Ménage au trios or One?

I can truly say that I have never had so many people (both men and women) hug me and tell me that they love me on a daily basis and mean it with no sexual overtones. I know so, for I do and feel the same way.  It is beautiful.

We all need to feel that we are loved and therefore God is alive in us and everything will be all right.

That does not mean that we all do not long to have someone to cherish who feels the same about us and longs to merge with us in body, mind and spirit and share our innermost essence of being.

Are relationships in the new paradigm expanding to accommodate aspects of Oneness? I am trying to process the relationships in my life that do not seem to fit in the old forms. I currently have two men in my life who share their deepest thoughts and feelings, hug me and tell me they love me but date other women. I love and appreciate these women also. Is this a new model  for being together in the new paradigm? What is intimacy? Is this enough? I am trying to learn the steps to a new dance…

Is Integrity old fashioned?

Are respect and integrity becoming casualties of the world in chaos? When did it become unimportant to keep our word and our commitments? Do excuses and apologies repair the damage when we fail to live up to these commitments? Why do we commit to things we are unable to complete? Is it really a case of being out of touch with our own reality?

I was invited to a party last night in a restaurant for the birthday of a friend. Others were to show up as well. Two of us waited an hour for the others and finally left. Apologies ensued but the fact was that we kept our commitments and they did not. I was not mad but disappointed to lose a friendship because the other was not up to the challenge of living in integrity.

I do not know about others but I am through giving bad behavior a free ride. I am not so needy that I am willing to overlook breaches of integrity and respect in order to maintain friendships. The friends I cherish are those that show up unquestioning when and how we agree to and do not make excuses or commitments that they cannot keep. To me that is integrity and respect but perhaps that is an old fashioned concept and out of touch with today’s reality. Whatever…

As for me, I will continue to operate in a world where my word has meaning. Those I choose to have in my life KNOW that when I say I will do something or be somewhere that they can bet their life on the fact that I will go through “hell and high water” to keep my commitment because I have given my word. In this new paradigm that we are creating, I choose to include only those who I can count to do the same. We have a choice as to whom and what we bring into our lives. If those who wish things were different were to step up and make them different in their lives, that would be our new reality.

Just a thought…Penny

Ageless Wisdom

When did being chronologically mature become a liability and not an asset? Are there not other cultures that value the wisdom gained through experience and not push this aside condescendingly as being irrelevant in today’s world? Why is it when we have lived long enough to see the larger picture, many have not learned to value the wisdom we can bring to the collective? As paradigms shift we might wish to look at what we are forfeiting by operating totally in the present without taking into consideration the wisdom gained by past experience from those who have “been there and done that”.

The “older” I become, the more I become aware of the wealth of experience that I have learned by living a life of meaning and purpose. It seems a waste to bury all these hard-won lessons and insights when I finally give up this journey. We all wish to give our children the best we can and make their life easier than the ones we experienced but how many of them want what we can give them? One of the tragedies born of the disintegrating family is that many have lost touch with those wisdom keepers that are a branch up on the family tree who have secrets to life and ways to avoid many of the pitfalls on the path. If our new family structure is the family of choice, wouldn’t it be advantageous to include all stages in our life journey together so that we are able to share our view from our branch?

The higher we climb, the greater the perspective. Those on the upper limbs have stored the memories of the seedling as well as the fragile early years where the impediments of life help shape the forming structure. But they have also adapted and grown past the challenges and the storms have helped them to strengthen and move higher where the view is better and strength is found in bending in the wind and being part of the ebb and flow of life. There is much wisdom to be gained from those who have been through the storm and know how to survive and thrive.

I am saddened when I see “youngsters” not just making fun of those who have fought the battles and have the scars to prove it but more importantly, not appreciating that they just might have the answers that would help avoid such skirmishes today. Laughter at the expense of others is never kind and seems to be another casualty of the old paradigm. Can’t we begin to rekindle this flame of divinity joyously by kindly acknowledging each other and the gifts we each bring to the association, no matter what our “age”? The vision and energy of youth are a perfect complement to wisdom and experience in the new paradigm. Might we be better served by walking hand in hand on the road to understanding that each has a piece of the puzzle of life if only we are willing to pool our visions in order to grow together?

