Following a recent gathering at The Clubhouse, I climbed down the stairs, jumped o’er river to call it a night and I spotted two deer en route home. I’m always excited about my Deer encounters and remember gratitude for their gentle reminders that steer Us toward new adventures awaiting around the bend. Deer medicine is especially powerful this time of year, as we approach the Autumn Equinox and Light and Dark become equal, if only briefly.  Isn’t it poignant that Deer’s coat is somewhat akin to the symbolic Yin and Yang and oscillations of Light and Dark energetic vibrations within?  Between Irene and other erratic weather patterns whirling around our waste, perhaps this forthcoming comet Elenin will really wash Us out and clean things up, a la ‘out with the old and in with the new’.  Who knows, maybe even the Man from Ajax will be out of a job, as A New Earth becomes greener from less pollution for Seven Generations to come?

Coincidentally, I remember the story of the Buddha first preaching in a Deer Park.  Wasn’t it the Rat that first arrived to heed the Buddha’s calling and now claims Chinese astrological posterity?  Moreover, I find it synchronous that an Angry Red Squirrel friend got fired up in his recall of some past negative experiences with Rats.  After my friend recapped going Straight Outta Woodland on his apparent Nervous Woodland Creature nemesis, I heard my Chinese acupuncture friend angrily assert, “in West, answer is to kill . . . don’t always have to kill everything!” Although I remained silent, I sent my Angry Red Squirrel friend a telepathic message asking him to consider giving peace a chance vis-a-vis an agreement with Rat consciousness and watching The Rats of Nihm for cinematherapy.  Personally, I’ve come to appreciate Rats–particularly their shrewdness.  And the social scientist geek in me remembers that unlike humans, Rats will learn new pathways to cheese, after discovering that once coveted cheese, regardless of how Gouda it tasted, disappeared from once familiar territory.  Curiously, humans have a tendency to heed the ‘better the Devil you know’ mantra and will continue to go back to the same place, even when no cheese remains, given our propensity to get scaled back in Our Reptilian brain.  Ah, but Deer teaches Us to gently gaze onto demonic energy, while singing the Beatles hit “All You Need Is Love”, in a way that dissolves fear and reminds Us that Great Spirit so desires Us to join Father Sky and Mother Earth on Sacred Mountain and a return to our innocence.

Finally, in the film saga Star Wars, I remember Master Yoda training Luke Skywalker in the Jedi Arts so that Luke is equipped to stand up to the imbalance of the Dark side of the Force.  As such, Yoda teaches, “for my ally is the force and a powerful ally it is . . . life creates it . . . makes it grow . . . it’s energy surrounds Us and binds Us . . . luminous beings are We . . . not this crude matter . . . You must feel the Force around You.”  In the spirit of that, Deer reminds Us that It’s medicine allows for the welcoming of increasing powers of perception, noticing chiaroscuro, detecting subtle movements in border areas and clairaudience . . . so I’ve heard.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

I remember puttering around in the shed recently when a Chipmunk came in to greet me from the outside.  I don’t know if it was the welcoming colors of the Tibetan Prayer flags hanging on the doorway and/or the inviting scents of burning sage and incense, but in this encounter, his unscheduled and unexpected visit encouraged me to continue welcoming abundance and accumulating virtue–vis-a-vis thrift, efficiency and hard work.  I thanked my Chipmunk friend and he roosted without seeming too chicken . . .  

Following a grasshopper’s leap in the week, I found myself in the company of men again on an overnight disc golf/camping excursion.  Perhaps it was a coincidence that some squirrely man friends and Our “sentinel of the forest” comrades all chimed in with a chorus of peanut gallery comments–without driving One another too nuts in the process.  Has anyone else out there played disc golf?  This grounding sport closely parallels regular golf, absent Country Club fees, golf carts and fancy ironed shirts (albeit a couple of die-hard friends carry man purses with a variety of discs instead of clubs and other Nervous Woodland Creature gadgetry).  Now, my old self formerly avoided sports involving frisbees for a myriad of good reasons.  However, in my ongoing desire to evolve and fly outside my comfort zone, I’m learning to enjoy new frisbee games like “Kan Jam” as well.  Although my neck’s not so red and it’s been 20 years since I sported anything that remotely resembles a mullet, I concede that sporting without killing (admittedly some of us killed a mosquito or two, we ate meat and expelled dead air) is a great way to get outdoors and have fun in Nature.

