Sacred Reciprocity

I have studied and embraced the Ancient Ways of Indigenous Ancestors for much of my life. Some of my earliest childhood memories are wrapped around knowing Nature and Earth always were present with me , providing a safe haven of protection and love over the dysfunctional, confusing actions of adults in many areas of life I observed in the world. On the land where I grew up tall pines decorated with resin coated pine cones, fragrant mimosas adorned with fluffy pink flowers and orchards of apple trees were my abundant protectors. Today as an elder in an even more confusing world comprised of prevalent separatism I am more dedicated than ever to honoring the wisdom of Earth and Nature. I am very sure my intention and desire to cultivate personal relationships of equality stems from the teachings of Nature.
Long before I was introduced to Shamanic practices, I considered fields of clover, stones and rocks, crystals, creeks and rivers as living friends. I often gifted these friends with flower petals, shiny pieces of mica, and wild honeysuckle orange blossoms after exploring solo for an afternoon. Back then I had no idea I was returning gratitude to the Earth in sacred reciprocity. I only knew I was grateful for Nature’s amazing gifts freely shared with me.

Sacred reciprocity is an Indigenous Spiritual principle of giving and receiving. The Q’eros Shamans of the Andes use the term “ayni” for sacred reciprocity. We must give and receive equally and in Nature it is an imbalance to take more than we give back. When we are practicing being greedy taking more than we give back, the Q’eros believe suffering and illness will manifest as consequence as a result of disharmony with nature. Thus, the principle is that giving and receiving is similar to the flow of inhaling-exhaling. It is never about I give to you then you give to me. It is about living by the code of being loving, compassionate, giving with nature AND with each other. When this is our ongoing practice Nature and each of us living beings will be filled with harmonious, balanced abundance void of a sense of lack!
Instead of living out of a sense of personal entitlement of always taking more or all of the pie, we can learn to flow in giving-receiving both to the Earth and to each other. Instead of thinking because we offered kindness, love, and generosity we are entitled to be praised and glorified, we can practice flowing back and forth in an equal state of healing fueled by love itself without expectations.

By shifting our thinking from self centered and selfish motives we are more able in our constantly changing world to stop demanding to get what we want when we demand it. This principle and practice is not only demonstrated in the Amazon Jungle but is present in many global cultural traditions. As we continue awakening also to the need not just to give until we are depleted, resentful but also being the giver as we can be filled with gratitude for receiving too with a wide, open heart; we will be co-creating a species of honoring, bonding, and mutual respect for the Earth and for each other.
We are each an integral , connected part of the Web of Life, and our thoughts resulting in our actions will continue to have either positive or detrimental results.

I invite you to join me in claiming and acting out of this : when the wisdom and teachings of Ancient Ways is activated and remembered the empowered authenticity of Sacred Reciprocity will be a Divine link for creating harmonious balance with humility and a shared thriving of equal abundance for every single being on our planet.

“When you take and take without giving back soon there will be nothing left . This is as true for the garden as for people.” – Francisco E. Alvarez

Walking Our Talk In A Test For Humanity

Many years ago as a young teen I craved and wanted a world consisting of relationships of equality…one where there was no need to be above or below another, one in which chosen romantic, business, friendship, blood relations really saw each other and could see the mirror of goodness and equanimity. I wanted a world in which we accepted each other without trying to make another wrong so I could be right.

As time has gone on , and especially lately, I have observed people at each other’s throats in rage, fear, and disgust. People pitting against people, claiming their truth is THE truth, that their opinion is right and anyone opposing it is wrong. Watching and even at times finding myself sinking away from my own core values, buying into the dualistic world of light vs dark, good vs evil, right vs wrong, us vs them… I cringe often in sadness to see the world and the human beings dwelling here becoming more and more separate from each other. I have watched many claiming to be on a Spiritual Path shout and scream words of hate, pointing fingers of blame, acts of discrimination, and vows of revenge fueled underneath with internal disempowerment and hopelessness.

