Sunday, March 25, 2012

Awaken

Now is the time for you to awaken, set aside the veil of forgetting
And put off the cloak of limitation.
Now is the time to stand up
In Love and Power,
And let your Light shine.

From "Beyond Limitations, The Power of Conscious Co-Creation" by Stuart Wilson & Joanna Prentis

Saturday, March 24, 2012

The Black Madonna


Black Madonna:  The one who calls us to see beyond the mundane, to see the eternal is all around us and also the Divine spark within each of us. She calls us to see beyond the expected, to grasp the greater picture, beyond which is perceived by the ego alone. To see with eyes of the Immaculate Heart, to see with eyes of the divine child--wholly innocent. The Black Madonna, La Virgin Negra, Black Virgin Mother. She is mother mild and tender, mother most alert and tending, mother most fierce and protective, and mother who heals the worst of the wounded. We are incubated by her Infinite embrace.

~from "Untie the Strong Woman" by Clarissa Pincola Estes, PhD

Tree Goddess wisdom









It's as if the image of her soul rose to the surface, who will see me? This tree symbolizes a complete metaphor of the sacred feminine in all her creation.  Gentle and strong, her image is surrounded by the shape of a heart so perfectly placed as if to show the most intimate part of woman. If you unlock her heart, you will gain access to her soul, and her true souls beauty. As a women in general, this sweet spot has been cloaked under layers of protection.  We are now rising up, ripping off the layers one by one, and discovering that within this chamber, is the magic of who we are.  Joseph Campbell draws a stunning parallel between the womb of woman, and the universe. Pure in creation, giving life, love, and nurturing.  Through photosynthesis we breathe what the tree exhales. Deeply rooted in the earth, a tree provides us with so many nurturing gifts. Shade, shelter, food, breath, and fire as she dies, preparing the way for new growth. She is also home to the winged ones, who build their nest in her branches, and fly into her interior for protection from the storms of life. Just like a child returns to it's mother for comfort and protection from human storms.  In the womb space of this tree goddess you will see a nest so appropriately nestled in the cavity of her belly. And what a joy to see the bird that calls this home. 

 Then there is the unseen part of the tree, the root system. The grand redwood trees are feminine. When the mother tree dies, the burls attached to her trunk, are released from the trauma of her death, stimulating these pods. The seeds then give birth to the ring of daughter trees around her. Those daughter trees absorb the sunlight that was stored in her bones, and they continue to sustain nutrients from her strong and stable root system.  The daughters grow independent of their mother, but continue to sustain themselves through the unseen parts below ground. Perhaps this explains our deep connection to the ancestors. When you consider the ebb and flow of life and death, and understand the role nature plays, it can be a very grand and humbling process. 

As I was driving down the road, in my state of contemplation and meditation, my peripheral vision caught a glimpse of this image. I pulled to the side of the road and stood in awe as I stared at the "Woman in the tree!" How does this happen? Has anyone else noticed? How could you miss it? It has caused deep reflection as I have uncovered the message for me. I felt I needed to share this wonderment with those who stumble upon it. Unplug every now and again when your in the car. Turn off your phone, and notice nature passing by. It may just amaze you when you see the hidden messages just outside of your window.  Within nature are metaphors so beautiful, they can answer your prayers, and give insight to the concerns you face every day. 

Carpe Diem Seize the day!
Carpe Noctem Seize the night!





Lord, the air smells good today, 




straight from the mysteries
within the inner courts of God.
A grace like new clothes thrown
across the garden, free medicine for everybody.
The trees in their prayer, the birds in praise,
the first blue violets kneeling.
Whatever came from Being is caught up in being, drunkenly
forgetting the way back.  ~rumi~