Of Time Warps, Orgasmic Gasoline, and Gratitude

I am sitting in Schlow Library (pronounced slow, or sloe, and I do feel a bit the latter after all the bruising miles of driving ... ) here in State College, PA, home of my alma mater, Penn State. It's amazing to me that I graduated 3 decades ago; having only been back here once since then, in 1986, I'm seeing it all with new eyes, like an incoming freshman. And isn't that what Marcel Proust counseled?

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

When I was enrolled at the college (long before I realized I'd always be a student ~ of life), it would feel like a time warp at term breaks, when I'd get in the car of whichever fellow student was heading to NJ and emerge, approximately 4.5 hours later, at my parents' door. My college self would recede to a pin dot as I adopted my daughter/sister persona, and resumed my role in my hometown. Two weeks later, the process would reverse. A car would swoop up, I'd enter the enclave, and emerge at Penn State feeling I was "home", with Paramus a distant memory. The experience had little to do with actual miles, and everything to do with the mind and heart.

Journeying East has been like this. I've experienced every emotion, from purple rage to fuchsia profusions of gratitude, hyperactivity to exhaustion. At one point I was so sure I'd made a horrible mistake buying the camper van and undertaking this trip that I tried to phone my folks in despair, only to be greeted by their answering machine. The answer I received was an echo from 1994, however, when I'd left my life in San Francisco on what would become an ongoing pilgrimage of awakening.

At that time, my first stop was Susun Weed's apprenticeship program in Woodstock, NY (yes, the same town made famous for the concert that took place near there in 1969, and the song Joni Mitchell penned about the experience.) At the time, my ambitious attempt to heal by working on Weed's farm 10+ hours a day was laughable; I could barely stand up or function. But I'd dissolved my old life fairly thoroughly, and had no idea what to do next. I tried to call my folks to come get me ~ but they were out of town. When you make a commitment, Spirit helps you honor it, no matter how challenging that may be.

Thus my assignment to rebirth myself from molten lava began. I left the farm after 3 days, and an incredible odyssey ensued; I discuss some of my story on my CD of the hero's journey, What You Need to Know Now: A Road Map for Personal Transformation. Much of it is also woven into the numerous articles I publish, my trio of eBooks, as well as my monthly What Shines newsletter.

When I phoned home this time (feeling very much an ET, for those of you old enough to get the analogy :-) and again got no answer, I immediately understood I needed to complete this next phase of my unfoldment to the best of my ability.

So here are a few field notes, concluding with Spirit's answer (no fair skipping ahead to the end!):

∞ Spiritual Elder-ing: Back in 1995, Rabbi Zalman Schacter Shalomi wrote a breakthrough book, From Age-ing to Sage-ing, exploring the positive aspects of creating a purposeful life in maturity. More recently, Shirley MacLaine wrote Sage-ing While Age-ing, in a similar vein. I had a direct taste of this possibility when I had the opportunity to observe, up close and back-to-back, how two couples of the same vintage choose to live their lives.

The couple I bought the van from, in Texas, are 75 (him) and 72 (her) years old. They look their ages, have some health issues, and spend the majority of their time eating (not very healthful foods), watching TV, puttering about the house and yard, doing errands, going out to dinner, etc. Nothing at all wrong with this lifestyle, I hasten to add; it's how the vast majority of retirees live, and they've certainly earned their leisure after a lifetime of work and/or raising a family.

However, my first stop headed north was Anton Chico, NM, where a couple I know from my years in Santa Fe now dwell. A few miles from this tiny hamlet, in Tecolotito, Val and David Hutt, now 71 and 76, respectively, are launching an organic farm. They have each had multiple careers, raised three sons, and more than "paid their dues." Why are they creating Earth Echo Farm ~ with their own hard labor, from scratch ~ at this stage of their lives, when they could be relaxing somewhere? "I feel called to do this," Val told me simply. And David added, "Retirement? What's that?"

He dons a straw hat, long-sleeved shirt and pants, and heads out to tractor the fields by 7 am most mornings. Val joins him a bit later to work in the greenhouse they've built, where the produce they grow (now in the process of being certified organic) is already being eagerly purchased by the Santa Fe branch of Albuquerque-based La Montanita Co-op. And in the punishing heat and dust and dryness, they look and behave like much younger folks; I told Val she looks better now than she did when publishing The Aquarian (she's also a fine astrologer) back in the mid-90s. This is spiritual eldering: sage-ing that serves the collective. The Hutts are a true inspiration. To subscribe to their Field Notes from The Farm, send an email to: huttfarm@gmail.com.

∞ Midwest Humor, or: What Exactly Will this Gas Do for Me? Former Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry, whose columns were so funny I'd almost choke from laughing, would frequently write, "I am not making this up ...", and that's true here: I did a double-take when, driving through Omaha, Nebraska looking for Whole Foods like a homing pigeon, I spied a gas station called "Kum and Go". The chain extends into Iowa, too; I'm not sure about Illinois. I imagine it's not only my warped mind that envisions getting your fuel there as a climactic experience!

∞ Jet Propulsion: Then again, maybe the gas station only reflects the energy of driving through the Midwest, where gale force winds (I'm not exaggerating; trying to control the van on the freeway was like holding the reins on a bucking bronco!) are "normal". The people are the nicest and most helpful, though. I camped for two nights at Buffalo Bill's State Park in North Platte, NE, a historic site on a lake, then had the good fortune to meet a kind-hearted ranger in Neola, Iowa, who, when he heard my funds were at very low ebb, offered me a free spot, also on a lovely lake. If you pass through there, stop at Arrowhead Park and thank Dave (the head ranger), for being Amara's angel on May 19, 2009.

Also, Iowa was the only state I drove through to offer free wifi at all the rest stops along the interstate. The connection didn't always work, but I thought it was a very nice gift for travelers.

