One person’s perspective of personal growth, spiritualism and how we beings exist with the chaos of life on planet earth.

Right around the beginning of 2019 I was doing an off again, on again “self guided healing journey”. Really, it came as a suggested read from my husband, in the form of a small book of 30 “lessons”. Little did I know it would be the most interesting set of lessons I have ever taken on, and many times over for I keep learning anew from it. 

Some people call it shadow work, and there are other names too, but really any healing journey, awakening, ascension, spiritual journey work comes down to this: it is a condensed version of therapy. To top it off, most of the time it happens without a person to guide you through the sessions. I would recommend having at least 1 person of a rational nature to bounce ideas off of. 

Anyway, thru this – I have figured out MANY great, wonderful and magical things, and more importantly – many not so awesome things about myself, and of course, other people and to my astonishment –  a whole universe of what I realized that I don’t know … and it has now lined up to be read page by page. 

I wish I had begun reading the book sooner to be honest, but even as such, it is now more clear to me every day  – I wouldn’t have been able to figure it out before now anyway, so it’s best it waited until the whole world stood still for 2 weeks going on 4 years. Turns out, it took the world to stop for me to start. 

Before I began lesson 1 – One of the first things I did was to write my intention of the journey and physically tack it to my wall as a reminder when I lost my way. I forgot to read it sometimes, as I invariably have lost my way many times.  

My Intention is: To commit to finding strength, ridding the self of unneeded past, to become a better person and inspire others through example. 

Looking back from near mid 2023 – I see that I have found strength in this intention. It helped keep me committed to looking within myself. Even if as I said, I forgot it sometimes. 

A quick note: Shadow work cautions; I want to make sure this helps not harms.

I need to caution you tho: There are a few unexpected pit falls that you need to know before you begin this type of work: 

1. You do not need to rid yourself of your past, it is no longer a goal of mine. Really that part is rewritten as Ridding the self of the stress of the past. For it was very much needed as a guide~ to help me understand myself. 

2. I cross my heart to tell the truth, it bears to mention that there is a real danger of staying to much in the past, I have fallen into that trap a few times, but when I realize that pattern too – I begin to apply the understanding to that, and what ever I am stuck in remembering – I can move through it completely. Doing this I have found that I am able to move forward with more grace, compassion and understanding for myself and others.

3. This should not be done alone in cases of illness or physical/mental/emotional distress. See a doctor if you need to. Even if you believe you are stable – Don’t do this alone, some of it is deeply soul level emotional. Have someone check on you. 

So far, along a solid 3 years of becoming more in tune with the world in general – I can admit –  I am satisfied with the balance because I can be a better example of the values I hold dear while  it leads me along towards my goals. I don’t believe I was a bad example of a person, but I want to help people more. It is deep in my heart that I do. And, I know that to help others – I really had to figure out why I felt like I needed to snap out of my own world bubble..Therein lies the answer to a lot more than I had bargained for. 

The first part of healilng journeys are usually working with a book to go through the steps, like I did. Or. To be honest now a days: growing is googling  – all the feelings  – thoughts – rabbit holes – tricks of the mind subjects deep in the middle of the night. Regardless, I am fairly satisfied my values have really solidified, and while I still live fairly close to my dream life in my mind. The growing does not stop. The edges will always spread now. . 

Values are the things we find in our core. Values are beliefs that are 100% true 100% of the time. Things like: There is no one like me. Not things like: My hair is ugly.

Here are some examples of values I believe about me: I can change my perspective, view and opinions, but I am still full of love, compassion and hope. I want to help others heal, and there are many ways to help them do that. 

One of them is sharing my story…

Worth a 1,000 words…

Photography is something we all kind of do, selfies, close up photos of a bug we want to show someone, or a screenshot of a comment someone posted. Photography is such a diverse medium now, and while not all photos are nessisarily art, there is loaded potential in what each of us consider art and why we took the photo in the first place.

