When I decided to walk the Druid Path a few months ago, I realized that nature has become more than something that's out there, something to admire. I started feeling like Nature has been communicating with me in different ways. For example, as I was walking down the stairs at work the other day, I found a little lizard on the bottom of the stairs. I had never seen a lizard in a place like that but he was looking at me, he had a message. I came back home and at looked at my Animal Speak book and there it was, the message was one of "detachment." sometimes you need to become more detached in life to survive. If you are too attached, you are too close, you will suffer. If instead you detach from the situation, you can look at the whole picture like the Queen and decide what is best for your realm even if it means sacrificing your own dreams, your own desires because in the long run, it is what is best for all.
Then a hummingbird was flying next to my window in the hummingbird way of flying when it seems it is suspended in the air. He wanted me to see him and his message was one of exploring the past and making sure I draw the nectars of joy. He reminded me that there is sweetness in any situation, not matter how sour it may be at the time. That joy is always there and that everything happens for a reason. Each situation is part of our learning experience, of our path, of our lifetime.
As I took the trash out the other day, a butterfly was sitting on the wall of my patio like ready to give me a message. She was sitting quietly and waiting for me to notice. I saw it on my way to the trash area, and then on my way back. I had to make sure my eyes were not tricking me and that the butterfly was really there. Animal Speak says butterflies show up in your life when you are going through changes and you need to evaluate what state of change you are at now. It also reminds you to not take things so seriously and they bring a sense of lightness and joy. Butterflies reminds us to get up and move for if we can move, we can dance.
I think my most amazing experience was last week. As I walked around my apartment complex during the night, I started feeling the tingling in my hands. I could feel the energies of the plants around. I could also feel the energy I was creating to surround me in the shape of a circle, a protective circle like the one we cast when we are about to start a ritual. My hands started moving, my right hand was forward, my left hand was back, then moving around and changing positions creating a perfect circle. I kept walking until I finally felt it. This tree was calling me. He was my tree companion. I came closer to it. I placed my hands on it and I felt the tree vibrating as if it had a heart beat. My own heart beat accelerated. I started breathing deeply. I could feel the roots of the tree and the earth below. The tree and I became one and I asked the tree to take all the pain away and transform it, wash it off, let it go. In exchange, I gave Reiki to the tree and some of my own vital energy. The connection was made. This has become my tree and I will surely visit him often.
As I connected with Nature during October, I realized how we in our own worlds also change with the seasons. The wheel of the year is always spinning and as we move through it, we can see we change with it if we are in tune with it. We can see how we let go of all those things that don't serve us anymore during the fall like the trees lose the leaves. We start creating the new during winter, putting the seeds on the ground of all those goals and things we want to accomplish. We see them flourish during the spring and mature during the summer until we take them out of the ground with the first harvest - Lammas. The wheel keeps spinning and spinning, and it is in us to see these changes and choose to live with purpose and mission.
Today is Samhain on the Northern Hemisphere, we celebrate the night of the dead, the ancestors. The time we go back to the cauldron to be reborn during the winter solstice. I invite you to live this next wheel with purpose, with passion, with heart, with soul. See Nature and see how it reflects in your own life. What things you need to let go of today so you can make space for the new? What things no longer serve you? What have you learned and you are ready to move to the next lesson? Live with purpose today and tomorrow and you'll see the difference. Your life will become magickal and you'll have the opportunity to create the life you want.
Blessings )0(
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
You have a Complementary Account for $14.99
I always have a hard time communicating with people in India over the phone. Whether it is when I call the help desk or when I am calling some customer service center for an issue I am having. Today was no different. I decided to cancel a credit monitoring service because I received a free two year service from work and it is redundant to have two. When I called this company, it took about 10 minutes to get through a representative. When I started talking to this lady, she was unable to locate my account. Then she said the account had been cancelled before but I mentioned I was being charged for it so I was wondering where the glitch was. She said she could not identify my account and was talking to a supervisor so she placed me on hold. I spent about 20 minutes waiting for this person to locate my account and she magically found it after I said I would contact the bank and request a charge back and block their company from taking any more money from my account. After she found the account, she told me that it was a complementary account and I was not being charged for it. When she said that, I was looking at my statement and seeing the charge that took place in September. You can imagine I was not very happy and I felt like she was really thinking I was silly. She kept saying that somebody was paying for the account as it was complementary and in my mind I was like "Yes lady, I am paying for it."
As I hanged up feeling like I had not accomplished anything, I called the credit card company to place a block on this company. After waiting a few minutes, I got another call center located in India and the man who was talking to me felt like he had a script. He told me I had to contact the merchant and wait another month. I told him that I had contacted them and there was no solution on their end and I needed to put a block on them. He said he could not do that and kept repeating I had to contact the merchant. By that time, I was already extremely frustrated since I had spent 40 minutes on the phone trying to solve something that should have taken 5 minutes. I finally figure out that I would file a dispute for the charge so at that point they will block the merchant.
