Category Archives: labyrinth

Communication

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Every so often you get to have an unforgettable experience.  Just about every visit to the retreat provides a different kind of experience and there is a wonderful opportunity to learn from each of them.

With the warmer weather, one keeps an eye out for reptiles but I haven’t seen any for some time. Over the nearly two years, I have seen just two, a black snake and a brown snake – neither close to the cottage.  With that in mind, I was sitting near the fire pit reading and enjoying the spring sunshine  when a movement caught my eye.

Immediately, the primal instincts kicked in and yes, I froze.  Having had a meter long snake slither under my chair at Mataranka, I was hoping that this was not going to be a replay.

I looked up. Two beady eyes were fixed on me. A long forked tongue darted in angoanna snipd out of the mouth and then I noticed it had legs…… a Goanna!

A mental sigh of relief and keeping as still as possible, I reached for the camera in the chair pocket. It turned its head to look at me and we sat and stared at each other for what seemed to be an age. Keeping in mind that goannas have been known to think humans are trees and climb them, I decided to remain still and wondered how long we would stare at each other…

Breathe…… that’s what I tell clients to do all the time! Then curiosity got the better of me, I started to wonder about the metaphysical message of Goanna, knowing that I would have goannato wait until I returned to the city for reliable internet access. We continued to stare at each other for a little longer and I thanked it for coming to visit, whereupon it got up and ambled off, looking very much like a small crocodile, and disappeared under the fence into the bush property behind the retreat.

The message I took from that encounter, before I looked up the symbolism, was the need for stillness.  Having spent the previous 6 weeks or more with pneumonia, I had been in an altered state of consciousness for some time. Priorities have changed and I am again drawn back to the metaphysical and energy healing that has been a part of my journey this far.

It was to be a couple of weeks before I could return and with high temperatures forecast for the next week or so, it was important to help the oak tree seedlings with their survival. Deep, slow watering every couple of weeks will help to encourage them to do their best.  Each tree is planted in well aged compost from the toilet and the sawdust will help to break down the heavy clay as well retain some moisture around the roots.

Shepherd Crook labyrinthWith energy levels a little higher on this visit, having had some acupuncture and homeopathic treatment, I managed to tidy up the little labyrinth in no time at all.

This is a “Shepherd’s Crook” labyrinth and what I love about it, is that there is a choice of how to get to the centre. This allows time to ask a question and instinctively take the right or left path. I didn’t have the heart to remove the pigface or trees and one has to maneuver around them.

Later that afternoon, I took my book to the fireplace and settled down to catch up on some esoteric reading, when I heard a whoosh and looked up to see a wedgetail eagle swooping into the tree above me. The feathers on its belly and the detail on the wings were clear as it flew out of the sunlight….. Eagle flying in from the sunthen there was a little thud as it seemed to crash into the canopy above and then it was gone, but continued to circle.

I quickly got my phone out and pressed video…… trying to capture the moment but unable to track it properly because of the position of the sun. It made several circles and it was then that I realized that it was looking for the bird that had fallen but would not land because humans were there.  A sudden movement caught my eye and I found a tiny pardelote fledgling in the leaf litter with the bull ants already sensing this was their next meal. IMG_3629

I caught it and pulled the ants off, but there was no hope of getting high enough to put it back into the nest. It hopped around for some time and I did put it into a tree, but it soon fluttered back down to the ground. All I could do was to leave it and hope that it developed enough strength in its tiny wings to get back to the nest.

Whilst all this was going on, various small birds gathered, including this robin who perched about a metre away and kindly stayed still long enough for a photo to be taken!

There is a great sense of wonderment with the metaphysical meanings of the various creatures that appear at the retreat and combined with the strange and often historical nature of the dreams that occur whilst there, I am curious to find out more about the history of the area. Watching the seasonal changes is a great lesson in awareness and whilst it would be easier to use chemicals to control some of the weeds and artificial fertilizers to enhance the soil, I remain committed to organic  or permaculture practices.

 

 

 

New Moon

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I was curious about what time the New Moon energy was coming in, so on the trip up to the retreat, I checked the Moon Phase app on my phone (& no, I wasn’t driving at the time). It was the 15th at 11.19am….. I checked the clock and it was 11.19am….. an auspicious start to the weekend with such a synchronicity!

Arriving at the retreat it was apparent that not much rain had fallen over the last 2 weeks, so the small tanks had not yet refilled. In the quest to fill the main concrete tank since the repair, which seems to have held up, we empty the smaller tanks into it on a regular basis in the hope that we won’t have to buy water over next summer. Every little bit helps.

