My Books: Secret Pleasure, Secret Treasure

I used to read a lot, but I don't take the time to read much any more, and I miss it. 

The Hoogles and Alexander by Dorothy Langley; illustrated by Cecil Smith

I still have lots of books, mostly in stacks on the floor and crammed into boxes and plastic totes. I prefer non-fiction (Ponder On This, Of Wolves and Men) but I'm picky when it comes to fiction (I love sci-fi, like William Gibson's Neuromancer and Mona Lisa Overdrive, and fanciful stories such as Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series and Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume). My favorite ones, though, are still the books from my childhood: Eloise in Paris, Nancy Drew mysteries, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, a set of books called A Children's Treasury of Stories, the entire Harry Potter series and The Hoogles and Alexander, an obscure but fascinating fantasy tale lovingly written by Dorothy Langley and beautifully illustrated by Cecil Smith.

(see my March 31, 2013 post, from column on the left )

I learned to read at a very young age because my mother read to me every night. She also got me hooked on classical and Big Band music (until The Beatles came along in 1963, of course). She's been gone a little more than two years now, and the sadness I feel every time I think of her and realize she's no longer here makes my heart hurt. That's when I have to rely on my best memories to get me past the pain of losing her. She was such a good person and the best mom. "I had a mother who read to me..."

Birthright Blues

Birthright Blues

Thank you, Mom, for conceiving me
And always believing in me.

Love you, Mom, for being so strong
And loving me for so long.

Miss you, Mom, every single day;
Memories of you, the only way
I can keep you in my heart,
Like you did from the start
When you fell in love with Dad,

And knew that you just had
To tame his inner wild
Until you had a child
Or two...
Thank you.

Love you.

Miss you. 

The Merry Month of May

Well, here we are again. Finally, it's May and the daffodils and other bulbs are still in bloom, along with various other glorious perennials. But the best thing of all about this time of year are seeing the trees preparing to get all leafy and green. We're still getting rain (yesterday was a real soaker) so the grass is growing and glowing, and the sun is warm and bright, yet the temperatures and humidity are very comfortable. This truly is my favorite time of year.

In addition to all of that, I will officially become a senior citizen this month. Although I can't relate to the concept of being an old person, I must admit that I am no longer young (physically); I am, however, still young at heart and I dress and behave accordingly. After all, I am a "boomer."

So far, May is shaping up nicely. I'm in the midst of planning a there-and-right-back-again trip with an "old" friend (and fellow Gemini) to visit our old stomping grounds, New York City. We'll take the train down to Penn Station and be tourists for a few hours, walking the still-familiar streets and avenues and taking in the sights and sounds of my favorite big city. 

This same friend and I have also decided to get our first tattoo together, although that will probably not happen in May but definitely this year, perhaps sometime during the summer. Later this month, closer to my actual birthday, I'm sure I'll be celebrating at home with champagne and cake.

May, with its signs of nature's rebirth and its celebration of life's renewal, offers Americans a myriad of holidays: in 2018 we have Star Wars Day (May 4 - "May The Fourth Be With You"), Cinco de Mayo (May 5), World Laughter Day (May 6), National Teacher Day (May 8), Mothers' Day (May 13), Armed Forces Day (May 19), World Turtle Day (May 23), National Brother Day (May 24) and Memorial Day (May 28). 

For me, though, May also brings a bit of melancholy. Yes, happy birthday to me and I'm forever grateful to my dear mother, but she's no longer here, which makes me very sad. All I can do to heal the wound is to find a way to honor her memory. I think I'll take my cue from nature and plant a beautiful tree, one that will grow tall and live for many years. 

And the Tree of Life tattoo I'm going to get will always remind me of it - and of her. Thank you, Mom... I'll love you forever and a day.

Quiet, Please, The Universe Is Talking: Part 2

Smoky Quartz and Faden clear quartz crystal

I am fortunate to have several good friends who happen to be very spiritual - some follow various traditional religions, while others are more open-minded, like myself - and the other day I had an interesting conversation with my friend Christie, a fellow artist/photographer and a clear intuitive who works with a spirit guide known as Great Bear.

Did you know Ursa Major (also known as the Big Dipper) means Great Bear? Source: https://astrobob.areavoices.com/2013/06/15/big-dipper-sure-but-have-you-seen-the-great-bear/

Christie told me that she had started using an oracle deck - the Sacred Path cards, created by Native American medicine teacher Jamie Sams - and this tool was proving to be quite beneficial to her work as an intuitive. When I asked her to explain further, she invited me to visit her the following week on one of my days off and experience it for myself.

I consider myself a skeptical believer. In other words, I take most things with a grain of salt (that means "to regard something as exaggerated; to believe only part of something"), preferring to keep an open mind, accepting only those things that truly resonate with me and paying attention to the thoughts and ideas of others in case it can help me find ways to improve my life and achieve my goals. 

Fluorite, Rose Quartz and Agate quartz geode

When I sat down with Christie in her home, surrounded by her artwork and Native American artifacts, she introduced me to three stones that she had placed on a small table where she would be laying down the Sacred Path cards: Rose Quartz, Fluorite and an Agate quartz geode. I love stones and crystals, and have a modest collection of my own. Then she asked me to jot down a few things I'm dealing with in my life, so I came up with four (helping family, finishing a writing project, staying healthy and sorting/organizing my possessions). Using a pendulum, Christie pulled six cards from the deck and laid them out among the stones. It was pleasing to see the cards in front of me, shaped like a pyramid, on top of her arrowhead table.

