There was no denying it – the bathtub drain was running slower and slower. We were headed for a full-out clog. It was time to call the plumber. 

The bell rang. I opened the door to see Sean, a plumber who does good work and has been to our home many times over the years. Sean’s a good guy, however, he’s not the happiest person and I recognized his kind of “down in the mouth” look. 

“Hey, Sean,” I said, “thanks for coming. How’re you doing?”

He looked at me with a wry expression and said, “Living the dream, Janet, living the dream…” 

I don’t think he really meant it…

Now, I can appreciate that having a job that involves clearing out people’s clogged plumbing – bathtubs, toilets, kitchen sinks – is NOT exactly a dream life. I know I certainly wouldn’t have the stomach to do what Sean does. 

I can also appreciate that doing this job day after day, year after year, is wearing on the spirit. 

I do, however, hope that Sean finds some satisfaction in doing what he does – because he brings such a valuable service to those of us who need plumbing help and haven’t the skill to do it ourselves. I am enormously grateful to him and to the other workpeople who have kept our plumbing running smoothly. 

Some of us might be “living the dream” in our work, but, like Sean, many of us might NOT be.  Hopefully, if our work is not our “dream,” there is still satisfaction to be found from some aspect of our work or somewhere in our lives. 

I believe SATISFACTION is vital to living fully, to knowing contentment and happiness. 

If our job doesn’t bring us that, perhaps something else in life does – like being a good friend or a helpful daughter to an aging parent, being that person who writes encouraging emails to someone who’s having a rough time, being the one who lets the driver in front of you off the hook for having cut you off. 

There are any number of ways, on different levels, of contributing to the goodness on the planet. 

There are any number of ways of being present and finding meaning. 

The poet Mary Oliver has some thoughts on this theme in one of her most oft-quoted poems: “The Summer Day.” [Read the poem here: https://poets.org/poem/summer-day

The poem ends “…what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?”

Mary Oliver asks what your plan is – which implies doing something in the future…

May I suggest we also consider that query in the present tense –”What AM I doing, who am I being? – in this moment, now! With my one wild and precious life?” 

This suggests thoughtful questions to consider in any for moment:

            Am I here? Am I present? 

            Present to the grasshopper, to the laughter, to my heart? 

“Living the dream” is available in each moment, if we are paying attention. 

As I walked my plumber Sean to the front door, thanking him for his work, he – uncharacteristically – took his phone out of his pocket and pulled up some pictures. Though we’d interacted many times over the years sharing something personal with me was a first for Sean. 

“This is my happy place,” he said, and showed me photos of where he’d spent the weekend up in New Hampshire. Images of the sunset on the lake, of the moon rising over the water appeared. They were beautiful, soulful photos. 

Sean does have spirit and beauty in his life – outside of his job. 

Let’s make sure we are all noticing where we’re “living the dream…” where spirit, meaning, satisfaction, beauty, wonder – the list goes on – where these qualities are present in our own precious lives. 

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Blessed Summer, we welcome you! 

Facing South, we bask in your light – your light which is literally vital to our existence, and which symbolizes so much: vitality, inspiration, Your radiant Presence. 

Through the cold and dark months of winter, we stood in faith as the daylight lengthened. Now, we call in that faith to sustain us as the daylight begins to shorten. 

Blessed Summer, we welcome you! 

Your light illuminates the truth of who we are, purifies us.  In the light, we look with honesty into the depths of our Essence. 

We stand in forgiveness for our tendency to forget that we are Essence, that we are connected to and one with the Divine. Ah, the wisdom of that knowing! The strength it brings! The peace! 

May we move through the season with alignment and flexibility.

May we willingly risk releasing ourselves into the next evolution of our soul’s development. 

May we stand with open arms in acceptance of the grace of the Divine. 

Blessed Summer, we welcome you! 

This blessing was created using the Angel card qualities drawn for participants in the June 22nd Summer Solstice Ritual and Sound Healing. Please join us in September for the Autumnal Equinox Ritual on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:30 (on Zoom).

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This blessing for spring was created from the angel card qualities (italicized) participants received at the Spring Equinox Ritual and Sound Healing. Please join us in June for the Summer Solstice Ritual on June 22nd.

Oh, Divine Spirit, we follow the light…we welcome Spring. 

We stand in celebration! The daylight equals the night! 

We have held the promise of light’s return with expectancy and appreciation for each increasing minute. We delight in the gentle turn of the season – the melting of the snow, the emergence of the green shoots of grass and flowers, the softer winds. 

Oh, Divine Spirit, we follow the light…we welcome Spring. 

Through our openness, we surrender what no longer serves.

We walk with acceptance of what is in our Highest Well Being.

We stand in truth and find the harmony therein. 

Oh, Divine Spirit,  we follow the light…we welcome Spring. 

Through our community, our sisterhood and brotherhood, we hold each other with respect, with tenderness in these challenging times. 

This Spring, may we move with energetic efficiency, in Alignment with our Highest Selves as we progress through the adventure that our Essence directs. What potential! What promise the light brings! 