With no major projects scheduled for this visit, I found a spot out of the breeze and sat down to write my new moon manifestation journal. As I meditated, I became more aware of the birdlife and occasionally could hear a ruffle of tiny feathers and catch a glimpse of the robin family as they went about their daily activities. Having completed my page, I made my way to the labyrinth, where it was pleasing to see no more digging by the local rabbit and the rose bush was relatively OK. A little frost burn on the top shoot, but some fat and healthy buds lower down. Hard to say what the Oak tree is doing  as all the others are looking very dormant too.

Labyrinth wattleThe two wattle trees in the labyrinth are just about to burst into bloom and one has some interesting galls on it. Love the pattern of the budded flower, reminding me of the Fibonacci numbers!

The yellow wattles surrounding the labyrinth had a quiet hum as the bees made the best of the pollen. This walk was slower than usual, focusing on each ring and visualizing the chakra colours as I progressed. Every so often, time to pause and move a stone on the path into the channel or small ditch that defines the outline.

Reaching the centre, I re-read the journal entry, slowly tore it into strips and then lit it, allowing the paper ash to be caught in the gentle breeze, carrying my words and pictures away. As I watched, I made the conscious intention to let go and let the universe take care of my requests.

Meditating in the centre, I was startled by the bang of a shed door on the neighbouring property. What seemed like an instant later, a large kangaroo burst out of the surrounding wattles into the space in front of the labyrinth, followed by a couple of smaller roos and 2 joeys. They paused…. I paused…. The larger kangaroos hopped off, leaving the little ones no further than 3 metres away and we looked at each other for a few more seconds…. an amazing moment ….then they were gone.

Next morning I went for a walk in the “Wild area” and found a spot which I think might be suitable for a “secret” labyrinth. It’s close to a rocky outcrop, so not far to move some stones to outline it. Perhaps a small 3 ring Cretan style labyrinth…… I’ve already got sites in mind for  a big 30m Chartres style and a Celtic style triskele walk.

I’ll keep you posted…….

Re-arranging the Labyrinth

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hole for rose bush in centre of labyrinthA family of rabbits has moved into the area and have been engaged in some major earthworks in and around the labyrinth, the last few months.

No warren sighted yet, but I’m keeping a look out.

However the earthworks in the photo are of my doing!

The Oak tree which showed great promise before being munched down a couple of times was moved over the weekend to stand at the entrance to the labyrinth and a rose bush has been installed in the centre.  Hopefully the thorns will deter the animals, but next trip I will put up some wire to keep it safe.

With the recent rains and the previous application of gypsum, the soil is much easier to dig now and two large holes were preparouter ring and centre redefineded with compost for the plants.

I also took the opportunity to redefine the outlines, removing all traces of the holes that the rabbits made digging out the sage and the garlic plants.

Eventually, there will be something that is not palatable for them. Perhaps they enjoy something a little more exotic than the lush green grass that is starting to sprout!

Another refurbishment of sorts happened with the toilet system.

A “wee diverterWee diverter” arrived and a new toilet was built for me, with the wee now diverted into a pit filled with rocks and ant sand.

As with all projects, nothing is simple although the finished toilet is practical and “throne like”.  Lucky we are tall and there isNew toilet installed a small platform or step being built for shorter people who might visit.  The kit came with the diverter and a polystyrene seat and lid – a little different to the standard toilet seat, but nice for winter!

compostingBuckets are sourced from the local takeaway shop in the city and the sawdust from the local sawmill in Rushworth. Permanent marker is not so permanent in the hot summer sunshine and tags made from aluminum cans with the dates scratched in are attached to the handles. The buckets are sealed for a minimum of 12 months before being used as a soil improver for the ornamental (deciduous) trees that I have been planting.

Collecting seeds is now one of my interests and there’s a shed full of empty pots to start another forest. Currently I’m waiting to see if another 3 oaks have germinated, and have some seed trays with Japanese Maple seeds in them.

Just recently, I gathered some Sheoak seeds and they are ready to plant.  Peppercorns have been sown directly into the soil along a fence line and it will be interesting to see what happens with them. I have asked for some nuts from a friend whose mother has a small orchard, but am thinking that the cockatoos will decimate them.

Next major project is to mend the horizontal fence.  More than a dozen of the old wooden posts have either rotted or been knocked down by kangaroos on their travels and along the length of the the fence is the local phone line. With more than half a kilometre of fence to repair, at this stage ….while the ground is soft… I’m going to get a dozen or so star pickets and put them alongside the fallen posts and wire the fencing to them. At least that will give the illusion of an upright fence!

 

The Outer Circle

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Moving out aswalking ring 3 1st Chakra if in a centrifuge, the next ring walked is the outermost circle. This Chakra is where we identify how we present to the world.

