Daisies by Niamh Savani

Make 2012 a simply beautiful year!  Balance your “being” and “doing” and become whole.  Do things that bring joy, laughter, love, stillness and peace into your heart and life.  Be compassionate towards others.  Try to create as much beauty as you can. 

“Life is full of beauty.  Notice it.  Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces.  Smell the rain and feel the wind.  Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”  ~  Ashley Smith

“Beauty” is my word for the year for 2012!  I’ve set goals (not resolutions) for the year, but the foundation around which everything will revolve will be “Does this create beauty in my life or the lives of others?”.

Beauty does not need to be complicated – try to keep it simple!  Just look at the photo of the daisies to the left – such an ordinary, simple flower - yet perfectly beautiful.  Take time throughout your day to notice  beauty.  It is always around us if we just take the time to be still, centered and appreciate it.  See beauty all around you, and if you can use your talents to create more beauty do so!

If life throws you a curveball or two (which it most likely will!) then remember that you can always consciously choose how to respond to any given situation.  We cannot control or predict all of our 2012 circumstances, but we definitely can control our response to each challenge, our reaction to each situation, and our mental outlook from day to day.  Meditation can help you be aware of your thoughts and choose how to respond to any situation.   This can make the difference between a stress filled, overwhelming, worrysome  year, or one filled with peace and beauty.

Here is a simple poem about beauty. Reading the words is supposed bring you peace and calm.

Walking in Beauty: closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony

In beauty I walk

With beauty before me I walk

With beauty behind me I walk

With beauty above me I walk

With beauty around me I walk.

It has become beauty again

Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me

I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.

I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.

I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.

I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.

I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.

In beauty all day long may I walk.

Through the returning seasons, may I walk.

On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.

With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty before me may I walk.

With beauty behind me may I walk.

With beauty below me may I walk.

With beauty above me may I walk.

With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.

My words will be beautiful…

How can you bring more beauty into your life in 2012?

Would you be brave enough to create “Magnificent Beauty”?

Make 2012 Simply Beautiful! is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. How to Make a Vision Book Most people have heard of the concept of a vision...
2. Its a Beautiful Day I always play music in the background in my classroom,...
3. Simply Satvic Guest Post by Ma Udaysree Nithyananda Are you Aware at...

Mogollon Rim, Pinetop, AZ by Niamh Savani

Recently I rediscovered the joy of plein-aire painting while attending the Arizona Art Education Association annual conference in Pinetop, AZ.  It was a wonderful chance to renew myself as an artist, reconnect with fellow art educators, and honor my creativity.

I participated in plein-aire workshops and spent many hours outside painting in the beautiful mountains and beside a picturesque lake. 

Watercolor is a great medium when painting en plein aire because you can work very fast and there is a freshness and spontaneity that is hard to replicate with other types of paint. Since the light and other conditions are constantly changing when painting outdoors, watercolor helps you be spontaneous and capture the present moment in paint.  You have to forget perfection when working with watercolor, because sometimes it has a mind of its own!

“For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but its surroundings bring it to life – the air and the light, which vary continually….”  ~ Claude Monet”

You can also create beautiful translucent, shimmering effects with watercolor.  Many artists prefer to paint on location with watercolor paint rather than (or maybe in addition to) taking photographs for reference material for later work in the studio.  The personal connection with a particular location is strengthened by losing oneself painting the scenery.  It almost like a moving meditation.

In progress plein-aire painting by Niamh Savani

“Everything in nature is harmony; a little too much, or else too little, disturbs the scale and makes a false note. One must reach the point of singing true with the pencil or with brush quite as much as with the voice; rightness of forms is like rightness of sounds.” ~ Ingres

It is great painting outdoors because you get to connect with  nature in a meaningful way.  It is also a  lot of  fun!  However there  can be challenges - changing  weather conditions, blowing wind, transporting your art supplies, finding a good, safe painting location etc. However the rewards far outweigh the inconveniences.  Try it yourself sometime and experience the joy of plein-aire painting!

