Friday, December 18, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Delores Cannon, Convoluted Universe 5 is Released
There was a wonderful tribute article to Delores Cannon that was posted on her blog. It's been a year since she's passed. I hope you will take the time to read it. The article is a short profile of her life and her work. She did so much to help open the minds of others. A true pioneer in every sense of the word.
Ozark Mountain Publishing has just released her book Convoluted Universe 5 which she finished before she died. I will definitely be reading it soon. I'll never forget seeing Convoluted Universe 1 at the bookstore years ago. It practically jumped off the shelf at me. I could barely put it down once I began to read, and I devoured many, many more of her books after that. Once you become immersed in her work, I guarantee that you will never view life quite the same...no matter how 'enlightened' or open minded you believe yourself to be.
Here's to you Delores. Thank you for everything!
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Sunday, October 11, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
The Curious Visitor
The first day of October finds me hurrying around preparing for, and I quote, "five days of the most brutal weather that New Jersey has seen in a long time". An upcoming rain storm, followed by a 'Nor'easter wind and rain' and, of course, Hurricane Joaquin. The date of NJ has already declared a state of emergency.
Well, 'strange things are afoot at the Circle K'. I went out to pick some last minute flowers before the storm(s) hit, and was immediately greeted by a more intense delegation of my bird friends then usual. Then this little cutie comes out of the rose bed to say hello. I've never seen him before...he left as fast as he came, disappearing under the hydrangea. Glad to see he was wearing a collar.
Of course I took it as a sign. Were they telling me about the upcoming storm? Or letting me know that my first grandchild will be making her grand entrance before long?
I always seem to attract animals around me that I normally don't come in contact with before something happens. I had crows land next to me and sit outside my studio window for a week straight this summer before my mother passed. I've had deer run in front of me so close I could have touched them...on our street which is very urban and busy.
Superstition? I don't know. You'd be surprised that what goes on around you once your eyes open and you start taking notice. I've decided that if I see a third unusual animal related thing today then I'll know something up for sure.
Enjoy your day...
I'll keep you posted.
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Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Welcome Mabon/Fall
Every culture has it's beliefs, rituals and traditions associated with the seasons. The transition from summer into fall is no exception. As I look around me I see baskets of summer flowers on my neighbors' porches being replaced by mums and pumpkins. In more rural areas, the farmers have been busy bailing hay for the winter, and are beginning to gather the bounty from the summer harvest. Apple picking, of course, is at it's height and abundance.
The Autumnal Equinox, or the holiday Mabon as it is known in Celtic and Pagan cultures, ushers in these seasonal changes and welcomes the second harvest. This is the time of year when the sun shines equally on both hemispheres. The days and nights are of equal length, but we begin to move from the light half of the year to the dark half. The leaves turn, the birds migrate, and we start our cyclical descent into winter.
As I observe everything around me starting to wind down, Mabon, much more then the Thanksgiving holiday, feels like the most natural place in the year to pause and be grateful for all the blessings and experiences that I have had. To re-view it all, in it's entirety on a cyclical but equal basis. This year in particular my personal wheel of life truly has experienced it all. A death, a (soon to be) birth, and a developing creative re-birth. I'm thankful for it all these things. They continue to shape and guide me to be the person I am, and have yet to become.
Enjoy your day ~
diane fergurson
Autumn Hay photo courtesy of Nellie Levine
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Friday, May 1, 2015
Happy Beltane
It's May 1st, Beltane - and I honestly cant think of a more glorious day to be taking the
time to write for the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey!
In the Northeast we've had a brutal winter, and it's still quite cold in places.
time to write for the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey!
In the Northeast we've had a brutal winter, and it's still quite cold in places.
Today though, the four Bradford Pears that are in our back yard are in full bloom along
with the daffodils and tulips. And my little wren friend has returned and is
resting comfortably on my back porch.
His way of gentle way of reminding me that the birdbaths need to be refilled.
with the daffodils and tulips. And my little wren friend has returned and is
resting comfortably on my back porch.
His way of gentle way of reminding me that the birdbaths need to be refilled.
The yearly, local plant sale in our town starts today and runs throughout the weekend.
We plan to attend with our neighbors to purchase a new tree or bush to plant in a space
that adjoins our properties.
We're also hoping to select some heirloom vegetables and flowers for the garden.
We plan to attend with our neighbors to purchase a new tree or bush to plant in a space
that adjoins our properties.
We're also hoping to select some heirloom vegetables and flowers for the garden.
I can't think of a nicer way to enjoy this blessing of a day!
Below is an excerpt from a post written about Beltane by Nellie Levine and
published in our blog in 2009.
Whatever you happen to be doing and wherever you may be,
we hope you smile and enjoy your day!
published in our blog in 2009.
Whatever you happen to be doing and wherever you may be,
we hope you smile and enjoy your day!
It
seems that everyone I talk to is impatient for warm and sunny days,
tired of the cloud cover and chill air of the darker half of the year.
I'm certainly ready to celebrate the green growth of spring! This desire
to feel sun on our skin and soil beneath our fingernails makes Beltane -
or May Day as it is generally practiced today - such a comfortable,
accessible holiday. May Day is widely and openly celebrated through the
British Isles, as well as in many places in the US. People dance around
the May Pole, sit by bonfires, and gladly toss their winter worries away
as they look ahead to brighter days. Dreams come back to life, as we
draw upon the fertile energy of the day.
Traditionally,
Beltane was celebrated by the Celts with much dancing, drinking, music,
merriment, and romance. It was one of the two most important of their
celebrations - celebrating the light half of the year. The name Beltane
is believed to mean "fires of Bel" and honors the ancient sun god Beli,
or Belanus. Druids looked after the Beltane fires, by which people and
their livestock would pass, with the belief that they would be cleansing
themselves of the illness or misfortunes they may have experienced
through winter, and perhaps blessing them with good fortune for the
months to come.
We
can light our own bonfires, and we can honor any deity we like... We
can make a May Pole or just make some music... what I think is important
if we are to celebrate Beltane today is that essential message of
taking a deep breath of fresh spring air, embracing the renewed life of
warmer seasons, purifying ourselves of our past troubles, and looking
with openness to the growth ahead.
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Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Beauty Everywhere
Against the Storm by Jude McConkey |
It's been a tough winter for most of the country this year.
When it gets to be this time of the season, where many people's attitudes have hardened and soured even deeper then usual, its important become even more aware of ourselves. When you feel yourself wading into that pool of funk, try and step back... realize what you're doing, and adjust your perspective so it doesn't bleed over onto other people's lives and environment.
Try being nice...or, just be quiet.
The following passage is taken from the book "The Tao of Joy Everyday" by Derek Lin
Wise words ~
Beauty Everywhere
One powerful effect of Tao cultivation is that, more and more, you are able to look at everything through the eyes of the Tao. When this happens, you will suddenly see much more that is good, and present everywhere you look.
Those who have experienced this know that it can be an overwhelming in a positive way. It is not about thinks like the sunset or a rainbow that are already considered beautiful by everyone. It is about tremendous beauty in the most commonplace and ordinary places. Look at the crinkle of someone's smiling eyes. Look at the fascinating patterns in the clouds. Look at the symmetrical design in a leaf. There is so much beauty in existence that no human mind can possibly contain it all.
There is something behind all this. We can never see it, but if we close our eyes, we can sense its presence. We can never hear it, but if we remain quiet, its whispers will resonate silently. It is telling us without words that everything is exactly as it should be, and the beauty we see is the reflection of the beauty within all of us.
Look for goodness and beauty and you will find them. Negative feelings like anger and resentment will recede. When you are immersed in all that is good and beautiful, you cannot feel angry or resentful. There will be no room in your heart for such feelings, for it will be filled to the brim with joy and gratitude.
The stunning photograph "Against the Storm" is by photographer Jude McConkey
It is available through her shop on Etsy.
Derek Lin's "The Tao of Joy Every Day" is available through Amazon.
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