Tag: LIGHTWORK

Dream or Prophecy?

Dream or Prophecy?

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I awakened at 5am with the strangest dream of my life. This blog is about the relationship of humans and nature and ultimately, the dream is about that. I feel strongly compelled to share it as is recorded verbatim from my journal….here goes.

In the dream….“I went to a bank with my husband and three employees were very forceful about taking my money and putting it into a retirement account they recommended. I refused and two men, on the way out of the bank, grabbed us and tried to inject us with syringes filled with some white-pink thick substance. They got my husband on the first try. I escaped twice but on the third try they got me as well. The substance in the syringe made us helpless to refuse whatever they wanted. They separated us so we would fight less. They took us to some sort of facility where they regularly injected us until we were totally under their control. Over time I realized what was happening and became aware but pretended to still be brainwashed. Secretly I was planning to help release everyone from their bondage. The bank was keeping people brainwashed and hostage and taking all their money, having it diverted from personal accounts to these ‘retirement’ accounts. They had power over us because they kept us separate from those we loved on the inside and outside.”

Dream continued, “As time went by I saw others, just a few, who worked there, keeping us in this brainwashed bondage. I would look into their eyes and know if I could trust them. If their heart was evident in their gaze it was easy to see. If not, I’d quickly glance away so they wouldn’t suspect I was aware, awake and trying to start an internal revolution to free us all. For the ones who were awake and had hearts of compassion, I would whisper things like–‘you know this is wrong’ and ‘help us end this madness.’

And more dream….One day, enough of us decided to overthrow the system. Outside authorities came, knights of honor in present day time. Inside we fought back until all the gates were opened. Those still confused and ‘asleep’ and unaware were being helped. I was working to find records of what they did to people. Each person had a card with their photo, assets and how they’d been brainwashed. I grabbed handfuls as evidence and also to help deprogram those still under the bank’s sick spell.

Dream continues….I saw a line of people being shuffled out and my husband was there. They had been using him for physical labor, working him to death. He didn’t recognize me or know me but followed me when I approached him. He, like so many others, was completely under their spell.

During the chaos of breaking free and simultaneously being rescued, I awakened (physically) and got out my journal to write all of this exactly as it happened in the dream. My commentary follows.

I think this is what is happening to us in the world. We are brainwashed by banks and corporations to give them our money which they use for their own gain–to get richer and richer at any cost. Our financial system, our economy is the root cause of inequality, injustice, pollution, war, famine…..our economy and the ‘gain as much as possible at any cost’ mentality threatens to annihilate all life on our planet. Until we become aware and stop blindly accepting doses of the poison they feed our minds, we are slaves to a system that ultimately is failing everyone, everything.

After this dream, I feel inspired to call for an internal revolution of awareness and awakening so that we become the masters of our own lives and our economy can shift from one that takes and takes and leaves only poison for us and the planet, to an economy that operates on the principles of life-sustaining practices. Joanna Macy says this, “Dire predictions notwithstanding, we can still act to ensure a livable world. It is crucial that we know this: we can meet our needs without destroying our life-support system….To choose life means to build a life-sustaining society. ‘A sustainable society is one that satisfies its needs without jeopardizing the prospects of future generations.'” (Last quote by Lester Brown). A life-sustaining society operates within the carrying capacity of its life-support system, regional and planetary, both in the resources it consumes and the wastes it produces.”

What kind of world do you want? It is a choice each of us makes every day by the choices we make.

This is what it looks like when profit-at-any-cost rules our world. I believe we can do better. What about you?

To order my books on nature including adventures in nature, photography and children’s books, please visit my website, Turtle Island Adventures.

Hope for the Earth…The “Untouchables” Start to Crumble

Hope for the Earth…The “Untouchables” Start to Crumble

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The past three mornings, while paddling my SUP board, I’ve had thoughts of hope for the Earth. A shift is occurring. Can you feel it? Excitement and joy filled me each morning as I thought of the old paradigm breaking apart to birth the new. Read on to find out why I’m feeling especially hopeful.

Mega-corporate entities seem to run our nation….maybe even the world. They dictate environmental policies, avoid paying taxes on things such as corporate jets, donate unlimited amounts of money to political candidates who will vote in their favor, tap private phones of unsuspecting citizens to get scoops, tell the USA government how many barrels of oil flowed into the Gulf of Mexico (not the other way around), determine which mountain top to remove for coal, ignore safety of communities…I could be here a while listing the ‘sins’ of some corporations. The point is this–corporations, with their profit-at-any-cost mind-set, are destroying the planet and anyone or anything that happens to get in their way. I’ve wondered how we move from this model of destruction and exploitation (Earth as commodity–Joanna Macy) to one of creative synergy.

I recognize the truth that what we hold in our minds, we bring into being. I was puzzled over how we could hold a collective vision of creating a better world when some of these mega corporations seem to have us all in a strangle-hold.