Have you ever painted en-plein aire?

Have you ever experimented with watercolor paint?

Plein Aire Painting is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. Painting is Transformational I’ve been teaching visual arts for over ten years now, and...
2. Get Inspired: Take a Road Trip! When we think of creative inspiration, often we imagine it...
3. How to Thrive and Be Happy We’ve all had houseplants that we’ve forgotten about for weeks...

Prelude #1, Acrylic on Canvas, 10" x 10", 2011

Recently I had two paintings in a group show at the  Mesa Arts Center.  After a summer of adventure, expansion, artistic, and spiritual renewal, I used my experiences and the energy from my travels and poured these into my artwork.  During the process of painting a new direction and clarity for my artistic work emerged. 

After a hiatus from showing my work, it felt great to see my paintings in the public arena again, especially in such a well respected gallery space as the Mesa  Arts Center.  It felt like a prelude to a new beginning for my artistic journey. 

I followed my soul and studied painting in college but right before graduating with my BFA degree, I realized that I would have to make money. I bought into the false myth of the “starving artist”, not to mention I had those student loans to pay… So I started teaching as a substitute teacher. I realized I loved this too, plus it solved the money problem. Fate guided me to complete my teaching certification.

“Everything on earth is being continuously transformed, because the earth is alive …and it has a soul.  We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us.”  ~  The Alchemist, Paulo Coehlo

Prelude #2, Acrylic on Canvas, 10" x 10", 2011

Alchemist:   ”Listen to your heart.  It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there…”

Boy: “My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer…”

Alchemist:  “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.  And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

What is your personal mision in life?

What detours have you taken along the way?

What have you learned from those detours and how have they served you?

Prelude Paintings at Mesa Arts Center is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. Painting is Transformational I’ve been teaching visual arts for over ten years now, and...
2. Start the Year with Clarity and Focus At the beginning of each New Year many people make...
3. The Art of Being Radiant Radiance is defined as being luminous, glowing, shining, brilliant, healthy,...

Arizona Sunrise by Niamh Savani

John O’Donohue the well known Irish author called his friend an “undercover mystic”.  What a beautiful, poetic way to describe an ordinary person who at the very least is serene, wise, and compassionate, and perhaps is enlightened.

Which brings us to the question “what is enlightenment?”  (or susbtitute “awakening” etc.)  I’m not even attempting  to define such a loaded word, so I’ll just quote from others who can express this better than me.  Eckhart Tolle says “It is finding your true nature beyond name and form”.  Shunryu Suzuki, author of “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” states “Enlightenment experience is to figure out, to understand, to realize this mind which is always with us and which we cannot see”.  He continues “Everyone has buddha nature.  We each must find some way to realize our true nature”.  The only real way to understand is to experience it for yourself.  And your best teacher is yourself!

“As one particle of dust contains thousands of sutras, so the wisdom of all Buddhas is complete in the bodies of ordinary people who do not realize it.” ~ Chinul

When we think of someone who is enlightened probably the first image that comes to mind is a solitary monk, nun, saint, or some type of spiritual guru.  It always seems like it’s out of grasp for us ordinary mortals.  A friend recently shared a great website “Buddha at the Gas Pump“.  The name kind of says it all!  It highlights ordinary, everyday people going about their everyday lives, and they are awakened. Pretty cool stuff!  So next  time you’re at the gas pump, in line at the supermarket, stuck in traffic on the freeway, just think -you could be in the presence of an undercover mystic.  Better yet – don’t forget that you too are a Buddha and “The secret is within yourself”  ~ Hui-Heng.

Undercover Mystic is a post from: Avatar Arts

No related posts.

"Thrive" by Niamh Savani

We’ve all had houseplants that we’ve forgotten about for weeks or maybe even months at a time. Yet they seem to survive pretty well without water, food, or any special attention. After a certain amount of time and inattention, the leaves start to wilt or die and the poor plant begins to show signs of distress.