∞ No, No, No to Ohio: In sharp contrast to the foregoing, my experience in Ohio was one of purple rage and black despair. Granted, I was quite overtired, having driven from Iowa straight through Illinois and Indiana, arriving at a Toledo truck stop at 11:30 pm (with the time change), the price of gas along Rte 80 astounding me, and having also learned that in Ohio, the freeway is not free: it's a toll road. My nighttime there was brief and bleak; the next day, trying to have the toll payment deferred (an easy experience in Colorado, btw, where I drove briefly on a toll road. They have a separate lane you can choose where they photograph your license plate, and send you a bill a month later, with ample time to pay. Great idea.) I had a very unpleasant exchange with the toll-taker, who called her supervisor over to "deal with" me. In the end I wrote them a check just to get on my way. Oh, and Ohio also offers Internet at its rest areas ~ for a fee. This state seems to nickel and dime a traveler at every turn, and I will do everything possible to avoid driving there in the future.

∞ Welcome Home. I'm not quite to NJ, but at Penn State, which was home for four years. I knew if I stopped here for awhile to decompress, I'd have a wonderful experience; I'd set this intention, and also felt it in my heart. And Spirit delivered, in fuchsia. Here's what happened:

I arrived in town around 4 pm on Thursday, May 21, 2009 (hadn't planned to be here until Friday, but the previous day's burst of breakthrough driving delivered me a day "early". Or so I supposed ... ) First I followed the signs on campus for Visitor Parking permits, which were $4/day ~ if there was no on-campus event (which there usually is!) and they had space available. The friendly girl at the desk gave me maps and informed me there were two Wal-Marts nearby (Wal-Mart allows RV-ers to park for free in their lots, which is quite nice, and I did avail myself of this opportunity my first night on the road, after I'd left NM, in beautiful, green Colorado ~ but I did not come to Penn State to stay at a Wal-Mart! Plus, I was much too exhausted for parking lot noise). I drove back into town, sensing that, as usual for me, what I needed would manifest by more magical means.

When I went to school here, I did not have a car, so I was surprised by all the meters and parking garages. Knowing there had to be free parking further away from campus, I drove out toward the fraternities, and sure enough, there was a spot, under a shady tree. The sign said 2-hour parking without a permit, and it was 4:30 pm. I saw a woman entering a building just ahead, and called to her, asking if she knew whether it was OK to stay parked there after 6 o'clock. She was friendly, and within a minute I'd articulated my dream: a free place near campus to park through Monday night (this being Memorial Day weekend). She responded, "You're welcome to park in our lot after 5 pm Friday, until Tuesday morning. We'll be closed for the holiday." Andrea is the director of the Youth Services Center, so her word was gold. Now I had a place to sleep, even if I had to go to Wal-Mart the first night. I was filled with gratitude.

Walking a few paces further, I saw a sandwich board outside a church that read, "Community Cafe: free soup and bread dinner every Thursday from 5-6:45 pm". It was 4:45. This was amazing. I walked into the building and followed my nose to the delicious smells (I'd barely eaten the previous 2 days, due to the van's fridge not working in the heat, and funds needed for gas). I soon met Robyn and Steve, who listened to my frenetic tale with compassionate eyes. When I questioned whether the meal was just for homeless people, they assured me all were welcome.

The food was delicious, and then Robyn (who, it turns out, is the Director of Christian Education for St. Andrew's Episcopal Church) asked the Rector whether I might park my van in front of Trinity House, where he lives. It's a lovely, shaded spot in an alley, very safe and quiet. And it has electricity!

But the pièce de résistance is this: Robyn suggested I attend the service they were about to have at 7:30 pm. It would be a good way to meet the Rector, she said, and, wanting to express my gratitude for all they'd done for me, it seemed the least I might do. Not being Episcopalian, I had no idea why there'd be a service on Thursday.

When I took my seat in a pew, I picked up the program and nearly burst into tears. The program read: Ascension Day. May 21, 2009.

It's not about religion. It's about faith. They can be synonymous; often they are not. I knew this was a sign for me, and I keep welling up with gratitude today. That night, at the reception following the service, people wanted to know who I was and whether I was Episcopalian. I responded with the lyric from "Walking In Memphis": I am tonight! Robyn, Father Charles and the rest of the congregation truly exuded Christ's message of loving and serving one another, and I am profoundly honored and humbled to have been right on time to receive the manifold gifts. And I'm sure there are more to come.

Thank you for reading this very looooong missive of this lap of my life journey. I welcome your comments!

Much love,
Amara

Defeat and Deliverance

On May 8th, I chronicled the first stages of my latest adventure, alluding to what happened once I arrived in Texas, just one night before Mercury Rx. Here's the backstory:

The camper van I'd just driven 1300 miles to purchase met pretty much every expectation, and appeared to be in excellent condition. I went to sleep in it that first night brimming with gratitude, both that I'd heeded the call and been willing to trek to Texas for my dream, and that Spirit had delivered on the promise. Most of all, I was grateful I'd allowed myself to receive the gift.

The following day I took her for a drive and started reading the manuals, intending to schedule a mechanic's check-up for Thursday. In addition to the oppressive heat, however, I was feeling increasingly frustrated and exhausted by the current owner's seemingly intractable attitude: how perfect the van was, all the money he'd spent fixing it up, how he used to be a mechanic and knew it was in excellent condition (true, he used to be a diesel mechanic, though he doesn't know camper vans ~ the response to every question I asked him about this van was, "Read the manual!"), how it was worth more than he was charging, etc. etc. Nonetheless, I wanted it, and knew once I bought it and left the area, this tussle would quickly fade.

The mechanic who examined the van's engine, etc. pronounced it in fine shape, except for some minor rust underneath, due to the 12 years it lived in a coastal town (which I hadn't known about beforehand). He didn't say it was a major concern. So I took it to the RV shop to check out the housekeeping functions (fridge, stove, sink, toilet, etc.), and while this guy also said it was basically in good shape, when I mentioned the rust he took a quick peek and said emphatically, out of the owner's hearing, "This is just a personal opinion, but as a lifelong mechanic, I wouldn't buy it."

Then I felt uncertain. Once alone, I drove back to the first mechanic and solicited more detail from him. While he reiterated that he felt the rust was superficial, when I pressed him as to whether he'd personally buy it, he said, "No."

I felt defeated. Yet I knew I'd committed to the journey regardless. Now what? On to the East coast? Back to CA where another van whose owner I'd been talking with for over a month finally had his vehicle spruced up and ready for view? I prayed for guidance and clarity.