I used to identify as an “artist” while I don’t think I am not one, I don’t really define myself in a lot of ways that I used to. Photography is quite a different medium than any other simply because now it is at our finger tips at every moment if we want. Any shot can become beautiful, or intriguing in some way. It can illicit a feeling, or an idea. Photography has def got to be my most prolific modes of expression. Now if I could only figure out what I am trying to say, we will be well on our way.

Keeping this blog short and sweet on the words, I give you a collection of photographs. I have not picked them yet, so I have no idea what we will look at today, but I do know that whatever I post will be beautiful, I hope to inspire someone with something someday – maybe one of these will.

Happy photography viewing, taking, sorting, editing and posting all. Sharing more than just a picture – but the story, the inspiration, the memory, the texture, the colors, the feelings all in 1 snap shot – more than 1,000 words

Blessings all. & Enjoy.

Begin at the beginning.

Tulip – Embrace True Beauty, See all connected with Strength,

Give your Devotion to the things you love. 

Gardening has no beginning. It has only your beginning with it. Any season is a good season to start. Beginning with a plan. 

(Repost from a few summers ago) Sit down and think about what you want out of a garden. You can have the smallest garden in a house plant to every inch of your yard, or land turned over to a specific purpose in your garden. What do you want out of it, and what you can put into it. Light, space, the plants needs – all should be taken into consideration as well. 

A small collection of Lucky Bamboo in your office that has low light. It could make it feel greener, cleaner and is a great symbol of growth. The tending is minimal – yet important. Or, a whole forest space, or meadow. A modest yard to the smallest window ledge.

Be inspired by your plan and plants. Let them give you new fresh focus and to be doted upon with joy. 

I spend the year filling in a daily planner just for garden planning. I buy books and annual journals to jot down advice to plant things I am interested in. There is a ton of advice from all around us and it is easy to get sidetracked or overwhelmed. This is garden life even for a few plants, or a garden of your future.

Focus on the plants you may already have,

Find references on all the important (and interesting!) things of those friends.

Write in good times to fertilize, or separate,

Use the pages between a calendar to write details you want to remember, such as sandpapering and cold treating lavender or direct sow dates for corn (in WNC this is a few days after the Dogwoods bloom.) Moon times and weather predictions from popular gardening annual magazines.

I like writing auspicious days for things I do often – pruning by the moon is extremely helpful for me, may not be for you. It takes me a long time to compile these things,so, I do it for a few hours here or there, 10 mins to fill in all the full moons of the year on a calendar helps me have more time later to fill in sowing dates, or transplant dates.

I also draw plot maps. I like to have a good idea of how much space I have and what the plants need for long term planning. I know that I like perennials such as St. John’s Wort that come back year after year, as well as self seeding annuals like calendula. I want to be sure that the sun cycle will give them enough light so that they grow happy year after year. 

I have a modest sized garden, with luckily space to grow – so future plans to incorporate, new plants to meet, learn, harvest and include in my life. I live in an area where the grow season is long, and diverse plants can be grown here. 

Right now is Summer. In fact today is full force of the Leo Constellation from Cancer – An auspicious time to jump into new things, such as blogging my experiences. The moon is just beginning its first quarter waxing for the full moon in a week, and that now is the time to plant things I want to grow above ground for an autumn harvest – such as successive planting cilantro, or cut my hair for growth.

Next week plants that will be planted – will be below ground plants. I should look for Gypsy moths in this area. An old wives tale for yesterday was to watch the clouds and take notes – for the clouds on the 25th of July foretells the winter snow. I wrote a few notes for November to keep an eye out all winter.

Having this on a calendar helps me keep track in a simple and easy to reference way – that also caters to my specific interests. I am also harvesting a few things every day as those plants give fruit. Calendula have begun to bloom, and will continue to do so every day with new blooms from now through October. But the bloom only stays full for 2 days, so picking them often may give a handful at a time, but as soon as they dry, I can harvest a handful at a time to eat in soups, morning oatmeal or drink as teas when I need some summer sun through the winter. 

