Christmas Wishes

A very merry Christmas to you and yours. May there be peace on earth and peace in your heart. May you be grounded, from your heart centre, in peace, joy and love for the planet.  May you find ways to increase your vibrational frequency and that of the planet.  May you find lasting joy and contentment in the Light and Love of Christ consciousness.

Winter Solstice Art

A quick hello to share the art we created during our celebration of the longest night of the year.  We stayed up all night discussing and meditating on such concepts as hearing "the call", Christ Consciousness, the "God box", forgiveness, joy...  We danced and painted and went to witness the rising sun over the beautiful St-Lawrence amidst a winter storm.  Twilight is spectacular muted in the opalescence of falling snow.  We were all happy to fall into bed at 7:30 this morning!!

I wish you all joy and happiness, and the courage to follow your heart and nurture an ever closer relationship with your spirit and Source.

Winter Solstice activities for the solitary practitioner

It's at our doorstep folks: the date many have been discussing for many many moons.  The famed December 21, 2012 Winter Solstice heralding the end of the world for some, and the beginning of a new era for others.  If nothing else, it does mark the beginning of a new season ;)

If you are reading this blog, I'm sure that like me you intend to lead a more spiritual life.  One of best way to feel connected to Spirit and to all Nature and God's Creation is to mark the passing of the seasons.  It brings us in the "now" moment and is a great opportunity to offer thanks for all that we have while formulating and releasing wishes for more joy and abundance.  Like me, you may also feel a bit alone in celebrating an old pagan tradition when many folks around you might ask, "What is the winter solstice?"  (Sometimes, I forget I have been accumulating information on the Lightworker's Way for many years - before I knew there was such a path - and I get taken aback by such questions which have been elementary to me since my early childhood... *giggle*).

Here are a few activities you can do over the next few days to celebrate the Winter Solstice.  These are activities you can do on your own, with families or a group of like-minded friends.  Note that it is not the grandeur of the gesture that is important; it is the intention you hold in your heart.   Above all, have fun with these activities.  Yule time is meant to be merry and joyful, bringing mirth and light in the darkest of the nights.

1. Greet Winter:  go outside or at least look out the window and in your heart say hello to the new season.  Think of the joys of Winter and the gifts this season has in store - that perfect snowflake falling on your mitten, the crunch of snow under your boot, the stillness in the air.  Note how things feel different outside.  I am always amazed at how winter sounds different than other season, a little bit more muffled.  Remember the joys of your youth, playing in the snow.  Say a heartfelt hello to winter, and smile.
2. Walk in Nature:  Dress comfortably for the new season, and find a spot of Nature for a walk.  Even in the heart of a city you can find a place where Nature speaks to you.  Think of the animals which have migrated for the season.  Notice the trees, the animal tracks, the air on your skin.  Gather some sticks, moss, pinecones and evergreen boughs (please don't cut from trees and gather what's on the ground).  Use these elements to craft a yule log or yule decoration.  Stuff old opened pine cones with peanut butter or sunflower grease and roll in black sunflower seeds.  Hang these in the woods or your balcony.  The squirrels and birds will be thankful.  
3. Meditate:   Take a few minutes to sit quietly, and breathe from your belly.  From your heart centre, send Love and Light to your whole body, to your family, your home, your town...  the entire world.  Visualize the Light pouring from your heart and cocooning the Earth.  Feel the Peace.  Be Peace.  
4. Talk about the Solstice to your children, family and friends.  Do they realize that Winter is officially here?  What does the change of season mean to you?  What are your fears, their fears?  What are your hopes, their hopes?  
5. Journal:  If this is the end of the world as you know it, what do you leave behind?  What lessons have you learned (been there, done that, not repeating the pattern anymore)?  What do you want to grow in yourself?  In the dawn of this new era, what are the opportunities and synchronous events you would like to experience?  What are your hopes and dreams?
6. Read:   There are so many great references that can help you understand the meaning of the Solstice at a deeper level.  Many stories are appropriate for children too, so go ahead and share!  For instance, there's the story of Demeter and Persephone, legends of Old Man Winter, songs and sonnets for the Goddess or Mother Nature in her wintry garments.  The point of most of these tales is that the earth is now sleeping, yet bears the promised fruit or alternatively, that the sun-god is sleeping but will be born soon again and will fertilize the earth for the new crops come  Spring.  In the Bible, the gospel of Matthew gives a good description of Jesus's birth - the son of God bringing Light and Love on this earth.  (It's no coincidence that Jesus' birth is set to be around the solstice, as this celebration replaced pagan traditions...)
7. Gather friends and family and sing, dance, laugh!  The winter is long enough; it's time to have fun and be merry.

