Santa and the Phone Booth

The Divine Universe is always sending us beautiful messages and often through the most amazing avenues. This Christmas I received an exquisite gift. I did not realize how truly extraordinary it was until a few days after I opened it.  It was a facsimile of Santa Claus standing in an elegant phone booth (which, in itself, is an interesting concept). However, the breathtaking thing about this gift is that when turned on, the phone booth immediately flooded with  infinitesimal, dazzling gold lights which circulated unendingly  throughout the booth.

A couple of days after Christmas I placed this curious Santa on the top ledge of a high bookshelf built into the wall where it overlooked several other beautiful lights arranged on the shelves below:  alabaster fir tree candles, a three dimensional figure of a yoga with a lotus flower adorning it and several small battery operated candles in lovely shades of pale blue and green. The  effect of the luminescent ballet was stunning but my eyes were constantly drawn  to the top shelf where Santa in his phone booth continued to shimmer and glisten in Aurelian splendor. 

After a while I realized something extraordinary about this gift.  Santa, of course,  is a symbol of generosity and love.  And the glistening lights in the phone booth were clearly there, I realized, on special assignment.  They were drawing my constant attention in masquerade, a celestial reminder of my Higher Self, I realized, always there connected to my heart, available for  consultation and guidance.  Whether I can see her or not, my Higher Self  is clearly shining brightly through every moment of my day.  

   

There have been some  challenging  moments for me this holiday season and now, for Christmas, I have found myself being given the gift of remembrance of what is already waiting for me

EVERY time I have looked up at Santa in the phone booth I have seen it glisten and sparkle.  There is no question in my heart that I might be left in difficult moments without heavenly resource and support.

I am wondering...Is there something glistening on your metaphorical bookshelf or perhaps tucked away in a subtle corner of your life  that can help you also remember the   energy that is circulating so vibrantly, ready to envelop your life with the wisdom and beauty of love.

What a lovely reminder I have been given with this gift:  MY Higher Self is always present, energized, sparkling… ready to share its glorious energy of love.

Take a moment and check in to the beauty and wonder of the season.  Perhaps you, too,  have been a messenger this Christmas of an important message or even a recipient of a very special delivery just for you.                                                                                    

                               Marie Helena

image:  Original watercolor painting "Telephone" original painting,collectible postcard,red phone booth,snow in town,sidewalk

The Creative Spirit

It is my belief that the creative spirit within each of us is the medicine necessary for our own healing.
  
    Julia Cameron


When all of our chakras or energy centers are open and flowing freely, we experience the gift of gloriously radiant health.  When those energy centers are blocked, however, this beautiful body of ours cannot complete its life circuit through the chakras with ease and grace. 

Fortunately, we do have the ability to achieve this state and heal ourselves and we do this by opening these very powerful passageways in our body.  Julia Cameron tells us that the most important part of keeping ourselves in this space of openness comes through accessing, recognizing, enjoying and delighting in our creativity.   Underlying her belief is the premise that we are made to create, we are designed to do this.  Our souls cry out for this opportunity to dream and do and are joyless and bereft without it.

It's the difference between mechanically walking through the motions, sitting in the back seat and letting others drive you around or blazing your own path and feeling totally alive and vibrant and it comes from the spark of your brilliantly loving soul.

Your soul has a mission:  to sing its "song" and it will not be happy nor will it be satisfied until it steps up to unselfconsciously delight in expressing that awesome "melody".
 
Each of us is here because we have a unique interpretation of life and we are called to grace the universal consciousness with that melody.  We do this by speaking our truth and caring enough to hear the truth of others.  We do this by the way we express our love language through words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service and touch.

We do this when we sigh or hum or whistle or bravely give voice (and, therefore, life) to a beautiful song.  We do this when we tap our feet, clap or get right out there on the dance floor.  We do this when we pick up a brush and paint a picture or play a musical instrument or write a wonderful story or poem.  It's all about the way we choose to connect with the world, the way we are engaged and present to what is going on and the way we receive and respond to the messages coming to us.

It is our spiritually courageous choice to be fully and authentically who we are that animates us and gives strength and vitality to the body, that heals it from its imperfections and vulnerability. 

The decision to express ourselves authentically (and, therefore, creatively) is really an imperative to our soul.  As Julia Cameron says, it's the medicine needed for our own healing.

                                                                                         
                                                                   Marie Helena

 
image from www.ikedaquotes.

Dolce Far Niente

In the midst of the holiday season when so many preparations are being made…Christmas trees bedazzled with shimmering lights, ingredients assembled for an array of culinary pleasures, on-line shopping planned to catch the latest sales, spotlighting of porches and roofs with illusionary reindeer…

In the midst of all of this, does it seem strange that I would wish you Dolce Far Niente... 

The Sweetness of Doing Absolutely Nothing!

And yet, what more perfect time to just BE in the midst of all of these treasures?

Time moves so quickly now as we hasten to finish our self-appointed tasks for the holidays and, if we don’t pause to take in the ambiance and flavor and spirit of these moments, they will be gone before we know it. We will be left with crumbled Christmas wrappings to clean up, dishes to wash from the fabulous dinner we have prepared and an exhausted body for our reward. 

So let’s imagine another dimension to our celebration.

I invite you (and myself as a reminder as I write this), to not miss a single breath of this breathtaking season. To allow the brilliant red poinsettias to nourish and sustain us with their glorious color and powerful presence. To honor the trees populating our landscape outside as they abide winter’s passing and keep their spring secrets warm inside their roots for us. To enjoy the delicately flavored herbal tea and gingerbread one sip and one small and succulent bite at a time as delicate snowflakes descend outside our windows. To watch the faces of the young and young-at-heart as they embrace the magic of families gathering and the waves of joy layering the room as gifts expected (and surprised) are revealed.

Let us all fully embrace the beauty of this season, honor its festive and joyous rhythm and reverence the  MAGNIFICENT MOMENTS  being given to us!

                                Marie Helena                                                                                             

For our experience to feel whole, our body must be allowed to permeate our experience, BE our experience, entirely. And our awareness must be released from living in our heads and allowed to flow into EVERYTHING.

Meredith Murphy

EXPECT WONDERFUL