As Ava Park said "A Queen usually does not go to war, but when she goes to war, winning is the only option." I was professional, I explained my situation, and in return I felt I did not accomplish anything so now I am disputing the charge because I will make sure this company will not take any more money from me. I could rest. I could let go. I could give up. That's not who I am. When something is wrong, we have to stand up and fight for what we believe and make sure we don't let it pass by. It could be an account for $14.99 or something bigger, what matters is the attitude and the will to stand for ourselves and make sure we set clear boundaries.
Many blessings )0(
As I hanged up feeling like I had not accomplished anything, I called the credit card company to place a block on this company. After waiting a few minutes, I got another call center located in India and the man who was talking to me felt like he had a script. He told me I had to contact the merchant and wait another month. I told him that I had contacted them and there was no solution on their end and I needed to put a block on them. He said he could not do that and kept repeating I had to contact the merchant. By that time, I was already extremely frustrated since I had spent 40 minutes on the phone trying to solve something that should have taken 5 minutes. I finally figure out that I would file a dispute for the charge so at that point they will block the merchant.
As Ava Park said "A Queen usually does not go to war, but when she goes to war, winning is the only option." I was professional, I explained my situation, and in return I felt I did not accomplish anything so now I am disputing the charge because I will make sure this company will not take any more money from me. I could rest. I could let go. I could give up. That's not who I am. When something is wrong, we have to stand up and fight for what we believe and make sure we don't let it pass by. It could be an account for $14.99 or something bigger, what matters is the attitude and the will to stand for ourselves and make sure we set clear boundaries.
Many blessings )0(
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
About Legendary Women and Vision
It's not every day that we get the opportunity to meet somebody who can change our lives, somebody who with one word can bring harmony into a chaotic world, somebody who we can admire and become fond of. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in the "Queen of Your Realm" Convocation with Rev. Ava Park. Ava is one of the most amazing women I've met in my life. Her energy, her charisma, her power are beyond any words I could use to describe her. You have to experience Ava to see what I am talking about. A Priestess, a Goddess Woman, a Queen, a vessel for transformation for this world that is in so much need for change. Ava Park is the presiding Priestess and founder of the Temple of Orange County - http://goddesstempleoforangecounty.com/About_Rev_Ava.html. As she talked and described her teachings, I couldn't help but feel that every word of her work resonated with me on a deeper level. She was describing the qualities I aspired to have, the leader I want to become. Her Queen Teachings are some of the most amazing teachings I've ever experienced as a woman and I highly recommend to participate in her workshops. Ava is also writing a book that will be published next year and I am definitely waiting for that book to be out.
During the workshop, she described the Queen as the one who holds the vision, the one who has the plan. The woman that sees the bigger picture and makes her decisions based on what is best for all involved, not just a few, but all. She also talked about the Queen being at the center and not at the top and I definitely liked this much better than the normal King mentality of being on the top and directing everyone but when we are at the center, we can see everything and feel everything so we can decide what is best.
As she talked about vision, I couldn't help but think that in the past few months I've been lost, I have lost my purpose, my vision, my fire. As I said before, I think I got lost in the woods of my own confusion and shadow self. My Shadow Maiden and Shadow Mother have come strong and played their parts showing how I can derailed fast if I don't keep my focus, if I don't stick to the plan and make sure that I manifest the world I really want to manifest and not the one that just comes because I live without intention or purpose. Intention is very important and also a clarity about where we are going and what we want to accomplish. This world is just a reflection of our dreams, if we put energy and passion in creating our dream, we will live in the world that we desire. If instead, we let things happen to us, get sucked into victimization, feeling hopeless, helpless, and lose faith in ourselves, then the world be nothing but a mere shadow.
Do you know where you are going? Do you know what your vision is? What would you like to have accomplished in 5 years, 10 years, your life? Do you want to live a legendary life knowing that you lived your purpose and you manifested your dreams creating a better world for the future generations? It is time for each of us to care of our realms, it is time to become the Queen and make sure that we are planning and visioning so our realms are what we want them to be and not what others just desire. You have the power to create, you can manifest your dreams. Start today!
Blessings )0(
During the workshop, she described the Queen as the one who holds the vision, the one who has the plan. The woman that sees the bigger picture and makes her decisions based on what is best for all involved, not just a few, but all. She also talked about the Queen being at the center and not at the top and I definitely liked this much better than the normal King mentality of being on the top and directing everyone but when we are at the center, we can see everything and feel everything so we can decide what is best.
