Say What?

Does it feel as if we're living in "perpetual retro"? That is, life simulating Mercury in ongoing retrograde, which frequently scrambles communication? Mercury is NOT Rx now (that happens next on November 6) but/and, it can sure seem that way, as we navigate the dreamwalk towards galactic synchronization. Here are a few personal verbal snafus from this past week: 

• Called a health clinic to speak with a doctor referred by an acquaintance. Reception said he wasn't accepting new patients. I acknowledged that I knew this, and simply wanted a 3-5 minute phone consult to ask for an appropriate referral. I left my name, phone number and email. Later that day I received an email from the physician saying he had been told I wanted an appointment, and he wasn't taking new patients at this time.
• I scheduled a mobile locksmith (who WAS accepting new clients :-) to change my vehicle's door lock. On his initial visit he inspected the lock and key to determine the right lock to purchase, and made note of the year, make and model. When he arrived to install the new lock, he had purchased the wrong kind, and we needed to reschedule.
• A local bakery makes gluten-free, fermented breads that are for sale at natural foods stores. Since the bakery is local, I called and asked the owner/baker whether I could buy from him directly. Certainly, he replied. Which of the breads did I wish him to hold for me? I described the one I preferred. When I arrived that afternoon, my preferred bread had all been delivered to the health food stores
• To be fair, I did this, too: went to buy Kleenex and a writing tablet, and was frustrated to find the store out of the large size tissues I wanted for the second visit in a row. Picked up a packet of Post-it notes, paid for them and left. A few days later I realized, um, that it wasn't Post-it notes I'd meant to purchase ...

Clearly, walking this evolutionary road with one foot in 3D and the other wavering between dimensions can frazzle even those whose model equanimity. A handful of excellent resources for remaining grounded on Earth when our head's in the clouds:

• Mastering Alchemy with Jim Self;
• Barbara Hand Clow, whose books, especially The Mind Chronicles: A Visionary Guide Into Past Lives and The Mayan Code: Time Acceleration and Awakening the World Mind transfigured my consciousness;
• Starchild Global, whose creator, Celia Fenn, travels continuously from her home in South Africa, stewarding awakening rituals and events worldwide. If you're near New York City in December, her 12/12/12 and Winter Solstice events are highly recommended;
• Gillian Macbeth-Louthan's Quantum Awakening site and monthly newsletter, bringing through visionary guidance since 1986!
• The Reconnections through Daniel Jacob, always amusing, timely, penetrating in their insights.

And of course, my monthly enewsletter, What Shines, which quotes frequently from these and other superb sources, is your one-stop destination for practical inspiration and information.

Please let me know how else I may serve you! I'll have some warm bread waiting, right after I get off the phone with the doctor.

R U Sirius? Hot Dog!

July 26th marks the annual heliacal rise of Sirius (meaning, "with the Sun"). This date heralds both the ancient Mayan and Egyptian New Year — for the latter, it also coincides with the flooding of the Nile, which Egyptians believed Sirius' rising caused.

 Sirius has long been known as the "Dog Star". (Trivia: in the Harry Potter series, Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, is an animagus: one who can shapeshift — and when he does, he transforms into a large black dog.) The Dog Star also gives us the "dog days of summer":

Ancient Egyptians called Sirius the "Dog Star" because pictograms of the head of their god Osiris resembled a dog. In Egypt, Sirius shines for most of the summer, and since it's such a bright star, the Egyptians believed the additional light it radiated was responsible for the summer heat. This isn't true, of course, but the phrase "the dog days of summer" springs from this belief.

The Greeks named the star Sirius, which meant, "scorching or burning".

And as we move through the Great Turning, this time that's been prophesied for millennia, it's wise to balance our blazing inner and outer heat with the heart of the dog, which of course is all about Love. Lots more on that in the August issue of my e-newsletter, What Shines.

Living On the Edge

My longtime friend and What Shines subscriber Paul White is somewhat clairvoyant and clairsentient. He's written before about extraordinary experiences that dovetailed with my newsletter posts, such as this, on seeing Beyond Visible Light.

The current issue is entitled Edge Dwellers, and deals with what it means to live edgy during these emergent times. Paul sent me this email today:

"This is really incredible. The day before you sent What Shines I had a dream that I enticed someone to come to the edge of a cliff. I then grabbed their arm, pulled, and we both fell off the cliff. I remember the first instance of falling: there was fear; it was a long way to the bottom. But then I really looked at where we were going: there was plenty of time to think. By some miracle or inspiration we started to fly. We flew over a town and started to gain altitude. The last thing in the dream that I remember was going into some clouds and the light.

