 Photo credit: dheej18
The Ojibew call tonight’s full moon Binaakwii-giizis “Falling Leaves Moon”, and because the full moon acts as a magnifier of what lies beneath it, the current autumn season is what is being brought to our attention. The falling leaves highlighted by the moon are a reminder that it is necessary at this time to begin to shed and release the old. Under this moon it is a good time to consider letting go of old thoughts, patterns and beliefs that are no longer benefiting you. As well, consider clearing out a drawer or two. If you have been accumulating things (mental or physical) that you’ve been holding on to long after they are of any use, it is time to clear them out to bring in something new. After all, this is also the harvest moon and season. How can we store supplies for the winter if our physical or mental storage spaces are full of junk we don’t need? Cleansing and clearing is time of release. Therefore, it is necessary to remain grounded in all of it especially when dealing with emotions. Even after all of your leaves have fallen to the earth, ensure that your roots remain strong and firmly planted in the ground. You may feel a slow impending death creeping up on you, but if you maintain self-care practices you can rest assured that your leaves will once again sprout and flowers will blossom. Number one, it is important to steady your mind in a way that will promote ease and flow. Here are some tips for autumn mental self-care.
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 Image credit: Mohamed Nohassi
A peculiar thing happened to me yesterday. I was doing the dishes when I thought to myself, “Why does it smell like something is burning?” I checked the stove and the oven and nothing was burning. So I carried on doing the dishes. Once again I thought I could smell burning, only this time I could actually see billowing smoke from the bedroom and quickly dropped what I was doing. I rushed into the room in a daze of confusion wondering what on earth could be on fire. I was also wondering why the heck the fire alarm in the room had not gone off, especially since it had gone off twice this week for simply having used the oven broiler. I scanned all around, but could not see the source of the smoke. Then I dashed into the bathroom, and again stood in a state of confusion until I noticed the garbage bin. I grabbed it and stuck it in the shower stall. Finally, I recalled that earlier I had tossed out what seemed to be a snuffed out incense cone nub. I was so surprised that this happened because I am normally extremely careful about this kind of thing. When I dumped out the contents of the garbage into a bowl of water I noticed that aside from a couple of cindered tissues, the contents were entirely my hair from a few days worth of showers. Staring down at my charred clumps of hair triggered a thought. “Isn’t it strange that a snuffed incense nub burned a basket of your hair with no flames and filled this entire apartment with smoke - never setting off the fire alarm?” I continued pondering as I threw open every window and door in the apartment allowing the fresh, new Autumn air to fill the rooms. Then it hit me! “Isn’t it the day after the Autumn Equinox and the day before the full moon?” I recalled having been to Native full moon ceremonies in the past where some of those attending would bring a cluster of their hair to place in the fire to rid themselves of their past and of old energies. Every crevice of my apartment now smelled of smoke – erasing the energy of the past and forcing me to bring in the fresh, new energy of autumn. Not surprisingly, these last couple of months and this week in particular have signified endings and new beginnings for me. My father recently passed away which opened new relations with my sisters, and this week I am graduating from a course that will help me embrace new abundance. I am also receiving my first Reiki initiation and am completing my Munay-Ki mentorship which will allow me to pass the rites on to others. Not to mention I have rekindled an old flame that needed healing and attention – Massage Therapy. I am pleased to announce that after eight years of agonizing separation, I am soon returning to school to complete the program. I will be finalizing re-admission when? You guessed it! This week. Autumn is a time of shedding and releasing and a time to honour your harvest – the fruits of your will and labour. So here’s my suggestion to you. Tonight, consider creating your own burning ritual (one less dramatic perhaps). Find some hair from a hairbrush or the bathroom trash seems to be good place. If you don’t have any, snip a small locket from the underside of your hair. Light a candle and burn some sage, cedar or whatever you have on hand to clear the space. Take a moment to ponder what has burned away in the summer sun and what fresh, new situations are blowing in on the autumn breeze. Then honour everything you put in place to make this happen. With a small bowl of water on hand, light your bundle of hair and before the flame gets out of control, place it in the bowl of water. Give thanks and gratitude for your abundance and give an offering of thanks to the cycles of Nature and Grandmother Moon for guiding you on this journey.  This morning I woke up at 5 a.m. with, “It’s okay to feeeeel good…” repeating in my head. It is the chorus line to the song Feel Good by Marya Stark. This year of 2018 has been a challenge for me to say the least. This past winter I took a long, dark and murky trip down into the Underworld and this morning signified my slow but steady re-emergence into the Upperworld to awaken once again into the world of light. Awaken indeed. I did nothing but sleep all winter – more so than a normal winter. So to awaken at 5 a.m. feeling lively was a bit unusual. That’s why I had a bit of resistance getting up and doing what I was feeling called to do – go out back and do some yoga and meditate. I had all of these excuses, “It’s going to be cold.” It wasn’t. “It’s going to be damp.” It was, so I just moved to the deck where it was dry. “It’s going to be a hassle!” It was easy.