What if this world actually is not about which leader is elected or taking over a country but instead is the greatest test Humanity has ever seen? What if we only embrace our rigid opinions because they give us a sense of control over our situations and environment ?

What if we as a collective Humanity stopped judging the opinions of another and just walked our talk (instead of talking our talk with verbal diarrhea ) and chose to see each other as an expression of only love! I do not believe anyone has the core value of wanting to control, hate, or intimidate another. I do believe we each want to live by core values of acceptance, understanding, compassion, love, and service with integrity. Perhaps we forgot who and what we really are and desire to be with our fellow brothers and sisters. Perhaps we have allowed our insecurities, fears, and lack of care for humanity to take over. Perhaps we bought into the idea we had to stuff our opinions down the throats of anyone we felt stood in our egoic way of proving to ourselves we matter.

As we move into the Age of Aquarius perhaps we each could stop and chill for a bit and remember we are each Spiritual Beings having a Human Experience, and each of our experiences is but temporary. When we make a choice to treat every other Spiritual Being as an expression of love itself, we are offering Humanity a new perspective . In the end we each are walking each other Home and as we walk the journey in our Human experience I believe in my heart and soul we each hold a desire to be happy and free from suffering.

When we walk our talk we say what we actually mean, we do what we say we will do instead of forgoing promised commitments and treatments of others, and we choose integrity not only as an option , but as a way of life. Aligning our walk with our talk will empower each of us to connect with ourselves and with each other, creating the version of Humanity we absolutely yearn to save for generations to come after us.

”If humanity does not opt for integrity we are through completely. It is absolutely touch and go. Each one of us could make the difference.”

– Buckminister Fuller

Choosing To Be Present With Myself Helps Me To Be Present With Others

The other day during my yoga practice it occurred to me when I am present with myself fully, it is only then I can be completely present with another. I used to believe I was capable of multitasking . When I became more aware of this illusion wrapped in my arrogant and egotistical denial I embraced the fact I and you cannot effectively do two or more things at once..even the automatic tasks such as brushing my teeth, riding my bike, driving the route I drive daily, or walking. For you who want to challenge this statement, research has proven our great brain can really only handle one thing at a time. Therefore for example, when I am participating in a zoom meeting and my attention drifts to reading an email, I am not paying attention to the zoom meeting. This reminds me of a friend who calls me and he is trying to focus on a presentation he is also watching. My evidence is when I ask him what he thought of the idea I just said, he cannot answer but tries to pretend he was listening to me. I have told him more than once he does not listen well and of course, he denies that fact. Even more interesting, this person claims he is taking time to process what I had said to him: when in fact when the task of listening to me and thinking about what I said while he is focusing on something else ,his brain can only actually focus on one of those tasks. He might hear a word here or there but will not be able to digest what I actually said. There have been decades of studies that show proof when someone is multitasking what they are really doing is switching their attention between two or more tasks and more errors , less focus, and poor listening skills result. By the way I plead guilty as I used to claim I could multitask efficiently with all communicative partners!

Not only is the multitasker a poor listener , but their stress level actually increases by raised blood pressure and heart rates because their attention is jumping around like a ricocheting set of pings. You may wonder since our brains are not wired to multitask why do people continue doing it? It probably is the false belief we humans can get more done and reward ourselves with a great sense of accomplishing many things in a short period of time by multitasking . The truth is you would most likely be more efficient by doing one thing at a time, even taking a break with that one thing, allowing our mind to rest and then returning to a refreshed focus!

Now what does this have to do with staying present with ourselves? When we are present , really present with ourselves we are totally aware of what is happening in the moment…not jumping into the past that no longer exists or the future which has not gotten here (if it really ever arrives anyway!). Being present with ourselves utilizes all our senses (at least seven of them), keeps us allowing each precious moment to unfold gradually instead of us being wrapped up in what we think is going to happen, and choosing to exist only in the present we are able to fully breathe each breath. We focus on one thing at a time without being distracted when present with ourselves. I think we want to jump to the next thing instead of enjoying the experience of being with the present task because often our emotions and feelings in the present feel uncomfortable and like a gerbil chasing its tail as it runs around in a circle on a wheel, we convince ourselves we must hurry to the next place, the next task, the next experience, and the next performance.