The colour associated with this chakra is red; vibrant and masculine; energetic and in its opposite – slothful. This is about the physical nature of the walk…the longest ring where the eye which still needs to focus on the path, cannot help but be drawn to the space at the centre. The Base Chakra is about our physical, earthly functions, our base instinct for survival and tribal in nature. Here we are challenged to throw off the veils of illusion and to release energetic blocks in the body, and one therapy that works well with balancing this earth energy (as well as all the other elements) is Polarity Therapy.

An Earth element balance looks at the relationship between the neck, colon and knees, all of which can get out  of balance with the stress of meeting our basic survival needs. Fear is the undercurrent to this imbalance and the positive polarity is courage. Fear contracts us, both in the physical and emotional. Too much and we become frozen or immobilized, our thoughts and emotions become narrow and rigid.

Little wonder then, that this is the longest path….allowing us to become grounded in the physical reality of placing each foot in front of the other. It is important to move in a balanced way…not  to “plod”, lest our thinking become limited, nor to step so lightly that our energies seem spaced out.  There is a fine line to walk here.  We depend on the earth for so many things as well as the “grounding” energies…. for food, buildings and more. …. and then we step into the next ring and discover the energy and qualities of the next chakra…….

To find out more about the seven session Labyrinth of Life program and to experience the therapies call or use the web enquiry to find out more…..

Walking the Second Ring

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After entering the labyrinth and accepting that one is neither starting the journey from the outside in or in the actual centre the journey continues by moving outwards to the second ring. ThWalking the 2nd ring 2nd Chakrais corresponds to the second or Sacral Chakra and is orange in colour. Here we start to feel the responses to the feelings of those around you and translate the spiritual messages behind the feelings.

The orange is energising, but unlike the red of the Base Chakra, is more feminine in nature.  Orange stimulates our creative talents and whilst we are all familiar with its positive attribute of joy, the negative attributes are pride and over ambition. This is the path of our psyche, where we want to share our passions, dreams and desires. With the combination of emotions and feminine energy it is hardly surprising that this ring and chakra are related to the moon. Emotions experienced on this ring may be associated with either an abundance or lack of joy with relationships.

Reiki is the ideal therapy to use with this chakra, it is non religious and free from dogma and helps gently resolve unconscious emotions. As you walk this part of the path, become aware of the location of the Sacral Chakra, just below the navel.  Get a sense of whether it feels light or heavy and take note of any emotions that may come up. If you feel confronted by them, slow down, breathe…. trust and release……tears mean that you have connected with the water element…….

 

The Labyrinth of Life

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Weaving the wisdom of the chakras with walking a 7 ring Cretan style labyrinth has been an interesting journey in itself.  Walking the labyrinth at the solstice gave me an insight as to how I might also utilize the different therapies that I have studied into one program.

Walking the labyrinth is a reflective process and what better place to start is by entering the labyrinthFirst circle 3rd Chakra and immediately finding ourselves within the circles…. not at the centre, but not yet having walked the outer rings.  This can be somewhat disconcerting as the mind then begins to wander and think about where the journey may go.

It’s about letting go and trusting in the journey, because there is no way to get lost within the labyrinth. Whatever emotions come up are those that we need to pay the most attention to.

So the journey begins…. discovering that this corresponds with Solar Plexus Chakra which is in the centre of the body like a radiant sun. This is the seat of our personal power…. the yellow colour is thought to strengthen the nervous and the immune systems.  It is closely linked to our emotional life, creativity and our self esteem. It’s  about courage and power and your ability to succeed in the wider world.

Are you holding onto any unconscious or unhelpful beliefs that are holding you back? If so, then Hypnotherapy will be of service to you!

The spiritual message of the colour yellow is to trust and be guided by your intuition. Because of it’s association with the sun, the element is fire and this may be exhibited with the emotion of anger or resentment.  The opposite of this is forgiveness and letting go making this an ideal place to begin…..

Winter Solstice

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The intent was to celebrate as close as possible to the Winter Solstice…. there are people who get  a little pedantic about actual time.  According to a site I checked, actual time would be on Monday 22nd at 2.39am and I wasn’t going to be at the retreat, let alone getting up at that time of the morning in the frosty weather!

For a couple of months we have been gathering bushes that were taken off the fence lines and carting them to a central site. Winter Solstice bonfire ready to go  Very aware that the biddy bush is highly flammable, the fire trailer was topped up with water from the dam and parked nearby.