At 9 pm, in the ladies' restroom of the restaurant where I stopped for dinner, I began spontaneously sharing this saga with a lovely woman who listened, nodded, agreed with my assessments, and refused to leave me when her friends came questing after her, until she'd received my entire tale. I knew she was the angel I'd asked for, and it was such a relief simply to have someone hold the space for me! Mercedes (amusing that her name is a luxury automobile, isn't it?) said she and her husband own an RV, and she knew a mobile mechanic. She pulled out her cell and asked if he'd do her a favor.

On Friday morning, Ramon came to the house and looked the van over, tested the engine, and examined the rust. He agreed it was superficial, and said, given the excellent condition of the vehicle overall, he'd definitely buy it. Then I felt delivered.

I became the joy-filled steward of the LiveYourLight mobile on Monday, May 11, 2009, and look forward to our many happy years together.

Surrender is an ongoing process. Lying in bed Thursday night, after I'd connected with my Earth angels but before I knew for certain what would transpire the next day, I understood that Spirit was asking me if I was ready to graduate to the next level of my life work. And there was a clear echo from 13 years earlier. When I lived in Santa Fe, NM during my awakening in the mid-90s (the same period during which this camper van was being created!), I manifested a wonderful mountain cabin by following a series of synchronous threads.

However, once I'd found it and the owner agreed to rent it to me, I began having doubts. The cabin had no plumbing. Could I haul water until she installed the promised well? Would living so far from civilization be a hardship? What if I needed help?

The next day she phoned and said she'd decided to rent it to a couple of guys down the road instead, who needed a place to live while they remodeled, and were accustomed to rustic living. I felt the same sense of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" I described above.

That day in 1996, I went walking in the woods and implored Spirit, "Take this from me, take it!" I meant my resistance, my fear, all that blocked me from receiving my good. I then went to visit an area on the road to Wendy's cabin known colloquially as "the women's land". These women lived without running water or electricity, keeping their food cold in the stream and using kerosene lanterns to light their tipis and cabins. My heart full, I returned to Wendy's cabin without phoning, catching her fresh from an improvised shower.

She was very friendly, but firm: the cabin was going to the neighbors. Yet I was calm and centered. I said to her, "I KNOW something as wonderful as this is coming for me! Thank you." And I left.

The following morning she phoned, saying she'd reconsidered; she felt I'd probably take better care of her cabin than the guys down the road, and if I still wanted it, it was mine.

I knew I'd created that entire drama for my own growth, just as I created this one. I remain grateful to grasp the teachings in time to receive the gifts Spirit wants to bestow. And it's all a Gift.

May my adventures serve your own journey.

Many blessings,
Amara

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!

Beltane Benevolence

Today my favorite bank teller said, "Oh, it's the first of May ~ that's called May Day, isn't it?" And I had a perfect opening in which to explain to two intrigued bank employees (the teller next to him was all ears, too!) that the secular version of these holy days leaves a lot out.

May 1st is Beltane: a time for celebrating the beauty and sanctity of all life. No matter how challenging your life may be now, today is a moment for reclaiming your power, balance, and inner strength.

Beltane is one of eight Shabbats on the Wheel of the Year. The others include the Solstices and Equinoxes, Lammas (August 1st), Samhain (October 31st), and Imbolc (February 2nd). Beltane breathes renewal into our cells as we acknowledge the Nature Kingdom and the advent of summer. For our Southern Hemisphere allies, the Wheel of the Year is reversed: Myth*ing Links offers a fine page on the Southern Year.

Although traditionally observed on May 1st, astronomical Beltane arrives on the 5th, a nice sync-up with Cinco de Mayo, so we actually have an entire week in which to renew, dance the fire back into our beings, and open once again to a sacred reUnion of our masculine and feminine selves. Mythologist Kathleen Jenks provides a page rich in Beltane lore from around the globe.

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).

Miss California: Harmony or Honesty?

Miss California supposedly lost out on the Miss USA title because she answered a controversial question with her personal truth. She was asked if she thought all states should legalize gay marriage, and responded, "I think marriage should be between a man and a woman ~ no offense to anybody."

Her response was honest and pulled no punches. She even clarified that her personal opinion was not meant as an affront. Yet some TV commentators ~ and Miss California herself ~ believe it cost her the crown.

We're living in tremendously arduous times, as the illusion of duality deliquesces at Light speed ~ and hitting a lot of speed bumps along the way. So what do you think? If you must choose between agreement and honesty, which way would you go? Bear in mind that the latter path is what has led to war for millennia ~ perhaps not so much because people speak their truth, as that they take exception to any who disagree with them: "My way or the highway."

Yet what's the true cost of false consensus? As I discuss on my CD of the transformational journey, What You Need to Know Now, your own vitality slowly drains away if you consistently cover up your essence, day after day after day. False harmony smolders beneath the surface and eventually breaks through as anger or even rage.

I'd love to get a dialogue going on this topic.

Blessings,
Amara

Law of Attractiveness? Susan Boyle Brings Down the House

The music scene ~ at least in Great Britain ~ has been knocked sideways in the last few years by breakthrough talent in unassuming packaging: first Paul Potts singing Nessun Dorma, and now, 47-year-old Susan Boyle, serenading the judges of Britain's Got Talent with I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables.



Thanks to the internet, Susan is suddenly a global sensation, and seems assured of a record deal regardless of whether she wins the 2009 competition or not.

What I find fascinating is that in both cases, "everyday" people ~ unpolished, whom audience members regarded with something less than reverence — until they began to sing ~ created a complete a shift in perspective as their gift was recognized. Suddenly, ugly ducklings transformed into swans.

Could this be Spirit's way of showing us, with its usual inimitable good humor, that beneath the surface we are all incredible beings with undiscovered brilliance?

Are You Allergic — Or Toxic?

This time of year, many people plunge into abject misery due to the proliferation of pollens and other allergens. But what if your "allergies" actually have a more serious and sinister cause?

As you may know, I spent years spiraling into severe chemical toxicity, a condition conventional medicine not only does not recognize, but denigrates. Yet a growing number of people everywhere are becoming reactive to the many chemicals in common use today — only a fraction of which have been tested and approved as "safe".

I've just published a series of brief articles on EmpowHer.com to help you reclaim your health. Though the site is focused on women, this particular issue affects us all:

Allergic — Or Toxic?
From Harmful to Harmony: 5 Steps to Allergy-Free Personal Care
From Harmful to Harmony: 8 Steps to An Allergy-Free Home
How To Buy Smarter

I'll be doing a teleclass in July on self-care and health care ~ more details as we get closer!

