The Howlin’ Wolf Full Moon, and the Chinese New Year of the Rat

A Full Wolf Moon blows in the cold winds on January 10th.

The distractions of the holidays have passed, and the
Sun driven Gregorian New Year eclipses us.

And now many are feeling depressed, as the void of coming down
into the wake of winter’s slumber is setting in.

These feelings are natural, even if demonized, and
feared in our glamorized world of being up all the time.

But we can look forward to a New Moon on the 24th, that is followed closely by
the arrival of the Chinese-Lunar Year of the Rat on the day after that.

Meditate on the tracks of Wolf government . . .
Wolves embody a delicate balance of hierarchy, and democratic principles.

Be mindful of the shrewd inspiration of rats to remember
our intellect to reflect, and evaluate on our current human plight.

Legend has it that even the Buddha was impressed when
Rat was the first one to come learn when he
invited all the animals to his teachings.

You don’t have to look very far to see
the climate of changing tides on the Planet today.

There are many things to grieve about the suffering
we see among our human brothers and sisters.

Yeah, it might be hard not to get seduced by the
enemies of hate spreading like agent orange across
the sands of time.

Watch the dinosaurs of the old paradigm fight tooth and nail
to protect a dog eat dog conditioned mentality that is oppressive.

Remember that those people are suffering the most are afraid
that their power is slipping away by believing that they
don’t have a place in a New Earth.

But everything about that kind of thinking
are merely examples of erroneous zones.

Even if you don’t understand what polarity consciousness,
or diversity in unity means, you probably already realize that
people are more divided nowadays more than yesterdays.

That’s why we souls have come here at this time,
because we must heal the illusion of our perceived separation.

But then again, every soul’s waking up process happens in
its own way, as does their personal transformational process.

As long as I have been on the planet, I have seen this
more pronounced now more than ever.

This is part of our awakening, spiritually speaking.

I was born right around the time that Richard Nixon resigned –
probably right before he would have been impeached.

People forget that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
left his comfort zone of black churches.

He did that with great courage by venturing out into the unknown
to protest the Viet Nam War, and social injustices by crossing over into
the the dominant White, Middle-Class America, and the world at large.

Civil Rights is about asserting the right for everyone to
have equal access to resources. It is about asserting
that we all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

Now we have a Billionaire Class gangster at large in the White House.

But he is just part of the Old Testament Goliath
that represents a dying old world.

The vanity fair of the ego should be our servant
but not our master.

A tao centered way of an Aquarian New Age is on its way,
but we are in the labor pains right now.

It is a similar feeling to when you experience loss
when someone you love dies, moves out of your life,
you go through a death of your old self, your child leaves
for college, you go through a break-up, a divorce,
or leave a job, along with coworkers you see everyday, etc.

Perhaps the gender identity, or your sexuality has
changed, and you now view that part of you as dead,
and a new part of you as born.

Out of the great void, arises a new light, and energies
that come alive inside of you when you
let them flow through your Being.

But around here, part of playing the blame game,
and being a blamenator, is to take things personally.

In this sphere, we see criticisms as personal attacks,
and then become defensive.

I know this because I have been good at those things during my lifetime.
In fact, I have been gifted at it.

At some point, you have to get sick of being sick, and realize
that by softening your will, and by surrendering to the
will of the Universe, you aren’t losing or selling out.

If you can access faith and trust, it will shed light
in the tunnel of darkness – however dimly lit.

By not drawing your sword, and going to war with another person,
you are actually getting in touch with yourself on a deeper level.

Remember that the definition of insanity is to keep doing
the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

And here we are with our weapons of mass destruction, wars, cyberbullying,
and deleting each other because we fear our apparent differences.

We have to stop attracting this kind of energy if we are
going to stop creating it.

We can have our philosophical disagreements, and work
them out through peaceful, and non-violent means.

If you want make a difference, like Ghandi said,
you have to become the change you want to see in the world.

Instead of being seduced by your anger, hate, fears, etc.,
listen to your internal informers, and be curious about why
you are really feeling that way.

Respect isn’t an entitlement.
It may be earned, but it should be given no matter what.

Might as well make respect a daily habit.

Do you remember the Golden Rule?

Heaven and hell are inner states of consciousness.

You always have a choice about which gate you go through.

You can heed the call of your lower self (demons), and make
the transition into your Higher Self (better angels).

It isn’t about walking around with a yoke around your neck,
or following the dictates of what society says you should.

