Tag Archives: ego

Soul Liberation!

Posted on by under Spirituality, Uncategorized

When gently gazing at my disease to please in the mirror . . .

I compassionately see your own need to be needed reflecting back at me.

Are they really any different?

Such attachments invite seductive medications, like band aids or other life support systems.

But when we find the courage to go beyond drinking the Kool Aid or ingesting anesthesia;

We have the opportunity to take back our projections.

There is an awakening into a mystical quest through the Dark Night of the Soul . . .

A rebirth flickers like a light at the end of a tunnel.

These inner dimensions are worth examining!

Old relationships have been built on the bonds of attachment.

When they burn in a funeral pyre, they are called by the fire to transform.

Alchemy is sparked on the inside.

A ripple effect is felt by others, whether realized or not.

This is cosmic karma at play . . .

When a minority healthy perspective lives in a room full of insanity,

it is easy to be seen as an outcast.

Because from the position of normative madness,

wellness can feel like the odd man out, or woman if you are one.

Except that from a clearer perspective,

you see from a new reality that is now as obvious as it once was hidden.

Another entanglement with form has been released . . .

A dismantling of an ego-identification is not without feelings of loss.

And then there is grieving in the death of the old self with that.

Spirits are lifted and freed from their entrapment of excess baggage.

There is a relaxation from feeling suffocated or feeling tugged on by suffering.

A full bellied breath of fresh air is empowering;

Now that’s soul liberation!

Here is an inspirational old folk song that I recorded recently:

Turtle Guides Us Through the Land and Seas of Time

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

We are now in a Pisces time of year,
where our souls want to surf the mutable waters of changing tides

Time to venture deeper and higher into spiritual authenticity . . .

A New Moon and round two of February eclipses are arriving
Death of Winter, past lives, and an old age is becoming more real

Turtle is here to remind us to take shelter from the storm
Paradoxically, letting go of control awakens new beginnings in relationship

Now is the time to nurture and honor relationship with Higher Self
Love is patient and kind . . .

Turtles have been around longer than dinosaurs
They are survivors, with ancient wisdom

Turtle guides us into a Higher vibration of Love
In this dimension, we understand love is about letting go of what we fear of losing

Love is not about trying to control, change or fix someone else
Love is beyond an intellectual concept that resides in the ego’s illusion

Love is beyond tit for tat, manipulation or using your snake oil to
enchant someone else to bend their will to your bidding

A majority of people out there either think they love or hate Donald Trump
But those base emotions just feed his ego, and energize his narcissism

Not to mention drain your own energy field and gives away your power
That isn’t going to help us co-create a New World

President Trump is a metaphor . . .

His presence here is a sign of the times – a key dynamic to
becoming the change we want to see in the world

At the end of the day, any con artist with the King Midas touch is conning himself
by believing that everything he touches will turn to gold

A Phoenix doesn’t rise until it has burned in the ashes first
This is symbolic of where we are at on the clock of Father Time

Empathy in action realizes that President Trump is part of us, like a grain
of salt or star-dust in the cosmos – none better nor worse than another

Spring is arriving, and pretty soon light and dark will be in alignment again
on Spring Equinox in later March . . .

Energies are intensifying, and it becomes a time ripe for action
as we move further into the masculine energies of yang’s light

Remember, we are all One, albeit diverse expressions of Great Spirit

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

Skunk Helps Sniff Out Relationship Odors

Posted on by under Native American, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Skunk arouses our senses and helps in general with relationship discernment
Time to breathe in respect for personal boundaries and the energy fields of others

Are you speaking your truth when you are feeling threatened or annoyed?

We leave behind a New Moon last week . . .

A Full Beaver Moon gains momentum later on this month

Building fantasy into manifestation may spring from noble intentions . . .
But it is wise to question the application of that how might play out on the ground

Like Nature, our souls are moving further into the dark . . .
A dark night peaks on the Winter Solstice in about a month

Yes, we face much darkness in our world today . . .
The latest terrorist attack in France reflects that

But real change comes from digging deep enough to find inner peace –
in spite of the crisis we face in our often unsafe surroundings

Do you need to fortify your defenses to protect yourself?