Here's to your abundant good health ...

Blessings,
Amara

The Cosmic Egg

"Exovo omnia." Everything from an egg. ~ William Harvey

When I was taking those first tentative steps towards awakening in 1989-90, I visited a woman who did soul readings. While this is much more commonplace today, the idea sounded quite exotic to me then. I drove north (to the town I now call home) and met with a lovely woman who had me first envision a color (I saw deep magenta), then instructed me to allow it to seep slowly into my body, and to pay attention to where it did not go. In my mind's eye I suddenly saw the classic ram's head, a symbol for woman (fallopian tubes), exclaimed, "Oh, it's the egg!" and burst into tears.

I understand now that I was experiencing a deep re-membering of who I am, who we are, where we come from: the nature of the Cosmic Egg. As we approach Easter in these tumultuous "end times" of our current evolutionary cycle, the great template of all possibility has never been stronger. Archangel Michael through Celia Fenn articulates what this occasion means now:

"As the Collective Vibration increases, and as the Christ Light intensifies in each Heart and on the Heart Grid, so the 'Cosmic Egg' is activated to create new Potentials and Possibilities for life on a Higher Level of Consciousness and Existence. This means, Beloved Family of Light, that the Earth is ready to create new life forms and to sustain new codes of life and new technologies that support those codes in a more loving and abundant way.

"And, we remind you that this great leap forward is only made possible by the Unconditional Love that unifies your Hearts on the new Unified heart Grid. It is the 'Harmony of One' that magnifies the Golden Christ Light. For indeed, the Golden Flame of Abundance is the Sacred Twin Flame energy of the Divine Masculine and Feminine united in Sacred Union. In this Sacred Space of Divine Love, all things are possible and all potentials are revealed. You need only ask, and it is given.

"In this month of April, many on the Earth celebrate the festival of Easter, or 'Astarte' as it was originally known. In its manifestation as the festival of the Divine Goddess Astarte, it was indeed associated with the Cosmic Egg and New Beginnings, and this echo is still felt in the custom of eggs given as gifts at Easter Time.

"In its Christian manifestation, it is associated with the death and resurrection of Yeshua, the avatar who carried the Divine Masculine Christ Light. Know that this sacred story also symbolizes the renewal of life through the power of the Christ Light on Earth. For the Golden Light, when it is held in perfect balance, activates the Cosmic Egg or Global Blueprint, and new life and energy is born at a Higher Level of Awareness. This is the process that we call 'Ascension', as the Collective Consciousness embraces a Higher 'Overtone' of Light and activates new possibilities and potentials within the Cosmic Egg of Light."

Showered With Blessings

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

Innate Intelligence: The Eyes of the Mind

Back when it was still known as "Laughter of the Heart", I trained in a breakthrough method of public speaking conceived by Lee Glickstein. Speaking Circles made a huge impact in my life, because, like improvisational comedy, which I'd discovered years earlier, it was a safe space in which to allow your essence to emerge: distinct from other forms of speaker training, the Speaking Circles model wasn't about criticism, but confirmation. We were encouraged afterwards to share how each of our impromptu talks felt, and then to receive brief, positive feedback from the class members. Criticism of any kind (especially self criticism, which many of us were all too willing to offer) was verboten.

The result? People with PhDs would get on stage and simply dissolve in tears, because being implicitly accepted just for showing up is such a rare and needed experience.

Now, Lee has extended this form of fearless self expression that he calls "Relational Presence" to a population one might not expect could benefit from speaker training: people with developmental disabilities. Yet as Lee discusses in this moving article, teaching people how to connect through breathing and eye contact crosses all perceived boundaries; it's a bridge to everywhere. It provides a platform for anyone's innate intelligence to shine through, in all its loving glory.

Truly, it seems, the eyes have it.

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

New Moon, New Dawn, New Age

Astrologer Allison Rae has some potent information about Thursday's New Moon in Aries:

"This Equinox/New Moon portal is a real eye-opener.

Not only is this the beginning of a 28-day lunar cycle, it's also the beginning of a year-long solar cycle. Because it's happening as vast cosmic cycles are converging, this New Moon is initiating energies of the Aquarian Age and a new 26,000-year precessional cycle. As we make our way through the 2012 transition, all Aries New Moons carry this importance.

Depending on how we play it, this could be the dawn of the next Golden Age.

The current economic reconfiguration, climate change, social revolution and spiritual awakening are all related to this shift. While these cycles have been flowing and converging for millennia, we've never experienced a shift point like this before, with so many beings on the planet. The potential for positive change goes quantum through this portal.

At this New Moon, we have a unique opportunity to align with these cycles. To pause and reflect, to create with intent. To seed a higher expression of human consciousness on Earth.

What's completing in your world, and what are you creating that's new? Don't miss this opportunity to seed your new beginning!"

The Most Inspirational Video I've Seen in Years

Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs ~ and he lives a full, happy life. He is in touch with his essence, which translates through the body but is not of the body, and that is the life lesson for us all ~ I work on it every day.

Can you watch this one without crying?

Sonic Portal: Constance Demby

Several years ago, I was privileged to participate in one of Constance Demby's sonic healing events. More than a master electronic musician, she's a portal to cosmic consciousness. Listen to these excerpts and be transported into the heart of healing:

Light of This World

Novus Magnificat

Equinox! Come Home to Harmony

The Spring Equinox (Fall Equinox in the southern hemisphere) occurred at 4:44 am PDT ~ another fabulous Sacred Numbers alert! ~ and offers a potent opportunity to choose to come into deeper alignment with ourselves. Across the globe, there are myriad virtual events taking place to help us do that.

Here's an informative post about Equinox, courtesy of Souled Out. Enjoy!

Gregg Braden on 2012: "It's Not the End of the World!"

Community,

I invite everyone to listen to this riveting radio interview with scientist, systems engineer and best-selling author Gregg Braden, who demystifies 2012 in his breakthrough book, Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012 and A New World Age.

A true visionary who weds science and Spirit in clear yet compelling language, Gregg explains how what's happening on Earth now has happened before: it's just that, because these time cycles are so vast, no one alive today was around during the last cycle (over 5000 years ago).