Once we become willing to learn how to be present with ourselves we are then able to be present with another. Our relationships improve because we are more able to consciously listen to another which is showing respectful interest . We become more alive, awake, and content; thus increasing the very thing we as humans crave: quality connections! Being present empowers us to slow down, not be in rush to do the next thing, and when we slow down we are more apt to be engaged and appreciative of those aspects that really matter such as listening to the language of trees swaying in the woods as we walk in nature! Life without presence zooms by so fast that days, weeks, months, even years fly by quickly. When we do not stop and really look around and observe what is happening within us and with another person, we are likely to miss a light bulb “aha” moment, the smile on our partner or friend’s face , and the creative flow of how precious life really is!

Some ways to channel and shift your attention into the present moment with yourself or any other living thing can be learned from the natural world by grounding into the place your feet are contacting to the floor or earth and paying attention to your breath; being aware of the sensations, textures, sounds, and proprioception as you step into your shower and turn on the water; and, when out walking listen to the sound your shoes are making and every object you see.

The evidence you will receive to demonstrate you are present is noticing you no longer have to concentrate and try so hard to experience the joy of presence. Your brain will have re-wired new neural pathways and connections! As you dive deeper into being holistically whole with your own body, mind, and spirit your self acceptance, self-alignment, and self-connection through your practice of presence will expand to the same awareness with others! It just might open your eyes to a world you never really thought about before!

“If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life.”-Thich Nhat Hanh

Autumn Equinox and Surrendering To Love Itself

Throughout my entire life the arrival of Autumn Equinox has ushered in a path in which I activate a sacred timeline of creating an internal honoring of harvesting my growth and the radiance of the Light within. As the precious living leaves begin to transform into golden colors and surrender to Mother Earth, I also surrender the prior ways of the Summer of my thinking, reflecting upon my intentions to go within in rest and silence welcoming space for the Co-Creation of the The Highest and Greatest Good Visions to emerge collectively.

The thoughts came to me right before the Equinox of the present time concerning the evolution of awareness that always is the greatest as Summer fades into Autumn. As a deep diving student of inner work that occurs each time the winds of change push me off yet another proverbial cliff I am presented with waves of visionary insights that often others do not understand when I voice them. I honestly do not remember asking the Universe to keep knocking me out of my Comfort Zone in order to come face to face with a new Truth, but repeatedly this is where my experience takes me.

Instead of focusing on the chaos of wars and upcoming political agendas, I choose to focus on Nature herself as my teacher. I carry a belief that Nature knows what is needed not only to co-heal the Earth but also to walk in alignment with the needed transition for Humanity! We humans are here to receive instructions from our planet not to come up with concepts of technology to save ourselves. When the Ancient Spirit Wisdom and Memories of the Ancestors which lives in all our bones and DNA was able to penetrate my Reptilian Brain once I was willing to open my Spiritual Mind to remember an amazing thought came to me.

When I am totally alone free of distractions of all kinds and tap into those aspects of myself that I deeply love and experience in the relationship with myself, am I willing unselfishly and without any conditions willing to share that same love with another ? I know many do not delve into the aspects of themselves that they love or do not love. Long ago I received the Heart Knowledge that those traits and behaviors I view and love of another are only seen by me because they are the very same things I love about myself. Furthermore, the traits I cannot stand in another and the reason I want to take my toys and go to another sandbox as far away as I can get from the person showing me these aspects is because I do not yet love those things in myself. The projection of this is because everyone is my mirror..an illusion in a Skin of Humanness.

The bottom line here is Nature does not dislike or hate any aspect of herself. When a part of the Natural World dies, it simply changes into a blossoming and new creation. She teaches us unconditional love and acceptance. I have come to believe the chaos and separation of the disunity in the world right now is all about a Divine Invitation of coming back to Love. Humanity is not contingent on opinions, affiliations, theories , or anything other than remembering how to be love itself. Every issue, every judgement, every confused idea I have is because of what I have forgotten. I have a strong idea we each have forgotten also.