Enter the Rupert Murdoch empire’s struggle to stay afloat amid allegations of corruption that could destroy Mr. Murdoch’s castle, one newspaper at a time. Estimated to be worth over $7.6 BILLION, he was listed as the 13th most powerful person in the world in 2010. Owner of FOX News, the conservative television news channel that routinely (and outright) stretches the truth to undermine their liberal brothers and sisters, Mr. Murdoch is watching as CEO’s under him resign, get arrested, or worse. Illegal activities do not always go unnoticed and even corporations like Mr. Murdoch’s must abide by a moral, legal and ethical code…at some point. The breaking point seems to be when enough people say NO MORE!!

Both sides of the media report stories with their own bias. We tune in and swallow the hook. We collectively create our world based on what we see and hear and then….what we believe. Maybe this is a signal, a sign….a blazing star hovering over the planet…saying, “THINK FOR YOURSELVES!! Don’t believe everything you see just because it is on the news!”

Joanna Macy calls this time the Great Unraveling or the Great Turning. We are undergoing a shift from seeing the Earth as a commodity to understanding the Earth as a dynamic, living system–of which we are a part.

I’m not celebrating the crumbling of a mega-corporation; however, I am celebrating the absolute fact that even the wealthiest among us are not exempt from moral, ethical and legal codes (if enough of us say, no more!). For all the other reckless corporations…I’m sure we can think of many oil and gas companies, financial institutions and more…it’s a message: Shape up! And for those of us trying to envision a better world, we can use what Joanna Macy calls our moral imagination to see what isn’t here yet–the harmonious world we wish to create– as well as what is here–oil spills, violence, nuclear melt-downs, poisoned humans, wildlife, lands.

We CAN create a better world and it begins with our ability to use our imaginations to see this world of love, light, environmental balance, harmony, peace. We simply have to be able to envision this and recognize that the old choke-hold on our planet by mega-corporations is starting to crumble. It’s okay for the old, destructive ways to unravel. They have to go: greed, power, wealth at any cost. We can create something better. “Allow yourself to be surprised by what you can actually build within the shell of the old,” says Joanna.

This is a time of empowerment for the collective, a time of awakening and realizing that we really can develop our capacity to love life. This is not a time to remain quiet or sit in the background but rather a time to allow our voices to rattle the heavens with love for the planet, each other and all life on Mother Earth. As we build a unified vision of the positive, we will experience first-hand the shifting of paradigms. This is a wondrous time to be alive.

Finding Center

Finding Center

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I just spent a week unplugged from the internet, email, Facebook, my iPhone, TV, and radio. On my recent dive trip to Bonaire I made a conscious decision to let go of my electronic connection to the world in order to facilitate a deeper connection to the Earth. What a lesson this provided…and a healing.

My first couple of days found me unable to connect with the beauty, the amazing life found on this beautiful desert island and under the saltwater surrounding it. It felt like a part of me was missing-in-action. The intensity of the past year of documenting the oil spill and recovery at the Gulf Coast had created so much grief and anger within me…about how humans treat the planet, how we are greedy, and put money ahead of almost everything. Swimming in the sea of dark emotions was blocking me from diving into the bliss of the ocean.

After my first dive, I sat on the patio in silence with a feline friend that adopted me. She curled up in the chair next to me and closed her eyes. I followed her lead and dove into the silence within myself. As I sat in stillness–breathing in, breathing out–I started to come home to my own skin. I found my center. And it was good.

Who will act as the shaman that helps retrieve a lost piece of the soul?

The next day I revisited a dive site that has special meaning for me. A few years ago, in the silence of the blue, I had a very life-changing experience there that I wrote about in Sharks On My Fin Tips.

“Lost in my blue-water reverie, I let my mind flow in sync with the movement of the water….Everywhere I looked life was evident…As I moved, I absentmindedly started to hum a tune….It seemed to come from my heart…..The more I droned, the stronger the emotion became until I felt a constriction in my throat. The sensation was so strong I had to stop humming and take a deep breath. When I halted I heard an answering refrain from somewhere outside myself. Without hesitation I knew it to be the song of the Ocean. The consciousness of the Mother Ocean was reaching out to me, tapping my heart with Her liquid fingers. It was Her song I had been singing….I hung motionless in the water column, overcome with the sweetest love I had ever felt.” (pages 142 & 143 condensed).

Even after four years, the memory of my experience was strong as I floated in bliss, surrounded by saltwater, surrounded by love.

Later that day I visited the south end of the island. The power of the surf was strong. I stood on sharp rocks breathing in the beauty, the strength of the Ocean. Once again, I felt Her reach out with saltwater fingers and touch me. In that moment I felt as if I truly came home to myself. I raised my arms and accepted Her gift. Rock me in your loving arms Great Mother. Thank you.

So the week continued, with each day bringing new experiences that provided a pathway to my center. Tomorrow I will write about the sea turtle ballet I participated in, but now it is time to unplug.

Everyday People Making a Difference

Everyday People Making a Difference

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When Bon Secour diesel mechanic John Sherman heard of the oil spill last spring, he began wondering what he could do to help. He had lived around the water and worked on boats for most of his life and knew what was at stake with such a devastating disaster. He told his wife Linda, “I can help clean up this oil.”

So an idea began to form in John’s mind and the result was a skimmer that can work in shallow water and worked so well the US Coast Guard, Department of Defense and even BP got excited. John and Linda applied for a patent and negotiated with a corporation that was set to purchase several and mass produce them to use in spills all over the country. Then before the Deepwater Horizon was capped, BP pulled the plug on all skimming operations and cancelled the order.

But it hasn’t stopped John and Linda. They believe their skimmer can be used in small marinas, along shorelines where boat traffic is heavy, and in any inshore, shallow water where everyday fuel and oil spills occur. And that is often, according to statistics on oil spills. Their vision is for the skimmers to be used as a method to improve and maintain water quality.

Leo Denton, a resident of Dauphin Island, Alabama, is working to bring the environmental and eco-spiritual aspect of the spill to the forefront. His passion and love of the water and land around south Mobile county and his desire to bring people together in community is an effort he is putting forth to heal the spiritual wound created by the spill and to educate others on the healing process of the environment.

Lori Bosarge, in Coden, Alabama, is working to help others in the commercial seafood industry. She is networking with others to raise awareness of illnesses beginning to increase due to crude oil and dispersant. From personal experiences related to toxic exposure, she is reaching out to others.

While kayaking between Dauphin Island and Little Dauphin Island today, I thought about the many individuals who are working to bring awareness to the needs of the communities along the Gulf Coast, including the community of wildlife and marine life who are deeply loved here. Independent scientists, diesel mechanics, artists, university instructors, photographers, chiropractors, teachers, writers, salon owners, print shop owners, marketing strategists….the list really is endless. And even readers of this blog, by reposting and sharing it, are working to bring light to the plight of the Gulf Coast.

As we share information and learn to work cooperatively, we really can make a difference. We can change the destructive path we’ve been on and create a better way. This happens with everyday people that choose to reach out, stand up and share from their heart.

Breath of Spring

Breath of Spring

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The morning started with my usual walk down and back up the mountain. After breakfast, I was opening the door to the deck to add some orange peels to the ‘compost.’ I saw two turkey hens. Then four…no six….no eight! I ran and got the turkey call box my brother made. Just two tries and a resounding GOBBLE!!! came from another direction. WHAT?!!?! I tiptoed across the deck and beheld two beautiful, puffed-out tom turkeys strutting after the hens. All of this was happening within ten feet of my deck. I felt lifted by the beauty of the morning.

After bursts of energetic laughter, I came upstairs to work. But my thoughts turned to a beautiful connection I have made recently, another soul on the path of service to the Earth… and then to Joanna Macy’s words that I heard last night on the radio. It felt as if doors were flying open in my heart and mind with the fresh, warm, spring breezes.

I reflected back to last Sunday. I sat at my computer working on prints for an upcoming exhibit. I received a notice on FaceBook that Malidoma Patrice Some was speaking in five minutes at a local bookstore. After two minutes of arguing with myself about whether to go, it felt like hands pushing me out of my chair, away from my desk. I ran downstairs, leaving the printer working.

I arrived 15 minutes late but just in time to see him stand and begin his teaching. Many things he said spoke to me, especially about ancestors and remembering the help we have from the realm of Spirit. He said by virtue of becoming aware of Spirit, we are qualified to do the work we came here to do. We have to ask for help and be specific.

During the past year of documenting the oil spill and recovery, I knew that I was doing the work, was on task and fulfilling my purpose. But how far did the Work reach out into the world? Was anybody listening? So I decided to put into practice what Malidoma suggested and ask for help. I was specific about needing doors opened so the Work could move out into the world. That was a week ago.

Yesterday, in Atlanta, I met with two of the guys that are participating in the Spirit of the Gulf Coast project. I thought I heard echos of universal laughter as we shared ideas about creating Work that moves out into the world to help people recognize the beauty of Earth and love our planet more. The two meetings we had caused me to return to Asheville later than usual. Because of this ‘divine timing,’ I heard an interview on NPR, while driving, with Joanna Macy that grabbed my attention. She said some of the EXACT words that Brandon and I had shared at our meetings. And to bring this story full circle, this morning I dove into Joanna’s website with an appetite like a starved soul. She shows the way to put into action what I have dreamed of and prayed for over the past year.

I feel as if I can breathe again. Spring has entered into my consciousness. I asked the ancestors to open doors and they were ripped from their hinges with joy and light! Joanna Macy says that we are experiencing The Great Turning, a point where people are awakening and turning toward caring and loving the Earth and each other. We are alive during this wondrous shift of consciousness. We are aware of the horrors being done to the planet now, and in the past, and we are coming together to make a difference. We are collectively beginning to realize, in the web of life, everything is interdependent.

For the doors that are opening, I am grateful. For new connections with kindred spirits, I am grateful. People are hearing the call to help the planet and we are finding each other. We are becoming catalysts for each other. Joanna said that this is a time to join with others of like-mind, to do what we cannot do by ourselves, to understand with others what we cannot understand by ourselves. I find peace in knowing just how true those words are as they echo through my mind, my heart, the depths of my being.

© Simone Lipscomb 2024