Picture a skunk to help to strengthen your self-esteem
so that you can’t be easily intimidated or controlled by others

Meditation on Skunk helps us sniff out
when to attract and when to repel other energies

Their air of nonchalance neutralizes
the foul stink of victim and perpetrator toxicity

No need to demonize that aspect of yourself

Are you paying attention to your body language?

Remember there are no enemies, only reflections of
your shadow-side outer rims of your Divine constitution

Do you need to gain more attention without being arrogant or irritating?

Empower the people with the right incentives
so that they will tend to do the right thing

We need to shift our intention away from massive welfare going to the top 1% –
toward investment in spiritual capital that prioritizes
the needs of the overwhelming majority

Onward up the trails,

Ari

Lightening Up Our Senses with the Good Stink of Skunk

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

Sniffing out when to give, expect and demand respect
is an assertive skill sprayed by a tribe called Skunk
Especially when feeling threatened or annoyed

Black hue hints at their nocturnal nature
White stripes symbolizes our flowing chi

Reminding humanity of our heritage
Luminous beings of light are we
Capable of powering cities of lights

Burning clean energy starts with you

Passing New Moon
Ignites an intuitive impetus for heavenly action
But not without respecting earthy feelings of others

We venture further into the dark
Wax on yin climaxing on the Winter Solstice after a long December

Our spirits should be puncture proof
There is nothing to fear when standing in our own personal authority
Our roots grow strong into the ground below

Do you need to fortify your defenses to protect yourself?

Taking refuge is part of the way of the peaceful warrior
Aromatherapy awakens our sensuous experiences with Mother Earth
The time is now to open your heart to receive Her love

Do you need some help to strengthen your self-esteem
So that you can’t be easily intimidated or controlled by others?

We sniff out when to attract and when to repel others
Carrying an air of nonchalance neutralizes
the leaking energetic stink of victim and perpetrator toxicity

Are you paying attention to your body language?

Making amigos with our egos empowers us to increase our holistic sensuality
without leaving behind a foul stench in our wake

Do you need to gain more attention without being arrogant or irritating?

Like-minded relationships are on their way
Taking inventory of our inner space reveals
What kind of energies we are attracting

Many feel powerless and alone
But this grand Universe was created just for you to learn

There is no separation in what is
Although we see diversity in perspectives

Cultivating healthy fluidity in boundaries becomes organic
with clean internal mulching

Acceptance and surrender to what is
Is a dimensional shift toward Higher Ground from indifference or condoning
From the negative dramas that exist in our midst

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

Moving on up the Trail Head with Owl

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

Elusive Owl extracts wise old secrets . . .
Effectively penetrating the dark caverns of our Collective Soul.

Criticisms and sarcasms can be a hard rain falling
for a sensitive heart and soul to take
Is it just another’s misdirected negative energy to shake off?
Or constructive feedback to a hidden self
basking in shadowy parts unknown –
Patiently waiting to be unearthed to see the light?

Instead of being deceived by illusionary demons.
Courageously we stand with the gentle gaze of Deer –
Welcoming in our better angels.
All we have to do is ask!

A.K.A. Cats with wings –
Our spirits silently soar . . .
To magical places where we foresee
Seeds of new realities sewn consciously.

Returning power to sender.
Rather than giving it away –
or taking the energy of another.

See through ulterior motives
With keen observational intuition

Holding a vision of the whole truth
Unveiling the curtain of master illusionism

Knowing our shadow sides –
Detailed oriented Mouse and other small rodents
Relaxes our fear of the dark.

Owl symbolizes death and reincarnation . . .

What is hidden within you that is frightening to look at?
Even in darkness, there is light.

Old Man Mountain breathes fire . . .
Into the din of ordinary Life.

Good fences make good neighbors.
That’s just the way it is says the old guard –
Berlin Wall Border Patrol in the Americas –
All Along the Watchtower is a virtual Fourth Reich . . .