I assure you I have not yet arrived at the point that I love every single thing about myself and definitely not about those things others project to me about them (which is really about me!) It seems much easier to point the finger of blame at another being but we can see how well that works in creating transformative change. It never did work and never will. Therefore, the truth and the solution is to keep coming back to loving ourselves and offering that to other members of the Human Evolutionary collective, one little person at a time.

I welcome this Autumn of transition as I step into my personal surrender of releasing more and more judgements of all and every other who seems to be very different from me. I am going to give Nature, the Universe , other beings , and myself an opportunity to practice Loving all of myself and in turn offering that unconditional love to others. The other way has not worked so what do I or you have to lose by choosing a different perspective?

LOVE IS THE ONLY WAY TO RESCUE HUMANITY FROM ALL ITS ILLS- LEO TOLSTOY

Taking Risks As A Path To Living The Life Your Soul Has Forever Craved

In the world today maybe because so much has changed many are not lining up to engage in the experience of risk taking. There was a time I was stuck in the familiar. Even though some of the familiar friendships, partnerships , careers, and the town I grew up in felt safe, I had this gnawing internal rumbling that I was stuck in an uncomfortable place that felt like a sinkhole. Several areas of my life felt like they were gathering around me shapeshifting as a gang of vultures suffocating my inner Spirit. I wanted to escape but for a while I allowed fear and what I perceived to be fitting into society stopping me.

I don’t know exactly when I chose to become a proverbial cliff- jumper diving into a world of exchanging my old box of the safe known way of living for a life of adventurous daring to be different and re-creating who that scared rabbit I was but once I began, I kept diving deeper. If you think about it honestly a revealing aspect may be that the intentional ability to take calculated risks is crucial to humans and part of evolutionary development. I am convinced it lies dormant in our bones and DNA from our risk -taking ancestors. Those ancestors took chances to engage in revolutionary ways. The movers and shakers who journeyed before our time knew in order to progress it was necessary to pick up their backpacks of challenging experiences and take risks. When we hear and answer the same instinctual calling, the ancestral blood flowing within will be activated as we follow in the footsteps of the ancient ones who left their legacy for us to in the present time of seemingly confusion and angst to discover the benefits of risk taking.

Consider for a moment what your life would be if every day you did one thing that intimidated and scared you. By taking risks you may experience innovative and different connections, locations, and talents . Inventory and reflect what is really underneath your fear of the reason you are resisting. Part of the blocks holding many back from taking chances is the fear of what others will think and judge us. If we only could see by putting ourselves out into the world that we can be propelled and led to befriending new friends, mentors, colleagues of long lasting bonds, and choosing to participate in situations we never dreamed we would , I believe more of us would allow ourselves to dip our toes into risk taking waters.

You can start with a small risk . It is not necessary to begin with moving to another country. By taking your first baby steps you will get to see the magic and what has been hidden from you about life, and what you had not even considered before. When we are willing and take actions to undertake steps into the unfamiliar we expand and broaden mentally and emotionally, opening our mindsets to new modes of creativity and thinking. Pushing past our comfort zone limits is a catalyst to new growth adding a layer of innovative and increased perspectives.

Even more valid in our ever changing world of today is the benefit of experiencing greater and more efficient adaptability to respond quickly to changing situations and circumstances and in building flexibility outside of rigid thinking into a world of resilience. Seeing ourselves thriving instead of simply getting by empowers courageous handling of unexpected conditions with effortless ability.

By discovering a life filled with risks outside of the stale, routine boxes many have continued to sit in even with that nagging feeling there must be another way the push over the ledge of needing to find out something different just may be the plunge we each have searched for in pursuit of our heart’s desires by turning our dreams into daring realities.


“Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” -Helen Keller

Making Decisions and Choices: Is It Love or Fear Based?

Our world continues to change. Many people do not realize that everything is energy. What we put out into the world and how we live is an energetic co-creation of the actual manifestations of our thoughts and decisions. What and where we put our focus upon becomes our reality. We individually and as a collective are responsible for the evolution or the downfall of humanity. Reflect upon this truth for a bit before you honestly answer the question: Do you base your decisions on fear or on love? When we base our decisions and choices on fear we are not just affecting our own little world, we are affecting the entire world, the planet, and humanity to exist as a fear based world. We may feel protected in the moment by projecting decisions based on fear but in the long term we are creating a world of restrictions and limited freedom. On the other side of the coin choices and decisions stemming from love based ones create expansion, abundance, harmony, and unrestricted freedom .

How can you be sure how your decisions are based? Consider how your body feels when making a decision. The body cannot lie because it gathers its information from the aspects of the brain and the heart. Both are messengers. When you are in the process of making a decision do you feel nervous, have sweaty palms, muscles begin tensing up? Do you feel powerless and lacking control ? Do you worry how your career, your loved ones, your place in society will be affected by your decisions? Do you have concerns you might be missing out on the love of a lifetime , a financial opportunity that may affect your future, or a career change that might result in reaching your highest potential? These are all fear-based aspects of decisions. Before I was aware of my underlying need to be sure I was doing the absolute right, perfectionistic actions I created my own self-imposed prison of uncertainty. Today after learning practices that work I call those past fear based struggles the “What If Syndrome”.

Other fear based decisions may be turning down an offer of a work promotion because of the fear of failure or the fear of success; breaking up with a friend or relationship because of a fear of being vulnerable that is required to work through issues that need to be confronted; not joining a gym because of a fear of how others will judge how you look on Day 1; staying in a job or relationship that is causing you repeated stress because of the fear of changing what is familiar, even though it is causing you unhappiness.

Consider what love based decisions are about. These decisions are based on intentions that focus on what we want to actually happen and manifest. I began asking myself questions about what I truly wanted to see unfold in my world. Questions such as do I want to be an equal partnership with a romantic partner? Do I want friendships that support me as I reciprocate the same and do I want to be heard in the friendship? Do I want to have the freedom to do work that feeds my soul? Do I want to experience another culture when I choose to travel ? Do I want to work only to receive an income or do I want to be of service to others? Love based choices and decisions do not guarantee an elimination of fear, but they do pave the way to a magical way to live ,watching things unfold without needing to know how and when , even if things will happen!

If you have discovered you are making fear based decisions and want to begin making decisions based on love here are some ideas:

-Come face to face with your fears: Name them. Ask yourself if the fear you uncover is even true; who told you that story? Ask instead of what can go wrong, what can go right? After you name your fears, replace each one with encouraging beliefs and intentions of hope.

-Reflect on what your really want, not want others want for you. Get clear on the truth that you deserve to experience what your heart of hearts truly desires. Know your core values. Write them out on paper and align your heart desires with your values. Instead of impulsively making a decision because you feel it must be made immediately, take time to evaluate and assess what needs to happen for what you want to come into fruition.

-Scan your body messages. If your heart is racing, your hands are sweating, and your belly is quivering these may be symptoms you are in fear. Calm yourself first with grounding exercises such as going outside and sitting in nature or going for a long walk in silence. Then move forward with a decision.

-Looking back on past decisions you have made, even if they were made based on fear, affirm to yourself you did the best you could with where you were at in life then and with what you knew. Affirm in the present moment you can trust yourself to practice and learn to make more love based decisions.

When we practice , and it does take practice , to make love based decisions instead of fear based ones we are on the path of achieving our true potential, and we are co-creating with others doing the same, creating a world of love itself; thus, we are giving humanity a new vision not only for ourselves, but for future generations to come! What we do for ourselves energetically we are doing for others! Practicing being love itself is contagious and will expand to a love-based world!

