Remembering Ancient Teachings

“As I began awakening this day listening to Sister Wind speaking gently as she flows across the skies, through the brittle branches of barren trees, I feel her energy cleansing the pain of Mother Earth who has for all time held all Creations in Sacred grounding and nurturing. Mother Earth feels the anger , fear, and confusion of her inhabitants and beckons the Sister Wind to join her in alliance as they and the other elementals embrace each of us, beseeching us to release our pain, to come together in Unity as the One that we are. When we remember the ancient teachings and return to them all answers will again sing in our hearts. We will honor all water, all land, all air, all Creations and once again Walk In Balance!” (Messages From the Canyon, December 18, 2016, Jennye Zeugner Johnson)

The elders and ancestors who walked this land before us left a legacy, one that too many have forgotten. Greed,  fear, anger, confusion, arrogant egotism seems to have been traded for ancient wisdom of past sages and warriors!

I believe it is not too late. In every country of our world today there is turmoil, social injustices, abuse  of power, crimes against ethnicities/ genders/ religions/ beliefs. Political leaders and demagogues are continuing to use illusions of power and money to keep those of us from remembering …..remembering we have the answers! The answers lie within our own hearts and spirits.

More than ever we each need to embrace our fellow brothers and sisters, stand up for each other in unifying peace and love, and refuse to be manipulated and deceived! Together we can accomplish what we could never do alone.

It is important to feel our feelings, to acknowledge our anger over the abuses and discriminations present in the world. However, once we have vented and owned our emotions, the next positive step is to bond together in peaceful actions . We must protect  our planet and each other.

Make a daily intention and commitment when you witness another being attacked in any manner: verbally, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or physically that you will raise your voice in protection and defend what is rightfully due each and every Creation!! We can and will be the change and the Co-Creators of the world our ancestors intended.

Awaken and remember the truth…that we are the people we have waited for. We can and will return to the ways of the Indigenous, the Elders, and our Ancestors. Bond with each other and remember….. as we stand beside each other in a Human Shield of Love, Peace,and Dignity for Humanity!!!

 

 

Transformational Opportunities

I crawled out of the womb and was  born into this world with a desire for peace and kindness. For many years I stated I did not see color or race…which you know was not really a factual statement. Of course I saw it….I did not understand prejudice or bias toward any race, color, creed, religious beliefs, gender, handicapping conditions or any other aspect in any culture. As a matter of fact ,even as a child I abhorred the mistreatment of anyone, spending quite a few nights crying myself to sleep over the unfair treatment of others that I witnessed in my community, my public school, and even among a few blood relatives. I wanted all of us to experience love and understanding for each other. 

I grew up in the 60’s, protested the Vietnam War, rebelled against the establishment…all in the name of creating peace and freedom of spirit! 

My world and yours is not the same world it was. Every country is ravaged with pain, suffering, and conflict. As I have continued to process the election of 2016 in the USA , and surrendered as much judgment as possible, I have arisen out of the dark shadowy ashes. I see myself as a Phoenix fueled with love for all my brothers and sisters. For the past year on a daily basis before I even climbed from my bed, I have visualized and gathered all the love, light, and positive energies available….and sent this culmination of goodness straight into the hearts of every politician, every angry and fearful person , and every Creation regardless of how they live and believe. without inflicting my biases or judgements as much as I possibly can. I truly believe with all my heart and soul Light will uncover the hidden illumination of  all Darkness.

What was once Dark and hidden is now being brought out into the open. Racial-ethnic inequality, degradation of women (and men), tortuous actions against numerous religions, hate crimes assaulting gender identities, and aggressive violent attacks attempting to ignore and destroy basic human rights is no longer hidden! 

Instead of verbalizing the fear and horror of the greedy wealthy, the seemingly gathering of the President-Elect’s team of people that many believe  will bring more harm to our world, I am vowing to practice love and kindness. I believe with my heart and soul we are each being given a transformational opportunity right now….to be kinder to each other, to lift each other up when we observe discrimination-abuse on any level-unkind acts upon humanity and our Mother Earth.

Right now in this moment we each have an opportunity and responsibility to treat our planet and its inhabitants with the deep respect we each want to receive from others. We are being given an opportunity to co-create a New World with a Vision for peace and love, even if we disagree with the way to accomplish that. It has to start with each of us. I am practicing love and kindness, especially to those practicing the opposite. I am not an ostrich with my head buried in the sand. I educate myself on what is going on in the world.                                                                                                                                                 dreamstime_m_770580I see how corporate mogols , the media,  and government officials are trying to distract the common Joe and Jill with meaningless agendas, hoping we do not see what is really occurring in the world on a daily basis. 

Regardless of what is currently happening, I have hope and Faith …that the majority of us will rise above the fears and practice the belief that Together we can do what we could never do alone. Taking positive peaceful action is an option I have always chosen, and will continue to choose. As we encourage each other and affirm we are present for each other, we can change old ideas and regimes , honoring the Divine Feminine and the Sacred Masculine in each of us to grow and prosper! We each and our planet deserves nothing less!!!!!

Sharing Moments With Strangers

    It has been my fortune and pleasure to be able to travel to almost every corner and in between in my country. My footsteps have connected with a variety of cultures, ethnicities, waters, and lands. 

Though I have at times traveled with companions, I cherish the sacred solo journeys I have experienced during my life. Solo treks feed my soul for a multitude of reasons. First, I get to decide where to go, how to get there, and how long to stay. Secondly, I do not have to compassionately compromise with a fellow traveler. Please know I can compromise and have , and probably will again, but the lone wolf in me relishes the freedom solo journeys quench my ever so thirsty need to hit the road for unknown vistas! 

Recently I visited an artsy Virginian town where in an afternoon  discovered a metaphysical book store, a garden-gift shop, and an organic grocery-eatery business. Within the walls of each establishment I enjoyed heartfelt conversations with the shopkeepers. As with all connections I continue to make in my travels, each offered me their slant on the atmosphere of their charming city. None of the three offered any negative comments regarding this quaint and peaceful place. I felt as welcomed as I would had I been if visiting one of my long lost cousins. The Bookstore owner shared how he and his wife were about to take an Autumn trip to the mountains of North Carolina. He and I also had  memorable discussions of Shakespeare, Ancient Egyptian Mystery Schools, and the advantages of living just an hour away from a bigger city. At the garden-gift store I enjoyed warm conversation with the owner about how she came to leave her long tenure of living in Washington, D.C. and her move to this smaller locale. Her story was filled with a mystical adventure colored with her inspirational willingness of listening to the messages delivered by friends and acquaintances , encouraging her to face her fears and move in a new life direction! My stop in the grocery-eatery included a wonderful cup of organic Sumatra coffee , breathing in the  pleasures of  aromatic soaps and lotions, and listening as the cashier described herbal and homeopathic cures for sale from local practitioners. Each of the exchanges between the strangers and myself granted me a sense of warm hospitality and a smile within my heart!

On the way back to my abode, I savored a brief journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway into the Shenandoah National Park. I had a passing thought that if I drove a few miles perhaps on my way back I would just make it in time for Sunset. Stopping at several pull offs, I shared breathtaking moments with a few fellow travelers in the beauty of Skyline Drive. Just before I encountered the wonderment of that  spectacular sunset I was hoping to find, a pair of young deer crossed in front of me, pausing momentarily to offer their gentle gaze.

As I stood in awe of the orange and pink pastels the Creator Sky-artist designed , a couple of young women stopped and we shared nature’s moment . We all remarked on how timing is everything! 

     Once again I received validation from the Universe that connections and sharing with a stranger or with a familiar face prove I and you are never alone in this world that is not so big….when you travel and explore.

Reflections Offered By Autumn

     It is mid October as I notice how the elements of nature are changing. The mornings have that crisp chill in the air. The green blades of grass are encapsulated with dewy coverings in  a community of cobwebs as my naked feet connect with the Spirit of the Earth. I find myself reminiscing on  Octobers of my youth with memories of hayrides and great journeys in search of the perfect pumpkin accompanied by my father. Each October has offered me new gifts, new opportunities to gather  the Harvest of my Human Experience.

     For me October is the time of year I reflect on the current state of my internal affairs, asking myself to acknowledge my accomplishments, assessing areas of my present life, identifying the flaws and strengths of who I have become. 

     As I place each aspect of myself into the cornucopia of this year’s harvest, I get to decide what could be discarded as spoiled pieces I have thus far been unwilling to release. I question if the rotted scraps of my ego can be salvaged or perhaps re-shaped for the greater good of any or all of my relationships. I honestly assess my integrity or lack of  in my presence in social and professional circles I frequent. I gather those positive qualities that shine from my heart center onto those whose paths I am blessed to cross. 

     When I watch the lessons unfold before me that nature demonstrates, I am privy to so much heart knowledge. In this Autumn season I observe the changes as temperatures  fluctuate from  cool mornings to  warm afternoons . I can see how Autumn is showing me I can adapt to the changes or I can refuse to modify my attitudes and behaviors as changes occur. When I allow myself to flow gently or resist fully  with life situations  presented , I can freely embrace how I have progressed  or experience  the stagnation of my refusal to awaken . Just as the leaves are colorized so beautifully by this season  then fall to the ground in a symbolic letting go of one form to another, can I be willing to flow with my own transformations without trying so vehemently to hold on to those  things and people over which I have absolutely no control? Autumn lessons abound to those paying attention.

     Ah, the passages of the events of this year seem to have opened my heart even more than I remember in prior days. The death of a dear friend, the surrendering of the need to tell a relative how to live their life, the decision to leave a familiar location of friends and memories, the willingness to embrace new adventures in uncharted places, the validation from the Universe that not only is change inevitable but also necessary to crack my soul wide open, and the endless possibilities of seeing that the best is yet to come…all these facets of perspectives of my reflections of this year fit together in the Autumn that is so unlike any other.  Life is good, yes very good.

 

Connections

    Journeying to a new location always feeds my soul! I have been in my current setting for three weeks, and the connections have been cosmically orchestrated, it seems by a mystical alignment , affirming central Virginia chose me to come here!

Though I am not musically gifted I joined a drumming circle that my housemate and I happened upon the first weekend I was here. The members of this group are an assortment of colorful characters who are attempting to encourage and teach me how to play the djembe drum! I love the camaraderie and the rhythmic energies provided by each person and the whole circle! Last weekend two drummers who had just arrived from Rwanda showed up and thrilled us with their talents of African fast paced drumming!

Yesterday I found a wonderful bookstore called Daedalus downtown. This shop  has three floors of out of print books of every category one could imagine! The smell of old books permeates every inch of the place. Books are piled within every nook and cranny on dusty shelves. The creaky steps have to be navigated slowly as one hangs onto to the railing going up and down. The owner, Sandy, is quite the conversationalist in this mystical land of literary finds. I had an inspirational exchange of words also with a guy I met in the Historical Biography section as we discussed Winston  Churchill and the assortment of biographies we each were discovering in Daedalus Bookshop. 

The final connection I will tell you about is the Arura Medicine of Tibet located above a French restaurant in the Pedestrian Mall Downtown. On Sundays there is a 20 minute silent meditation facilitated by a volunteer staff person. One of the Tibetan Medicine Doctors joins in the meditation, and when we are finished, he offers each participant a wonderful hot cup of herbal tea! If there is availability the Doctor will assess and/or treat anyone in need following the meditation time.Otherwise appointments can be made. The price is minimal. The intention of Arura Medicine of Tibet is to encourage the continued “preservation of Tibetan culture” as a new opportunity and approach to options for healthcare in this location.

     I learned many moons ago that when I am open to new experiences, cultures, and people , the Universe provides unique and positive opportunities! Releasing any apprehensions of unfamiliar situations and being willing to try new things continues to enable me to create new friendships, ideas, and assimilations of the customs and beliefs of those who would have been only strangers passing by me  on the street. Truly life is magical!!!

(jaguarwind.wordpress.com)

jennye-in-charlottesville-91816

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listening

I know I have always had  an inner voice that speaks to me. For many years I would hear the inner messages and doubt them. There were times I believed my brilliant mind could somehow come up with answers that would solve inner conflicts. Today I find humor in that illusion.

For the past three years I have tried to leave my hometown. I would travel temporarily and return home, wishing I was somewhere else. Each time I would think I just need to leave,but something else would present itself that would keep me there. Sometimes it was a wonderful yoga teacher, a political activist group, a great hiking location, wonderful art galleries…the list went on and on.

I cannot tell you a specific event occurred that was the push to leave except I  amped up my inner listening when in a period of six weeks I repeatedly heard in various conversations with strangers and friends the name of a certain city. I thought hmmmm…what is this about? The Universe had my attention. I knew nothing much about the city that kept coming up except it was a location from a TV series I used to watch in the 1960’s. As so often in my mystical life, amazing turns of events propelled me to take action. I re-located, at least for the temporary time to this city. Really,I know all situations, places,people, jobs, challenges, or joys are temporary!

There have been times in my life that I have moved, made decisions, entered various new beginnings that it took months even years for me to see I truly was being led to said decision. Call it destiny, fate, or as my linear thinking friends call it “coincidence”, I have ended up exactly in the right place at the right time! This move and decision to come to the city where I am has been validated in an explosion of a multitude of confirmations in just 10 days! Actually the first three days confirmed it was one of the best decisions of my life!

Reflecting on this experience I began thinking how so many do not listen to their inner messages. Often I observe people struggling to meet their challenges and conflicts, wanting to change yet staying stuck in their proverbial ruts. If we each have inner guidance that comes to us in the forms of messages delivered to our brains, why do we not listen? Why do we continue to stay in situations that are not affording us happiness? Is it because we are afraid to make a change? Is it out of guilt and obligation that we do not follow our hearts’ desires? Is it because we are so sure we will make a mistake that we cannot live with? Is it because we place more value on listening more to the opinions of others that contradict our own inner guidance?

Based on my own experiences, I can 100% tell you that I would rather take the risk to listen to my gut and trust my inner instincts than to always wonder what could I have experienced if I had only listened not only to my inner voice but also to the messages of my body for they both work together in a holistic way offering truth.

What is the worst thing that can happen if you LISTEN?

IMG_6834

Freedom Calling Me

NC SceneI know I must have Gypsy Blood somewhere in my lineage! I just cannot stay put in one place, and the older I get, the more freedom my Spirit screams it must have!

I  put  all that would not fit in my car in storage , headed about 5 1/2  hours away to hang out in a new town for a few months, then am planning a short excursion to sunny Florida for Christmas before heading back to my Happy Soul Location in New Mexico!

I will be able to see current friends, make new ones, experience new adventures, offer healing services, and write the novel that is really writing itself! The existence of social media and electronic mail allows me to take friends and family with me .

Feeling the Winds of Freedom blowing me onward and encouraging me to once again take a risk, while allowing  the fears and apprehensions to be present in my gut,  I still continue to follow the constant wanderlust of my Nomad-Heart all  wrapped around the desire to avoid what feels like imprisonment of a routine life.

For many living day to day with the resistance to change because of internal fears is common place. Fears of making a mistake, of running out of money, a belief in lack, the  need of a stable home, safe relationships , familiar environments, or any other self imposed beliefs create walls that often prevent people from jumping off the Proverbial Cliffs of Risk-Taking.

Long ago I made a commitment to my Creator that I would be willing to go anywhere I was needed to be of Service. With this focus I have been inspired by connecting and conversing with a variety of people and animals in my travels. Just today I met a young woman who was a clerk in a store. She  is about to embark on her journey to enter Divinity School. We had a sweet conversation about forgiveness and the need to offer compassion instead of hate and fear to those inflicting their pain and suffering on others. Opening our hearts to as many people as possible by listening without judgment to the stories shared is an honor and privilege.

Connecting my Spirit to the various lands my feet and tires meet along the way as my inner Gypsy marches on does not seem courageous or strange. It is my passion and my soul’s yearning .

 

 

 

 

 

Embracing The Connections of SubCultures

imageAs I have traveled from the East to the Southwest and back, I have met such a diverse group of subcultures of people from the conservatives to the liberals, and the in between! Some people freely state their opinions about food and drink, politics, religion, and nature. Some keep their feelings inside their brains and hearts!

Because I am an observer of people, I am always interested in the different ideas and attitudes I see, and often feel…even with the unspoken. I am blessed to be intuitive and perceptive …which affords me to pick up various aspects of people whose paths cross mine. I am equally blessed to be open to all cultures and ideas, always willing to learn and seize opportunities for connections.

I love the subcultures within cultures from the big cities to the rural towns to the desolate deserts to the backwoods. Though every place and all people, dependent upon age, gender, belief systems, and ethnicity has a separate makeup, one thing is a constant…..When a person (like I am) smiles at another person and says “How is your day going?” and says it with sincerity, the other person feels comfortable and free to share aspects of their lives. It is my honor to be able to travel and meet all types of people.