Finally, “Squirrel . . . you have gathered nuts by the score, exactly predicting if you’ll need more.  Teach me to take no more than I need.  Trusting Great Mystery to harvest the seed.”  I wonder if President Gerald R. Ford had a squirrel totem, given that he was an Eagle Scout and was always prepared to deliver impromptu speeches at the trip in the step, I mean drop of the hat?  Given Squirrel’s connections to 12 week cycles, I see meaningful encounters with Squirrel encouraging Us to prepare for the forthcoming transition between waning Yang of Summer to waxing Yin of Fall.  Since We are all mirrors for One another in the Universe, Squirrel offers Us the opportunity to learn from One another through imitation and striking a balance between Our gathering and Our emissions.  I can hear a scratching mix of Mr. Miage and Mickey from The Karate Kid and Rocky reminding Us to nevermind footwork and punching so much as remembering balance–without going Straight Outta Woodland on Ourselves by throwing acorns and/or going nuts in the forgetting.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari 

While playing cards in the company of men recently–a camp fire illuminated our drinking in a waning Full Moon under the stars, as our cards lay on the table.    During our gaming process, a Spider crawled across the table, climbed up my torso until She nestled in the vicinity of my Heart Chakra.  Perhaps I’m still a bit green along my Way, though I couldn’t help but feel pleasantly full after my Spider encounter.  In fact, I find my Spider friend’s medicine infinitely wise as She reminds me of the delicate balancing act of ‘Walking the Line’ during the journey, vis-a-vis “one foot in spirit, one foot in ground”, so to speak.  Meditation on Spider’s energy inspires Us to keep in alignment with Nature’s rhythms–not getting too Loony during the Moon’s waxing and waning cycles and maintaining an egalitarian appreciation for Our own masculine and feminine energy patterns.  If only masses of folks whom are disgruntled with their current status quo lifestyles would choose to move beyond externally cosmetic changes . . . perhaps a systemic movement toward a deeper understanding of who We really are is on the horizon.  Dare We choose peace on earth by finding Inner Peace, without being stung by the propaganda and costs of augmenting ourselves with merely surface band aids?  In saying that, have I become ‘Public Enemy Number One’?

I remember Eckhart Tolle’s wisdom revealing to Us that walking the spiritual path is potentially an ongoing opportunity for each moment to become a sacred walking meditation with Self and God holding hands, if you will.  In this Divine Light, each moment offers a choice to consciously breathe in a fresh breath of whom We are becoming and gently exhaling the death of Our old self, a la that was Zen my friend and this is right Tao.  This is how I practice being present . . . being in the Now and building A New Earth, as We co-create Heaven on Earth as One–albeit diverse expressions of God’s image.  We are all in this together and We are all connected.  As I heal, the world heals as well– so that the flowering of consciousness is watered until She blossoms into an awesome Garden that we can all see.  When We say “peace out” to the voice of the ego and “what up, G” to the Inner Voice, We open up Our True Selves into the realm of Christ Consciousness and welcome Wise Council from Higher Perspectives.  Just like dat.  In this process, Our relationship with God (and Our True Selves) moves beyond an abstract, intellectual concept, toward a direct and sublime experiential relationship.  With Our Third Eye, We are able to view Our energetic exchanges with One another as opportunities to amplify Our shared energy, for the greater good of humanity (and the rest of the Universe).