Many attempt to regain their credibility by trying to recapture their youth. If we are a culture that no longer values the mature or appreciates their contributions, then why not try to make yourself appear as young as possible to be recognized as valuable? Are the “elderly” ridiculed, tolerated, or patronized or appreciated for the perspective they bring to the dynamic? Is ageism as offensive as racism, sexism or any of the other “isms” that separate us rather than unite us as One?

Wisdom used to be something that we gained from life experience and stored for future use. Knowledge comes from those who have studied the words and deeds of others. Truth is visible from our unique place on the tree of life. Wouldn’t it be advantageous if we began to share our perspectives within this dynamic, no matter what our “age”?

Seers of the new world speak of “youthing” which is a process where as we become an ageless continuum of experience. If you knew all you now know and had an ageless body, what would be the quality and focus of your life? Perhaps this is what we need to be focusing on as paradigms and realities shift and come into being.  This is the ageless wisdom…

Sophia

In the Silence

I am becoming more appreciative of the silence in my life for it is the blank slate on which I process my thoughts, dreams, and insights. When I was younger I felt that I had to fill each moment with sound as if its presence proved my existence. Now it is a gift to have the time, space and stillness to connect with my soul and listen for its whispers.

 I no longer reach for the radio control when I enter the car. In the rhythmic sound and motion of the car moving across the road I move into a zone of inspiration. I have gotten some of my most profound realizations while in my state of meditation behind the wheel. Road trips are less of a chore and more of an opportunity for communion with the divine and introspection.

I have been blessed this week with an interval of aloneness. While I thoroughly enjoy the interaction with my housemates and friends, they are out of town so this has been a mini-vacation from the disruptions of life lived in the now of activity. I luxuriate in the opportunity to delve deeply in a cherished book and explore the garden listening to the songs of Nature without the background noise of TV and telephone.  

 It was in this time of silence that I received an unusual pointer. As I sat quietly on the portale, appreciating the beauty of nature expressed in the garden, a bobcat sauntered across the yard and disappeared into the brush beyond. I realized the gift of this occurrence and wondered what nature was trying to tell me. I sought out my animal wisdom cards and “surprisingly” drew the Lynx (the genus for bobcat). This is a silent seeker, knower, and keeper of nature’s secrets. It has the ability to move through time and space and to go into the Great Silence for unraveling any mystery. It is clairvoyance and clairaudience. It is a sign that Mother Earth is signaling in some manner. Some believe that the Sphinx in Egypt is not a lion but a lynx. For me this was a confirmation that this silent path has a deeper meaning and purpose and I am learning to hear with different ears.

 

Seldom have I had the luxury of personal space and quiet during the years of family, career, and growth.  Life as a Gemini, with Mercury, the sign of communication, is seldom without noise-filled interaction with the world around me. Part of the duality of this sign is finding time to be quiet and reconnect with Source and recharge my mental and emotional batteries for the next day’s adventure.

 

I sometimes wonder about my grandchildren’s generation that must have the constant stimulation of noise plugged into their ears and their awareness. When do they have the opportunity to dream, imagine, and process the events in their lives? Have they evolved past the necessity to reason, evaluate, and discern and become merely reactors to stimuli rather than creators and innovators? Do they understand what it means to listen to the still, small voice within?

 I recognize the growth inherent in being content in my own company and not feeling I need to fill the void. It has been said that the only thing worse than being alone is wishing you were. Somehow the possibility of aloneness for a while is not so daunting when it becomes a time to dialogue with my higher self. I am grateful for this time alone in the silence. Peace be still…

Penny

 

Peace One Day?

This Friday, September 21, 2012, commemorates World Peace Day, set aside by the UN over 10 years ago for celebration and observance of an international day of cease fire and non-violence. It got me thinking , what are we really doing in our lives to foster a more-peaceful world? Is this world in fact a more peaceful place than it was 10 years ago and if not why and what can we do about that?

For what seemed like a no-brainer, it took the organizer, British actor Jeremy Gilley, 15 years to bring together enough nations to back and proclaim the resolution. I doubt if you were to interview men and women on the streets, in refugee camps and on the front lines anywhere in the world there would be more than 5% saying that they wanted anything less than to live their lives in peace. Why do we have such a difficult time doing this?