You’ll know when your head and heart are in alignment when
you do the right thing just because it’s the
right thing to do out of your own goodness.

It doesn’t matter who agrees with you, or who is on your side.
Just try to see souls over roles when you co-mingle with our human family.

Till we tweet again peeps,

Ari

Moving Through Transitions

The spirited seasonal Harvest is in, and the Moon is Full today.
Last Saturday, we were blessed by the annual Autumn Equinox . . .

When I think of movements like Me Too,
I think about the Tao bringing in feminine waters to
levy a patriarchical world order that has blinded our
planet with too much sunlight.

Movement through Nature’s portal reflects
balance between masculine and feminine energies

These energies are flowing through us, on the inner/outer realms
of our individual and collective consciousness.

Our friends in the Southern Hemisphere will see the light rising
until it peaks on their Summer Solstice in December.
It is their Vernal Equinox there.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere,
we embark on the voyage into waning light and darker nights,
till the Winter Solstice brings us the darkest day of the year.

And then we will coax back the light

At this time of year, I like to meditate on balance,
and spiritual alignment with the spirit of the season . . .

I envision a Nature’s greeting card that celebrates
the male and female of every soul living in harmony
with the totality of our humanity!

Whether you identify as LGBTQ, or otherwise . . .

It is a natural window of opportunity to fall in love with
the sensuality of Mother Earth, and all
Her forms of Diversity in Unity . . .

Black Lives Matter, just as all Life matters in Spirit!

Perhaps it is challenging for you to have empathy in your heart for
the truth that Agent Orange matters too.

Yeah, he has a hard time not being enveloped by his narcissism.

But that’s just how a con artist cons himself into
getting tangled up in the bluesy behavioral trap of his own facade!

That’s why you see him reacting defensively
to the systemic reflection of his own misogynist ways.

The clown shows us the circus.

Even if the manufactured creation of the haves and have-nots
is a glaringly obvious power imbalance . . .

We see that people are losing their minds because the better devil
they know is being exposed by the light of consciousness.

Don’t buy into the fear that says
you should choose the lesser of two evils!

The only way to relax hate is through the power of Love . . .

You can’t hide in the dark as easily as you once could.

Your position of power and privilege
does not guarantee that you are untouchable,
like a “made guy” in the organized criminal underground of the mafia.

Do you really want to live in the reptilian ghettos of the mind,
being obsessed with order and control,
and always looking over your shoulder,
wondering if you’re going to get whacked by the end days?

The truth is that pain is a sobering fact of life.

But resisting that truth is more painful than
surrendering to the freedom to choose
to build our resilience toward tolerance, acceptance,
and even embrace the bitters that spring up in our daily steps.

Till we tweet together again peeps,

Ari

Tough Trails, and Happy Feet

Hi Folks,

I am going to shift my traditional weekly footwork with this week’s unexpected switchback.

Our hiking trio reached our collective zenith by reaching the summit of our goal of climbing 48, 4000 footers in New Hamphire’s ancient White Mountains recently. We ended our accomplishment by visiting the Bonds. There’s not a bad view in the Whites, but the views of this side of the mountains was truly epic. My hats of to the Croo at Galehead Hut – you guys rock!

What can I say, our journey was a peak experience, coupled with amazing vistas, and unpredictable weather patterns. You really have to do some leg work to earn your steps, so to speak.

But with lots of moving parts of family responsibilities, and life cycle doings over almost the last decade, I wanted to share our achievement with you.

Also, as one of your earthling peers, I highly recommend you get out in Nature, and enjoy the ride.

Till the next trail mark,

Ari

Chickadee Amplifies Gentle Fountains of Spring Songs

Can you hear the tweets from our Chickadee peeps in the trees?

Their higher wisdom reminds us that harmony can exist –
If we just remember to breathe . . .

But you can’t do that if you are attached to your position
and listening to the voice in your head, instead of
hearing the heart-mind another

How often do you hear the cheerful expression of truth
in the old world today?

The black truth is that mental illness runs rampant across our planet today
Addictions to dirty energies accompanies this insanity

We have a bloated President,
Towered by an inflated Military-Industrial Complex

New Waves of Divine Love, Light and Truth are trying to enter into
our mind-body-spirits to help us purify our souls development

They want to awaken an authentic healing wellness that resonates in our Being

Our consciousness must transform, and branch out into
greener pastures that grows roots into seven generations ahead

The higher consciousness of Chickadee reminds us that
the truth does not need to hurt but can be sung with a gentle and soft melody

You know we are living in dangerous times, where
galactic violence is accelerating . . .

