Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The River



THE RIVER

"There is a River that flows through us.  An ancient, eternal river, unchanging since the beginning of time. 

We glide across its surface, we splash in its shallows and dive into into its depths.

It scalds us as a desert hot-spring, and freezes us as an ice-choked arctic stream.

Sometimes we forget, for a moment, to do Good Work.  We forget to know how others should live.  We forget to fight against evil and injustice.  We forget to fear loss and even death.

In these moments—fleeting and ethereal yet essentially beautiful—we may catch a genuine glimpse of the river itself.  We see it winding peacefully and undisturbed through the green and tangled undergrowth of our many lives. 

It may, for an instant, look like a baby’s smile, a lover’s touch or a flaming sunset.  It may sound like a tiny bamboo wind-chime, the wail of a saxophone or the nearly-deafening roar of Niagra falls.  It may, for the briefest moment, taste like chocolate or smell like fresh-roasted coffee beans. 

We think of it as the one, or two, or one hundred, or ten-thousand things.  It is none of these, and all of them.  We try to think it looks, sounds, feels, tastes and smells like something, because this is what we know, what we think we need.

The River needs nothing.  It carries us always, and invites us to float easily along its shallows or to thrash mightily to survive its rapids—whatever we prefer.  It has no messages for us, no secrets, no instructions or duties or threats or restrictions.  It flows unceasingly, generously, without thought or opinion.  We drink of it as we wish.

It has, of course, no name, but we—often preferring words—might call it Love."

-Anonymous

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Stories of Conscious Dying (Book Excerpt)















Art’s Story


"A sterling example of living life to the fullest during its final stages
was Art, a close friend of my husband, John, and the officiate for
our wedding. He lived a rich and robust ninety years, dying just
a week or so after his birthday. When we first met, he was living
with his second wife, Judith, on the coast near Half Moon Bay, and
while long since retired from the work-a-day world, he was active
and engaging, usually busy with projects that he continued until
just near the end. Art was a modern day Renaissance Man. He was
a storyteller, poet, and believer in the rights of all humans to live
their dreams as he listened closely to what anyone had to say. You
always felt heard by him.

Then, several years before his death, he began to have serious
heart trouble. His active days began to slow somewhat although
he still continued to attend spiritual study groups, local plays, and
enjoyed the company of friends and family. He knew well that he
was dying, but he chose to live each day to the fullest. In fact, just
several years before his death, he recorded a music CD, “Hero,”
which he then gave to his loved ones.

A ninetieth-birthday celebration was planned, and Art was by
then unable to attend, and even though he did get dressed and was
determined to walk across the street to the neighbor’s home, he
wasn’t strong enough. His friends instead dropped by, chatted with
him, and then returned to the party albeit without Art’s presence. A
few days later, he was admitted to the Veteran’s hospital and by the
end of the week he was slipping in and out of consciousness while
remaining peaceful, knowing that his time was drawing to a close.
He did not struggle nor did he complain but instead allowed the
natural course of events to unfold. It was a Saturday afternoon when
John and I went to say our good-byes, and by then his breathing
was more labored, his attention no longer on the physical elements
around him. Judith and friends had brought music that played in the
background and the whole “vibe” was calm and serene.

I had brought my drum, and we formed a small circle around
Art’s bed as I began to sing “We Are the Old Ones,” a chant I wrote
in 1989 while sitting on the Bell Rock Vortex in Sedona, Arizona,
and later recorded in 1994 on “Flight of the Hawk: Shamanic Songs
and Ritual Chants.”

“We are the old ones,
We are the ancient ones,
We are the old ones
And we bring you peace.
Lay your body down
Lay your body down,
Lay your body down
And rest, and rest.”

Soon his wife, Judith, John, and one other close female friend
who had been in spiritual circles with Art all joined in, singing
quietly and helping him find his way back home. Art showed no
resistance at all as he entered the final stages of the transition and
took his last breath several hours later. We will all remember those
last moments with Art, one of the most amazing men John and I
have ever known."

excerpt from Spiritual Turning Points A Metaphysical Perspective of the Seven Life Transitions
All rights Reserved c. 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011


Spiritual Turning Points- Our Book Trailer!



We are now on Youtube with our new Book Trailer. Please take a moment to watch and join our FlightoftheHawkHMB YouTube channel for more videos and updates. Our music CD, "Flight of the Hawk Shamanic Songs and Ritual Chants" is also featured with single tracks you can listen to.


CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO:

Spiritual Turning Points Book Trailer (youtube)

We look forward to hearing from you!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

End of Summer: Hobbies and True Play


It's been a while since I have blogged as life has been full with new clients after the publication of my book as well as my "new' old hobby, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels which was injected with fresh enthusiasm with the addition of Harrington Bit O' Honey aka Gracie into our lives. 


My dear husband John recently asked me if I had any hobbies. I thought about it and realized that I spend much of my time working with clients and maintaining my physical health through exercise and good nutrition while interjecting some time for true rest and play here and there. But a hobby....not so much!


Thinking more about this hobby idea, I decided to look it up:


Hobby: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.

My love of animals could certainly fall into this category as could my study of all manner of animal related topics from service training to genetics. How fun this might be! A new found hobby for me and one I have been enjoying for years but without knowing it was a hobby! Before today my only contact with the notion of hobbyists was with amateur musicians who loved to play for fun and pleasure but not professionally and I, as a former professional violinist, had little contact with enthusiastic but less technically proficient players who often times worked forty hours a week jobs and then played string quartets nights and weekends. These players were often skilled professionals, doctors and lawyers, who loved music but for many reasons chose not to pursue it as a career. But I always felt such joy from them as "pitchy" as they might be and now I am beginning to understand the true value of doing something because you love it, not because it brings home a paycheck.



I have been very blessed in this life to have a profession that I love, and to have had good success with it. I love helping others, and feel honored to participate in the turning points in their lives, offering my experience and guidance whether it is a medium, astrologer, or shamanic teacher. And, perhaps it is that now as I make the turn toward my 58th year in December, and am completing my life task, I am choosing now to expand my life and bring in more play! 


Question: What brings you pleasure and playfulness?


Photo: Gracie 6.5 months

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Thoughts From the Sea




"One learns to accept the fact that no permanent return is possible to an old form of relationship; and, more deeply still, that there is no holding of a relationship to a single form. This is not tragedy but part of the ever-recurrent miracle of life and growth. All living relationships are in process of change, of expansion, and must perpetually be building themselves into new forms. But there is no single fixed form to express each changing relationship. There are perhaps different forms for each successive stage; different shells I might put in a row on my desk to suggest the different stages of marriage- or indeed of any relationship...."

from Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The Universe is constantly creating and changing, bringing new forms
into being just as old ones pass away. Birth, life, decay, death, rebirth.

Curiosity * Openness * Awareness * Grace

Remaining present to what is occurring while being open to what may unfold without attachment or the need to direct the course of events gives us all the opportunity for true joy. What a delight!

Question: What surprises are here for me today?

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Love

"Love is the real power. It's the energy that cherishes. The more you work with that energy, the more you will see how people respond naturally to it, and the more you will want to use it. It brings out your creativity, and helps everyone around you flower. Your children, the people you work with--everyone blooms." 

-Marion Woodman