Finally, I remember Spider’s web containing a message reminding Us of an ancient Mystery School precept asserting that “know thyself and thou shalt know the Universe!”  In their collaborative ‘webinar’, I recall Eckhart Tolle asserting to Oprah that his understanding of Nature’s rhythm stemmed from his understanding of the deeper Nature of Himself.  In the spirit of that, I Bee Leave that We become True Wizards when we consciously create our thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a way that understands how to make Our Inner Space smile.  Does Spider’s symbolic figure 8 sign of Infinity reveal to Us that We are equipped to transcend fate and Karma by seeing through the veil of illusion into  a deeper, mystical realm of possibilities?  Isn’t this how We heal polarity and facilitate movement into a New Age and paradigm of Diversity within Unity?  Why not move away from fear and closer to Love as We welcome Our desires as on their way, while letting go of outcome and enjoyably surfing the tides in the process?  And then, just before I published this entry, a neighborly Blue Jay poignantly reminded me that it is my choice to become a True Wizard or a master illusionist.  Why not become the real deal?

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Recently, I have enjoyed some meaningful encounters with Hummingbird–fleeting reminders to stay light on the feet and meditate on the figure 8 (sign of Infinity).  Holy Cow, if a tiny bird can venture from Alaska to South America and fly in any direction . . . just imagine the possibilities for humanity to take Quantum flight!  It just might be a grand slam.  Isn’t being playful and humorous a portal to Heaven’s Gate?  Many folks on the so-called spiritual path become way too serious about being godly that they forget their own Divine Light in the process.  If we are created in God’s image, then we must be capable of creating joy on the inside and following Our bliss on Our outward path . . . while radiating that in a way that resonates with Our outer world that reflects back to Us.  Aren’t We all mirrors for One another? 

I remember when my grandma used to say to me, “Ari, people like you because you’re natural.”  While always feeling uniquely different from my fellow humans, I Now understand what she meant.  During Red Carpet onstage performances, I have unwittingly caged myself and died just like Hummingbird does when She loses Her freedom.  In the words of Neale Cassidy to Jack Kerouac, “and that was the last time I committed suicide . . .”.  However, as I breathe in right Tao, I naturally reside where Spirit guides me.  Sometimes, this process unfolds as off-color comments, being a bit of a gauche provocateur to status quo energy patterns, being more interested in a rainbow, moon (I’ve got a hot date with Her right after this post is posted) and/or sunset than those with more important distractions to attend to.  Hummingbird’s nectar reminds me where I wanna Bee, puns typically intended! Playing with aromatherapy, like a little smudge of sage smoke or water, bergamot and/or lavender oils are among some of my favorite ways of illuminating my olfactory senses.  A little dabble do ya! 

Finally, meditation on Hummingbird medicine potentially offers darting glimpses into the sweetness and magic of life.  Like the Joker says in The Dark Night . . . “why so serious?”  If only the Joker had opened himself up to understanding how to move past his desire to create chaos and see the internal radical act of humming to the tune of a Harmonic Convergence with Nature, rather than trying to destroy it.  When we access Our inner celestial music, perhaps the strings reverberate as a chorus that diversely chimes in together as One.  Who knows, maybe Hummingbird might offer You a glimpse into a lovely Inner Space that reveals externally unidentified flying objects that could be literally out of this world?

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

As I look back on my experiences here, perhaps my relationship with both myself and the old world will be the death of me.  Who knows, maybe in becoming One with Our True Selves–finding unity within diversity in the New World . . . the collective clearing of Our Karma will reveal to Us the Promised Land?  I’ve heard it said that Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.  I’m not sure, but I know the consistent experiences of being lighter on my feet and knowing joy in my steps in my daily walk.  Moreover, I feel less demonic when I say ‘peace out’ to the familiar road paved with the pain and suffering that accompanies the vicious cycle of negative thinking, emotions and deeply ingrained behavioral patterns. 

Recently, while driving down memory lane, I accepted a significant encounter with a Great Blue Heron.  What a gas I had as I burned fossil fuels while listening to old mental tapes in a rental car.  And then, in the spirit of alternative energy starting with me, I shifted gears by igniting one of my totems in my Shamanic network of Power Animals.  My Blue Winged friend inspired me to remember to Bee thankful and appreciate being in my element with Great bodies of water, while exploring deeper dimensions on Mother Earth.  As I stay grounded and grow my roots, I am realizing the  “jack of all trades” experience.  Although I may be a master of none, I am learning to become the Master of my own Universe.