Simultaneously cross-pollination cultural diversity in community
is born into a New Earth.

Breaking common grounds gives inner peace a chance.
But a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Power off alliances between drummed up
war boundaries that fear one another.
How do we make friends with the tension
of protecting, relaxing, redefining and clearing away our boundaries?
From Neurons to Neighborhoods,
How Smart are these technologies?
Try not to get too swayed from the Middle Way.
Remember that the same systems that oppress can liberate.

Why not only kill with kindness?

Autumn Equinox arises –
Transiently we know balance in our masculinity and femininity.
Thereafter – dark night rises.

The 60’s man . . .
Massive changes coming today we can hardly fathom.
Might as well say yes to the Universe as it is –
Rather than resist it with old self ego attachments.

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

Dreaming a New Dream with Lizard

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

A Full Moon awakens our dreaming realities
with subtleties of perception . . .
Are you the dreamer or the dreamed?

Purity of thought means holding focus of a positive thought without distraction.
Isn’t this a mindful conversational feedback loop
you would powerfully like to dream into your daily walking meditation?

Or has being lulled into a hypnotic trance by a computer device caught your fancy?

And here we are gently allowing cumulative effect to take root . . .
With patient appreciation for subtle hints of changing seasons.

Bee flies by serving a friendly reminder that life is sweet like honey . . .

Before long, Autumn will descend with greater emphasis –
on getting organized and down to business.

Are you reacting with negative vibes to the weather underground?
Or are you examining what is going on down under with
a curious and empathic gaze?

See yourself as a strong person who is confidently willing
to express yourself and share your gifts with our world.

Tune into the realm of possibilities . . .
To preview what potential outcomes are mutually beneficial for everyone.
Remember to summon empathy and dance with grace under fiery emotions . . .

Energy cannot be created or destroyed.
But it can be transformed.
What role does energy play in your life?

When unexpected deviations from plans arrive –
Try to relax into that.

Inner Peace is making friends with all aspects of your Being.
This includes our shadow and ego entities – they are not enemies to be killed.
Does your shadow follow you around like an obedient dog –
Representing a tribe of your hopes, fears or whatever you are resisting?

Like our lower Chakras –
Merely informants on our quest are they.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari

Chakra Balancing Meditation

Posted on by under Meditation, Shamanism

Energy medicine is a healing and proactive approach to wellness. Ideally, we catch our health issues at the energetic level, before they leave their mark on our spirit-mind-bodies. In that light, Chakras are spinning discs that are part of our energetic bodies and are designed in perfect alignment by Great Spirit. As such, remembering to balance our chakras on a daily basis has a powerful cumulative effect on our overall well-being and vitality. If you are into Reiki, you may picture the appropriate symbols to increase the power of this meditation. Some folks see, hear, feel and sense Chakras differently, if not at all. Try not to get hung up on that, as there is ego in powers of perception. It is a colorful world so within, as without and folks tend to perceive differently.

–Focus on your breath and put your hands in the prayer position and open them up like a peacock to open up Sacred Space.
–Visualize your luminous energy field (a white mist around your spirit body in front of you).
–Visualize your spherical Root Chakra that is Red in color and is located around the base of your spine. Take your right hand, placing it in that area, in front of your body and slowly spin your hand around in a counter-clockwise direction 10 times to unwind your Chakra. Release any unwanted energy to Mother Earth to be cleansed and composted. Then spin your Chakra 10 times in a clockwise direction to re-balance it. During this process, just watch and notice whatever comes up for you and gently let it pass without judging and/or labeling it.
–Continue along in this way with the rest of your Chakras.
–Sacral Orange is about 2 1/2 inches below your belly button.
–Personal Will/Self Esteem(Yellow) is at the base of your breastbone.
–Heart Chakra (Green) is in the middle of your chest area.
–Throat Chakra (light blue).
–Third Eye (Indigo) in the middle of your forehead just above your eyebrows.
–Finally Crown Chakra (Violet) at the top of your head.

After feeling comfortable with the above Chakra meditation, perhaps consider trying the next two more advanced forms.