This is when we finally notice the poor plant and give it some much needed attention. We water the plant, maybe give it some plant food, prune the dead leaves, open a few windows to let in some fresh air etc. Often within hours of the much needed attention the plant’s leaves spring back to life, and it seems on the road to recovery again.

Unfortunately we often treat ourselves like a neglected houseplant. We ignore our needs until we too begin to wilt, get burned out, overstressed, or maybe even sick. We can survive for long periods of time without too much self care, but this is not a good strategy.  We should all aim to thrive, not just survive!

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” ~ Maya Angelou

My new mission in life is to thrive, not just survive!  There is lots of great information out there on how to thrive and be happy.  I think it’s great to look at plenty of resources, but ultimately we are all unique individuals and must create our own unique formula to help us thrive.  Here are some suggestions from my list that may help you thrive:

1. Purpose

“If we stay as survivors only without moving to thriving, we limit ourselves and cut our energy to ourselves and our power in the world to less than half.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Mission statement

It is important to gain clarity and discover your true values, gifts, and talents.  This will help you formulate a mission statement that will help define your path and purpose in life. 

Right occupation

If you are in the right job you experience a sense of flow and even when you are working it seems like play.  This does not mean that things will always be easy, but you embrace the obstacles because you know you are doing what you love.

2. Wellness

“Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant.” ~ Maya Angelou

This includes body, mind, and spirit because all are interconnected to create overall health.  In order to execute your mission statement and manifest it in the outer world you need to be physically healthy, have the financial resources to do so, and the social support and connections as well.

Body

Nourish your body with a good diet and exercise.  It truly is a temple that houses your spirit.  Find some type of exercise program that works for you and make sure fitness is fun!  I’m a dedicated yogini, but for many years this is the only type of exercise my body received.  Now I’ve expanded my horizons and attend Zumba and core power classes as well as a regular practice of both yin and yang styles of yoga.  I feel much stronger and my spirit is soaring.

 Mind

In a word – meditate!  Find a style of meditation that works for you and take at least 5-10 minutes each day to practice.  If you find yourself diving in too deep at first, take a break for as long or as short a time period as necessary to re-balance yourself.  Then resume your practice. 

Finances – sort out your finances and don’t worry unnecessarily about little things.  Set up automatic debit plans and automatically put some money in savings each month.  Adjust if necessary.

Spirit

Meditate – see above!

Cultivate successful relationships in all areas of your life.  Nurture your intimate relationship (if you have one) by spending quality time with your loved one and creating time for “dates” even if you are married.  If you’re not in a special relationship and you wish to be, clearly define in your mind what you desire in a partner and then trust that the right person will show up at the right time.  Have fun together!

Cultivate strong social connections with your family (whether blood family or family of choice).  Make time for your friends and also plan activities together to nourish the relationship.  Laugh a lot! 

Solitude

Spend time alone to balance out all the other social connections in your life.  This might be just five minutes early in the morning while the house is still quiet.  On the other hand it could mean taking a vacation all on your own to do something that you’ve been longing to do for a long time.    

3. Creativity

“It is better to name ourselves names that challenge us to grow as free creatures. That is thriving. That is what was meant for us.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Discover what being creative means to you and then make it a priority in your life.  For me creativity with a capital “C” means painting either in my studio or plein-aire, photography, journaling, meditating, blogging, and teaching.  Creativity with a small “c” for me means cooking, reading, day-dreaming, and gardening. 

4. Life Live on Your Own Terms

“If you have ever been called defiant, incorrigible, forward, cunning, insurgent, unruly, rebellious, you’re on the right track. Wild Woman is close by. If you have never been called these things, there is yet time.  Practice your Wild Woman. Andele! And again.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

A lot of times we do not thrive in our lives because we are trying to live up to someone else’s dream of what our life should look like (most often our family of origin’s expectations).  Media can also exert a great influence on us too.  We internalize other’s desires and expectations and often we do not even realize this is the case.  We try to live our lives (or at least a portion of our lives) to make others happy.  It takes a lot of self reflection to realize this and to truly embrace what YOU want for YOUR own life.  Be courageous and live the life you want to live. 