I have the great honour and privilege this year to be hosting my first Solstice Celebration.  This has been in my heart for a very long time, and I'm so grateful that my sister a few good friends will join me in this night-long celebration.  With all the work we've been doing individually and collectively over the past few years, we will be focusing on the concept of the dark night of the soul on this longest night of the year, but moving through it and celebrating at dawn with a renewed sense of self and renewed joy.  We will be up all night with myriad activities helping us grow further on our journey.  I am looking forward to this event, and I hope to make it an annual celebration!

Enjoy the new season.  Much Love and Light to you all, and many blessings too so you may feel within you a renewed sense of self and joyful divine purpose.

Strengthen Your Talents & Gifts

Photo of me by Marie-Ève Rodrigue, 2010

Feeling under pressure and in the cooking pot? Examine what is important to your spirit, and forget the rest. This commitment to yourself will help you get through, and grow through this time of hectic activity.

Shield yourself from the negativity of the world. This doesn't mean to ignore what's going on around you and around the world; it means to not let that negativity sabotage your commitment to personal growth and joyful living. Resist demoralizing and drama-filled conversations that have a depressing effect on you, and if you do find yourself in a "down" after a conversation, remember that you have tools and techniques to clear that negative energy. Start with a big breath, and reaffirm your commitment to yourself in a positive way. Ask for guidance. Detach from the situation. Smile. Send Love.

Staying in a cesspool of demoralizing conversations and activities will sabotage your hard work. Such wasteful energy leads to self-doubt and can cause you to abandon your inner fire, bringing more darkness to your life.

Therefore be diligent in blocking out doubt and drama. Direct your talents and gifts to enhance your light for yourself and the world. Believe in yourself. Be patient with yourself as you develop and grow into your light.

You are truly, fully, wholesomely loved and supported.

Choose to move through life with grace

I peacefully and joyfully accept the routine demands of my life with patience, love and a willingness to serve. I embrace the wonders of each day, and move with grace, ease and elegance.

These affirmations are great reminders for everyone choosing a more peaceful and loving way of life, especially in this time of year when the demands seem to be greater than usual.  

Our compassion is requested and tested on every level: world crises, acts of hatred against children, myriad charities soliciting support on the phone, by email and on the streets, and family members being stressed and demanding under the "burden" of the season...  It is often easier to react than to respond.

Reacting is when we answer a situation with the same level of emotional turmoil as what is presented to us, or when we create emotional turmoil out of our ego fears in a situation that could be emotionally neutral.  Responding is when we take time to think and choose an appropriate response that will serve the highest good of all concerned.  When we react, it's from the frequency of fear, hate or lack.  When we respond, it's from the frequency of Love -- and it takes practice and discipline!

For instance, I was presented this past week with a situation which brought me right back to the emotional trauma of my childhood.  Family gatherings often act as a trigger for me.  Suddenly, I felt my inner child's fears and insecurities well up, and reacting with spiritual kicking and screaming, emotional blaming for self-preservation, and intellectually revisiting all the past hurts and licking those wounds, as I was expecting more of the same in the days to come.  Phew what a roller-coaster ride!  It took all my might, focus and discipline to waddle out of that mess created in my own mind...  

I breathed, I prayed and asked for all the Divine help available for myself and others in this situation.  I chose to stop reacting and to turn the situation over to my Higher Self.  I asked myself what lesson I needed to learn, where I still needed to grow, where I needed to release control.  I congratulated myself for all my hard work these past few years increasing self-love and respecting my healthy boundaries.  I gained a new perspective on a few issues - others also have fears and insecurities, and I don't want to continue to fester in that energy level.  My #1 technique in this situation: to establish healthy boundaries for myself, and to love myself enough to respect them.    

The situation is not yet resolved, and I still feel very vulnerable and weak.  Yet I acknowledge that in many ways I am stronger than I used to be.  I am more centred in Love than I used to be.  Also, I realize that to remain centred in Love and Spirit is a choice to be made everyday, in every moment.  I always have the choice between reacting and responding.

Today, instead of dwelling on the wounds of my past, I choose to see its beauty and its lessons.  The past can not be changed, but my perspective can.  Today, I choose to focus on the beauty of the moment and on the loving creations I want to manifest. Today, I choose to move with grace.  I choose to dance with life and be led by Spirit.

Believe in your worth

Disney's Cinderella Castle, mosaic

Today, focus on what you want to create in all circumstances. Remember, however, that your best creation serving your highest good and the highest good of all begins with an inside job. You must believe in yourself. You must believe you are good enough, pretty enough, healthy enough, valued enough to ask for and receive your heart's desire. 

Learn to master you inner world through commitment to yourself and spiritual discipline.  You are worth it!  This discipline will pay off: as you increase your ability to stay connected to your true divine self, you will less likely be swayed by your negative feelings and reactions to the world around you.  You will become able to recognize a negative feeling for what it is, and discover how to deal with the root of the issue instead of reacting from the superficial level.  In any situation, you will be able to point your inner compass to a direction that favours your good and which benefits all concerned.  

