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
Musings
Sunday, December 14, 2014
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
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