As she talked about vision, I couldn't help but think that in the past few months I've been lost, I have lost my purpose, my vision, my fire. As I said before, I think I got lost in the woods of my own confusion and shadow self. My Shadow Maiden and Shadow Mother have come strong and played their parts showing how I can derailed fast if I don't keep my focus, if I don't stick to the plan and make sure that I manifest the world I really want to manifest and not the one that just comes because I live without intention or purpose. Intention is very important and also a clarity about where we are going and what we want to accomplish. This world is just a reflection of our dreams, if we put energy and passion in creating our dream, we will live in the world that we desire. If instead, we let things happen to us, get sucked into victimization, feeling hopeless, helpless, and lose faith in ourselves, then the world be nothing but a mere shadow.
Do you know where you are going? Do you know what your vision is? What would you like to have accomplished in 5 years, 10 years, your life? Do you want to live a legendary life knowing that you lived your purpose and you manifested your dreams creating a better world for the future generations? It is time for each of us to care of our realms, it is time to become the Queen and make sure that we are planning and visioning so our realms are what we want them to be and not what others just desire. You have the power to create, you can manifest your dreams. Start today!
Blessings )0(
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Steve Jobs - 1955-2011
Last year, my best friend sent me a link to the one speech I think it is one of the best speeches I've ever heard. Below is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
This was the first time I was introduced to Steve Jobs. If you know me, you know I live in my own private bubble and I am not very connected to the outside world since my inner world has plenty to keep me entertained. Like a Harry Potter book would say, I don't participate much in the muggle world. But this speech has the strength to burst my bubble and catch my attention. Each word Steve said resonated with me greatly and let me see him for who he was. A pioneer, a square peg into a round hole, different, unique, a person who was not afraid to follow his heart and live with passion.
On October 5, my best friend texted me telling me "Steve Jobs is dead." A sadness took over since this person was only 56 and he was gone. He had lived with passion. He had changed the world. He had left his imprint and legacy on this Earth. Can we say the same? If we were to die today, would the world remember us or would the world forget? That day, I decided to watch the Stanford Commencement Ceremony again. As I watched, I wrote down the words and phrases that really resonated with me at that time.
"Connecting the dots - Trust that all will work out. You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect the dots looking backwards so you have to trust that the dots somehow will connect in the future. You have to trust in something, your gut, your destiny... because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path and that would make all the difference."
How many times have you been in a situation when you wonder why I am living this? What's the lesson? Why life punishes me? Why does everything have to go wrong? Those are the moments you need to trust that the dots will connect and in the future, you will look back and smile because you wouldn't be the person you would be at that time if you hadn't gone through that experience.
"Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick, don't lose faith"
How many times have you wanted to give up but kept going? Thought everything was lost but inside yourself, you had faith that the lesson was there for a reason.
"If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am going to do now?"
Do you live with passion? Do you wake up in the morning and know that you will doing what your heart wants and not what your mind wants. Are you following your mission in life or just the vision somebody had for you? Today, we had an earthquake in the Bay Area, nothing mayor, but it brought back human mortality and how we are all going to die one day. Once again, the question would be if I died today, would people remember me? Would I have fulfilled the purpose I had for my life? Would I have lived my life as the unique being I am bringing my gifts and skills to help the world become a better place?
"Your time is limited, don't waste it living somebody else's life."
"Stay hungry. Stay Foolish."
Steve Jobs was a man who changed the world. Will you do the same?
Blessings )0(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
This was the first time I was introduced to Steve Jobs. If you know me, you know I live in my own private bubble and I am not very connected to the outside world since my inner world has plenty to keep me entertained. Like a Harry Potter book would say, I don't participate much in the muggle world. But this speech has the strength to burst my bubble and catch my attention. Each word Steve said resonated with me greatly and let me see him for who he was. A pioneer, a square peg into a round hole, different, unique, a person who was not afraid to follow his heart and live with passion.
On October 5, my best friend texted me telling me "Steve Jobs is dead." A sadness took over since this person was only 56 and he was gone. He had lived with passion. He had changed the world. He had left his imprint and legacy on this Earth. Can we say the same? If we were to die today, would the world remember us or would the world forget? That day, I decided to watch the Stanford Commencement Ceremony again. As I watched, I wrote down the words and phrases that really resonated with me at that time.
"Connecting the dots - Trust that all will work out. You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect the dots looking backwards so you have to trust that the dots somehow will connect in the future. You have to trust in something, your gut, your destiny... because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path and that would make all the difference."
How many times have you been in a situation when you wonder why I am living this? What's the lesson? Why life punishes me? Why does everything have to go wrong? Those are the moments you need to trust that the dots will connect and in the future, you will look back and smile because you wouldn't be the person you would be at that time if you hadn't gone through that experience.
"Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick, don't lose faith"
How many times have you wanted to give up but kept going? Thought everything was lost but inside yourself, you had faith that the lesson was there for a reason.
"If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am going to do now?"