Many people and Nation States are pounding their chests aggressively –
There is too much posturing, barking, nagging , and machismo military might

It reminds me of a toddler that did not want to share, or was angry
about an age-appropriate limit being set by someone older and wiser

Re-examine everything you have been taught to believe about your
relationship with yourself, and your relationship to the world around you

Look at how you have been conditioned to buy into the belief that
there are winners and there are losers, that people get what they deserve.
And then explore the opposite side of that coin

Meditate on the mantra, “Nothing is as it seems . . . Nor is it the opposite”
But please do so in your heart with  a sweet singing earworm of Chickadee

See you up the trails,

Ari

Fading Further Into the Black with Cat

Cat guides us whiskers first into a historically spirited
time of year in the Northern Hemisphere . . .

Ancestors might be revisiting you in spook free zones
Are you able to see from fearless perspectives in this New Moon?

May we bear witness to a metaphorical thinning of the veils
between spirit and material realms

Cat’s curious eye sees when to step back and watch before pouncing . . .
Their energy is good medicine for responding versus reacting to situations at hand

They seem to intuitively know how to live in the present moment . . .
Always ready to adjust themselves in extraordinary feminine fashion

Has the current American election season brought your
attachment to outcome and cauldron of negative emotions to the surface?

Express yourself!
Otherwise, a def jam of festering resentments booms from your base

Might as well let go of what you do not have control over
But fear of dark caves of unknowing can be terrifying for folks

Cats remind us of the mystery and magic in our Universe . . .
Energetic and sacred, you can’t always make sense out of what is arriving

It’s easier to see dark and stormy weather
and forget that the sun still hides in spots maybe shady to the conscious mind

Black symbolizes primal movement into the dark . . .

Daylight savings time ends, as days get darker until the
Winter Solstice after a long December

Become the ancestral energies that reawaken gospels of
light that fire up the blues within

May we remember the passing of our loved ones . . .
Pets and animals seem to instinctively know how to love us unconditionally

The Samhain marks the mid-point between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice
It’s getting colder out, and some people hear chimes of winter blowing in the wind

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

When I think of Heaven, Deliver me in the Belly of a Red Winged Cardinal

Can you hear the whistle of Cardinal’s spirit blowing in the wind?
Are you feeling eclipsed by their virtuous and powerful archetypal footprint?

Mercury in Retrograde resurrects perpetually dead, albeit real call backs . . .
Our minds move away from rational, logical and linear recordings

Try not to get identified with any fixed ideas or repetitively negative mental tapes
Just examine them with an open, passive attitude and gently let them pass

A Full Moon coming soon yields a hearty seasonal Harvest . . .
What tremors will be seen, heard and felt across the fruited plains?

Feeling safe, comfortable and regulated will be challenged
But there is an opportunity for letting go and relaxing into seismic changes

Feminine yin power intensifies during the approach of the
Autumn Equinox this September

Back to school, back to business and getting organized is in the air!
But don’t let that drive you nuts . . .

A revival of old religious traditions co-mingles paradoxically with
listening to the messages of your True self and Inner Voice that
remind vitality is always here for you to allow in any given moment!

Climate Change, dark sorcery and violence plague our streets . . .
Breathing in chaotic storm fronts are painful to watch and hard on the lungs . . .

But where are you on the map of seeing a
Silver Lining Playbook and making only positive interpretations?

The black truth is that it can be hard to find Nirvana
within the chaotically deafening traffic jam of life!

Might as well strum the heartstrings of Oneness and
tune in to the key of Inner Peace!

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

Toad the Dry Trail Hopper

Toad hops along the trails . . .

Their energies remind us to use what resources are available

Trust the signs and synchronicities to show you where to look

Last week’s Full Sturgeon Moon wanes in concert with sunlight

Paradoxically, Fall Eclipse Season is blowing in the wind

Picture Toad to relax any fears you might have about
the times that are changing before your eyes

At the end of the day, there is security in the knowledge
that the only constant is change

There is no need to push the river or hang on to the shores

Toad is good medicine for conflict resolution
It is possible to confront your fears without being too confrontational

Sometimes, you just have to lay your cards on the table and
let the chips fall where they may

Autumn Equinox is not far off on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere

In later September, Light and Dark energies become equally aligned

Right Tao, we are preparing for moving Yinward

Pretty soon, feminine energies will gain momentum and then
climax on the Winter Solstice after a long December

See you along the trails,

Ari

Saying Peace Out to Spidery Entanglements with Form

Feminine energy slowly spins it’s web with Spider rising
Isn’t it tricky not to get tangled up in shady dark edges?