Pretty cool huh?"

And I concluded the newsletter with this invocation, from Apollinaire:

"Come to the edge,
He said.
They said,
We are afraid.
Come to the edge,
He said.
They came.
He pushed them ... and they flew."

We are all One mind, linked by Spirit! Find your glowing edge, dearhearts, and take flight — because you can.

Marketing 101: The Heart of Money

It's been awhile since I last wrote about money — one of my greatest apprenticeships this lifetime. I discovered a fabulous local networking group with the intriguing title, "New Consciousness Entrepreneurs," and knew upon arriving that I was home. The woman who conceived of and facilitates the group, Maggie Ostara, has, in the synchronous way our lives intertwine these days, been on my What Shines newsletter mailing list for years.

Maggie's topic for the first meeting I attended was, "Marketing is Not A Four-Letter Word!" The other women seated around the table chuckled, because, while we come from diverse backgrounds, what we all have in common is an ingrained terror of taking our spiritual work public in a way that also supports us financially — something we have no trouble doing for our clients. READ THE REST!

Dec. newsletter: From Resistance to Resilience

Years ago a popular television commercial featured a maternal manicurist who would soften her customers' hands in Palmolive dishwashing liquid. The theme was both arresting and funny. The patron, upon learning the contents of the cuticle-softening dish, would jerk her hand away and gasp: "Dishwashing liquid?" Madge would calmly pat her hand back down, reassuring, "It's Palmolive!"

I was ruminating on how such a commercial might play in the metaphysical realm: "Resistance? You're soaking in it!" And it doesn't soften the journey, but cooks us to a crisp - even when we think we're coming from an enlightened perspective. READ THE REST!

Rumi's Invitation

I posted the main article in my July What Shines newsletter to the International Coaching Network on LinkedIn, and received this luscious reply from a fellow coach; a Rumi quote new to me, and revivifying for us all:


Come! Take a pickaxe
And break apart
Your stony self.
The heart’s matrix
is glutted with rubies.
Springs of laughter
are buried in your breast.
Unstop the wine jar
Batter down the door
to the treasury
of nonexistence.
The water in your jug
is brackish and low.
Smash the jug
and come to the river!

Ultimate Surrender

Commitment precedes manifestation. I know this, and yet, sometimes it takes quite a while for my inner wisdom to prevail over monkey mind.

I've been questing a camper van in which to travel and serve for over 9 months now ~ yes, another birth process, and this baby's been overdue! Although I love northern California, it's been clear to me for some time that my service, which has been virtually-based for the past decade, is asking for a physical presence; while cyberspace is awesome (and I love connecting with people from all over the world!), bringing the activations to you directly adds a level of power and propulsion.

The day after I mentally committed to drive x-country, even if that meant taking my trusty but aged Toyota Corolla and tent camping all the way, the ideal vehicle showed up ~ in Texas. It was posted to Craig's List in San Francisco, however. Clearly, a spiritual test. I was the first to phone, the van seemed to meet all my specs, and I made plans to drive the 1300 miles (across the desert, no air conditioning) in 3 days.

As usual, the trip opened me in ways being stationary does not. While my body has rarely felt so abused, coursing through 100+ degree heat on almost no sleep or food, I simultaneously reaped numerous gifts, deepening my trust and surrender:

• Pulling into Ventura at 7 pm, timing my arrival as near as possible to receive a haircut from my former hair stylist (who is also a professional children's clown ~ and the one who shaved my head 6 years ago!), all avenues appeared blocked. Lucy had not shown up by 9 pm or returned my calls (turned out she got food poisoning that afternoon ~ and had left a note for me on her door, which I somehow failed to find). I also seemingly had no place to sleep. I remembered Lake Casitas near Ojai (about 12 miles away) and headed there, but couldn't find the turn-off where I'd thought it ought to be. Pulled into a gas station and went into the store to ask directions. There's my friend Phil working the counter. (When I lived in Ojai, he was doing graphic design and writing, but tough times prompted this temporary job.) For some reason (needing to catch up with Phil?) the Lake campground was closed, so Phil offered his couch, and I drove to his place, met his housemate, and prepared to get some shut-eye.

• En route to Phoenix, where I had a place to stay thanks to my departure-day Craig's post, requesting a bed or couch for the night, I stopped in a mini-mall just to get a break from the heat of the drive, and spied Wondercuts. Got my hair trimmed for the same price Lucy charges, and released another attachment: to a known hairdresser. Granted, my hairstyle's pretty easy to cut ~ and for someone who was once bald, it shouldn't have even been an issue :-) Interesting how attachments re-grow, like hair itself.

