Home Blessing & Tuning Hour

Now that I'm home on Monday mornings, I have more time/energy for Fly Lady's 'Home Blessing Hour.' 

Fly Lady's list includes several things I don't have - a vacuum (only carpet is on the stairs, so I sweep with my beautiful broom) magazines (lots of books) .... 
As she suggests, I set the time for 15-20 minutes, & go through a round in each room (if there's more time/inclination, I'll do several rounds) & a 10-15 minute break after an hour. 
Another practice I wish to incorporate more is the 'Walk Through' My mom did this naturally ....On her blog 'Dragonflies & Me,' Jean writes: "The walk through is simply going through a room and picking up everything that is out-of-place AND putting it away where it belongs.  Simply eh?" (best done several times daily!)


Blessing Way 'Creating Holy Order'  - a process by which everything in your home supports & nurtures your essence

• Put on happy music, light a candle & some incense, brew some tea
• Kitchen: clear the counter, gather cloth, paper/books, sweep the floor
• Living room:  coffee table, piles, paper, clothes, sweep,
• Bathroom: swish & swipe (toilet, counters) clean mirror, clothes, sweep
• Break: Relax, admire, drink tea

• 2nd round: (you can cycle through several times, or stop at one!)
• Kitchen, Living Room, Laundry
• Break every hour for 10-15 minutes. You may wish to go outside & admire the day (yes, even if it's raining or blustery!) Open the doors & windows for a few minutes as well. If you have any rugs, take them out & give them a good shake or pop them in the wash.
• address: Paper, books, cloth, & gather garbage & recycling

• Round Three

• If you have a drum, rattle or bell, make a round through the rooms making some good noise! Take time to listen for shifts in the sound, & notice any corners that need attention.

Part two: Energetic Blessing - this is a lovely time to ground your home & property. If you didn't light a candle before, now is a good time to do this.

• Put a grounding cord on your home - imagine the 'footprint' of your home, now imagine a cord or tube reaching down into the crystal heart center of the earth, & connecting with it
• From your home's roofline, imagine the cord reaching into the heavens, up to the sun & beyond, to the central sun of the galaxy - we are poised between heaven & earth!
• Visualize a rose-gold sun in the centre of your home - let its light fill every corner! Allow this sun to continue expanding, till it surrounds your home.
• As the sun reaches the outside of your home or space, begin the 'Tune-up' process by invoking the devas, elementals & guides to Cleanse, Clear, Restore & Illuminate your home & grounds.
• Ask that any negativity move through a clearing grid, & the Violet flame * so the energy can be used as compost, burned in the sun, or 'return to sender.' (with no return address!) 
• Surround the cleared land with a violet bubble, a gold pyramid, Dolphin Star Temple, or a briar rose hedge (whichever image feels right to you - or one of your own!)

* Violet Flame: Picture a soothing flame, like a flame in a fireplace, but violet in colour. See it penetrating your very being and world. When you call forth the Violet Transmuting Flame, a flame comes from the hands, heart & head of your I AM presence / Christ Self - and as it touches the ground beneath your feet, it bursts into violet flame! You can also use the essences: Comfrey (Pattern repair) Violet & Lavender to help 'seal' the pattern.

Thank your guides & go on with your day.

Elen & Chariklo

More than halfway through the year, & most of my posts have been over on my Creation Station blog, as I've been 'painting up a storm!' That journey, following my own 'Soul's Curriculum' as I study & practice intentional art has brought much joy, & more than a dozen completed paintings! 

On Saturday, I participated in a day long painting retreat (at home) via Livestream with artist Shiloh Sophia McCloud Lewis, following her invitation to paint our own Black Madonna. Millie, an artist in our group, who lives in the British Isles, posted that she felt a connection between the Black madonna, Isis & Elen of the Ways .... hmm ... Elen? 

I asked Millie about Elen, & she wrote 'We have Brigid & others, but (Elen) is more easy to follow everyday, because she is us "of the way" our roads are her tracks. 
Think Lay Lines.  ...The Mother/ Grandmother of us all.' 

Caroline Wise - monograph 'Elen the Green Lady'
Elen Sentier - book 'Shaman's Path, Elen of the ways'
Sam Willow - blog the Antlered Road

Like my grandmother's name Vestella, Ellen is a family name - my daughter's. Pulled out of the hat by my husband, we agreed on Mary, had a couple of choices for her middle name; Ellen won. Ellen, Helen, Elenore all colme from the Greek root ēlē - light, torch, bright. When I mentioned Elen of the Pathways to my daughter, she commented maybe Elen lights the path, the way.

"Elen is elusive, ethereal, gossamer, yet in my research and experiences over the years, she has shown me glimpses of her quicksilver thread as she revealed herself in her various guises." - Caroline Wise

******

Another lady who came to my attention in a recent blog post - Chariklo, is also fascinating!  

Chariklo was discovered by James V. Scotti of the Spacewatch program on February 15, 1997, & is the largest confirmed centaur/planetoid of the outer solar system (orbiting close to Uranus). Chariklo is named after the nymph Chariclo (Χαρικλώ), the wife of Chiron and the daughter of Apollo. Last spring, astronomers discovered she has rings, like several of the planets! 
(#10199, to place her in your astrological chart)
 
One friend commented that Chariklo transformed from a Nymph or Naiad into a Centaur so that she & Chiron could wed .... the ultimate in transforming for a partner!  With an orbit of almost 63 years, she 'returned' to her home spot in my chart last year. Fascinating!! I have read quite a bit about Chiron, the wounded healer, & have two books ... I don't recall seeing any reference to his wife!! 

Naiad, by Henri Fantin-Latour

Her name means the 'Graceful spinner' - how lovely! 


Astrologer Zane Stein writes: "It is too soon to come up with keywords for Chariklo. But I am postulating one keyphrase: "question reality.' We need to plunge ahead and study her in charts to discover the validity of this, & find what other keywords might apply.
"Representing Chiron's wife in mythology.....will that be reflected in her actual astrological meanings? Just like Chiron, she acts as a link between Saturn and Uranus; how will her linkage differ from Chiron's? And she is the largest, brightest Centaur, more so than Chiron. What does this mean astrologically?"

Another astrologer, Phillip Sedgwick, says: "Chariklo heals by redefining the concept of boundaries, & forgiving inadvertant transcressions" (quoted in an article by Mark Andrew Holmes
    
"her qualities and themes include a particular capacity for silent witness and reflection which can be an essential part of healing. To ‘hold the space’, serve receptively the healing process on a practical level, to bear with, abide with, persist and endure. The patience of the Earth, radical acceptance, kindly awareness, trust, loyalty to the ways of spirit, the power of quiet courage. Interestingly, she was not born a centaur, but took this form when she fell in love with Chiron. Before, she had been a companion and devotee of the goddess Athena." - Melanie Reinhart, author of Chiron & the Healing Journey

In my natal chart, I find Chariklo conjunct Ceres, the nurturing mother, square my Sun. My work as a healer, & someone who nurtures through information, & nudges others to find their own path, their own healing seems to fit.

Oregon's own Demetra George writes: "The earliest literature of Homer alludes to the divine causation of disease as something sent by the gods as punishment for having failed to honor them. Cure of the disease involved consulting an oracle as to which god had been offended, pilgrimage to the cult site of that god, making offerings at his or her temple, and perhaps becoming initiated into the rites. The modern word therapy is derived from the Greek therapeia, which means “attendance upon the gods.”

12 Days of Fitness Challenge - WE DID I!!

We did it!!

Catherine Basu has been hosing a 12 Days  fitness challenge! Here's the link to the Facebook group! The official challenge began Chrismas Day, but some folks began later, and are sill going

Catherine encourages us to move a bit more each day, 'Even if it's just a 10 minute walk!'

I began my morning with Qigong, and a little bit of Edgu, 'spinal maintenance' which originated with my friend Jeffery 'Page' Redmond, who teaches seminars at Breitenbush. I've never taken the seminar, but have taken quite a few Edgu classes! Basically - the posture is a wide 'Jockey stance' with the hips stable, while your spine/core moves. I love 'carrying plates' with forearms at hip level, gently twisting side to side, & the figure 8s of the Sun & Moon mobius - here's a little video from a teacher in Eugene, Nancy Hopps.
Since 'best times' for Qigong are 5-7 (AM or PM) & 11-1, I did one round at the earlier time, & one at the end of the day, after my nice Epsom Salts bath!

I've been preparing for a Reiki Level 1 Class for a month or so, since a couple of friends attended the Body Mind Spirit Expo, & scheduled sessions with a gal who integrates Reiki into her work. When we talked about learning, they were game for a class, so I put one together! I invited people who had already taken Reiki 1 to refresh or 'audit' the class, we had 5 students & 5 gals auditing. WHAT A LOT OF ENERGY!

Yesterday was THE DAY for that as well, & so we moved massage tables, & got some stair exercise (I parked out front, there's a SHORT flight of stairs to the room we were using; friends bringing the other tables used the elevator)

So - what's Reiki?

In the West, we use the word 'Reiki' to denote a healing system, generally 'hands on,' but also just off the body or 'sending' over distance of space & even time. I've utilized it for myself & in my bodywork practice for over 25 years, & it both energizes me & enhances my work.

The founder of our Modern Reiki System, Mikao Usui didn't use this term, his teachings were more commonly called 'Usui Do' (the Way of Usui) and the healings 'Usui teate' or Usui's form of hands-on healing. Later, the word Reiki was added or substituted, to signify the system utilized spiritual energy.

In Chinese, the same two kanji are used for 'Ling Chi'  
"Ling Chi is the subtlest and most highly refined of all the energies in the human system and the product of the most advanced stage of a practice, whereby the ordinary energy of the body are transformed into pure spiritual vitality. This type of highly refined energy enhances spiritual awareness, improves all cerebral functions, and constitutes the basic fuel for the highest level of spiritual work." (Ling Gung: Harnessing the Power of the Universe - Daniel Reid)

Congratulations to the other Fitness Bloggers - let's keep in touch!!
& thanks, Catherine, for helping get 2014 off to a great beginning!

12 Days of Fitness Challenge - Day 11

Getting close to the finish line on Catherine Basu's 12 Days  fitness challenge! Here's the link to the Facebook group! Catherine encourages us to move a bit more each day, 'Even if it's just a 10 minute walk!'

Another moderate day for exercise - I did my 5 Element Qigong when I woke up, then self-Reiki .... walked a bit here & there - at the Farmers Market (indoors) lugged 2 massage tables to my car (from our clinic & my daughter's garage), strolled here & there making copies ...

It was a LOVELY sunny day, and would have been great to take a REAL walk, but I was busy collating the handouts I'd written & printed/ copied, making up the Flower Essence 'bouquets' for participants, & doing my last bits of gathering for class TOMORROW!

It's been awhile since I've taught a group, generally working with one or two students in my office... so really want to support everyone having a good experience, & having the tools they need!

Tomorrow's day 12 - what do you have planned? I'll be slogging supplies, massage tables, a screen ... & teaching Reiki I!!

Catherine has a sweet virtual class in the offing ...

12 Days of Fitness Challenge - Day 10

We're into 2014, and almost through Catherine Basu's 12 Days  fitness challenge! Here's the link to the Facebook group! Catherine encourages us to move a bit more each day, 'Even if it's just a 10 minute walk!'

Yesterday (day 10) was a moderate day - I'm getting ready for my Reiki Class, so made arrangements (at my church!) to hold it there! I'd intended to use a friend's space, but (YEA) we have too many participating - so I used some MENTAL energy to brainstorm - last minute - where to have it!! 

 

I generally walk several blocks to work, as our town has a 2 hour parking limit in downtown, so we need to park on one of the streets OUT of that limit area, and there are a few spaces at the edge of a Bank Parking lot we're allowed to use. My favorite spot is the block just North of the Natural Food Grocery, 3 or 4 blocks from my office. Then there's the laundry - I use wheeled luggage, & pull that to & from. 

 

Yesterday it was 4 blocks each way, AND it was Friday 'logo item' day at the grocery - 10% off if you bring your bag from their store (nice canvas - very sturdy!) or wear a cap or sweat-shirt with the Harvest Fresh logo! Since I'm an old Food-Co-op member, (we sold the business hardware etc to Harvest Fresh in the late 80s, when I was on the board) I LOVE that 10% discount! As a co-op member, we needed to work a set # of hours a week/month for the discount when we shopped; so I tend to shop on the discount days! (Wed: Senior day & Friday) 

Yesterday was a 3 session day - my last client often gets Ashiatsu 'barefoot' massage, but we had less time yesterday, so I used the Hot Stones instead. Ashi is a lovely work out for me, with those bars & more legwork ...

What were you up to ?

12 Days of Fitness Challenge - Day 9

Catherine Basu in Texas is hosting a fitness challenge, to give us a head start on New Years intentions - here's the link to the Facebook group! Catherine encourages us to move a bit more each day, 'Even if it's just a 10 minute walk!'

Today I was back in the pool for Deep Water Aerobics - one last class before I return to babysitting Tuesday & Thursday mornings next week! My friends Emily (a school counsellor) & Nancy (teacher) were also lamenting that with school starting next Monday, they'll also miss these classes. There ARE evening classes - but more folks attend, & I'm often doing a massage at that time.

It was a good class, and welcome after the gym time yesterday! & the hot tub was open (hadn't been on Tuesday) our 'reward' for a good workout. I walked around town a bit before having lunch out with friends, then RECEIVED a massage between the two I gave this afternoon!!

Now I'm working on the hand-outs for my Reiki Level 1 class, coming up on Sunday. I have 8 students registered, plus several folks 'auditing' (reviewing) the class. And decided it was time to get my materials updated. I've been blogging about Reiki over on King's Touch Reiki & used those writings and other materials I've used in the past as a jumping off point.

So just finished printing them at my daughter's, & will take them to the copy shop tomorrow.

What was your workout today?

12 Days of Fitness Challenge - Day 8

Happy NEW YEAR!! What a good beginning

Catherine Basu in Texas is hosting a fitness challenge - here's the link to the Facebook group - though we're more than halfway through - there's always room  for one more - please join us for a Last Day of 2013 Workout! 'Even if it's just a 10 minute walk!'

After a sweet, rather quiet dinner & fireside gathering with a few friends last night, I woke up before 7, so did my 5 Directions Qigong, & then did Self-Reiki for ~ half an hour before getting up .... well & good.

I was having a nice, lazy morning, & just finished a bowl of Hopping John / Skipping Jenny New Years soup, when my daughter sent a Text - "Free Cindy's (Gym) class 11-1" .... it was 10:58!!! She'd just found out from a friend who is one of the instructors an hour before, & was dashing home from their Family N. Y. eve party with other friends with kids, to change & get to class!! "Sampler Classes, each 20 minutes long." 

.... so ...

I also changed into gym friendly garb, & walked over (6 blocks) and got in all but the first `5 minutes!!

Zumba Girls

Zumba (2 instructors), weights, spinning, aerobics, more Zumba, & a nice bit of stretching & cool down.  Whew!! My daughter & were both tired by the end, but smiling!! The Gym has just been purchased by one of the gals who taught Zumba, wonderful promotional!!

I got home, & was eating lunch (the rest of my bowl of soup, plus a nice green salad) when I got a text from my NY eve Hostess: "Have you gotten your exercise for the day? I'm  thinking to get out & get mine soon and would go to Airport Park if you want to go. Otherwise I will go for a bike ride."

.... So....

I changed into jeans, got my dog's leash, & we went for a nice hour long walk with my friends around the trails (they were impressed I didn't get my new white shoes TOO muddy!!)

Whew!!

I took my magnesium, & another Epsom salt bath sounds nice, after (Gluten Free) Pizza & movie night with my Daughter & her Family!