I have been involved in a week-long string of events sponsored by Return to Honor that helps bring awareness to ways of creating a culture of peace. We have shown the movie Peace One Day, involved the schools with movies about bullying and writing essays and expressing in art what peace looks like to them. Sunday spiritual leaders from various religious persuasions came together in a forum where we looked at our concerns and beliefs about creating a more peaceful world. We sang together songs of peace, signed the petition to make Sedona a City of Peace and the mayor has proclaimed Friday Peace One Day in Sedona. On Friday, the high school will form a peace sign on the football field to be filmed from a helicopter for inclusion with the YouTube promotion of the event. There is a live benefit concert and even a community campout in the park. We say we are all about peace.

If we are all in this world together and all looking to live in peace, what is preventing us from behaving as peace-loving people? I believe it has a lot to do with our focusing on the things that separate us than those bring us together. We all view life through our own filters of experience and preconceived ideas.

Case in point – As part of the preparations for Peace Week in Sedona we engaged a local artist to design a poster to publicize events. He did a beautiful painting of a family raising a white flag with a peace sign on it over a tank with flowers in the barrel. Many, because they had been through the 60’s and 70’s, understood the symbolism and thought it expressed their sentiments beautifully. Given my past experiences, I thought “Oh no, the fundamentalists are going to be offended and not join us because they consider this to be a satanic symbol”. My friend, an ex-military man, thought immediately that this was a sign of surrender.  We are all a product of our experience and conditioning and see life through these filters.

I see little chance of coming together as One in Peace if we are not willing to start from this point forward and to begin to find the cords that connect us and weave together a future that honors and celebrates our differences rather than raising our hands in anger to those that knowingly or unknowingly offend us. If we are not mindful in dealing with others, we will not be able to avoid the mine (mind) fields that can derail even the best of intentions. It is only by dialoguing about the things that pain and offend us in respectful ways that we will be able to foster awareness and come together in mutual respect and peace. One Day…

Namaste, Penny

Healing Injustice

Why do I feel the pain of injustice so deeply? Why do I feel the need to speak up when I see things that reek of fear rather than Love? If I am not being personally threatened, why do I feel I must step in rather than to allow their Karmic dance to play out?
Once again I gave advice where it wasn’t wanted or appreciated. Once again I stirred the waters and caused others to go deep into their own inner reserves for answers. Is anything accomplished by dislodging others from their righteous stance? We all feel we are “right” or “justified” in some way or we wouldn’t be doing what we are doing. We want someone to be accountable for our pain and suffering. Does shining a light on perceived injustice really accomplish anything?

In this case I was placed in the middle. I heard and understood both “sides” and could see both the real and unreal in each. But then the only thing that is REAL is Love – anything else is part of the illusion. How do we heal the unreal? I also believe that thinking there are sides is the unreal. 

I went deeper with this to track my motivation and response.

In a past lifetime in Poland I was a child of six. We were shunned, ostracized and banished. No one spoke up in our behalf. I died of starvation in Dachau.

I also was present when He said “As you do this to the least of these my brethren, you do it to Me”.

So these are the soul lessons I bring with me into this lifetime to help guide me and others through the fog of illusion.  I know that there is NOTHING anyone could do that would make me subject another to what I have experienced. I know I would be willing to die rather than go there but others have not had the lessons I have and would probably not understand as I do.

How do we heal this wound in the body of God?

Again I invade everyone’s space and call for compassion, Love and understanding. Everyone is polarized in their woundedness so they resist but perhaps some begin to come into resonance.

In the stages of grief and dying enumerated by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross we go through the denial and anger, the bargaining, and depression before we get to the acceptance and therefore the peace. Perhaps this is what is necessary as we die to the old ways of being together. Do we need others to “get” their lessons or is it really about our experiencing our own? Is it enough that we tried and “failed” or is this all part of the process of coming together as One.

In the movie “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” the young man kept saying  ”All will be perfect in the end and if it was not perfect, then it was not the end”. So evidently it is not yet the end. I am assuming that by my causing all to go deeper in their own process and examining their own motivations and assumptions this will be healed in ways that are incomprehensible to my linear mind. That is certainly my intention. Sometimes it is necessary to lance an infection in order to affect healing. It is my hope that being the “thorn in the side” of those in conflict that I have served some purpose in affecting a more conscious outcome. But of course it is not “over” until we are all Home.