It was decided to light the fire on the Saturday afternoon, so that we had time to tend to the ashes and coals in daylight. The last bonfire took about 6 hours to look after and was fortunately in a damp area where the dam overflows.  This year has been very dry and we wanted to make sure no sparks blew over our neighbour’s property which is covered in these bushes.

First flame at 3.45pm
First flame at 3.45pm
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Around the 5 minute mark, we had to move the fire trailer as the heat from the fire was so intense that the metal was too hot to touch and the plastic IBC tank was in danger of melting.  A new appreciation for the CFA crews who have to attend fires in this area!! The fire burned so quickly that there was very little left in the way of coals  and what did remain was raked to the centre and checked on a regular basis. Just barely warm ash remained by Sunday morning which was very frosty and the temperature hovering around -1C.

I had already walked the big labyrinth after we arrived on Saturday,  which is located just behind the bushes near the bonfire pile, in preparation for the Winter Solstice. I noticed that the recent rainsOrbs, rainbows, spirits and sprites had left water in the plinth in the centre, and the kangaroos and hares had finished off what was left of the sage – even to the extent of digging up the roots they had left from their previous feasting.

It wasn’t until later in the week, when I downloaded the photos of the bonfire that I noticed that the orbs were about…

Our guest for the evening arrived and it was time to start cooking on the campfire nearer the cottage. Foil wrapped potatoes and beetroot and a lamb roast. The temperature was dropping rapidly and even though there were some bigger logs on this fire and the stars were magnificent to look at, there came a time when it was prudent to retreat to the warmth inside.

Next morning was Solstice morningcold.

The water in both the handwashing basin and the centre plinth of the labyrinth was frozen and the big labyrinth looked magnificent in its frosty glory. Small Shepherds Crook labyrinth

Even by 10am the temperature had barely moved above 0C, so there was nothing else to do except keep walking…. this time in the smaller labyrinth near the shed.  No surprises what turned up in the photo!

 

 

The Labyrinth of Life

Abundance, balance, Education, Energy, Hypnotherapy, labyrinth, Polarity Therapy, , ,

Over the long weekend I stayed home alone and wandered along the Spiral Path. I was drawn to do this as it can be as private or public as I choose it to be. The course appealed to me as whilst I have  a couple of physical labyrinths to walk and some finger labyrinths to play with, there still seemed to be something missing. Some of the journalling prompts are challenging, but that’s the purpose. Continue reading The Labyrinth of Life →

Patience

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A couple of roos loose in the top paddock“Be patient, all things move as the timing requires. Quiet your mind, take time to be with yourself with no expectations or push. Do not be anxious for results, but enjoy the gentle journey. In your busy world, do not be rushed or allow the impatience of others to push you into hasty actions.

All things come to those who wait….patiently!”  Treasures from Tikashi

Back in the city, I miss the quiet time of the retreat and find myself getting impatient with not having developed it as quickly so as to have guests to stay in comfort and share the experience. The contrast between country and city couldn’t be greater.

Spending time in reflection, quite a lot has already been achieved and lessons learned. There has been the clearing of the flammable weed that covered much of the property and a maintenance schedule to prevent it from taking over again is being developed.

My first Labyrinthpriority was to build a labyrinth to set the energy for the property and that has been done. Again it needs maintenance on a regular basis as the weather and wildlife tend to blur the outline. The addition of gypsum last September has made digging the clay so much easier! Next project on the list for the labyrinth area is to set up some termite proof seating and shelter.

After the trial of garlic (enjoyed by the wildlife), I spent a few months germinating sage seeds and potting them up to plant.  A couple of sage plants had been put in last Easter and were left untouched for the rest of the year, so I thought that this would be a suitable plant to grow. Sage ready to plantA mixture of pot sizes and some stunted seedlings made the trip up to the retreat for an Easter planting. I decided to put them into the centre arms and entrance to create a fragrant addition. Planting out some 20 pots took a little longer than expected, and being able to use the water from the fire trailer to water them in saved carrying 20 litre buckets across the paddock! Rain was forecast and I was confident that they would happily adapt to their new home. Research was done on other rabbit/hare proof herbs and I looked forward to checking up on them at the next visit.

Orbs on approach to labyrinth On the next visit, most of the plants were pruned to the roots….only the tiniest, most straggly seedlings that I thought wouldn’t survive remained. Coming back to that word….

Patience……

I planted out a rosemary cutting with strong roots that I put in the plant carrying box at the last minute. It will be interesting to see if the kangaroos and hares find rosemary palatable as well….