As I lay there breathing in the morning sounds, the beauty of a tree reached out to me in the distance. I decided to grab my camera to take a picture of it. As I did so, I noticed 1111 appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen display. I thought to myself, “Amazing!” This was especially so because I have no idea why it was there. I certainly do not have over a thousand photos in my camera – just a handful. Of course this was the universes’ way of saying, “Well done!” Later that morning I needed to attend an appointment and I had to make a bus transfer. When I got off the first bus and sat at the stop waiting for the next one to arrive I looked up and, lo’ and behold what did I see? A mural that mirrored my earlier 1111 tree and sky photo! It’s hard to see in the image, but the sky in the photo was equally as blue as the mural with matching white fluffy clouds. The similarities were magical and my heart was left soaring! So on this Strawberry Moon consider asking yourself if you have been ignoring the universes’ call. What juicy joys have you been rejecting? What fruit of yours is ripe for the picking? Your seeds wish to rise up out of their darkness to bear their flaming red fruit and bring sweetness to your life. Heed your inner call no matter how used to ignoring it you may be… Miracles await you!  Photo by Naletu
Sexual energy is the source of all life and creativity. It is the basic resource which can be transmuted into life force energy and it is the energy from which we derive inspiration. Our bodies are abundant with vibrant, sexual energy – the natural energy of Creation. Some people are confused though about what sexual energy is and how to use it. Most people don’t realize that it can be utilized in our life for operations other than sex. Without proper use, sexual energy can build up and stagnate creating energy blocks and physical dysfunctions in the body. Or, it can overflow creating mental disturbances, addictions and obsessions. Because most people view sexual energy as something meant for sex only this energy is often underused, misused or abused. Some people who lack a partner to share intimate experiences with simply ignore their sexual energy because they feel it serves no immediate purpose in their life. Sometimes the arousal of sexual energy acts as a negative trigger for them that causes them to be in awareness that they are lacking a partner, causing them to feel sadness. When sexual energy is dampened it eventually dissipates and can cease to flow all together creating depression, anxiety or physical illness or ailments. Conversely, others who feel that sexual energy must always be acted upon may indulge that sensation through masturbation, pornography or sexual acts. If much of that sexual energy is channelled towards sexual conduct only, it can create an opposite effect of the desired outcome, and rather than diminishing the desire for sex it can actually increase buildup of sexual energy creating more desire. This can lead the individual to try to find more ways to “relieve” themselves of the discomfort of this incessant feeling. Eventually, the need for sexual “relief” can become addictive leading to obsessive masturbation, overindulgence of pornography, or sexually aggressive or forceful behaviour. Over a long period of time it may deplete the adrenal glands leaving a person fatigued, irritable, anxious, agitated, or aggressive. What people do not understand is that sexual energy is a creative life-force energy that needs to be expressed in healthy ways in order for us to feel fulfilled by it. When properly channelled, sexual energy can create beautiful things. Of course sexual energy is great when you have a partner that you can intimately share that energy with in a love making experience, but even then, you don’t want to overdo it there especially if one partner’s libido is lower than another’s. The excess energy must be channelled to other areas of one’s life. Sexual energy can be redirected into the arts like painting or poetry, or may be channelled into a physical activity such as a sport or recreation. But sexual energy can also be used to nurture the sick, elderly or young. You may be thinking, “Wait, what?! That’s perverse!” Let me explain. Since sexual energy is life-force energy it can be alchemized into pure, selfless love. Is creation itself not an act of Love? When we create we are inspired to bring something beautiful into this world whether it be a painting or a baby. In this way, we can utilize that same inspired love which has been stirred by our abundant sexual energy and channel it into a nurturing experience just as a mother does with her newborn baby. When we redirect our sexual energy into other areas of our life it changes its nature. Or better said, it changes how we feel about its nature. Sexual energy is derived from the same loving energy that created you and all of life. Simply put, it is an energetic force that is vitalizing, passionate and nurturing and can be used to express the most real and intimate parts of our being through love, dance, song, art, sport, craft and a myriad of other ways! Utilizing sexual energy in this way helps to keep us feeling vibrant, alive, useful and youthful. So the next time you feel aroused by the infinite, loving, creative force inside of you, try channelling that energy up into your heart to expand into the infinite love of the universe. Then, draw it up into your mind to see what thoughts stir inside of you besides sex. Tune into what life passions want to be expressed. What magical rhythms or beautiful rhymes? What joyful dance? What delicate touch or tender nurturing? Write about it, sing about it, or sprint on the beach about it. Whatever you choose, enjoy your sexual creative bliss! By MaRe'SAh First Mother & First Father in Divine Union of The Heart  Note: This article was adapted from several Facebook posts I released back in May.