Namaste, Penny

BEing - In the Eye of the Hurricane

As the pictures of Irene move ever closer to the lives of millions, I am reminded of what it is like to be in the throws of a storm. As we are tossed around by the challenges of life, we come to realize that the only control we have is our attitude and acceptance. The storms of the physical world are merely reflective of the turmoil we create in our lives by our unwillingness to come from a space of Love. It is in that calm, Loving center that we find true peace.

Having grown up in Houston, I have witnessed my share of hurricanes. I also remember the calm in the eye of the storm. I remember looking up and seeing the sun and blue sky where moments ago were raging winds and rain. That is where I choose to make my home. For me it is just a case of being fully conscious in the present, despite what appears to be turmoil around me. That is the illusion. For me there is only the now.

If I have but one life to live and am making it up as I go along, why would I choose other than to make it Loving and honoring of myself and others? If there is no present or future, only now, what more could I ask than being in a space of calm and Love. This is where I choose to be and what I choose to experience.

Going back to the eye of the hurricane…this is not a stagnant spot. As structures and lives are torn asunder, the eye continues to move over new territory for growth. Around me is devastation caused by the precursors of what is to follow. It is not easy to see what has happened unless you are able to take the broader view of destruction being necessary for creation on higher ground. I believe this is what is happening in the physical as well as the social and spiritual.

Societies and belief systems are being torn apart by the winds of change. The crumbling effigies to greed and fear are unable to withstand the earthquakes of awakening consciousness. The phoenix is emerging from the ashes and the sky is blue and bright with promise. The second wave is coming but only the fearful and inflexible will be washed out with the tide of change. Those who have aligned themselves with the attitudes of Love and forgiveness, compassion and courage have the tools required to weather the storms of life.

I am grateful to BE in the moment and riding the rising tide of growth and understanding. All else is illusion.

Penny

What If

I work daily with Return to Honor helping people on both sides of prison bars redirecting their lives in positive ways.  I was asked to write a few words of encouragement to those inside. It occurs to me that those on the other side are in many ways prisoners as well - trapped in their own self-limiting ways.  To me personal freedom is a choice we all make through our attitudes and choices.  I am  including the few words of encouragement I have come up with  express these views.

What If?

It seems life has given you a little “time out”. The only thing you really have that you can call your own is how you choose to perceive and experience this. This is the story you tell yourself and others that creates the reality you experience.

Some might say that life isn’t fair and it might not be. Some might say that they deserve an even break and they probably do. Some might think that the deck is stacked against them and it probably is. So??? How do you begin to change the things in your life that are not working for you? Perhaps what is called for is an attitude adjustment.

Since only you can choose how you deal with life, given the “realities” of what is, how do you intend to change the only thing you have control over which is your attitude? What if, just for today, you choose to treat ALL people honorably and respectfully – just because that is how you would like to be treated? What if, just for today, you choose to show up as someone who is caring and loving – just because that is how you would like to feel? What if, just for today, you choose to ignore the taunts and jeers of others, knowing that they are wounded and hurting themselves? What if, just for today, you step outside your fear and allow the true you to shine forth and enrich the lives of others? You can try this – just for today - and see how it feels to wear these new feelings. You may find that you rather like the new you and certainly those around you will feel and notice the difference.

Warning!!! Once you have begun this journey to self-understanding and self-appreciation it may be hard to return to the pain and misery of self-doubt and recrimination. That too is your choice. If things are working wonderfully for you and you feel loved and fulfilled, there is little motivation to change. If things are less than perfect, perhaps it is something you might wish to try on to see how you can create a more joyful reality. No charge but big rewards. You deserve it. Keep up the good work.

Penny Genter

Getting Clear

We are swimming in a primordial soup of experience. The patterns of life swirl around us and we attempt to decide which are capable of supporting us and getting us to the shore of fulfillment. How might this serve me in the short run? Will it evolve into something of greater meaning and promise? Should I keep paddling and risk going under or grasp what might be a life-raft of safety and security? Are my visions of Shangri-La unrealistic and unattainable or do they come from a place greater clarity and higher vision of what my soul is trying to show me? What lies around the bend that might change everything?