We follow the light…we welcome Spring. 

Blessed Be! 

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Winter is here with her cold temperatures and short daylight. To bring balance, we are drawn to burn candles, drink hot tea, feel a blanket’s warmth. 

Spirit, Your Presence is here in this season. The preciousness of light inspires our appreciation of Your illumination and love. We wait with patience as the daylight gently increases and the shadows shorten. We trust the process and release resistance that holds us out of the moment. We know we risk discontentment if we do otherwise. 

It is begun…

Here is integrity, simplicity rather than complication, flexibility rather than rigidity. 

May we remember to play – build a snowman, read indulgently, nap at will. The freedom of spirit that accompanies such tenderness goes into the depths of our being. Communicationwith our Highest Selves brings discernment, forgiveness, obedience to our Soul’s alignment. 

We are purified as we step into a new season. We take joy and find humor in the moment. Thank you, Divine Spirit, thank you, Winter. 

It is begun…

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Fall brings an appreciation of abundance in all its glory.  

Yet stepping through the portal into a new season takes a certain courage, does it not? Change has its challenges, its risks. 

Summer’s freedom to step outside with ease begins to recede as we anticipate Fall’s chill and winter’s freeze. Our willingness is tested, our acceptance necessitated to remain in harmonywith Nature’s seasons. 

May we deepen our communication – with Source, with Nature, with ourselves and each other. 

May we forgive and release all that does not serve. 

May we stand in patience as the power of understanding and clarity illuminate our being and doing in each day. 

The start of a new season is a birth. May we gently grow into Autumm, hearts open with gratitude, love shared with all. 

Welcome, Fall! 

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Ah, Summer’s delight! 

We relish your long days and their gifts of time to relax, time to play. We treasure the clarity – both literal and metaphorical – that the bright light brings. 

Standing in this light, we are empowered to be in our Divine Essence, the highest vibration of all. 

May we use this season to release from the depth of our Being that which does not serve. May Nature’s sun and rain bring purification to each of us, to each other, to the good planet herself. 

May the sun’s Fire element spark our actions in alignment with the Divine as we support the healing that our world so badly needs. 

May this intensity be blessed with the balance of humor and contentment. 

Oh, Divine Spirit, may we move deliberately and purposefully through this season as a time of growth. May all that we cultivate culminate in autumn’s rich abundance. 

Ah, Summer’s delight…

This blessing was created with the Angel Card qualities (italicized) that were chosen by participants in the Summer Solstice Ritual and Sound Healing. Please join us in September for the Autumnal Equinox Ritual.

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We marvel at the light of Spring as it expands and overtakes winter’s darkness!

Stepping into a new season, even when a welcome change, takes consciousness, a sense of purpose, and courage. What will the new season hold? Are we up to the exploration that is invited, required?

We enter the process respectfully, honoring what has come before, what is held in promise. We connect with the sisterhood/brotherhood that we are as a community, holding ourselves and others with love and compassion.

May we release what isn’t serving. 

May we restore our “ability to respond” while acknowledging  our responsibilities. 

May we relax into the goodness of Essence, of the Divine.

Oh, Spring! Your beauty is a celebration of Nature at Her most glorious! 

We marvel, we delight, we make a joyful noise! 

Oh, Spring! 

This blessing was created from the qualities (italicized) chosen for the participants at the Spring Equinox Ritual & Sound Healing. Please join us in June for the Summer Solstice celebration.

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We have walked through the portal of seasonal change! Here we are!  

With patience, we settle into winter’s dreamtime and invite the vision of our potential to come into clarity. May the process be rich and well-paced in its efficiency – relaxed and spacious but not wasteful of time and energy.

May this dreamtime carry us to Spring and inspire the seeds we will ultimately plant in our energetic gardens.

 Throughout this season, it is our responsibility as Divine souls to share with others the powerof love, kindness, grace. May we experience and extend forgiveness. May we be in harmony with Spirit, ourselves, and others. 

May we know the courage to honor and be respectful of those with whom we disagree. May we seek to understand each other and find common ground in our humanity. 

With joy, with gratitude, with tenderness, we connect with Oneness.

Winter, we welcome you!

This blessing is based on the Angel card qualities (italicized) chosen by the participants in the Winter Solstice Ritual and Sound Healing. Please join us for the next seasonal ritual in March (date to be determined). 

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Do you like a good road trip? You know the drill – pack the car, load up some snacks, set the GPS and drive for the day (feeling clever along the way for saving money on airfare!). 

When do a road trip, do you use cruise control, that helpful autopilot mechanism that saves gas and conserves a little of your brain energy? 

I enjoy the occasional road trip and my husband and I did one recently. We drove 675 miles to Ohio – in one day – to visit family. It was a long drive, so we definitely used cruise control. When conditions were safe – dry roads, not too much traffic – automatic pilot kept our pace steady and freed up a little of our attention so that we could converse and listen to an entertaining recorded book. The miles flew by…

Autopilot is a great device for road trips. But I found myself thinking, “What about in my life? Am I living on autopilot?”

