Spring forth the Equinox: A New Generation of Growth

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“We are called to assist the Earth to heal Her wounds and in the process heal Our own–indeed to embrace the whole Creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder.”–Wangari Maathai

I remember when Our ancient ancestral wisdom spoke of 2012, give or take–albeit in the grand Cosmic scheme of things in this “world of 10, 000 things” right Tao is but a speck and yet paradoxically eternal.  However, here on Mothership Earth, We are in an exciting time of transition in Our classroom.  Yes, We are coming out of the birth canal and experiencing the labor pains that accompany this transition.  I have heard it said that a mass exodus of souls and energies are flooding our planet right now to facilitate and co-create Our transition into a New Age and Paradigm.  We are leaving behind an era of gurus and Messiah’s and moving into a time of individual authenticity and global community, a la diversity within Unity.  Indeed, We are letting go to our addiction to the destruction of  Our Mother, fundamentalist allegiance to the Almighty Dollar and Orwellian control by the “minority of the opulent”, or “the powers that were”.  My spirited dance and plea to the top dawg 1% is quite lightheartedly detached and simple vis-a-vis the lyrics, “there’s enough and We can all win”.

Collectively, humanity stands at the doorstep of a New Age and Paradigm.  If We are to survive as a species here on Our Mothership Earth, the time is now to co-create a new generation by evolving into Our Luminosity.  Really, I get a buzz (without a stinging hangover) and internally lit up merely imagining the possibilities of manifesting Our human potential.  Wood You Bee Leave that we already have the essential ingredients encoded within Us–whether sweet nectar, life enhancing chlorophyll and the capacity to effectively cut back to Inner Peace?  I can hear the Master Yoda in me asserting, “for my ally is the Force (Chi) 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 saying “peace out” to Winter and “what up, G” to Spring, We compassionately heed Mother Nature’s soothing reminder that Her seeds underground are excitedly thinking about budding and blossoming a New Generation of Life.  I can hear Robin singing gleefully to the melodious tune of adventurous New Growth, blazing new trails as “the early bird gets the worm.”  During Our cross-pollination and subsequent flowering of human consciousness process, might We allow Our Selves to become the silver lining and make only positive interpretations of Our prophecies that say the Critical Mass will come about and allow Us to stay afloat in Our expanding Sea of Consciousness?  Aye, “this is the time of solar balance.  The Sun and the Earth are in perfect alignment.  Days and nights are the same length.  This represents Our receptive and Our active aspects being in balance, male and female.  Mother Earth’s energies in Us are awakened by the Father Sun energies being in balance.  This is a time of renewing and rebirth.  We have resurrection of Our own Spirit and Our growth, which has come through the Winter.  It’s a time when the trees begin to bud out and show the growth and the promise for the New Year.”  While meandering O’er mountains and streams and dancing to the heartbeat of the forests, the Rabbit energy in me says, “lettuce take joyful comfort in being part of Nature, while staying connected to Her as a carrot of trust, so that We May take the Quantum leap forward.”  Given that the Law of Impermanence reminds Us of Life’s transience and the sobering reality that there are no guarantees, why not seek solace in staying on the hop while noticing continuity within change and the cyclical Nature of the Cosmic Wheel?

As Spring approaches, I awaken my budding words of Love, Light and Laughter in this changing world with recognition that the Sun, Moon and Earth naturally look after One another just because it is Nature’s Way, while in perfect alignment together as One. Further, I am trying to express my own New Generation of growth to reflect the ancient spiritual wisdom “so within as without, as above so below”, if you Will.  In the spirit of that, I would like to share with You a prayer I say bright and Squirrely every morning during my meditation puree:  “We call on God directly, Archangels, Higher Angelic Beings of Light, Ascended Masters, Illuminated Ones, Gatekeepers of the Akashic Records, Spirit Guides and Animal Totems, Mother Gaia, Ancestors whom have passed on and all those who walk in alignment with Divine Will, Divine Plan and the Blueprint of Love.  We ask for your continued support and guidance in working through Our Inner Tapestry, allowing the light to illuminate the shadows so within, as without, as above, so below.  And for all your help along the Way, We thank You . . . We thank You . . . We thank You.”