The Easter holiday was a hive of activity.  Building, mowing, digging, planting trees and sage, not to mention watching the Lunar Eclipse on the Saturday evening. Orbs at the eclipseThe skies were clear, just a little chilly, but bearable if rugged up well. The banana lounges were employed usefully and we were able to recline without getting a crick in the neck that one gets from star-gazing whilst sitting in a chair.  Various photos of the eclipse were taken, but a better quality camera or lenses are required for future photos of the moon, stars and planets, but good enough to record the orbs that appeared!

The aging tractor doesn’t fit into the large shed, so an extension or “tractor port” was planned aOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAnd the wood delivered just before the Easter holidays. Tall enough to accommodate the tractor, long enough to fit the slasher it will have a skillion roof to add more rainwater to the dwindling levels of water in the big concrete water tank.

Friends arrived to help out with the building and were duly fed lunch for their efforts. Another friend stayed on to help with the mowing.  The same friend helped out with digging holes in the hard clay soil to plant out some oak tree saplings that I have grown from seed.  They were settled into the soil with well aged compost from the toilets and securely staked and tree guards put around them. Time was taken out to visit the Easter Parade in Rushworth and there was lots to see, but it was good to get back to the relative quiet of the retreat.

A walk around the boundary was a great opportunity to find some small treasures. A tiny nest that had blown out of a tree. Looking more closely, the enterprising birds (they could have been Pardalotes, Blue Wrens or Robins) had visited the main area and used threads from the Tibetan prayer flags that are placed around the communal fireplace.

Tiny Town labyrinthDuring the last visit, I spent some time re-visiting my labyrinth books and came across an unusual design, based upon a shepherd’s crook. As I gazed out of the shed whilst sheltering from a brief shower, I realized this would fit in an area that I had previously considered for putting in a raised garden bed. I marked it out with a tree stake and yes, it just fitted!red and green energy in new labyrinth Out came the shovel and the outline was dug into the ground and then the leaves raked to clear a pathway. This will be a low maintenance labyrinth, with just a quick rake to be able to walk it. Photos were duly taken and some interesting artifacts appeared on the bottom of the second photo. It was a series of 3 photos taken in quick succession and the second one shows a green circle at the bottom and the third, no artifacts……

Back to the city…. and a friend asks when there will be more accommodation…… back to the start of the post….. patience!

It’s evolving.

Slowly, like the oak trees that have gone in. They may not be of use in what’s left of my lifetime, but I planted them with the future in mind.

 

 

Oh My!

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A New Moon in Pisces, the Autumn Equinox and a total solar eclipse in the Northern Hemisphere……

So many articles are available on the web to read about this, ranging from the scientific explaining about the equinox and the solar eclipse to the metaphysical, which inspires introspection and examination of our psyche.

I’ll leave the science to those more qualified…. and add my commentary to the metaphysical. Although not a trained Astrologer, I have a great interest in the effects of the zodiac on both the psyche and the physical body through my studies of Homeopathy and Polarity Therapy. As someone who works with these energy therapies in combination with Reiki and Hypnotherapy, I am drawn to the nuances of astrological alignments and the older, often unseen energies of the Earth. These are most noticeable to me when I walk the labyrinth or work on improvements at my country retreat.

Taking the opportunity of this great triune of celestial events it was hardly surprising that when I experienced a Quantum Consciousness session with a colleague  that I discovered a common theme or thread running through each level of consciousness including snippets of past lives. The realization that life can be simple if we so choose and when we choose to reveal our soul knowledge to others, we can truly be of service to the earth.  The session brought about greater confidence and the knowledge that I am a conduit to pass on this information.  Knowing that the heritage and lineage of past lives has contributed to my learning and contribution to this lifetime was profound. Connections that can be verified by dates on the family tree and by meeting a person that recognised me from my most recent past life.

Orb on boundary fenceA clear message was sent to set aside time daily to meditate and reconnect with the earth energies as they are showing themselves to me more readily in photos.  It’s the tapping into the ancient understanding and energies of the land that creates a still and peaceful state.

The labyrinth can be used as a metaphor for living a more aware life….. you walk and focus on just one part of the path, yet understand that at the same time you cannot get lost on your journey into the centre and out again. Beginning the walk requires an intention. Each circuit of the labyrinth can represent a different dimension, a different stage of life, evolution or development. Each part of the path changes according to your perspective – at times the path may seem straight and others times, curved. You have to trust in the journey and walk the distance.

The stillness at the centre, the inner peace and to “keep it simple” was the overwhelming message from the session. An overview of past and present lives with stories to tell, lessons learned and a glimpse of a calm and peaceful future awaits if the fluff and dross of the hurley burley of modern life is noted and set aside. The realization that each soul has a purpose that can be manifested through other lifetimes and other physical bodies as we continue to evolve outside the realms of time and space.