What's especially fascinating is the Time Code Calculator on his website, which allows anyone to determine when past cycles ~ in either in the world or your own life ~ will repeat.

Sacred Numbers

My last post, on reimagining Friday the 13th, generated such insightful and informative response from fellow members of Architects of A New Dawn, the awesome new social network launched by Carlos Santana, that I started a discussion group on the site devoted to Sacred Numbers. Please stop by and share what you know!

Blessings,
Amara

Friday the 13th: "Oh No!" or "Wow!"?

It's Friday the 13th here in the USA, a transformational gateway, as 13 always is ~ if we can transcend the superstition around the number.

Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote as part of a series on the Mayan Calendar and living on natural time. If you'd like the longer piece as a Word doc, please email me.

Scared To Sacred: A Subtle Shift
In high school English I learned a 64-carat word for a common ailment: triskaidekaphobia, "fear of the number thirteen." The elevator in my grandparents' apartment building omitted the thirteenth floor. I also recall a series of horror movies with "Friday the 13th" in the title.

A society steeped in superstition and consumerism finds it easy to assign anxiety to anything that threatens the status quo. Thirteen is the number of movement, of change—a wild card—and that can be very scary. If we feel divorced from our origins, terrified of our own power, we profane the sacred: thirteen becomes unlucky, symbolic scapegoat of all we're afraid to embrace.

When we can take the thirteenth step, however, we're on the first step of the Stairway to Heaven. With the courage to look, we find thirteen stitched into the very fabric of our culture. Thirteen colonies gave birth to a nation. Cross-culturally, the thirteenth year signifies a coming-of-age. In the Jewish religion, a Bar Mitzvah ceremony at thirteen marks a boy's entrance into manhood. Girls generally begin to menstruate at thirteen, an embodied initiation.

Thirteen, then, is a fundamental Earth rhythm, biorhythm. To reject thirteen is, perhaps, to reject some core aspect of ourselves as human beings.

We can heal this perceived split by reclaiming our native knowing. One way that resonates for me is following a Thirteen-Moon Calendar, woven together with the Mayan Sacred Tzol'kin. The Thirteen Moon Calendar shows us a path to walk to restore right relationship in our lives, to re-member (make membership again) our journey as one family of origin. Based on an annual solar cycle of 13 moons (months) of 28 days each (the feminine cycle), this calendar is synchronized with nature and human biology. It's expansive, intuitive, juicy, flowing: life, in all its harmonious chaos. The beauty of this apparent paradox lies in learning to honor the both/and: life is orderly and messy, spiritual and material. Living in tune with these innate contradictions, we breathe in our own magnificence, and feel nourished and held in the body of the Great Mother.

Our Gregorian calendar, by contrast, models scarcity, so we always subtly feel like we're starving: if you get what you need, there might not be enough for me. Living a compressed, alienating existence, our spiritual lungs squeezed for air, we evince these invisible shackles in the time-is-money, me-first, bigger-better-best credos of mechanistic time. Pursued by the clock, we've forgotten that time is creativity, that women carry time in their bodies, and have accepted the clock as king.

José Argüelles, author of The Mayan Factor, who deciphered the evolutionary course correction embedded in the Mayan mathematical codes, calls false time "Satan's last curse." One awakening soul, hearing this, suggested to Argüelles that the first twelve moons of the Thirteen-Moon Calendar are like the twelve disciples of Christ, and the thirteenth moon is Christ himself. This has nothing to do with religious dogma or superstition; it is the timbre of Truth: by following the Thirteen-Moon and Mayan Calendars, returning to true time and the ever-evolving, life-giving essence of the natural world, we all get to participate in the Christ principle.

As our collective mindfield moves from mindless fear to aware acceptance of thirteen as the sacred number of transformation and growth, a metamorphosis occurs. Metamorphosis means going beyond what existed before. Rumi said, "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there's a field; I'll meet you there." In this quantum field we midwife moth into butterfly. Scared into sacred. Each of us into our true purpose and potential.

What is this time of great transmutation helping you bring to birth? Whatever it is, may it be in beauty, for the greater good of all. Blessed Be!

Diamond Light Code Transmissions

Awaken your DNA! The ethereal music coupled with this beautiful series of images attunes us to the Sacred Heart energies now streaming into the planet, courtesy of Green Comet Lulin:

"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

HeartLight

The heart creates the strongest electrical and magnetic field in our bodies — 5000 times stronger than the field created by the brain! So Love really is the frequency that will heal and whole the world.

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!

Menopause or Memorex?

When my wake-up call arrived in 1993/94, it felt for all the world as if I was entering menopause ~ even though I was only in my mid-30s at the time. I've written about my classic descent into and through multiple chemical sensitivity/chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia and a host of other labels. In 3D, it was certainly true that my body was ill and out of balance. However, on a meta-level, this was the catalyst that catapulted me out of my old life, which was quite complete, and into my planetary purpose and service. It was in this altered state of awareness that I began Learning to Live My Light.

Karen Bishop's latest Wings alert, The Separation of the Worlds, describes how and why the current ascension acceleration is affecting everyone as "menopausal" symptoms. Here's an excerpt from her highly informative message:

"Ascension has always mimicked menopause in both men and women of all ages. Thus, feelings of 'I have had enough,' or 'I am ready to be done!' or perhaps 'Is it time for me yet?' are very common as we have done so much to assist this planet since our arrival. Short tempers, memory loss, a need for self- care, and a desire to move on are simply a part of our spiritual evolutionary process at this current stage, even if these things do indeed mimic menopause.

"Feelings of tightness, pressure, and short fuses are also common symptoms as when we migrate higher, the energies become tight because anything that vibrates lower within us needs to be 'squeezed out' in order that we become aligned. We may feel as though there is now much more energy flowing within us, we may feel like we are hyperventilating, having pressure in the chest, perhaps feeling like we just got hit with a quadruple shot of caffeine, or may even have difficulty sleeping as so much energy is now flowing through us. In this way, 'alignments' do not always feel great. After the energies are squeezed out and adjustments are made, we always feel better…at least until our next phase of expansion! The higher the evolutionary space we occupy, the less lower vibrating energies there are present. This is because love is the ultimate energy that remains. Thus, we lose more and more of ourselves as things progress, resulting in a need to adjust or we become grossly uncomfortable.