Beginning a garden today I would hope to have some ideas and a plan written of what I can do to get started. Perhaps a list of the seeds I’d like to start in the spring, for there is a long time from now to plant anew. Find seeds that will be happy starting now – such as peas. There is time to plant, grow and harvest a few rounds more before the first frost, I have a summer plot already started, so will plant more around that space. 

The time you spend:

I spend as much time in the garden as possible. I take frequent walks throughout the day. I try to pull weeds everyday, but with 500sq ft so far, it is always bound to need a good weeding again soon. I think of plans I want to notate, plants I need to move or groom, tending to each need as it is a living thing. Today I set a handful of chores besides basic clipping and tending for my next block of time in the evening. The marshmallow needs moved, his brother plants have grown past expectations and he is getting crowded and I have put off pulling some carrots so I can make tracks thru them to spread the watermelons under the corn for more space on the other squash that do not need to vine as much. And so on. I made sure to make a short list on one of the day pages for myself. 

Personal expectations: 

You will lose plants. You will have forgotten to check the new growth of your favorite rose and all of a sudden have to hurry out for some Neems oil to stave off the aphid population you didn’t wish for, but they showed up anyway. You will go through garden gloves quickly till you learn which ones work for you. Gardening is just like every hobby, there will be days when you throw in the trowel (pun intended)

.

And days when you sit in the sun watching a cool bug till you remember you were picking violas for tea.

It is diverting, heartbreaking and for some the best place you will find me talking to plants while a forgotten tea pot screams on the stove. You will spend money on tools if you don’t have them, but simple tools at first are best. Basic tool set lists are easy online, I see tools in photos of blogs like mine and give me ideas on what might be in stores when I look at ones I don’t have. You will gravitate towards tools like never before. Try thrift shops, craigslist free stuff for curb check – show images will help you quickly be able to pick up pots, small fencing – all kinds of things you don’t expect. Have a free sat – take a look – you may have to hit a few spots, but day well spent. Some garden big box stores may have random plant stands off the side of the outdoor storage area for Dirt/wood/etc. Sometimes people leave their pots there and you might need a handful quickly. 

All and all.

There is  no time like today to start a garden, if it is mid winter and you just had the brilliant idea to begin, begin! Let not the season hold you back. By the end of the first year, no matter when you began either you will have immersed your life into what you plan for next year, have achieved the smallest terrarium and want to get a bigger one, and you have probably realized garden life is what you make of it and it will grow with you forever. 

Dropping down.

There are a lot of ways to heal. There are a lot of feelings, patterns, reading, paths, tests, lessons, a million and 3 thousand ways to walk along a path of spiritualism, self healing, journey, lots of ways to explain it, reasons to do it, and of course steps to walk it. Fundamental similarities towards methods, philosophies, practices and overall changes in mindset, physical and mental spaces included.

Not so simply said: There are a lot of ways to say a few things we all have in common, drink water, cleanse the system, increase good habits, learn how to be in the moment, ground often. Etc. 

Today I say it is about learning to drop down into yourself. AKA – Grounding. It can be many things. A physical touch of the grass, or the mental feeling of laying in a field of wildflowers while the fireflies hover around you. 

However, once you can do it any place, any time, you will realize that the art of grounding will be one of the most protective, instantly satisfying, magical feelings you can do quickly and easily. The Practice of dropping down is something you will use in times of good, and draw upon desperately in moments of stress. It can become an automatic response – into your space, your body, your mind – for good moments and bad. 

It all begins with something so simple you will kind of roll your eyes. 

Begin with a deep breathe in. Hold and exhale completely. In. Draw deep hold a sec, and drop down, exhale till empty. You do this as much as it takes, or just the one time for an instant awareness of where you feel. 

You quickly do a scan of yourself. Almost an energy sweep of you and the situation around you. First look for a few key things in yourself. 

Breathe deeply in slowly, fully as you acknowledge you are in control of you. 

Hold – you are safe or acutely aware if you are not. 

If you are not, Of course focus on the direction of danger to calculate that situation. 

However, even if stressed – dangers of certain forms require certain modes of operation. 

And then: finally fully exhale. Slow, deep and hold slightly. Keep dropping down if needed.

