1 February - Rebirth

Yesterday, I noted that my garden was wild with Mock Orange. As I sit here typing, the smell wafts in through the open windows. The scent is like orange and jasmine mixed together ~ delicious!  Traditionally, this little shrub is said to speak of  deceit although I prefer to think of it as mimicry.  It copies the shape and scent of citrus trees with it's little white flowers and small fruits.

The Wheel has turned and today is the first day of the season of Lammas.  It was a delight to share on Reflect Radio the ways in which I plan to celebrate this time of the year as we flow from the modern seasons of Summer into Autumn!

For myself, this past 24 hour period has been one of tremendous releasing.  Past life issues jumped to the forefront of my mind that demanded my attention.  It is at these times that I am very thankful that my work schedule is incredibly flexible.  This all stemmed from a healing that I had last Friday ~ one where a past life rape was released into my consciousness.

It was necessary for me to call on some lightworker friends so that I could ask for assistance in this releasing.  All I asked was for their deliberate intention and attention for sending love and light.  I could feel this 'heaviness' birthing through me. Let me just say that it was NOT pleasant. Gah.

After pain and agony for 12 hours, I died. Literally.  At 12.22am I passed over - only to be met by my Guides who quite swiftly kicked me back onto the physical plane.  I 'came back' to my husband asking me if I was all right and a coughing fit that sent my body into spasms.

Interestingly, I have plans today to meet with a friend who is a medium/clairvoyant.  When I was in the soft blackness of the 'passing', I remember giggling and thinking, "Well, I'm going to meet my friend one way or another!"  I'm interested in knowing whether he 'felt' me go over last night and visit HIM!

Swiftly, I returned to the land of slumber as I wasn't scared, worried or concerned. I just knew that something had been released and I was reborn (again!).  I woke this morning with a sore throat and sore diaphragm from the coughing yet the overall sense was one of peace, joy and love.  I feel great!  A friend saw me on webcam this morning and she told me that I was glowing. It's just how I feel.  If only I could bottle it! ;)

I hope that your Lammas season is full of GENTLE releasing that manifests into a full, fruitful harvest of manifestation!

January 31 - When it rains, it pours

It has been five days since I was able to put pen to paper (figuratively speaking!) so that I may record the changes within our own little piece of paradise.

During these last few days, we have had nearly 800 mm (30 inches) of rain caught in our rain gauge.  Wow! I was almost ready to begin building our own version of the Ark.  Although, with my carpentry skills it may have been more like a tub or ended up as a single piece of floating wood!

The seed that had been sown across our lawn has probably ended up in the local river system.  Our zucchini plants were unable to cope with the deluge; floating on the top of the garden beds.  Most of my flowers were unable to keep their pretty heads up but the crucifix orchids are loving this weather!  Their flowers have come forth with merry abandon!

Trees lost branches as they were unable to sustain the weight brought to bear on them.  Leaves and twigs decorated the ground as if it was confetti after a New Year's celebration - slightly soggy but still colourful!

We are now ready to move into the season of Lammas ~ a time of harvest the first fruits.  I have plans that when the sun comes back out again, I will plant new seeds of silverbeet, luffa, sunflowers, snow peas and carrots.  There are pumpkins ready to harvest soon as well as chives to pick for drying.

In the meantime, I don't think I will put away the plans for the ark just yet!  February, here in south-east Queensland, is supposed to be a wet one!

Crucifix Orchid

Namaste

January 26 - Rest

Today is a public holiday - Australia Day.  Historically, this day represents the time when the European settlements scattered across the land formed a united government and became a federation.

Today, I choose to honour all that have made our country great and to pray for unity, strength and community spirit. No matter your 'colour', creed or culture, if you have made your home here in Australia - Thank you.  I love this land on which I live.  My gift to the land was a XXXX beer (an Australian icon) and some cooked sausages (snags!) straight from the 'barbie'.

Dorothea McKellar's immortal poem of the sheer beauty and majesty of this country captures my feelings perfectly.

I hope that each of you choose to honour this land in your own way.  Namaste

My Country

The love of field and coppice
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies
I know, but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests,
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops,
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us
We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine
She pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze ...

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand
though Earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

******©Dorothea MacKellar

January 24 - Walls that protect us

In the midst of healing sessions today, the rain bucketed down. No, that isn't correct.  Torrential downpouring of heaven's waters may sound a tad more authentic!  Our poor rain gauge couldn't cope with the amount of rain so it was my job (being the only one in residence at the time), to wander out into the wild wet and empty it.

Now, our rain gauge takes 25mm (or one inch) initially and then overflows.  I carefully measured the entire contents to find that I filled that 25mm ten times.  Wow.  Goddess Mari sure knows her stuff.  I thanked her for all this water but also reminded her that our tanks were now full!

Due to the heavy rain and the my solitude, my current position description at my home is: long range weather forecaster, handyman, landscaper, flood prevention officer and Emergency Control Executive. Fancy, eh?

In between the healing sessions, I cleared branches, gutters, secured odd bits and pieces lying around as well as re-creating the Great Wall of Celticai.

A year ago, our local area was inundated with water.  Due to that weather, my family created the Great Wall of Celticai to stop rushing waters from flowing into our shed and damaging the contents.  This involved many choice words of... err... encouragement and physical labour,  Basically, we built a dam wall.  It isn't very high but it was surely effective.

During the last year, we had pulled most of it down as the land had recovered, grass was once again growing on the de-nuded landscape and the weather systems much more gentle.  In the falling dusk, I noted that the waters were rising towards our shed.  Oh no!   So, with hat on my head, shovel in hand and a small wheelbarrow, I moved all the bricks and planks back into place to protect our property.