• On to Phoenix, which felt like the gift exchange it was: of the 3 people who responded to my post, Don was as eager for my visit as I was for a place to stay; he called me several times while I was en route to see what I like to eat, etc. I understood that he was lonely (his wife's been gone 4 years) and wanted to talk. I was blessed to be able to listen him into some healing around her passing, and he invited me to stay on as long as I wanted. I left in the morning, having made a new friend.

• Traveling on to El Paso, I affirmed, "I travel only in love. From now on, new avenues of connection for spiritual service open to me, as I travel and serve in my Live Your Light mobile. And so it is!"

I look forward to seeing you in person soon, as the LiveYourLight mobile travels in service across the U.S. I am also considering painting or decal-ing my logo on the van ~ if you have experience in doing this, and might be interested in an energy exchange, please get in touch!

How to Raise Your Energy

One of the best instant mood elevators is recognizing and appreciating something you take for granted in your life. It sounds simple, and ~ it really works. Here's an example:

Last weekend I participated in an EFT class (Emotional Freedom Technique). I've done a lot of clearing over the years, and am always open to learning new technologies to take my life to the next level. I've known about EFT for a decade, but never really took the time to learn it. Just a brief note because this is important to my story: EFT involves tapping on "energy meridians" of the body using two fingers of either hand. Another term for it is "acupuncture without needles." But you do need fingers. Which you probably don't give a second thought to, right?

Just as the class began, two people walked in and sat down in the circle. There were 12 of us in all. One of the last two to enter was an older gentleman with truncated arms. Each hand was missing a thumb, and I think perhaps a finger as well. Yet he took notes like the rest of us, and did his best to learn the tapping sequences ~ sometimes asking the class facilitator how best to adapt a given instruction for his unique situation.

Fresh from that humbling experience, I went to Whole Foods for a snack, and stood next to two delightful, energetic girls who were communicating in both sign language and speech. They wore hearing aids. I'll tell you, I was nearly in tears by then, thanking Spirit for blessing me with the abundant gifts in my life. Yes, I'm dealing with some major challenges ~ as are we all ~ and this day flipped me effortlessly onto a trampoline of gratitude. I just kept bouncing back to wholeness.

May you see clearly how blessed you truly are, and allow this awareness to elevate you whenever you feel squeezed, which is pretty much the theme of now (and will be the subject of my March newsletter).

Showered With Blessings

What Shines subscriber and poet Eileen Balint shares this lovely piece about April awakening (click the image to enlarge the words):

Synchronicity Rising! Create the Life You Want

I was interviewed on BlogTalkRadio today, discussing how attuning to synchronicity can help us create the lives we most want:

Synchronicity Rising!

The show itself was a study in synchronicity: my host, Stephen of PeacePortal.mobi, has a young daughter named Amara Sophia Rose! And if that weren't synchronous enough, I also discovered through talking with him that a shining young woman who assisted me in my former business 16 years ago is none other than Stephen's wife, Kyra.

Because this is such a powerful moment, just after the Aries New Moon, a quintessential time to light your world ~ and because I resonate deeply with the number 5 ~ I'm offering a USD $50 spring savings to the first 5 people who sign up for Light coaching through these networks: the radio show, my What Shines newsletter, Architects of A New Dawn, and this blog.

I invite you to invest in yourself now ~ it's the one investment that's guaranteed to yield a positive return! Email me today or call 1-800-862-0157 (toll free within the USA).

In joy,
Amara

"Time of Screaming and Gnashing of Teeth"

Patricia Cota-Robles' latest message, This Is Our Moment! brought a smile to my face, as I've been living my light in service for many years with a dwindling bank balance, doing my best to live the trust frequency I've written about (most recently in my March What Shines newsletter), on this blog, and in my many published articles. But Lord, it's tough sometimes to stay out of fear when we're in bodies and bodies have basic needs, eh?

Why would we subject ourselves to this pain and suffering? Patti reminds us it's because we saw the future, and it was good. Her latest post reads in part:

"We were shown the New Earth in all of her splendor. We witnessed Humanity living with the full knowledge of the Oneness of all Life. On this New Earth, every soul recognizes and reveres the Divinity within every other soul and in every particle of Life. People work together to find viable solutions that reflect the highest good for all concerned in every situation. Win-win experiences are achieved in every line of endeavor. The New Earth transcends all of the maladies now existing on this planet. Exquisite joy, love, abundance, health, happiness, peace, wisdom, enlightenment, and every other aspect of our Father-Mother God are the order of the day on the New Earth.