If so, that doesn’t feel so good.

I don’t want to live on autopilot – going through the motions, living life by rote or habit. I don’t want to be slightly removed from life’s richness. 

Last spring when I had Covid, one of my symptoms was a lessened sense of taste and smell. These dulled senses impacted my feeling of engagement with my physical environment and reminded me how important our senses are. 

Fortunately, my physical senses have been restored by and large. But what about the rest of life? What about the “senses of our consciousness,” those qualities that create and enhance our connection with life’s vitality, with our spirit?  

What are the senses of consciousness? For me, they include awareness, noticing, attentiveness, engagement, connection. The combination of these qualities adds up to vitality, life’s powerful force and energy that enrich each moment. 

Are we ever served by being on autopilot in our lives? Perhaps. When I’m feeling over-stimulated, for example, or doing a repetitive task, being a little dulled down mentally can be helpful. 

However, repetitive tasks might just be an avenue into the senses of consciousness rather than away. Instead of hurrying through raking the leaves or washing the dishes, these tasks can bring us into connection with the moment’s stillness. 

By being gently focused on one simple task/moment at a time, we might find ourselves feeling calm, stability, peace, even contentment. For that moment, we are present, not worrying about the future, not ruminating about the past. 

This centered place is the proverbial eye of the storm. Our life is swirling around us, but inside we are quiet, gathered, present. 

This central point is a good place to be and one which we’ve all experienced at times. How can we stay there longer, more continuously? How do we get ourselves back to it when we realize we’re not in that desirable place? 

The first key, as always, is noticing. Noticing brings awareness – that crucial step of consciousness that takes us out of autopilot and brings us back on the road to consciousness, to engagement. 

“How present am I?” Fully present? Hardly present at all? The aim is to at least get from somewhat present to more fully present. 

Once we notice where we are, we can use some practices – consciously – to return to fuller connection. 

The first tool is, perhaps, the most obvious and well-utilized tool – the breath. It’s interesting to note that this practice uses one of the body’s functions that basically operates on autopilot – to take us out of autopilot! 

A conscious, deep, cleansing breath is the super-highway back into connection, into calm. Try one right now and note the effect of even one breath. Amazing, isn’t it? 

A second practice is patting/tapping. In qi gong, patting all over the body stimulates the nerve endings and promotes blood flow. Gentle patting awakens the body and reminds us we are ina body! 

Tapping on meridian points (EFT – emotional freedom technique) also stimulates the body, mind and spirit and is used to awaken, to shift moods, even to change our learned behaviors. 

I use both of these techniques and also simply tap my third eye lightly to help me connect with my Higher Self’s viewpoint or tap my heart to remind me to stay heart-centered. 

Smile! This is another technique to awaken and come back into the moment. Do you ever walk by a mirror and notice that your face is devoid of affect? Completely neutral? Smiling – even a half smile – can return you to yourself and the moment. Dialectal Behavior Therapy uses smiling to help patients with depression, anxiety, and other concerns. 

Smiling helps me remember to enjoy the moment I’m in, to step away from being too serious, to appreciate my life. 

All of these practices are contained within your body, so you always have them at the ready. If you’re interested in an external tool, I suggest using a Tibetan singing bowl. The tone of this instrument calls you into yourself, into a deep place of inner calm. If you need a source, here’s a link to explore. 

Autopilot in your car eases some of the burden of a long drive. Autopilot in life means missing out on connection with life’s vitality and richness. Coming back to consciousness through the breath, through patting, smiling, through the tone of a singing bowl – we can easily step out of autopilot and back into engagement with life’s richness and centered calm. 

Cultivate your connection with your consciousness senses. You’ll find the drive along life’s highway a lot more interesting, satisfying, and full of vitality if you do. 

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There is certain trade-off in stepping into a new season. We are asked to practice surrender – leaving behind what we loved about the prior season while we readjust, acknowledge and embrace what we cherish in the new. 

Autumn brings cooler days and nights, softer daylight (all the more precious for its increasing brevity), the end of the growing cycle. It brings the abundant harvest, vibrantly colored leaves, cerulean blue skies. 

Through our consciousness, we are in communication with the Earth’s shifts and transformation. 

Through our consciousness, we can hold all with grace. 

Oh, Divine Spirit, through the birth of the new season, we experience our own internal change. In this moment of a new beginning, we stand in honest assessment of who we are and how we desire to be. 

We set our intention to be in alignment with our authenticity, our Essence. We invite wisdom and truth. We invite humor to help us smile and remain light-hearted. 

As we work, as we play, as we explore the journey of this season, may we know relaxation in all domains – the body, the mind, the spirit. Relaxation brings ease, effortlessness, flow. This is the path through these coming weeks and months. 

Divine Spirit, thank you for your Presence and for walking with us. We welcome and feel gratitude for this blessed new season.

 Welcome, Autumn! 

This blessing was created from the angel card qualities (italicized) drawn by the participants in the Autumnal Equinox Ritual & Sound Healing. September, 2024. Please join us for the Winter Solstice Ritual & Sound Healing in December. 

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