Symbolic of Grandmother Moon, may we be inspired by Spider
to weave new program designs into our dying old paradigm . . .

This reflects correspondence with a forthcoming New Moon
Time for new solutions and novel ways of looking at beginnings

Walking in balance within the center of a circle . . .
Awakens a paradoxical spiritual and practical challenge and opportunity

Like the tracks left in Buddha’s wake . . .
There is a Middle Way!

A Middle Way, in the current American general election looks like
a write-in vote , voting for a third-party candidate, or not at all

Instead of following the commercial that tells you to vote
for the opposite sides of the same coin based on fear-based incentives

Buying into the lesser of two evils only strengthens
the grip that Big Money and the Military Industrial Complex
has on your mind-set

Remember that you have a choice to stay on the path without getting too swayed
by the seductive pull of life’s tension of opposites

See how polarity consciousness plays out by pushing you to
think, feel and behave in a way that
echoes the dominant voices that the corporate media wants you to buy into

Try not to chase your thoughts and react emotionally to those thoughts
in a extroverted trigger happy way with others . . .

What would it be like for you to stand in the empathic shoes
of your so-called competition or adversary?

We nurture creativity by paradoxically staying grounded in Infinity
Dream weaving into the material reality should not be
without entertaining unintended consequences . . .

If you are wearing a predatory mask,
isn’t it obvious that you might not have the stomach
for empathizing with your victims?

Just chew on that for a moment . . .
Isn’t that a mouthful?

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

If you would like to see my first interview, check out the following link:

http://www.tolivefor.org

For information about my first published book, please see the following links:

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

Nurturing Our Earthbound Connection so that Our Soaring Souls Have a Safe Landing Pad to Return

Are you feeling depressed about living your life in the way that feels
programmed by external forces –
as dictated by society, family, friends and peers?

Do you want to live in alignment with your own soul’s purpose?

Do you feel that you suffer from the “disease to please” –
Pressured to fill a need for someone else out of a sense of duty and sacrifice?

If not now then when will master pretenders untangle from
this illusionary web and get wise to this act?

It is safe to turn inward for radical self-examination . . .
Watching what arrives from what once upon a time was submerged –
with a patient and kind heartfelt lens.

In our letting go of control and rigid attachment to expectations –
We open up to abundant Universal surprise birthday parties.

Robin Williams’ unexpected death is a sad reminder . . .
The knife of suicide cuts a deep wound into dark caverns of our psyches.
It is a terribly tragic loss that shakes our foundation.

Suicide is wickedly confusing to a lost soul with
devastating unintended consequences.
But it is not a preferred exit strategy.
Avoiding our pain leads to more suffering.

With meditation we learn to just sit with what is . . .
Rather than exiting with anger and denial.

Physically ending a hellish inner state of consciousness
is not a cease-fire on our souls.
We must rise up from the ashes of our inner demons
Summoning our “better angels.”

As the old saying goes –
Lessons will continue to revisit us until learned . . .
Whether in this life or the next.

Mother once said depression is like a storm that you ride out
without knowing where it will take you.

The cosmetics of our modern world will never fill our soulful appetites
like the Light of Consciousness.

We have discussed the relationship between brother order and sister chaos –
Formless energies awakening into our world of form.
Learning to co-exist in harmony is best medicine.

Out on the streets, jungleland takes root.
A lethal weapon meets arrested development . . .
When will our world’s movers and shakers open up a level playing field
by embracing our diversity within unity?

Remember that in every breath we take . . .
We witness a death and rebirth.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari

Colorful Blessings

Fall is upon us

Giving permission to grieve Yang’s dirge
Football and soccer games help keep us on the ball
Squirrels driven nuts by forgotten acorns
Mental health returns with a keen sense of smell

Leaving behind egalitarian Autumnal dance-steps
Perfect harmony with masculine and feminine synergy
Nature reflects our inner shifts n’ energetic rifts

Turning yin-ward
Waning Light
Soon outta sight
Tunneling toward our darkest hour
But not before many spirited blessings