Rainbow Lights

Nature's Heart

Robin in the Snow

Stare-down

Sending a Message

Pick me!

I love this time of year! Strut your stuff, baby!

April Snow Brings May Escrow?

Vernal Equinox 2019 SuperMoon

Web of Influence

New Year's Blessings

Daily Gratitude

Life

Who Cooks?

Forest Bathing

Dove

April 2017 cmk

Moonrise

April 2017 cmk

Swan Song

April 2015 Oneida Lake cmk

Blog Revival

After years of not posting, I realize what I want to accomplish here is to provide an experience of the complex simplicity that surrounds us. Our natural world has no words, yet her sounds and sights have the capacity to astound and humble anyone who chooses to acknowledge them. I present here a less verbose version of a typical "blog," offering the viewer an opportunity to achieve his/her own level of connectedness to the thoughts, feelings, or sensations that arise. Comments welcome below.  

Thank-FULL Magnificence

November. The anniversary of my circle around the sun. The Gregorian calendar year is coming to a close. I reflect on my life and refine my vision of days to come...

...following my heart, listening to my inner wisdom, honoring the Earth and all she provides, loving my family, connecting to Spirit, feeling Joy, offering gratitude...

...and a prayer that I might continue to see through the eyes of a child, in awe and wonder, marvel at the magnificence of the trees, the mountains, or a soaring eagle,

and experience the joy of loving myself so my cup overflows and uplifts others.

In the U.S.A., we are reminded each year to give thanks at this time. My query is consistent. Does anyone remember why we celebrate Thanksgiving? What are we giving thanks for? Who came before us that we are following? The traditional First Grader's story of course comes to mind, Native Indians and Pilgrims sitting around a long wooden table adorned with colorful corn  potatoes, and a roasted turkey (not). I am more inspired by the women who embarked on long journeys across oceans or Midwest plains with their families, providing food, shelter, and comfort while enduring what we consider now to be unimaginable living conditions and hardships. I am reminded that our current "freedoms" in this country did not come without the sacrifice of many native peoples and European settlers alike. 

This Thanksgiving, take the time to recognize all that you have in your life. Keep it simple. Consume only what you need. Be kind to yourself. Honor your body temple. Appreciate family and friends who gather around your table, without having to overindulge, compensate, or bargain. Consider eating lighter, juicing, or even fasting to balance these energies and to acknowledge our ancestors who surely did not have the “super-size” feast we have grown into. Bountiful does not mean “more than enough”. 

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes here

For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, the November Full Moon was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Native peoples revered beavers as a Great Spirit animal and they held big medicine. They were the builders of their own life. Something we all strive to be.

This is a time to prepare for the calm and quiet of the impending winter, to bring all things to a point of rest. Finish up on the projects of the summer and fall. This is the last moon of action for the year. Join the Thank-FULL Moon Celebration Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 6 pm EST.

A family favorite done to video by peoplepassion:

Thanks a Lot

Words and Music by Raffi

© 1980 Homeland Publishing

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the sun in the sky

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the clouds so high

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the whispering wind

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the birds in spring

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the moonlit night

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the stars so bright

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the wonder in me

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the way I feel

Thanks for the animals, thanks for the land

Thanks for the people everywhere

Thanks a lot

Thanks for all I’ve got

Thanks for all I’ve got

Blessed Be, all!

C

Primal Power

There is something primal, raw, and powerful about standing in the mouth of the 3rd largest navigable river on earth that puts “all that is” in perspective.

One small human in the broad riverscape, I felt diminutive, and found it difficult to comprehend this place where the Southern Indian Ocean tides feed the mouth of Millewa “Big Water”.

I stood on the salt-water soaked sand, realizing she had just been there lapping against the dunes. Looking out toward where she had retreated and marveling at her strength and beauty, I felt trepidation growing inside me. There was nothing between me and her spare a narrow sand bar with a pod of playful Australian sea lions and a sand-dredger. Though I knew the tide was out, I did not know for how long and the only exit behind me was the sluice of land that funneled her mighty, salty fluid into the river.

Taking all this in, I stood mesmerized, thrilled to explore the mix of sensations: danger, fear, awe, vastness, smallness. I was giddy with the sheer joy of being witness, no, being in the raw energy of untamed creation!

Surrounded by black swans, grey teal ducks, two Red-necked avocets, an Eastern reef egret, Australian white Ibis, a pair of Red-capped plovers, a sooty oystercatcher, Pacific black ducks, and silver gulls so at ease in their element, I took comfort in their lead.

 My camera clicked and buzzed, attempting to record the moment. I wanted to memorize her sound and the feel of her vibration in my limbs as she pounded against the shoreline.

My feet began to sink deeper into the sand, getting wetter with each step and I recognized it was time to bid farewell. I thanked her for allowing me to be part of her

…and for bestowing her gifts upon me.

Once home in the U.S., the intensity of my Millewa experience lingered and urged me to learn more about this sacred place. I quickly realized that some of what I was feeling was the energies of an ancient Aboriginal culture dating back 40,000 years! More than 3000 of the Ngarrindjeri people ("the people who belong to this land") had lived at the mouth of the river, gathering fish and working the land.

In the 1990’s, a huge controversy erupted over the building of the bridge from Goolwa to the island.