5. Adventure

“But thriving means now that the bad times are behind, to put ourselves into occasions of the lush, the nutritive, the light, and there to flourish, to thrive with brushy, shaggy, heavy blossoms and leaves.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Seek out adventure – it is not going to come and find you!  A great way to find adventure is to go out into the wilderness and encounter nature, just like I did this past summer in discovering waterfalls at Yosemite.  If that sounds a bit overwhelming, you might want to start small and you could be adventurous by eating at a new restaurant and trying new cuisine. 

I’m definitely focusing on finding ways to put myself “into occasions of the lush, the nutritive, the light”.  How about you? 

What makes you thrive and flourish?

Have your neglected yourself like a forgotten houseplant?  What steps can you take to remedy this situation?

How to Thrive and Be Happy is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. V is for Vernal Equinox: How to Detox Your Life this Spring New England Flowers Today is the first day of spring! ...
2. The Art of Being Radiant Radiance is defined as being luminous, glowing, shining, brilliant, healthy,...
3. V is for Voyager: Journey both Outwards and Inwards Summer is almost here, and most people are planning or...

Yosemite Falls, Photo by Niamh Savani

It’s already the first day of autumn and the change of seasons has already begun, yet I’m only now getting around to writing about some of my adventures during the summer.  One of the highlights of my summer was hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in the United States and the 6^th tallest in the world!

“The clearest way into the universe is through the forest.”  ~  John Muir

I wasn’t planning this, but it turned out to be the “Summer of Waterfalls!”.  We planned a trip to Yosemite, not because it was supposed to be one of the best times in the past 50 years to see the waterfalls, but just because it seemed like a fun thing to do and we’d never been there before.  Another thing to check off the bucket list!  We stopped off in Sequoia National Park for a few days on the way to Yosemite, and it was only then that another camper informed us that the waterfalls this year were especially beautiful due to the melting of the huge ice pack the previous winter.

“In symbology, the great bodies of water express the place where life itself is thought to have originated.  In the Hispanic Southwest, the river symbolizes the ability to live, truly live.  It is greeted as the mother, La Madre Grande, La Mujer Grande, the Great Woman …”  ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Actually, our encounters with waterfalls started in Sequoia National Park.  Our first night we were lucky enough to get a camping spot right by the Marble Fork Kaweah river that originated at the waterfall.  The water was rushing by in a torrent, and sounded like a steam train.  I was thinking that water is always a symbol of the feminine and this was a wild, powerful, raging river.  It reminded me that women too can be wild, powerful, and even go into a rage from time to time if necessary!

After hiking to the top of Moro Peak and spending time exploring Sequoia on the shuttle, our first waterfall hike was to Tokopah Falls in Sequoia.  It was a pretty easy hike, only approx 3.8 miles round trip.  Most of the hike was through a beautiful forest and was pretty level, only the last part included a slight incline.  The view and the energy at the waterfall was amazing!  On our hike back to the campground, we saw a momma and baby bear in a nearby meadow.  It was amazing to see that a small stream that started as a trickle of water at the base of the waterfall changed into a wild river by the time it got to the campground. 

“So we see here that the river symbolizes a form of feminine largess that arouses, excites, makes passionate.  Women’s eyes flash as they create, their words lilt, their faces flush with life, their very hair seems to shine all the more.  They are excited by the idea, aroused by the possibilities, impassioned by the very thought, and at that point, like the great river, they are meant to flow outward and continuously on their own unparalleled creative path.  That is the way women feel fulfilled.”  ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

After Sequoia, we headed to Yosemite National Park for more outdoor fun.  We started off at Wawona campground close to the entrance of the park and again were blessed to get a premium spot right by another raging river.  After visiting a waterfall close to camp the first night, the next day we made our way up the mountain to Yosemite Valley.  There is only one way in and one way out of Yosemite Valley and when you are there it feels like you’re in some type of vortex!  You’re surrounded by immense granite cathedral walls all around, spectacular views, and of course, plenty of waterfalls!  Actually one of the park rangers said that this year there were waterfalls in places they had never seen them before. 