"This latest move upward is no different. We are adjusting now in a great way in regard to boundaries and how we interact with the lower energies or lower dimensions. We are very far removed from them now, so in this way, they feel downright intolerable to be around. In addition, we are so done with them, that we can become exasperated and angry when they show up in our space."

Rosa ~ Martin ~ Obama ~ ALL!

This awesome image comes from Jean Hudon's Earth Rainbow Network, but the inspiring words are from a 19-year-old single Mom!

Trickster Council: Remembering Kinship, Composting Dread

Caroline Casey's Visionary Activist Radio Show is one of the best ways to spend an hour I've discovered in many a year. I've been listening to her for over a decade, and now, of course, anyone anywhere can tune in, thanks to the magic of the internet.

Today she dueted with singer/songwriter/storyteller and fellow trickster David Lynn Grimes. The topic? The Age of Aquarius! Coming from an eminent astrologer like CC, I knew it'd be great. If you want to be uplifted and, as always, challenged to expand your thinking, tune in:

The Visionary Activist Show - Trickster Council: Remembering Kinship, Composting Dread - February 19, 2009 at 2:00pm

Click to listen (or download)

Spiraling Home

The poem/chant Spiraling Home, which came through me a few weeks prior to September 11th, 2001, is a clarion call for now. There's tremendous power in hearing the words spoken aloud. Chant it or sing it, and see what happens inside you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spiraling Home
~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's time for:

Gliding, sliding
Coming out of hiding;
Purging, merging
Acknowledging the surging;
Knowing, flowing
Opening to growing;
Tuning, reuning
Oversoul's a-crooning:
Accelerate, celebrate
This is how we co-create;
Say "yes," pass the test
Get ready for the best!
Elation, initiation
Planetary transmutation;
This moment, the Light
Our collective in-Sight;
You are the I AM
Quickened in the cosmic plan;
Ancient mystery solved:
We evolved.

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!

∞ A Valentine's Day Like No Other ∞

In mid-February a rare astrological alignment brings a number of planets together with the North Node - denoting higher purpose - in Aquarius. This energizes and inspires the possibility for transcendental breakthrough in some seemingly intransigent situations.

Here's what cosmologist Jude Currivan, PhD, has to say about this Valentine's Day:

The Aquarian Alignment: 14th February 2009

"We measure our global sense of both space (latitude and longitude) and time (universal time - UT or GMT) from the prime meridian located at Greenwich, England. So we can perceive the collective influence of this momentous astrological event by looking at the alignment from this globally ‘centered' perspective.

When we do, something extraordinary and exquisite emerges.

At dawn on 14th February - the day dedicated to St Valentine, the patron saint of Love - the Moon in Libra enters the seventh house of relationships. And Jupiter and Mars are aligned in Aquarius in the twelfth house of spiritual transformation.

Forty years ago, the intuitive words of a song called Aquarius, brought the dawning of the new age into our collective awareness:

'When the Moon is in the seventh house
and Jupiter aligns with Mars.
Then peace will guide the planets
and love will steer the stars'

At dawn on 14th February the Cosmos actually embodies this perfect alignment to support our collective manifestation of love and peace and dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

The Aquarian chart of 14th February reveals an incredible concentration of cosmic influences blending with the energies of Aquarius in the twelfth house. Expansive Jupiter and energetic Mars are aligned with the higher purpose of the North Node. The presence of Chiron the wounded healer offers us the opportunity to heal the schisms that have separated us for so long. Neptune emphasizes collective humanitarian movements and the co-creation of social justice. And the presence of the radiant Sun enlightens the entire alignment.

Mercury also in the twelfth house but just beyond the cusp in Capricorn, allies with transformational Pluto to communicate and anchor the Shift throughout our global structures and institutions.

The Moon in Libra in the seventh house emphasizes harmonious real -ationships.

Venus in Aries in the first house energizes and empowers dynamic co-creativity.

And whilst Saturn the great task master in opposition to Uranus the unexpected awakener is suggesting an ongoing confrontation as the dregs of the unsustainable old paradigm reluctantly give way to the untested hope of the new, their placements in Virgo and Pisces brings practical altruism and visionary inspiration to the transition.

At 7:25am on 14th February - and for the 18 minutes of the alignment - I invite you, in the universal heart, to add your own intention for love and peace and to co-create the dawning of the Age of Aquarius to that of the Cosmos. In whatever way feels appropriate for you, you may choose to align with 7:25am (UT) or 7:25am your local time energizing a wave of intention that will surge around the Earth."

It's our collective opportunity to add to the Light of the world!
∞ Blessed Be. ∞

Tom Kenyon: The Holon of Ascension

Shamanic sound healer, scientist, author and teacher Tom Kenyon has brought through a lengthy but highly useful transmission that instructs us in how to raise the frequency of our etheric or subtle body (the energy field that surrounds our physical body). It's easy to do and doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes a day; the most arduous process is processing the post :-)

Happy evolving:

The Holon of Ascension

Counterpoint: 2/9 Lunar Eclipse

Our powerful January 26th Solar Eclipse is balanced with a Lunar Eclipse as the Sun transits Aquarius. As always, astrologer Allison Rae delineates what we need to know now in poetic prose. Here's how to prepare for Monday's magic:

"This penumbral eclipse of the Moon will be visible from eastern Europe and Africa, Asia and most of North America.

"During this eclipse, the Moon will appear to darken as the Earth blocks the reflected light of the Sun. In Leo, the Full Moon illuminates the unconscious, emotional desires and needs of the individual self within the broader context of the collective, represented by the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius. With Chiron and Neptune conjunct the Sun, profound emotional and spiritual healing is possible. For many, balancing the needs of the self with our dharmic calling will be highlighted at this eclipse. This alignment will also illuminate fears connected with stepping into your power and more fully embodying divine light. What's been lurking in the darkness of the subconscious is brought into the light."

She recommends ways to anchor these energies:

"Reserve time for prayer and meditation during these special alignments. The energies are ripe for seeding the Aquarian Age consciousness of humanitarian service, love and equality within the Earth grid. This is also an excellent time to put forth your intentions to embody your path of service more fully at this time of transition on Earth.