Six-card pyramid spread (Sacred Path cards)

Christie had devised a specific guide for the Sacred Path card placement. "There's no order [to it], but it comes out like a story," she explained. My guide is below, filled in according to the cards above:

My "work sheet" for the reading (Sacred Path card placement guide)

So far, so good. I'm always interested in defining goals and wanting clarity when it comes to making changes. Christie began to speak - swinging her pendulum - pausing after each phrase, and I wrote it all down. 

Allies Support: You have the power to call Spirit to your side to not only guide you but also to give support for your journey. Remember, this is a power position. (I really should meditate more often.) 
Decisions: You may think these are powerful decisions to be made, but realize you've worked hard up until now on your growth. So depend on your growth to simplify the decisions to be made. (I know, right?)
Rebirth: Realize that rebirth does not need to be painful. It can be as simple as changing your mind about where you are headed, for you have a glorious future before you. Believe. (This one in particular struck a chord with me... it felt like something I needed to hear.)
Decisions (2): You can decide to have Spirit be more in your life. Call on Archangel Raphael when you are meditating, for he is the angel of healing, which can be used to your benefit in several ways. (I'd like to have more Spirit in my life; I also like the idea of calling on archangels, especially Raphael, but it's not something I feel comfortable with or compelled to do.)
Inner Child: Remember that your inner child needs to be fed as often as possible with your spirituality and also with your creativity, for you are an incredible creative woman and if you can consciously call on your inner child for all forms of creativity, she is purely and simply wise. (My inner child is a late bloomer.)
Allies Support (2): As you walk down the street, see the spirit in the trees that you pass, for they will teach you about knowing roots in the earth and reaching for the sun and experiencing the many facets of the seasons of the year. (I love trees and really connected with this analogy.)
Inner Child (2): She wants to be fed with your wisdom and love. Consciously remind yourself daily to support her. (There's my inner child again, still hungry...)
Rebirth (2): Know that you are ready for rebirth, for you will see through new eyes. (So, NOT painful, right?)
Change: You know it is upon you but as you see through the rebirthed eyes, the changes that are coming will be simplified. Be clear that your life is about change now. (Sounds good to me.)
Goals: Your goals will manifest more quickly with the following meditative affirmation: "Thank you all for the manifestations of my loving dreams." (I need to look at - maybe even rewrite - my list of goals again.)

Intuitive people are a conduit between our world and the world of Spirit. Christie, who has been an intuitive for most of her adult life, uses her abilities to help others reach their full potential, which she calls the Empowering Process. The messages she picks up are from unseen Universal Light Beings (or, as Christie was told when she asked for a name to put on her flyer, "many souls, One Light"). 

Christie's flyer says it all

Like me, Christie has always felt a strong connection to trees and nature. As a child, she told me, she played with nature spirits and angels. She's been working with her spirit guide, Great Bear, for many years and, when she was recently guided to start using the Sacred Path cards with the three stones, she began communicating with the Universal Light Beings and is ready to share her work with others.

According to Christie, there is a difference between a spirit guide and Universal Light Beings: A spirit guide will support and teach and guide, while the group of "many souls" is much more open and shares knowledge on many levels. "These souls have great energy," she said. "They are so loving and powerful. [In doing this, I just] trusted my instincts."

Perhaps I'll always be a skeptical believer, but it is still good to get some validation from the universe and know that surely I can still accomplish something positive with what's left of my time on this planet. And I have no doubt that these messages were given to me with love and compassion to help me be more empowered. 

"Thank you all for the manifestations of my loving dreams."

Christie does readings over the phone. If you're interested in what the Sacred Path cards and the Many Souls have to say to you, feel free to email Christie with your phone number to set up an appointment (see orange link below): 


createart4444@outlook.com

Quiet, Please, The Universe Is Talking ... Part 1

Everywhere I go, I hear so much noise... social media... fake news... actual news... advertisements... political and religious scandal... leaf blowers... and it's not easy to stop listening long enough to calm my Gemini mind.

Even a simple thing, like a couple of hours at Hammonassett Beach State Park last week with my husband, becomes wonderfully therapeutic. A visit to the remodeled Meigs Point Nature Center was fun and informative - turtles, frogs, snakes and spider crabs were on display in large glass tanks - and I made a new friend, (meet Skiffle - or was it Skittle?) a blue-and-gold Macaw who was a special guest at the nature center that day. We walked along the boardwalk, covered with sand from recent storms and, since it was low tide along the shore, I picked up a handful of sparkly shells and stones that caught my eye.

As winter wanes, and the weather begins to hint at the arrival of spring, I am eager to shake off my chilly stupor and come to my senses, in preparation for being a more productive person and feeling a need to make significant changes in my life. 

So I made an appointment with an intuitive reader, just to see if the universe had anything to tell me... and it did.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Ode to January

January 2018

Cold wet snowflakes fall straight down

Like frozen tears, they hit the ground

No winds aloft to change their path

They melt on contact, choosing death 

Outside is twilight, deep and grey,

Signaling the end of day

Inside, as darkness dares to grow, 

Lava lamps billow and glow

One blood-orange, the other blue,

They pierce the dark, and lift my mood

Two strings of glittering Christmas lights

One multi-color, the other white

A simple way to bring some cheer

To the breached birth of another year