I for one have trod the calmer waters. While it was not uneventful, it gave me the opportunity to hone my skills as a navigator and get my sea legs. I know what to expect and have tested myself in many challenging situations. I have achieved my mastery. I am ready to move to the next level. I have the inner clarity to guide me through the fog.

One of the gifts of maturity is the ability to reflect on experiences and to discern the patterns that we have lived and how we might circumvent the next pitfalls in life. I choose not to take the dead ends again and to blaze new trails that lead to higher experience. This is the culmination of a life of my making. I intend to make it eventful and fulfilling.

Many are unwilling to let go of the safe and the known and venture past their comfort level. I know this to be a trap that would put me on a never-ending spiral of complacency. This is not what I have signed up for this time. I have been there and am wise enough to reach out and extricate myself from the trap. If not now, when would I be ready to step off the cliff of the unknown?

I choose to experience the richness of life filled with passion and experience. I will use the good china and crystal – not saving anything for the coming tomorrow. I intend to dance in the experience of life and not sit on the sidelines. This is the prime time and I fully intend to make it the best I can, holding nothing back. There is only now and it is magnificent because I choose to make and perceive it so.

I am willing to risk the scraps and bruises that come from being in the fray. They are the price we pay for living in the fullness of life. I Know that without risk, there is no reward. I intend to be richly rewarded because I choose to give to my fullest capacity – love, respect, and compassion. These are the seeds I am planting and this is the crop I intend to harvest. Everything else is fertilizer.

What this will look like – I haven’t a clue. I am stepping off the cliff and where the winds take me has yet to be determined. All I can control is how I choose to perceive life. It is my intention to make it a grand, passionate adventure. Everything else is details.

I have no doubt…

Penny

I AM Beauty

Beauty is the vibration of Love Divine

I find beauty in the change that nature is modeling.

The hope of the bright new greens of spring mature into the darker, fully realized ones of summer.

The yellows and reds of autumn are a celebration of the transformation of life in motion.

As the browns of fall disintegrate into the dust of winter, we are nourished by the silence where we are able to appreciate the gifts of change and growth in the cycles of life and rebirth.

How Beautiful!!!

Morphing

I am grateful to have “friends in high places” who give me insights and help me keep on track and aware of the fractal patterns of my life.

They gave me a wonderful gift this week in an image that I have been mulling over in my mind in order to understand it better. They said that my life is like a pointillist painting comprised of millions of dots of color. It is only when I step back and view it from a distance that the patterns and images are revealed.

What might be seen as chaos in these times is merely a dissolving of the matrix that is holding the old patterns in place. My life is in fact morphing into a whole new expression of experience.

This made sense to me and I have chosen to view each box that I move from the old place to the new as a dot of color that is creating the masterpiece of my new life.

I believe we are all in a state of flux, redefining what is obsolete or no longer working and what we wish to be the new earth experience. Time to leave behind the old and worn out and embrace the new. I know that if I step back far enough I will be able to see the larger picture that is emerging.

Namaste, Penny

Mindful Transitions

It seems we are all evaluating what it means for us to live a life of integrity and purpose. Just surviving life’s challenges no longer seems enough. The people I interact with on a daily basis are all feeling a tug to move higher, closer, and with more intent and purpose. We are all discovering what that means for us in the third-dimensional reality of mundane lives.

For me this last seven months has been a time of growth and expansion. Having left home, job, family, friends, and “security” in New Mexico I embarked on an adventure in consciousness that was to prove as transformational as educational. All of this to live in a place where I knew few, with a man I had only recently met, with only a room in his house to call my own. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

No longer in the shadow of my former life as wife, mother and “expert”, I was free to create a new life on my own terms. People only knew of me what I choose to reveal and it was up to me as to how I wished to define myself and who I wished to be. But who was “I” really? The answer continues to reveal itself as I evolve and grow in the new environment.

Having checked out my new housemate beforehand and determined that he was operating in a higher vibration of reality, I understood that at least we would have a similar frame of reference and understanding. This proved to be an understatement as we soon found that we flowed easily together and shared many common interests including movies, cooking, and gardening. I was led to volunteer with his non-profit organization and he introduced me to others in the community that he had lived in for 30 years. The real catalyst was when I introduced him to the Unity church and we both became enmeshed in the lives of the most evolved group of people I have ever met in an atmosphere of truth and gratitude. It became a dance of communication, growth, and understanding with many evolved souls that might have taken years in a less spiritual environment.