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Skunk Sprays playful aromatic reminders as we Spring Ahead

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I remember my wife and I engaging in a meaningful conversation recently regarding the balancing act of maintaining authenticity and being respectful and aware of others in social environments.  Perhaps not coincidentally, we traded stories about one another’s encounters with a skunk that lives around the way in our ‘hood.  Poignantly, I woke up with a heartfelt chuckle somewhere in time during the wee hours of the Full Moon cycle last week to the literal smell of a skunk residing in our neck of the woods.  Ah, “Skunk . . . tell me the story, so I will know it well, of how to attract, and how to repel.”

In a natural sense, Skunks are a good reminder for Us to carry a playful and nonchalant air about Our Selves.  Moreover, their medicine helps Us balance being True to Our Selves with behaving respectfully within the diversity of Our social environment.  My encounter with Skunk is a pungent reminder that We are rapidly approaching the Spring Equinox on March 20, 2012, here on Mothership Earth.  During this budding time of year, We Spring forward, “just around the corner to the Light of Day”, as Light and Dark (Yin/Yang, Masculine/Feminine) energies dance equally, if only momentarily.  Although the Spring Equinox is somewhat akin to the Fall Equinox’s energetic alignment–a subtle and yet fragrant scent in the air reminds Us that We are leaving behind Our yinward focus and becoming more outward in Our growth.  In this process, awareness May Spring up from the Underground that stinks to the degree that it May smell like You have been sprayed by a Skunk.  For example, in Our dying Puritanical cultural story in the USA, We have been well-trained to repress and suppress Our True Selves.  Isn’t it obvious to Us that master illusionist behind the Corporate Media’s curtain make a killing by constantly bombarding Us with propaganda?  Do You agree with the voice that says We should augment Our Selves by buying into the cosmetic belief that says We should buy capital that will somehow make Us more complete than We already are naturally?  Skunk is here to remind Us that We need to remember the deep place of self-esteem that says to the Self, “I’m OK and I May stand firmly rooted like a Wise Old Tree in my own personal authority.”  Do You need to fortify your defenses and protect Yourself, so that You can’t be easily intimidated, seduced and/or controlled by others by auctioning off Your power?

Additionally, Skunk medicine’s year-round power cycle potentially helps Us become more aware of Our body language and the signals We give off toward One another.  Specifically, Skunk asks Us to pay attention to respecting Our boundaries of Self and One another.  For example, Native American wisdom reminds Us that, “it can be dangerous to leak sexual energy if you are not looking for a mate.  It puts you in a games condition that may feed your ego, but is not truly how others may feel about you.  Are you in a sense saying, ‘I’m available?’  This can cause hard feelings and issues when it all comes out.  It also leaks out energy that you could have used in a more constructive way for yourself.”  Moreover, We May learn from Skunk’s mystical and magical associations to gain attention without being arrogant and/or irritating–an especially challenging and hard lesson for Yours truly!  Skunk gently encourages Us to get to know Ourselves truly on a deeper soul level.  One way We evoke the process of getting to, “know Thyself”, is through experimenting with Aromatherapy.  The scent of Aromatherapy May assist Us in increasing Our sensuality, vis-a-vis physically, sexually, psychically and spiritually–if only We allow Ourselves to take the time to breathe it in as we Spring forward!

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Kissed by a Dolphin

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Has anyone out there ever been kissed by a Dolphin?  Although I have not been blessed with a physical smooch, I have repeatedly experienced sacred encounters while swimming along side porpoises in the Gulf of Mexico.  One time, I swear I received an unexpected surprise that felt like a telepathic, heartfelt kiss by a porpoise swimming only feet away from me!  Ah, “Dolphin . . . Breath of the Divine, Manna of the Universe, in Oneness We entwine.”  Perhaps it has been awhile since a Dolphin encounter as provocative as the former for yours truly, but I am inspired by Lao Tzu’s energy in me to get out after it as I heed his lyrics, “Nature is the best physician.”  In this “world of 10, 000 things” and bling, bling, why not tap into Dolphin medicine’s free-flowing Spring.  In my internal martial arts studies, I remember noticing that in the process of getting “it”, “it always comes back to the breath”.  And it Sounds True that if We want to really live, then We must remember to breathe!  Why not become aware of Your own breathing, as it transmutes an unconscious experience with Life to a conscious One.  “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”–Alice Walker

Further, if We allow Dolphin’s energy to swim into the waters of Our Consciousness, We say yes to Dolphin’s year-round teachings to discover hidden caverns and underwater cities within the depths of Our souls that exist in the Dreamtime.  Has anyone out there seen the Australian film, ‘The Last Wave’?  I think the film is a flowing stream of consciousness reminding Us to remember how to dream–something We have largely forgotten in Our modern, Western world.  Even though I am still dreaming of a free for service economy, I can hear ‘Men at Work’ singing an old Aboriginal folk spiritual . . . “Do you come from a Land Down Under?  Where women glow and men plunder.  Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?  You better run, you better take cover.” Many of Us have gotten lost in a sea of conceptual, mental concepts and the robotic doings of Our daily responsibilities and distractions.  But Dolphin is here to remind Us to draw a bridge between Our material realm and the Dreamtime, by putting Us “on notice to be mindful of Your body rhythms and patterns of energy being fed to You from the Creator.”  I choose to drink in from a hopeful Spring that asserts that there is so much help available to Us from the Spirit realm, if only We clearly ask for It and allow for It, come what May.  I think the Boss energy in me is right when he sings, “it takes a leap of faith”, when We make the conscious choice to surrender to the Will of the Universe.  Easier said than done!  Do You need to pay more attention to learn something new, to your intellectual development, communicate more effectively to others and/or enjoy Life more by becoming more playful?  Dolphin energy can help You in this area. 

If We swim with Dolphin in the oceans of Life, We invoke Its medicine of knowing Our primordial history and remembering the power of breath and sound.  I know the experience of being highly sensitive to the vibrations of others, as I feel them reverberating within my soul very organically and naturally.  However, even those of Us whom are oblivious Our deeper Selves and/or less aware of the energies of others, We all stand to benefit from learning how to incorporate conscious breathing and sound into Our daily transactions.  How many panic attacks could be derailed by simply taking in a deep breath through the nose and slowly exhaling through somewhat closed, pursed lips and repeating this process three times?  Picture calming, relaxing thoughts, perhaps a waterfall and say positive self-talk statements, such as “I am relaxed”.  After this brief walking meditation, see how you feel and repeat as necessary.  However, if You begin to feel dizzy, please sit down and rest for a spell.  After all, Water symbolizes creation, passion, sexuality, new dimensions, forces and is the Element of all Life.  Remembering how to breathe consciously empowers Us to heal Our Selves in mind-body-spirit within the unchartered waters of Your True Self.  In the spirit of that, I strongly encourage You to meditate on Dolphin and consciously connect the dots of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  Consider getting outside for some fresh air, play, explore and remember to breathe!  Sea beyond Your small pod, toward Our greater Global community.  And please be mindful of the hungry energies of the Full Moon on March 8th and the waning digestion process thereafter.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

While Watching Whales Dive into the Ocean’s Abyss, I Sea Water

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I remember when I moved from somewhere in Middle America to New England, shortly thereafter, our sixth-grade class ventured out to Plymouth Plantation, then onward for a whale watching voyage to Cape Cod.  Today, pushing 40 years young, I can still sea the Humpback whales clearly docking in to say hello, adjacent to the gas guzzling ferry-boat.  Given Whale’s capacity to hold their breath, I am inspired by Its medicine to pay more attention to my breathing patterns by integrating conscious breathing into my daily walk.  In fact, the Whale energy in me seas that by simply taking the plunge into three conscious breaths, noticing my Life Force within my inner ocean, and then spraying out my Nervous Woodland Creature energy (or anxiety)–literally calms my Chi. “Whale . . . Of mighty Oceans, You have seen it all. Secrets of the ages are heard within your call. Teach me how to hear your words, and how to understand, the very roots of history, of when Our world began.”

Given that Whale medicine’s power cycles all year-long, You are afforded a tab-free opportunity to tap into its free-flowing spigot anytime. If I am allowed permission to invoke the Art of Persuasion, perhaps You will find a sea saltwater/epsom salt bath an indulging conduit to access the Whale rider in You (and/or maybe shapeshift into a Whale while swimming in a pool). Do You remember Our connection to Our primordial past? Myths and legends assert stories that Whale carries the Consciousness of Our planet’s history and origins of humanity. Moreover, as We transition into a New Age and Paradigm, I find that it behooves Us to be mindful of Whale’s lessons on integrating Oneness and Unity Consciousness as We build a New Earth together. Further, We are encouraged through Whale energy to respect and honor Our differences to stay afloat and anchor Our survival here on Mothership Earth, as She hoists Her sails to the Promised Land. I wonder if the Boss was reading Moby Dick when he once carried that novel tune in his back pocket? Well, I don’t know about that, though in finding my own voice, I wanted to share some lyrics that arrived from the depths of my soul that reverberate in the surround sound of my presence to Our Collective Soul: From the Harmonic Convergence, to the Ninth Cosmic Wave . . . To transcending the Karmic Groundhog days, the story’s no longer the same . . . Crystalline Grids are rising in dying Pisces centuries, as We birth into a New World of Aquarian Unity . . . In Yourtown, in Yourtown . . . My Sweet Eartha I’m sinking down, here Buddha in Yourtown. 

Beyond the robotic doings of Life and while exploring the hidden aspects of the Self, as living authentically does– Whale energy connects Us to sound and frequency. One effective strategy to dive into this process is through drumming and/or Shamanic journeying.  In a relaxed sacred space, simply ask Whale what It has to teach You, while keeping a consistent rhythmic drum beat, allow whatever messages to Spring forth in Your consciousness and then let go and let God. Whatever you receive in the 10-15 minutes, give or take, please thank Your Whale spirit helper and remember a callback. A callback is a beat, mantra and/or word that brings You back to the material realm. For example, I like to hit the drum 8 times for three sets, then seven times for three sets, then three times for three sets. But you can invent your own callback. The idea is to explore and retrieve information from the alternate realm of the Dreamtime, as the Aboriginal Australians spoke of, or the Spirit realm if You Will. But for God’s sake, don’t get stuck on trying to figure it all out with Your intellect, as it will drive You nuts!  Whale reminds Us, through drumming perhaps, to connect with the heartbeat of the Universe and allows Us to accept heartfelt connections with One another–without drowning out Our own boundaries, personal authority and/or integrity.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

When I Gaze on the Ocean, I Sea Gulls

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I remember looking O’er the mighty Atlantic one blustery day recently–feeling inebriated as my gaze was alive with Chi, while drinking in the sea. I so appreciate Nature and still carry a particular affinity for Sea Gulls and large bodies of water–a place where I sink down into my Element (without drowning). Ah, Sea Gulls . . . their medicine invokes within Us powers of perception and the subtleties of communication. Has anyone out there ever seen these Herrings in their natural habitat? When close to home, Our winged friends behave very differently than while co-existing with humans on the beaten path of  our tourist spots–where they like to feather our ripple by stealing our junk food, but for God’s sake hopefully not any Alkaseltzer tablets.

I Sea Gulls as good role models in teaching Us to pay attention to the nuances of non-verbal and alternate forms of communication, such as telepathy, noticing body language and effectively “reading” One another. Shoreover, I mean moreover, their medicine is helpful in being more present in our relationships during Life’s daily transactions. Yes, it is sometimes challenging when picking up on alternate forms of communication, non-local reality and realms that are fantastic when juxtaposed with this “world of 10, 000 things”–vis-a-vis signals that might be unconscious and/or flying below the “normal” radar screen of reality. Further, the social science geek energy in me remembers that approximately 85% of human communication is non-verbal. Perhaps even more unspoken truths remain silent and undocumented. Shorelines are magical and mysterious places, where land and water converge into harmonious ring-tone of Unity Consciousness. In fact, the following lyrics soared from the Heavens recently that I feel inspired to share with You: Well my grampy’s off The Waterfront, Now he come to join Occupy Wall Street . . . This yard’s filled with rusty lobster traps . . . He said, the Man did what fisherman couldn’t do . . . These seas are filled with mermaids and sprites that swim these ocean floors . . . . We sent our daughters to department stores, now we’re wonderin’ what they were buyin’ for.  In Yourtown . . . In Yourtown . . . My sweet Eartha I’m sinkin’ down, here Buddha in Yourtown.

In the deep waters of spiritual wisdom, I sea that personal empowerment involves washing away the tentacles of the ego in this Living Multidimensional Classroom, here on Mothership Earth.  As We transition into a New Age and Paradigm, living authentically means learning how to ingest a proper Life diet that includes effective communication and respectful behavior within Our shared social environment.  In the spirit of that, being a clear vessel will help One stay afloat to the Self first and respectful in relationship second. This process of internal alchemy facilitates co-creation and win-win solutions for all of Us to share. Who knows, maybe Herring will allow for You to see beyond the smokescreen and be informed by the color red in a more fair and balanced way?  In my spirited dance, I feel compelled to assert that if I were in a position to push large red buttons, I’d rather sea beneath the surface of my anger and remember to cut back to Inner Peace . . . while leaving the planet green for all of Us to share!

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Sleeping With The Bear In Me

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I remember being in northwestern Michigan last summer and spending time at the Sleeping Bear Dune, the world’s largest Dune, overlooking Great Lake Michigan.  Where else on Mothership Earth does One watch a sunset in the West from a peninsula where You can’t see the shores of the Other Side?  Michigan, like Maine, is known for its Black Bear, while Alaska is known for its Brown and Polar–all places I’ve been blessed to live.  As We Spring Forth The Equinox and look forward to come what May, Bear symbolizes to Us the awakening of the power of the Unconscious and sends a telepathic message that says, “Bear . . . Invite me into the Cave where Silence surrounds the answers You gave.”

Shamans of the Americas have prophesied that those of Us in the West will facilitate the transition into a New Age and Paradigm, as We co-create A New Earth and cross-pollinate the Flowering of Human Consciousness.  In giving birth to the Cubs of the Dreamtime into this “world of 10, 000 things”, a New World will come about largely through Bear medicine’s meditations on introspection and heeding One’s Inner Voice, the Sound of Silence and Unity Consciousness.  As We shift gears and stick in alignment, puns intended, with Eternal Mother and allow Our Selves to receive “from the placenta of The Great Void”, We will experience a Harmonic Convergence  to the tune of D Sharp.  In the spirit of that, We will find solutions to Life’s infinite questions and trust the answers are within Us, as the sunlight illuminates the shadows of Our Collective Soul.  Further, We Venture onward, one step, one breath, one moment at a time as We awaken from Our slumber in Plato’s Cave, letting go of ego and moving into the realm of Our right brain and intuitive, imaginative, alternate realities and knowing.  While keeping Our Third Eyes open and Our gaze alive with Chi, We will walk consciously while keeping “one foot in spirit and one foot in ground”, as Native American wisdom says.  Like Wolf, Our treatment of Bear will mirror the plight of how We treat Our human family.  Will humanity allow Itself to peacefully evolve into Homo Luminosity as We transition into Aquarian Unity?

Bear like me, are omnivorous with a hearty appetite and eat almost anything.  But mostly, the death of their food source’s consciousness comes from plants, fruits and meat to sustain Its Life Force.  I wonder if fruitarians, vegetarians and/or vegans would find it Foxy to hear that Bear eats less meat than many smaller carnivores?  In Our awakening, I wonder if doctors in the coming era of Energy Medicine will find Bear medicine helpful to those with kidney failure that are in need of kidney transplants?  From a metaphysical perspective, kidneys represent  discernment and discrimination and personal empowerment.  In this process, We learn how to keep Our own personal authority in governing One’s decisions, but without auctioning off Our power to others in a way that leads to underlying resentments that harm both the Goose and Gander.  Bears climb tree as well, which symbolize antennas to the Cosmos, linking Heaven and Earth.  When I climb trees, I always bark, I mean walk away with a New Vista.  As We come out of Winter’s hibernation, We bring Our contemplation from the depths of the Unconscious to see the Light of Day and taste the honey of Life.  I can hear the Dave Mathews Band in me chiming in, “celebrate We will, cuz Life is short but sweet for certain.”

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Dancing to the rhythmic drumbeat of Grouse

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I remember a Grouse milling about along a border area recently and it reminded me of a time when I saw one of its kind “shake, rattle and roll” by leading a group of bystanders away from its children, as it did a mystical figure 8 dance.  Can’t You hear Its rapturous lyrics, “Grouse . . . of the sacred spiral, leading Us on, to reach the everlasting heights, where We can live as One”?

During the waning of Groundhog Day and the Imbolc and the waxing on of the Moon . . . if We are paying attention to the subtleties of Mother Nature, then We are keenly aware that the seeds underground are starting to think about coming up.  Energetically, spring is beginning right now as winter is fading and light is returning.  May We find a bounce in Our giddy up as We Spring forth the Equinox on March 20th.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I noticed a Grouse at this time calling out to me, given that Grouse medicine’s Sacred Spiral symbolizes personal power.  I wonder if Tony Robbins tapped into his Grouse totem when he started his Personal Power! series?  Moreover, Grouse’s dancing evokes a sense of personal vision and enlightenment as We learn to walk the center of a circle in a figure 8, the sign of Infinity to induce a trance through dance in the drumbeat of Our Heart’s footsteps.  I can see Kevin Bacon’s character in Footloose tapping his feet to Mother Earth’s drumbeat, as he reads a passage from the Bible about the power of dance to commune with Great Spirit, though as I recall expressing it differently than I.  What’s that about Diversity within Unity?  As We shuffle onward, Grouse’s spiraling dancing has the potential to help Us take flight by linking masculine and feminine energies (yin and yang, light and dark) so within as without, as above, so below.  Further, Grouse medicine reveals the process of transcending Our humanity vis-a-vis accessing presence during the robotic doings of Our daily walk.  Merely a simple shift in awareness, in allowing Our Selves to be more present in a heartfelt space, We are afforded the opportunity to transmutes a rote doing experience into a Golden One, by shifting internally and aligning with Nature’s Pulse organically.

Here on Channel Tao, I might not be Dancing with the Stars.  But my way of “gittin’ jiggy with it” is to go out ‘neath a Starry Night, while taichi dancing around a figure eight, simultaneously playing with my new light saber.  I realize my way of dancing may be a bit unique, but perhaps Yours is too.  Though I’m not keeping score, I’m happy with an 8, while I’m wishing all of you a perfect 10!  Will Tom Brady stay calm in the pocket and allow his psychic abilities to be more tuned in as he reads complex defensive fronts and spirals away from Giants singing to the tune of, “fee fi foe fum . . . ?”  If You are watching the Big Game on Sunday, one concrete way to shift from a robotic experience to an Enlightening experience is to let go of outcome and just watch, without judgment and let whatever comes up for You to pass with care.  Who knows, by allowing the game to unfold as it Will, your experience with it might just be Super–and not intercepted by any unwelcome feelings that may arise.  Also, please consider indulging in the Full Moon on Tuesday, February 7 and digesting the energies It has to offer You this time around.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Journeying Underground with Groundhog

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I remember when my mom used to say to me, “how much wood would a Woodchuck chuck if a Woodchuck could chuck wood?”   And then we would both share a heartfelt chuckle.  Today, my own child laughs with me as I tell her that story about her “grandma Karen” that she’s never physically met.  Although it has been 17 years since my mom tragically suicided and accompanying deep wounds within following that, She has been lovingly re-visiting me lucidly in my Dreamtime, during the Deep Void of Winter, here in the Northern hemisphere on Mothership Gaia.  Perhaps as We digest Groundhog’s death without dying medicine, Our planet’s slowing Pisces heartbeat will breathe New Life into Our Hearts as We transition into a whole New World of Aquarian Unity Consciousness. 

Who knows, maybe the crystals next to my head in bed are helping me see more clearly these days . . . when I die tonight, I’ll eat A Slice of Heaven and digest it Mystically well . . . I pray to God (Universe) to bathe me in Light as I leave behind my human shell.  Although I don’t condone my mom’s Last Exit, Her spirit is inspiring me to internalize Groundhog’s mysteries of death without dying.  Has anyone out there ever seen the American film classic, “Groundhog Day”?  On the surface, it’s vintage Bill Murray and full of humor guaranteed to raise One’s serotonin.  However, in its depth, Murray’s character personifies a metaphor for Reincarnation and inspires Us to transcend Karma and egotism by coming full circle spiritually.  If We allow Our Selves to tap into Groundhog’s energy, We have the opportunity to Venture into the Unknown and consciously bring back sacred knowledge from the Dreamtime.  Paradoxically, when We effectively journey into the realm of the Great Unconscious, Groundhog medicine helps Us feel more alive, in that it won’t be the last time We commit suicide, from a Shamanic, death without dying perspective. 

Additionally, one way to explore a Shamanic journeying experience is to meditate on Groundhog this week.  If You are feeling particularly adventurous, perhaps consider pounding on a drum in Your sacred space, ask this Power Animal-Totem-Spirit Guide what It has to teach You, remember gratitude for It’s shared lessons while drumming and then practice letting go of whatever gifts You received during your journey.  Groundhog medicine has the potential to help Us with discernment and clarifying what boundaries are appropriate for Our Selves in relationship with others.  Now I realize that I am fun-gi (especially when eating organically grown mushrooms) and remember that being a clearer channel is connected to leading a cleaner lifestyle.  Moreover, I notice that I’m burning cleaner gas when I stay away from gluten and am feeling sublime when “40 ounces to freedom” while consuming four, 40’s of spring water per day (95 total ounces is probably a good hash mark for most of You).   It’s as if Groundhog’s mantra is to remember to stay grounded, while leaving your human shell behind . . . good “Chicken Soup for the Soul”, if you will. 

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Feeling a bit Loony, while On Golden Pond

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Has anyone out there seen the American film classic, “On Golden Pond”?  Every time I see a Loon swimming on a body of water, I can still hear the Ethel in me saying, “look at the Loons, Norman, do you see the Loons?”  And while staying afloat on the waters of life, I sea my consciousness naturally expanding organically.  Loons are like miniature submarines and have the capacity to dive deep and stay under water for five minutes.  I wonder if liberally funded scientists of the military-industrial complex were inspired by Loons when they designed their underwater vessels?  I know it’s a developmentally delayed perspective to design clandestine weapons of mass destruction, but that’s what happens when We “go skating on the thin ice of modern life”, as Roger Waters sang a Loony Toon when he flirted with the blurring line between genius and insanity. 

Ah, Loons–don’t they remind Us of Our human power to dream lucidly and re-awaken old hopes, wishes and dreams?  Can’t You hear the Beatles earworm singing, “living is easy with eyes closed”?  Moreover, I have heard it said that “comfort is joy”, but isn’t it also true that ignorance is bliss?  Meditation on Loon medicine reminds Us to pay attention to Our dreams, even those We may have cleverly hidden, suppressed and/or repressed in Our hearts,  “ghettos of the mind” and the “Darkness on the Edge of Town”.  It is real that Our collective Nervous Woodland Creature energy might like to avoid looking at “what lies beneath”, in much the same way a Rat avoids leaving the comforts of his woodpile.  However, if We allow Our True Selves to look beyond the veil with a cursory glance, We just might notice what otherwise is revealed to Us when We choose to take the plunge into the unchartered depths of the Soul.  In this process, We are afforded the opportunity to explore gateways into other dimensions that stoke the primal embers burning within, that are otherwise missed in the robotic doings of everyday responsibilities. 

As We effectively transition into a New Age and Paradigm, I take notes from Loon as We swim away from a dying Pisces Age into an Aquarian Age.  I’ve heard it said that “Aquarius is about rebellion against how one is supposed to be, and it is anti ego. Aquarius hates tyranny and appreciates equality and freedom. Aquarius walks the thin line between genius and crazy and loves to travel the network of mind and intellect.”  For those of Us that feel particularly loony in normally mundane social situations, I encourage You to marinate on and digest what Loon has to teach You when you incrementally expose Your Self to situations that You may have previously avoided out of anxiety.  If only We allow for it, Loon has the potential to help Us decrease anxiety and increase One’s level of comfort as We crawl out of Plato’s Cave toward the light that illuminates the shadows.  In the spirit of that, please enjoy the energies of the New Moon in Aquarius and the fiery breath of the Chinese New Year of the Dragon on January 23, 2012.  In keeping my ear to the ground, I hear rumblings that it’s a good time to stay on track and reflect on where We are on Life’s map.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

When Bugged by my Lady, I remember to hear the Beetles

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I remember hearing my wife calling out my name recently, excitedly telling me a story about a Ladybug presenting itself to her in just the right moment during her journey right Tao, here on Mothership Earth.  Moreover, my partner also shared that she was particularly bug-eyed after unearthing her newfound Lady friend, by unexpectedly hearing a Beetles earworm during the Darkness of Winter, here in Northern New England.

Among the Beetles that strike a chord within are Ladybugs, whom bugify the process of change by morphing from an egg to a grub and finally taking flight as a winged creature.  In the drumbeat of life, Ladybugs hit the symbols of transmutation, reincarnation and new life.  Isn’t it poignant that Groundhog Day is coming down the pike, just after the arrival of the Chinese New Year of the Dragon on January 23, 2012?  I get all fired up, starry-eyed and a Moon-glow just seeing it in my Third Eye!  Don’t Ladybugs and the rest of the Beetles remind Us of the ancient wisdom that asserts “as above, so below”, in that they became associated with the Sun’s movement across the sky, given their rolling from East to West.  “You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”  Perhaps Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tapped into his Ladybug totem when he practiced peaceful, non-violent acts of civil disobedience, while sowing the seeds of Love.  In his letting go of his attachment to his human shell, he understood that doing the right thing might be the death of him.

Further, isn’t it possible that Ladybugs are here in part to encourage Us to shapeshift Our human psyches to see Life in a different Light?  Aren’t Ladybug energies akin to Virgo energy, given their practical, nurturing, protective and family oriented tendencies?  When Ladybug lights your way, perhaps She’s bugging you to let go of the devilish pests of Yesterday and nudging You to unearth buried treasures, wishes, magic, spirituality and engage in soul-searching.   And nothing against the business of Bugbusters, but maybe an agreement with Ladybug and Beetle consciousness will reveal spiritual truths that have not yet become visible to your distorted human filter.  From this perspective, perhaps it’ll buy Us time, save Us money and reduce Our carbon footprint.  Like my Chinese acupuncture friend asserts, “in West, answer is to kill . . . don’t always have to kill everything.”  When I meditate on Ladybug, I resurrect Our Human Race’s plight by reminding myself to shuffle in the sink as I do my ‘Spirited Dance’ to the powers that were with their developmentally delayed ways–while carrying a genuine smile on my face and staying light on my feet!  And while Playing Guitar, I’ll fret not . . . as evidenced by this writing, I’m already tuned in–and Bugged!

I Hopi You are well,

Ari