The darkness always ends…

As we approach the Winter Solstice, often called the ‘shortest day of the year’ (it’s not, but it does have the least amount of sunlight in the northern hemisphere anyway), it’s helpful to remember that the darkness ALWAYS lifts.

We can learn so much from the seasons, including this dark and dormant time of year. It may feel as if everything is dead and brown, but underneath, things are percolating, resting, gathering strength. Inevitably, they return and pop through the soil in the spring.

Animals are gestating the next generation now. Humans are ‘snuggled all warm in their beds’, awaiting the return of the the light.

We’re almost there, my loves. And on the solstice, you have probably heard something about “The Star of Bethlehem” returning.This is true…mostly. Jupiter and Saturn will conjoin or meet up in the sky and form what appears to be a large, bright star.

It’s a big deal in astrology and astronomy and they have not come this close since the 1200s, but more importantly, scholars believe that this celestial cycle was the genesis of the Biblical story of the Star that the Wise Men followed to find the Christ child, over 2000 years ago.

The two planets meet up at 0 degrees of the sign of Aquarius. This also has massive significance for astrologers and human kind.

Some talk about the ‘second coming of Christ’ and point to various Biblical prophesies, particularly in Revelations. Personally, I think it is ushering in the era of “Christ Consciousness”: cooperation, community, helping and loving our neighbors, equity, letting go of the ‘every man for himself/survival of the fittest’ mentality.

This will take time…more time than I likely have in this human incarnation, but it’s real, it’s coming. But, as always, it is up to each of us, individually, to usher in these energies of evolution in the collective energies of humanity.

Just know this: we are being given a chance here. But, it starts with all of us looking inward; the external influences are strong right now and toxic. This is the time of year for us to go inward, dormant, neutral; knowing that something beautiful will bloom after we do the work required of us.

Happy Solstice, fellow humans. We have much to do; much to learn.

Cocooning to cope…

 

It’s a turn off the news, ask Alexa to shuffle Norah Jones morning.

Very cold this here; one of those hard to catch your breath, the dogs are walking on 3 legs, super clear at 8500 feet, mornings.

The condo feels like a little cocoon with Christmas lights, warm slippers, fireplace, counting small blessings (like clean sheets) happening.

The world is so absolutely chaotic right now. I was talking to a friend yesterday about various current events and happenings, when we both came to the same conclusion: “We’re screwed!”. HAHA!

But, I/we need to put ourselves into our cocoon now and then; to inhabit the eye of the storm where there is peace, calmness and often, clarity.

Yesterday I was standing in the valley where I currently live and gazing at the huge, beautiful, ancient mountains that surround us like a giant hug.

This, too, shall pass my loves. The timeline of humanity is sooooo long and so varied and yes, ALWAYS chaotic.

We look at various other eras in history and are lulled into the idea that it was a calmer, simpler time. That everything was as it should be and that everything ‘made sense’. It never has. Ever.

There has always been suffering and violence and hunger and oppression and all of the bad, icky things that we think are at an all-time high right now.

The difference is that we are in an era where we MUST ‘see’ them. We are awakening at a fairly rapid rate, thanks in part to technology, which is both a boon and a curse.

So, as always, my loves, it is two steps forward, one step back in our evolution. As we approach the Solstice a week from today, we are called to rest; to go inward.

To retreat to our cocoons, to gather strength as the light begins to return, oh so slowly as it ALWAYS does. Respect the cycles or more accurately, the spiral that is life as we move higher and higher in our awakening.

It’s a hard job, this whole being human deal.

You are the light

We woke up to a blanket of snow this morning and the snow is still falling. I just took a few minutes to gaze out the window. Early morning snowfall mutes or removes all color from the landscape.  Fresh snow is so peaceful.

Then, I turned on the news. God, the world is a mess, isn’t it? I’m pretty sure that statement has been uttered every day since the beginning of time, but since this is our time to inhabit the earth, this is our mess.

Violence, anger, hatred, oppression; the greatest hits of man’s inhumanity to his fellow travelers. If you think about all of it too much, you are likely to have reactions like anger and/or withdrawal. The worst is the feeling of impotence; that nothing you can do will matter.

I don’t believe that our reactions don’t matter. I believe that we can all throw out a little bit of light into the world and with enough light, we get enlightenment; an awakening of sorts.

I truly believe that the world is on the brink of a great spiritual revolution. Humans, by and large do not want to live in fear and anger and hatred. I think we are naturally drawn to love, beauty and compassion and that the vast majority of us practice those things. Watch the news and all you see is the bad stuff, so it seems as if the dark side is winning.