“Come forth into the light of things.  Let nature be your teacher.”  ~  William Wordsworth

The first sight on the one way road into the valley is Yosemite Falls.  People were practically coming to a complete stop in their cars in the middle of the road overcome with the immense beauty.  We weren’t planning to hike to the top of the falls right then, but the fascination was beginning to set in.  On the first day, we visited the lower falls and it was a blast! This was a really easy, short, flat, paved trail and there were plenty of opportunities for some great pictures, along with getting soaked from the spray. The original inhabitants of Yosemite Valley, the Ahwahneechee people called the waterfall “Cholock” and believed that the spirits of several witches called the “Poloti” dwelled in the plunge poolat the base.  We were definitely drawn in by the magical beauty at the base, and decided to hike the upper falls the next day.  Honestly at that point in time I thought we would only go to the half way point of the waterfall.

“Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space.”  ~  Ansel Adams

The next day we got up early, packed plenty of water, snacks, and food, and headed out on our hike.  It’s a long steep climb and not for the faint of heart.  You definitely need to be in good shape to do this hike.  It’s the ultimate natural stairmaster!  There was a great sense of comradeship between all the hikers on the trail. Seasoned hikers shared water and snacks with those less prepared.  People encouraged each other with “you can do it” and “you’re nearly there” (even when you had another good 1.5 hours to get to the top). 

We had planned to go to the half way point which was spectacular in its own right.  This is when you get the first up close view of the power and the beauty of the waterfall.  It sounded like sonic booms when the water was falling and cascading over the rocks.   After hiking for hours, and feeling hot and sweaty, the spray from the waterfall was very welcome and refreshing. 

That’s’ when we decided to continue to the top.  I was looking at the switch backs and what looked like a steep granite rock face and was a bit apprehensive.  However with my husband’s encouragement, I decided to go for it.  It was definitely worth it when we got to the top.  The view was amazing, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment.  I didn’t think I could do it but I did!  It was wonderful to rest at the top and I was surprised by how peaceful it was up there.  Again, it was hard to believe that this small river would turn into that raging water creating sonic boom sounds which would eventually crash into the plunge pool at the base of the lower falls.

“As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing.  I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche.  I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.”   ~ John Muir

The whole hike up and down the mountain took us approximately 7 hours.   The hike back down took a lot less time.  I know it sounds weird but I definitely felt some type of internal shift of awareness once we were back on solid ground at the bottom.  It was like, “Phew, I did it!”.  I felt empowered, as well as tired and ready for a good meal!  I reflected and soaked up the whole experience and was on a type of “hiking high”.  All of the people on the shuttle that had been hiking all day also had a similar gleam in their eyes.  We shared stories about where we hiked and what we experienced.    

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is goin home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”  ~ John Muir

When we finally finished our road trip and got back home it took us a few days to readjust and we needed to rest.  We enjoyed looking at all the pictures and in a way experienced our trip again.  I was thinking how healing this trip was, and that waterfalls actually represent a great balance of yin and yang energy.  The upward push of the rock and mountain is very masculine, whereas the downward flow of water is very feminine.  No wonder so many oriental paintings feature waterfalls!

Waterfalls contrast the static properties of the rock with the ever changing flow of the water.  It is a great symbol of impermanence as opposed to changelessness. The waterfall is constantly changing and each drop of water is renewed each second.  The downward movement of the waterfall suggests the downward direction of heavenly activity. The upward movement of the rock suggests the upward, striving energy of our earthly activities and our desire to constantly move onwards and upwards (which can be exhausting).  Waterfalls represent wild, elemental energy somewhat similar to our untamed inner creative energies. 