Re-Connecting With Our True Self

It has been four years since the Global Re-set pushed each of us over an edge of unexpected change. As the world slowly began opening many believed and still carry the illusion we can carry on in our respective lives using the prior attitudes, mindsets, and thinking . No wonder collectively people are still confused, disappointed, and stuck questioning what is reality and where are we headed! With intuitive and insightful clarity in our present situation I am sure none of us can do things the way we had always done them. We are in the midst of Revolutionary Times, and revolutionary times call for Radical Changes and Actions!

Lately I have been hearing from more and more friends and clients experiencing transitional periods of not knowing the best direction to embark upon. From younger aged to seniors my sense is that many have forgotten their passions that at one time fueled them . Maybe as the world changed, former passions no longer are calling us. We cannot deny a thrusted catapult of a shift has thrown many into vibrational quicksand…halting the ability to move forward and find comfort in intentional living . However, there exists another sector of the population who have awakened to see a visionary light as they rise above the fear and anger seeing the truth shining on the dark manipulators representing the old regime of the Patriarchy who created the illusion of the quicksand . Is there really hope for Humanity to find another path that is available to all beings not just available to a select few? I believe there is!

Our True Self has not died or been destroyed by the changes in our current world! To re-connect to that authentic, true self I believe by finding our passion we will be led on the pathway of our mission and purpose. When our passion is revealed to us we will not have to force anything but will be motivated and lovingly, gently disciplined to do that which once again inspires us to return to our internal JOY! I truly feel in my heart of hearts the curiosity and wonder of the child we were when we first arrived in this lifetime holds the key to our passion. Reflect upon the descriptions and characteristics of what you loved as a child. What gave you that inner giggle and happiness when you were alone, during your daydreams, and enjoying your world? For the moment only focus on those giggle moments …not on anything else that was going on in your childhood. Visualize you at the age you are now hanging out with the child you were, and ask questions of that child. That child , (before caregivers, teachers, and other authority figures, or even siblings convinced and persuaded you to claim their ideas and beliefs ) carries the picture of your true self! Listen to him or her. Explore the amazement and awe of the unknown that the child knew..not needing to figure it out with the mind..just being and loving the experience! Ask that child what they love, what makes them laugh and feel happy, and what brings inner fulfillment. What excited that little kid? They WILL tell you when you listen consciously.

Once you re-discover your passion(s), start using them in activities, thoughts, creative endeavors, and furthermore, your purpose and mission of why you are really here at this Revolutionary Time of Humankind will be revealed to you. Your passions, the ones in the present moment, will inspire you to learn new things, new skills, and you will be once again excited about life! Re-connecting with our true self will open the closed door slammed by confusion, mistrust, anger, and fear. As you become willing to walk through the portal of truth and experience the amazing, incredible aspects available , you will probably want to share your re-connection of your true self with others purely by example; thus a vision of co-creating a new world will expand to a new vision for Humanity! Together we have the potential to see the manifestation of a world filled with hope and unity through our inner work of re-connecting with our authentic selves as we reflect to each other!

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned , so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.”- Joseph Campbell

“Your Power to choose your direction of your life allows you to reinvent yourself, to change your future, and to powerfully influence the rest of creation.” -Stephen Covey

Reclaiming Our Inner Authority and Personal Power

I am sure I came out of my Mother’s womb as a fighting rebel. I did not want to be controlled by another . I had this stubborn streak that I felt I had to fight to be One who marches to the beat of her own drum. In spite of this I still allowed self doubt and fear to block my true self. For a long time in my life I wore a mask of hiding myself from the world, from my family of origin, from friends, from bosses, from co-workers, and from partners. I was not exactly a people pleaser but my self worth was wrapped in the belief that if I really showed all my essence, my identity… I would be rejected and criticized.

I made those whom I thought had control and authority over me in charge. Though I defied rules and social mores (at least in my mind) I still held back. I was an aggressive doormat! I freely gave away my personal power (the internal power within myself) often and vented about it frequently!

