Sunday, October 23, 2016

Magic and Music

It began on Friday evening at my former church, St John's, which I often referred to as my second home.  I was delayed in traffic getting there but felt quite calm about it.  I knew that I was prepared and that all would be well. I had also used my Grounding Essential Oil which has Vetiver, a potent relaxing oil along with Lavender and other wonderful oils.

A little aside - this oil was supposed to arrive for Lindsay and Scott's wedding back in August but was on back order.  It was fine because I was so over the top with joy that nerves just didn't enter the equation.

We all arrived, set up stands and amps and prepared for this joyous occasion, my close friends' daughter's wedding.  Now this is one talented family and along with the church organist, the bride's brothers and cousin on guitars, played the processional accompanied by a violinist. And now the magic began.

While I've cantored in church for years, I love "out of the ordinary" ways to connect with others in a musical sense.  I was brought down memory lane, recalling how my best friend and I started the folk mass in our church back in 70's.  Our Monsignor was not a fan and thus we played in the basement of the church.  Within a few years, we were upstairs at a regular mass time and became popular wedding singers.

Moving forward to the 90's at St John's - it was here where I met this family and we instantly became long-term friends.  I was so honored to be asked to cantor the wedding and to help in the choice of music.  Words and melodies are one of my expressions of love and connection to God and others.

The mass was beautiful, the priest so full of passion and the couple, well, extraordinary!  Following mass was a beautiful reception.  I met nice people, chatted with friends and even met someone from "Medfa" (Medford) where I grew up.  Her folks new my best friends's parents.  It truly is a small world.  

Onto more music.  Not only did the Dad's band play but all the kids, including the bride, joined in with singing, guitar playing and original songs written.  People were joyous.  It was a festive event.

Now for the magic - my friends have been divorced for a few years and while divorce brings pain, it is also an opportunity for growth.  What I witnessed was magical.  This family came together as a family, sharing in the beauty of what was and what is today.

I have chosen to keep names anonymous but my message to all is to look beneath the surface and see the beauty and gift in each unfolding event.

With love and gratitude
Julie

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Honoring Those Before Us and Moving On

As I reflect upon these past few weeks, I am so drawn to my mother's pride in our American Indian heritage.  She even spent time with Ashley reviewing the family history, sharing photos and stories of our relatives since Ashley had interest in learning more.

I had many opportunities to meet my great uncles, Art and Walter, who looked just like many of the photos of our Indian ancestors - beautiful sky blue eyes with a bronze complexion - and oh, yes, those high cheekbones - a sign of beauty in our culture!

Mom was pretty cool about different ceremonies - yoga, drumming, certain forms of meditation - and as I've mentioned in blogs before, she was one of the group.  During these past few years, especially since my own concentrated health journey, I have been witnessing and experiencing these traditions more closely.  I attribute an expanding awareness to my mentors, Kristina and Heather and have so much gratitude for their wisdom and guidance.  I am certainly more "awake" with regard to the connections between what we see and what is not seen, gaining increasing trust in my intuition, which often guides me in sessions with my clients.

Given that Thursday was the anniversary of Mom's passing, Kristina had suggested a fire ceremony,  both honoring what was beautiful and letting go of habits and energies that have been passed down.  Right away, I started down the trail of "will I do it right", "what if it is not what it is supposed to be" - all that Virgo stuff that can sometimes get in my way!  At least now I am more aware of the pitfalls of my personality thanks to Heather, thus I have the opportunity to see it, name it, and use techniques to move on.

All day I was aware of the happenings of Oct 13, 2013, but I had passed through my grief during the days before.  I wrote out slips of paper with messages beginning with "Dear Mom", and continued to create each message about gratitude and letting go.  I used Holy Wood as my incense, blessing my area with this wonderful smell and then lit each piece of paper after reading the message aloud.

This ceremony felt so freeing and also so connecting to our lineage.  As I think about this personal example, expanding into our present times, I cannot help but think that taking time to stop, reflect, honor and let go, would be so very beneficial in our fast-paced daily lives.

May you take time to follow these principles.
With Love,
Julie

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

The Crest And Fall Of The Wave

It's been that roller coaster ride of emotions.  In all that there is, life continues with its highs and lows.

In conversations with clients and my daughter last week, the lesson seemed to be that in order to experience the joy and exhilaration, there is also the darkness.  Some of my clients who have been on anti-depressants mentioned the dislike for the numbing action because it just didn't seem/feel normal.  Yet, there is this fear and anticipation of entering the dark.  After all, society demonizes the dark, as if it will overtake one or label one as abnormal.

How far from the truth this is!  Yet, we are conditioned to believe that life should always be a bed of roses.

Today, I received a lovely email from a friend of my Mom and Dad, acknowledging how my Dad is talking about his getting close to the top of the list for senior housing.  He has resisted until just recently and she noted his waning appetite, his increasing frailty and how she could only imagine how hard this acceptance must be.

This comes on the eve before my Mom and Dad's anniversary and the day that my Mom went into a coma, dying only a little after midnight when the family all arrived.  I felt this pain deeply, yet allowed myself to feel it.  I know now that allowing the dark to enter, will bring light at the end.  And it has taken years for me to finally get here.  My MO was always to get through adversity, to make sure that everyone else was taken care of, and in the process, buried feelings so deep that it is now three years later and I am feeling the sadness even more of Mom not being here in human form.  I am also so very aware of my Dad's moving closer to these later days/years of his own life.

It is coupled with complexity, for my relationship with Dad has been respectful and dutiful, but that emotional connection has not been there.  I no longer blame either one of us, for the lessons will continue to come and as long as I hold love in my heart for me not being able to "fix it" and for Dad for showing his love as he knew how, things will be okay.

Taking time to explore those darker places of oneself, of life experiences, will provide an opportunity for greater love and respect for the cycle of life.

May you embrace all that life offers,
Julie

Monday, October 3, 2016

So Much To Say But Need To Streamline!

Just off a whirling dervish of emotions, wonderful emails about this month's newsletter and a real confirmation about why I am here and why I do what I do!

I am at a point in my life where I feel safe (well safer!) and comfortable (yup, more comfortable!) in expressing my thoughts and feelings.  The parenthesis just lets you know that this continues to be a process and will always be evolving.

I began a year long study of astrology with a dear colleague and mentor, who was traditionally trained as a PhD psychologist.  She shunned this "poofy science" years ago, but had a personal transformation and voila, the lightbulbs turned on.  I am amazed and in awe at just how precise and mathematical this whole study is, and find it a bit intimidating and overwhelming as well.  I decided last night that I will "have fun with it" - not my usual Virgo style, which is to perfect and scrutinize and memorize all that there is.

My mission in all of this is to bring the science that I know and continue to study - labs, genes, medical tests of all sorts - together with the spiritual science that is beginning to be rekindled in our society at present.  Bruce Lipton's recent book, Spontaneous Evolution, nicely documents the history and evolution of science and spirituality.

I want to bring this marriage of the two worlds into usable information for not only myself, but my family, friends and clients.  There is a time of readiness for us all and it has been viewing my challenges as gifts for transformation, that has allowed me to get to this point in my life with open eyes and awe.

May you be grateful for all that life has to offer,
Julie