Being able to drop down into yourself quickly and automatically greatly increases your ability to deal with any type of stressful situation with awareness of you and yourself first and then around you secondly. 

Grounding helps you bounce back up into a great moment too!

When you are riding down your favorite stretch of road, the trees floating above you in blurs of sunlight. Forest air whipping around you… Being able to ground into that feeling of open hearted love in the moment. It is unexpected grounding of the most natural and joyous kind. It entrenches you into the soul a warmness you just want to share and live in forever. 

So, to end a simple instruction, with a simple ending for a simple but magical message. Today I wish for you the satisfying ability to drop down into yourself often, drink lots of water, and blessings to all on your path this day. 

Blessings all.

Absorb This Message

Today I say: Absorb this message: Do not underestimate the power of a moment. 

A moment can change you, who you are, where you are going, what you think, where you decide to go… it can inspire you to write a song, go for a walk or decide to sleep till 3 pm in the day. A moment can be an underappreciated step in a journey to understand the self. 

There are a lot of little random things that go into every moment. Take the one in which you find yourself – a bird chirps on the other side of the door, the tick of the slow fan that moves the air in the room. A tickle feeling in your throat causes a slight single cough and someone says bless you – thinking you sneezed. Every moment is both past, present and future – and unbelievably complex, organized and chaotic. 

We remember some moments, and forget so many we wish we we could have imprinted on our minds. Inspiration strikes at any time, any moment. Whether we remember it or not, the randomness of the perfect moment is what keeps us moving along this path. Some moments something strikes and you have to move, laugh, cry, or just breathe through it in spite of yourself. 

Sometimes it is electric and you just burst with inspired energy… This morning was one of those moments. I may have unlocked an important key for myself: I know what I do. Well, to be more clear I know what I want to do. As my first real post, I don’t need to explain I needed time find just the right post to begin. I don’t know why I feel the need to explain really, but I will say that I feel a beginning should post an intent. if not only to have a place to begin.

This is it: 

1. I am positive someone will be helped.

There is no 2. That’s all I want to do, help someone in the right moment. I want them to hear what they need to hear, and feel better. I’m not really sure why, how or what else to say. But, I know, someone will be helped. 

All this from a random line up of perfect moments I guess…Which is what lead me here today.

I made coffee, drank glass of water while it was brewing…’ cus hydration. And scrolled social media. Not the worst or best way to be in spired, I guess it depends on what the results I suppose. The inspiration to send encouraging messages to a few people hit. So I did, as I did, I felt the urge to pull cards for them, I love using tarot in regular conversation… And found the most beautiful messages that I felt were perfect for them. At the end of each message I wanted to encourage them to reread and really feel the message inside so I said “Absorb this Msg.” And wow did inspiration strike!! My own heart felt the encouragement. My own mind floated with a burst of love for them, for myself, for my path, for the moment. I knew it was important.

It is my way of explaining that my heart of hearts I want to help people have hope, have inspiration, find understanding to whatever ails them. I pull cards, I look within my own experience, I color my mind with quote after quote for messages that help me so that I can find the right ones to give to others in the right moment. I hope to do so with absorb this message, because… well, that is what I do. 

Join me on this journey of long winded ranting, short and sweet inspirational messages that may or may not be for you. Because it is what some people need to hear, along with my magical self. 

Absorb the Message is going to be something I begin to say to myself regularly – every time I feel connected to the moment > in nature, in a messages through songs or quotes, through good energetic conversations with others. Learning experiences.

When you feel you are in the moment, aware of what is around you in that moment. “I love” envelops you. It floods your senses. A ring in the ear, a well of happy, overwhelming joy in your stomach flow to your heart and crown. Making the moment Magic. Your mind begins to float, and you are instantly changed. Even if you go back to exactly where you were in that moment.

The more you access this, the more in tune you are with yourself and your surroundings. People seek this, I seek this. I hope this helps someone who seeks this, finds it. . . if not just for the moment and the chance to absorb the message. 

Blessings all.