Many of us grew up believing there are types of authority we have to conform to and obey: Pay your taxes, Go the speed limit, Come to a complete stop at that red octagonal stop sign. Then there is a group of the collective who are so against the authoritarian rules that they refuse to go along with any rules of the world. On the other side of the spectrum are the fearful ones, who believe they must follow all authoritarian- based rules to the exact letter. Between those two groups is the real issue…the one I fell into the abyss of for a long while..my and maybe your ideas of the role authority and the power of others has over us. Until I woke up and really got it that my belief of the big, bad authority figures living outside of myself got to create and force choices on all the rest of us (especially on me) was not true!

The day I came to believe my personal power and internal authority was within me, not outside of myself was the day I knew I had choices, options based on MY core values…no one else’s. I no longer “HAD” to trust that someone else knew what was best for me..not my coach, not my therapist, not my romantic partner, not the deceased parent who lived in my head, not my medical practitioner, not my best friend. Not that all these people were always wrong about what I needed to do but my inner voice of authority and personal power was tied to my intuitive gut feelings and my internal LightHouse shining truthful answers out to my heart! However I learned too that it was important to discern the messages of the wise authority within vs the wounded other version of myself who tried to voice messages that still lived in my subconscious mind (those unhealed voices ).

Within that unhealed wounding also was fact that the emotional processing center of the brain convinced some of us to make decisions that were not so great. For me part of my learning to own and re-claim my personal power and internal authority was to tap into a new skill of emotional intelligence. To do this and to maintain a flow of it I had to get grounded and really pay attention to what I was truly feeling; to acknowledge both my strengths and my limitations ; to build self love and self confidence; to forgive myself and surrender mistakes (yes acknowledge I am a human being not a machine); to embrace change; to be vulnerable with others without having expectations of their response(s); and to have compassion and empathy for myself and for others.

Yes it takes work..inner work to keep our personal power and internal authority. The reward for me has been when I have paused, checked in with myself, and given myself permission to choose relationships and activities that are ones I truly want..not those someone else insists I choose or act upon there is an inner smile on my heart that extends to brighter eyes and an outer smile on my face! Choosing that no one will have the power to control how I feel , think about the world around me, or decide if my day is going to be amazing, magical and awesome or if it is going to be a depressive, negative one is why I love I learned and am enlarging still my own authority as I skip through this thing called my life.

“I saw that everything really was written there before me, and that the doors had only been closed before because I hadn’t realized that I was the one person in the world with the authority to open them” — Paulo Coelho

“It doesn’t matter how one was brought up. What determines the way one does anything is personal power.” –Carlos Castaneda

Summer Solstice and Strawberry Full Moon

For most of my adult life I have celebrated the Summer Solstice as one of the most powerful days of the entire year. This year the Solstice will occur on the earliest date since 1796 and will be the day before a Full Strawberry Moon . In the Northern Hemisphere June 20, 2024 will be the longest day of the year, the shortest night, commemorating the first day of Summer while areas south of the equator experience the shortest day of the year as that location begins Winter.

I believe the connection with the Ancestors which I have been taught by the wisdom of Shamanic teachers lives in our bones. The Summer Solstice is celebrated around the world with various rituals in many different cultures. For me it is the celebration of Light as the magnificent sun casts His Radiant Beauty symbolizing new life not only to the crops of the fields, but also to our internal awakenings.

As you choose the ritual that speaks to your heart you may desire to ask What is calling you to put Intentions and Energies for Manifestation with the Light. You may choose to light candles outside under the Sunrise or Sunset of this amazing day, invite and invoke your ancestors who are waiting to offer guidance and assistance in the manifestations of your Sacred Intentions. You could go to Mother Earth and plant seeds of plants or herbs , symbolizing your intentions aligning with Grandfather Sun and Mother Earth. Do set aside a time of quietude and stillness , meditating in the present moment to receive Divine and Holy Messages .

Aligning both with the Solstice and the Strawberry Full Moon write on paper your honest negative feelings, emotions, thoughts, blockages, and fears. Burn the paper under either the Bright Sun or the Radiance of the Full Moon. Watch the burning as this is a Surrendering Ritual and create a Letting Go Affirmation such as ” Embracing the power of the Summer Solstice and Strawberry Full Moon, I now release all that is not serving my Highest and Best Good.”