You are not alone in this journey.  Open your heart to help.  No matter what life deals you, stay focused, grounded and remember to ask your heart, your guides -- and your fairy godmother! -- to help you create what's best for you. It's even better than what you've ever imagined.

12/12/12... A timely message and call for action

Today's date is 12/12/12...  will you make it special?  Will you heed its call?

In numerology, today's number is calculated as:

1+2+1+2+2+0+1+2 = 11

The number 11 is a master number.  It doubles the energy of the 1, and when reduced (1+1), it embodies the energy of the 2.  But what does this mean?

Most numerologists agree that number 11 is a very spiritual number, doubling the energies of creativity and confidence.  In his book "The Life You Were Born To Live", Dan Millman explains that this creative energy can be channeled into classical arts, such as music, dancing, painting, etc., or into healing, business, gardening, problem solving, design, raising children...  What is necessary for the full expression of this energy is the willingness to try something new, to develop a new sense of confidence and risk taking the road less travelled.

Because the number 11 also embodies the energy of the number 2, it also speaks of balance.  In this case, it is of balance between the laws of Nature (or divine laws), and the laws of man.  It is about harmony and balance.  It is about taking what is the best from what we've learned so far in our spiritual development, and truly apply it to our daily lives.  It is about not having two separate philosophies, but integrating them as one; meaning that we must make peace with our duality.  I'm sure you have observed, as I have, people who act very piously in Church and won't even look at you once out the doors, or people who pray very loudly yet commit acts of atrocity against fellow human beings, the animals or the planet.  I'm reminded also of the story of Jesus and the Pharisees...  this duality is not new and we've been experiencing it as a human race for thousands of years.  There is a universal call for integrity and for 'fessing up and living our divine nature everywhere, everyday.

Rider-Waite

In the Tarot's Major Arcana, the card 11 belongs to Justice.  It is about doing the right thing.  Justice is about balancing all interests, looking for the deeper truth and setting things right.  It is about transcending the ego and looking from the eyes of our Higher Selves for a solution that is for the highest good of all.  Justice talks of the universal principles of balance and inner realignment.  There is no attack, there is no defending; only the search for Higher Truth and Wisdom, beyond veils of illusion, delusion and deception.  The dust will fly as ego traps are uncovered and dismantled, but keep faith and hope for the ultimate outcome is peace.  What is important here is to allow for this peace to transform our lives.

In the Major Arcana still, the 1 is the number of the Magician, while the 2 belongs to the High Priestess.  The Magician invites us to use all resources available to us in this moment to create our vision.  It's about transcending ego and unifying all energies to create our path to self-actualization and self-realization in our life's journey. The High Priestess balances logic and emotion with intuition.  She is a vessel of transformation and holds the faith and confidence in truths yet unseen.  She is a portal to our deeper, collective unconscious and will hold the energy, or the spiritual space, for us to explore without fear.

A long time ago in High School, I had researched a paper on the divine feminine, and the place of women in Church.  One of the priests I interviewed talked of the Holy Trinity and its mysteries and theorized that our history is divided in eras of 2,000 years.  The first 2,000 years were of the Old Testament and getting to know God the Father while the next 2,000 were of the New Testament and getting to know God through Jesus; about learning how to incarnate divine essence within ourselves as Jesus taught us to do.  The following 2,000 years - the era we are entering - is about the Holy Spirit and God the Mother.  The feminine energies of divine law will become more apparent to us.  That was one of the most fascinating interviews I ever had, expanding my teenage consciousness beyond what I had learned thus far and nourishing my thoughts and spiritual development since.

In her book Angel Numbers, Doreen Virtue says of 11: "Stay positive! Your thoughts are materializing rapidly, so you want to ensure positive outcomes by focusing only on the good within yourself, others and the situation." 

And so, have faith.  An increased number of people are feeling anxiety and panic attacks; there is a lot of energy, pre-conceptions and mentality being shifted in a personal and global sense.  The world is changing on so many levels.  Stay strong, and know that good will prevail.  Shifts are always unsettling, but call upon the energy of the Magician and like him, use your resources to create better for you and the planet.  Call upon the energy of the High Priestess so the path to your inner light can be revealed to you.  Call upon the Holy Trinity, and Mother Mary especially, so you can feel divine love and know that no matter what your external circumstances are, you are truly and deeply loved as a child of God.  Choose the goodness in your heart, focus on positive outcomes, and true justice will prevail.

A new era of consciousness is being ushered in.  How will you respond?  Will you resist or allow?  How will you support law-makers, decision-makers, visionaries, parents, teachers and artists?  How will you increase Love and Light to help transcend corporate egos?  In this 12.12.12, there is a call for action; we are not mere spectators.  The Magician, the High Priestess, the Holy Spirit, Jesus and Mother Mary are doers.  They listen to their spiritual guidance, to their inner truth, and bring it forth into the world.  We are called to do the same.  You are called.  Will you come?