Strangers in Paradise

Everything is always happening FOR me.      

                    Abraham Hicks

In a recently channeled message Sara Wiseman, visionary teacher of spiritual intuition, tells us that the Coronavirus has arrived as a sign, a wakeup, a grand disrupter.  And it is not the first that we have experienced.  We have endured cataclysmic wakeup calls from nature and weather and disease.  And now we have been catapulted into this unprecedented world-wide pandemic.  

We are brave souls, having volunteered to incarnate during this chaotic and tumultuous time.  Our planet is undergoing a shift to move to a higher vibration and its profound rumblings are evidence of its gates opening wide, inviting us to a magnificent evolution where love, joy, and peace prevail.

The very concept of residing in a beautiful environment such as this is mind blowing.  As little babes entering the world, we tasted its splendor for a brief crossing over but most have long forgotten what it feels like to always be unconditionally loved.

And yet earth is poised for this unconventional journey of remembering.  And we are being given an experience which  compels us into deep contemplation of what is missing from our lives.  What is missing in the global community.  

The distractions of our daily life have been removed.  We are left with time and space to focus on how we can create the environment of love.  For everyone.

This is difficult work.  We are strangers to this paradise of joyful, unconditional, universal LOVE.

But we have seen stirrings of it in the many generous efforts by individuals to help each other, often expressed in the most imaginative and creative ways to connect with each other while we are separated.

If we can do this, we can also “dream” ourselves through this earthly passage of our lives.

We may initially be “strangers” to the richness and magnificence of unconditional acceptance and love for all but paradise CAN and WILL eventually become for us our new home.  

And so it is.

                                                          Marie Helena

     

Drifting

Now that the beautiful blush of spring is finding its way onto the universal earth campus, there will be a myriad of opportunities to indulge our awakening senses.  

Gazing at the beautiful blossoms gently emerging on the branches of welcoming trees.  Spying the sprightly, chattering birds returning to their home bases.  And lazily watching the cottony clouds roll by. Rolling in a soft, billowy fashion… Drifting… gently drifting...quietly finding their way.


Just contemplating the drifting clouds feels like a meditation to me. And I wonder if it has to do with the very concept of drifting.  That word feels like ease to me.  Sprezzatura... the Italians might call it...effortless elegance.


Does the effortless elegance I perceive here manifest itself to me because the clouds have aligned with their nature and are simply...and profoundly... being who they are?  


What if we, like the clouds, were to align with OUR nature:  Divine beings playing on our verdant, lush planet of infinite possibility?


If we could recognize our magical playground, perhaps we would find it easier to embrace our self-designed challenges and gently direct ourselves into a reframing of what feels like difficult circumstances from our earth school view.  
,
Perhaps then we could move on to envision and embrace the gentle changes, the shifts in behavior, which could incrementally bring us into alignment with our Higher Selves.  In the most loving, harmonious way. DRIFTING  back into the beautiful beings we truly are. 

                                                                                   Marie Helena

image from pinterest

Remembrance: Why We Should Forgive Ourselves

FORGIVE YOURSELF. 

The supreme act of forgiveness is when you can forgive yourself for all the 
 wounds you've created in your own life. Forgiveness is an act of self-love.   
      When you forgive yourself, self-acceptance begins and self-love grows,
 
     Don Miguel Ruiz

As we write the story of our life, our learning occurs in a myriad of ways.  Sometimes the path is straight and clear.  We take action that feels instinctively right...it works beautifully...we benefit and all is well.


Sometimes our learning takes a different path.

Sometimes we are influenced by unhealed pain, hurt, unmet needs, etc. and we choose a path that is not in our best interest.  But, at that time, the choice we made felt like the only way we could go.
.

And so we went there.  And it was not what we expected.

All was not well.  And we ultimately JUDGEDourselves for the choice and stayed mired in sadness and regret.

Writing the story of our life is not usually a black and white endeavor.  Sometimes we are drawn to what SEEMS like a solution but ultimately does not deliver on that (false) promise. 

 

However, our learning can occur quite brilliantlywhen we can view our actions with some objectivity...

perhaps uncover what has moved us in that direction...

love ourselves through the pain of self-confrontation,,,

and emerge with a stronger, braver view of what we want to do with our lives.

Judging ourselves (or anyone or anything) is not productive. 

It delays our process of learning.

What is needed is an open, accepting heart that understands we were trying to navigate some difficulty...a heart which knows that LOVE is always expressing itself the best way it knows how.

What we did is what we knew.  When we know better, we do better.
  

And, as we reflect on our choices and their consequences, we begin to know better and we do better.  We pass by judgment, embracing instead our humanity and moving forward with new wisdom and insight.

 

Perhaps the forgiveness which Don Miguel Ruiz is talking about can really be called the simple act of KNOWING that we are on a journey with some distracting side paths which ultimately can lead us to our true destination...a REMEMBERING of the glorious perfection of  Who We Truly Are and an acceptance of how learning can occur in a dualistic world.