"This is not, however, the only reason we made the sacrifice to embody on Earth during this unprecedented moment. Through our I AM Presence, we were well aware of the Universal Laws governing the evolution of the Sons and Daughters of God. We knew that in order for something to manifest in the physical plane, it must be invoked or asked for through the free will choice of someone existing in the physical plane.

"With this inner knowing, we clearly understood that in order for us to transform the Earth and all her Life into the infinite perfection of the New Earth, we must be abiding in the physical plane. This is what is meant by the words, 'God needs a body.'"

So let's keep encouraging and supporting one another to get there, dear ones. We're so close: in the final stages of the 9th month of our global rebirth process. All mothers know they would do anything to ease the pain of labor ~ and yet, in the end, they behold a beautiful little bundle of joy, a miracle of co-creation and Love. This is what we're doing now on a mass scale. It's a spiritual emerge-and-see of the highest order. And we are MORE than equal to the task!

Much love and upliftment to you all,
Amara

Trust, Google and 2012

My March newsletter, What Shines, focuses on The Trust Frequency, a fascinating new way of looking at a very old subject. The idea was seeded by a radio interview I discovered through an awesome social network I joined at the start of the year, Architects of a New Dawn.

Two brand-new books I refer to in the newsletter I can't recommend highly enough; they will be the most important/valuable books you read this year, and perhaps in the past several:

∞ Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012 and A New World Age by Gregg Braden
∞ What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis

In radically different yet complementary ways, each points the way to the future we desire to create: the next Eden rather than Armageddon. We have the power to effect change, and the tools are as simple as choosing love, trust, cooperation and sharing instead of fear, doubt, competition and greed. The Age of Pisces, those two fish swimming in opposite directions, defining duality, is over; the Age of Aquarius, overflowing waters of community, communion, and enough for all, is now here (no longer nowhere) ~ and our open hearts Light the way!

The Love of Your Life

This is excerpted from my February What Shines newsletter two years ago:

We become "the Light of the world" first within our own beings; then we're able to shine this radiance outward. It's like any other learning process: we can only serve others from a well that runs full and deep.
In this spirit, I offer you an evocative embrace from Derek Walcott (sounding remarkably reminiscent of T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets, and Rumi):

Love After Love

The time will come 

when, with elation 

you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror 

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat. 

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Remember that February 14th heralds the actual celestial alignment celebrated in song 40 years ago, and a true heart-opening opportunity for the entire planet ~ blessed are we to be a part of it!

Age of Aquarius: Balancing the Both/And

It's my birthday, and a somewhat strange one at that. I was heartened to log on to Celia Fenn's Starchild Global site this morning and see her latest Michael channeling, which elaborates on the idea I presented in my February What Shines, that we're now operating on multiple levels simultaneously. The entire post is extremely worth reading; here's an excerpt:
"Beloved Lightworkers, as you enter this month of February, you are experiencing your Reality in a new way. You are beginning to experience the multiple levels and expressions of Light in your reality. As the 'Hologram' of your Fifth Dimensional Reality strengthens and becomes clearer, you are entering into a new and challenging phase of your evolution as a Collective.

"As the new grids are energized and activated around the Planet, more and more light flows into the new grids in preparation for the new manifestations. On these grids there is a high tension of creative energy surging through the new crystalline matrix. The Abundance of Source is pulsing through the grids as Harmonics of Light, just waiting to be woven into manifestation by the Masters of Light who can access the flow of Abundance through their open hearts and their joyful service to the Light. At the same time, the old third-dimensional grids are being depleted of energy, and this is creating a 'vacuum' effect, where nothing seems to move forward and nothing seems to flow.

"Indeed, Beloved Ones, this is where the challenge arises for you as Masters of Light. You will be confronted by two 'levels' of experience in your daily lives. The one level will be the miraculous fifth-dimensional flow of Abundance, the other will be the disintegrating third-dimensional level of lack and limitation, the empty illusions that are coming up very empty indeed right now. Everyone will experience these two levels of reality, and we know that those without discernment and wisdom may fall into panic and feel that they are 'blocked' and are not moving forward.

"Beloved Ones, this time is given to you so that you may learn the skill of distinguishing what is real and what is truth for you, and what is empty illusion. When you can fluidly move from the empty and void energies of negativity and anger, and flow into the blessings of Abundant manifestation, you will have activated your abilities as a Master of Light in the New Earth."