"To maintain balance and clarity during eclipse periods, eat root vegetables and dark, leafy greens. Meditate daily. Connect with natural rhythms by spending time in nature, and practicing yoga, t'ai chi or xi gong. Anchor the energies with drumming. Honor your body's needs for nourishment and rest. Keep a journal of messages and impressions that come into your awareness."

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."

Groundhog Day? NOT …

February 2nd goes by many guises. In the U.S., it's popularly celebrated as Groundhog Day, when a small furry rodent supposedly either sees his shadow or doesn't, and the result determines whether we experience 6 more weeks of winter. But the day has deeper meanings than this.
In Celtic and Earth-based traditions, February 2nd is known as Imbolc. While also a harbinger of Spring, Imbolc celebrates the return of the Light in a more profound sense. It is the first "cross-quarter day" on the Wheel of the Year, which honors the two Equinoxes and Solstices, as well as Beltane (May 1st), Lammas (August 1st), and Samhain (October 31st).

Imbolc (Candlemas in Christianity) is a time when the energies begin to pulse with renewed life and hope. Fire festivals are common. Vicki Noble, co-creator of the Motherpeace Tarot and author of Shakti Woman: Feeling Our Fire, Healing Our World, which affected me profoundly during my own awakening, writes, "Traditionally a time of transformation and initiation, Imbolc brings 'big dreams' and a raised vibration …

"With powerful Pluto having recently entered the physical sign of Capricorn (until 2024), we look forward now to momentous planetary and personal change. As old structures crumble, inside and all around us, a mantra can help to stabilize our energies and subdue our fears. Try saying the protective Sanskrit syllables OM AH HUM over and over whenever you feel afraid, and imagine yourself sitting safely inside of Kali's dance of liberation."

1/26: Opening to Power

Monday heralds a rare solar eclipse that will transform the sun into a ring of fire. Unfortunately, it'll only be fully visible to those in the Indian Ocean at the time. That doesn't mean we won't feel the effects, however.

As astrologer Allison Rae observes in the current issue of her ezine, Cosmic Time, "Eclipses break up energy, including long-established patterns that are ripe for removal. Solar eclipses are super-charged new moons signaling major new beginnings.

"In other words, this is a gamma-dose of transformational energy for planet Earth. The January and February eclipses happen in Aquarius-Leo and could easily be interpreted as an entree into the Aquarian Age. Both the New Moon Solar Eclipse on January 26 and Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on February 9 feature five planets in the sign of Aquarius."

It's also the first day of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Ox (no time to be bull-headed!). Mercury is still retrograde (through the end of the month), and Jupiter's in Aquarius all year, expanding unconventional opportunity across the board.

Clearly, this dark moon, total solar eclipse, Chinese New Year gateway is a crossroads call to, as a We'Moon calendar creatrix writes, "come unfurl at the cusp of possibility!"

METAmorphosis: Going Beyond

For years, I've been saying we're all cells in the body of the Goddess. This one-minute video metaphor of how a butterfly is born is a potent message for what's happening on our planet: we are becoming ONE.

Fear to Love: A Subtle Shift

The great changes we make in our lives are really small shifts in perception:

nowhere to now here
scared to sacred
density to destiny

Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office three-quarters of a century ago in the U.S., during economic times more dire than what we experience today. And in his first inaugural address, he counseled the people not to give in to dread: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Fear, like disease, is insidious; yet consciously and continually elevating our thoughts can turn the tide, so that the most challenging circumstances need not cause alarm; this is what's meant by being centered.

The day of the inauguration (was it really yesterday? Time is moving so strangely now, it could have been weeks ago ...) I remarked joyfully to some people in my local mail center about how Obama will be a president to set precedent; he can't be "canned", as evinced by his and Michelle's decision to walk a while on the parade route, ahead of schedule. To my amazement, the people I spoke with responded with fear: "He must have been wearing bullet-proof clothes!" and even, "I was hoping he'd actually get to take the oath."

Certainly there are factions who wish to undermine our ascent; yet, this is truly a new moment. Metaphysically speaking, it would not serve us for Barack Obama to be assassinated; Lincoln, JFK, RFK, MLK and others have already sacrificed their lives for evolution. While it always pays to be prudent, and while I imagine the Secret Service protection is formidable, I have full faith that he is protected by virtue of his role as Lightworker and global bridge builder.

We can support President Obama and his mission best by being in a state of love and faith as often as possible, and holding him, his family, and his team in this same Light.

Subtle shifts are extremely powerful. We can choose again in every moment. ReChoice. And rejoice.
Blessed Be.

The Changing Face of Leadership

This fascinating video montage shows each presidential visage dissolving into the next, from George Washington to Barack Obama ... you see how the outer reflects a similarity in our thinking for broad stretches of time, and how we evolve as a collective ... or, perhaps, how alike we really are, inside and out:

Emancipation Proclamation Redux

Almost 150 years after President Lincoln signed the document that ended slavery in one fell swoop, we stand on the threshold of a fuller freedom, as our first hybrid president, who understands viscerally what it means to be both black and white, reaches beyond human-contrived barriers to unite us as a global people under Love's umbrella: a true Aquarian Age leader.

The world has responded with such an outpouring of joy to Brarack Obama's election because he is the archetypal symbol of our collective future: an integrated confluence of all the seemingly disparate parts of ourselves, cohering as cells in the body of the Great Mother, just as the cells of our own bodies do to create the remarkable being each of us takes for granted. As above, so below. Knowing our own wholeness, holiness, healing (which all derive from the same root word) can we strive for any less for our beloved home?

How fitting that we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday the day prior to the presidential inauguration. King stood for the same ideals Obama espouses, and died for them. But this is a new moment, and we have evolved beyond the need to kill what we disagree with or dislike. We would not dream of cutting off our toe or ear because we didn't like it. Our brothers and sisters may look, think, worship and behave differently than us ~ and perhaps that is the very intent of Creation: diversity as a vehicle in service to our growth. It's easy to embrace that which you know, that which is like you. To allow difference and strangeness takes courage ("of the heart"). Forbearance. Strength. Faith. Love.

We're getting there.

This is a global holy week. Celebrate. Commemorate. Reflect. Renew. Reimagine.