                                                                                         Marie Helena

image from salliesart.blogspot.com

Vignettes

Sometimes the task of living the whole day in the way we aspire to feels daunting.  It seems like a lot of work lies in front of us.

We ask ourselves…Will we be able to keep centered and calm and responsive?  Will we be able to give our loved ones beautiful listening?  Will we clearly honor the paths of others even when they choose different avenues from ours?  Will we be able to fully embrace each moment that presents itself to us?

But,

What if we broke up our day into segments?  What if our day was filled with many VIGNETTES…each with its own rhythm and pacing and needs (and blessings, too)?  What if we could see our way clear to just truly embrace the vignette we are in at that moment and engage fully and be present to that context, landscape and scene?

Seems like it might be easier to navigate our day.

If we direct our attention to the segment we are currently enacting, that’s all we need to do. And consider how wonderful it will feel if we perform like the STAR our Higher Self knows we are.  How satisfying!  How motivating! It will undoubtedly give us energy for the next vignette to come.



Consider dividing your day into scenarios.

The scenario of waking and greeting the day and deciding to amp up your vibration by intending and choosing to BE LOVE in all of your encounters.  The scenario of breakfast... having your morning coffee while you contemplate the beautiful day outside of your window.  The scenario of how you interact with the persons who enter into your life, extending beautiful listening and compassion as you give the gift of attention and reveal what you are feeling at that moment.  And the many other scenarios to follow, each with its own unique vibration, pacing and energy.


Why not set the stage to always have an enriching and enlightening experience, embracing each challenge and opportunity one vignette at a time?  There will always be something to enjoy and, even more importantly, something to learn about ourselves from the way we move through our day.


                                                                                               Marie Helena

Virtual Gifts

 If you combine the amazing accessibility of the Internet with the fun and splendor of creativity...what do you get? 

                 Virtual Gifts!

At least that is one of the many combinations possible when combining these two wonders and it's one I have recently fallen in love with.

Do you know someone who is going through a challenging experience and you would like to send them an "e smile"?  Want to squeeze a thoughtful hello into your busy day?  Perhaps you would like to entertain and delight yourself by indulging your vibrant imagination.

Consider sending a VIRTUAL GIFT to the someone you are thinking of.

I started this practice a week or two ago and am having great fun with it. 

Recently, I emailed a message about tulips to a friend whose husband was undergoing surgery. 

(By the way, did you know that tulips, unlike all other flowers, do not stop growing even when they are cut and placed in a vase of water?  Their life force is so strong that they continue to lengthen and expand and, as they do, they form a lovely arc over the vase.)

Here is the message I sent her:

"I am sending you a virtual gift...a vase of freshly cut tulips.  These beautiful flowers represent the life force embodied by your husband that will help him heal and the love and support he is receiving from you and your family and friends."



A few days later I sent a follow-up offering....
                                                   
Virtual Gift.....

"Relaxing nap on a sultan's billowy cushions, royal musicians to gently serenade you while you fall asleep, gentle breezes blowing soft white curtains, the scent of jasmine somewhere nearby"

She loved it...and so did her husband.  


Soooo much fun to create these "gifts"!






Later, I designed a virtual presentation for a recovering musician...

"Soothing sounds of a copacetic saxophone, accented by a lovely blond torch singer wearing a ruby red gown, leaning against a street post and dreamily singing her heart out..."

Guess what happened next? The musician sent me this message:   

                          "The song - Stormy Weather"     

Now the subject of my get-well wish was playing along with me (and, hopefully, was distracted by these few moments of connection).

What a lovely way to let someone know you are holding them close to your heart!


In the world of "virtual" gift-giving, we are only limited by the parameters of our imagination.  There really is no end to the munificence of our caring hearts engaged in this delightful entertainment.  Why not expand your creative horizons by moonlighting from your usual preoccupations and indulging in this free gift shop of our amazing techno-universe!

                                                                         
                                                                                                Marie Helena 

image of tulips from www.kathleenpequignot.com
Kathleen Pequignot Fne Art:  January 2005

image of sultan's palace from www.wikipaintings.
Sketch for the opera "Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and Maiden Fevronia" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Ivan Bilibin, 1929


image of saxophone from colourbox.com

Nature’s Sacred Conversation

It’s very quiet on our streets as so many of us are in lock down mode in an effort to avoid spreading the Coronavirus that has taken up intense residency on our shores. It is eerie and somber with empty stores dotting the boulevards and  occasional home window displays bravely broadcasting hopefulness and solidarity during this surreal episode of our lives.

But amid all of this quietude and lugubrious setting there is a vibrant and compelling conversation threading itself through the terrain.

And it’s coming from nature who is concerned and intrigued with our Coronavirus crisis. And it is nature who is wanting to help us.

How do I reach this conclusion?

Because we have learned there is a global community in nature focusing on caring for itself and each other.  Forests, for example, are living organisms with a subterranean system linking trees, plants and vegetation so that they can minister to the needs of each other, sharing elements needed for nurturance and growth and alerting each other to common dangers and their antidotes.

What a stunning example of the exquisite design of our universe

and its benevolence!