Finally, in these shifting and rising tides here on Mothership Earth, there is a Critical need to successfully navigate and stay afloat in the waters of life.  Although security is an illusion, a Mass of folks still cling to this smokescreen and deny and resist experiences that remind them otherwise.  However, it is getting more difficult to ignore the dying old world and burning Eternal City.  I find good news in heron medicine that reminds Us that security is really just a matter of perspective.  If We stay on track and keep Our inner ears to the ground, then We are more likely to feel Our feet on the ground, as We gaze upon A Starry Night . . . without getting too derailed in the process!

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

After enjoying some T’ai Chi in the backyard, I ventured out this morning for a run/walk, o’er the river and through the woods.  And though I wasn’t going to grandmother’s house, I was struck by a beautiful male Cardinal that flew right in front of me and perched on a tree nearby.  Although I was breaking out a little lather on my jog and was getting into a groove enjoying parallel realities of a free for service economy, deep mystical connections to Ay and Tiya, Lemuria and The Naacal Mystery Schools–I glanced at the river and then decided to stop and tweet to my peep in the woods.  I just love getting out in Nature–it really helps me remember my Roots.  Is it a coincidence that my encounter with a Red bird parallels the color of my Root Chakra?  I wonder if Bob Dylan was communicating with Cardinal Consciousness when he transcribed “Blowin’ in the Wind”? 

During our “conversation”, Cardinal and I agreed that Summer is a great time to enjoy the Yang-masculine energy and the friendly reminder to Us of the vitality that is delivered in the belly of this red-winged bird.  Moreover, Cardinal helps us remember how important We are and remember Our Power as individuals, particularly by adding color to Our lives.  Who knows Witch one of Us initiated the true feminine Wisdom that We should heed the Inner Voice and Bee reminded that We are what we eat, but I do feel that “birds of a feather, flock together”.

Finally, in my surface and depth, I look at shorelines as mystical places that are between land and sea and I feel at Home living in these places.  Another bird that reminds Us of this, along with paying attention to the subtleties of deeper psychological communication, is the Sea Gull.  I know I have a propensity to have my head in the clouds and sometimes soar from topic to topic, but as I look back on my morning outing, in my Third Eye I Sea them flying around the river bend toward the bay.  In that visual, I am encouraged to “behave and work in other dimensions than that which is normal” and to Bee mindful of consuming balance in Life’s diet.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Is anyone else out there mesmerized by Ducks?  I remember when Ted Andrews said, in his book Animal Speak, that “many psychologists and therapists could do no better than to have a duck as a totem to assist them in helping others move through their emotional tangles.”  Given my experience as a clinical social worker, passion for the healing arts and my own journey in healing, I couldn’t agree more.  In fact, I have called on Duck many times for protection in navigating the depth of my own emotional waters.  As such, Duck assists me in helping myself and others stay afloat in Our own apparent ocean’s abyss.  Moreover, I view Duck energy as somewhat akin to the Law of Attraction, in that they offer Us glimpses of the signs and syncronicities that bring together like-minded folks, a la “birds of a feather flock together”.

Given the Spirit of the season, I’ve been enjoying spending time with my webbed foot comrades in the elements.  I’ve swum alongside them, watched them walking along land and soaring through the air.  In paying attention to Duck’s capacity to move freely and effectively between these realms, I remember the ongoing process and importance of striking a balance and adapting to life’s changes in my daily walk.  Although this way of living can be “continuous and sometimes tenuous”, taking flight in this light is the “only path I know worth pursuing”.  If We allow for it, Duck can help us sort through the muckidy muck and more gently propel Us through the challenging emotions that accompany the surface.  In this way, Duck may guide Us as We venture into the depths of Our Inner Peace, Inner Voice and Deepest Feelings.