∞ Welcome Home ∞

Buy a Toaster - Get a Free Bank!

I love channeled messages, because the best ones almost always contain a deep sense of humor that showcases just how amusing life on Earth really is ~ or could be.

This transmission from The Reconnections through Daniel Jacob, The Economics of Oneness, contains a take-off on banks' practice of offering new customers a minor appliance for opening an account: an FDIC "Super Coupon Savings," that entitles customers who buy a toaster to select the financial institution of their choice, complete with clip out coupons for all the major "brands"!

Further down, The Reconnections repeat the cogent point that where we put our attention is what we create:

"The Economics of Oneness is solidly built upon one precious commodity: FOCUS OF ATTENTION

Your focus of attention is the most valuable investment you can ever pay to someone or something. It is the greatest gift you can give. And it yields the greatest INTEREST than any money market account could hope to provide! This is so, whether the object in focus is a member of royalty, a baby in a carriage, or a bum on the street.

Those who truly learn how to pay proper attention will eventually be required to pay little else.

"The ability to truly listen ... and to HEAR ... is in such rare commodity these days that people will fork over almost anything to someone who does it right — someone who carries no other agenda than to be, and quietly let the world play itself out ... just as it is.

"A life of FOCUSED ATTENTION is a treasure trove unto itself. It costs very little, yet it pays tremendous much! Nowadays, it is DISTRACTIONS that eat up all your time and funds: drugs to medicate you, foods to sedate you, possessions to comfort you, and friends to convince you that you're not alone. He or she who heeds these words, and puts them into practice, now moves from darkness into light ... from bondage into freedom ... IMMEDIATELY, and with great joy!"

Need A Miracle?

Whenever people ask me about my spiritual path and what teacher or guru has guided me, I tell them, "I just dial direct." Which sort of dates me, as dialing is as passé as turntables and vinyl records. Nevertheless, you take my meaning.

All paths to greater wisdom and awareness are valid and viable. I've studied and trained with many fine teachers who've helped trigger my own remembering. But I did not evolve through any specific lineage, nor do I subscribe to any doctrine. I access what I hold as true from Source, and that's what "dial direct" refers to.

Patricia Cota-Robles, a longtime guide for the journey, affirms with her latest alert that we're all capable of this direct connection now. We always have been, though we may not have believed we were. It's a little like Dorothy realizing the power to go home was with her all the time. We're each wearing the ruby slippers, and boy, are they powerful!

Here's Patti's latest on the 5th dimensional frequencies, and how to use the Violet Flame for accessing your Divine Potential:

You Can be the Difference!

ReChoice! It's Retro Chic ...

As we glide into the first Mercury Rx of the year (I love how the symbol for retrograde is the same as the American abbreviation for prescription, as in: take 2 aspirations and follow your calling in the morning!) I rediscovered Mark Krueger, whose site I referenced back in 2005 when my blog was (k)new.

Talk about in-sight! Mark's language-ing is so metaphorically multilayered it requires reading with a multidimensional mindset to even begin to glimpse the prism of possibilities! Read In2Light's new year's message:

Happy You Year

I suggest savoring his words slowly, like fine dark chocolate, perhaps with a hint of lavender: this guy defines stream of consciousness, with an emphasis on both consciousness and streaming ...

One of my favorite permuted phrases: "These are messianic times. Messy antics."

Together, we will stream (and streamline) the dream.

Luna-See

Longing for Luna? Our beautiful Moon will be its brightest and closest to Earth this Saturday, January 10th, and NASA explains just why this is so:

Biggest Full Moon of the Year, Take 2

And if you're a woman longing to grow into your feminine fullness ~ or a man seeking to claim his wholeness ~ consider enrolling in my e-course, Loving Our Lunacy, an experiential opportunity to wed our masculine and feminine energies for greater harmony, internal and external balance, and peace, at every level of co-creation!

9 Steps to Peace: Deepak's Advice to Barack

I've long felt on a first-name basis with some of our best-known personal growth pioneers. For instance, Deepak Chopra at this point is pretty much a household name, like Kleenex, isn't he? And he has some sage advice for our grander household: the U.S., and the world community.

Here's Deepak's 9 Steps to Peace for Obama in the New Year.

It's also a potent moment to create more peace within ourselves, which then expresses as peace in the outer world. My first blog post on Architects of a New Dawn, the nascent social network founded by Santana and Jerry Jampolsky, is a call back to Ho'oponopono: Making Right With All Our Relations.

Ho'oponopono is an ancient Huna concept that encompasses the idea of forgiveness, along with a rather extraordinary premise: that by looking deeply within to correct "errors" in our own perceptions, we can heal emotional, mental, and physical dis-ease in others, since we are all expressions of the One Being.

I've written about Ho'oponopono before, both in Season of Stories and in an earlier Health, Wealth and Wisdom blog post. It's an idea, like AoAND itself, that will accelerate our evolution into warp drive.

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

Architects of A New Dawn

Is this the year when instant manifestation and telepathy really take off for humanity?

In my January newsletter, Intermezzo, I write about the necessity of becoming social artists (Jean Houston coined this evocative term) and architects of a new world. A scant 12 hours after sending the newsletter out, I received an invitation to join a social network being stewarded by global visionary Carlos Santana: Architects of A New Dawn.

Perhaps even more synchronous: Santana's worldwide 2008 tour was called Live Your Light!

And then last night, after signing on with AofAND, I had a dream.

It was what indigenous peoples call a Big Dream; similar to one I had almost a decade ago. A great number of us were gathering in what looked like a gigantic cafeteria, moving among tables in something akin to a spiral dance. Each move appeared to signal an elevation in consciousness as well as connection, so that after awhile I was seeing people from all phases of my life along with those I'd never had access to before: world leaders, famous musicians and performers, and countless others. Yet there was zero sense of awe; it was more a joyous recognition ("to know again"), a homecoming for us all. I've said for years that the Internet is the great leveler, and now, Architects of a New Dawn gives us a platform for realizing this truth.

We are the architects of a new world age. I invite you to "come unfurl at the cusp of possibility!"

Time Acceleration at Its Finest!

We know time is speeding up as we approach the end of an epoch, but Norwegian photographer Eirik Solheim has captured the essence of light speed beautifully in this time-lapse video of the seasons:

One Year in 40 Seconds