Just yesterday I was having lunch in Oklahoma City and I had an engaging conversation with a man who was lunching with his 91 year old Dad. An elderly woman joined them and as they spoke freely in front of me, I learned the woman had just lost her partner of many years, and was thinking she would like to travel but was afraid to venture out alone in the world. I jumped onto the opportunity to share with her that adventure can begin at any age, at any time. I could see a light of hope within this woman, and it made my heart smile. The group of them sat at a table and I sat at mine, enjoying my lunch. Before I left I walked over to their table and told them each it was my pleasure to meet them. The man with his Dad thanked me and said: “We are proud of you!”. I felt he was really an angel in disguise delivering this message to me for my own confirmation and validation that traveling alone has its benefits and gifts.

When we each release our biases and judgments about other cultures and subcultures we will find a connection and a common bond between people. When we are afraid of those different from us, we will stay encased in what we think is our safe shell of a life. However, living that way will only keep us disconnected from meeting others who just might be able to teach us a little about ourselves!

 

 

 

Feeling Adventure In My Skin

image For many years I have known that I could not stay in one place without wanderlust pulling at my soul. For this reason I have changed jobs, moved from hither to yon, and traveled as often as I could fit wandering into my life. Often work interfered and even sometimes partners did not understand my need to go where the winds of change called me to follow. Moving from one place to another when I was younger seemed to satisfy my need for change….for a while. I can remember my parents telling me when I was younger that I put way too many miles on every car I owned, and my response always was: “I only have a car to take me to unknown places.” Always …a rebel with a cause….to go and experience adventure.

     Change just resonates with me, and I resonate with change. Routine bores me. I have loved meeting people and communing with lands, waters, and stars of varied places. I know now it is because I crave new experiences because I feel adventure in my skin, on my face, in my heart, and mostly in my soul. 

     It has taken years of self discipline and committed inner work to finally embrace and accept the fact that  I am not like all people…but I do have much in common with those who have the DNA of needing to wander to feel sane. It is the sitting with routine , mundane activities that create a lost, depressed,  and confused aspect within me. In my last life-cycle one must question if I were a gypsy. In spite of the need for change, I can sit still and go into deep reflection and introspection for quite a long period of time. I can spend hours, days, and weeks creating projects involving art, writing, and reading . I can sit in total silence, which I frequently do, but I must have adventurous change along with it. Maybe it is all wrapped around the need to be free of any ties that I feel bind me!

      As Old Man Winter had just begun his visitation to the East Coast, I traveled by car a little over 1600 miles to hang out in Southern New Mexico for  a couple of months. If you think I just sat in the town where I have been residing , you would be dead wrong. I have gone to so many places while I have been here, met so many interesting people, and my feet have connected with so many inspiring woods, lands, businesses, coffee houses, and more! I have had uplifting and refreshing conversations all over Southern New Mexico from the beautiful Aguirre Spring Campground on the East Side of the Organ Mountains, to the unique and refreshing mineral baths along the Rio Grande River  and the hippie  residents of artsy Truth or Consequences, to the Cloudscroft mountain community outside of Alamogordo, to Dripping Springs’ rock formations and walking trails, to Fort Seiden State Park’s ruins of the old fort, to the Gila Cliff Dwellings’ natural caves and ancestral villages through the Gila National Forest, to the wonderful white sand dunes of the White Sands National Monument, to the large man made lake of Elephant Butte Park, to Old Mesilla at the edge of Las Cruces filled with unique shops and local artists, to Spaceport America , to Sunspot in the Sacramento Mountains and the National Solar Observatory, and many other local hikes!   

When I was not busy seeing the enchantment of the lands, I worked a bit via my laptop computer delivering speech therapy services to schools in California from my temporary New Mexico residence. I really think the Universe decided to give this gypsy a break by creating telespeech so I can work from anywhere , as long as I have access to the internet! 

To those resistant to change, I encourage you to face your fears, and dive head or feet first right over your Cliff of Doubt into the magical world of physical-emotional-mental- and spiritual exaltation that only leaving home and traveling can afford those who have the passion to wander!  The only thing you have to give up is routine, and in my Gypsy-Mind, that cannot be a bad thing!