We have a choice, every single second of every single day regarding our feelings and what we toss out into the world. Many spiritual teachers call it “co-creation”, which means that we just need to tap into all of the positive vibes that surround us, in order to create the lives we want.

By the same token, we can tap into the negative and be a part of the darkness and chaos. I’ll admit it’s easier said than done, but we all have free will. Internal free will. That love and light and compassion and empathy is inside of us; in our hearts.

Of course life isn’t fair and events can make us angry and hurt, which leads to dysfunction, but that’s the human condition that we all experience. We can make a conscious choice to tap into that stream of the good stuff and reject the bad.

Jack Canfield distilled it down into a simple equation: E(event) + R(reaction)= O(outcome). Make it your mantra: E+R=O. How you react to life is instrumental in what you create.

So, we can rail against the messes in this world, but it all comes down to what are we putting out there? How are we contributing to more light, less darkness? Every second, of every day, we throw energy into the world. Give thanks, be kind, help a fellow human, love and nurture nature, try and see someone else’s point of view or as I like to say “walk a moon in their moccasins”.  Be gentle; don’t celebrate bitchiness and anger.

We can change the world; we’re all connected and my energy is your energy is their energy. Make your choices wisely. Send out light. You are very powerful.

What dogs are for….

My husband and I have been having a discussion about whether or not to get another dog.  Okay, it’s a disagreement.  He says no, while I say yes.  We have been having this argument for about 24 years now, through various dogs.

So, last week, he said to me, “Explain to me why you want another dog.”  I hemmed and hawed and threw out some inarticulate dribble about ‘feelings’ and ‘joy’ and ‘can’t really explain’.  Not an effective answer.  Very unsatisfying for both of us.  So, the next day, I sat at my computer and composed this note to him.

You asked me why I want another dog.  That is a valid question that prompted me to put into words, what our past, present and future dogs mean to me.

I love them for their unique personalities, quirks and qualities.  Like people, they each bring something to my life.  They force us to realize that all creatures have a perspective and have needs and desires.  I love that.

Skelo was loyal and responsible and completely committed to you.  He was the grown-up dog, who kept the other dogs in line.  He tolerated very little nonsense from the others.

Kodiak was a clown, with a sensitive side.  He loved people and beer and crashing the neighbors’ poker parties.  He accepted the younger, more obnoxious dogs with a sense of humor and tolerance.

Feta was a rock star; she had to be the center of attention and had to win every competition.  She could be hard-assed and aggressive, but was nurturing and sweet if you were sick or helpless.  I still miss her smart-assiness every day.

Samson was…Samson.  Dopey and distracted but very loving and sweet.

Chili was complex and smart as a whip; she was moody and beautiful.  She was my soulmate, who gazed into my eyes and trusted me implicitly.  She had a dry, but well-developed sense of humor and she liked to watch dog shows with me on TV.  I looked forward to waking up and seeing her sweet face, every single day of her life.

Junior is sweet and forgiving, with the soul of a poet.  You can see in his eyes that he just wants to be loved and praised.  He is a lover, not a fighter and he loves you the most.  And he can run in the tightest, fastest circles that I’ve ever seen.

All of them have brought such joy and love and humor into our lives.  Just like people.  Their spirits are as important to me as the human spirits in my life. Maybe more so.

They love us fully and boundlessly.   They don’t expect perfection or make me feel guilty or judge me for my screw ups or lack of grace.  They don’t care if my radio ratings are good or bad and they don’t hold grudges.  They are far nobler than many humans I’ve known.

They eat with gusto and allow me to put coats and life vests on them.  They sing along with your saxophone and dig big holes in the yard. They charm our visitors and share our love of beets, sweet potatoes,  popcorn and sports.  They accept our quirks.

We are a family and since neither one of us have a huge tribe of human friends in our lives, I feel like our dogs are my tribe.  I need them in order to survive and to thrive.  I realize that you may not see it the way that I do, but a life without dogs is just too hard for me and I’m grateful that you allow them into our lives.

Our new puppy is another spirit that will touch us in her way.  Sweetness, light, humor and playfulness emanate from her.  She will fit in nicely and maybe even kill a mouse or two. She will bring love to our little family…and she will come when we call her.  I guarantee it….

So, there it is.  Thank you for your patience with me.  You too, are full of light, humor and forgiveness; those qualities are of the highest value in our tribe.

J