And here is another intriguing fact I have learned about plants and gardeners.

When an individual is raising plants to eat and tends to them with personal, loving care, those plants produce whatever the individual’s DNA requires.

There is obviously profound communication going on within nature and between the natural world and humanity. And I wonder what might be the messages circulating today about the Coronavirus.

I would guess we are being encouraged to become even more aware of and to practice profound contemplation of our spiritual connection to nature, especially as a healing modality.

I have been hugging trees for many years without knowing the scientific validation. Without knowing that we and trees share 25% of our DNA.  

I just do it because it feels good. It connects me with the earth. It makes me feel grounded, conjoined with the trees, our roots together extending deep into Gaia. 

This symbiosis I experience appears to be doing more than making me feel grounded.  Perhaps 

our environment....EVERYTHING in nature we see or feel or touch...is here to minister to our pain or distress and soothe us on that journey.

Is there a mystic message here NOW awaiting our discovery?

Are we being invited to join Nature’s Sacred Conversation so that we can heal our bodies and our souls and, as spiritual alchemists, transmute the Coronavirus into an unending expression of the love that sources the universe?

                                                                                             Marie Helena                                                         

                                                                              

visionary art on Pinterest. 

Alex Grey

pinterest.com

                                    

  

Clarence and the Entourage

One day last December I was reading my incoming emails when I came upon a message from one of my favorite spiritual writers, Teri Uktena.  In her email Teri talked  about how we all have an entourage of spirit guides who are “backstage hands working behind the scenes responsible for supporting us through various aspects of our soul’s experience.”  Each spirit guide has a special assignment.   Teri said that spirit guides are there “to have our backs, fill in the gaps, and help us to achieve what we're striving for at any given moment.”

Interestingly, Teri encouraged everyone to have conscious communication with their spirit guides.  And to help us accomplish this she said spirit guides can present visual images to us and names that reflect their personalities.

Her very interesting comments apparently found a niche in my highly intrigued subconscious that day for late that night as I was preparing to go to sleep the name Clarence suddenly popped into my head.  In a very distinctive manner and with a sense of real ceremony.

Now Clarence is not a name I would have ordinarily thought of myself.   In fact, it seemed rather unusual and very curious to me...kind of mischievous...and I suddenly wondered whether Clarence might be one of my spirit guides ready to connect with me and now seizing the opportunity that had been suggested to me by Teri’s email that day.

Almost immediately after Clarence’s appearance the word health popped into my consciousness and I deduced that Clarence’s spirit guide assignment centered around the concept of my health.

Next, I begin to get a visual image in my imagination of Clarence and I found him dressed as a clown.  (Incidentally, time and experience would prove that Clarence would ALWAYS appear to me in his clown attire.)  I began to wonder about the clown costume and suddenly realized that clown Clarence was there to bring some lightness and laughter into my life.  I had been going through a very difficult few months and had been profoundly sad.  Now it seemed that Clarence had apparently arrived on the scene to change all of that.

Directly after this mischievous, delightful spirit guide broke into my consciousness and continuing the following morning I found many more spirit guides followed him in.

Here are just some of the entourage that appeared:

Louie.          
financial challenges

Robert.  
publishing my next book, writing

Amanda.    
sensitivity, gentleness

Amethyst.    
spirituality

Eartha.      
Clearing out (physical and emotional)    

Willy.          
Hydration

Aerie.        
another dimension

Substancia.    
being open to others’ views

Perpetua.      
persistent subconscious beliefs of mine

Holly.              
habits

Grace.          
dancing

Compassione.  
compassion for others
                                   
India.          
independence, self-reliance

Texas.          
tech assistance

Meta.        
meditation

Bretta.          
bravery

Resi.            
resilience

Clare.            
clarity

Suddenly, I found myself surrounded with a clear image of the “backup” Teri had mentioned and also support and encouragement.  Creative ideas came billowing in to my consciousness.

Now here is a very interesting anecdote to add to the story of my spirit guides.   A few weeks ago I requested a reading from a favorite Shaman of mine and asked her if she had any messages for me from my spirit guides.  I sent her a list of their names.  She told me that she felt a different vibration from each one and wherever she sensed someone wanted to speak, she paused and listened to the message.

When the Shaman sent me her response to my request I noticed that Clarence was not one of the speakers and commented that
I was surprised at this because  he is such a showman.  I wondered about her experience with him.  She answered:
“Yes, Clarence is clever, likes to play and I found him smiling at and with me.

T’was fun to be amongst it all.”

I was amazed and thrilled that the Shaman was able to tap into the same energy I was experiencing.

And from this most delightful spirit guide experience I draw this important conclusion...

Oh, yes, we truly have the most magnificent spiritual support available to us.   And I believe that support shows itself to us in the way in which we can receive it. Happily for me, I am thoroughly enchanted with the showboating Clarence and his colorful and vivacious entourage.

In the evening as I am ready to fall asleep my spirit guides entertain me with some very delightful line dancing to music I love by Air Supply.  And Clarence is always leading the parade.

                       Marie Helena