Summertime Prayer

Fitting in with this Summer's theme of Integration, working towards Wholeness (via "Acceptance")...etc... here is this quarter's Creative Writing...a haiku...intended for "you".

Summertime Prayer

LIGHT AND DARK Felt...& Expressed

simply...Be-ing "YOU"!

Elvis in a Parallel Universe?

Elvis meets his look-alike nemesis Squeakers.

Nine Hugs a Day...for Healthy Heart Energy

According to Qi Gong theory (an Asian energy/exercise modality) one needs 9 hugs a day to help your Heart (chakra, energy system) to maintain good health and energy flow. And since the Heart (according to TCM--Traditional Chinese Medicine) governs the Summer months...how appropiate that we all get our nine hugs in a day!!

Posted above is a picture of my beautiful sister Holly and her empathtic son Josey (aka JBear and a host of other nicknames), and myself. Since I'm a rather snuggly affectionate soul I had to find a way that I could get JBear to enroll into my hugging nature. Well, thus Cheek Rub Hugs were invented! We may not get in 9 cheek rub hugs...but we are off to a healthy start.

Reaching for the Self

EXPANDING TOWARDS WHOLENESS

This quarter, Summer 2009, the focus is on Integration Towards Wholeness. To re-direct past patterns and habits to a place of greater fulfillment. One of my favorite quotes is from C.G. Jung, "The Greater the Tension, the Greater the Potential."

I ask that all of us use our inner tension and struggles to re-direct our lives to a place of greater Freedom of simply Being (who we are Intended to be).

Best Wishes for an Adventurous Summer.

TREASURE CHEST

HOME is where ___________. You fill in the blank for yourself.

Over the past years, moving many times, I've always been in search for "home". But...I never really had a conscious definition of what "home" meant (for me). Ever since leaving my childhood house, no place ever "felt" like home. Not until about 2 years ago. So what was it that made that physical structure, that house, a home?

For me, having people in close proximity to chat with, to have some sort of everyday relationship/acknowledgement is important--- to have neighbors to say "hi" to. Also, aside from the physical...I have come to recognize my Internal World as my True Home. To be at peace with myself, to be comfortable in my body and mind...to Live with Spirit in my everyday Life.

And now the Heavens have granted me to literally return to my origin, my place of birth. I have a tremendous sense of Reverence for the Treasures that await me. I'm not sure what this means, but having achieved a greater realm of Peace and Comfort within my Internal World (a sense of Home) over the past few years...my definition of HOME can only Expand from this point on...THANK YOU for this Opportunity to Grow and Expand into a more Whole Being.

Past Pattern PULL>>>Present Time PUSH

A Natal Chart, comprised of 12 houses, symbols (glyphs) representing the signs of the Zodiac (ie. Aries) and the planets....is a blueprint, so to speak, of the potential energy that lies within each unique individual.

Depending on time of day, place of birth, and date of birth; everyone's chart is different. Everyone having their own issues to contend with in this Life AND their very own Potential they are intended to grow towards.

The Lunar Nodes have always been of interest to me. The South Node representing patterns we frequently slip into that actually prevent us from becoming more Whole Beings. It is our natural tendency to get stuck in our habitual way of handling our lives. The North Node points us toward the place in our lives (via the house and sign the node resides in) that we are meant to find a sense of Soul fulfillment. The Lunar Nodes always oppose one another so the signs and houses they lie in also oppose one another.

Just as in our everyday lives---it is through a "tug-of-war" struggle that we find a better sense of personal Strength, what we are capable of, and hopefully, a more Conscious Awareness of our Center of Self.

To find where your karmic pattern(s) lie, look to see where the South Node resides in your natal chart. The South Node is the glyph at the top of this posting. The house it is in represents the place in your life that there is a tendency to get stuck in. For example, a 12th house South Node, indicates a tendency to isolate oneself...to withdraw one's self from everyday life (6th house--the opposing house) and operate from a very inner place (12th house). The sign it resides in indicates what "tone" it has. The South Node is always read in the lower octave of the house/sign...so an Aries South Node, would indicate one who has already achieved a heightened sense of personal identity, they are very much their own person...and now they are intended to work towards the North Node Libra. The Libra tone indicates they are meant to learn how to relate to others, to work with others in a balanced way.

This is a very brief overview of this key concept to a Natal Chart Analysis. If you are interested in knowing more, please contact me at deliciousliving2009@yahoo.com. Thank you for your interest.

May you find and Be your Soul's fulfillment.

Old Habits Die Hard...a Book Excerpt

"How easily we allow our old habits and set patterns to dominate us! Even though, as Nyoshul Khenpo's poem tells us, they bring us suffering, we accept them with almost fatalistic resignation, for we are so used to giving into them. We may idealize freedom, but when it comes to our habits we are completely enslaved.
Still reflection can slowly bring us wisdom. We can come to see we are falling again and again into fixed repetitive patterns, and begin to long to get out of them. We may, of course, fall back into them, again and again, but slowly we can emerge from them and change."

page 31 "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche

Other authors I have gained knowledge/perspective/wisdom from are Chogyam Trungpa (a Tibetan Buddhist monk), J. Krishnamurti (Spiritual teacher) and G.I. Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff's premise being that we, who call ourselves "human beings" are more aptly described as sleeping machines, who merely do out of habit....he emphasized Waking up to our Self...to Remember who the Inner Awake Self truly is....to know and be aware of WHY we do what we do..and then making a CHOICE in how we Be in regard to the situation at hand.

DELICIOUS Recipes to Make and Enjoy

Spicey Eggplant Salad

2 large eggplant (cut into 1/2 inch slices)

2 T olive oil

3 garlic cloves; crushed

3 T chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 T chopped cilantro

2 T paprika

1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 t ground cumin

2 T olive oil

4 large roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 t sea salt

1 T brown sugar

2 T lemon juice

1 T red wine vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 4oo deg. Place eggplant slices on baking sheet (single layered), brushed with olive oil on each side. Cook about 3o min's. Remove from oven and sprinkle eggplant with a little if dry. Cool for 5 min's. Dice and place in a bowl. Add garlic, parsley, cilantro, paprika, chili and the cumin...stir to combine. Place the 2 T olive oil in saucepan over medium heat and then add the tomatoes, salt and sugar. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the eggplant mixture and cook for another 5 min's. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, vinegar and black pepper. Serve warm.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

6 oz Silken Tofu ----- 1 T minced Shallots (OR green onions)

1T Fresh Lemon Juice----- 2 T Fresh minced Parsley

1/2 t Hot Chili Paste ----- 1/4 t dried Tarragon

2 Roasted Red Bell Peppers, sliced and seeded

In blender or food processor, blend tofu, lemon, and chili paste til smooth...add remaining ingr's. The texture should be somewhat chunky. Refrigerate for several hrs...serve with crusty bread and/or crackers.

CASHEW CHUTNEY

Combine the following ingredients and process until smooth...serve with warm Naan bread. Absolutely DELICIOUS!

1 cup raw cashews; 1/2 t lemon juice; 1 t salt; 1/2 inch ginger root grated; 1-2 hot green chilis---seeded and chopped; up to 1/3 c water; 2 T fresh cilantro, chopped