It made me think of how we often begin, with pure intent, to protect ourselves on a daily basis.  I don't mean total withdrawal here.  Rather, I mean the daily choice to surround ourselves with good intention and a loving heart.  After a while, we forget to put these measures into place and become complacent that all is as it should be.  Suddenly, everything changes and we realise that our lack of personal protection means that we are hurt, annoyed, frustrated in the current circumstances.

A good friend recently shared with me that he starts each day by lighting incense, then a candle to help those who have passed over during the night, then has his shower to ritually cleanse his energy for the day.  Such simple things to do and can easily incorporated into our daily routines.

I cleanse my working space on a regular basis - sometimes 2-3 times a day!  By myself personally and my house?  Usually, this is done during the changes of the Wheel of Time.  So, thank you to my friend for reminding me to make daily routines such as candle lighting and hygiene practices a sacred part of everyday life. Thank you to Goddess Mari for prompting me to remember as I recreated the Great Wall of Celticai!

Namaste

January 23 ~ Goldilocks heart

Have you ever sat within a crowd or at a large event and felt incredibly alone?  This is usually caused by a with-holding of your heart chakra. Drawing all that projected energy inwards to protect the fundamental essence of yourself.

On the flip side, you can be in a crowd and feel overwhelmed by the immensity of energy, emotions and experiences flowing around and through you.  This indicates an over-extension of the heart chakra ~ reminding me of a sea anemone with its tentacles spreading outwards so that it can catch whatever happens to be around.

Finding that balance between the two states can be tricky as it takes practice to maintain the equilibrium.  Yesterday was such a day to me.. one moment, I felt alone and then I would feel swamped.  Up and down like a yo-yo!  Hello? Divine Healing Energy??? Help!!!

Calling the spiritual equivalent of 000 (911 for the Americans amongst us) can be as simple as dropping your head in prayer and taking a quiet moment to find the stillness within.  A wise person once said: peace is not always available around you, but it is available within you at all times.  However, because of our emotional state, we can also feel a little like Agent 86 from Get Smart ~ trying to dial out on the shoe phone, the fire hydrant or whatever 'gadget' is the latest invention.

Prayerful intention seems to me as the easiest way to align yourself in that state of peace; to find that state of balance within our heart.  Plus it is readily available at all times!  Not even costing a cent! Woot!

So, if you are like Goldilocks today, trying to find that balance of  "Not too hot, not too cold,  but just RIGHT" may I suggest that you take that moment and pray.  Pray to whomever is your Supreme Being of Choice asking for Peaceful Love to centre and remain within you.

You can do this while washing up, taking the kids to school, lying on the sofa or wherever it is that you find yourself.

May your heart always be: just right!

Namaste

January 20-22 ~ Manic Mower

New Moon and Dragon Chinese New Year blessings to you for January 23rd.  This weekend has brought forward many health related issues for me.

On the plus side, it was a weekend of connection ~ I connected with many friends who felt 'led' to contact me. Truly a blessing to me!  Thank you.  On the flip side, it was a weekend of pushing some physical boundaries and 'reaping' the consequences.

Our lawns needed mowing as the grass was so thick from the recent rain.  MOAHS and I decided that we would mow before any storms hit.  With my hands on my hips, I firmly stated that I would use the hand-mower as he had a tendency to just keep going and then fall over in exhaustion.  He could then us the ride-on mower and do the majority of the yard safely.  That told him, didn't it!?!  After half an hour pushing our lawnmower around the yard, I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach.  Gah!  I went to the tanks and let cold water rush over my face and head to try and cool me down.  I sipped cool water for approximately twenty minutes then felt ready to do the next part of the yard.  After three more rounds of twenty minutes mowing, ten minutes resting (and finishing my job), I was able to retreat to the entertainment area.  I ached and heaved as the world swam before my eyes.  This wasn't good.

MOAHS returned from his lawnmowing adventure (learning that one should never tussle with bougainvillea bushes), took one look at me and sent me to have a shower and a lie down.  Merciful Goddess!  To lie down under a fan was pure bliss.  During my rest, my body flared with the auto-immune condition that plagues my physical body. Double Gah!  So, I know that the next week will be one where I have to look after myself very carefully!

We did manage to plant two poinsettia bushes and another croton on the weekend.  Hopefully, this will fill a 'void' in our garden.  As hubby watered the vegie patch yesterday, I seeded lawns and 'bare spots'. Sending love and light and gentle rain to all of these!

Today, before I wrote this, I was researching the New Moon and Chinese New Year cycle.  I came across some information stating the solar flares of the last week have been the biggest.  This usually means feeling lethargic, eye problems, headaches, migraines, exhaustion and experiencing weird dreams.  Ta-dah! That resonated so strongly for me.

As the cycles of the year move into the year of the Water Dragon, I've taken the time to sit and really think about what I would like in nine different areas of my life.  On the 23rd, during the night, I will offer these to the the dieties of my choice with some simple words of thanks and honour.

Number 1 on the list? No more manic mowing!

Namaste

January 19 - Retreat!

Sound the horns, bang the drum
the time to retreat has surely come!

Go within to know and see
What needs to grow or needs to flee

This moon today shines her light
Asks us to see with our insight

Shamanic knowing begins to grow
Meditation enhances the flow

Ask yourself: What brings you joy?
And what is merely ego's ploy?

Step forward now and gently walk
Heed the call of the Messenger Hawk.

Open your senses to learn, observe -
Heightening your self, energy and verve!

Namaste