Hindmarsh Island, on which I stood, was regarded by the Ngarrindjeri as a fertility site, as its shape and that of the surrounding wetlands resembled female reproductive anatomy when viewed from the air. Their name for the island, Kumarangk, was similar to the word for pregnancy, or woman and was used for sacred rituals.

They also believed that the waters of the Goolwa channel required uninterrupted views of the sky, particularly the Seven Sisters constellation, which features in several aboriginal dreaming stories.

Wow! Yes, the red dot is where I stood!!! No wonder…

More on the bridge controversy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindmarsh_Island_bridge_controversy

How the Murray River was Made- Dreamtime Bangarang story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgjY27Sy48g

Aboriginals and the river

http://www.murrayriver.com.au/about-the-murray/

Blue Skies, Blueberries, and Blue Moon Opportunities!

I love Summertime Blues! Fluffy white cumulus clouds dot a brilliant blue sky (or not), berries are ripening on the vines and shrubs as I patiently await their luscious sweetness.

To top it all off, this particular July of 2015 brings us a rare Blue Moon chance to focus on what we love about our lives

AND a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity for me to travel to Australia! 

So, from the top:

Ever wonder why nature provides dark blue fruit precisely at this time of year? The anthocyanins in blueberries, chokeberries, and elderberries contain specific properties for rebuilding the body’s tissues and restoring the immune system. Mmmm. It’s a lesson in sharing with our feathered friends who already are intuitively aware of the medicinal value of each berry! Refer to links for more information.

Chokeberry (Aronia):

http://www.eattheweeds.com/chokeberry-bushy-health-food/

http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_arme6.pdf

http://joshfecteau.com/foraging-wild-fruit-black-chokeberry/

Blueberry:

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-blueberries.html

...and blue eyes!

Elderberry:

http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/mfruit/elderberries.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/043430_elderberry_natural_antivirals_health_benefits.html

Full Blue Moon July 31, 2015

Precise times of full moon in Syracuse, NY: 6:42 AM; South Australia: 8:12 PM

This full moon in Aquarius presents an opportunity “for radical re-assessment of who we are as individuals and how we relate our talents back into the world.” Elizabeth Peru

There are SIX planets in “retrograde” to assist us in slowing down and becoming introspective, including Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, and Venus. Each of them presents unique aspects of ourselves to be addressed and re-evaluated in the coming weeks and months.

”One of the most special aspects of this moon is that we won’t have another blue moon month until 2018. For many of us, we will be receiving our last bits of a long awaited wake-up call that actually began back in 2012, far before most of us were aware of the changes that were developing. We are being asked to notice where in our lives we have been neglecting the truth, or what situations we have been putting off.  This moon isn’t only encouraging it, it is making it a requirement.” Kate Rose

The Thunder Moon comes with a streak of fierce independence, combining Sun in Leo trine Pallas Athene in Sagittarius. Do something you promised yourself you’d do long ago and never did. Have an adventure. Strike out on your own. Do it your way. Use your intuition to tune into the needs of the tribe, then lead them to new ways. Don’t let the opinions of others stop you, but balance this with consideration of the group.” Jamie Kahl

What is a Blue Moon?

Full Blue Moon Ritual July 31, 2015:

Do one yourself or join a virtually-led experience like this one, or this one.

The energy of the Blue Moon lends itself nicely for setting goals and intentions that are big, important and lofty. Choose the life area that seem the most significant. 

1. Love and Happiness: Gems - amethyst, jade, rose quartz;

Colors - pink, red;

Essential Oils - cardamom, rosemary, ylang-ylang 

2. Physical Health: Gems - agate, bloodstone, ruby;

Colors - red, orange, yellow;

Essential Oils -coriander, eucalyptus, lavender 

3. Prosperity: Gems - turquoise, chrysoprase, emerald, opal;

Colors - green, pink;

Essential Oils - lemon, patchouli, ginger 

4. Protection: Gems - turquoise, citrine, garnet;

Colors - white, gold, black; 

Essential Oils - black pepper, clove, patchouli 

5. Healing: Gems -beryl, jasper, smoky quartz;

Colors - white, pink, purple, gold;

Essential Oils -coriander, eucalyptus, pine

Gather the chosen "tools", write down the goals or intentions and find a quiet spot, preferably out in nature under the light of the full moon. By sitting quietly, meditating and thinking about the goals, energy is drawn down from the Blue Moon and into the desired goals. The paper with the written-down goals can be either burned, shredded, or even kept until they are manifested.

First, mentally cast a bubble around you and the space you're in. This is a protective bubble that will keep only good energy moving in and out. Say that - that the bubble is a protective one. Light a candle.

Secondly, ask that your guides/angels/animal spirits/you-fill-in-the-blank be with you. Thank them for joining you, for protecting you, and for adding their energy.

Thirdly, ask the Universe/God/Goddess/You-fill-in-the-blank to hear you and to take your words and desires and manifest them physically. Describe in detail your desires.

Lastly, thank the Universe/God and your guide/angel for hearing you. Offer a token of thanks and blow out your candle, thus closing the circle and ending the ritual.

Once-in-a-Blue-Moon-lifetime opportunity:

Part of this beautiful Blue Moon energy is about traveling to new places, and my stars and planets have aligned at this time and space-place to provide me a flight to the land “down under”. Join me in celebrating the Thunder Blue Moon on July 31, 2015 via Facebook group!

P.S. I’ll be sure to photograph plenty of kangaroo adventures for next month’s post. Cheerio!