Have you challenged yourself lately? Sometimes perceived obstacles can present unique challenges that ask us to learn and grow. About a year and a half ago I began searching for someone who could build a wooden case for me to hold my singing crystal pyramid. My first possibility came in the form of an antique salesman who doubled as a box builder by night. Despite his enthusiasm and promise to create something for me within a week, his promises quickly fell through. It then took me half a year more to find my second possibility. Yet again, despite the new builder's promise to create something quickly, he too fell off. So, there I was a year later with this unique challenge and opportunity to build my own carry case. After much humming, hawing and deliberation, I went for it! I made my measurements, purchased my wood from the hardware store, sought out unique brass fittings from antique shops and got started. Are you making progress? Sometimes on our path to discovery we can feel as though we get lost along the way. But are we making progress? As I was diligently constructing my singing crystal pyramid case, I came up against some road blocks. For one, I made a bunch of annoying mis-measurements that were just a fraction off, causing things to not be in alignment. After all of my hard work, things just didn’t line up. Sound familiar? After dealing with that issue I stood in the hardware store looking at a sea of nails for every purpose under the sun. I deliberated for about twenty minutes before choosing nails that I would eventually exchange for different ones. In my gut I felt that the new nails were too big and as it turned out my intuition was not only right (surprised?), but the original nails would have been just the right size for my project. Now, disaster was on my hands! I had hammered these long nails right through the box. So, what to do? I could have been really miserable about this but I recognized that it was necessary to be gentle with myself. I mean, I had no idea what I was doing and was basically winging this project. So I decided to step back, breathe, relax and ask myself, “Am I making progress?” “Am I learning, growing and being reminded to always trust my intuition?” The answer was a resounding “Yes!” “Why?” because with every setback I encountered along the way, I had to learn to work with it. Starting over was not an option. So instead, I was challenged to come up with creative solutions. For example, I had a great idea for placing scrap leather on the back of the box and some embossed wood trim around the other three sides to cover up all of the nail damage. Now, I was feeling more inspired than I did before! Is it ever complete? After two weeks of blood, sweat and tears, there was finally joy and much rejoicing at my mostly finished carry case. I say, “mostly finished” because I had resolved to temporarily (if ever) not put a clear coat on it, and I accepted that the fabric, cushioned lining I made was a wacky disaster. All and all, I just didn't care. It was as complete as it could be and absolutely beautiful in my eyes (but also maybe a little garish). So, I reached for my precious Singing Crystal Pyramid to place inside my grandiose case and what was I to find? A hairline crack! Ah! How could it be?! Nooooo!!! This, of course was the whole point of creating a case for it in the first place, to avoid any possible damage. Well, after my initial shock laughter burst from my mouth. Oh, the hilarity of it! After all the heart and soul I had put into this silly case, it had now been rendered useless! But does it matter? Perhaps I was taking it all a little too seriously. Some of you may wish to flick me on the nose when I say this, but it truly is the journey that matters and not necessarily the outcome. Sure, it would have been great to have an undamaged pyramid and an immaculate case to put it in, but either way, I had fun along the way and I learned a great deal. Plus, if I ever need to create a similar project it will be way easier next time. And besides, is it ever really complete? This journey that is, and anything we do along the way. There’s always ‘more’ we strive for. Once we attain or accomplish something, we look for bigger and better. So is it ever complete? I say, “No, it certainly is not!” Learn - Grow - Accomplish; Learn -Grow - Accomplish, and so on… So, if there's something going on in your life right now that you can utilize as an opportunity for growth I say, "Step up to the challenge and see what you are made of!" Or if you feel things aren’t quite lining up in your life or you are troubled by unforeseen setbacks, I challenge you to pause, take a breather and tap into your unique brilliance to come up with inspiring, creative solutions! And the next time you feel things are falling apart in your life, step back and ask yourself if you are taking it all too seriously. If you are, have a big, long laugh about it! By MaRe'SAh First Mother & First Father in Divine Union of The Heart |
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MaRe’SAh is dedicated to the upliftment of the human spirit through the re-connection of the womb and heart. As a Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Hot Stone Therapist with training and certification in Holistic Counselling, Wellness Coaching, Radiant Lotus Women's Qigong, the 9 Rites of the Munay-Ki and the 13th Rite of the Munay-Ki (the Rite of the Womb), MaRe’SAh coaches women along their body, mind, and spirit wellness journey and supports them in opening up to self-love. She believes that true healing occurs only when we nurture all aspects of the Self – both our inner and outer worlds. MaRe’SAh offers practical guidance that helps to empower women to be able to tackle their personal wellness goals. As a clairvoyant and clairaudient she receives intuitive and channeled messages beneficial to her clients’ needs. As a result of this unique approach to wellness, clients have reported an experience of greater calm, balance and healing in their lives. Connect with MaRe'SAh... |