Speaking of balance, I would like to share a powerful Chakra balancing meditation that I learned from Wisdom of the Shamans at the Four Winds Society in the Andes.  In the Spirit of “we are the one’s we’ve been waiting for”, I have noticed the positive cumulative effect of doing this mediation as part of my daily “puree” and inner/outer reflection.  It’s a great way to start and/or end the day and you can do it pretty much anywhere . . . out in Nature is amazing and before bed makes for a relaxing way to retire.  Chakras are spinning discs that are part of our energetic bodies.  Ideally, this is where we want to address our health, starting at the energetic level.  First, relax, focus on your breath and put your hands in the prayer position and open them up like a peacock to open up Sacred Space.  Next, visualize your luminous energy field (a white mist around your spirit body in front of you).  Next, visualize your spherical Root Chakra that is Red in color and is located around the base of your spine.  Take your right hand, placing it in that area, in front of your body and slowly spin your hand around in a counter-clockwise direction 10 times to unwind your Chakra.  Release any unwanted energy to Mother Earth to be cleansed and composted.  Then spin your Chakra 10 times in a clockwise direction to re-balance it.  During this process, just watch and notice whatever comes up for you and gently let it pass without judging and/or labeling it.  Continue along in this way with the rest of your Chakras . . . your Sacral Orange is about 2 1/2 inches below your belly button, Personal Will/Self Esteem(Yellow) is at the base of your breastbone, Heart Chakra (Green) is in the middle of your chest area, Throat Chakra (light blue), Third Eye (Indigo) in the middle of your forehead just above your eyebrows and finally Crown Chakra (Violet) at the top of your head.

After You have had some time to get comfortable with the above Chakra meditation, please consider trying the next two more advanced forms.  First, visualize a Golden spinning disk like halo (like you’ve seen in renaissance art, perhaps) a couple of feet above your Crown Chakra.  This is the eighth Chakra.  Finally, the Ninth Chakra, the realm of Spirit is everywhere, but I like to think of it as “the Spirit in the Sky” where We become One with Everything.  I perceive my Eighth Chakra taking off like a disc shaped spacecraft and flying to and merging with the Ninth Chakra, Great Spirit.  Has anyone out there seen the movie Powder?  I like to picture the final scene in the film when Powder’s energy breaks out everywhere to conclude this meditation.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Although I enjoy carving out my solitude in the woods, the reality is  We are never really alone and having someone else to play with is always a great way to enjoy Nature.  In the Spirit of that, a surrogate brother friend and I went on a day hike recently in the White Mountains.  I just love getting out in the woods and going on a hiking adventure every now and again.  It’s such an amazing experience being with Nature and in the Elements.  Speaking of elements, being close to the Earth is a great way to stay grounded and Water is a wonderful way to dream and expand one’s consciousness.  We saw some toads, enjoyed clusters of butterflies keeping it joyful and light and witnessed a powerful life’s metaphor unravel before our eyes involving a leaf float about in the stream along the trail.  Of course, getting to the top of any Mountain is always a peak experience, though I remember the wisdom “it’s the journey, not the destination.” 

I remember that leaf floating about and circling a natural pool area in the stream.  It was as if the leaf was speaking to us about life coming full circle–with ebbs and flows and ultimately letting go and flowing with the current gently down the stream.  Although my surrogate brother friend and I both have a bit of the Howard Cosell energy given our propensity for commentary, we enjoyed telepathic moments with our little green friend’s teachings during the non-speak time as well.  Moreover, a cave across the stream caught our attention, somewhat akin to venturing down into the Underworld vis a vis a Shamanic journey process, if you will.  As clear as a Dark Crystal, We were co-existing in a non-local, alternate Dreamtime reality during our leaf in water encounter.  If One is patient and remembers trust, a callback responds to a cry out into the Great Void.

I remember what correlated nicely with the above story was that I had just come out of a  brief  “rainbow meditation”, only moments before the leaf encounter.  I do this meditation daily, usually after I balance my Chakras, but I’ll save that for another entry.  I find the rainbow meditation boosts my Auric energy field and otherwise brightens up my Air by adding color to it.  I make a circle with my middle finger and thumb with both hands and then link the circles together so that the circles form a figure 8, the sign of Infinity.  Then I start with the color red, breathe it in and visualize myself basking in a red ray of a rainbow.  Following that, I proceed along in the same fashion, with orange, yellow, blue, indigo, violet and gold.  At the end, I imagine myself basking in a rainbow blanket and typically get all warm on the inside.  This is a convenient mediation that can be done virtually anywhere, whether standing or sitting still, eyes open or shut without anyone else necessarily being wise to it.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari