Tag Archives: Age of Aquarius

Eclipsed by Butterfly & A Strawberry Full Moon

Posted on by under Podcast, Spirituality, Uncategorized

Another Sacred Geometrical Arcturian Positive Self Talk Mantra asserts that, “the energy of Transition radiates trust and prepares you for new times. Every challenge dissolves old ideas and simultaneously creates new possibilities.”

A Strawberry Full Moon yields a fruitful harvest for this sweet crop. Light peaks on the Summer Solstice. Summertime begins and our spirits want to flock together like birds of a feather. Float with Butterfly to lighten up your soul to the energy of joy while following your bliss. External outer-directed energies are in full swing now.

When you are faced with the challenge of changing the latitudes of your attitudes . . . Remember to float with the joy of Butterfly lighten-up the color of your soul. Where are you at right now in your growth? Are you a caterpillar inching along? Or are you a grub in hibernation — just waiting for something new to break out of yourself? Or are you ready to spread your new wings and fly into new places?

Artwork by Barbara Merlotti

A Strawberry Full Moon rises on Thursday, June 24, 2021, just after the Summer Solstice on Father’s Day on June 20th. Many of you already know that yang symbolizes masculine energy or sunlight. In the Northern hemisphere, these male energies reach their peak. And then after that, the light will slowly wane till yang and yin are in energetic equal alignment again on the Autumn equinox on September 22nd. In the Southern hemisphere, it is the opposite. On equinoxes, masculine and feminine energies flow together in egalitarian balance.

When the light rises, as amplified by the eclipses and Full Moons, spirited energies are more intense. There is nothing to get dramatic, abusive or hung up about. Old patterns and issues rise to the surface for us to revisit and examine so that we can release old toxins and shed old skins that hold us back so that we can transform, and manifest new ways of being. I am watching this play out in my own life, as I know many of you are seeing it play out in yours, the planet, and beyond.

Be kind to your mind by remembering that there is always some dark in the light, as well as some light in the dark. There is no perfect sign, color or utopian symbol. Energy is energy . . . It’s what we do with it that counts. As such, we might as well do whatever we can to stay in alignment with the forces of Nature and the universal pillars of Love and Truth. Remember that happiness as a way of life is not without the bitter taste of pain. The key dynamic is our approach to “digesting bitter.”

How many of you have been listening in on the popular chattering monkey minds of the adult world regarding the sense of entitlement of youth culture today? For example, even some younger millennial teachers I know talk about how kids today are different, while sometimes citing justifications for their positional judgements. Of course, there is truth in these observations because the one constant is change, and that we are kneeling at the bosom of a flowering New Earth. At the same time, the old world is wilting away and dying. But if we give deeper and higher contemplation toward the quote below by an old school hall of fame teacher, it would seem like he was speaking to the everyday gripes about today’s youth right Tao, and yet from back Zen:

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

― Socrates

Meditate on the ancient Chinese Taoist yin and yang symbol below:

Furthermore, when I think of the dying old world, with its savoir complex and forceful dog eat dog ways, I think about the Taoist meaning of “investing in loss”, by the late Chinese Tai Chi master, “Professor” Cheng Man-Ching, who brought Tai Chi to America from his native land, against the strict rules of his racial ancestral group. Can you imagine the culture shock he experienced when his new American students came to learn from him, who were predominantly white, hippie types with long hair and counterculture leanings? But the East and West came together in the spirit of co-regulation to learn about investing in loss as a way to neutralize a superior force through the practice of non-contention:

Now when I say, “Learn to invest in loss,” who is willing to do this? To invest in loss is to permit others to use force to attack while you don’t use even the slightest force to defend yourself. On the contrary, you lead an opponent’s force away so that it is useless. The hero’s journey starts with self-reinforcement, passes through acceptance and internal quietude, to arrive at listening, learning and perhaps, ultimately, transcendence. This is the common path of spirituality and martial arts. To win, one must first be sincerely willing to lose more than just their footing.

Sometimes, the Professor reportedly expounded on how women generally were more naturally gifted at the internal martial arts, push hands included. Because, as women, they tended to be more in touch with yin energy, which is the feminine. The internal martial arts emphasizes a gentle and soft approach to cultivating the power of Qi (energy) gradually, like water slowly gaining momentum. The dying patriarchy represents the sun setting on the old world, which is clearing space for the moon rising in the New Earth, where we are witnessing the return of the Sacred Feminine. The New Aquarian Age is about we consciousness, where the individual finds their way too, but not without a supporting balance between authentic personal growth and group identity.

During our everyday routine, we can step into the variety of roles that we play in life’s game with awareness and compassion, and then let go when our part is done. Learning how to be human is developing a relationship with our “non-self.” In this space, we are allowing ourselves to relax into a present moment awareness that reaches beyond the roles we play and identify with. In this relaxed state, may we notice a window opening up to freedom, joy and equanimity. If we can let go of a sense of expectation, clinging and grasping, perhaps we can see the river of emotions for what they are, and become more likely to go with the flow of life during its unfolding process. 

Meditate on the images and accompanying healing mantras below via Gene Ang

InterGalactic Red Frequency-used to activate, warm, and strengthen.

InterGalactic Orange Frequency-used to cleanse, clear, and release.

InterGalactic Yellow Frequency-used to mend and heal broken bones, ligaments, and tendons.  Also useful for mental processing.

InterGalactic Green Frequency-overall universal cleansing frequency.

InterGalactic Blue Frequency-cooling and soothing to inflammatory processes.

InterGalactic Indigo Frequency-unique spiritual vibration frequency

InterGalactic Violet Frequency-high vibration frequency used to raise the vibration of any healing process.

Notice how the colors in the above images correspond to the Chakras, as well as the colors of the rainbow, coupled with their accompanying meditations that we have discussed in earlier blog entries.

Specifically, from a Civil Rights calendar perspective, June is LGBTQ + Pride month. Another way to play with our sexual identity and sensual expression is to be mindful of the above rainbow of intergalactic colors and how they manifest in everyday wellness as a way of life. As you can see, each color represents a different vibrational frequency in spiritual healing. Entertaining a walking meditation of the applicability of these colors is another strategy for spiritual awakening in your daily life. This is an inside out approach to act out your sensuality in the form of a walking mindful meditation without necessarily doing anything outwardly different. We make a big deal about taking action in the West. Of course this is a good time of year for manifestation, and sometimes taking external action steps are a necessary part of personal growth and systemic change. But what we are focusing on here is an inside out approach by getting to know yourself on a deeper level as a formless, energetic being that wants to express itself through your outer form.

Finally, think about how gender fluidity connects to the above yin and yang symbol. Given that humans are part of Nature, we are reflections of that mirror. You can’t have Mother Earth without Father Sky. From this perspective, every man has a woman inside of him, just as every woman has a man inside of her. Moreover, every white person has a BIPOC inside of themselves, just as every LGBTQ has a straight person living within them. You might not believe in reincarnation, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a past life living within you that matters nonetheless. We are all connected and yet we are all unique. Diversity within Unity. Yes we should honor our differences and respect how we identify with them. Labels are an acknowledgment for what was once hidden within a jar. But the more open and transparent we become about our differences, the more we can let them go and just be with each other on a truly level playing field. It may sound out of this world, but given that we all have stardust in our DNA, we all have alien technology living within our humanity, if you’ll pardon the cosmological pun.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

Specifically, listen to how the ‘tuning up the organs’ meditation by Qigong Master Lee Holden below, harmonizes with the color frequencies above:

Check out my latest podcast series:

Transformation Within During The Process Of Letting Go Without Revisited – Classroom Mothership Earth

A Podcast Version Of An Article Written By The Author.
  1. Transformation Within During The Process Of Letting Go Without Revisited
  2. Overcoming Old Ghosts, Mindful Moments & Awakening To The Spirit Of Inner Peace
  3. Remembering Grandmother's Spirit
  4. Mirror Of The Mind Meditation
  5. A Gemini New Moon, Full Strawberry Supermoon & The Energetic Butterfly Effect

Multidimensional Mental Health, Wellness and Everyday Happiness as a Way of Life

Posted on by under Consciousness, Podcast, Spirituality, Uncategorized

Artwork by Barbara Merlotti

“This moving away from comfort and security, this stepping out into unknown, uncharted, and shaky – that’s called ‘liberation’.” Pema Chodron

What I love about the above quote by this wise, Western woman meditation teacher is that it captures the timeless, universal application of spiritual awakening, and follows a path of conscious evolutionary living. How timely this quote is in the here and now in this reform school known as Earth. We are now officially in the early stages of the New Age and Paradigm of Aquarius. Regardless of your orientation, it’s impossible now not to feel it on some level. Some more than others are really embracing it. Many are clinging to the old world, the old ways, and wishing “things would just go back to normal.” But what does normal really mean? The truth is, there’s no going back, as living life in the rearview mirror prevents you from living in the present moment. Life is transient and change is inevitable. Nature reveals the changing tides through the reflections of the seasons.

Consider how art imitates reality. Do you remember the classic old cartoon, Looney Tunes? As violent as this TV show was, it was easier for a parent to explain to their child that a cartoon character that was blown to smithereens, and then magically came back to life wasn’t real because it was just a cartoon. As such, it was easier for a child to make this connection. Besides, unlike today, the repeated exposure to shows like these was limited, even if an adult wasn’t around to set the limit or offer any supervisory guidance. But TV, movies and video games are so realistic nowadays, not to mention readily accessible at the convenience of your fingertips. Given the pandemic of “fake news” out there, you all know how challenging it is to discern between fact and fiction.  It’s a sign of the times that we all need to do the work to find our own pillars of truth (with love). Are you going to pay purposeful attention to your fears and negative self talk or are you going to be mindful of truth that is in alignment with love?

For assistance in making the quantum leap from old thought forms into new ones, consider meditating on the image and mantra below:

Image and mantra courtesy of Acurda

“Where biology has tuned its antenna, silica crystals, little dendrites, neural pathways and have been restructured in a way that the exact same seed creativity can now be expressed as light, compassion and love. By doing this you are not only changing all the structuring crystals in your pineal gland (Third Eye) and DNA but those of the collective consciousness of this planet. These high multidimensional thoughts create new crystals in the body, the biomineralization of a new human with simultaneously creating biomineralization harmonics to the planet reality.”

Accordingly, Sacred Geometrical Arcturian Positive Self Talk asserts that “The energy of contact allows you to feel that all doors to your inner source will open when you surrender and, like water, go with the flow. Let your strength lead you, and you will find your own way.”

For example, building an everyday positive self talk strategy is a good concrete replacement for negative self talk, like worry. When your worry is targeted toward someone you’re concerned about or even for the general plight of the planet, humanity or endangered species, simply call on these guides or allies in the spirit realm for help. Part of surrender, a leap of faith, and trust is to have an attitude of acceptance of physical and non-physical realities, and intuitively know they are interacting with one another.

Specifically, Arcturians, Archangels and Nature Spirits can all be seen as helping guides/spirits or allies in consciousness. From a shamanic perspective, this is a somewhat conservative, traditional, and foundational approach to spiritual evolutionary wellbeing because it’s been a time tested tradition for over 100,000 years and runnin’. Of course in conventional Establishment terms, this would be considered far out. But if you are open to it, all you have to do is be receptive to the benign, healing energies of the myriad of teachers in the spirit realm that are ready to assist you as needed. If you think of an invisible umbilical cord attached to your crown chakra that is connected to Father Sky, Heaven or the Cosmos, this can be an effective walking meditation to add to your multidimensional tool belt. Refer to the Chakra chart by scrolling further down in this blog entry for a pictorial context.

But what does it mean to be a multidimensional being? It just means that we recognize that there is a physical reality, as well as non-physical realities. The most simple way I can understand this is to picture a triangle consisting of a mind-body-spirit with a circle, or another triangle in the center that represents our soul. It appears to be a fact of life that the body eventually dies, and the mind eventually does too. But there is a growing body of metaphysical and scientific evidence that asserts that our spirits and souls live on. While we are living in this form, our soul can travel. For most of us, this experience happens when we are dreaming. For many, this understanding doesn’t happen until you are dying and getting ready to leave this Earth and return to Source. But it can also happen during various forms of visualization/meditation practices.

Image by Sherry Mosley

Here on the ground, and as a social worker in Public Schools, I get into more conversations with students (and adults) that are inspired to develop their spirituality, and are bringing up their queried stories to my attention on their own volition for further exploration. Indeed the veils between the physical realm and spirit realm are thinning more now than they have been historically. It can be challenging to discern what is spirit or what is physical, just like it is harder to differentiate between fantasy and reality these days, given the advancement in technology, and fluidity of personal boundaries in our connections with each other.

For example, one student I work with told me that she connects with her brother who lives in a faraway state through “astral projection”, and then asked me if I knew what that was. I reassured her that I did, and that some people are oriented in such a way that their soul can travel, but that all people can develop this skill through various forms of mediation. Of course we all do this when we dream. Another student told me that she has experiences where she sees and hears a beloved cat that died recently. Her animal dreams consist of a vibrant “animal heaven” state of consciousness with clouds, mountaintops, trees and rainbows. In dreams like these, the animal friends related that they had crossed over, and communicated that they are alive and well in an alternate reality where their spirits were living harmoniously. When students bring these issues up, we always process the mixed feelings that coexist, in the sense that there is enjoyment in reconnecting with a loved one that is physically gone, but that spiritual connections can be a bit spooky, uncomfortable or difficult to sort through. Part of our human experience includes sitting with the tension of opposites that naturally include entanglements with our attachments.

More importantly, people like me tend to find it helpful to have these experiences normalized. Moreover, folks typically feel empowered to learn about the common language that operationalizes their spiritual experiences, like clairsentience and clairaudience, or psychic abilities that perceive spirit. Part of developing good social skills is to know your audience, and recognize who is safe to share this information with, and who isn’t. Working on boundaries is part of learning how to be human, which of course is a life cycle process. It’s nice that kids can feel safe to talk with a trusted adult about such things. When we all get what we need from the ground up, we’re more likely to give that back from the top down. This is how we heal the illusion of polarity consciousness that we see playing out on the fields of life.

Additionally, many people that work in mental health are expanding their own perceptions of reality through their own personal growth. As helpers, it is dangerous to people when we don’t. While it’s easy to stay in our own boxes and hide behind their judgments, that leaves us susceptible to our own projections onto others, which can be damaging to relationships. Humans have been good at projecting our own experiences with reality onto others, while at the same time assuming that our projections are absolute gospel. While they might be true on some level, clinging to these prejudices are problematic because they block making fluid connections with each other, which is especially harmful when a helping professional does that. It is critical to “meet people where they are at.” Because we all have our humanity, that can be challenging for both support staff and teachers working in schools these days. But that is exactly what we are being asked to do. Meeting someone where they are at does not meant that we condone their unwanted behavior, like work avoidance, learned helplessness, victimhood, or not working to their full potential. It just means that you have empathy for what the person you are concerned about is capable of in this moment in time. And while your student or child might be being manipulative, they probably aren’t doing it on purpose or trying to ruin your day. But if they are, learning how to manipulate the environment is part of adolescent development. How many of us adults are still working out our own dharmic karma in this area?

Specifically, it’s like a kid who tries to come out to their caregiver that they identify as LGBTQ, and the adult responds in a way that is shaming, dismissive or generally non-supportive. Regardless of the age, if this is how the person sees themselves, it is hard to go wrong with a position of empathy and curiosity. For example, the parent could say, “wow, I can see this took a lot of courage for you to share this information with me. How do you feel about that?” Sadly but understandably, many adults struggle, hide behind their judgments, and then might proceed to project their own beliefs onto the child. While some parents wax on about a pro-LGBTQ identity, others do the opposite by citing religious convictions, and perhaps sending their child to a “conversion therapy”, which is thankfully illegal in Maine. The point is, try to be present with your child and keep a healthy conversation alive. Do you value raising a good whole person or a sexual identity that conforms to your expectations based on your own conditioning? Do you value allowing your child to be who they are or who you want them to be? Mixed messages, while a fact of life, are challenging to discern and navigate through.

Check out this short youth empowerment/Civil Rights oriented film about celebrating a Pride event in small town Nova Scotia:

Inspired by May being “Mental Health Month”, I remember a really good psychiatrist coworker who once pointed out in a mental health training that people affected by schizophrenia see things that “normal” people don’t. But it only becomes a problem when it drives the person crazy in a way that is characterized as “ego dystonic.” There’s an old saying that you have to get sick of being sick before you can heal and know liberation. Mother told me about experiences with depression that were so severe she encountered psychotic episodes. I believe Mother suicided to avoid going down that dark rabbit hole again, instead of confronting her inner demons that haunted her. Had she built up more resilience, I feel that she could have stayed alive longer without torturing herself. Mother is now part of my ‘spiritual light team’, and I can access her spirit whenever I ask for Her support.

Given the above nuance, what is really often going on here is that the concerned adult doesn’t like the mirror being held up in their face, and that can be a tough cracker to look at. That’s what happened in the early 60s, when many people were having spiritual awakenings, like Harvard Psychology Professors Timothy Leary and Ram Dass, before he was Ram Dass. To their credit, academics like them were trying to go beyond rat psychology, and understand consciousness. In this process of discovery, they humbly realized that they were out of the woods in their understanding about the nature of reality. Many people took LCD and other psychoactive drugs to expand their minds, and were thought to have lost their minds (of course plenty did). But they were having spiritual awakenings by opening up their ‘doors of perception’. People started waking up to portals into a multidimensional reality beyond a conventional worldview. Like author Joseph Campbell accurately understood, the difference between the mystic and the psychological crackup is that the mystic swims in the waters the crackup drowns in. It’s all about context, and how expansive your worldview is with the ability to pull back and stay grounded in this reality.

“Photo sensitive Transmissions from the New Earth” by Acurda

Furthermore, the mindful moment referenced above is an empowering strategy to feel connected in the present moment, and a simple way to co-create Heaven on Earth one step and one breath at a time. All you are really doing, or being rather, is keeping your power rather than giving it away to some external force. You have superpowers, but without the need to be identified with a superhero or savior complex. We are living in an age where we need to let go of our need to swoop in to rescue and save others. Everyone has equal access to their ‘spiritual light team’ if they so choose. That being said, it does take both the intention, and a commitment to it. The more you play around with your daily practice, the more your daily practice plays around with you. Funny the way that can turn into another form of mindfulness in your everyday doings. All you have to do is look at these beings as teachers in the spirit realm, by seeing them as silent mentors that we can link up with, like “in a zoom conversation.” And if you are feeling unsure, all you have to do is ask, “are you my teacher.” It’s your call who you let in, and you will know by how you feel.

The easiest way to open the doors to this perceptual experience is through your “third eye”, as indicated on the Chakra chart below. As you can see, this Chakra is typically associated with a dark blue or indigo color. This is the realm of intuition, forethought, and visualization. There are many ways to develop this Chakra. One simple strategy is to rub this area with your fingers side to side or in a circular motion. Or you can mindfully eat (ideally healthy) foods of this color, while chewing on how you are feeding your energy, if you’ll pardon the pun. For example, next time you eat a banana, think about nourishing your solar plexus chakra and grounding your self esteem. Also, you can also relax your gaze by slightly blurring your vision without crossing your eyes, as a way to play with your perception. These can be fun, yet practical ways to integrate what I like to call a walking meditation in your everyday doings. Besides, it’s harder to react to someone else’s facial expressions when you relax your gaze in this way.

Daily Chakra Meditation Audio Resource:

Finally, when we talk about Diversity within Unity, the Unity piece involves acknowledging our universal connection to one another, which allows us to feel less alone in the world. Nobody likes feeling lonely, not even hermits. Besides, as romantic as being a hermit might sound, they typically struggle with their own insecurities like the rest of us, and probably just have a harder time learning how to be human than your average bear. The Diversity piece honors our different expressions in form, as well as the unique blueprint of our souls. A shy person should not be seen as lesser than a social butterfly or vice versa. Besides, we all have both of these personality characteristics within our being. Some of the most family oriented, conscientious, kind and caring people I know aren’t necessarily the warm and fuzzy types, and can even come across as curt and rude towards others. We all have our unique blueprints and personality characteristics. Just imagine how boring our world would be if we were all nanotechnological, programmed cyborgs going  around in a singular, monochromatic lockstep with each other, like in the film The Stepford Wives.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

Transformation Within During The Process Of Letting Go Without Revisited – Classroom Mothership Earth

A Podcast Version Of An Article Written By The Author.
  1. Transformation Within During The Process Of Letting Go Without Revisited
  2. Overcoming Old Ghosts, Mindful Moments & Awakening To The Spirit Of Inner Peace
  3. Remembering Grandmother's Spirit
  4. Mirror Of The Mind Meditation
  5. A Gemini New Moon, Full Strawberry Supermoon & The Energetic Butterfly Effect

Howling in the Dark Night on a Full Wolf Moon

Posted on by under Consciousness, Spirituality, Uncategorized

Images Created by Aunt Barbara Merlotti

Mountain Lion descends down the mountaintop this December.

Good thing for cats because they see effectively in the dark.

That’s true, even on the blackest of nights, on the Winter Solstice on December 21, and a Full Cold Moon on December 29.

This is the last Full Moon of 2020.

On the Winter Solstice, we start coaxing back the light, as it rises during our assent toward the Full Wolf Moon on January 28, 2021.

A long time ago, our ancentors heard wolves howling in the night louder than usual at this time of year, so they heeded their callback, and echoed their spirited wisdom.

A few days after that, it will be the Imbolc, aka the popular Groundhog Day in the USA.

Groundhogs remind us to meditate on death without dying, and the spiritual awakening that takes place when we look toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Imbolc marks an X on the hidden half way treasure point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.

And then the Chinese-Lunar New Year of the Ox begins on February 12.

Meditation on oxen, awakens group consciousness in the new Aquarian age, where we find new ways to work together, smarter over harder.

When I think about wolves, groundhogs, and oxen, I think about the dying old world tunneling and plowing itself further underground.

Black is the color of the heart of darkness, symbolic of the great void of priomordial creation.

It is through this venture into the darkness, that our souls travel through a magical mystery tour of unknowing that is really shaking up our collective consciousness right now.

The heart of Black Lives Matter is that enough is enough.

Reconcilliation is the rap of our heads and hearts.

How do we integrate our primal selves with our divine nature in judgement free zones?

Our egoic lower selves are good at directing judgements on ourselves or projecting them onto others, like when you carry an attitude about someone or something else.

Perhaps an old friend did something to cross your brow, that event or experience was taken personally, and now you’re holding a grudge.

This is part of a soul’s suffering, and draining energetically.

But it is healthier to relax those judgements, take back our projections, and view each other from the pearch of our Higher Self.

Call on Archangel Michael to slash away any attached strings that are pulling your soul from where it needs to go now to be free.

Some old tribal stories posited that humans are decendants of wolves.

And many of our anscestors believed we come from the Sky people.

These beings have also been called gods and goddesses, alien as that might sound.

Whatever the case, wolves are our friends, and copilots here on mothership earth.

Our days are getting lighter again, and light and dark energies will be in equal alignment on the Vernal Equinox on March 20.

I always meditate more clearly on gender equality, and general equinimity on the equinoxes.

The yin and the yang are in a perfect homeostasis with each other at this time.

If LGBTQ egalitarian rights aren’t front and center, they should be right now.

They reflect Nature’s coregulatory intercourse between masculine and feminine energies during these intersections.

It’s not a coincidence that the Earth’s crystalline grids are rising now, and that our multidimensional/planetary consciousness is going through a major shift.

Can you dig on the mulching, and unearthing composting process that is necessary for cross-pollination of a New Earth springing up, so that the fruits of our labor can sew the seeds of love across the planet?

We all have our individual strengths that want to come out into the sunlight, and support the power of group solidarity.

Someone else’s challenges can be supported by another person’s strength.

Boundaries are becoming less rigid and more fluid in this New Age.

People need to find new ways to communicate and work together.

It is more important than ever to honor our diverse expressions of Great Spirit.

But we need to remember our oneness, because in our uniqueness, we are all connected.

We are all both individual, and collective embodiments of Diversity within Unity.

Wolves are here to remind us that the new world we are cocreating is not about an either/or socialist/capitalist order.

Besides, try not to be jarred by labels. They’re just attachments that try to stick to you like glue.

If there is no jar, then there is no glue.

There are many tricksters out there. Don’t be fooled by them.

Coyote, a hybrid of Wolf, can help you balance your wisdom and folly by seeing through the trickery.

Wolf government is not a rigid paradigm, dictatorship or a fixed idea.

Rather it is a complex hybrid of democratic hierarchy, where the alpha and omega communicate with one another so that pathways are created to harmonize with the environment.

There is wise guidance in the eco-balanced consciousness of Wolf political action that is in alignment with universal/natural law.

Picture a Divine Government that embodies a level playing field where each one of us personifies the Golden Rule, and visualizes this in action seven generations ahead.

Till we tweet again peeps,

Ari

Venturing Down From The Mountaintop, And Into The Valley Ahead With Lion As A Spirit Guide

Posted on by under Consciousness, Uncategorized

Images Created by Aunt Barbara Merlotti

A Full Beaver Moon on November 30th reminds us to set traps before a long wintry freeze.

Beavers are doers, and they really know how to produce.

May this metaphor warm your soul, and rekindle an attitude of gratitude during the accompanying price tag of stress that the holidays typically bring.

Thanksgiving is also a good time to marinate on gratitude.

But cat consciousness reminds us that there is time for sitting with non-action, and just being curious with an empathic watchful eye is just as important.

After a long, and winding road, we make our way down the mountain by coming down into our souls, and gathering around with our peeps.

Haven’t we all had to come out of our own personal/collective bubbles during the last year especially?

Pretty sure for most of us, it has been uncomfortable at best to step out of our respective comfort zones, break out of our boxes, and find new strategies to replace old ways that no longer serve us.

What once worked, no longer does.

Doesn’t 2020 feel like the year the turtle flipped on the backside of its shell, and the world as we know it stood still?

While that is a naked feeling, there is great release in surrendering to the divine will of the Universe.

In this way, perhaps we are receiving an invitation to attract more energies of vulnerability into our lives that are seen as strengths.

This experience can be hard on the ego, but freeing to the soul.

Like it or not, the global pandemic gave humanity a swift kick that we needed to turn inward, and change the way we operate in our outer world.

I have an old teacher friend who used to follow the saying, “change is bad.”

But in his own transformative process, he has come to see the pandemic, while not the preferred outcome, as a catalyst in changing the way we do Public Education.

There are other teachers, and people who have come to see the virus in this light, even though they wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone.

Humanity has been forced to deal with an inconvient truth of examining our business as usual ways that have largely skimmed the surface, and gone underexamined in the collective dream that we have all cocreated together.

This has not relaxed people’s anxieties!

But with Mountain Lion as a spiritual guide, we can leap into a New Year with a renewed sense of curiosity, mystery, and magic.

After a long December, may we celebrate the darknest day of the year on the Winter Solstice on December 21.

After that, we begin to coax back the light, as our ancestors did many moons ago.

Many people do this by circling around fires, and express what they are feeling gratitude for, and what they want to let go of.

This form of communication can be a powerful way to release old energies that want to be released, and transformed.

In their wisdom, our lineage connections knew to look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Picture your spiritual DNA, and see its old traumatic tears healing themselves into a new figure 8 sign of infinity transformative wholeness.

From this perspective, we have the awareness that even in darkness, like the small circle of yang within the larger half circle of the yin, there is light.

Speaking of moons, a New Moon on the 14th, along with the signpost of the New Age of Aquarius marks the end of an old Pisces world fading further into our rearview mirrors.

And then at the end of the month, a Full Cold Moon on December 29th is the last Full Moon of 2020.

A New Earth is going through a rebirth.

But this transition is not without its labor pains.

Out of the ashes, the Phoenix Rises.

Relationships that become stagnant need to either transform or sometimes they need to end.

Open communication about these issues can help us work through these changes, hopefully with the grace of a swan.

But sometimes you just have to let nature take its course because mutual attraction cannot be forced.

People have a right to their reactions, including not being pleased with you for living your life in the way that you need to.

For those of you who have struggled with the disease to please, like me, this can be a tough pill to swallow. And the digestion process can be quite bitter.

It is also wise to remember that other people’s opinions are none of your business.

Looking ahead, the Chinese Year of the Ox arrives on February 12, 2021, shortly after the Imbloc or the modern American holiday known as Groundhog Day on February 2nd.

Of course, the Chinese Zodiac still follows the Lunar calendar, which is different from the Sun based Gregorian Calendar.

Sometimes, I wonder why we humans changed from a moon based calendar to a sun based calendar.

And then I remember that we are shifting from a dying sun based patriarchy to a budding new moon based sacred feminine age.

In the New Year, it would behoove us to acquire, and access oxen traits of humility, hard work, and emotional regulation.

Their energies also remind us of the good medicine for everybody to do their part, and that sometimes, it is better to stay in your lane.

In a nutshell, this wisdom can help us have good boundaries with self, and relationships.

Those insights can be particularly challenging for those of us that have strong oppositional streaks, like to march to the beat of our own drum, and have strong free spirited streaks like woodpeckers, and me.

But it can be freeing to accept that whatever “leash” you are dealing with in your life is really about making friends with that on the inside, than resisting whatever outer circumstances make you feel that way.

Even some of our friends that have done hard time in prison came to that spiritual awareness while they were behind bars.

But then again, part of why we incarnate into a mortal body is to know the experience of form, and to play with forms while we are here.

While this is a blessing, it often feels like a curse.

A soul can feel trapped.

Like stagnant water, blockages can lead to getting stuck.

We all get stuck.

“For inside the woods: the poet was renewed and anxiety- stepped aside.”

Here in America, we have elected a new President.

But about half the people voted to keep Trump in office.

For those of you who feel good about the change, and say good riddence to Trump, please remember how bad you felt when he was elected in the first place, and how much you hated that feeling.

Try to remember that’s how many people are feeling now, and see if you can find empathy for those souls who feel differently from you.

You can disagree with someone else’s politics or beliefs. But however radically different they are from your own, they are not to be taken personally.

We are all in this boat together.

We really need to appreciate our differences, and find civil ways to coexist peacefully.

Our survival depends on it.

Till we tweet again peeps,

Ari

On The Full Cold Moon & Winter Solstice, May We Remember The Souls That Have Passed On

Posted on by under Consciousness, Native American, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Dark days reach their pinnacle on the Winter Solstice this December.

Given that many souls historically leave
the planet around this time of year, it’s easy to become a sucker for the dirge.

It is important to grieve our losses.

But it is also important to be thankful for their lives, and then let them go
so that we can awaken to new relationships in spirit.

And it will be a New Year soon that brings tidings of new beginnings.

If 2020 doesn’t bring a heightened sense of new vision,
then it’s hard to see what year will.

May it be good intellectual property in the Chinese-Lunar New Year of the Rat.

Try to remember the spirit of the season, and the meaning behind the holidays.

Rampant consumerism makes it hard not to get deflated about the
peer pressure to run the hurry up offense, and mad push to shut up and shop.

Perhaps we may be inspired to come down into our souls,
like our ancestors traditionally did around this time.

But remember that in the tunnel of darkness, there is a flickering light.
And that light will get a little brighter every day after Winter begins.

Before you know it, it will be the Imbolc, which signals
the approximate halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.

Bears, Groundhogs, and Chipmunks are either asleep, are about to hibernate now.
But they will be waking up before too long.

They remind us not to resist turning inward to meditate, contemplate, and
rejuvinate our souls, while slowing down, and resting in our dens.

When I think about the death of Winter,
I remember my old football Coach Mac, who died recently.

He was a big man, with a heart of gold.

And he was even once crowned offensive MVP in the historic collegiate Peach Bowl.
That’s a rare occurance for a lineman, where the game is really won and lost.

Coach came into my life when I was a High School Senior,
and inspired us to live by the mantra, “count on me.”

I tried to remember that when I didn’t want to go to practice, had a bad day,
if my general spirits were in the pits, worrying about my depressed mom, or
everyday experiences with excruciating back pain at the time.

Little did I realize back zen, that embodiment of this mantra,
would become a lifeline later in life right tao.

This positive self talk strategy helped us get through a seemingly
impossible season where our players were dropping like flies.

Unfortunately, some teammates quit, got injured, or even kicked off the team.

I wasn’t the only player that didn’t come off the field
until halftime or the end of the game.

And what we lacked in numbers or size, we made up for by being slow.

But even in the curse, there were plentiful shared blessings on the field,
that have become even greater treasured lessons for life.

Like the way Mountain Lion licks its wounds, and jumps
back onto the path, after being knocked off its tracks.

When you get knocked down, you get back up, suck it up,
blow the blood and snot out of your nose, and go back to the huddle.

Sometimes, your soul leaves your body when you get the
wind knocked out of you, your ears are ringing, you
see “the flash”, and then its lights out.

Elbows, and hands inflate like balloons,
after getting hit so hard – it leaves you bruised and battered.

Days could go by before buises would come up.
By then, the scar tissue were like a new set of pads.

We learned about the difference between pain and injury.
And sometimes that’s a fine line when you can’t afford to be hurt.

Glory wasn’t something we experienced much in my High School
football days, as in we rode the wave of over a decade-long losing streak.

We were a trophy soccer town, without a youth league,
and barely enough players willing to sign up for a violent game,
for the privilege of playing on a team with a bad reputation.

You know how difficult it is to rise up out of the throes of hell,
when sleeping under the security blanket of apathy.

Riding the team bus to away games was like a riding in a herse
on your way to a funeral procession.

But when our new coach came to town,
he resurrected a new hope into our learned helplessness.

We started developing a scholarly attitude about football,
and reported on the legends of the game that had otherwise
been foreign to young players that only knew about the stars on TV.

Coach wanted us to learn how to become men,
instead of just acting like men.

He metaphorically referred to our girlfriends as “Mary Lou”,
and used to say, “you think you’re married, and you’re not.”

Coach emphasized being respectful as a way of life, encouraged
taking responsibility, and frowned upon making excuses, or blaming others.

And although he had his favorites,
he didn’t play favorites, nor did he do drama.

I try to be like him in that way, and I respect others like that too.

We were the Indians – named after a local tribed called Tunxis.

So when I remember the Indians, I think of Coach Mac.

He was a class act, and a good Chief to be touched by.

But he was a human being, and not without his faults.
People tend to forget that part of our humanity is our dark sides too.

I’ll be standing around a fire in a community of men
to celebrate, and honor this Winter Solstice.

We will focus on gratitude, and letting go.

Fire rituals can be good medicine for that.

Do whatever you can to get in touch with the natural spirit of
the season, and connect with your deeper soul purpose.

We are meant to align with the Universe,
rather than try to control or resist its power.

Till we tweet again peeps,

Ari

Hummingbird Flaps its Wings into the Nectars of Inner Peace

Posted on by under Consciousness, Native American, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Hummingbirds are good reminders that humming to ourselves
inspires a powerful potential to lighten-up our energy fields . . .

We all become guardians of the galaxy when we heed the
sweet surrendering sound of hummingbird’s call!

As Summer Solstice rapidly approaches,
growing energies of sunlight are intensifying

Revolutionary raised firsts to a power to the people mantra is bringing the noise

Judging yourself or someone else as a powerless victim of circumstance
feeds your enslavement by those in positions of power

We all have to do our part by awakening to our own personal power!

In this process, we move further along the co-creative trails
of inner peace and we consciousness . . .

Perhaps you feel stuck in the sinking sands of a personal swamp . . .

Just let your guilt and shame go by imagining a truthful, yet loving
perceptual lens shift into the shape of authentic personal discovery

Follow your bliss and discover the joy within your being
Even if you doubt the reality of that perception

Just imagine the possibility of Hummingbird showing you
the inner spacial landing pad of inner peace

Where nothing else matters but the vibration of healing old wounds
that get in the way of you experiencing heaven on earth

Hover over an aerial picture of peaceful, relaxing and calm thoughts
reflects internal imagery of transformative healing

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

If you are interested in checking out my first published book, please feel free to click on the link below for more information on that front . . .

http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-001055991/Something-to-Chew-On.aspx

Firing Up the Chinese New Year with Monkey

Posted on by under Native American, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Florida April 2009 021 copyA Chinese New Year of the Monkey arrives this week
Synchronizing with a New Moon in Aquarius on Monday

Monkey fires up smart and powerful images in Chinese culture especially –
Reflecting qualities of ambition, adventure and irritability by our close relatives

Like Aquarius, Monkeys are eclectic with strong intellects
There is a sense of doing their own thing
But they also have an intense desire to connect with others
in socially conscious ways

Monkey dreams symbolize a soulful need to feel connected in community
It’s hard to feel alienated and isolated when we feel a sense of belonging

Monkey’s energy embodies mischievousness, cleverness and curiosity
By George, they can come across as merry naughty pranksters

When exhibiting monkey-like wit, intelligence and magnetism . . .
Be mindful of how your humor might repel others and might cause hurt feelings

And when you’ve been tricked by a monkey . . .
Try not to take life too seriously
“it’s only life after all”

Humor has a way of getting into our bones so that
we can look at things differently through a lighter lens

We can all stand to learn from Monkey’s eccentric nature by loosening our firm grip
by allowing playfulness and entertainment to stimulate our souls

True, our more serious of minds tend to get put off
by their sly and restless orientation

Creative solutions require ingenuity and resourcefulness

Just imagine how much good could be done with all the political money that
is wasted on commercialism, self-promotion
and advertising in American politics

Isn’t it interesting to see how the militaristic Empire shoots down Bernie Sanders
for flying into an Aquarian “we” consciousness zone?

Sanders is not new to the political football field
He just calls for a new offensive scheme that is in alignment with
a new way of doing business through win-win play calling

The time is Tao to throw away the old business as usual
conservative play calling that sells an evil is as evil does feigned choice

We do not have to buy into the commercial that says that
Power to the people can’t win

Instead of pounding our chests to patriotic God Bless American anthems
We swing to the soulful tunes of God Bless Mother Earth

Movement toward economic equality and leveling impulses
are perceived by some as a threat to our system

This land was made for Aquarian unity!

Humans, like monkeys do have a natural way of
compassion, understanding and bonding

When Nature is cultivated and supported, its jungles grow organically
And we all blossom from that kind of gardening!

See you up the trails,

Ari

Singing New Songs of Spring with Robin

Posted on by under Consciousness, Energy Medicine, Native American, Original Prose, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Now the seasonal times may be changing . . .

Still “Nature is the best physician”

Light and Dark energies are dancing again
with equal footing later on this week on the Spring Equinox

“We are all from the same supernova. From that place
there are no cultural differences. We are all the same light.”

Anyone at least vaguely familiar with the controversial 60’s era,
knows our world whirled rapidly and flipped its script –
Perceptual realities were turned upside down

I wasn’t even alive yet, but I remember

Today, shifting tides of Climate Change is intensifying in the air up there
And so below it is becoming abundantly clear
that clouds of dust are leaving behind their combustion

New winds of change are blowing in the wind

A quarter of a hundred millenia of a slumbering slow melt has passed
Or merely approximately a couple thousand years since a dying Pisces age
Springs forth a dawning Age of Aquarius

Looking back in the rearview mirror –
Reveals that we may need to let-go of last Winter’s storms

But eyes are opening up to the arrival of Spring
Equanimity in energetic Masculine and Feminine relationship

Equality in Yin and Yang energies will return next Autumn Equinox . . .
In the Bat of an eye

Meditation on Robin chimes in with songs of Spring by
whistling the spreading spirited seeds of new growth

Here in Northern New England, this might be a deafening call
to hear with all the snow still blanketing the ground.

Robin is here to reveal that something new is budding in
our flowering consciousness

Perhaps new creative processes are growing into our lives
or discovering a new aspects of Self that wants
to come out and dance in the sunlight

Here it is!
Look at the intentional intensity of the crocuses
Right about now

Energetically, Robin communicates to us that Spring is arriving and that our
Life Force is wanting to activate in our bodies and manifest into our outer world

With Robin, we sing songs of freedom
Defining our own egalitarian territory and blaze our own trails to follow

And with the increasing violence on our the planet today,
The time is Now to wake up to the responsibility that
“we are the ones we have been waiting for.”

Try looking at perfect strangers in the eye in the bowing spirit of “namaste”
Then we all win when we walk away feeling
a deeper connection with our human family

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

A Goat’s Good Footwork

Posted on by under Consciousness, Energy Medicine, Native American, Original Prose, Shamanism, Uncategorized

We are setting foot into a New Chinese-Lunar Year soon
After recently passing over the mid-point between
Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox

Many of us find this hard to believe
Given we are plowed in over our heads with snow
It’s so hard to hear the seeds underground starting to think about waking up
But then again, Beethoven heard the music even when he was deaf

We tend to make, struggle with and not always keep new resolutions at this time
Meditation on Goat can help us
Overcome our adversity through determination

Do you need to apply more effort to complete your goals and objectives?

No small feat, we just climbed over a Snowy Full Moon
Now descending on downward
Be careful scaling slippery slopes
Like reacting to images of measles, security compromises
and possibilities of hackers stealing your identity

In these changing times,
Now more than ever, we need the energy of Goat for keeping
sure footing so that we can trek onward toward the summit

The dying ways of an old world are no longer working for us anymore
It is getting harder to bury our heads in the sand
By changing channels and cutting to commercials

We see the arrival of a New Earth Age of Aquarius
Coming through the Womb of Life

On some level, we all experience

The darkness of Her labor pains

And the sunlight of intensifying Spring energy rising

Is Goat signaling you that a new endeavor is about to enter your life to
Pursue slowly, industriously and carefully?

Single-minded focus can be good medicine in a world where
Many folks are all over the place with their boundaries
But the catch to this level of targeted attention is
being overly stubborn, narrow-minded or too rigid
By getting boxed-in the ghettos of the mind

Have you been working too hard and need to lighten-up?

Chewing on Goat’s hearty food for soul
Helps us digest Its traits of ambition, perseverance and
Appreciation of Nature and earthly delights
Balancing frugality and modesty
With enjoying creature comforts and physical pleasures

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

Lightening Up Our Energy Fields with Butterfly

Posted on by under Consciousness, Energy Medicine, Native American, Original Prose, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Butterfly effect flutters its wings o’er the Summer Solstice . . .
Sunlight peaks on this seasonal summit.
This is a time for manifestation.

Receptive feminine begins increasing –
Her energetic flow during Yin’s subtle awakening.
In order to nurture our expansion –
Remember open-hearted intimacy.

The converse is true in the Southern Hemisphere –
Where dark nights dominate the light of day . . .

Try to soften defensive fortresses that once provided a sense of security.
In order to expand, may we allow ourselves
to receive love from nurturing flocks.

Expansion asserts that we come out of our protective shells,
man up and relax into the feedback of loved ones that push our edges –
While softening our boarders.

More grist for the mill . . .

With air and mind – we can change our thoughts and change our lives . . .
Become the change you want to see in the world.

What stage of transformation are you in right now?
Nature is impermanent and cyclical.
And so it is with our own transformational process . . .

The only constant is change!

Am I in the egg stage of a thought or idea?
Am I in the larva stage where its time to make a decision?
Am I in the cocoon stage trying to bring into material reality?
Am I in the birth stage of sharing my intellectual property?

Speaking freely comes with great responsibility –
Thinking before speaking . . .
Perceiving the energy behind our words is an alternative story.
Do you hear the echos of attached emotions before their cadence is called?

Hitting musical high notes that resonate in our collective soul.
Gently strumming the instrumental human voice with compassionate care.

Our reality is changing –
An old world dying . . .
A New Age budding –

Might as well say yes to the situation at hand . . .
Given that what we resist persists.
The power of love transcends . . .
Enticements of fantasy outcomes through forceful means.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari