Category: Eco-Spirituality
The Anchor Point

The Anchor Point

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M 51–The Whirlpool Galaxy

“The stars serve as an anchor point of stability in a dangerous and ever-changing world.” This quote from The First Astronomers: How Indigenous Elders Read the Stars, sang in my mind last night as I stood beneath the blanket of twinkling beauty.

I don’t recognize the country that I dearly love. It has become a war zone of political insanity, with fear being the commodity propagated by the current administration. It’s unbearable to stay fully informed, but the small news bites I allow to filter through my boundaries, drive me deeper into the woods and cause me to linger longer under night skies absorbing the beauty and capturing it to share, with hope that it brings comfort to those who also need an anchor point of stability.

May we gather in beauty and celebrate it, in its many forms. It is possible, in that space of undeniable grace, that we may find each other again and come together in Oneness.

The First Astronomers: How Indigenous Elders Read the Stars by Duane Hamacher with Elders and Knowledge Holders.

Engaging in Transformation

Engaging in Transformation

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We are shifting. Consciousness is evolving. We are witnessing the breakdown of the old way of fear so that we can live from our hearts. Those that are wanting to amass more power and wealth are doing everything they can to create more for themselves. What they don’t realize is that the chaos they are creating is causing a massive awakening. And it’s scary.

Transforming the self takes hard work and the level of transformation we are going through is deep and powerful. Fears arise. Deeply rooted fears arise. The scariest things we’ve ever imagined began to stand beside us as we tremble. And yet, the way through this time is to dive deep into the shadows within ourselves, for in those shadows are found our most incredible gifts. Our inner treasures are hidden in those dark shadows. The question is, who is willing to journey there?

It comes in waves for me and I was doing pretty good by staying off social media (I don’t watch the news). Then there was a fire near my home…a big one…and I used social media to stay informed. Then I got back in the habit of scrolling. And this evening, I got triggered. 

You see, I work on a federal grant. The government does not fund the grant, though. Nursing homes that are fined for violations fund this grant and many others. Last week all applications for new grants funded thusly were frozen as well as extensions on current grants…which we were about to apply for. This program is funded by nursing homes for nursing home residents, to improve their quality of life. So, not a waste of money or funded by the federal government. It’s one of those programs that support our elders who are suffering in their later years. 

The post that triggered me listed more agencies and programs that are being gutted…service programs for the less fortunate. And fear arose.

So, I went outside and stood on the ground with bare feet and placed my hands on the bare earth and felt my feelings. And breathed. And asked for help.

My life has been about service…state park naturalist, mental health counselor, massage therapist, nature photographer and writer. And now, project coordinator for a nursing home grant. I’ve volunteered to help sea turtles, dolphins, manatees…have worked with children in environmental education and with children and adults as a fly fishing guide volunteer. I’ve picked up litter on beaches and along roads, and currently volunteer with the national park nearby. Most of the books I’ve created and published I’ve shared profits with environmental groups. It hasn’t been about amassing a fortune. It has and will always be about wanting to help others…people, animals, places.

My life has been focused on empathy. Something the current administration says is a weakness, a flaw. If this is so, I am horribly and magnificently flawed.

As I knelt under the new moon, I spoke out loud about my gifts and talents and my desire to serve and help in the massive awakening occurring on our beloved planet. I don’t know if my job will continue or if tomorrow, I’ll be without income. But I do know I came here to serve and share beauty, kindness, and compassion. And I will continue doing that, no matter what.

I’m engaging deeply in my own transformation and I’m here to help others who wish to engage with theirs. Reach out. You are not alone.
The Holy Grail of the Present Moment

The Holy Grail of the Present Moment

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There is a moss-covered log I love to visit when hiking one of the higher altitude trails in a nearby national park. It is within 30 feet of the heavily-used trail and the area is open around it, with trees but no underbrush. 

Each time I visit the tree, I sit on it, still my mind, and listen. I find myself merging into the energy of the forest. 

In the times I’ve paused there, I’ve watched as many, many people walk past. Thru-hikers on the AT, spring breakers, families, solo hikers. Loud, quiet, chatty. Never has anyone seen me…except for one child that was looking everywhere at the beauty. She smiled at me as if she understood exactly what was happening within me. She seemed to understand the forest’s magic, too.

When we become so focused on ‘getting there’ in our life, we totally miss the beauty all around us, the miracles that happen every day. Our destination becomes the holy grail, when the actual grail is found in every step. Every pause. Every detour. 

Perhaps the ultimate happiness and joy comes from letting go of the destination and surrendering to the magic of the present. The unfolding of little miracles that happen when we stop and know the power of every breath.
Spiraling Star Dust

Spiraling Star Dust

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M 81

I laid on the porch, gazing into the clear sky, as Orion slowly moved across the sky. In another area of the immenseness of space, my little smart telescope took 10 second exposures for 1 ½ hours of a small section of Ursa Major known as M 81 or Bode’s Galaxy.

The stars seemed to enhance the stillness of the evening as I allowed my mind to wander through constellations and galaxies. All chaos of the external world dropped away and the ‘I’ slowly dissolved into the vastness of the heavens.

I’m finding the night sky my haven, my place of refuge and safety, during these times of social discord and unrest. This quote I came up with sums it up for me:

The image I see on my iPhone–as the telescope works its magic–is below, but what I see when I look into the night sky is pure awe sprinkled with the stardust of Oneness.

If you want to know how the Hubble telescope sees in the M81 galaxy…..

M 81 is 11.6 million light years away and is a 6.9 magnitude spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. In the center is a black hole 70 million times the mass of the Sun. This image taken by Hubble uses visible light and infrared light. Ultraviolet light from hot, young stars is fluorescing the clouds of hydrogen gas. M 81 is 15 times the mass of the Milky Way, our home galaxy. Thanks to NASA for the information and image.

My images won’t be perfect. I do very little post-processing because I want more moments under the sky and less hours in front of a computer. Some amateur astrophotographers devote hours to stacking, color correcting and come up with lovely images and that’s their bliss. I’m super-grateful there are those who choose to push the boundaries of software and computers to show us even more beauty. I’ll just sit outside as long as I can with a far-away look in my eyes and an open heart to the magnificence of the Universe. That’s my bliss.
The 1.15am Alarm

The 1.15am Alarm

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Cloudy conditions were present when I went to bed, but my Atmospheric app insisted that by the time the lunar eclipse started, the sky would be clear. With complete trust, I set the alarm on my iPhone for 1.15am.

When said alarm gently awakened me, there was some grumbling perhaps akin to that of a black bear awakening in the spring. But I put on warm clothes and fleece-lined slippers and grabbed the telescope case and heavy tripod I left by the front door. The dogs joined me but only the hound decided to remain a faithful guard against mice rustling in the leaves of the woods or ‘possums ambling around outside the fence. My Buddy dog child returned to his warm bed inside the house.

The app was right. The sky was crystal clear and beautiful. The eclipse was already in process as I set up and fussed with the smart telescope a bit. It can be a bit sassy when I’m trying to hurriedly set up. There are always lessons in patience in astronomy.

Screen shot of what I see with the iPhone app while using the telescope

The Earth’s shadow gradually covered the full Moon and in that space of time, I became more joyful and filled with awe, a side-effect of watching objects in the night sky.

The end result was not only the beautiful, red color generated from the dance of the Moon and Earth. Millions of people came together in time and space to witness this wonder of Nature. In this time of chaos and conflict, that was perhaps a true miracle.