Archive for Earth
Women’s Wisdom
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- Lisa Michaels Celebrating the Cycle of Life
Midlife Chrysalis
Moving from Crisis to Creation
The natural life cycle brings some powerful physical transformation points that also function as initiations into a new phase of consciousness. Coming of age, stepping into adulthood, child birth, and menopause are all doorways into another aspect of the self. These can seem like purely physical changes but the physiological transformation that accompanies them are just as vital to the next phase of life.
Unlike our ancestors that lived in a closer relationship to the natural world, modern life gives us few clues as to how to navigate these life altering passages. Unless someone around you could explain what happens in a transformational initiation you probably entered and made your way though without much guidance or support.
If you lived in a time or community that consciously engaged these life initiations you would understand that these soul passages melt your former self down for you to emerge into an entirely new way of being. While knowing this might not make the passage any easier, at least you would know you weren’t crazy and the people around you could support your journey in a way that was actually effective.
Instead of just being the rebelling teenager, the hormonal pregnant woman, or the unstable hot flashing menopausal manic there could be support for the depth of inner physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual changes occurring. Knowing that all aspects of your former self will dissolve into a glob before you re-form into the you that will emerge from the chrysalis, helps in some strange way.
Consciously participating in the transformational process moves you from engaging it as a crisis to intentionally crafting the next version of yourself. At midlife an additional and powerful aspect of integration happens along this journey. Each individual thread of learning and knowing you’ve gathered in your life gets evaluated, sorted, and spun into a new creation during your time in the chrysalis. You begin to weave the treads of your life together into a tapestry of inner wisdom.
Threads that seemed like separate streams of life get woven together into a deeper matrix of wholeness at midlife. This weaving gives you a more stable awareness of your inner truth and the unique wisdom that is yours to carry. While the treads are the same as the previous individual strands, when woven together they create an entirely new fabric of expression for the next phase of life.
How empowering it would be for young women to know that they won’t simply be growing older with each passing year but truly wiser. That there will come a time when all of their experiences will merge into an awareness of life that has the capacity to significantly bring wisdom and creative expression into the world.
With this awareness the passage of time and the portal of menopause and midlife takes on a deeper meaning. Grey hair and laugh lines symbolizing a vibrant wise woman, with a zest for life. The wisdom gained during the passage a reason to mentor and assist others by being a supportive guide through their transformational journey.
Collectively we need the wisdom of the midlife woman. And we need the women who’ve woven their tapestries to join together and to sew the individual patches of wisdom into an enormous quilt. Creating one large enough to wrap the world in the warm embrace of the wise woman.
Wrapped in this embrace of wisdom there is…
- support for creative pursuits.
- a place for feminine and masculine values.
- a world wide circle of wise women to go to for guidance.
- honoring for your personal journey.
- a way to support those in need.
- a heart centered awareness for life.
- respect for nature and her guiding wisdom.
- valuing of the natural rhythms of life.
To take part in the global honoring of the wisdom of midlife women…
- find time to listen to those around you who carry this wisdom.
- ask what they have learned that could be of value to you.
- seek out women of various cultural backgrounds from which to learn.
- connect to the wise woman within and help bring her clarity out into the world.
- honor women when they are willing to share their teachings.
- appreciate the natural aging process while continuing to increase vibrancy.
- form circles of women so that women of all ages can learn from one another.
- find a midlife or older mentor to support your next passage.
To assist your own midlife journey and the development of your inner wisdom…
- be in silence some portion of your week to strengthen your inner guidance.
- spend ample time in nature to access the forces of creation.
- pay attention to the rhythms of nature to develop a deeper awareness of right timing.
- spend some time in the company of other women.
- allow space in your life to weave your inner treads into your wisdom tapestry.
And finally take the time to enjoy the wisdom of midlife.
What do you need to develop in 2010?
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Today is the peak of the Wheel of the Year point of Imbolc. This energy stirs the seeds of what has been growing and developing inside you over the longer inner focused days of winter. Pay careful attention to what is moving within today. Take note of anything that surfaces in your awareness that will help you develop and expand your capacity.
Sometimes expanding your capacity means doing deeper inner clearing of old energies that are ready to be released. Other times it may mean actively focusing and targeting your energy and actions in order to reach your destination.
As you tune into this, I would love to hear what kinds of things you feel you need to fully activate your capacity to create, in any or every area of your life. Please comment and I will connect to the messages as I craft ways for Natural Rhythms to assist you in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
Many seed stirring blessings for you today, Lisa
Winter Solstice
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Each element possesses a natural rhythm cycle. Every day, every night, every month, and every year dances to a rhythm. The Wheel of the Year connects the sun’s journey to the earth’s cycles. In many cultural views of the Wheel of the Year, the sun was seen as carrying the masculine principle, called “Son” and “God”, while the earth was viewed as the feminine principle, named “Mother Earth” or “Goddess.”
The Earth Goddess has many names, varying across cultures. In many myths, the relationship and connection of the Earth Goddess with the Solar God was honored with the changing cycles. The Earth Mother Goddess stays alive throughout the year, changing from mother, to partner, to sovereign Goddess. The solar, sun, (son) God energy is born from the Goddess, grows to full Godhood, becomes partners with the Goddess, and then dies each year. The Wheel teaches us the natural cycle of death and rebirth, as one year’s cycle gives way to the next.
The seasonal cycle reminds you of your need for balance through every turn of the Wheel of the Year’s quarters: the winter and summer solstice points and spring and autumnal equinoxes. As those four sections divide again, creating the cross-quarter days, each of these eight points of seasonal change are a “power day.” Each is honored and celebrated for the energy they bring to the year.
What does your home have to say?
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How many times have you opened and closed your front door? Before your hand released the knob you infused it with the love & happiness you felt as you saw your loved one, friend, or neighbor standing in the threshold of your home. Now, think about how many times you have turned a faucet on & off over the course of time that you have lived in your home. How many times you have taken a shower, done laundry, or washed the dishes is more than a daily ritual. It becomes an energetic memory that stays alive within the memory of your home. We bond with the physical space we call home.
As a certified Feng Shui consultant, I am very aware of how energy lives within a home and how it can influence those who live and sleep with its walls. I also understood the elemental forces and the role they play in our lives through the principals of the Chinese BaGua. Then, I was introduced to Lisa Michaels and The Natural Rhythms Institute where I learned how to work, play with and integrate the elements.
Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit! My level of awareness has expanded far beyond my first elemental dance with Feng Shui. From the Natural Rhythms perspective, I now embrace and move more freely in my elemental dance with life.
Abundance and Fertility Nature’s Way ~ 5 Tips to Engage Her Wisdom
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Mother Earth provides you with a wonderful example of the capacity to produce abundant supplies. By showing you her rich harvests and lush landscapes, she constantly teaches you about the availability of abundance and shows you that fertility abounds in every realm.
Abundance often comes from a state of heart and mind alignment, through which you see the potential, the fullness available in each moment of life. Fertility can be found in ideas for new creations, sudden awareness’s or perceptions, and in your rich spiritual gifts.
Mother Earth also teaches you to create sustainable systems in all areas of life. You can learn to live in harmony with her and to replenish what you consume, thus ensuring that other people and other times will also experience abundance and fertility.