Joy: Just Open Yourself

This is a beautiful new video from SimpleTruths.com, whose inspirational movie links I've included before in my e-newsletter, What Shines.

Finding Joy

Giving and Receiving Are One in Truth

We've been hearing about the Law of Attraction and the importance of gratitude for quite awhile now. Here's a slightly different take on the joy of giving, and how it can turn your own life around. Thanks to What Shines subscriber Anne Naylor for sending:

"Feeling desperate and hopeless after spending eight days in the hospital related to multiple sclerosis, 35-year-old Cami Walker decided to take an odd 'prescription' from an African medicine woman. The remedy? Give away one thing each day for 29 days. 'I thought the suggestion was crazy at first, but decided it wasn't going to hurt me to try it.

'Things couldn't get much worse,' said Walker. 'I was shocked by how quickly things turned around for me. By day 14, I was able to walk without my cane and many of my MS symptoms subsided. I was able to start working part-time again by day 29.' Now, several months and many daily gifts later, Walker says she is still improving.

Walker was so inspired by the changes in her health and other areas of her life that she decided to turn the 29-Day Giving Challenge into a worldwide giving movement: 29Gifts.org.

Your 29 gifts can be anything ... money, food, old sweaters, smiles, your time, kind words or thoughts.

You can start your own personal 29-Day Giving Challenge at any time — there’s no official beginning or end date.

To complete the Challenge, share a story about the impact it made on your life to focus on giving for 29 days. Your story can be told with written word, short film, recorded spoken word, song or visual art.

The Challenge is intended to be a sacred ritual — it is your opportunity to cultivate a mindful practice of stepping outside your own story for a few moments each day by serving others.

Don’t quit. If you have a day that you feel unmotivated to give, it’s OK. Just go for the simple give. Call a friend and share some kind words. Write someone a nice note. Or exchange smiles with a stranger. Every gift doesn't need to be monumental. You might even notice that the 'simple gives' feel more powerful than the grand gestures.

If you forget your give one day, be gentle with yourself. This ritual is about progress, not perfection. Sit down and quietly reflect on your day. Review the entire day mindfully and find the times you unconsciously gave so you can bring it into your consciousness.

Don’t forget that there is never a day that you don't give. There are only days that you don't acknowledge and remember you did.

Enjoy your 29 days. And remember to stay open to receiving. Giving can't happen without the receptors of our gifts. Good giving to you today."

Earth Sounds

Here's another audiophile file, this time of some of the incredible sounds Gaia makes, courtesy of physics professor Don Gurnett:

The Sounds of Space

To read my September newsletter, Sound Effects, please subscribe to What Shines.

Sound Wisdom

Glass artist Paul White, a longtime subscriber to my inspirational ezine, What Shines, often responds with intriguing information of his own. The September issue focuses on sound, and the myriad ways we can use it to heal and shift ourselves and our beloved Gaia.

Paul writes, "How interesting you are discussing sound. On the way home from a poetry event in Mountainaire, NM I started to hum. I had my earplugs in because I've found using earplugs lessens driving and flying fatigue. So as I was humming I began to hum nasally, raising the pitch and lowering it. All of a sudden I found a vibration that actually created another tone. It was like there was a bee inside my head. I've only experienced that one other time, when I was in a Peruvian whistle circle. Have you ever heard of Peruvian whistles?

Thank you for your What Shines emails, they always have such interesting information!"

It's a G.A.S. - G.A.S. - G.A.S.!

The title of this post doesn't refer to the refrain from the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash," but rather to what we're experiencing now: Global Acceleration Syndrome, nicknamed G.A.S. by Reconnections channel Daniel Jacob.

It's a planetary birth process, something I've been writing about for many years (see my ebook series, What Shines: Practical Wisdom for Unleashing Your Inner Brilliance, a compendium of multidimensional guidance with hands-on application for your life now. There's a special FREE bonus offered with the purchase of books 2 & 3 throughout the month of June!)

G.A.S. Symptom Summary:

∞ Insomnia
∞ Spacey-ness
∞ Joint and muscle aches and pains
∞ Fatigue
∞ Depression and/or anxiety
∞ Allergies and immune system challenges
∞ Short-term memory loss
∞ Unexplained weight gain
∞ Pain at the back of the neck

Some of Daniel's suggestions for managing the shift (with helpful links):

• "It's all PERFECT"
• "It's all ME"
• "It's all REAL"
• "It's all NOW"

And I'd add, "It's all RIGHT!!"

Shine On, Beloveds ...