What the waterfalls taught me this summer is that it is good to be wild sometimes and that it is absolutely necessary for me to encounter wildness in nature on an intermittent basis.  I also felt a great balance of male and female energy or yin and yang at the waterfall.  This feeling seems to have settled in my system.   Now I’m dreaming of hiking Havasupai Falls …  I guess the allure of waterfalls is quite enchanting!

Have you ever hiked to the top of a waterfall?

Have you experienced a sense of stillness when lost in the beauty of nature?

Waterfalls: Messages From Water is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. How to Thrive and Be Happy We’ve all had houseplants that we’ve forgotten about for weeks...

Vibrant Woman by Dolgachov, Dreamstime

I know, I know … I’ve been below the blogging radar for a while!  However for some very good reasons: disconnecting from the virtual world, grounding myself in the earthly world, living life to the fullest and feeling fully alive! 

“Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive – the risk to be alive and express what we really are.”  ~  Don Miguel Ruiz

My uncle Frank’s death last April was really a blessing in disguise.  When someone close to you dies, it kinda makes you re-evaluate your life and reminds you we have a limited amount of time on this earth (in this lifetime anyway!).  It made me re-focus on my passion and purpose in life.

My original plans for the summer were swept aside, and what evolved was a sublime summer focused on adventure, travel, connecting with old friends, self-reflection, encounters with the divine feminine, and lots of art.  I will write about some of these adventures in later posts.

“There is no end.  There is no beginning.  There is only the infinite passion of life.”  ~  Federico Fellini

It is so good to feel passionate about life again!  We really do only have the present moment and we are blessed to be alive, even if sometimes it does not feel that way.  So when things seem difficult and you feel half dead, just try to keep going because at some point you will begin to feel alive again.

“What you gonna do when things go wrong?
What you gonna do when it all cracks up?
 What you gonna do when the Love burns down?
 What you gonna do when the flames go up?
 Who is gonna come and turn the tide?
What’s it gonna take to make a dream survive?
Who’s got the touch to calm the storm inside?
Who’s gonna save you?
Alive and Kicking
Stay until your love is, Alive and Kicking
Stay until your love is, until your love is, Alive.”  ~  Simple Minds, Lyrics to “Alive and Kicking”

Yes, I’m Alive and Kicking is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. What Makes You Come Alive? What is your purpose and passion in life?  What do...
2. V is for Venus: Love is All You Need Love:  It’s a simple four letter word, the source of...

Venus of Willendorf

I haven’t been blogging much recently because I’m still in a state of transition after the death of my uncle.  In my last post I wrote “I truly feel that a cycle that began with the passing of my own beloved mother many years ago has been brought to completion by the death of my uncle.  I am looking forward to my new beginning – it has already begun!”  I wasn’t really sure what I meant when I wrote this, but it felt right at the same time.  The truth of this statement is becoming clearer to me day by day.  

My mother died in 1990, and my uncle just passed away in March of this year.  I recently realized that is a time span of 21 years.  In many traditions 21 is considered a sacred number and many people go on retreats for 21 days because it represents a complete energy cycle.  The founder of Reiki discovered the symbols and system of Reiki after 21 days on the sacred Mount Kurama.  I trust my feminine intuition that a cycle that started 21 years ago with my mother’s death has completed, and the circle is closing with the death of my uncle.  When one circle or door closes, another opens, and I can feel deep in my bones a change in myself and know that it will begin to reflect in my outer world circumstances.

 “The Divine Feminine is returning to collective consciousness all right.  She’s coming, and it will happen whether we’re ready or not”.  ~  Sue Monk Kidd

The main change that I feel is the emergence of a powerful Divine Feminine spiritual consciousness deep within my psyche and being.  It is nothing like I have ever felt before.  When I reflect back on the past few years in my life – both my spiritual journey and the mundane everyday stuff, I realize that this has been deepening and ripening within me even though I was mostly unaware of what was happening.  I was longing for a connection with the feminine face of God (or whatever you want to call it). 

“At forty (or sometimes thirty or sixty), women grow ripe for feminist spiritual conception.  By then we’ve been around long enough to grow disenchanted with traditional female existence, with the religious existence women have been given to live out.”  ~  Sue Monk Kidd

I stumbled upon Sue Monk Kidd’s “The Dance of the Dissident Daughter” over spring break and read it in a day or two.  I’ve long since left the Catholic Church (after the death of my mother) but this book made me want my own unique feminine journey.  The following week I went to see a living embodiment of the Divine Feminine, Sri Karunamayi, who just happened to be visiting Phoenix and I got darshan (blessings).  The following week my uncle died, and things have been in a state of flux ever since. 

“We’re seeing a dawning of the feminine now.  Women are beginning to realize that to follow the man’s way is not working.  We must develop our own capacities, not follow men.  The Black Madonna is beginning to break through.”  ~  Frau Kalff, from China Galland’s “Longing for Darkness”

I recently went to the library and got lots of materials on feminism, spirituality, and ancient Goddesses.  I’ve been devouring books, listening to audio discs while driving to and from work, and watching movies all related to women and spirituality.  I can’t get enough – I am obsessed!  Something has been unleashed in me that is not entirely explicable.  I am being flooded with images of God the Mother and my appetite is insatiable.  I just devoured China Galland’s “Longing for Darkness – Tara and the Black Madonna.”  It makes me want to have a direct experience and encounter with a Black Madonna myself.  It is so good to read accounts of women who have taken this journey before me and have left signposts along the way.

“Wild Woman is the health of all women. …This wilderwoman is the prototypical woman … no matter what culture, no matter what era, no matter what politic, she does not change.  Her cycles change, her symbolic representations change, but in essence, she does not change.  She is what she is and she is whole.”  ~  Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I’ve been listening to Clarissa Pinkola Estes on audio discs on the way to and from work each day.  One way to bring integration into your life and reclaim your Wild Woman nature is to do what she calls “psychic archaeological digs”.  On one of her audio discs she talks about reclamation and focus and what this means to a woman.  You basically need to examine your past (scar tissue and all!) and find all the lost “parts” of your soul.  When there is a death in the family it makes you reflect on your own life, and this is a perfect time for me to be reclaiming all the “lost” soul parts of myself and focus on what I need to manifest in the world. 

 “I found God in myself and I loved her/I loved her fiercely.”  ~  Ntozake Shange

All spiritual disciplines in one way or another tell you that what you seek is already inside yourself.  We hear such phrases as “…the kingdom of God is within” (Catholic) and “He who knows himself knows his Lord” (Sufi).  However this language and all the images one normally sees are all generally male.  In prehistoric cultures worldwide the Divine Feminine predated patriarchal forms of the divine.  Women were empowered and there was an equal balance between male and female power in the universe.    

“One is not born a woman, one becomes one.”  ~  Simone de Beauvoir

I’m so fortunate that this coming week will be the last week of school.  I will have two whole months off over the summer to dream, read, write, travel, paint, explore…  I am planning my own unique “journey” to encounter the Divine Feminine and will follow my feminine intuition and see what unfolds.  I’ll keep you posted!

Do the words “Wild Woman” stir some deep, primal feelings within you?

Do you long for an authentic encounter with the Divine Feminine?

Resources:

“Longing for Darkness – Tara and the Black Madonna” by China Galland

“The Dance of the Dissident Daughter” by Sue Monk Kidd

 “Women Who Run With The Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Rise of the Feminine Spirit is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. Embrace Your Feminine Side Earlier this week I attended a “glamour” night at our...
2. Meditation Benefits Body, Mind, and Spirit Many people are increasingly using meditation as a tool to...
3. Empowering Yourself: One Step at a Time Guest Post by Raja Kumara Elohim  Empowering Your Soul … ...