–First, visualize a Golden spinning disk like halo (like we see in renaissance art) a couple of feet above your Crown Chakra. This is the eighth Chakra.
–Finally, the Ninth Chakra, the realm of Spirit is everywhere, but I like to think of it as “the Spirit in the Sky” where We become One with Everything. I perceive my Eighth Chakra taking off like a disc shaped spacecraft and flying to and merging with the Ninth Chakra, Great Spirit, which is everywhere.

Dreaming a New Dream with Groundhog

Posted on by under Uncategorized

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a hump day of sorts.  In America we celebrate Groundhog Day, but its precursor is otherwise known as the Imbolc, the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.  Many of us feel the cold wind whistling deeply in our bones and get uncomfortable with the deep silence reverberating within our souls.  But we also know that in stillness, there is a wisdom that speaks of an arriving light from the heart of darkness.  This is a time in Nature’s cycle when we are “pregnant with the seed of the sun.”  Groundhog is good medicine for waking us up to that.  With Groundhog as a guide, we understand death without dying and the metaphor of reincarnation.  Moreover, we are at a powerful time to rise above our egotism and heed the call of our soul’s purpose.  As spiritual beings having human experiences, our priority while traveling here is not merely to make money and become a celebrity.  It is only when we become identified with those goals, where the ego feeds on our Being like a psychic vampire.  Rather, our purpose is to wake up to the reality that we are one with All-That-Is.  We all have star-dust in us, are influenced by the energies of the planets, their moons and we all rock.  In that light, Groundhog helps us dig through the mysterious underground tunnels of our souls and bring back hidden treasures of the Dreamtime to seed into our material world.

In our digging, We The People are waking up to our soul’s prompting that America needs to model effective leadership by shifting Her values away from bottom line profits and violence.  Instead of liberally funding corporations and Pentagon pork projects, we shift our resources toward the health and safety of our global citizenry.  We are moving into a consciousness that is waking up to celebrating our Diversity in Unity.  In this process, we are co-creating a world where we are all entitled to knowing the power of Love and being treated with dignity and respect, regardless of how much material wealth we have accumulated or privilege we were born into.  But there is great resistance to the Climate Change we face.  Like anxious rabbits, our friends in Congress are fleeing from enacting effective legislation that will take military assault weapons off the shelves.  The more that we resist gun control, the more the movement will persist.  If we don’t proactively adopt some Common Sense discipline here, like a parent setting a limit with an acting out child with a toy, our right to bear arms will be taken away.  This is a paradox that the NRA and folks that pack heat because they can must understand.  There is a far greater and sustainable fire power in peaceful and non-violence strategies for societal change.  The violence is waking us up to that, as evidenced by the Peace Movement being larger than we have ever known.  But you probably won’t see that on the News tonight.  In Maine, there is a grassroots movement to stop Tar Sands oil from flowing through pre-existing refined oil pipelines.  Also, there is movement for ranked choice voting, or ‘run-off’ elections that will impact our legislature and Governor that represents the manifestation of spiritual values into politics.  But we must let go of our addiction to war as a way of life and let this die without killing ourselves.  We have a war on hunger, poverty, crime, obesity and drugs, etc.  Last time I checked, we are losing all of these wars.  As we have discussed, there is a way out of this insanity.  My mom didn’t whack herself because she wanted to die.  Rather, she took her life because she wanted to escape, avoid her pain and the dramatic, ego-centered suffering she attached to her pain.  Although there is Freewill, our actions have consequences.  In her case, she created much more pain and suffering, not less.  She has since walked into the Light, though it has taken hard work that was a missed opportunity for her to do while she was breathing.  How many folks could stand to tap into the energy of Groundhog?  How many premature deaths could be prevented and lives sustained with the help of Groundhog medicine?