Astrologically this time of the year welcomes the sign of Cancer. As we co-create within ourselves and in Connection with all Living Beings may we each choose to create new joyous adventures of the Light which lives within each of us and affirm Harmony, Love, and the Power of Being Alive sending out the Universal message of being Love Itself in all our thoughts, intentions, and actions!

“the summer solstice is a time for strength and vitality for action and movement” -Carole Carlton

Flower Full Moon

All through history full moons have amazed and fascinated living beings! The energies of each full moon are available to us for three days when the lunar phase appears fully illuminated in the sky.. When the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon a full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Various cultures have used moon cycles to track time and many gave names to full moons often referring to specific climate occurrences or animal manners within their environment.

The 2024 May full moon occurs on May 23 with peak illumination at 9:53 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States in the astrological sign of Sagittarius. The most commonly known name of the May Full Moon is The Flower Moon due to the abundance of blossoming flowers, bushes, sedges, herbs, and trees. Other May Full Moon names include Mulberry Moon, Frog Moon, Milk Moon, Dyad Moon, and Corn Planting Moon.

As the moon reaches its cycle of full potential intensifying its energy, so often do the emotional energies of humans and animals .Because at this time the moon aligns exactly opposite the sun, a feeling of harmonious balance opens to our world. We can use each full moon to release and clear internal negative energies such as resentments, fears, attitudes, and stale beliefs that are blocking us from manifesting and experiencing the best versions of ourselves. Clearing negative energies we have been holding onto is crucial to create space for specific intentions we desire to manifest into fruition.

This Flower Moon in the astrological sign of Sagittarius offers each of us a sense of curiosity, inner strength, and self discovery through self expression of freedom within. You may want to ask yourself the following questions

– What facets and true gifts of your inner being call to be acknowledged by you that you are hiding from the world? -What limiting beliefs are blocking abundance in areas of prosperity, health, career, relationships, stability, or more? – what behaviors are you practicing that are roadblocks preventing you from blossoming into the authentic and truest version of yourself? -in what areas of your life do you perceive demonstrates a lack of instead of an abundance? – what do flowers represent and symbolize to you physically, mystically, emotionally, and mentally? – what wishes and desires do you want to manifest in regards to beauty of connections with people, nature, and yourself? – what and who do you need to release in order to create space for new blooms and blossoms to grow and expand?

Create a Flower Moon ritual . RELEASE:Do a fire ceremony with a candle or actual fire. Gather paper, pen, a glass of water , candle or wood for a fire. Write on paper all not serving your highest good . State aloud in “ I am now releasing _________“ . Always use present tense as this willingness happens in the present, not in the future. Burn the paper on which you wrote what you are surrendering. If possible, do the releasing fire ceremony outside under the energies of Grandmother Full Moon. Watch and observe the burning. Pour a few drops of the water onto the flames and offer the ashes to the Earth. Drink the rest of glass of water and give thanks. MANIFEST : Fill a large bowl with purifying water. Add buds , petals, or blossoms of flowers of your choice. (Examples:Roses for compassion and love. Daisy for gentleness of spirit . Cactus for joy. Hyacinth for constancy. Orchid for beauty) Take the bowl outside and reflect on your specific intentions you wish to manifest under the Flower Moon. Envision the intentions are already manifesting as you energetically send your intentions into the flower blossoms. Leave the bowl outside for a few hours or over night under the moon. When completed strain the flowers and give them back to earth. Fill a bottle halfway with the water. Add pure glycerin to the bottle for a preservative. Use this flower essence as a sacred remembrance of your intentions.

Find a grounding place in nature and honor the May Flower Moon . Take actions to align with your intentions as you go about your amazing life!

“ If the moon smiled, she would resemble you. You leave the same impression. Of something beautiful, but annihilating. Both of you are great light borrowers.” – Sylvia Plath