Greetings all,
This is the last blog of 2014 and it is the first full year of weekly blogs. It hasn't always been easy or even very poetic or deep, but I still believe that by writing weekly there is more chance for magic to happen on the screen here with my words. I also am pretty sure I've found my voice and that is worth all of the effort to stay true and blog. The blog has helped me focus my mind and observe my thoughts a bit more clearly. I know a bit more of my mind. However it hasn't been the only stabilizing force. This has also been the first full year of my weekly rattling ceremonies that I perform for myself, family, friends, and premium clients. That is 52 weeks of ceremonial momentum punctuated on the quarters of the year by drumming.
So the title 24 roads is not very clear is it? Well this blog isn't the only thing I've been busy typing away at this year. In January I began journeying to the runes of the Norse Futhark in preparation to write my first book. I originally planned to do one rune a week, but life has a way of interfering. There are 24 runes in the Futhark. So far I have journeyed to 23 of the 24. When I am complete I will have walked the 24 roads, and I plan to do that before the clock strikes midnight on the 1st of the new year.
I've taken my time with this project. I've let it build over time. Each road I have walked has added to the power. I've said often this year if no one ever reads this book but me it was well worth the time. I feel like I have learned so much from committing to do this. I have really turned what I have learned in my shamanic training into useful tools of investigation. I've deepened relationships with the powers I've worked with, and I've learned secrets. Some I'll share, and some you will have to discover for yourself. I've invested myself with the spirit of discovery and delving and I believe I have found gold in the depths.
This year has been a year of great opportunities, challenges, exultation, and grave disappointments. It has not once been dull though. It has also been a year when I've been powerfully called by the magic in the world. I've made it a year of ceremony and risks. Those two go well together. If we ask the spirits for help we must be brave. We must be willing to take a few risks. I have traveled far in this realm and the realms of spirit. Now we're on the cusp of the new year and a new creation and there is so much more that is coming.
The past two years have been tumultuous (actually more than the last two really more like the last eight), but years ago I got the sense that by 2015 things would begin to settle a bit. There was a light at the end of the transformational period. I don't think everything will be instantly fine, but I believe now we walk towards a road where things can begin to come together and support each other. I have one last road of spirit to walk before the new year is born and I am curious, what now?
So those are the roads I have been walking, but what about you? What avenues of the spirit and the flesh have you walked this year? Did you retread the same neighborhood or venture out into the wilder lands beyond the fields you know? If you stayed close to home did you dig deeper in the clay you are made of? What passions called to you in the night or on the wind? What spirits know your name? Ask yourself which fate am I? Who is to know if you don't ask? What secrets might you learn if you sing out to the trees and spirits in the streams? They have a language you know and it is written in you as much as it is in the land. I challenge you to make yourself a part of the world this year, not just the human world but the larger one outside of words and hands. Stare into natural pools, read the flight of birds, taste the wind, and as always keep walking,
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Musings
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Presenting Thomas Mooneagle
Greetings all,
Late again I know but the sun hasn't risen yet so I'm getting this post in just under the wire. I've been a busy little bee this week. I've been finishing up my Christmas shopping, baking, writing, and putting on a big drum ceremony.
I never know quite how things will go with my public ceremonies. Every venue is different, and it seems like every solstice I am drumming someplace different. I walk the line between trying to be inclusive and also in integrity with who I am. There are realms of awareness that I visit that seem like fantastic otherworldly kind of places (and they are), but they are part of my normal (or what passes for it for me) experience. This comes out when I teach or lead any kind of public event. I have to figure out what page in the book of worlds my audience has turned to.
Most people in the mainstream would find a lot of what I do or experience frightening. This is not because of anything bad although there are harrowing experiences from time to time, but rather it is so far out of their worldview and point of reference. What I take for granted is high mystery or the twilight zone for much of the western world. What I have found though is that even people in the holistic community have areas where they just don't venture into either through fear of what is there or from fear of looking gullible or silly.
Some people are comfortable with my role as a tai chi instructor, but they balk at me giving readings. Some are okay with readings, but they cringe at practicing Reiki. Some are down for the Reiki, but if I pull out a drum or a rattle they start to squirm. Some are okay with the shamanic practices, but roll their eyes when I start applying quantum physics concepts to healing work. There are those that can come to grip with all of that but if I mention faeries they are convinced I have crossed the threshold into crazy.
It is a rare set of individuals that can groove with all of me. So I do selectively share to meet people at their level of comfort in a way that is comfortable to myself as well. Anyways what brought this up is that I was anointing and blessing candles for people to take home using my Three Mother's Oil blend. Now it is called that because it receives the blessings from the earth mother, the full moon grandmother, and my faery godmother. I was explaining why it as called Three Mother's oil and struggled with finding out how many people were on a page where they'd be alright with it. I probably need not have worried as I was drumming at a metaphysical church, but you'd be surprised how many people in the metaphysics community have no trouble believing in angels but think belief in faeries is for children.
What does this have to do with anything (I know I am rambling it has been a very long day). Well how much do we censor ourselves so that we don't present as someone who is a little touched in the head? This doesn't just apply to metaphysical topics it could be as simple as what music you like or what hobbies you are into.
Well nerves aside the ceremony was a big hit. I had people coming up to me thanking me and complimenting me. I was really blown away by the response. It is my ego I know but I do always worry about how I come off. I know that in the past people have greatly misinterpreted my intent and/or demeanor. There comes a point though where you have to let go of that. Some people are going to project onto whatever you do. You can't control people's responses only your intent and behavior interpretation is up to them.
So how about you? Do you edit yourself for your audience? It's not a bad thing if you do as long as you feel that are still you. Does it create more mental work? Do you feel burdened by your public face? Do you strike a balance between meeting people where they are and standing in your truth? In our world we do have to be mindful about how we present and how our words affect others, but there is that sweet spot the bridging place between us and other. Finding it is a journey, one I am still on, walk with me a bit.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Late again I know but the sun hasn't risen yet so I'm getting this post in just under the wire. I've been a busy little bee this week. I've been finishing up my Christmas shopping, baking, writing, and putting on a big drum ceremony.
I never know quite how things will go with my public ceremonies. Every venue is different, and it seems like every solstice I am drumming someplace different. I walk the line between trying to be inclusive and also in integrity with who I am. There are realms of awareness that I visit that seem like fantastic otherworldly kind of places (and they are), but they are part of my normal (or what passes for it for me) experience. This comes out when I teach or lead any kind of public event. I have to figure out what page in the book of worlds my audience has turned to.
Most people in the mainstream would find a lot of what I do or experience frightening. This is not because of anything bad although there are harrowing experiences from time to time, but rather it is so far out of their worldview and point of reference. What I take for granted is high mystery or the twilight zone for much of the western world. What I have found though is that even people in the holistic community have areas where they just don't venture into either through fear of what is there or from fear of looking gullible or silly.
Some people are comfortable with my role as a tai chi instructor, but they balk at me giving readings. Some are okay with readings, but they cringe at practicing Reiki. Some are down for the Reiki, but if I pull out a drum or a rattle they start to squirm. Some are okay with the shamanic practices, but roll their eyes when I start applying quantum physics concepts to healing work. There are those that can come to grip with all of that but if I mention faeries they are convinced I have crossed the threshold into crazy.
It is a rare set of individuals that can groove with all of me. So I do selectively share to meet people at their level of comfort in a way that is comfortable to myself as well. Anyways what brought this up is that I was anointing and blessing candles for people to take home using my Three Mother's Oil blend. Now it is called that because it receives the blessings from the earth mother, the full moon grandmother, and my faery godmother. I was explaining why it as called Three Mother's oil and struggled with finding out how many people were on a page where they'd be alright with it. I probably need not have worried as I was drumming at a metaphysical church, but you'd be surprised how many people in the metaphysics community have no trouble believing in angels but think belief in faeries is for children.
What does this have to do with anything (I know I am rambling it has been a very long day). Well how much do we censor ourselves so that we don't present as someone who is a little touched in the head? This doesn't just apply to metaphysical topics it could be as simple as what music you like or what hobbies you are into.
Well nerves aside the ceremony was a big hit. I had people coming up to me thanking me and complimenting me. I was really blown away by the response. It is my ego I know but I do always worry about how I come off. I know that in the past people have greatly misinterpreted my intent and/or demeanor. There comes a point though where you have to let go of that. Some people are going to project onto whatever you do. You can't control people's responses only your intent and behavior interpretation is up to them.
So how about you? Do you edit yourself for your audience? It's not a bad thing if you do as long as you feel that are still you. Does it create more mental work? Do you feel burdened by your public face? Do you strike a balance between meeting people where they are and standing in your truth? In our world we do have to be mindful about how we present and how our words affect others, but there is that sweet spot the bridging place between us and other. Finding it is a journey, one I am still on, walk with me a bit.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, December 14, 2014
My side your side
Greetings all,
What a week! I hardly know how to sum it all up. It really ran the gamut from the height of hilarity to the depths of thunderous wrath. Sad to say anger is still one of the best motivators for me to step up my game.
I should set the scene for you. A year ago I sent work off to my first out of state gallery. I was very excited, it was all very official. I had a contract, I wrote out artist statements (something I learned to do while working on my degree) , I had shipping manifests, and I was so very honored to be represented in a gallery. The enthusiasm was not to last. Within the first month or so there seemed to be a problem with prompt payments when work sold. At first I was too shy to bring up the sordid topic of, "Where the hell is my check?" When the first two months turned into the first four I lost some of my decorum. Oh let's just say it like it was, I was pissed. I focused my feelings like a lance and aimed it until I received payment. Mission accomplished but I had never worked so hard for so little.
Fast forward a few more months and my frustration had built again. My attention had been snagged away by not one but two new teaching positions, a family crisis, and my own fantastic voyage this past summer. When I finally turned my inner eye back towards my wayward gallery it was not the eye of compassion. (Think the of the burning eye like Sauron and you'll get the tone of my gaze). The Mooneagle was not a happy camper and used his words of power to express that. (Shameless plug of last week's blog post I know but if you target your words well an email can practically buzz with intent). So I sent my demands and I drove 500 miles roundtrip and retrieved my work because I couldn't trust the gallery to ship it or if they did that it would arrive in anything but shards. I also couldn't wait for the mythical check in the mail any longer. They had checks for me…post dated ones. In hindsight perhaps I should have worn all black and wielded a chicken foot charm when I showed up to reclaim my work. The first check cleared, but this Friday I was informed by my bank that the second one did not.
So here I am. A person who wields magic. Part of me says goto Defcon 1 and launch the devastator warheads (etherically speaking). This part of me is I know heavily influenced by the Ego consortium in my head. Although I suspect there is some Id in that too. My artwork and specifically my pottery are like my babies. The other part of me is saying to hold on wait a minute and see what options present themselves. I who watch these two sides argue know there will be a response, but whichever it is I will not act fully until the anger has cooled. The sad thing is in this world there are people who only respect force. To get by we have to at times be aggressive and sometimes downright destructive for own defense. However as someone who is supposed to be all spiritual whatever that means I am examined under a more harsh lens of criticism (by myself especially) taking "bold" actions.
There are times to let things go. This is not one of those times. I don't like to reward bad behavior. So my challenge is to not let the anger I feel rule me as I take action. There are times when you must feel your anger deeply and let people know about it. Stuffing it down with affirmations or trying to meditate it away is simply lying to yourself and it will come out in other sneaky ways.
How about you? Is there a situation that has been giving you grief? Have you kept quiet about it and tried to be "good about it" while quietly (or not so quietly to your friends) fuming over it? Maybe you are letting your anger run rampant instead of addressing the one thing you need to change? Are you upfront about consequences with people or do you take too much pleasure in letting others know how unwise it is to be on your bad side? The truth is we're going to have an emotional response when people treat us in ways we feel hurt by, this is natural and part of the healing process. What is not natural is to either detach ourselves from those feelings or burn them into our skin like a permanent brand. We must balance the side of us that seeks recompense with the side that wants to move beyond the hurt. I'll try to remember that as I move through legal proceedings this week.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
What a week! I hardly know how to sum it all up. It really ran the gamut from the height of hilarity to the depths of thunderous wrath. Sad to say anger is still one of the best motivators for me to step up my game.
I should set the scene for you. A year ago I sent work off to my first out of state gallery. I was very excited, it was all very official. I had a contract, I wrote out artist statements (something I learned to do while working on my degree) , I had shipping manifests, and I was so very honored to be represented in a gallery. The enthusiasm was not to last. Within the first month or so there seemed to be a problem with prompt payments when work sold. At first I was too shy to bring up the sordid topic of, "Where the hell is my check?" When the first two months turned into the first four I lost some of my decorum. Oh let's just say it like it was, I was pissed. I focused my feelings like a lance and aimed it until I received payment. Mission accomplished but I had never worked so hard for so little.
Fast forward a few more months and my frustration had built again. My attention had been snagged away by not one but two new teaching positions, a family crisis, and my own fantastic voyage this past summer. When I finally turned my inner eye back towards my wayward gallery it was not the eye of compassion. (Think the of the burning eye like Sauron and you'll get the tone of my gaze). The Mooneagle was not a happy camper and used his words of power to express that. (Shameless plug of last week's blog post I know but if you target your words well an email can practically buzz with intent). So I sent my demands and I drove 500 miles roundtrip and retrieved my work because I couldn't trust the gallery to ship it or if they did that it would arrive in anything but shards. I also couldn't wait for the mythical check in the mail any longer. They had checks for me…post dated ones. In hindsight perhaps I should have worn all black and wielded a chicken foot charm when I showed up to reclaim my work. The first check cleared, but this Friday I was informed by my bank that the second one did not.
So here I am. A person who wields magic. Part of me says goto Defcon 1 and launch the devastator warheads (etherically speaking). This part of me is I know heavily influenced by the Ego consortium in my head. Although I suspect there is some Id in that too. My artwork and specifically my pottery are like my babies. The other part of me is saying to hold on wait a minute and see what options present themselves. I who watch these two sides argue know there will be a response, but whichever it is I will not act fully until the anger has cooled. The sad thing is in this world there are people who only respect force. To get by we have to at times be aggressive and sometimes downright destructive for own defense. However as someone who is supposed to be all spiritual whatever that means I am examined under a more harsh lens of criticism (by myself especially) taking "bold" actions.
There are times to let things go. This is not one of those times. I don't like to reward bad behavior. So my challenge is to not let the anger I feel rule me as I take action. There are times when you must feel your anger deeply and let people know about it. Stuffing it down with affirmations or trying to meditate it away is simply lying to yourself and it will come out in other sneaky ways.
How about you? Is there a situation that has been giving you grief? Have you kept quiet about it and tried to be "good about it" while quietly (or not so quietly to your friends) fuming over it? Maybe you are letting your anger run rampant instead of addressing the one thing you need to change? Are you upfront about consequences with people or do you take too much pleasure in letting others know how unwise it is to be on your bad side? The truth is we're going to have an emotional response when people treat us in ways we feel hurt by, this is natural and part of the healing process. What is not natural is to either detach ourselves from those feelings or burn them into our skin like a permanent brand. We must balance the side of us that seeks recompense with the side that wants to move beyond the hurt. I'll try to remember that as I move through legal proceedings this week.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Words of Power
Greetings all,
Lately I've been pondering the power of words. Every week I send mine out into the blogosphere hoping they have an impact. Currently I am writing a book about runes, so the power of words is quite pertinent to me. However all of us are constantly under a barrage of language. We get emails, tweets, Facebook status updates, advertisements, billboards, signs, textbooks, and pamphlets all grabbing our attention.
We are so immersed in the sea of language we often don't recognize the power it has over us, nor we over it. We are careless with our words. We say hurtful things to ourselves and each other. Our words shape the world because it is how we transmit our ideas to others. Consider these statements, "We had words. We talked all night." Both of those could describe the same event, but 'having words' leads us to believe the shared words weren't all that pleasant. I read a post recently that said, "Texting is a brilliant way to miscommunicate how you feel and misinterpret what other people mean." Texts tend to be brief with easy to use words that are vague as opposed to letters or emails where we sit down and take our time to really say clearly what we mean. (Except from that inordinately long text I got from somebody one time that left absolutely no doubt what they felt and how they meant it.)
I'm not here to pick on texting. I am simply suggesting that we take our own words more seriously and choose them wisely. The old sticks and stones adage no longer applies. Cyber bullying has brought the cruelty of the playground into our homes, onto our phones where we cannot escape it. Seeing the number of suicides as a result of bullying on the news year after year I thank my lucky stars there was no Facebook or texting when I was in middle or high school. I was bullied quite mercilessly, but at least when I got home the cruel words stopped.
Words build our consensual reality. They make up the building blocks of all our stories. Our stories become our lives. Ah but you were waiting for the words of power that I promised. Yes there are magic words, but they generally only work if you have spent the time learning to channel and focus energy. There are everyday words that hold immense power and the more we use them the more power they exert. The words I AM have an enormous influence on us, because whatever follows them defines who we are. The other words of power are I CAN and I CAN'T, they either open or close an opportunity to us.
So how about you? Are you using the power of your words wisely? Are the words that you write, text, and speak serving your greater good? Are they serving your ego at the expense of others? Do you consider the impact of your words before you use them? How about the words you use to describe yourself, are you being kind? How about this, for the next week ponder over your words before you type speak or write out those holiday greeting cards. Choose your words to precisely convey your intent. Dial them in as you would an old radio to be as clear and focused as possible. Do this when you talk to yourself too maybe even in front of a mirror. Watch what happens.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Lately I've been pondering the power of words. Every week I send mine out into the blogosphere hoping they have an impact. Currently I am writing a book about runes, so the power of words is quite pertinent to me. However all of us are constantly under a barrage of language. We get emails, tweets, Facebook status updates, advertisements, billboards, signs, textbooks, and pamphlets all grabbing our attention.
We are so immersed in the sea of language we often don't recognize the power it has over us, nor we over it. We are careless with our words. We say hurtful things to ourselves and each other. Our words shape the world because it is how we transmit our ideas to others. Consider these statements, "We had words. We talked all night." Both of those could describe the same event, but 'having words' leads us to believe the shared words weren't all that pleasant. I read a post recently that said, "Texting is a brilliant way to miscommunicate how you feel and misinterpret what other people mean." Texts tend to be brief with easy to use words that are vague as opposed to letters or emails where we sit down and take our time to really say clearly what we mean. (Except from that inordinately long text I got from somebody one time that left absolutely no doubt what they felt and how they meant it.)
I'm not here to pick on texting. I am simply suggesting that we take our own words more seriously and choose them wisely. The old sticks and stones adage no longer applies. Cyber bullying has brought the cruelty of the playground into our homes, onto our phones where we cannot escape it. Seeing the number of suicides as a result of bullying on the news year after year I thank my lucky stars there was no Facebook or texting when I was in middle or high school. I was bullied quite mercilessly, but at least when I got home the cruel words stopped.
Words build our consensual reality. They make up the building blocks of all our stories. Our stories become our lives. Ah but you were waiting for the words of power that I promised. Yes there are magic words, but they generally only work if you have spent the time learning to channel and focus energy. There are everyday words that hold immense power and the more we use them the more power they exert. The words I AM have an enormous influence on us, because whatever follows them defines who we are. The other words of power are I CAN and I CAN'T, they either open or close an opportunity to us.
So how about you? Are you using the power of your words wisely? Are the words that you write, text, and speak serving your greater good? Are they serving your ego at the expense of others? Do you consider the impact of your words before you use them? How about the words you use to describe yourself, are you being kind? How about this, for the next week ponder over your words before you type speak or write out those holiday greeting cards. Choose your words to precisely convey your intent. Dial them in as you would an old radio to be as clear and focused as possible. Do this when you talk to yourself too maybe even in front of a mirror. Watch what happens.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Gather our Blessings
Greetings all,
I hope those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a nice one. For many years Thanksgiving had been my favorite holiday. I got to spend more time with loved ones than at other holidays and the food was good. People were a bit more relaxed than at Christmas and tended to enjoy themselves a bit more.
Each Thanksgiving I used to make an entry into my journal and list all the things I was thankful for. It was my private part of the holiday. I've not done that practice in a few years, in part because I am writing more regularly with this blog and with other assignments, but also because I try and make gratitude a more regular practice. Being thankful is not only gracious and good manners, but it makes us happier. (http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier)
What I have noticed is that Thanksgiving has been completely absorbed into the consumerist holiday of Christmas. Shopping starts on the day itself. I heard Christmas Carols begin on the radio 3 days before Halloween this year. However even before the rise of Black Friday as its own holiday of greed, Thanksgiving had faded in significance for most people. Many just see it as a day to indulge in large quantities of food and sit around and watch football games. The most fortunate of us that can afford this often do not spend any time reflecting on all the blessings we have.
So in this time when I have a warm bed and good roof over my head I want to reflect a bit on the blessings I personally possess. I live in relative safety far from a war zone. There are millions of people that can't say the same. I've never known true hunger. I have information unparalleled in human history at my fingertips for the asking. I have meaningful work that I enjoy. I've been blessed with favorable health. I grew up free from most forms of violence and crime. I have warm comfortable clothes that fit. I have been fortunate to find good teachers, friends, colleagues, and business partners. I live in an inspiring world of light, magic, and nature. I have been supported and guarded by spirit and flesh alike. These are but a few of the many blessings I sadly take for granted all too often.
More often than not we neglect to tell the people closest to us just how much we appreciate them. If respect is the soil in which love grows then gratitude is the water and light it needs to flourish. (My first blog post in the reboot of my blog was about respect). Lately when I perform my weekly ceremony I begin it by thanking all my helpers in spirit. I honor them all beginning with the Creator and the earth herself. This Friday I worked an event at an art center and I made public my weekly rattling prayer ceremony. The focus was growing the spirit of gratitude within our hearts. I am very grateful that I had the chance to do this. Normally I am alone when I do my prayer work, typically in my office. I can forget just how powerful simple ceremony is. When I began the center was practically a ghost town. We hadn't seen any potential customers in over an hour. As soon as I opened my mesa and began setting the space, people began to appear. When I shook my rattle a crowd started to walk by. It was almost like magic. It is easy to forgot just how powerful holding the spirit of gratitude within us can be, and how much of an effect it has on the world around us.
So how about you? Are you dwelling in gratitude or are you stuck complaining about all that is missing from your life? Do you appreciate all the small kindnesses that make the world go round? Do you tell the people who make your life better just how much you care for and appreciate them and all they do? Have you been gathering your blessings and lovingly counting them? If not perhaps you need to spend a little less time moving through the rituals of the season and a bit more time in reflection on all that life has offered you.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
I hope those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a nice one. For many years Thanksgiving had been my favorite holiday. I got to spend more time with loved ones than at other holidays and the food was good. People were a bit more relaxed than at Christmas and tended to enjoy themselves a bit more.
Each Thanksgiving I used to make an entry into my journal and list all the things I was thankful for. It was my private part of the holiday. I've not done that practice in a few years, in part because I am writing more regularly with this blog and with other assignments, but also because I try and make gratitude a more regular practice. Being thankful is not only gracious and good manners, but it makes us happier. (http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier)
What I have noticed is that Thanksgiving has been completely absorbed into the consumerist holiday of Christmas. Shopping starts on the day itself. I heard Christmas Carols begin on the radio 3 days before Halloween this year. However even before the rise of Black Friday as its own holiday of greed, Thanksgiving had faded in significance for most people. Many just see it as a day to indulge in large quantities of food and sit around and watch football games. The most fortunate of us that can afford this often do not spend any time reflecting on all the blessings we have.
So in this time when I have a warm bed and good roof over my head I want to reflect a bit on the blessings I personally possess. I live in relative safety far from a war zone. There are millions of people that can't say the same. I've never known true hunger. I have information unparalleled in human history at my fingertips for the asking. I have meaningful work that I enjoy. I've been blessed with favorable health. I grew up free from most forms of violence and crime. I have warm comfortable clothes that fit. I have been fortunate to find good teachers, friends, colleagues, and business partners. I live in an inspiring world of light, magic, and nature. I have been supported and guarded by spirit and flesh alike. These are but a few of the many blessings I sadly take for granted all too often.
More often than not we neglect to tell the people closest to us just how much we appreciate them. If respect is the soil in which love grows then gratitude is the water and light it needs to flourish. (My first blog post in the reboot of my blog was about respect). Lately when I perform my weekly ceremony I begin it by thanking all my helpers in spirit. I honor them all beginning with the Creator and the earth herself. This Friday I worked an event at an art center and I made public my weekly rattling prayer ceremony. The focus was growing the spirit of gratitude within our hearts. I am very grateful that I had the chance to do this. Normally I am alone when I do my prayer work, typically in my office. I can forget just how powerful simple ceremony is. When I began the center was practically a ghost town. We hadn't seen any potential customers in over an hour. As soon as I opened my mesa and began setting the space, people began to appear. When I shook my rattle a crowd started to walk by. It was almost like magic. It is easy to forgot just how powerful holding the spirit of gratitude within us can be, and how much of an effect it has on the world around us.
So how about you? Are you dwelling in gratitude or are you stuck complaining about all that is missing from your life? Do you appreciate all the small kindnesses that make the world go round? Do you tell the people who make your life better just how much you care for and appreciate them and all they do? Have you been gathering your blessings and lovingly counting them? If not perhaps you need to spend a little less time moving through the rituals of the season and a bit more time in reflection on all that life has offered you.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Friday, November 21, 2014
Holding Back
Greetings all,
Hope your week went well. Mine flew by and I am once more on the road. I'll be working at a big psychic fair this weekend in Sharonville, OH called Victory of Light. I work at my friend's crystal booth a few times a year and it's always a nice break to get out of town. This fair usually marks the end of my traveling season until spring. Winter is not the time for road trips, at least not in my aging chariot.
Week by week life presents me with challenges and opportunities. These become grist for the mill of this blog. I am not trying to be narcissistic (it comes naturally without effort), but I hope that my experiences can shed light on some of yours. More often than not I have found that my own struggles parallel the issues that many others face. We are all human (mostly anyways I haven't done a serious poll) and that means we have similar needs. One need in particular is to grow and sample new experiences and relationships.
So much of what we do is driven by our emotions. However due to societal pressures we tend to hold back our feelings and not only fail to express them but to even let ourselves fully feel them. Holding back is something I catch myself doing a lot. Finding out what is behind that is crucial if we want to live deep meaningful successful lives. For me it is fear. Sounds simple yes, well it is not just one fear. This fear has layers and flavored sprinkles. There is for example the fear of offending or hurting someone. There is the fear of failure as well as the fear of success. There is the fear of disappointing the ones I care about.
Failure covers a lot of ground. The road to any sort of self growth means making mistakes. Depending on our schooling and general upbringing we can get conditioned into thinking of mistakes as the most horrible thing that could happen. Mistakes are either unfortunate things we have to suffer through, teachable moments, or possibly even break through experiences. There is an old saying that says, "Your last mistake is your best teacher." As an artist (yes dear reader I have another career outside of metaphysical services) I struggle with this demonization of mistakes, I can get fixated on an outcome and hold back if I am uncertain I can achieve it instantly. The best ideas usually take several attempts or more (it took me several years to come up with a blue glaze I was happy with) to realize. When I get stuck in that loop of doubt it often leads to procrastination or not putting in much effort. The odd thing is that some of my best creations have come out of "mistakes" that were really happy accidents. Sometimes a wrong turn leads you down a road that is better than where you planned to go.
This weekend I intend to shine out my light. I am not holding back. What about you? Are you stifling yourself? Do you bite back your emotions, desires, talents or dreams? What would happen if you embraced that raw spark within yourself and followed it. What if that flickering light let others know it was okay to be both imperfect and loved? What if you allowed yourself to fully geek out about what you love? Try it out don't hold back and watch your light shine.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Hope your week went well. Mine flew by and I am once more on the road. I'll be working at a big psychic fair this weekend in Sharonville, OH called Victory of Light. I work at my friend's crystal booth a few times a year and it's always a nice break to get out of town. This fair usually marks the end of my traveling season until spring. Winter is not the time for road trips, at least not in my aging chariot.
Week by week life presents me with challenges and opportunities. These become grist for the mill of this blog. I am not trying to be narcissistic (it comes naturally without effort), but I hope that my experiences can shed light on some of yours. More often than not I have found that my own struggles parallel the issues that many others face. We are all human (mostly anyways I haven't done a serious poll) and that means we have similar needs. One need in particular is to grow and sample new experiences and relationships.
So much of what we do is driven by our emotions. However due to societal pressures we tend to hold back our feelings and not only fail to express them but to even let ourselves fully feel them. Holding back is something I catch myself doing a lot. Finding out what is behind that is crucial if we want to live deep meaningful successful lives. For me it is fear. Sounds simple yes, well it is not just one fear. This fear has layers and flavored sprinkles. There is for example the fear of offending or hurting someone. There is the fear of failure as well as the fear of success. There is the fear of disappointing the ones I care about.
Failure covers a lot of ground. The road to any sort of self growth means making mistakes. Depending on our schooling and general upbringing we can get conditioned into thinking of mistakes as the most horrible thing that could happen. Mistakes are either unfortunate things we have to suffer through, teachable moments, or possibly even break through experiences. There is an old saying that says, "Your last mistake is your best teacher." As an artist (yes dear reader I have another career outside of metaphysical services) I struggle with this demonization of mistakes, I can get fixated on an outcome and hold back if I am uncertain I can achieve it instantly. The best ideas usually take several attempts or more (it took me several years to come up with a blue glaze I was happy with) to realize. When I get stuck in that loop of doubt it often leads to procrastination or not putting in much effort. The odd thing is that some of my best creations have come out of "mistakes" that were really happy accidents. Sometimes a wrong turn leads you down a road that is better than where you planned to go.
This weekend I intend to shine out my light. I am not holding back. What about you? Are you stifling yourself? Do you bite back your emotions, desires, talents or dreams? What would happen if you embraced that raw spark within yourself and followed it. What if that flickering light let others know it was okay to be both imperfect and loved? What if you allowed yourself to fully geek out about what you love? Try it out don't hold back and watch your light shine.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Adventure Party
Greetings all,
This week has been jam packed. I just returned this evening from a road trip. I went down to Gatlinburg, TN to collect some of my art work from a gallery that was closing. It was a fast trip I went down yesterday and came back today. I'll be out on the road again next weekend for Victory of Light Psychic Fair in Cincinnati, OH. Come on out and visit me if you're in the region.
So this trip was put together rather quickly and was made necessary by the sad circumstances of losing a selling venue for artwork. My healing practice has expanded quite a bit the past few months, but my artwork has lagged behind as far as finding its way into buyers hands. I'll be honest I was not a happy camper having to make an impromptu trip in what has been a very busy season so far.
With trips I tend to spend a bit of extra time asking for assistance from spirit. Now that we've moved into winter I am even more cautious as I set out. I called on all of my guides, ancestors, power animals, teachers, faeries, and angels to smooth my way this weekend. I noticed a very curious thing on my drive down. I was enjoying what was otherwise a very tedious drive. I even sent Reiki to all the nature spirits as I drove past. I was filled with appreciation and joy for all the fall colors. I had what the Taoists call the inner smile spreading through my insides. I even got messages from passing cars and trucks (License plates and logos are big omen opportunities for me).
I have been repeatedly told in journeys to call on my helpers, power animals, guides and all of my spirit support network. I have dozens of helpful beings waiting in the wings (hah angel pun) for the go sign from me to step in and assist. I have simply gotten out of the habit of asking for help. I don't know why it makes such a huge difference and doesn't take that much time out of my day to send out those silent requests. These helpers are important to the success of my adventures and yet I leave them at the inn half the time. Now I am good about calling on them when I am doing work for a client, but for myself I just can't be bothered regularly to send out the bat signal. So I show up with little support and then complain about how I am not supported.
Guides and spirits need our permission to act on our behalf. Most of them are bursting at the seams to jump in and gift us with their help. They learn and grow in tandem with ourselves. The more they are able to help us on our life path the more they in turn develop.
So does any of this apply to you? Do you have helpers (in flesh or in spirit) that sit idle because you forget to ask for help? Are you so much of a loner that you feel you must tackle everything yourself? Are you stuck in a routine where you don't even stop to think about summoning aid? Well put your team leader hat on and start delegating. If you feel you don't have the right spiritual help put out a cosmic Help Wanted ad. Write out a position description for someone to help you with a particular aspect of your life. Once you have it down make a ceremony maybe put the ad in a fire to send it out. Call on your helpers let them know they've got your say so to start working for you. Do it daily and watch what happens.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
This week has been jam packed. I just returned this evening from a road trip. I went down to Gatlinburg, TN to collect some of my art work from a gallery that was closing. It was a fast trip I went down yesterday and came back today. I'll be out on the road again next weekend for Victory of Light Psychic Fair in Cincinnati, OH. Come on out and visit me if you're in the region.
So this trip was put together rather quickly and was made necessary by the sad circumstances of losing a selling venue for artwork. My healing practice has expanded quite a bit the past few months, but my artwork has lagged behind as far as finding its way into buyers hands. I'll be honest I was not a happy camper having to make an impromptu trip in what has been a very busy season so far.
With trips I tend to spend a bit of extra time asking for assistance from spirit. Now that we've moved into winter I am even more cautious as I set out. I called on all of my guides, ancestors, power animals, teachers, faeries, and angels to smooth my way this weekend. I noticed a very curious thing on my drive down. I was enjoying what was otherwise a very tedious drive. I even sent Reiki to all the nature spirits as I drove past. I was filled with appreciation and joy for all the fall colors. I had what the Taoists call the inner smile spreading through my insides. I even got messages from passing cars and trucks (License plates and logos are big omen opportunities for me).
I have been repeatedly told in journeys to call on my helpers, power animals, guides and all of my spirit support network. I have dozens of helpful beings waiting in the wings (hah angel pun) for the go sign from me to step in and assist. I have simply gotten out of the habit of asking for help. I don't know why it makes such a huge difference and doesn't take that much time out of my day to send out those silent requests. These helpers are important to the success of my adventures and yet I leave them at the inn half the time. Now I am good about calling on them when I am doing work for a client, but for myself I just can't be bothered regularly to send out the bat signal. So I show up with little support and then complain about how I am not supported.
Guides and spirits need our permission to act on our behalf. Most of them are bursting at the seams to jump in and gift us with their help. They learn and grow in tandem with ourselves. The more they are able to help us on our life path the more they in turn develop.
So does any of this apply to you? Do you have helpers (in flesh or in spirit) that sit idle because you forget to ask for help? Are you so much of a loner that you feel you must tackle everything yourself? Are you stuck in a routine where you don't even stop to think about summoning aid? Well put your team leader hat on and start delegating. If you feel you don't have the right spiritual help put out a cosmic Help Wanted ad. Write out a position description for someone to help you with a particular aspect of your life. Once you have it down make a ceremony maybe put the ad in a fire to send it out. Call on your helpers let them know they've got your say so to start working for you. Do it daily and watch what happens.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Heart of it
Greetings all,
Welcome to winter, at least by the Celtic calendar. Halloween marked the end of summer and beginning of winter. The solstice which we sometimes call the first day of winter is actually midwinter. I like to use the old calendar to help connect with the flow of the season it helps me to move more gracefully through the currents of the year.
Winter is the dimming of the light, shorter days, and colder winds. As the external sun dims it is important to stoke the fires of our internal sun, the heart. It is our source of life as sure as the sun. If the sun stops shining life is impossible and if our heart stops beating it is the same. The heart gives us energy and nourishment. It also has quite a bit of neural tissue so it has its own intelligence. The wisdom of the heart is in acceptance, sharing, and making connections. The quantum field is accessed via the field of the heart. To access true magic we must open and surrender to the heart.
I've studied quite a bit of lore and metaphysical paths in the past decade. I have accumulated a good bit of "knowledge" and even applied some of it quite well. I have come to a point where more knowledge will not be of service (no I'm not saying I know it all just that I've got to learn to fully use what I already have). What is needed now is to work on opening my heart and keeping it open and radiating love. Some people do this effortlessly (or they make it look that way at least). It is definitely something I have to "work" at.
Trusting is hard. Particularly in a world where trust is often seen and used as an exploitable weakness. We have very little built in trust in our society. Think I'm wrong? How many lawyer ads have you seen this week on television? Have you read warning labels lately? Signed any waiver forms this month? Trust just isn't what it used to be. You may think because I have a spiritual practice I'm more trusting, but you've got it in reverse. I have a spiritual practice so I can become more trusting (and trustworthy). Without trust you can't create that open heart so it is key. What I'm coming to realize is that if I were to more fully dwell in the space of the heart all of what I currently do would both simplify and become exponentially more powerful. Right now I work at heart space and I get results, but if I dwelled there or just moved within it more easily the entire fabric of my life would change.
There are things I long for, owning a home, finding a good market for my artwork, travel, and relationships. (Yes even the Mooneagle likes a good snuggle). However those are just the outward expressions of my heart. The love of creating is behind my desire for selling work. The exuberance and adventure is expressed through travel. The love of self is embraced in the purchase of a hearth and home. All of these are only reflections of what is in my heart, my work is to bring them out so that my heart can flourish while shining out its light and warmth. In the midst of a world that seems bent against leading with the heart this is a challenge. It is the only challenge really all else is just details.
So how about you? Are you over complicating life? Is it distracting you from excavating the love within? Do you learn and grow only to find satisfaction has slipped through your fingers? What if we came back to the simplicity of love. In a complex crazy world of mind control advertising of adversarial paradigms what if we plugged into the sun within? Try it, love yourself even your broken bits and see what unfolds.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Welcome to winter, at least by the Celtic calendar. Halloween marked the end of summer and beginning of winter. The solstice which we sometimes call the first day of winter is actually midwinter. I like to use the old calendar to help connect with the flow of the season it helps me to move more gracefully through the currents of the year.
Winter is the dimming of the light, shorter days, and colder winds. As the external sun dims it is important to stoke the fires of our internal sun, the heart. It is our source of life as sure as the sun. If the sun stops shining life is impossible and if our heart stops beating it is the same. The heart gives us energy and nourishment. It also has quite a bit of neural tissue so it has its own intelligence. The wisdom of the heart is in acceptance, sharing, and making connections. The quantum field is accessed via the field of the heart. To access true magic we must open and surrender to the heart.
I've studied quite a bit of lore and metaphysical paths in the past decade. I have accumulated a good bit of "knowledge" and even applied some of it quite well. I have come to a point where more knowledge will not be of service (no I'm not saying I know it all just that I've got to learn to fully use what I already have). What is needed now is to work on opening my heart and keeping it open and radiating love. Some people do this effortlessly (or they make it look that way at least). It is definitely something I have to "work" at.
Trusting is hard. Particularly in a world where trust is often seen and used as an exploitable weakness. We have very little built in trust in our society. Think I'm wrong? How many lawyer ads have you seen this week on television? Have you read warning labels lately? Signed any waiver forms this month? Trust just isn't what it used to be. You may think because I have a spiritual practice I'm more trusting, but you've got it in reverse. I have a spiritual practice so I can become more trusting (and trustworthy). Without trust you can't create that open heart so it is key. What I'm coming to realize is that if I were to more fully dwell in the space of the heart all of what I currently do would both simplify and become exponentially more powerful. Right now I work at heart space and I get results, but if I dwelled there or just moved within it more easily the entire fabric of my life would change.
There are things I long for, owning a home, finding a good market for my artwork, travel, and relationships. (Yes even the Mooneagle likes a good snuggle). However those are just the outward expressions of my heart. The love of creating is behind my desire for selling work. The exuberance and adventure is expressed through travel. The love of self is embraced in the purchase of a hearth and home. All of these are only reflections of what is in my heart, my work is to bring them out so that my heart can flourish while shining out its light and warmth. In the midst of a world that seems bent against leading with the heart this is a challenge. It is the only challenge really all else is just details.
So how about you? Are you over complicating life? Is it distracting you from excavating the love within? Do you learn and grow only to find satisfaction has slipped through your fingers? What if we came back to the simplicity of love. In a complex crazy world of mind control advertising of adversarial paradigms what if we plugged into the sun within? Try it, love yourself even your broken bits and see what unfolds.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Refocusing
Greetings all,
I hope you had a wonderful week and a Happy Halloween. This month has been one of transitions for me: one teaching job ended, another one opened up, I became a chapter leader for The Monroe Institute, I let go of more days at my retail position, I put myself out in a more public venue, and I started to step back further out of other people's lives.
Change is the name of the game right now. Everything is in flux. This is a good thing, but it does mean I have to spend a little extra time centering myself and refocusing to make sure I am charting a course through the river of life rather than just getting tossed about the eddies and whirlpools of Fate. There's a fine line between going with the flow and simply being adrift. I have to spend a little bit of effort to make sure the river is taking me where I want to go.
This isn't always easy I tend to get sidetracked and pulled into other people's journeys. Empathy means I feel other people's stuff, and if I'm not vigilant I may take it on or believe it is my stuff. People with a high degree of empathy often tend to be very helpful or involved in some sort of caregiving or social support role. Don't confuse this with general compassion, it sometimes is, but it can just as well be that we don't like how we feel when you aren't doing well. Sometimes I'll go a long way out of my way to get a little peace. This is being selfishly helpful. I may care about you, but I may also just want some quiet. Life has been anything but quiet and true to form I have been running around doing my best to "fix" things so I can get back to work.
There's a problem with being known as someone who can fix a situation, or who is really good at calming people down. Your network starts bringing you people who are in full blown crisis mode. As soon as one is through another crisis (or a different person) shows up. The hardest lesson for sensitive people is to let others have their pain. There are times when it is appropriate to alleviate suffering, and then there are times where a person needs to handle it themselves. Taking that from them is not service. One of the high points (oddly enough which happened at my lowest point as well) came through a period of intense pain and suffering. I am who I am today because of that. I am stronger, and I am more effective with my clients as a direct result.
Now I am not saying to turn a blind eye to all the suffering in the world. I'm simply suggesting that not all of it is your business. There is a difference between being a support in a trying time and being a crutch for life. Human beings were designed to be strong, resilient, and interdependent. We do depend on each other, but a group is healthier when it is made up of strong individuals. So here I am feeling all the swirling maelstroms of emotion around me, and my guidance is saying, "Step back, let them handle it." So I struggle with doing that, letting people deal with their stuff and have their pain.
What about you? Are you popping in to save the day at the first sign of trouble? Are you losing focus on your own goals to quiet the moans from the locals? What would happen if you allowed people to struggle through things that you knew they could handle? What if you took yourself off their emotional emergency contact list? We can't be all things to all people, so why not just step back and chart your course down the river? Don't worry you'll still be of service, but it will truly be a matter of need as opposed to convenience.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
I hope you had a wonderful week and a Happy Halloween. This month has been one of transitions for me: one teaching job ended, another one opened up, I became a chapter leader for The Monroe Institute, I let go of more days at my retail position, I put myself out in a more public venue, and I started to step back further out of other people's lives.
Change is the name of the game right now. Everything is in flux. This is a good thing, but it does mean I have to spend a little extra time centering myself and refocusing to make sure I am charting a course through the river of life rather than just getting tossed about the eddies and whirlpools of Fate. There's a fine line between going with the flow and simply being adrift. I have to spend a little bit of effort to make sure the river is taking me where I want to go.
This isn't always easy I tend to get sidetracked and pulled into other people's journeys. Empathy means I feel other people's stuff, and if I'm not vigilant I may take it on or believe it is my stuff. People with a high degree of empathy often tend to be very helpful or involved in some sort of caregiving or social support role. Don't confuse this with general compassion, it sometimes is, but it can just as well be that we don't like how we feel when you aren't doing well. Sometimes I'll go a long way out of my way to get a little peace. This is being selfishly helpful. I may care about you, but I may also just want some quiet. Life has been anything but quiet and true to form I have been running around doing my best to "fix" things so I can get back to work.
There's a problem with being known as someone who can fix a situation, or who is really good at calming people down. Your network starts bringing you people who are in full blown crisis mode. As soon as one is through another crisis (or a different person) shows up. The hardest lesson for sensitive people is to let others have their pain. There are times when it is appropriate to alleviate suffering, and then there are times where a person needs to handle it themselves. Taking that from them is not service. One of the high points (oddly enough which happened at my lowest point as well) came through a period of intense pain and suffering. I am who I am today because of that. I am stronger, and I am more effective with my clients as a direct result.
Now I am not saying to turn a blind eye to all the suffering in the world. I'm simply suggesting that not all of it is your business. There is a difference between being a support in a trying time and being a crutch for life. Human beings were designed to be strong, resilient, and interdependent. We do depend on each other, but a group is healthier when it is made up of strong individuals. So here I am feeling all the swirling maelstroms of emotion around me, and my guidance is saying, "Step back, let them handle it." So I struggle with doing that, letting people deal with their stuff and have their pain.
What about you? Are you popping in to save the day at the first sign of trouble? Are you losing focus on your own goals to quiet the moans from the locals? What would happen if you allowed people to struggle through things that you knew they could handle? What if you took yourself off their emotional emergency contact list? We can't be all things to all people, so why not just step back and chart your course down the river? Don't worry you'll still be of service, but it will truly be a matter of need as opposed to convenience.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Tempering the Temper
Greetings all,
Another week another post. Ah, but what a week it has been full of emotional highs and lows. Speaking of emotions….
I have a temper. Don't laugh its true. Many people are shocked to find out this fact. The Mooneagle does get angry. Not that this happens a lot (barring traffic jams), but it does happen. I'm one of those people that I describe as having a long fuse. Imagine a long trail of gunpowder, you can light it and it may take a while but eventually there's going to be a very big bang. Sometimes the longer the fuse the bigger the bang.
Anger is an emotion that often gets demonized. It can be destructive and dangerous. However it can also act like rocket fuel blasting us off into new heights. We've all had those moments when we're fed up with a situation or relationship and we go off. We either leave the situation or blow it up. I've often said I don't burn bridges, I napalm them. Usually I wait till someone is in the middle of a crossing. While very dramatic and emotionally exhausting this has liberated me from situations (and people) that might have drawn me back into an even more exhausting cycle of suffering.
So anger is useful. It can be at any rate. The problem I often have is that I go directly from peace time picnics to all out war. This is just a tad bit less useful. Anger inspires quick action, but rarely clear thinking. Remember those bridges? While I might have been dancing round the flames in celebration there are so many times where I remembered something important that I left on the other side of that now burning chasm. I've squandered opportunities and had to start from scratch because I was just to eager to strike that match and stoke the fire.
The espresso shot of adrenalin that anger brings can be very habit forming, in fact recent studies suggest that catharsis therapy where you take your aggression out on a pillow or doll can actually make you more prone to outbursts of anger. What happens is that you are creating and reinforcing those aggressive patterns in your neural pathways. The more you do something the deeper the pattern is wired into you. Of course bottling up your anger isn't such a hot idea either, or rather it is too hot. (Remember that bridge before it was charcoal?)
So what to do? If we fire up the flame throwers we just make ourselves more prone to anger, but if we suppress it we risk a meltdown. This seems to be one of those smelly creeks that have boats with only a single paddle. In metal working there is a process called tempering where a piece of metal is cooled quickly, and then carefully reheated below a critical point. This makes the metal more durable and less likely to shatter and break. To simply not be angry is not an option we risk being inauthentic, and also being the world's door mat. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that if you don't stand up for yourself at times people will not treat you very well. You also don't want to go around blasting everyone with vitriol because you're not getting your way.
One of the things that helps me is to ask questions. Why am I angry? Now my initial response is usually well person X did this to me, but you have to dig deeper. Maybe someone did something that hurt my feelings. Why are they hurt? What issue did their actions or words bring to the surface? What in me needs to be healed? What do I need to address within me? Don't think this means that other people get a hall pass though on poor behavior, because along with those questions I'll ask myself what actions I need to take to address whatever triggered the flare up. Sometimes the answer is do nothing, ignore it, or let it go. Other times the answer is confront and tell person X that what they're doing is unacceptable, and that if it continues other actions will follow.
So does any of this apply to you? Do you hold your anger in until you erupt and drown Pompeii in fiery ash and ruin? Do you regularly spit fire at friend and foe alike? Do you temper your responses? Why not look at your anger with the same lens you see any emotion with. It has a job to do showing you where change is needed in your life. If you loved what it did for you without being attached to the feeling would that change your outlook on anger? What if you used the fire of anger to cauterize your inner wounds rather than inflicting more wounds? Most importantly give yourself a little slack we all lose our tempers at some point, no reason to lose your cool over losing your cool.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Another week another post. Ah, but what a week it has been full of emotional highs and lows. Speaking of emotions….
I have a temper. Don't laugh its true. Many people are shocked to find out this fact. The Mooneagle does get angry. Not that this happens a lot (barring traffic jams), but it does happen. I'm one of those people that I describe as having a long fuse. Imagine a long trail of gunpowder, you can light it and it may take a while but eventually there's going to be a very big bang. Sometimes the longer the fuse the bigger the bang.
Anger is an emotion that often gets demonized. It can be destructive and dangerous. However it can also act like rocket fuel blasting us off into new heights. We've all had those moments when we're fed up with a situation or relationship and we go off. We either leave the situation or blow it up. I've often said I don't burn bridges, I napalm them. Usually I wait till someone is in the middle of a crossing. While very dramatic and emotionally exhausting this has liberated me from situations (and people) that might have drawn me back into an even more exhausting cycle of suffering.
So anger is useful. It can be at any rate. The problem I often have is that I go directly from peace time picnics to all out war. This is just a tad bit less useful. Anger inspires quick action, but rarely clear thinking. Remember those bridges? While I might have been dancing round the flames in celebration there are so many times where I remembered something important that I left on the other side of that now burning chasm. I've squandered opportunities and had to start from scratch because I was just to eager to strike that match and stoke the fire.
The espresso shot of adrenalin that anger brings can be very habit forming, in fact recent studies suggest that catharsis therapy where you take your aggression out on a pillow or doll can actually make you more prone to outbursts of anger. What happens is that you are creating and reinforcing those aggressive patterns in your neural pathways. The more you do something the deeper the pattern is wired into you. Of course bottling up your anger isn't such a hot idea either, or rather it is too hot. (Remember that bridge before it was charcoal?)
So what to do? If we fire up the flame throwers we just make ourselves more prone to anger, but if we suppress it we risk a meltdown. This seems to be one of those smelly creeks that have boats with only a single paddle. In metal working there is a process called tempering where a piece of metal is cooled quickly, and then carefully reheated below a critical point. This makes the metal more durable and less likely to shatter and break. To simply not be angry is not an option we risk being inauthentic, and also being the world's door mat. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that if you don't stand up for yourself at times people will not treat you very well. You also don't want to go around blasting everyone with vitriol because you're not getting your way.
One of the things that helps me is to ask questions. Why am I angry? Now my initial response is usually well person X did this to me, but you have to dig deeper. Maybe someone did something that hurt my feelings. Why are they hurt? What issue did their actions or words bring to the surface? What in me needs to be healed? What do I need to address within me? Don't think this means that other people get a hall pass though on poor behavior, because along with those questions I'll ask myself what actions I need to take to address whatever triggered the flare up. Sometimes the answer is do nothing, ignore it, or let it go. Other times the answer is confront and tell person X that what they're doing is unacceptable, and that if it continues other actions will follow.
So does any of this apply to you? Do you hold your anger in until you erupt and drown Pompeii in fiery ash and ruin? Do you regularly spit fire at friend and foe alike? Do you temper your responses? Why not look at your anger with the same lens you see any emotion with. It has a job to do showing you where change is needed in your life. If you loved what it did for you without being attached to the feeling would that change your outlook on anger? What if you used the fire of anger to cauterize your inner wounds rather than inflicting more wounds? Most importantly give yourself a little slack we all lose our tempers at some point, no reason to lose your cool over losing your cool.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Handling the Hierarchy
Greetings all,
This week was a blend of wonderful and maddening in a way I really can't quite put into words. In fact some of this week will pop up in future blog topics. Sometimes when events are intense I don't always write about them immediately, I allow them to marinate for a bit. After I have some perspective on the flavor then I can pull them apart and analyze them. Perspective really is what this blog is all about.
So I will focus on something I have encountered in multiple engagements in the past, hierarchy. The power structure and all its incarnations suffuses our lives. It can be so confining particularly if you are a bit of an oddball like myself. There simply isn't a slot shaped for me to fit into. This not fitting in however is what led me to seek something beyond myself, to seek magic and the path of spirit. In this space of infinite possibility and wonder I thought I had escaped the hierarchical power struggle that rages on in our world. Well you know naivety is as good a teacher as any, if not necessarily a gentle one.
Having been mostly self taught for the first half of my magical meanderings I managed to steer clear of most of the politics (yes there are magical politics and if you think normal politics is ugly you have no idea). I have been involved in two different magical groups in the past both of which ended in quite a sour state. I have had several teachers of various metaphysical subjects, as well as those who thought I needed them as a teacher. I am very picky about teachers and I have fired several. The firing has always amounted to someone wanting to control me and decide for me what my energy could be allowed to do. I don't want to harp on teachers, good teachers are invaluable they set you free to fully embody the amazing spirit that you are. They sit with you not above you.
In the metaphysical world so many people are scrambling for some sort of title. I myself have collected a few which to me sound utterly ridiculous when I start listing them. My goal has been for the past several years to be my own Authority. I don't want to ask permission to follow what my spirit and guides tell me. The teachers I have always urge me as well as others to look to their own guidance. We sit in a circle, every point in the circle is necessary for it to exist. The symbolism of the circle is everything a hierarchy isn't. All are one, all are respected and equally important. If you think someone in the circle is not as valid then you can be sure it is your ego at work and not your spirit. Ego loves hierarchy especially when it can sit on top.
So how does this apply to you? Well are you getting lost in the chinks of the hierarchical machine? Are you sizing up everyone and ranking them? Are you giving your own authority away to someone with a title? Are you playing king of the mountain with your life? What if you assessed integrity rather than authority? Now I don't want you to think there isn't room for experts in life, because there is, but how many of the people ruling your life are actual experts? Try it out see people arranged in a circle instead of a pyramid. How does that change your responses?
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
This week was a blend of wonderful and maddening in a way I really can't quite put into words. In fact some of this week will pop up in future blog topics. Sometimes when events are intense I don't always write about them immediately, I allow them to marinate for a bit. After I have some perspective on the flavor then I can pull them apart and analyze them. Perspective really is what this blog is all about.
So I will focus on something I have encountered in multiple engagements in the past, hierarchy. The power structure and all its incarnations suffuses our lives. It can be so confining particularly if you are a bit of an oddball like myself. There simply isn't a slot shaped for me to fit into. This not fitting in however is what led me to seek something beyond myself, to seek magic and the path of spirit. In this space of infinite possibility and wonder I thought I had escaped the hierarchical power struggle that rages on in our world. Well you know naivety is as good a teacher as any, if not necessarily a gentle one.
Having been mostly self taught for the first half of my magical meanderings I managed to steer clear of most of the politics (yes there are magical politics and if you think normal politics is ugly you have no idea). I have been involved in two different magical groups in the past both of which ended in quite a sour state. I have had several teachers of various metaphysical subjects, as well as those who thought I needed them as a teacher. I am very picky about teachers and I have fired several. The firing has always amounted to someone wanting to control me and decide for me what my energy could be allowed to do. I don't want to harp on teachers, good teachers are invaluable they set you free to fully embody the amazing spirit that you are. They sit with you not above you.
In the metaphysical world so many people are scrambling for some sort of title. I myself have collected a few which to me sound utterly ridiculous when I start listing them. My goal has been for the past several years to be my own Authority. I don't want to ask permission to follow what my spirit and guides tell me. The teachers I have always urge me as well as others to look to their own guidance. We sit in a circle, every point in the circle is necessary for it to exist. The symbolism of the circle is everything a hierarchy isn't. All are one, all are respected and equally important. If you think someone in the circle is not as valid then you can be sure it is your ego at work and not your spirit. Ego loves hierarchy especially when it can sit on top.
So how does this apply to you? Well are you getting lost in the chinks of the hierarchical machine? Are you sizing up everyone and ranking them? Are you giving your own authority away to someone with a title? Are you playing king of the mountain with your life? What if you assessed integrity rather than authority? Now I don't want you to think there isn't room for experts in life, because there is, but how many of the people ruling your life are actual experts? Try it out see people arranged in a circle instead of a pyramid. How does that change your responses?
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, October 11, 2014
The Balance
Greetings all,
Every week I am always surprised that I come up with a topic to write about. The commitment of writing always has me looking for ways to expand my thoughts. Expansion seems to be on the menu lately as well.
In the past week I have made arrangements to start teaching at a new facility, I have had one speaking event while planning at least two others, I became a local chapter leader for the Monroe Institute, I've started making magical oil blends, and my healing practice is also picking up. So many things that have been just under the surface are poking their heads up out from the deeps. It feels overwhelming to see so many opportunities blossom at once. It is so strange to see it all shifting even though that is at the heart of what I do.
Even with the mystical nature of my work it can be very easy to get bogged down in the business of it: scheduling, lesson plans, writing up talks, and website maintenance. I'm having to remember to leave unstructured time to be and to get out of the house. (Time on social media does not count as unstructured). When you work for yourself there is always so much to do, and making sure you get out and just have fun is imperative. What I do requires a light heart and the right attitude so keeping a balance between getting things done and taking in life can be a challenge.
Fall is a special time of color and sensing the deep currents of the earth. The power of the dark is growing, and that has its own allure. There is mystery to be found in the dark. The stars are clearer in the crisp night air. The light has changed its color, becoming thin like sheer curtains in the window. Fall is also the time that I often start to feel melancholy. With the fading light of summer I feel the loss of the green, unless I go out and fill myself with the colors of fall and the shapes of the revealed limbs of trees I can sink into a personal kind of darkness. I used to hate fall for this reason. As beautiful as it can be I resented the coming frosts and chilling winds that would bring winter. That changed years ago after recovering from a near fatal illness. I had been sick for most of the summer, I really started my true recovery in October. I was grateful for everything and I let myself experience the season in that vibration. I still mourn the passing of the summer each year, but it is balanced by all the loves I discovered in fall. I had my life given back to me in the autumn and I have never forgotten that.
So why does this matter to you? Well are you too wrapped up in the workings of the season and forgetting to go out and enjoy the beauty of it? Are you denying your sadness of the loss of the light so much that you are failing to connect to the deeper currents running in your life? Perhaps you are denying the fall its splendor as you schedule yourself every which way till January. I am happy to have things to fill the calendar, but does it need to be filled? What if you went for a walk in a wood to see the spectrum of the changing leaves? What if you sang the trees a lullaby? Try it out, balance the worlds you live in between the tasks of the day and the experience of fall's transformation.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Every week I am always surprised that I come up with a topic to write about. The commitment of writing always has me looking for ways to expand my thoughts. Expansion seems to be on the menu lately as well.
In the past week I have made arrangements to start teaching at a new facility, I have had one speaking event while planning at least two others, I became a local chapter leader for the Monroe Institute, I've started making magical oil blends, and my healing practice is also picking up. So many things that have been just under the surface are poking their heads up out from the deeps. It feels overwhelming to see so many opportunities blossom at once. It is so strange to see it all shifting even though that is at the heart of what I do.
Even with the mystical nature of my work it can be very easy to get bogged down in the business of it: scheduling, lesson plans, writing up talks, and website maintenance. I'm having to remember to leave unstructured time to be and to get out of the house. (Time on social media does not count as unstructured). When you work for yourself there is always so much to do, and making sure you get out and just have fun is imperative. What I do requires a light heart and the right attitude so keeping a balance between getting things done and taking in life can be a challenge.
Fall is a special time of color and sensing the deep currents of the earth. The power of the dark is growing, and that has its own allure. There is mystery to be found in the dark. The stars are clearer in the crisp night air. The light has changed its color, becoming thin like sheer curtains in the window. Fall is also the time that I often start to feel melancholy. With the fading light of summer I feel the loss of the green, unless I go out and fill myself with the colors of fall and the shapes of the revealed limbs of trees I can sink into a personal kind of darkness. I used to hate fall for this reason. As beautiful as it can be I resented the coming frosts and chilling winds that would bring winter. That changed years ago after recovering from a near fatal illness. I had been sick for most of the summer, I really started my true recovery in October. I was grateful for everything and I let myself experience the season in that vibration. I still mourn the passing of the summer each year, but it is balanced by all the loves I discovered in fall. I had my life given back to me in the autumn and I have never forgotten that.
So why does this matter to you? Well are you too wrapped up in the workings of the season and forgetting to go out and enjoy the beauty of it? Are you denying your sadness of the loss of the light so much that you are failing to connect to the deeper currents running in your life? Perhaps you are denying the fall its splendor as you schedule yourself every which way till January. I am happy to have things to fill the calendar, but does it need to be filled? What if you went for a walk in a wood to see the spectrum of the changing leaves? What if you sang the trees a lullaby? Try it out, balance the worlds you live in between the tasks of the day and the experience of fall's transformation.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Crucible
Greetings everyone,
This week has been something. What exactly it is I'm not sure yet. There was certainly quite a lot of stress and challenges. The crazy makers were in rare form as well. However it ultimately may be a blessing. I keep coming back to a deeper understanding of how much I depend on others. This is not a judgment just an awareness. It is this interweaving of connections, needs, and exchanges, that fuel our world at large and in our private lives with friends and family.
It's been a week since I offered my Transmuting Shame download. I had been told by spirit that this one would have an enormous impact. Life would change in a way it hadn't before. I immediately felt my heart open wider than it had been in many years. The challenge has been to keep it open. My body in an attempt to follow suit with the energetic template also shifted. I had an aching in my chest, arms and shoulders as my anatomy shifted around. Muscles that have long held tension around my physical heart began to let go sparking protest to all the connecting tissues.
This is happening at the same time as major changes in my work life are taking place, and corresponding to family events. This is not what you would think of as the ideal time. I found myself getting short with others, feeling angry and pessimistic. I wanted space to process, and I got the opposite. After the dust from my upset had settled though I came to realize how much I had to be grateful for. (No doubt helped by a day out at my favorite art fair and a little retail therapy). In the space of a day I opened to the beauty around me. I felt like I was filling my soul with it. My life was the crucible the place of purifying fire where the substance of value is distilled from the raw grit. All the stresses or rather my thoughts about them were the materials poured into the crucible that is my being. In the Crowley Thoth tarot deck the 14th card of the major arcana is called Art. In other decks it is referred to as Temperance, but in this deck it refers to the art of alchemy. The transmutation and ultimate transformation of the base materials of life into the gold of the soul. Often times when this card appears it can mean that all the materials we need for the solution are already present, it is up to us to use them in an inventive way, hence the art of alchemy.
So how does this apply to you? What are you taking for granted? Can the challenges you are facing open you to a deeper space of gratitude and love? Were you hoping for a time of peace to get yourself together only to find a whirlwind of chaos? What if the whirlwind is the mix you need to find the gold hidden within you? What if all the difficulties are the materials and your life is the crucible to forge you into something more than the sum of your parts? Now I'm not suggesting you don't get upset and feel bad about the things that trouble you, but once you have felt them perhaps seeing them as ingredients might help to free you from fate. We say we want to transmute, transcend, ascend, or embody, but that is a process not a hall pass from deep work. Take inventory of your life, list the ingredients, and then make something magical with them.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
This week has been something. What exactly it is I'm not sure yet. There was certainly quite a lot of stress and challenges. The crazy makers were in rare form as well. However it ultimately may be a blessing. I keep coming back to a deeper understanding of how much I depend on others. This is not a judgment just an awareness. It is this interweaving of connections, needs, and exchanges, that fuel our world at large and in our private lives with friends and family.
It's been a week since I offered my Transmuting Shame download. I had been told by spirit that this one would have an enormous impact. Life would change in a way it hadn't before. I immediately felt my heart open wider than it had been in many years. The challenge has been to keep it open. My body in an attempt to follow suit with the energetic template also shifted. I had an aching in my chest, arms and shoulders as my anatomy shifted around. Muscles that have long held tension around my physical heart began to let go sparking protest to all the connecting tissues.
This is happening at the same time as major changes in my work life are taking place, and corresponding to family events. This is not what you would think of as the ideal time. I found myself getting short with others, feeling angry and pessimistic. I wanted space to process, and I got the opposite. After the dust from my upset had settled though I came to realize how much I had to be grateful for. (No doubt helped by a day out at my favorite art fair and a little retail therapy). In the space of a day I opened to the beauty around me. I felt like I was filling my soul with it. My life was the crucible the place of purifying fire where the substance of value is distilled from the raw grit. All the stresses or rather my thoughts about them were the materials poured into the crucible that is my being. In the Crowley Thoth tarot deck the 14th card of the major arcana is called Art. In other decks it is referred to as Temperance, but in this deck it refers to the art of alchemy. The transmutation and ultimate transformation of the base materials of life into the gold of the soul. Often times when this card appears it can mean that all the materials we need for the solution are already present, it is up to us to use them in an inventive way, hence the art of alchemy.
So how does this apply to you? What are you taking for granted? Can the challenges you are facing open you to a deeper space of gratitude and love? Were you hoping for a time of peace to get yourself together only to find a whirlwind of chaos? What if the whirlwind is the mix you need to find the gold hidden within you? What if all the difficulties are the materials and your life is the crucible to forge you into something more than the sum of your parts? Now I'm not suggesting you don't get upset and feel bad about the things that trouble you, but once you have felt them perhaps seeing them as ingredients might help to free you from fate. We say we want to transmute, transcend, ascend, or embody, but that is a process not a hall pass from deep work. Take inventory of your life, list the ingredients, and then make something magical with them.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time in a faraway land….
It's a familiar beginning isn't it? There is something very powerful about those words. We hear them first as children and then later read them to the next generation. Still there is something that grabs at our imagination when we hear them. We know something magical is about to follow. As children we really do believe a magical adventure is just around the corner, at the edge of the backyard, or down at the bottom of the deep end of the swimming pool.
As we grow up (a bad idea if you ask me), we are told that life is not a fairy tale. Reality is drummed into our heads. We are programmed for what is not possible, so stop wishing and trying for it. All of this is done with the best of intentions, well okay perhaps some of it is well intentioned. Mostly it is because we are navigating a world of the broken dreams and shattered hearts that have come before us. We are told to not get our hopes up, and so after a time we learn not to hope, not to dream, and to simply accept the world as it is. Some people embittered even go out of their way to prove to others how cruel the world can be for their own good, or so they say.
Well my friends on my sojourn this summer I received several important messages from spirit. One of them was that life is a faery tale (note the spelling difference…spelling counts especially in magic). Now at first I thought maybe this was wishful thinking, but as I was making the last leg of my round a bout way home I found myself behind a van while I was pondering the spirit messages. When I looked at the license plate it had one of those vanity plates. It was Cinderella. Spelled to fit the plate but very obviously that ashy little princess. Spirits do tend to have a sense of humor at least the ones that work around me do, I might have rubbed off on them over the years. So in my mind the message that life is a faery tale was real. So how to reconcile that with the world?
The thing most people remember is the happily ever after part of the story. In narratives particularly simple ones we skim along to the pertinent events. What we miss is that many of our protagonists go through many trials and suffer for long periods of time (try reading some old versions of Rapunzel if you don't believe me). It was not a brief struggle and then onto true love with a side of royalty. Most of us are not valiant knights, or secret princesses, but we are beings of great power capable of changing our world if we believe we can. This is why the faery tale is important. It speaks to our heart and how we wish the world could be. (No I don't mean pushing carnivorous old women into ovens).
The world is what we make it, and the changes that happen are the ones we believe that we can make. This is the faery tale, the magic of our hearts dreaming combined with our actions and perseverance. A faery tale is not meant as an escape from the details of life, but rather a compass to navigate them. The washing up will have to be done whether or not you make it all the way down the yellow brick road. There will be challenges, but the biggest one is you. You have to stop believing that a better more meaningful world is impossible or not realistic. You just can't afford that belief if you want to live in a world of wonder.
So how about you? What's your story? What would your happily ever after look like? What sort of world would you need to create to have that ending? Think on it for a while. If you don't know where to start it's easy. It always starts the same…once upon a time.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
It's a familiar beginning isn't it? There is something very powerful about those words. We hear them first as children and then later read them to the next generation. Still there is something that grabs at our imagination when we hear them. We know something magical is about to follow. As children we really do believe a magical adventure is just around the corner, at the edge of the backyard, or down at the bottom of the deep end of the swimming pool.
As we grow up (a bad idea if you ask me), we are told that life is not a fairy tale. Reality is drummed into our heads. We are programmed for what is not possible, so stop wishing and trying for it. All of this is done with the best of intentions, well okay perhaps some of it is well intentioned. Mostly it is because we are navigating a world of the broken dreams and shattered hearts that have come before us. We are told to not get our hopes up, and so after a time we learn not to hope, not to dream, and to simply accept the world as it is. Some people embittered even go out of their way to prove to others how cruel the world can be for their own good, or so they say.
Well my friends on my sojourn this summer I received several important messages from spirit. One of them was that life is a faery tale (note the spelling difference…spelling counts especially in magic). Now at first I thought maybe this was wishful thinking, but as I was making the last leg of my round a bout way home I found myself behind a van while I was pondering the spirit messages. When I looked at the license plate it had one of those vanity plates. It was Cinderella. Spelled to fit the plate but very obviously that ashy little princess. Spirits do tend to have a sense of humor at least the ones that work around me do, I might have rubbed off on them over the years. So in my mind the message that life is a faery tale was real. So how to reconcile that with the world?
The thing most people remember is the happily ever after part of the story. In narratives particularly simple ones we skim along to the pertinent events. What we miss is that many of our protagonists go through many trials and suffer for long periods of time (try reading some old versions of Rapunzel if you don't believe me). It was not a brief struggle and then onto true love with a side of royalty. Most of us are not valiant knights, or secret princesses, but we are beings of great power capable of changing our world if we believe we can. This is why the faery tale is important. It speaks to our heart and how we wish the world could be. (No I don't mean pushing carnivorous old women into ovens).
The world is what we make it, and the changes that happen are the ones we believe that we can make. This is the faery tale, the magic of our hearts dreaming combined with our actions and perseverance. A faery tale is not meant as an escape from the details of life, but rather a compass to navigate them. The washing up will have to be done whether or not you make it all the way down the yellow brick road. There will be challenges, but the biggest one is you. You have to stop believing that a better more meaningful world is impossible or not realistic. You just can't afford that belief if you want to live in a world of wonder.
So how about you? What's your story? What would your happily ever after look like? What sort of world would you need to create to have that ending? Think on it for a while. If you don't know where to start it's easy. It always starts the same…once upon a time.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Voices in the Fire
Greetings all,
What a week. The ups and downs continue here. My foray into deeper mysteries continues along side my day to day concerns. Such is the way of it, you wouldn't want to be pulled too far one way or the other.
I find it is a constant balancing act between staying grounded and also opening to the wonders of life. If you get too bogged down in the mundane life loses its shine, if you wander in the lands of myth too much you lose all connection to consensual reality. For most people it is the loss of mystery that becomes the more dominant end of the pendulum. This is typical for western society. We bleed the mystery out of our children before they get too old. Some people take far too much joy in the process. The business of living is important, but so is having a reason for going about the business of life.
So ladies and gentleman the reason for ceremony comes into being. Well one of the reasons is to create a touchstone to mystery. We are all much more than we seem to ourselves and the world we inhabit (for that matter so is the world). Occasionally we need a reminder of that connection to the mysteries beyond our conscious knowledge. Ceremony can act as a gateway to that unknown and often untapped potential within us. Believe me with the culture we have we need a reminder. (Some people need a siren and five alarm fire).
The truth is we do the miraculous everyday. We create the world in a particular way just by showing up. In quantum physics they'd say we collapse the wave form into the particle form of matter and energy. What we see is a product of what's out there but also what's inside of ourselves. So if you want to change something the best way to do that is to change yourself, and change how you look at it. It really is that simple, but not always easy. Changing our minds is dicey, we like things to remain fairly predictable. We need some way to access that other vision and ceremony provides that bridge. The ceremony is not the change, we are. It helps us access it though and for that it is useful.
This week I had the opportunity to participate in a large ceremony with one of my teachers and shamanic groups in my area. There was a despacho ceremony (there's always despacho). This ceremony was different in that it was linked to a larger one that was a global event. The Global Vigil Fire happens twice a year, once in the fall and the spring. Shamanic practitioners light bonfires all over the world and pray for the world, weaving webs of power between the fires like ley lines. Through these fires they connect with one another, and help support each other.
Our group was much larger than I expected it to be. Most of us had been to gatherings before. We were greeted with a brand new fire pit. I called in the energy of the south for the fire. I had brought my dijeridu for this, I'm not very good at playing it but people seem to like it. The fire was lit and it burned furiously bright. The wind came creating a vortex of flame sending the sparks high up in the air. To me it seemed like it was our prayers rising up into spirit. This fire had green in it at the base and several times during the burn I saw strange colors in the flames. As we began to drum the fire danced with us. It was several minutes in before I began to hear voices singing, not around the fire but coming from within the fire itself. I couldn't tell you what they were saying, but my drum changed to match their tempo. At one point my speed doubled suddenly, not by my choice but by the insistence of the fire. I began to dance and move about listening to the singers in the fire. Oddly enough whenever I stopped the rest of us around the fire stopped. I felt like I was holding the rhythm for people. (Sorry to all you tired ones I made drum faster). After I finally lifted my voice to whoop and sing back to the fire our group started joining in too. Later that night as we watched the last bit of fire burn and talked strange colors would appear in the fires and a light came out of it that was not of the flame but very bright like a strobe light.
I had been exhausted all week. I actually had debated whether or not I should go. I had hurt myself in my studio the prior week. Still I had made the choice to go. I am very glad I did. Some of my major aches and pain went away that night. While I was tired I no longer felt so worn out that I would drop. This after nearly an hour of dancing and very intense drumming. The voices from the fire worked a bit of magic on me. I hope my gifts did the same to others around similar fires around the world.
So other than the field report why tell you this? Well has your heart been longing for mystery of late? Have you gathered with others to support each other's quest for beauty and wonder? Do you ever connect to the great web of life to draw strength or give aid? Have you let your cares loose in ceremony? There is magic in coming together, in connecting with something greater. Why not gather a few like hearts and minds together for an evening around a fire. Tell the fire your dreams, your hopes, and what you love. Give support to those around you as they spill their wishes into the light of the flames. Be mindful of all the others in the world sitting by the fire speaking their words into it, and give them your love as well.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
What a week. The ups and downs continue here. My foray into deeper mysteries continues along side my day to day concerns. Such is the way of it, you wouldn't want to be pulled too far one way or the other.
I find it is a constant balancing act between staying grounded and also opening to the wonders of life. If you get too bogged down in the mundane life loses its shine, if you wander in the lands of myth too much you lose all connection to consensual reality. For most people it is the loss of mystery that becomes the more dominant end of the pendulum. This is typical for western society. We bleed the mystery out of our children before they get too old. Some people take far too much joy in the process. The business of living is important, but so is having a reason for going about the business of life.
So ladies and gentleman the reason for ceremony comes into being. Well one of the reasons is to create a touchstone to mystery. We are all much more than we seem to ourselves and the world we inhabit (for that matter so is the world). Occasionally we need a reminder of that connection to the mysteries beyond our conscious knowledge. Ceremony can act as a gateway to that unknown and often untapped potential within us. Believe me with the culture we have we need a reminder. (Some people need a siren and five alarm fire).
The truth is we do the miraculous everyday. We create the world in a particular way just by showing up. In quantum physics they'd say we collapse the wave form into the particle form of matter and energy. What we see is a product of what's out there but also what's inside of ourselves. So if you want to change something the best way to do that is to change yourself, and change how you look at it. It really is that simple, but not always easy. Changing our minds is dicey, we like things to remain fairly predictable. We need some way to access that other vision and ceremony provides that bridge. The ceremony is not the change, we are. It helps us access it though and for that it is useful.
This week I had the opportunity to participate in a large ceremony with one of my teachers and shamanic groups in my area. There was a despacho ceremony (there's always despacho). This ceremony was different in that it was linked to a larger one that was a global event. The Global Vigil Fire happens twice a year, once in the fall and the spring. Shamanic practitioners light bonfires all over the world and pray for the world, weaving webs of power between the fires like ley lines. Through these fires they connect with one another, and help support each other.
Our group was much larger than I expected it to be. Most of us had been to gatherings before. We were greeted with a brand new fire pit. I called in the energy of the south for the fire. I had brought my dijeridu for this, I'm not very good at playing it but people seem to like it. The fire was lit and it burned furiously bright. The wind came creating a vortex of flame sending the sparks high up in the air. To me it seemed like it was our prayers rising up into spirit. This fire had green in it at the base and several times during the burn I saw strange colors in the flames. As we began to drum the fire danced with us. It was several minutes in before I began to hear voices singing, not around the fire but coming from within the fire itself. I couldn't tell you what they were saying, but my drum changed to match their tempo. At one point my speed doubled suddenly, not by my choice but by the insistence of the fire. I began to dance and move about listening to the singers in the fire. Oddly enough whenever I stopped the rest of us around the fire stopped. I felt like I was holding the rhythm for people. (Sorry to all you tired ones I made drum faster). After I finally lifted my voice to whoop and sing back to the fire our group started joining in too. Later that night as we watched the last bit of fire burn and talked strange colors would appear in the fires and a light came out of it that was not of the flame but very bright like a strobe light.
I had been exhausted all week. I actually had debated whether or not I should go. I had hurt myself in my studio the prior week. Still I had made the choice to go. I am very glad I did. Some of my major aches and pain went away that night. While I was tired I no longer felt so worn out that I would drop. This after nearly an hour of dancing and very intense drumming. The voices from the fire worked a bit of magic on me. I hope my gifts did the same to others around similar fires around the world.
So other than the field report why tell you this? Well has your heart been longing for mystery of late? Have you gathered with others to support each other's quest for beauty and wonder? Do you ever connect to the great web of life to draw strength or give aid? Have you let your cares loose in ceremony? There is magic in coming together, in connecting with something greater. Why not gather a few like hearts and minds together for an evening around a fire. Tell the fire your dreams, your hopes, and what you love. Give support to those around you as they spill their wishes into the light of the flames. Be mindful of all the others in the world sitting by the fire speaking their words into it, and give them your love as well.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Wax and Wane
Greetings all,
I hope you had a lovely week. We had the last of the super moons for the year this week. This final full moon of the summer was a doozy. To top off that I led a public despacho ceremony and a friend of mine did some workings on my behalf. Well things definitely changed.
I've been in the middle of a work cycle in my ceramics studio the past few weeks trying out a new method of working on the potter's wheel. Unfortunately for me the boxes where I stored my clay had been compromised so I have been working with much stiffer clay than I ever have before. I have also been working larger. This has presented me with quite a challenge. The bad news, my body is sore my muscles are knotted, and the clay didn't dry right so it is all cracking. It really knocked the wind out of my sails to see all that effort yield no results. The good news is that I was able to work with the clay and shape it more effectively. The new method worked, and if I'd had clay that was at the normal consistency I believe I could have had even more progress with my skills. The muse giveth and the muse taketh away as it were.
This theme of growth and decline has been present the last three moons. At the same time as my foray into recalcitrant clay was going on, I've been investing more into my teaching role. For those of you who don't know I teach tai chi at a local wellness center. I started in May and I must say it's been one of the nicest experiences in teaching I've had thus far. The center is beautiful with bamboo floors, high ceilings, good natural light, a great sound system, and wonderfully appreciative students. My skills as a teacher have blossomed here. I feel I am a much better teacher now because of the particular challenges to instructing I've had in this space. Well just as I had given notice to let go of more of my hours at my part time job to make room for more teaching time I was informed that the center was closing. When did this happen? You guessed it on the full moon.
In some respects it's been one bitch of a moon. Many people in my social circle are experiencing hardships (all in time with the lunar cycle). It's been everything from a beloved pet dying, to a husband in the hospital, to relationships ending, and of course lost jobs. Still in my case the 2 main challenges have given me as much as they've taken (more really once time has passed). In both cases my crafts were honed. An increase in skill is an increase in opportunity as far as I'm concerned. While I've been exhausted with my schedule I now have an opening coming up. New doors, new paths, and new opportunities lie before me. I can feel that now. ( I gave myself 3 days to sulk and wallow). I had to feel my fears and disappointments. They waxed full and now they are waning. Like the moon our emotions follow a rhythm, if we can ride it we can capture opportunity when it passes close by.
So as far as my losses go, I lost some time in the studio. I've lost a certainty about a physical space to continue teaching. As far as gains go, I am better able to use my clay skills. I am a better teacher than I was at the beginning of the summer. (I actually have students willing to follow me to a new space when I find one).
What about you? What has been on the wane in your life recently? Beyond the discomfort and fear that comes with it are there any benefits? Is it making room for more growth or more opportunities? They say the moon is the mother of luck and risk, what have you risked lately? What venture have you boldly put your stake into? Did you lose your shirt, your pride, or your way? Perhaps what was lost was simply not good enough for you. What if the universe ripped it from your hands because it has something bigger just beyond the veil. Tricky thing is luck, it's like fire light and wild, and its also like water slippery and flowing. We can't hold onto luck it moves in and out. We can only recognize it, partner with it, and cultivate our lives as it waxes and wanes like the silver moon.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
I hope you had a lovely week. We had the last of the super moons for the year this week. This final full moon of the summer was a doozy. To top off that I led a public despacho ceremony and a friend of mine did some workings on my behalf. Well things definitely changed.
I've been in the middle of a work cycle in my ceramics studio the past few weeks trying out a new method of working on the potter's wheel. Unfortunately for me the boxes where I stored my clay had been compromised so I have been working with much stiffer clay than I ever have before. I have also been working larger. This has presented me with quite a challenge. The bad news, my body is sore my muscles are knotted, and the clay didn't dry right so it is all cracking. It really knocked the wind out of my sails to see all that effort yield no results. The good news is that I was able to work with the clay and shape it more effectively. The new method worked, and if I'd had clay that was at the normal consistency I believe I could have had even more progress with my skills. The muse giveth and the muse taketh away as it were.
This theme of growth and decline has been present the last three moons. At the same time as my foray into recalcitrant clay was going on, I've been investing more into my teaching role. For those of you who don't know I teach tai chi at a local wellness center. I started in May and I must say it's been one of the nicest experiences in teaching I've had thus far. The center is beautiful with bamboo floors, high ceilings, good natural light, a great sound system, and wonderfully appreciative students. My skills as a teacher have blossomed here. I feel I am a much better teacher now because of the particular challenges to instructing I've had in this space. Well just as I had given notice to let go of more of my hours at my part time job to make room for more teaching time I was informed that the center was closing. When did this happen? You guessed it on the full moon.
In some respects it's been one bitch of a moon. Many people in my social circle are experiencing hardships (all in time with the lunar cycle). It's been everything from a beloved pet dying, to a husband in the hospital, to relationships ending, and of course lost jobs. Still in my case the 2 main challenges have given me as much as they've taken (more really once time has passed). In both cases my crafts were honed. An increase in skill is an increase in opportunity as far as I'm concerned. While I've been exhausted with my schedule I now have an opening coming up. New doors, new paths, and new opportunities lie before me. I can feel that now. ( I gave myself 3 days to sulk and wallow). I had to feel my fears and disappointments. They waxed full and now they are waning. Like the moon our emotions follow a rhythm, if we can ride it we can capture opportunity when it passes close by.
So as far as my losses go, I lost some time in the studio. I've lost a certainty about a physical space to continue teaching. As far as gains go, I am better able to use my clay skills. I am a better teacher than I was at the beginning of the summer. (I actually have students willing to follow me to a new space when I find one).
What about you? What has been on the wane in your life recently? Beyond the discomfort and fear that comes with it are there any benefits? Is it making room for more growth or more opportunities? They say the moon is the mother of luck and risk, what have you risked lately? What venture have you boldly put your stake into? Did you lose your shirt, your pride, or your way? Perhaps what was lost was simply not good enough for you. What if the universe ripped it from your hands because it has something bigger just beyond the veil. Tricky thing is luck, it's like fire light and wild, and its also like water slippery and flowing. We can't hold onto luck it moves in and out. We can only recognize it, partner with it, and cultivate our lives as it waxes and wanes like the silver moon.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Juggling
Greetings all,
I hope you've had a good week. Long weekends always throw me off as I have a 7 day schedule. Basically I am scheduled every day of the week. This week took that phenomena and really took it to the limit.
One of the biggest shifts in my life from my unspent youth (in my case that is the correct word choice) is that I don't get bored. Growing up and into my twenties I was bored a good portion of the time. I had a lot more free time, but I also didn't cultivate too many interests. Now that trend is reversed I have next to no free time and tons of interests. Apart from my metaphysical pursuits I also have many artistic avenues I like to explore.
This has led to the ultimate in juggling acts. Currently I am teaching tai chi twice a week, working a job on the weekends, seeing clients, making pottery, learning about leather working, and preparing a group teleconference for the end of the month. I also have 3 speaking events coming up in the next month. I stay busy. Sometimes I think I might be too busy. However the bright side is I am not bored and my interest is always piqued with some project.
Nobody can sustain all of these avenues of interests without having to set some on the back burners for a time to allow others to take center stage. This is what I'm learning, pacing is everything. Just because I have an interest or excitement about a topic or project doesn't mean I have to charge off and add it to the mix right this second. Journals, sketchbooks and notebooks are my friends because they allow me to get an idea down before it evaporates so that I can explore it when other activities die down. My next trick will be to add in some down time and fun time. I look around at how much people accomplish and am amazed that they can do it all and not fall over. All of you with kids out there that still manage to pursue a hobby or past time I am in deep admiration.
So why am I talking about this? Well it comes to my mind that all of us need a bit more breathing space. Society has been shouting the dogma of productivity and overachievement for decades now. It's like being a rower on an old barge and the drummer has been slowly increasing the tempo until our arms can barely keep up. With our technology we are expected to be available and productive 24 hours a day. In order to combat this I have been putting my phone on air plane mode at night when I am done with people for the day. It doesn't come back on until I've done my self care the following morning. This seems to be the only way I can reign in my time for myself.
What about you? Are you always on the move? Do you ever slow down and have a space for nothing? Do you allow others to guilt you into giving up free time for more activity? Do you buy into the myth of 100% efficiency and productivity? What would happen if you allowed yourself to be less productive and rested a bit more? Could you allow yourself the time to just be without filling up your schedule? Try it out schedule some absolute free time in your week. Don't fill it just let yourself enjoy the respite. See how that feels.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
I hope you've had a good week. Long weekends always throw me off as I have a 7 day schedule. Basically I am scheduled every day of the week. This week took that phenomena and really took it to the limit.
One of the biggest shifts in my life from my unspent youth (in my case that is the correct word choice) is that I don't get bored. Growing up and into my twenties I was bored a good portion of the time. I had a lot more free time, but I also didn't cultivate too many interests. Now that trend is reversed I have next to no free time and tons of interests. Apart from my metaphysical pursuits I also have many artistic avenues I like to explore.
This has led to the ultimate in juggling acts. Currently I am teaching tai chi twice a week, working a job on the weekends, seeing clients, making pottery, learning about leather working, and preparing a group teleconference for the end of the month. I also have 3 speaking events coming up in the next month. I stay busy. Sometimes I think I might be too busy. However the bright side is I am not bored and my interest is always piqued with some project.
Nobody can sustain all of these avenues of interests without having to set some on the back burners for a time to allow others to take center stage. This is what I'm learning, pacing is everything. Just because I have an interest or excitement about a topic or project doesn't mean I have to charge off and add it to the mix right this second. Journals, sketchbooks and notebooks are my friends because they allow me to get an idea down before it evaporates so that I can explore it when other activities die down. My next trick will be to add in some down time and fun time. I look around at how much people accomplish and am amazed that they can do it all and not fall over. All of you with kids out there that still manage to pursue a hobby or past time I am in deep admiration.
So why am I talking about this? Well it comes to my mind that all of us need a bit more breathing space. Society has been shouting the dogma of productivity and overachievement for decades now. It's like being a rower on an old barge and the drummer has been slowly increasing the tempo until our arms can barely keep up. With our technology we are expected to be available and productive 24 hours a day. In order to combat this I have been putting my phone on air plane mode at night when I am done with people for the day. It doesn't come back on until I've done my self care the following morning. This seems to be the only way I can reign in my time for myself.
What about you? Are you always on the move? Do you ever slow down and have a space for nothing? Do you allow others to guilt you into giving up free time for more activity? Do you buy into the myth of 100% efficiency and productivity? What would happen if you allowed yourself to be less productive and rested a bit more? Could you allow yourself the time to just be without filling up your schedule? Try it out schedule some absolute free time in your week. Don't fill it just let yourself enjoy the respite. See how that feels.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Misery Porn
Greetings all,
I hope you've had a productive week. I've been a busy little bee as I have started back working in my ceramics studio. It has been months since I began a body of work, but I finally got my equipment repaired and so I am back in the saddle again.
I've gathered all of you here to speak about something very important, the news, or as I like to call it, misery porn. Now I don't mean to insult pornography by the comparison, but it is the closest parallel to our modern idea of news. Think about some of the surface details: flashy titles, themed musical accompaniment, and of course the money shot. The news has a slightly different version of the money shot which generally involves lots of bloodshed (although depending on your personal porn taste that might be similar as well). Our news continually asks the questions how bad is it and how bad will it get?
This is sadly not a recent development. There is an old saying, "If it bleeds it leads." What is fairly recent is the 24 hour news cycle, and the belief that we must know about every tragedy that takes place on our planet. (With detailed accounts of local crimes 4 times a day). Cable news has drowned us in a continuous rain of misery. Whether your poison is FOX, CNN, or MSNBC (there are more but let's just start with the big pushers) they all have one thing in common, they need your eyes on their channel and homepage. With the desensitization of the masses (which they are in part responsible for) they have to resort to ever more sensationalized and graphic images. They deluge us with a sea of expert talking heads all telling us the way things are going will lead to complete and total disaster.
One of the reasons that so many countries have laws about having a free press is that unfettered journalism is essential for the democratic process. Unfettered was good when there were solid deadlines for print and scheduled broadcasts, it made sure you focused attention on something that mattered. Now the deadline is every 10 seconds and there is no time for quality just quantity and ease of reporting. Those of us trying to be informed responsible adults sit and watch the play by play of terrorist attacks, school shootings and police chases. All of which we have no control over while a few channels over on CSPAN our fates are decided unobserved (well for those of us in the USA and whomever we are bombing this week). There is a quote that is often attributed to Mark Twain that I think is very enlightening, "If you don't read the newspapers you're uniformed, if you read the newspapers you're misinformed."
We feel we need to know what's going on in the world but we are persistently steered away from information that would empower us to make change. We are instead bombarded with images to make us afraid of the world and anyone who is different from us. Why is this? Well the thing about fear is that it short circuits our ability to reason and think critically. We make the worst decisions when we are afraid unless of course it is one of those instinctual situations where you are being chased by wild animals but for most of us that is an unlikely scenario. When we are afraid we are easily led and don't take the time to read the fine print. Also when we are afraid we pay attention. We're looking for cues to see if we are in immediate danger. We can't help it; it is one of those things that millions of years of evolution has hardwired into us. Fear snaps us out of wandering thoughts and focuses it on the immediate perceived threat. Now that our attention is achieved people can try and sell us something to make the fear go away. Sometimes it's a diet pill, sometimes it is a war, and sometimes it is a political candidate.
So why am I telling you this. Well I know people who stay plugged into the news cycle. They seem very troubled all the time. Occasionally I drop into the logo sphere of world news, it is always a disheartening experience. The news is problem centric, the problem with that is it is very short on solutions to big issues. This generally devolves into finger pointing and scapegoating of minorities. So ask yourself what story have you bought lately? What did TV news tell you to feel about a nation, race, religion, generation, political party, or social class? What's in it for them if you buy their version of truth? What sort of world does that leave you in? Is it a world you want to live in? What would happen if you unplugged for a while and dealt with what was in front of you? Would you allow yourself a respite against the troubles of the world? What if you didn't have to carry all of them on your back? Try it out for a week and see how it feels.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
I hope you've had a productive week. I've been a busy little bee as I have started back working in my ceramics studio. It has been months since I began a body of work, but I finally got my equipment repaired and so I am back in the saddle again.
I've gathered all of you here to speak about something very important, the news, or as I like to call it, misery porn. Now I don't mean to insult pornography by the comparison, but it is the closest parallel to our modern idea of news. Think about some of the surface details: flashy titles, themed musical accompaniment, and of course the money shot. The news has a slightly different version of the money shot which generally involves lots of bloodshed (although depending on your personal porn taste that might be similar as well). Our news continually asks the questions how bad is it and how bad will it get?
This is sadly not a recent development. There is an old saying, "If it bleeds it leads." What is fairly recent is the 24 hour news cycle, and the belief that we must know about every tragedy that takes place on our planet. (With detailed accounts of local crimes 4 times a day). Cable news has drowned us in a continuous rain of misery. Whether your poison is FOX, CNN, or MSNBC (there are more but let's just start with the big pushers) they all have one thing in common, they need your eyes on their channel and homepage. With the desensitization of the masses (which they are in part responsible for) they have to resort to ever more sensationalized and graphic images. They deluge us with a sea of expert talking heads all telling us the way things are going will lead to complete and total disaster.
One of the reasons that so many countries have laws about having a free press is that unfettered journalism is essential for the democratic process. Unfettered was good when there were solid deadlines for print and scheduled broadcasts, it made sure you focused attention on something that mattered. Now the deadline is every 10 seconds and there is no time for quality just quantity and ease of reporting. Those of us trying to be informed responsible adults sit and watch the play by play of terrorist attacks, school shootings and police chases. All of which we have no control over while a few channels over on CSPAN our fates are decided unobserved (well for those of us in the USA and whomever we are bombing this week). There is a quote that is often attributed to Mark Twain that I think is very enlightening, "If you don't read the newspapers you're uniformed, if you read the newspapers you're misinformed."
We feel we need to know what's going on in the world but we are persistently steered away from information that would empower us to make change. We are instead bombarded with images to make us afraid of the world and anyone who is different from us. Why is this? Well the thing about fear is that it short circuits our ability to reason and think critically. We make the worst decisions when we are afraid unless of course it is one of those instinctual situations where you are being chased by wild animals but for most of us that is an unlikely scenario. When we are afraid we are easily led and don't take the time to read the fine print. Also when we are afraid we pay attention. We're looking for cues to see if we are in immediate danger. We can't help it; it is one of those things that millions of years of evolution has hardwired into us. Fear snaps us out of wandering thoughts and focuses it on the immediate perceived threat. Now that our attention is achieved people can try and sell us something to make the fear go away. Sometimes it's a diet pill, sometimes it is a war, and sometimes it is a political candidate.
So why am I telling you this. Well I know people who stay plugged into the news cycle. They seem very troubled all the time. Occasionally I drop into the logo sphere of world news, it is always a disheartening experience. The news is problem centric, the problem with that is it is very short on solutions to big issues. This generally devolves into finger pointing and scapegoating of minorities. So ask yourself what story have you bought lately? What did TV news tell you to feel about a nation, race, religion, generation, political party, or social class? What's in it for them if you buy their version of truth? What sort of world does that leave you in? Is it a world you want to live in? What would happen if you unplugged for a while and dealt with what was in front of you? Would you allow yourself a respite against the troubles of the world? What if you didn't have to carry all of them on your back? Try it out for a week and see how it feels.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Pilot Light
Greetings all,
This week I've finally felt the summer heat. My garden is overflowing with tomatoes. I have new ventures lined up ready to start. I'll confess though I haven't been myself. The past few weeks I have lacked inspiration. My direction has felt like it has fallen flat. I've been an island floating alone in a stormy sea.
This does on occasion happen. I lose my bearings. I feel the weight of the past, and lack enthusiasm for the future. It's like when the pilot light goes out . You just can't get anything done. You have to relight the flame. I've been drawing on all my reserves and inspiration for months at a time, putting my creations and work out into the world. The well has finally run dry, again this happens sometimes. I get down, and then I come back up.
When I reach a downturn whether it be in my personal or professional life it is a good time for me to come back into myself, to check if I am aligned with my environments and social groups. It is a good time to break out my tools that I have learned over the years and rededicate myself to my truth. It is very easy to become distracted by the truths and illusions that our world tries to sell us. When I have bought one it usually doesn't perform as advertised. Refunds on collectively held ideas are tricky to manage. Yet it is what has to be done. My truth is that I live in a world of magic and wonder. This tends to be very unpopular. It is not the norm in our society. It is easy to become discouraged when the world around you is telling you that your truth is silly, stupid, impractical, or just plain crazy. (What's wrong with plain crazy we can't all be ecstatically crazy).
When the faery tale seems faded I have to brush off my wand and get to work. I'm lucky in that I am surrounded by a good community of wonder workers. We need others around us to remind us that we carry a spark of mad passion for life. It is easy to look out on our digital windows to the world and feel all alone. We're never alone. There is always a loving presence, we simply forget how to perceive it. We get caught in our dreams of logic and rationalism and dismiss the "coincidences" that embrace our lives. Sometimes just talking with another soul who believes in the mystery of life is enough to jar me out of complacency, sometimes a bit more is needed.
So how does this apply to you? Well does the story of your life lean more towards a statistical analysis than it does toward a novel? Are you buying truths and illusions that aren't yours and trying to squeeze yourself and your life into them? Has society convinced you that magic has no place in your story? Well snap out of it! Dig up that old dream that lights the fire in you. Get that pilot light relit. Surround yourself with the people who fan that flame of passion. Try that on for size and see what song arises in your life.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
This week I've finally felt the summer heat. My garden is overflowing with tomatoes. I have new ventures lined up ready to start. I'll confess though I haven't been myself. The past few weeks I have lacked inspiration. My direction has felt like it has fallen flat. I've been an island floating alone in a stormy sea.
This does on occasion happen. I lose my bearings. I feel the weight of the past, and lack enthusiasm for the future. It's like when the pilot light goes out . You just can't get anything done. You have to relight the flame. I've been drawing on all my reserves and inspiration for months at a time, putting my creations and work out into the world. The well has finally run dry, again this happens sometimes. I get down, and then I come back up.
When I reach a downturn whether it be in my personal or professional life it is a good time for me to come back into myself, to check if I am aligned with my environments and social groups. It is a good time to break out my tools that I have learned over the years and rededicate myself to my truth. It is very easy to become distracted by the truths and illusions that our world tries to sell us. When I have bought one it usually doesn't perform as advertised. Refunds on collectively held ideas are tricky to manage. Yet it is what has to be done. My truth is that I live in a world of magic and wonder. This tends to be very unpopular. It is not the norm in our society. It is easy to become discouraged when the world around you is telling you that your truth is silly, stupid, impractical, or just plain crazy. (What's wrong with plain crazy we can't all be ecstatically crazy).
When the faery tale seems faded I have to brush off my wand and get to work. I'm lucky in that I am surrounded by a good community of wonder workers. We need others around us to remind us that we carry a spark of mad passion for life. It is easy to look out on our digital windows to the world and feel all alone. We're never alone. There is always a loving presence, we simply forget how to perceive it. We get caught in our dreams of logic and rationalism and dismiss the "coincidences" that embrace our lives. Sometimes just talking with another soul who believes in the mystery of life is enough to jar me out of complacency, sometimes a bit more is needed.
So how does this apply to you? Well does the story of your life lean more towards a statistical analysis than it does toward a novel? Are you buying truths and illusions that aren't yours and trying to squeeze yourself and your life into them? Has society convinced you that magic has no place in your story? Well snap out of it! Dig up that old dream that lights the fire in you. Get that pilot light relit. Surround yourself with the people who fan that flame of passion. Try that on for size and see what song arises in your life.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Thursday, August 14, 2014
The Search
Greetings all,
This week I've taken some time to rest and to think. Which is a good thing to do from time to time. Normally I'm off taking on five projects at once. As I have refocused lately on how I feel about myself and how to treat myself a bit better the notion of love has arisen.
Love is a topic you cannot escape. Every show, song, or movie seems to have it as the primary element or theme. Our preoccupation with romance in our art and stories was put into perspective for me in the last few months by someone from far away. I met a woman from Africa while at work one weekend and during the course of our conversation an interesting fact came up. Where she was from all the songs and music were about rain and water, because it was scarce and valuable. She told me when some of the people there heard American music with all the love songs they had wondered if love was scarce here.
Quite a thought isn't it? Although as I thought about it most of our problems seem to involve a lack of compassion for ourselves or others. The breakdown of the family and the estrangement in our relationships isolates us. As human beings we are social creatures. Community coherence and support actually has measurable health benefits (check out Lynne McTaggart's book The Bond). When familial relationships falter, our social world has a wound. That doesn't have to mean our family of origin sometimes it is the family of choice we build with friends and partners.
This wounding is one of the reasons I have focused in the past year on ancestral healing work. If our connection is damaged we can't fully draw on the wisdom and strength of our ancestors. By healing a family line old burdens can be lessened or lost entirely. Sometimes new talents or hidden gifts will be uncovered. We also learn about love within our families, if we have a problem loving ourselves it most likely started within the family. This is not a blame game. Most people do the best they are able, but if they themselves are wounded or don't know how to love themselves it is a pretty tall order for them to demonstrate it for their spouse or children.
So as I was pondering how to find the love within myself something came into my head. I was a product of love. My body couldn't exist at all without love. It was in my very cells. Now some of you may be thinking, "Well that's great for you Mooneagle, but my parents hate each other." Here is the thing even if it was just pure lust between your biological parents odds are that somewhere back in the family line there were two people that really did love one another and conceived an ancestor of yours. It is in all probability much more than just two. Without that spark of love you wouldn't be here. Your very genetic structure is dependent on it. So if we are to find the love we have no further to look than a mirror. Every cell in our bodies is a result of multiple acts of love.
You may be wondering what this mental exercise has to do with you. Well do you find yourself in a love deficit? Do you feel devoid of it? Do you feel that there is no love within your heart, or maybe that nobody's heart has love for you? Well snap out of it! You are a body made up of love. Your spleen is love, your bones are love, and yes your genitals too. (Had to mention those fun factories at some point didn't we?) What if you stopped and just imagined all the lovers in your family's past (maybe go back further than the ones living if you're squeamish). What if you could feel all of that love from all the prior generations flowing down through you and to the generations to come? How would that shift your heart? Try that perspective on and see if it doesn't put a little song in you.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
This week I've taken some time to rest and to think. Which is a good thing to do from time to time. Normally I'm off taking on five projects at once. As I have refocused lately on how I feel about myself and how to treat myself a bit better the notion of love has arisen.
Love is a topic you cannot escape. Every show, song, or movie seems to have it as the primary element or theme. Our preoccupation with romance in our art and stories was put into perspective for me in the last few months by someone from far away. I met a woman from Africa while at work one weekend and during the course of our conversation an interesting fact came up. Where she was from all the songs and music were about rain and water, because it was scarce and valuable. She told me when some of the people there heard American music with all the love songs they had wondered if love was scarce here.
Quite a thought isn't it? Although as I thought about it most of our problems seem to involve a lack of compassion for ourselves or others. The breakdown of the family and the estrangement in our relationships isolates us. As human beings we are social creatures. Community coherence and support actually has measurable health benefits (check out Lynne McTaggart's book The Bond). When familial relationships falter, our social world has a wound. That doesn't have to mean our family of origin sometimes it is the family of choice we build with friends and partners.
This wounding is one of the reasons I have focused in the past year on ancestral healing work. If our connection is damaged we can't fully draw on the wisdom and strength of our ancestors. By healing a family line old burdens can be lessened or lost entirely. Sometimes new talents or hidden gifts will be uncovered. We also learn about love within our families, if we have a problem loving ourselves it most likely started within the family. This is not a blame game. Most people do the best they are able, but if they themselves are wounded or don't know how to love themselves it is a pretty tall order for them to demonstrate it for their spouse or children.
So as I was pondering how to find the love within myself something came into my head. I was a product of love. My body couldn't exist at all without love. It was in my very cells. Now some of you may be thinking, "Well that's great for you Mooneagle, but my parents hate each other." Here is the thing even if it was just pure lust between your biological parents odds are that somewhere back in the family line there were two people that really did love one another and conceived an ancestor of yours. It is in all probability much more than just two. Without that spark of love you wouldn't be here. Your very genetic structure is dependent on it. So if we are to find the love we have no further to look than a mirror. Every cell in our bodies is a result of multiple acts of love.
You may be wondering what this mental exercise has to do with you. Well do you find yourself in a love deficit? Do you feel devoid of it? Do you feel that there is no love within your heart, or maybe that nobody's heart has love for you? Well snap out of it! You are a body made up of love. Your spleen is love, your bones are love, and yes your genitals too. (Had to mention those fun factories at some point didn't we?) What if you stopped and just imagined all the lovers in your family's past (maybe go back further than the ones living if you're squeamish). What if you could feel all of that love from all the prior generations flowing down through you and to the generations to come? How would that shift your heart? Try that perspective on and see if it doesn't put a little song in you.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, August 9, 2014
The Heart of it or Let Go my Ego
Greetings all,
It's been a week of unfolding possibilities and wild cinematic dreams. I blame the upcoming super moon, or it could be the meditative work I am doing is slowly filtering out through my consciousness. I've been super focused on improving my manifestation ability since I have returned from my big adventure. However I am realizing that there are some underlying issues to address which will lead to a more fundamental life satisfaction.
As I accomplish more of my goals I still find peace and contentment as elusive as ever. The goal of changing my world is a laudable one, but I am becoming aware that my inner world needs the most work. I pretty much feel that the outer world will fall into place once my inner space has been prepped to be supportive. In the past I haven't been very nice to myself. I haven't given myself much credit and have been downright emotionally abusive to my self image.
It has taken years to grasp that it is me that is my own worst enemy. I am my own greatest critic, censor, and bully. It took me this long because of the manifestation principle, "As above so below, as within so without." Basically people in my life stepped into the role of the antagonist. (Some of them gave better performances than others….no encores please). Yet as nasty, cruel and contemptible as some of my supporting cast was, they don't hold a candle to the real bad nasty that has been squatting in my head.
As I have moved through various initiations I have opened to a bit more self love and respect. I know that is a fact because on a whole I have been treated better in the last year than in all previous years. I've experienced more outpouring of appreciation, respect, affection, and business than ever before. What I have noticed is how hard it is for me to take it to heart. It is almost like I am wondering when the shoe is going to drop and someone will leap out and call me a phony selfish little prick. (Hasn't happened except maybe on youtube comment threads and online trolls don't count).
So where to start correcting this? Well I am going to cease and desist all attempts of assassination of the ego. Killing my ego seems a bit violent. Anyone who wishes to continue trying to "help" me kill my ego is on notice that it will be considered an act most vile. The ego, shadow, the subconscious and the soul are all me, and all of them deserve love and respect. That doesn't mean I consider myself to be perfect, but yesterday was the deadline for all complaints. (Oops did I forget to post that)? I'd say I'm perfectly imperfect.
So how does all this apply to you my fine blog buddies? Well how nice are you to yourself? Do you repeat negative statements about your body, personality, or abilities often? How supportive are you of your hopes and dreams? Do you believe that you could even achieve them? Do you even believe you deserve to? Why not ask to see yourself as the Creator does? Let me know what visions arise.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
It's been a week of unfolding possibilities and wild cinematic dreams. I blame the upcoming super moon, or it could be the meditative work I am doing is slowly filtering out through my consciousness. I've been super focused on improving my manifestation ability since I have returned from my big adventure. However I am realizing that there are some underlying issues to address which will lead to a more fundamental life satisfaction.
As I accomplish more of my goals I still find peace and contentment as elusive as ever. The goal of changing my world is a laudable one, but I am becoming aware that my inner world needs the most work. I pretty much feel that the outer world will fall into place once my inner space has been prepped to be supportive. In the past I haven't been very nice to myself. I haven't given myself much credit and have been downright emotionally abusive to my self image.
It has taken years to grasp that it is me that is my own worst enemy. I am my own greatest critic, censor, and bully. It took me this long because of the manifestation principle, "As above so below, as within so without." Basically people in my life stepped into the role of the antagonist. (Some of them gave better performances than others….no encores please). Yet as nasty, cruel and contemptible as some of my supporting cast was, they don't hold a candle to the real bad nasty that has been squatting in my head.
As I have moved through various initiations I have opened to a bit more self love and respect. I know that is a fact because on a whole I have been treated better in the last year than in all previous years. I've experienced more outpouring of appreciation, respect, affection, and business than ever before. What I have noticed is how hard it is for me to take it to heart. It is almost like I am wondering when the shoe is going to drop and someone will leap out and call me a phony selfish little prick. (Hasn't happened except maybe on youtube comment threads and online trolls don't count).
So where to start correcting this? Well I am going to cease and desist all attempts of assassination of the ego. Killing my ego seems a bit violent. Anyone who wishes to continue trying to "help" me kill my ego is on notice that it will be considered an act most vile. The ego, shadow, the subconscious and the soul are all me, and all of them deserve love and respect. That doesn't mean I consider myself to be perfect, but yesterday was the deadline for all complaints. (Oops did I forget to post that)? I'd say I'm perfectly imperfect.
So how does all this apply to you my fine blog buddies? Well how nice are you to yourself? Do you repeat negative statements about your body, personality, or abilities often? How supportive are you of your hopes and dreams? Do you believe that you could even achieve them? Do you even believe you deserve to? Why not ask to see yourself as the Creator does? Let me know what visions arise.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, August 2, 2014
A New Attitude
Greetings all,
I hope you had a Happy Lammas. (Also known as Harvest Home or Lughnasadh). I celebrated joyfully with a last minute despacho ceremony. When I say if you have a place to burn one I'll come do ceremony I mean it. It was a good end to a good week.
This week I had an unexpected client. One of my teachers was in Peru and I got a referral. It was what I call "heavy" work. I've told people before that this is not what I want to do as the primary service of my practice. I have in the past been called in to make "house calls", but I prefer to keep this at a minimum. I've called it my rent to the Universe, mostly because I've done it for friends or as favors before. In the past month rent had been paid 3 times already so this time I actually quoted a fee. I felt like I was paid up as far as community service goes for a wee bit. In a way it was like the Universe was saying, "Hey I keep trying to send abundance your way but you refuse to cash the check."
I have a general rule that if someone is referred to me then I can help them in some way. Still on occasion I check in with my guides to make sure and to see what I need to do to prepare. One of the things I was told was that I needed a new attitude about this kind of work. I was making it harder than it had to be. Also I was told that I needed to stop complaining about it. For some reason I was acting out some poor me routine. "Oh poor me I have to call on magical powers to come in and clear out a space, and :gasp: there might be some uncomfortable feelings for a few minutes!" I was making myself into some sort of victim here and I'm not.
So why was I rehashing old patterns of the unappreciated magic worker? Primarily it was fear. I had done some of this work in the past and it had really drained me. This was before I had taken all the workshops and classes for some of my training. I used to make this kind of clearing work into a battle. Some of my older programming about how powerful the dark stuff is (thanks Hollywood and religious upbringing) made me make it harder.
The job went fairly smoothly. I'd say more than anything it was tedious rather than taxing. This may actually be the true reason I prefer not to do it more often. It is very methodical and sometimes time consuming. It requires me to bring a certain kind of focus that is much more "work oriented" than the rest of my practice. This is not to say I am not focused for other sessions, but it is different much more spontaneous.
So why am I telling you this? Well is there something that you do on occasion that you groan about? Something that you are uniquely qualified to do that brings more harmony into the world. Do you show your strength and then complain about the effort? Do you refuse to be compensated and then complain about how unappreciated you are? Well if so jump on the get a new attitude bandwagon. What if you saw this deed as a privilege to perform? What if you gracefully and gratefully accepted recompense? Try it out, lose the chains of victimhood and let me know how that feels.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
I hope you had a Happy Lammas. (Also known as Harvest Home or Lughnasadh). I celebrated joyfully with a last minute despacho ceremony. When I say if you have a place to burn one I'll come do ceremony I mean it. It was a good end to a good week.
This week I had an unexpected client. One of my teachers was in Peru and I got a referral. It was what I call "heavy" work. I've told people before that this is not what I want to do as the primary service of my practice. I have in the past been called in to make "house calls", but I prefer to keep this at a minimum. I've called it my rent to the Universe, mostly because I've done it for friends or as favors before. In the past month rent had been paid 3 times already so this time I actually quoted a fee. I felt like I was paid up as far as community service goes for a wee bit. In a way it was like the Universe was saying, "Hey I keep trying to send abundance your way but you refuse to cash the check."
I have a general rule that if someone is referred to me then I can help them in some way. Still on occasion I check in with my guides to make sure and to see what I need to do to prepare. One of the things I was told was that I needed a new attitude about this kind of work. I was making it harder than it had to be. Also I was told that I needed to stop complaining about it. For some reason I was acting out some poor me routine. "Oh poor me I have to call on magical powers to come in and clear out a space, and :gasp: there might be some uncomfortable feelings for a few minutes!" I was making myself into some sort of victim here and I'm not.
So why was I rehashing old patterns of the unappreciated magic worker? Primarily it was fear. I had done some of this work in the past and it had really drained me. This was before I had taken all the workshops and classes for some of my training. I used to make this kind of clearing work into a battle. Some of my older programming about how powerful the dark stuff is (thanks Hollywood and religious upbringing) made me make it harder.
The job went fairly smoothly. I'd say more than anything it was tedious rather than taxing. This may actually be the true reason I prefer not to do it more often. It is very methodical and sometimes time consuming. It requires me to bring a certain kind of focus that is much more "work oriented" than the rest of my practice. This is not to say I am not focused for other sessions, but it is different much more spontaneous.
So why am I telling you this? Well is there something that you do on occasion that you groan about? Something that you are uniquely qualified to do that brings more harmony into the world. Do you show your strength and then complain about the effort? Do you refuse to be compensated and then complain about how unappreciated you are? Well if so jump on the get a new attitude bandwagon. What if you saw this deed as a privilege to perform? What if you gracefully and gratefully accepted recompense? Try it out, lose the chains of victimhood and let me know how that feels.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Self Portraits
Greetings all,
A week back from my sojourn and I can hardly believe where I was. It all seems like a dream. I've been playing catch up since my last post. However I've had some time to reflect a bit on some of the lessons I learned on the road.
Sometimes it is very hard to see ourselves apart from our lives. This is one reason why travel and new experiences are so important for our growth. We constantly have familiar people reflecting back to us who they think we are. We can forget that others cannot possibly see all of us. Just like a globe in a dark room where one side is lit, we remain a mystery often even from ourselves. New people see us without the filters of familiarity so we have new reflections to ponder.
I generally prefer to travel with friends but some of my most transformative journeys have been ones undertaken alone. Years ago my first trip to Penland was the longest car trip I'd ever undertaken. I worried about it, worried that I'd drive myself crazy (literally get it, ah well I can't resist a pun). I didn't, and it was on this trip I finally felt like an artist. My first post graduate work-study trip made me realize how capable (and likable) I can be. There are some places we must go alone every now and then. We must go alone to see ourselves rather than the reflection that our loved ones (and less loved ones) mirror back to us. For highly empathic people this goes double. We have to disentangle our image from the images others hold of us.
So on this particular trip I realized something. I'm not very nice to myself. I'm horribly judgmental of my actions and my achievements (or perceived lack thereof). It was during one of the exercises that were conducted in silence where I came to this conclusion. No one was interacting or reflecting back to me so it was just myself and my emotions. It didn't feel so good. I was harshing my own mellow. I couldn't pinpoint the source of my unease at first until I thought about how I normally let people treat me. I have trained those around me poorly. As one of my mentors often says, "We teach people how to treat us." I was cow towing to their judgments of me and my life. I was on a level agreeing with them that I was "less than". The thing about judgment is that when you are judging yourself you are not in the present moment. You are living in the past. I have held past mistakes from years ago against myself. Which is crazy because those mistakes have kept me from making similar errors. (The Mooneagle prefers to make all new mistakes rather than repeat old ones).
So Judgy Mcjudge had come to a conclusion. Okay I came to a conclusion. I had to realize that the judgments of others were wrong without making them "wrong". Do you get the distinction? I needed to fully disengage from judgment without taking offense from the perspectives of others. Now I've come a long way in the category of not caring what random people think of me, but when it comes to those close to me I have a ways to go yet. The longest journey begins with a single step though and the first step should be a decision. Basically I must decide that I am a good person deserving of good in my life. I do things differently that doesn't make me wrong it makes me different.
You maybe wondering how all of this applies to you. Well how often are you letting someone else hold the paintbrush on your self portrait? Who do you let define you? Whose judgment do you implicitly accept about yourself? What judgments do you hold against yourself? What would happen if you decided you were simply good enough? Take some time this week to conjure your image out of the depths of your heart and let all the mirrors shatter.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
A week back from my sojourn and I can hardly believe where I was. It all seems like a dream. I've been playing catch up since my last post. However I've had some time to reflect a bit on some of the lessons I learned on the road.
Sometimes it is very hard to see ourselves apart from our lives. This is one reason why travel and new experiences are so important for our growth. We constantly have familiar people reflecting back to us who they think we are. We can forget that others cannot possibly see all of us. Just like a globe in a dark room where one side is lit, we remain a mystery often even from ourselves. New people see us without the filters of familiarity so we have new reflections to ponder.
I generally prefer to travel with friends but some of my most transformative journeys have been ones undertaken alone. Years ago my first trip to Penland was the longest car trip I'd ever undertaken. I worried about it, worried that I'd drive myself crazy (literally get it, ah well I can't resist a pun). I didn't, and it was on this trip I finally felt like an artist. My first post graduate work-study trip made me realize how capable (and likable) I can be. There are some places we must go alone every now and then. We must go alone to see ourselves rather than the reflection that our loved ones (and less loved ones) mirror back to us. For highly empathic people this goes double. We have to disentangle our image from the images others hold of us.
So on this particular trip I realized something. I'm not very nice to myself. I'm horribly judgmental of my actions and my achievements (or perceived lack thereof). It was during one of the exercises that were conducted in silence where I came to this conclusion. No one was interacting or reflecting back to me so it was just myself and my emotions. It didn't feel so good. I was harshing my own mellow. I couldn't pinpoint the source of my unease at first until I thought about how I normally let people treat me. I have trained those around me poorly. As one of my mentors often says, "We teach people how to treat us." I was cow towing to their judgments of me and my life. I was on a level agreeing with them that I was "less than". The thing about judgment is that when you are judging yourself you are not in the present moment. You are living in the past. I have held past mistakes from years ago against myself. Which is crazy because those mistakes have kept me from making similar errors. (The Mooneagle prefers to make all new mistakes rather than repeat old ones).
So Judgy Mcjudge had come to a conclusion. Okay I came to a conclusion. I had to realize that the judgments of others were wrong without making them "wrong". Do you get the distinction? I needed to fully disengage from judgment without taking offense from the perspectives of others. Now I've come a long way in the category of not caring what random people think of me, but when it comes to those close to me I have a ways to go yet. The longest journey begins with a single step though and the first step should be a decision. Basically I must decide that I am a good person deserving of good in my life. I do things differently that doesn't make me wrong it makes me different.
You maybe wondering how all of this applies to you. Well how often are you letting someone else hold the paintbrush on your self portrait? Who do you let define you? Whose judgment do you implicitly accept about yourself? What judgments do you hold against yourself? What would happen if you decided you were simply good enough? Take some time this week to conjure your image out of the depths of your heart and let all the mirrors shatter.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, July 19, 2014
There and Back Again
Greetings al,
At long last I have returned home. My two week sojourn saw me through the states of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Magic and Mystery tour of the Mooneagle has ended for the time being. It was to my mind only a start. For a while I had a dream of traveling and being hosted by people where I would do despacho ceremony and see clients. I do love to travel and this trip was the first step into financing that sort of existence.
All told I have done 2 full despacho ceremonies in the past week and one mini offering. I feel like it brought in blessings everywhere I went. Now back in my day to day existence I am feeling the contrast of where I used to belong and where I currently resonate. I am feeling people around me in a different way. Something in me has changed and so I am being called to step up my game. I am pushing forward to more consistently manifest the place where I belong.
While it feels like I've not been gone long, it also feels like I have been gone for over a month. This is in part because for the first half of my trip I unplugged. I had almost a whole week devoid of electronic distractions. I strived to maintain a very low level of technological intrusion for the remainder of my trip. I did my best to be present with my hosts. Now that I am home it shall be interesting to see how much of that presence and detachment from screen time I can hold onto. It shall be a practice of discipline, but one I think well worth the effort. I want my connectivity to serve me not enslave me. As I watch others tantalized by their phones, tweeting and face booking I come to realize that perhaps we have lost the distinction between our tools and ourselves.
So here I am feeling a little out of place where I am, and yet not wanting to regress into what I used to be. That was the point of my journey after all, to return as a different person. The hero's journey is not complete until he (or she) returns home with all that they have learned. Sometimes this homecoming is celebrated, other times it is not. As we return people expect us to be as we always have been. In getting out of my routine and normal environment I made time to sing songs of power into my daily life. I asked empowering questions. I played in the field of possibilities.
On my trip I was visited several times by fox. The place in the mountains where I attended a workshop had a lounge called the Fox Den. It was a sunken room that had pictures of foxes all around. Then when I stayed at a friend's house on my final night I got to see her domesticated fox run around. On my drive home a fox crossed the road in front of me. He made it safely to the other side, but a few moments before I had seen the remains of one of his kin that had not been so lucky. Fox medicine is something I am familiar with because it is one of the medicines(or powers if you like) that I carry. Fox is a trickster, a master of camouflage, a guide to Faery. This perhaps for me is a sign to move deeper into the faery tale that is my life. It may also be a sign to move carefully and quietly in the time ahead. I find it interesting that it appears at a time when I am endeavoring to spread my network. Perhaps it means I should do so quietly and steadily behind the scenes maybe not letting on what my true goals or destinations are. Well mums the word then.
So how about you? Have you gone out into the great beyond or big world and come back another person? Do you find yourself no longer in sync with those around you? Do you feel it is time to recreate your life to more accurately reflect your image? Find your center and dwell in your intentions. Set them out quietly into the world at large. Know your goals but maybe speak softly if at all of them. Let me know where you land.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
At long last I have returned home. My two week sojourn saw me through the states of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Magic and Mystery tour of the Mooneagle has ended for the time being. It was to my mind only a start. For a while I had a dream of traveling and being hosted by people where I would do despacho ceremony and see clients. I do love to travel and this trip was the first step into financing that sort of existence.
All told I have done 2 full despacho ceremonies in the past week and one mini offering. I feel like it brought in blessings everywhere I went. Now back in my day to day existence I am feeling the contrast of where I used to belong and where I currently resonate. I am feeling people around me in a different way. Something in me has changed and so I am being called to step up my game. I am pushing forward to more consistently manifest the place where I belong.
While it feels like I've not been gone long, it also feels like I have been gone for over a month. This is in part because for the first half of my trip I unplugged. I had almost a whole week devoid of electronic distractions. I strived to maintain a very low level of technological intrusion for the remainder of my trip. I did my best to be present with my hosts. Now that I am home it shall be interesting to see how much of that presence and detachment from screen time I can hold onto. It shall be a practice of discipline, but one I think well worth the effort. I want my connectivity to serve me not enslave me. As I watch others tantalized by their phones, tweeting and face booking I come to realize that perhaps we have lost the distinction between our tools and ourselves.
So here I am feeling a little out of place where I am, and yet not wanting to regress into what I used to be. That was the point of my journey after all, to return as a different person. The hero's journey is not complete until he (or she) returns home with all that they have learned. Sometimes this homecoming is celebrated, other times it is not. As we return people expect us to be as we always have been. In getting out of my routine and normal environment I made time to sing songs of power into my daily life. I asked empowering questions. I played in the field of possibilities.
On my trip I was visited several times by fox. The place in the mountains where I attended a workshop had a lounge called the Fox Den. It was a sunken room that had pictures of foxes all around. Then when I stayed at a friend's house on my final night I got to see her domesticated fox run around. On my drive home a fox crossed the road in front of me. He made it safely to the other side, but a few moments before I had seen the remains of one of his kin that had not been so lucky. Fox medicine is something I am familiar with because it is one of the medicines(or powers if you like) that I carry. Fox is a trickster, a master of camouflage, a guide to Faery. This perhaps for me is a sign to move deeper into the faery tale that is my life. It may also be a sign to move carefully and quietly in the time ahead. I find it interesting that it appears at a time when I am endeavoring to spread my network. Perhaps it means I should do so quietly and steadily behind the scenes maybe not letting on what my true goals or destinations are. Well mums the word then.
So how about you? Have you gone out into the great beyond or big world and come back another person? Do you find yourself no longer in sync with those around you? Do you feel it is time to recreate your life to more accurately reflect your image? Find your center and dwell in your intentions. Set them out quietly into the world at large. Know your goals but maybe speak softly if at all of them. Let me know where you land.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Culmination
Greetings all,
I hope you had as blessed a week as I have had. It has been full of surprising connections and so much information it will be months at the least for me to integrate it all. What amazes me is that I was able for the most part to stay present in the midst of the biggest trip of my life so far. I was among people of all walks of life, ages, family dynamics, and geographical origins. We came from vastly different paradigms and yet we all got along. Mostly because we were all there to grow and learn and support each other. If only the world would do that.
I have gone far beyond what I thought is possible and now I am once more thinking, "What else can I do, experience, learn?" I am considering going places I never have been drawn to before. So as I start to catch myself thinking back into my previous limitations I try and pause and think if I really want to believe that. It is so easy to go back into familiar patterns. They are like old jeans we have worn a long time. Now it seems there are some holes in the jeans though, maybe it is time to replace them with something that fits the current me better.
This week I have reached a tipping point. A good one I think. I received many messages and confirmations. I had a vision from years ago come to life before my eyes. I reached a place of no space and no time, I walked into the void and came out wearing something different in my skin. I feel like my training has just about reached a culmination. Not to say that I won't be learning anything more or won't take more classes and learn more skills, but rather a synthesis has begun of all the different paths I have walked. I have created out of unlikely prospects something wonderful. I intend to so again.
Where have I been? The mountains is all I will say for now. I have been everywhere and nowhere. I have merged dream, journey, and vision into the physical world. I have become that which is in me to be come and shall continue to become even more of what and who I am. I am not trying to be obscure just to be mysterious. I have just not yet fully processed my experience. How can I write about what moves inside me out of conscious awareness? I have faith that what lies beneath shall propel me forward into more joy and awareness. I also have a commitment to write every week so these are my rambling half grasping of the trip so far.
So what about you? Have you come to a point where your past lessons have culminated into something more than the sum of their parts? Have you struggled to encapsulate the mysteries you have experienced. What would happen if you tried only to integrate them rather than explain them? Can you remain in wonder about where you are now and what comes next? Try to see yourself as an epic hero having completed the prologue of your journey. See what arises in you.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
I hope you had as blessed a week as I have had. It has been full of surprising connections and so much information it will be months at the least for me to integrate it all. What amazes me is that I was able for the most part to stay present in the midst of the biggest trip of my life so far. I was among people of all walks of life, ages, family dynamics, and geographical origins. We came from vastly different paradigms and yet we all got along. Mostly because we were all there to grow and learn and support each other. If only the world would do that.
I have gone far beyond what I thought is possible and now I am once more thinking, "What else can I do, experience, learn?" I am considering going places I never have been drawn to before. So as I start to catch myself thinking back into my previous limitations I try and pause and think if I really want to believe that. It is so easy to go back into familiar patterns. They are like old jeans we have worn a long time. Now it seems there are some holes in the jeans though, maybe it is time to replace them with something that fits the current me better.
This week I have reached a tipping point. A good one I think. I received many messages and confirmations. I had a vision from years ago come to life before my eyes. I reached a place of no space and no time, I walked into the void and came out wearing something different in my skin. I feel like my training has just about reached a culmination. Not to say that I won't be learning anything more or won't take more classes and learn more skills, but rather a synthesis has begun of all the different paths I have walked. I have created out of unlikely prospects something wonderful. I intend to so again.
Where have I been? The mountains is all I will say for now. I have been everywhere and nowhere. I have merged dream, journey, and vision into the physical world. I have become that which is in me to be come and shall continue to become even more of what and who I am. I am not trying to be obscure just to be mysterious. I have just not yet fully processed my experience. How can I write about what moves inside me out of conscious awareness? I have faith that what lies beneath shall propel me forward into more joy and awareness. I also have a commitment to write every week so these are my rambling half grasping of the trip so far.
So what about you? Have you come to a point where your past lessons have culminated into something more than the sum of their parts? Have you struggled to encapsulate the mysteries you have experienced. What would happen if you tried only to integrate them rather than explain them? Can you remain in wonder about where you are now and what comes next? Try to see yourself as an epic hero having completed the prologue of your journey. See what arises in you.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
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