Another conscious housemate appeared and we began to evolve as a spiritual family. We have begun to envision ways of expanding this into an intentional community and inviting others to join in the process. Our time in this house will come to a close in September and we are opening to creating an expanded version of this new (to me) way of being together in the new paradigm. I believe it will involve conscious awareness of the oneness of creation, but individually expressed with all our diversity complimenting the others without the ego-based dramas.

What seems to make our experience different from others I have heard about is the total lack of fearful, ego-based thinking, an openness and commitment to honest, heartfelt communication. We are consciously and mindfully creating the world in which we are living in a spirit of joyful abundance. However others may choose to perceive our situation is irrelevant for we are living life fully in the moment, knowing that everything that is happening is in the highest and best good, no matter what it looks like. I can’t wait until this is the universal vision of reality!
Namaste

Penny

You might wish to check our progress on the Mindful Transition site on Facebook http://bit.ly/b8gEFH .

Yin and Yang in the New Paradigm

It has been observed that in the old paradigm women wanted to talk a situation to death and men just wanted to fix it. It seems that we are moving out of these old stereotypes and finding a whole new way of being whole together though we may not be entirely there yet.

A male friend and I were discussing a situation. I expressed frustration that a group I was working with seemed to be in chaos for lack of leadership and things were not getting done in what I considered a timely manner. He wanted to “fix” it by going to the next level of management to see that things got “done right”. I was reluctant to go that route since I was new to the group and didn’t want to seem to be taking over without being asked to do so even though I believed I could see clearly what needed to be done.

By talking it through we came to understand that this was in fact a necessary part of the process as we learn to honor and appreciate each other’s unique gifts that we bring when we try to come together in common purpose. In M. Scott Peck’s book on community building, The Different Drum, he talks about chaos being necessary as all express their individual needs and visions before things come together in a unified approach. Though the finished product might not be my personal vision of perfection or timeliness, it will be in fact a common vision that is brought into being through honoring all parts of the community. In that it will be perfect. We are all learning from each other how to coexist in partnerships with diverse understandings and agendas.

I mentioned to him that when a woman voices her concerns and frustrations, it does not necessarily mean that she expects him to “fix” things. Sometimes it is just that she needs to vent and understand how things are perceived from a male point of view. Sometimes we are just putting a toe in the water to test the depth before we venture forward and appreciate a weather report. In previous times women were not expected to be able to “fix” things themselves and consequently looked to the men in their lives to do the heavy lifting in that department. We learned how to study and learn all we needed to know about a situation to discern and advise the best way of avoiding bloodshed before we acted.

On the other hand men at times have come from a “shoot first, ask questions later” school of problem resolution. They want to cut to the chase and make things better so life can go on. While removing obstacles had its advantages, in some cases these were put there for our growth and need to be carefully dismantled to keep them from exploding in our faces. This is a perspective women can provide which helps expand the vision of partnership. By taking time to understand and explore both ways of resolving conflict, balance is being restored and we are becoming more integrated in our approach to life.

In the Silence

I am becoming more appreciative of the silence in my life for it is the blank slate on which I process my thoughts, dreams, and insights. When I was younger I felt that I had to fill each moment with sound as if its presence proved my existence. Now it is a gift to have the time, space and stillness to connect with my soul and listen for its whispers.

I no longer reach for the radio control when I enter the car. In the rhythmic sound and motion of the car moving across the road I move into a zone of inspiration. I have gotten some of my most profound realizations while in my state of meditation behind the wheel. Road trips are less of a chore and more of an opportunity for communion with the divine and introspection.

I have been blessed this week with an interval of aloneness. While I thoroughly enjoy the interaction with my housemates and friends, they are out of town so this has been a mini-vacation from the disruptions of life lived in the now of activity. I luxuriate in the opportunity to delve deeply in a cherished book and explore the garden listening to the songs of Nature without the background noise of TV and telephone.