Seedling by Dreamstime

Today is May 1^st or May day, also known as Beltaine in the Celtic world.  In ancient Celtic society, the year was divided into two halves:  Samhain (November 1^st) represented the beginning of winter, the darker half of the year, and a time for introspection and reflection.  Beltaine (May 1^st) represented the beginning of spring/summer, the season of light, new beginnings, expansion, and growth

 “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”  ~  Seneca

I’ve haven’t been blogging for the past month because to be honest it went by like a blur!  I’ve been in a state of transition due to the passing of my beloved uncle Frank.  I’ve been on a journey – both a literal physical journey to California for the funeral, as well as an unplanned emotional/spiritual journey.  Death has a way of making you reassess your life, re-evaluate certain situations, and in my case brought complete clarity and closure to some issues that I didn’t even realize were unresolved.

“If I had to reduce the meaning of initiation into just two words, they would be death and rebirth.  Those are the essential tasks in any initiation, and especially they are the tasks of women who undergo initiation into feminist spiritual experience.”  ~  Sue Monk Kid, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter

I can honestly say that my uncle’s death has brought me many unexpected blessings (after I got over the original shock).  I truly feel like I have been reborn and have complete clarity about my life.  I have received so many signs over the past few weeks, and there have been so many synchronistic events, that I’m not even going to try to begin to describe them.  My uncle is really guiding me and looking out for me. 

Even before I received the news about my uncle, approximately a week before, out of the blue I dreamt that I was swallowed by a whale, was trapped in the stomach, and then was released.  According to Ted Andrews, author of Animal Speak “Whales at one time were also symbols of containment, concealment, and even resurrection.  The Biblical story of Jonah and the whale is the prime example.  For three days, Jonah lived within the belly of the whale before he came forth.  He was given a second birth.”  This dream was an omen that great changes that were afoot.

The other night I dreamt that I symbolically “died” and then was reborn.  If I was in any way unsure about all the events that have been taking place over the past few weeks, this was just total confirmation that I am guided and on the right path.

“Let every day be the first day of the rest of your life, but especially let today be a new beginning.”  ~  Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Whether we realize it or every day is a new beginning!  I have found such a sense of completion and wholeness within myself over the last month and totally trust my feminine intuition.  I truly feel that a cycle that began with the passing of my own beloved mother many years ago has been brought to completion by the death of my uncle.  I am looking forward to my new beginning – it has already begun! 

May peace prevail in your hearts, homes, communities, and the world!

New Beginning is a post from: Avatar Arts

Related posts:

1. Every Day is a New Beginning At the start of each New Year in January, many...
2. Transitions We are born to die.  This is the only thing we...
3. Rise of the Feminine Spirit I haven’t been blogging much recently because I’m still in...

Dandelion by dreamstime

We are born to die.  This is the only thing we know for sure that will happen in our life.  After we are born we may become rich, live in poverty, get an education, travel the world, have children, not have children, write a book … the possibilities are endless.  But whatever happens in our lives, we all meet the same fate at the end of our lives.

My beloved uncle Frank recently passed away.  He was a wonderful, loving, kind,and generous person.  He acted as a second father to me when I arrived in the United States and helped me settled in my new country.  While I know he has just passed to a different realm, and there is life after life, it is still strange to think that I will never hear his voice or see his face in physical form again.  Especially since the last time I talked to him a few weeks ago, he sounded vibrant and healthy once again.   However, over the last few days, I have been getting many signs from my uncle that he is still alive in some other dimension. 

” For death begins with life’s first breath. And life begins at touch of death”  ~  John Oxenham

This unexpected event  has caused me to also think of my own mother’s passing many years ago, and how important it is to honor your mother.  It has also made me reflect on the beauty of life, that our time on earth is limited (in this lifetime anyway), and the importance of following your true calling in life.  I’m also pondering what you leave behind as a legacywhen you pass on. 

I won’t be posting any articles in the near future, as I will be busy with family matters for the next few weeks.  Then I plan to spend time reflecting on what I want to accomplish in my lifetime, and what legacy I would like to leave behind when I pass on (which hopefully will be in the distant, distant future!)

What messages are your loved ones who have passed on trying to communicate to you?

What is your true calling in life?   How can you move towards this vision?

Transitions is a post from: Avatar Arts

No related posts.