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Home altar

 Home altars have been used since ancient times throughout the world, by people from many backgrounds and traditions. They offer a place to pause and reflect, to breathe, to smile.  An altar can be as simple or intricate as you wish, holding momentos of loved people, pets, items from the natural world - rocks, a bowl of water, a candle, a plant or bouquet of flowers, some smudge or incense ...   I have little altars on surfaces all around my Rose Cottage. A couple of years ago, our creativity teacher shared her process of gathering and Blessing water for our altar. From Dr Maseru Emoto's  work on water, we know that water responds to intention and spoken words, and can be patterned! My African teacher Eric Vormanns  suggested we hold a cup of water, and beam imaginary rainbows into it, then use or drink it! Altar with Magïc brushes and Holy Water  ðŸ’™  I may "charge" water by placing it in a bowl in the moonlight, sometimes with crystals in it.  Th...
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Community Cards

  In SoulCollage Evolving, (p 31) Seena wrote, "the Community suit was actually the initial suit of this process."  As a final project in her studies with Jean Houston in the 1980s, Seena made cards honoring each participant in the three year program. She created over 100 cards during their 6 months between sessions, drawing a participant's name each day!  After completing the course, Seena's love of the practice led her to keep going with it, and to developing SoulCollage®. The community suit in the SoulCollage® deck contains cards "for those beings that impact your personal story with their special energy. ... (they) offer the 'net' of their love and wisdoms" - and may also "'net' you with their demands and challenges."  As we begin to craft our own deck, we're invited to list beloveds who cross our lives, and influence who we are: ancestors, family, friends, teachers, siblings, healers, pets ... plus historic figures - Moth...

Pioneer Geologist

 Yesterday, my BlogBoost SiStar Martha's post celebrated National Fossil day !!  I was introduced to the work of my favorite fossil finder Thomas Condon as a child, when we visited the John Day fossil beds in E.astern Oregon.  An Irish immigrant, Thomas was 11 when his family arrived in NY in 1933.  He studied both  science and ministry, and met his wife in college. Condon first learned of the fossil beds East of Bend in 1862, and began excavating specimens in 1865. He sent them to the East coast for identification - and later tried to have them returned to Oregon. Thomas Condon in the 1870s  Thomas Condon went on to teach college in Forest Grove and at the University in Eugene, and became the Oregon's first State Geologist in 1872.  In our Natural History class at WOU (then OCE) in the 1970s, with Dr Kenneth Walker, we studied Condon's work and the book Ancient forests of Oregon. I love that Condon found fossils of mesohippus - the 'middle horse' ri...

Magic Wand Motivation - 1

 W hen a tidying or decluttering job beckons, have you wished for a Magic Wand?  It's BlogBoost time, and in a comment on Yesterday's post, Tamara asked, "do you have a magic ingredient to boost motivation?" The one that immediately came to mind was -  Magic wand tip #1:  Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, & do a '27 fling boogie!'  (This is also a great way  to motivate kids!) Salt lamp Have the 3 Magic bins ready (toss/ recycle / donate ) and a small basket for things which belong in another area.  Quickly find 27 things to put in the bins.  When the timer goes off, decide if you're done, or if you want to keep going for a bit; remember, any progress is PROGRESS!  (I may take a break, then set the timer again - or call it 'Done!' after 1 Boogie - depends on the day!)  Another option to the timer - set a stopwatch (i use an app on my phone) , and time yourself on a task! I just put laundry in the wash, it took a minute and 38 seconds...

A Pinch of Salt

   In the fall of 2022 , I was sorting and paring down as I prepared to move across town to my daughter's, while Rose Cottage was built.  My daughter and son-in law helped a lot, but I still needed to make many tough decisions about what to keep and what to pass on! And I struggle with executive function - so it was challenging! Percy choose his basket  for the move Enter - Salt ! Between rounds of dethugging I found putting out little bowls of Salt ever so helpful! It does its work behind the scenes, whilst we're sleeping! My Feng Shui consultant and friend  Gwynne Warner  suggests sprinkling salt in the corners of rooms (where energy accumulates and can get 'stuck') , then sweeping it up the next day. Another tip was to leave a crystal on a box or space you plan to sort overnight, and invite it to help you gain clarity on distributing the contents.    Atelier - packing up Simple Shui consultant Amanda Gibby Peters feels Salt is,  "an ever...

Be the Reason

  Today my friends Donna and Marvin invited me to join then on an road trip adventure, and we headed North to Hood River and the Harvest Fest! An Abundance of Produce It was a blustery, rainy day, but Multnomah falls was beautiful as always, and the weather cleared 'just in time' when we arrived in Hood River and the fest!  Rainy day - Columbia River  We had fun wandering, chatting, eating (I had a gluten free enchilada and corn on the cob, Donna had a braut with saurkraut and potato salad) and visiting.  There were many great vendors, and delightful mini conversations!  Business Card blessing And - so many smiles were exchanged!  They cost nothing, and are so appreciated!  More than once, we heard, " you made my day !" So this card Josiah invited me to choose was a great affirmation!  Cacao Brain Bliss -  ManukaMana I look forward to the first sip of Cacao Brain Bliss - made with ceremonial cacao, lions mane mushroom and manuka honey - whi...

Transformation Game

 A few days ago, I spoke of the   Transformation Game , which I think of as a 'counseling session in a box!' Transformation game in process I first played the Game with my friend and Reiki SiStar Anita, a trained facilitator - what a great way to learn! Developed at the Findhorn community in Scotland, the T.  Game is both fun and sparks insights. Anita spent 6 months living a few miles from the Findhorn Community, and I met her on the Oregon coast in the mid 90s ... When my grandkids were little, we would play when they came over, and they usually zipped through all 4 levels in 45 minutes ! (A game can take several  hours for adults!) We each play put own 'life path' in the game, which includes cards for insights, setbacks, and supportive angels - you roll a die for the number of each to place on your 'unconscious' envelope.  I was surprised the first time my oder granddaughter said 'I'll take a setback,' when when she could choose which kind of car...