It was in this time of silence that I received an unusual pointer. As I sat quietly on the portale, appreciating the beauty of nature expressed in the garden, a bobcat sauntered across the yard and disappeared into the brush beyond. I realized the gift of this occurrence and wondered what nature was trying to tell me. I sought out my animal wisdom cards and “supprisingly” drew the Lynx (the genus for bobcat). This is a silent seeker, knower, and keeper of nature’s secrets. It has the ability to move through time and space and to go into the Great Silence for unraveling any mystery. It is clairvoyance and clairaudience. It is a sign that Mother Earth is signaling in some manner. Some believe that the Sphinx in Egypt is not a lion but a lynx. For me this was a confirmation that this silent path has a deeper meaning and purpose and I am learning to hear with different ears.

Seldom have I had the luxury of personal space and quiet during the years of family, career, and growth. Life as a Gemini, with Mercury, the sign of communication, is seldom without noise-filled interaction with the world around me. Part of the duality of this sign is finding time to be quiet and reconnect with Source and recharge my mental and emotional batteries for the next day’s adventure.

I sometimes wonder about my grandchildren’s generation that must have the constant stimulation of noise plugged into their ears and their awareness. When do they have the opportunity to dream, imagine, and process the events in their lives? Have they evolved past the necessity to reason, evaluate, and discern and become merely reactors to stimuli rather than creators and innovators? Do they understand what it means to listen to the still, small voice within?

I recognize the growth inherent in being content in my own company and not feeling I need to fill the void. It has been said that the only thing worse than being alone is wishing you were. Somehow the possibility of aloneness for a while is not so daunting when it becomes a time to dialogue with higher self. I am grateful for this time alone in the silence. Peace be still…

Sisters

Biologically I have only one wonderful sister but I am blessed with many sisters of choice for which I am profoundly grateful. It has been only since my husband’s passing five years ago that I became aware of the richness of sisterhood that I had been missing in my prior life. I left a coven of soul sisters in New Mexico with their encouragement and blessings and wasn’t sure I would be able to find that here but I have been pleasantly surprised that it has been so easy to reconnect with members of my soul family.

Certainly I had girl/women friends growing up and as a wife and mother. Usually these were because we shared a common interest or activity. It became natural to associate with women whose husbands were friends of my husband or children and in such we could all share activities. While we had many things in common, with a couple of exceptions, I can’t say many of them were would what I would call sisters in light of my new awareness. Compared to the depth of the relationships I have today, these were just aquaintenances.

For me sisterhood implies a deep bond of love, appreciation, acceptance, and caring at a soul level. We are there for each other to honestly mirror, chide, and encourage each other to be our best, most authentic self and to grow in depth and awareness that we are unable to do apart. We may not be our sister’s keeper but we can be each other’s greatest supporter and champion as we grow into oneness together.

While previous friendships may have had an undercurrent of competition and withholding truths that did not reflect the image we wished to portray, my sisters today have moved past that limited vision and are reflective of the higher awareness of who we really are and who we wish to be. By reaching out to a sister and sharing our truth we are able to minister to each other and to grow together in love. It is wholeness being manifested in the bond of sisterhood.

I have been reading M. Scott Peck’s book on community building and he talks about appreciating the richness we bring to each other with our differences. It is in accepting and valuing each other in our own unique ways that we forge the bonds that create community. I am fortunate to be participating in a living, growing community of sisters in the truest sense of the word and for that I am profoundly grateful.

Penny

Making Love Not War

I am grateful for all of the people in my life but especially the men for they give me a different way of looking at the world. I am delighted to see that the gratitude circle I attend each week is usually about equally represented by both men and women which has not always been the case in previous groups I have been in. Perhaps men and women are finding ways of coming together in more cooperative forms of intercourse.

I think back to early TV shows like I Love Lucy and the Honeymooners where relationships were all about manipulation and deception in order to achieve personal wants. I am so glad at least some of us seem to have evolved past these outdated dramas – at least I hope we have. Or is it that I just live in the rarefied environment of Sedona where more enlightened souls have chosen to congregate. Hopefully this is a harbinger of the new reality.
I truly believe that men and women do think differently. It is not just that women want to talk a problem to death and men just want to fix it. That may have been the old paradigm but now we seem to be learning to come together and honor both our masculine and feminine natures. The new paradigm is about balance in all things and working within the dynamics of cooperation and respect rather than fear and isolation.

I know I can roll a situation around in my mind, examining it from many levels and come to my own conclusions but it is inevitably when I compare my findings with the men in my life that I see a big missing piece that escaped my attention. It seems we do need each other not just in a physical sense, but to flesh out the complementary parts of our own vision and experience.
I remember a couple of weeks ago my friend, John spoke and blogged about women, or perhaps a woman, who helped him open up and express his feelings and emotions. I think a lot of evolved men are discovering the same thing and it feels good. At the same time we women are learning to respect and honor that and to accept our own power to direct our lives, solve our own problems, find our voices, and trust and honor our own wisdom which also feels good also. In the surrender to our own vulnerability we seem to be integrating as well as learning to work together in higher purpose. That feels really good.
I am very grateful for the men in my life that have shown me that the battle of the sexes is a no win and that greater rewards are to be found in finding common ground and making love not war. Thanks guys… I am very grateful.
Penny

Along Came a Spider

Sometimes it is through our fellow participants in our dance with Nature that we hear the voice of our soul calling. I entered the pool this morning in a meditative state and began moving in resistance to the water in order to create “exercise”. I glanced to my side in the center of the pool and saw a huge spider nestled in the safety of the lane marker where he had found refuge. I began wondering how he had found himself in this remote area without any apparent place to go since both of the ends of the floating surface were submerged in the water. We coexisted in this space for an hour until I finished the movement, each eying the other watchfully.

I debated whether to take off my water shoe and offer him a ride to the side. I remembered the video we had watched the day before by Wayne Dyer who was talking about allowing our true nature to unfold. I decided that perhaps this was a lesson he needed to experience for himself and that it was not my job to interfere so I didn’t. After I left the pool I glanced back and noticed that he was no longer there.

I felt that there was a deeper connection and meaning in this so when I returned home I looked up the medicine wisdom of the spider. It is all about weaving. I know that the archetype of Penelope in Greek mythology is the weaver as well.

According to the animal wisdom “Spider is the symbol for the infinite possibilities of creation. Spider wove the web that brought humans the first picture of the alphabet. The letters were part of the angles and symbols in her web. Spider is the female energy of the creative force that weaves the beautiful designs in life. Spider could be asking you to use a journal to write out and review your progress.”

My sun sign Gemini and Mercury are all about communication. For the past fifteen years I have been weaving books out of the wisdom of others. My e-book on 2013… Blueprints for the New Paradigm is now ready to share. It seems the time has come for finding my own voice and weaving this into the web of life to create new designs. This blog is my soul that is opening up to its expression as well. Thank you spider…

Mirrors of Appreciation

I have been contemplating how to accept a compliment in an egoless state.


One of the men I share a house with is the world champion acknowledger and appreciator. Nothing and no one in our world goes unrecognized or unappreciated in some way. He frequently calls me within a couple of blocks of home to tell me something I have done that he is appreciative of and has neglected to mention. I have never been acknowledged or appreciated so much by anyone in my life. This was becoming almost annoying.

While I have no doubt as to his sincerity, on some level I felt that I did not deserve the praise. Somewhere I picked up the idea that praise and appreciation were rewards for hard work and achievement so it felt unearned. More like I was being honored for something I did automatically like breathing. Maybe part of my DNA but then I realized that I am part of the DNA of all creation and am reflecting an aspect of that whole. It seems egocentric to accept a reward for something that is more an accident of birth and upbringing or living long enough that you have worked out the kinks of life. And, I wonder, does appreciation imply comparison which Brugh has cautioned about?

I told him that my heroes that I appreciate are those that may not have the tools I have but have overcome challenges in their lives and have chosen to take a higher road to achievement. While he concurs that this is indeed commendable, he points out that many people have the tools to do something but it does not mean that they will use them unselfishly or care enough to step forward and make a difference in the lives of others without fear or expectation of reward.

The fact that I am willing to show up and move fearlessly, following the vision of how I intend things to be, regardless of how they appear, is what is remarkable and cause for acknowledgement and appreciation, not just the results of my actions. It is not just that I can pull off the perfect dinner party without breaking a sweat but that everyone there feels loved, appreciated and honored. Because it is so effortless they are at ease and able to share their own gifts as well which creates the magic when two or more are gathered together.

That I get and accept with gratitude because we all struggle with what it means to live a life of integrity and honor and it is nice when someone notices when we hit the mark and says “I see you” in the Avatar sense. It is how we encourage each other to reach higher.

Thank you my friend for being a mirror to me when mine is smudged.