice.
We are always free to choose.
I watched this video here and it made me think how we have become so apathetic about some things, thinking we have no choice... but we do.

It's amazing how much we consume... and waste.
We have a choice in buying goods. We are the ones with the power as a consumer.
Sometimes I'm guilty with this type of thinking.... that I'm at the mercy of the "establishment"... but most often, I'd rather dig up something in my closet than buy something that "they" believe and try to make me believe that I will be prettier, sexier, healthier, smarter... or whatever...

We have so much in this country! and we take it for granted as if it will always be there.

I became much more aware of this while visiting Peru.

Everywhere we went, only a quarter of a napkin was given - paper was not dispensed so freely as it is here.

If I don't like what you are offering, I will go somewhere else. But why not let them know...
why not voice your opinion more often.

I tend to think, my little voice doesn't matter, but if enough people spoke up or decided to lead by example (bring your own cup to work, use cloth napkins) then maybe others would follow suit.
Today, I was annoyed with the packaging of a kit I had ordered for camp. Each piece was individually wrapped in plastic. Not only did it take forever to hand these things out , but I ended up with a bag of plastic bags!!!!
We're lucky to live in a country where we can speak up and do have the freedom to choose.

Let's not ever give that away.

Permission to Play

Today I watched as some other counselors, old and young, gave themselves permission to play. They sat with the kids and enjoyed the simple pleasure of coloring and creating.

I started with the older groups and found the project to be a bit challenging and frustrating. No fun if I have to put it together for them and it keeps falling apart.... so I did what I do best... I created a new project with the parts.

Much better.... and more playful :-) We made wishing stars.

Not only that, but the counselors wanted to sit and color and it was so nice to see them get excited about their own creativity.

Play.

Summer should be about play and I'm thinking this is the theme of this summer.

My message - to allow and play and not take it all so seriously.

And to share that as well... to encourage others to play.

I heard things today like, "I wish I were young again"... to which I replied, "You can create anytime you wish.. you should always allow yourself some "art time".

Another older counselor said, "I'm going to treat myself" and sat down and created as well.

We all made some magic today.

Make a wish!

Lessons from Play

Setting an intention.

I needed to change my mindset about camp and I did. The first two days were fun, laid back and playful. I didn't get to camp before hand like I usually do to put stuff away and have it somewhat organized. This stressed me out a bit....... but...

I figured I could at least find the markers and paper, so I had the kids create mandalas - first the girls and today it was with the boys.

I was surprised at how intently some groups were listening as I explained mandalas as sacred circles, magical, mystery circles... some of the groups I told them to think of something they wished for as the colored them.

It was great watching them and for the two days, I sat and colored a little bit with each group. It opened up some great discussions. Sometimes I am in awe of how smart these kids are.

At the end of class, we displayed them and I took pictures of them while they worked (process) and the completed ones.

Today, at the end of the day while most of the kids were in the pool, I went to the center of the basketball court and starting creating a mandala with colored chalk.

"Awesome!" I heard... "She's making a flower"... a few girls came over to check out what I was doing. .. and I handed them the chalk for them to add to it. More and more joined in and it was so great watching them and their counselors getting into it and having fun while I took some pictures. (other blog)

I had decided I would have a more playful attitude with this and that is just what I did.

Coincidentally, this was in my mailbox from the daily om astrology:

"When you let yourself play, you stimulate your creativity and your imagination. In our busy world, it’s easy to deny ourselves the joy of play because we have so many tasks and responsibilities competing for our attention. Allowing yourself to think like a child and be playful can help you find ways to make work fun. Fulfilling your duties can feel delightful and chores can become tasks to be completed in creative ways. Because you are focused on play, you may find yourself making time to be playful. Reconnecting with your sense of play can help you rediscover your child’s-eye view of a world that is full of wonder. When you give your inner child freedom the freedom to play today, you will find that your playful attitude adds a note of fun to your endeavors."

Kids are a blessing in my life. It's good to give yourself time to play, but when you are surrounded by children, playing with them, then you truly learn or relearn what play is about. Being spontaneous, reconnecting to a different way of seeing things, that sense of wonder children have, a fresh and new perspective.... these are what I return to when I engage with them... they stimulate my creativity... my imagination. We explore together and discover things I may not have discovered on my own with my "adult" vision.

Yes. They are true blessings in my life and I'm grateful to reminded of it over and over again.