When we keep Groundhog in our meditations, we are equipped to learn how to die without actually physically leaving Earth.  Groundhog has great power to guide us through the darkness, so that we see light at the end of the tunnel.  During this journey, there is a restful sleep during the dirge, a parallel process to the slower heartbeat deep within the Earth right now.  May Groundhog help you allow the light illuminate the shadows within your souls so that you see this reflection in your outer field of vision.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari

Studying Wolf’s Teachings

Posted on by under Uncategorized

I remember when Cat Stevens sang, “another Saturday night and I ain’t got nobody”.  A nice tune, but was he was tapping into the Moon-Dog of his soul when he penned the lyrics?  At the end of the day, it is our marriage to the Divine Light of our own souls that light our way.  Wolf’s spirited teachings guide us into the inner dens of our souls so that we will get to know ourselves on a deeper level.  Wolf offers us guidance regarding effectively using our instincts, intelligence and knowing when to be alone and when to be with family and community.  Given a Full Moon this Saturday night, it is a good time to meditate and journey with Wolf.  In this frigid cold front we are experiencing in Maine, it is difficult to imagine that the darkness is waning, while trotting toward the Chinese-Lunar New Year and Groundhog Day in February and the Spring Equinox in March.

During these shifting tides in our lives, we are asked to endure many hardships.  Right now, there is talk of yet another US war in Mali and a desire to expand the drone war without the consent of Congress or the American public.  Killer whales in the Pacific Northwest need more protection from the Endangered Species Act, not less.  Congress failed to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act, while the Pentagon agreed to expand the use of women in the military.  In the Middle East, there is a non-violent Palestinian movement to put a cease-fire on land being taken by the Israeli Netanyahu government.  Even in a relatively free society like America, if a bank wants to take away your home or the government wants to put a highway in the middle of your town (that predictably dislocates your community and creates a ghetto), then they will.  Similarly, when my mom took her life 18 years ago, she pulled the rug out from under all of us who loved her.  In spite of all the traumatic exposure, the deep soul work is yielding a place of celebration, but without being as invested, regarding my relationship with her death.  I feel her spirit with me and keep her close to my heart every day.  There is an old picture of her in my sacred meditation space that I now look upon with a gentle gaze.  But arriving at this place has not been easy.  In fact, there has been much pain and suffering.  What is the difference?  Pain is an inevitable experience in life, while suffering is a choice.  We suffer when we attach dramatic stories to our pain.  And there is ego in that.  We begin to let go of suffering, when we start accepting our pain, while loosening the grip that our egos have on our Being.  This is somewhat akin to getting sick.  We have a choice to resist our illness or we can choose to accept and perhaps even embrace our illness as part of our holistic experience.  Yes, a part of me died when my mom left this plane, I crashed and burned on the inside and I still miss her today.  But as we have discussed, even in death there is re-birth.  Even physical death is merely a transition and what matters is how we navigate the Climate Change that we face. 

We are consciousness, rather than what consciousness has identified with.  Whatever labels we attach to ourselves is really the ego trying to strengthen itself and perpetuate its fragile existence.  But it is never enough, as the ego has an insatiable hunger.  Do you feel that your relationship would be just fine if your partner would just change?  Do you feel like you would be happy if certain things had gone differently in the past, or that the current situation was somehow different from how it is right now, or if you were relaxing in some future paradise?  Even folks in the spiritual community often fall prey to clever tricks played by the ego, by perceiving oneself as on a spiritual path, while constantly striving toward “getting it” or seeking Enlightenment.  In my own humility, I can related to that.  But digging deeper into the den teaches that it is in the waking up process that understands that in the surrender, letting go and embracing the unknowing, there is a form of security and protection in that.  During our awakening, we are clearing space for what lies ahead in our journey–our current lives, next incarnation and beyond.  We are capable of releasing spirit’s entanglement with form while we are still breathing.  May the energy of Wolf help guide your path and be a faithful, loyal and protective guardian.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari

Feasting With Turkey, We Give Thanks For Our Shared Blessings

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I remember hearing stories about turkey leading the flock by harmonically harvesting balance, here on the ground of Classroom Mothership Earth.  For example, turkey notoriously drives squirrels nuts when She levels the playing field by taking back squirrel’s stockpiled hoard.  Whether a nervous woodland creature’s modern-day version of Robin Hood, or a Shaman from the Americas, turkey is good medicine for warding off evil spirits.  Have you ever noticed a room lighten up-almost immediately after someone new enters a shared space, where the air just felt heavy with an attached negative vibe?  If so, you might have been the free recipient of some turkey’s shared blessing.  Turkey’s strength lies in their numbers.  When consuming their energy, turkey has the potential to awaken inner vision, feminine energies and infinite possibilities.  In our modern world of 10, 000 things and bling-bling, the more humanity consciously consumes turkey’s positive spirited energy, the more we co-create a more equitable and sustainable New Earth.  Isn’t this just another utopia (or dystopia), ego-centered labeling mechanism describing a totalitarian new world order, communism, socialism and/or devilishly fixed idea of Heaven?  No.  What we are talking about right here, right now is a perceptual shift in consciousness, starting at the intrinsic, individual state of consciousness and reflecting back that picture of the world around us.  From the perspective of Great Spirit, turkey reflects win-win scenarios where abundance is available for all of us to share.  We become the change we want to see in the world. 

Have folks caught wind of the forecast that Wal-Mart workers will strike on Black Friday?  Don’t we already have way too much stuff?  How much money do the heirs to the Wal-Mart empire really need anyway?  Is it really too much to ask that the working folks of Wal-Mart earn a livable wage, with access to the same health care as Wal-Mart’s top dawgs enjoy?  Cheap for me to say, I’ve hardly shopped at Wal-Mart since it came on the scene.  However, when I pass one of their stores, I imagine the building running on renewable energy, with a greenhouse-like park atop its structure and a garden-like oasis that families and children can safely enjoy.  Maybe a sweet penthouse nestles there, like an oversized wolf den, where the landlords and groundskeepers live like Hobbits, boroughed within the structure.  But I digress.  We have much suffering, polarity and disparity on Earth today.  Climate Change is forecasting stormy weather that is affecting the way we live.  Are we going to allow ourselves to get in alignment with Nature, or are we going to resist the changes in weather so within and as reflected in our outer world?  To date, we humans have been so outer directed in our program development.  And yet, we are pre-wired to evolve into our Higher Selves, where the cosmetic and insatiable old world of the dying ego is losing its grip on our plight.  Great Spirit resides within all of us, just waiting to awaken to flow like a fountain of youth that gives freely and replenishing itself endlessly.  When we enough of us awaken within ourselves by welcoming turkey’s shared blessings, we simultaneously co-create an egalitarian human family of politicians, business folk, movers and shakers and salt of the Earth folks that intuitively know reciprocity and egoless harmonic giving and receiving.  At this moment in time, we will see turkey’s meditations reflected more clearly in our internal experience with external reality, with an unfolding convergence.

Being present is not always easy.  In fact, it is easier to be distracted from the present moment, hypnotically lost in the robotic doings, than to merge with it.  Yes, there is an endless commentary from the voice in the head that feeds off incessant, predominately unconscious and mostly repetitively negative thoughts and the accompanying choir of emotional reactions.  When we become aware that we are aware, we create space around our thoughts and attached emotional reactions.  The more frequently we become a passive observer, the more we are equipped to watch this drama unfold like a movie before our eyes, without reacting to it.  When this becomes an integral part of our daily walking meditation, we start replacing those pesky soap operas, by consciously choosing to co-direct a solution focused script.  Perhaps the ring tone of this melody sounds like a John Lennon earworm singing, I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round.  In dreaming a new dream, solutions are our focus, rather than creating problems that the ego insatiably feeds on.  The most important prayer, if you will, is to carry an attitude of gratitude with what is happening right now in this present moment.  Find a way to say thank you to whatever the situation might bring.  Like a vampire bite, dark emotions carry venom.  Bloody serious.  Why not sink your teeth into turkey to ward off foul food for thought?  In spirit of birds of a feather flocking together, use this energy to drink in the turkey medicine in you, pass it on and be pleasantly full. 

Stay True,

Ari