Do you live with passion? Do you wake up in the morning and know that you will doing what your heart wants and not what your mind wants. Are you following your mission in life or just the vision somebody had for you? Today, we had an earthquake in the Bay Area, nothing mayor, but it brought back human mortality and how we are all going to die one day. Once again, the question would be if I died today, would people remember me? Would I have fulfilled the purpose I had for my life? Would I have lived my life as the unique being I am bringing my gifts and skills to help the world become a better place?
"Your time is limited, don't waste it living somebody else's life."
"Stay hungry. Stay Foolish."
Steve Jobs was a man who changed the world. Will you do the same?
Blessings )0(
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Turtle
I usually give my father a talisman before he leaves so it can protect him during the year and keep us connected. Ever since I started talking about the Goddess, ritual and magic, he has expressed interest in learning more. He created an altar in his house for Kuan Yin, he lights candles, he burns incense, he follows the moon calendar and he loves talismans.
This year, I decided to give him a crystal turtle that I had on my altar for sometime. This turtle symbolized steadiness, strength, perseverance and patience. Little did I know that slowness was part of the deal for this particular turtle. In five years my dad has been coming to visit, we never experienced delays in flights or any issues at the airport. This year was the exception that confirmed the rule.
It all started when we arrived in San Francisco International Airport and the line seemed to not move. My dad was getting anxious, everyone before him seemed to have some sort of issue and he felt stressed out but like everything in life, there is harmony. The lady that checked him in offered me a pass to go through security and be able to take him to the gate so we got to spend a wonderful hour inside the airport shopping, having coffee and enjoying each other's company for the last few minutes we would spend together till next year.
As soon as I got home, I found out my dad's trip from Miami to Montevideo was cancelled. I looked online and saw all planes to Buenos Aires were cancelled. I looked at the newspaper from Argentina and it said there was a volcanic cloud covering Buenos Aires and all flights were cancelled. I started stressing out because now my father would be stranded in the Miami airport for a day or who knows how long. Luckily, he called me that night and told me he was in a hotel and he was going to go to Dallas the following day and fly to Buenos Aires. Before hanging up, he said "this is the Turtle trip, slowly but surely."
The following day, I monitor his flights using the internet. Miami to Dallas was a breeze but when he got to Dallas, the plane started getting delayed. From leaving at 7:30, it changed to 8:30; 9:30; 10:30; until they said it was going to leave at 7 am next day. Now I was wondering if he had gone to Dallas after all and I had no communication.
Today, I spent all day stressed out wondering if he would be on his way back home or stranded in another airport. I started worrying something may have happened to him and all my demons came to life. Luckily, I called him at the time I thought he would be home if he had been on that airplane and he picked up. Once I heard his voice, everything became good again and I could breath and smile. He was home. He was safe.
He told me the stories about how the turtle had symbolized his trip since it took him over two days to get home when it usually takes only a day. Slowly but surely he made his way back home. He made friends. He talked about solidarity and how people come together when things don't go the way they planned. He gave me hope that human beings can still show care for one another and be ready to give a hand to those in need. He told me how it was an adventure but taught him he could survive anywhere. He washed his clothes by hand and dried them with the hair dryer since his bad was on its way to Montevideo. Overall, his adventure show me that we need to have faith, we need to believe that we have others watching over us, our little angels, our protectors, those spirits that will look after us when we face challenges and that when we are in need, we need to be like the turtle, slow but steady, strong and persevere because in the end, the lesson is for us to learn and we always get help.
Blessings )0(
This year, I decided to give him a crystal turtle that I had on my altar for sometime. This turtle symbolized steadiness, strength, perseverance and patience. Little did I know that slowness was part of the deal for this particular turtle. In five years my dad has been coming to visit, we never experienced delays in flights or any issues at the airport. This year was the exception that confirmed the rule.
It all started when we arrived in San Francisco International Airport and the line seemed to not move. My dad was getting anxious, everyone before him seemed to have some sort of issue and he felt stressed out but like everything in life, there is harmony. The lady that checked him in offered me a pass to go through security and be able to take him to the gate so we got to spend a wonderful hour inside the airport shopping, having coffee and enjoying each other's company for the last few minutes we would spend together till next year.
As soon as I got home, I found out my dad's trip from Miami to Montevideo was cancelled. I looked online and saw all planes to Buenos Aires were cancelled. I looked at the newspaper from Argentina and it said there was a volcanic cloud covering Buenos Aires and all flights were cancelled. I started stressing out because now my father would be stranded in the Miami airport for a day or who knows how long. Luckily, he called me that night and told me he was in a hotel and he was going to go to Dallas the following day and fly to Buenos Aires. Before hanging up, he said "this is the Turtle trip, slowly but surely."
The following day, I monitor his flights using the internet. Miami to Dallas was a breeze but when he got to Dallas, the plane started getting delayed. From leaving at 7:30, it changed to 8:30; 9:30; 10:30; until they said it was going to leave at 7 am next day. Now I was wondering if he had gone to Dallas after all and I had no communication.
Today, I spent all day stressed out wondering if he would be on his way back home or stranded in another airport. I started worrying something may have happened to him and all my demons came to life. Luckily, I called him at the time I thought he would be home if he had been on that airplane and he picked up. Once I heard his voice, everything became good again and I could breath and smile. He was home. He was safe.
He told me the stories about how the turtle had symbolized his trip since it took him over two days to get home when it usually takes only a day. Slowly but surely he made his way back home. He made friends. He talked about solidarity and how people come together when things don't go the way they planned. He gave me hope that human beings can still show care for one another and be ready to give a hand to those in need. He told me how it was an adventure but taught him he could survive anywhere. He washed his clothes by hand and dried them with the hair dryer since his bad was on its way to Montevideo. Overall, his adventure show me that we need to have faith, we need to believe that we have others watching over us, our little angels, our protectors, those spirits that will look after us when we face challenges and that when we are in need, we need to be like the turtle, slow but steady, strong and persevere because in the end, the lesson is for us to learn and we always get help.
Blessings )0(
Friday, October 14, 2011
Experiences at the Oasis
As I sit down to write about my experiences at the Oasis, I can't help but run short of words. It seems the words that would describe such an amazing event as Convocation don't exist in English or Spanish. Yes! Me, the lady of words, is out of words. Isn't that insane?
Intensity is one word that can define my experience; out of this world another. The day started as I got ready to leave my house. I started packing all my belongings, my robes, my cord, my rattle, my diary, everything that I need for an event like that while I was watching Lady Olivia's DVD - Priestess of Isis. I wanted to get my mind out of the mundane and into the magical realm. On my way to the Temple, my dad and I experiences some serious traffic and what usually took us one hour and a half took almost two hours and a half. In my mind, I kept thinking that we will arrive at the right time and maybe this delay was just meant to be.
As we arrived in the Temple, we could see lots of cars. How exciting to see the event growing so much!!!! We checked in and walk around. Last year, during convocation, I was looking for a Sekhmet necklace. As a Sekhmet Priestess I was called to have a piece of jewelry dedicated to her. Little did I know that as I walked back to my room, I would run across a Priestess whose work is to create Goddess Rosaries and there it was! A beautiful Sekhmet Rosary!!!! You guessed it, I got the Rosary since it was meant to be mine.
That night, during dinner, Lady Loreon invited me to have dinner at Lady Olivia's table since I was not able to stay for the full event and I was leaving the next day. The dinner was amazing. Lady Olivia's vibrant energy filled me with joy since it's incredible to spend time with an elder and I consider myself very fortunate.
Convocation this year was dedicated to the frog Goddess Heqet. Le'ema's performance was amazing and she captured the energy of Heqet beautifully. The performance started with some crystal bowls and as the sound increased in the Temple Theater we all felt we raised our vibrations to the next level. Then Lady Olivia guide us in a journey to the cleansing waters and helped us release the old to make space for the new. The night ended with presentations and stories of Heqet.
As I said in the past, Isis is the lady of Synchronicity. The next morning, I woke up and went to have breakfast with Lady Olivia, Linda Iles, Le'ema Graham, Francesca Gentile, DeTraci Regula and some other Priests and Priestesses from the Fellowship of Isis. The fire was burning, the coffee was great, but the conversations were amazing. Many times, Goddess brings to our lives the experiences and people we need around to grow and evolve. This breakfast time granted me the honor to bond with Francesca and find a Goddess Sister. As we talked, we found out that our lives were more connected than we thought and I invited her to my consecration later that day.
Linda Iles class about Hieroglyphic Writing was amazing and I am still chewing on what she talked about. Her scholar presentation was out of this world and filled with knowledge in every level. I am so grateful to call her my mentor and teacher. After the class, we headed to the Isis Chapel for my consecration as ArchDruidess but before that, we stopped for tea. While having tea, we meditated on how the Goddess has touched our lives. Lady Olivia guided us in a journey and when the time was right, we moved to the Chapel to start the ceremony.
The ceremony was beautiful and filled with power. Sometimes simpicity is much more powerful than sophisticated steps. As Lady Olivia placed the Sekhmet Rosary on me, she told me to think of each bead in that rosary as a person I have touched with my work and how all of them would support me in my Priestess work. She told me not to get stuck in the literal meaning of words but to feel them from the heart. Lady Olivia's vision of the Goddess Dana as a blond hair woman in the woods reminded me of my first vision of myself when I became a witch. I would see myself as a witch dancing around the fire in the middle of the woods with white robes and long blonde hair (since my hair is naturally blonde). Maybe, that vision was just the beginning of this journey, and now I had found my way back home. The ceremony ended with Lady Olivia telling me something like "Now you are an ArchDruidess, you know what to do, don't let anybody tell you how to do things, just find your own way to do it." It was a very powerful statement for me since at times we may look for approval or try to see if others will tell us how to do things but in that we give our power away.
Priestesses come in many forms and shapes. Convocation is one place where I can see all of us coming together, each with our gifts and skills, and each bringing the Goddess back to life in our own ways. I feel so blessed to have been part of such an amazing event and a life changing journey. I look forward to the future and what Goddess has in store for me.
Many blessings )0(
Intensity is one word that can define my experience; out of this world another. The day started as I got ready to leave my house. I started packing all my belongings, my robes, my cord, my rattle, my diary, everything that I need for an event like that while I was watching Lady Olivia's DVD - Priestess of Isis. I wanted to get my mind out of the mundane and into the magical realm. On my way to the Temple, my dad and I experiences some serious traffic and what usually took us one hour and a half took almost two hours and a half. In my mind, I kept thinking that we will arrive at the right time and maybe this delay was just meant to be.
As we arrived in the Temple, we could see lots of cars. How exciting to see the event growing so much!!!! We checked in and walk around. Last year, during convocation, I was looking for a Sekhmet necklace. As a Sekhmet Priestess I was called to have a piece of jewelry dedicated to her. Little did I know that as I walked back to my room, I would run across a Priestess whose work is to create Goddess Rosaries and there it was! A beautiful Sekhmet Rosary!!!! You guessed it, I got the Rosary since it was meant to be mine.
That night, during dinner, Lady Loreon invited me to have dinner at Lady Olivia's table since I was not able to stay for the full event and I was leaving the next day. The dinner was amazing. Lady Olivia's vibrant energy filled me with joy since it's incredible to spend time with an elder and I consider myself very fortunate.
Convocation this year was dedicated to the frog Goddess Heqet. Le'ema's performance was amazing and she captured the energy of Heqet beautifully. The performance started with some crystal bowls and as the sound increased in the Temple Theater we all felt we raised our vibrations to the next level. Then Lady Olivia guide us in a journey to the cleansing waters and helped us release the old to make space for the new. The night ended with presentations and stories of Heqet.
As I said in the past, Isis is the lady of Synchronicity. The next morning, I woke up and went to have breakfast with Lady Olivia, Linda Iles, Le'ema Graham, Francesca Gentile, DeTraci Regula and some other Priests and Priestesses from the Fellowship of Isis. The fire was burning, the coffee was great, but the conversations were amazing. Many times, Goddess brings to our lives the experiences and people we need around to grow and evolve. This breakfast time granted me the honor to bond with Francesca and find a Goddess Sister. As we talked, we found out that our lives were more connected than we thought and I invited her to my consecration later that day.
Linda Iles class about Hieroglyphic Writing was amazing and I am still chewing on what she talked about. Her scholar presentation was out of this world and filled with knowledge in every level. I am so grateful to call her my mentor and teacher. After the class, we headed to the Isis Chapel for my consecration as ArchDruidess but before that, we stopped for tea. While having tea, we meditated on how the Goddess has touched our lives. Lady Olivia guided us in a journey and when the time was right, we moved to the Chapel to start the ceremony.
The ceremony was beautiful and filled with power. Sometimes simpicity is much more powerful than sophisticated steps. As Lady Olivia placed the Sekhmet Rosary on me, she told me to think of each bead in that rosary as a person I have touched with my work and how all of them would support me in my Priestess work. She told me not to get stuck in the literal meaning of words but to feel them from the heart. Lady Olivia's vision of the Goddess Dana as a blond hair woman in the woods reminded me of my first vision of myself when I became a witch. I would see myself as a witch dancing around the fire in the middle of the woods with white robes and long blonde hair (since my hair is naturally blonde). Maybe, that vision was just the beginning of this journey, and now I had found my way back home. The ceremony ended with Lady Olivia telling me something like "Now you are an ArchDruidess, you know what to do, don't let anybody tell you how to do things, just find your own way to do it." It was a very powerful statement for me since at times we may look for approval or try to see if others will tell us how to do things but in that we give our power away.
Priestesses come in many forms and shapes. Convocation is one place where I can see all of us coming together, each with our gifts and skills, and each bringing the Goddess back to life in our own ways. I feel so blessed to have been part of such an amazing event and a life changing journey. I look forward to the future and what Goddess has in store for me.
Many blessings )0(
Monday, October 3, 2011
Eat, Pray, and Love
There are some movies that touch our hearts more than others, "Eat, Pray, Love" was one of those for me. Although I read the book a few years ago, watching the movie reminded me of how many good lessons that book/movie has. Sometimes we get to a crossroad in our lives when we see the paths ahead but we are not sure which one to take because fear is there... fear of change. I like when the protagonist is in bed with her husband and he says "I don't want to go to Aruba" and she responds "I don't want to be married anymore". This woman's journey of leaving a relationship that was not fulfilling and having the courage to go around the world trying to find happiness is a big lesson because it takes courage to push the boundaries and fears and risk everything just to find yourself. When I moved to the USA, I had to leave everything behind - family, friends, job security, my own apartment, everything. I could only bring two bags with my belongings and the rest stayed behind. I know that taught me how to detach from material things and the fact that everything is temporary and we are in constant state of changing, evolving, growing, moving. Nothing remains the same unless it is dead. Most of the people fear change because they don't know what to expect, they don't know if the future is better than the present and they may sacrifice their happiness for fear of change. Another phrase that really called me was when her boyfriend told her it was better to be unhappy and together than be sad and separated. How many times do we stay in situations where we know we are unhappy but for fear we just remain the same? Life is too short to waste it in situations or relationships that don't work or make us happy. I know at times I like things to remain the same, I like routine as any Virgo, but I also know that change and chaos bring the seed of transformation and if we don't transform we stagnate and die so I welcome change, I welcome transformation, and like the phoenix I have risen many times from my own ashes.
"Il bel far niente" is a phrase that really resonated with me from this movie. This phrase means "Do Nothing" and in the movie, they talk about how American people are always doing something, if it is not reading, writing, watching TV, busy, busy, busy and they do not master the art of "Do Nothing" or "Il bel far niente". I can definitely identify myself with that although I am not American but I have led a life of doing instead of being for a long time and just now I am beginning to understand that it is not what I do but who I am that defines me. With this concept in mind, during the movie, the protagonist was asked to choose a word that defines her, not a word that defines what she does but who she is and I believe I was blessed with having a word that defines me as my maiden name Amor (Love). I think love is who I am. I can also use "Will" or "Strength". Many times, it is hard to find a way to define ourselves by who we are instead of what we do. If you ask somebody who they are they will say I am a teacher, I am a wife, I am a .... the list can go on, but these words define roles in life and not the essence. If you had to choose a word, what would that word be?
We, women, are usually concerned about physical appearance... we do not want to look fat so we usually diet a lot to make sure we don't put on weight. While the protagonist was in Italy, she went to a pizza place with a friend and her friend did not want to eat so the protagonist looked at her and she said "have you ever been naked with a man who got up and left because he did not like what he saw? I bet you not, he was happy to have a naked woman with him." This phrase was amazing because I think we are our worst enemies when it comes to appearance. We feel horrible when we are actually beautiful, we are Goddesses and we hold the Goddess within. It is within our power to choose to feel beautiful, to accept ourselves as we are and let go of being skinny or not eating and sacrificing ourselves for beauty. I don't say don't eat healthy, but I do say don't torture yourself feeling that you will look horrible if you eat a pastry. You will be beautiful because it is the beauty within that reflects in the outside and as we grow older, it is that beauty that shines and not the physical one.
The last thing that really resonated with me was when the protagonist was in Bali and she told the old medicine man that she broke her relationship with her new boyfriend because she had finally found balance in her life and this relationship was threatening her balance. The old man looked at her and said "sometimes being out of balance brings balance to your life" and this really resonated with me since many times we try to keep things like they are... balance and harmony... without noticing that chaos may bring balance in the end. Sometimes you need to break it to build it again. Destruction creates space for new creations, and new creations bring opportunities to grow and evolve.
Blessings )0(
"Il bel far niente" is a phrase that really resonated with me from this movie. This phrase means "Do Nothing" and in the movie, they talk about how American people are always doing something, if it is not reading, writing, watching TV, busy, busy, busy and they do not master the art of "Do Nothing" or "Il bel far niente". I can definitely identify myself with that although I am not American but I have led a life of doing instead of being for a long time and just now I am beginning to understand that it is not what I do but who I am that defines me. With this concept in mind, during the movie, the protagonist was asked to choose a word that defines her, not a word that defines what she does but who she is and I believe I was blessed with having a word that defines me as my maiden name Amor (Love). I think love is who I am. I can also use "Will" or "Strength". Many times, it is hard to find a way to define ourselves by who we are instead of what we do. If you ask somebody who they are they will say I am a teacher, I am a wife, I am a .... the list can go on, but these words define roles in life and not the essence. If you had to choose a word, what would that word be?
We, women, are usually concerned about physical appearance... we do not want to look fat so we usually diet a lot to make sure we don't put on weight. While the protagonist was in Italy, she went to a pizza place with a friend and her friend did not want to eat so the protagonist looked at her and she said "have you ever been naked with a man who got up and left because he did not like what he saw? I bet you not, he was happy to have a naked woman with him." This phrase was amazing because I think we are our worst enemies when it comes to appearance. We feel horrible when we are actually beautiful, we are Goddesses and we hold the Goddess within. It is within our power to choose to feel beautiful, to accept ourselves as we are and let go of being skinny or not eating and sacrificing ourselves for beauty. I don't say don't eat healthy, but I do say don't torture yourself feeling that you will look horrible if you eat a pastry. You will be beautiful because it is the beauty within that reflects in the outside and as we grow older, it is that beauty that shines and not the physical one.
The last thing that really resonated with me was when the protagonist was in Bali and she told the old medicine man that she broke her relationship with her new boyfriend because she had finally found balance in her life and this relationship was threatening her balance. The old man looked at her and said "sometimes being out of balance brings balance to your life" and this really resonated with me since many times we try to keep things like they are... balance and harmony... without noticing that chaos may bring balance in the end. Sometimes you need to break it to build it again. Destruction creates space for new creations, and new creations bring opportunities to grow and evolve.
Blessings )0(
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Memories Remain
Titles disappear, relationships break down, people die, but memories remain. It is how we choose our experiences and learn from them that makes a difference. Money can not buy you experiences as it can not buy love. You can have the best job in the world and one day it may be gone but if you have learned from it, if you gain experience then not everything is lost.
Yesterday, I took my dad to a magical place. It was like we stepped into wonderland and spend a day there. We went to some wineries, had lunch in the Culinary Institute of America and then visit Castello di Amorosa where we walked around, visit the dungeons and had a lot of fun. It was amazing to see his smile and know that he was having a great time. He even said that the memories he now had were priceless and that he will savor them when he is back in Buenos Aires. You can imagine that meant a lot to me since memories remain forever and he is the only family I have since I have no brothers or sisters and my mom passed away four years ago.
Having those experiences with him made me realize how important is to treasure the present moment and choose our activities carefully since in the end, all that remains are the memories of those special moments we have spent with loved ones, or traveling, or growing, or evolving. Those memories stay with us forever and nobody, and when I say nobody I mean nobody, can take them away from us.
There are times in life when we start living like zombies or robots. We go to work, we come back, we eat, watch TV, go to bed, wake up and start the routine all over again. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to feed the spirit. Those are the times that the body starts getting resented and starts showing signs that things are out of harmony. My wake up call was last week when I ended up in the doctor's office because I was coughing really badly after getting a cold two weeks ago. The verdict was a serious case of asthma. I haven't had serious asthma since I move to this country over 9 years ago and I usually associate asthma with stress and not being able to breath like there is no air, too much pressure that does not allow me to breath. During my last asthma attack, I was dealing with the US embassy and trying to get to my newly husband since we got married and were separated at the time due to redtape. This time, stress comes from a different source - an unhappy job, a lack of direction, a lack of purpose, and a feeling like life is just passing me by and I am giving away my power. These are not good places to be and it is time to take action. It is time to wake up and stop living in zombie land and start living in action land. Like the Sagittarius symbol, it is time to set the target and throw the arrow so when I look back in time, and my memories are the only thing I have left, I have memories I can be happy about.
Blessings )0(
Yesterday, I took my dad to a magical place. It was like we stepped into wonderland and spend a day there. We went to some wineries, had lunch in the Culinary Institute of America and then visit Castello di Amorosa where we walked around, visit the dungeons and had a lot of fun. It was amazing to see his smile and know that he was having a great time. He even said that the memories he now had were priceless and that he will savor them when he is back in Buenos Aires. You can imagine that meant a lot to me since memories remain forever and he is the only family I have since I have no brothers or sisters and my mom passed away four years ago.
Having those experiences with him made me realize how important is to treasure the present moment and choose our activities carefully since in the end, all that remains are the memories of those special moments we have spent with loved ones, or traveling, or growing, or evolving. Those memories stay with us forever and nobody, and when I say nobody I mean nobody, can take them away from us.
There are times in life when we start living like zombies or robots. We go to work, we come back, we eat, watch TV, go to bed, wake up and start the routine all over again. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to feed the spirit. Those are the times that the body starts getting resented and starts showing signs that things are out of harmony. My wake up call was last week when I ended up in the doctor's office because I was coughing really badly after getting a cold two weeks ago. The verdict was a serious case of asthma. I haven't had serious asthma since I move to this country over 9 years ago and I usually associate asthma with stress and not being able to breath like there is no air, too much pressure that does not allow me to breath. During my last asthma attack, I was dealing with the US embassy and trying to get to my newly husband since we got married and were separated at the time due to redtape. This time, stress comes from a different source - an unhappy job, a lack of direction, a lack of purpose, and a feeling like life is just passing me by and I am giving away my power. These are not good places to be and it is time to take action. It is time to wake up and stop living in zombie land and start living in action land. Like the Sagittarius symbol, it is time to set the target and throw the arrow so when I look back in time, and my memories are the only thing I have left, I have memories I can be happy about.
Blessings )0(
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