New Moon

labyrinth, manifesting, Meditation, New Moon, ,

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

extraordinary life, labyrinth, Permaculture, Philosophy, projects, Retreat, , ,

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!

 

Justice

balance, business, Intuition, lessons learned, , , , ,

Justice tarot cardI don’t profess to be a skilled Tarot card reader, but on occasion when I bump into a conundrum, I will shuffle the pack and deal out a card. If I have the time, I will do a full spread and consult the books and my intuition about what has been revealed.

Justice was the card that came out today.  It’s all about fairness, truth and karma. Quite fitting, considering the situation I was asking about.

The balanced scales held in the left, or feminine hand, can represent spiritual balance and intuition.  The right hand and masculine hand,  holds a double edged sword , representing logic. Justice has to balance that logic and intuition, remain impartial and choose a course of action with full awareness.

This card is about whether you have acted in fairness, truth or honesty.  Have you tipped the scales of justice affecting your karma? If you have been unfair, untruthful or dishonest in your dealings, then this is a warning to change your ways. It’s about being accountable for your actions  and making sure that you act in a fair and just manner.

So this card can then be a “call to action” in so many ways, reminding us to be even handed and balanced in our dealings with others.

Am I procrastinating about what should be done….. the right action?

Is my work life balance or my logic intuition balance OK?

Am I taking full responsibility for my actions…..past, present and future?

This card tells me that I need to rely more on my intuition, particularly in regards to working with others who may not have the same values of fairness, integrity or honesty. The card shows me that I must take responsibility for my actions and accept the lessons learned when dishonesty appears in my day. Moving on from the experience is part of the journey, as is accepting the karma as a result of the actions.

Six Signs of Sabotage

Coaching, Food Choices, Goal Setting, Weight Loss, , , ,

You’ve decided to do something about your weight. All goes well for a short time and then you may experience a plateau and in some cases a spiraling out of control and before you know it, you are back to where you started from.. perhaps even heavier.

How did that happen?

  1. Whilst a part of you wants to achieve success, there may be another part, an inner saboteur that is lurking within, ready to derail you. Sometimes the saboteur is someone near and dear to you. Family members, whilst often well-meaning, will sabotage your plans because of their own control issues. A partner may feel threatened by your new svelte and healthy appearance, subconsciously thinking that you will leave the relationship and sabotage your efforts by buying you chocolates or cakes.
  2. Are you drinking enough fluid? Water is preferable, but there are other non-calorific drinks such as herbal teas that are suitable. If you are dehydrated, you are sabotaging your weight loss by slowing the fat burning process down.
  3. Are you eating enough? Not eating enough puts the body into survival mode. After spending the night sleeping your blood sugar will have dropped, so skipping breakfast is another way to sabotage your weight loss. Make breakfast a priority and remember the saying “Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Having a good breakfast will help with your concentration and give you more energy to get through the day.
  4. Are you eating too much? Sugars and refined carbohydrates can be sneaky little devils. Substituting with Aspartame or other chemical sweeteners is not the answer either. Watch your alcohol intake as it converts to a sugar when being processed by the liver. It is likely you are overestimating how much you are eating.  Even though you are choosing healthy foods on your weight loss journey, the portion size matters.
  5. You have bad habits around food. Sitting in front of the TV to eat is a common one. You will either be eating too quickly, or eating unconsciously. Set the table, eat mindfully, putting down your knife and fork between bites and really savour the food…the flavour and textures of your meal. Make it as much a feast for the eyes as it is about an intake of calories. Grazing on food, having “nibbles” readily available is another bad habit. Clear the pantry of those snacks, biscuits and other easy to eat temptations.
  6. Do you “treat” yourself with food? If that inner voice whispers to you “I lost weight so I deserve to have that chocolate/icecream/biscuit/cake…….” you need to review your mindset around food. That inner voice may also whisper to you “just one …..” which if you take the offer up, helps you to slide down the slippery slope of sabotage. If you are going to treat yourself, choose something that’s not food related, like a movie, a massage or a new item of clothing. Take a long term view of your weight loss journey and check in with your thoughts on a regular basis. Instead of thinking that you are deprived of something, change your mindset by asking “Is this a necessity?” or “Is this an obstacle to me achieving my goal weight?”

Chronic stress can also contribute to weight gain. Cortisol, released as part of the stress response, can cause you to have an increased appetite and to crave carbohydrates. A quick way to reduce stress is with exercise to counter the effects of the stress hormones and meditation to still the mind.

To help you still the mind, I’m sharing my 20 minute Easy Weight Loss video which you can use as a meditation or a screen saver.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIYFBWAsmWs]

Health

balance, clarity, Coaching, friendship, ,

HealthAt a networking meeting that I co-host, I had a conversation with a couple of Reiki Masters….

I haven’t had a Reiki for myself for some time and have kept myself busy in various ways…. working on my business, the retreat…family…..day to day stuff…..

The question was asked…”what are you doing for YOU?” as I coughed, feeling it deep within my chest…. “what are you telling YOUR clients and not doing for yourself?”…..

I knew then, that there was no hiding…. no excuses! I couldn’t blame the alignment of the planets, other people…

Time to ‘fess up, so as to speak. Isn’t that what the metaphysics is all about? Oh Dear!! I felt all teary!     Cough…Throat Chakra? One of the Reiki Masters chuckled… that’s her speciality… pushing buttons…..

Yes… I needed that…. someone to ‘call me’ on my authenticity!

isn’t it amusing how the Universe works? It sends you clients who tell you “stuff” that you need to work on for yourself.

There are two options..

  1. Be like the metaphorical ostrich and stick your head in the sand and ignore what is going on – pretend nothing is wrong and carry on….
  2. Do something about it…. take the oxygen mask that has dropped down and look after yourself first before looking after others…

I shared a little of what I was feeling at the meeting, still holding back on other issues that I thought I would work some more on changing my mindset.

A colleague popped her head into my office between clients and offered an opinion – and  another friend phoned during a free moment…

I was feeling exhausted and hoping for the Universe to offer a solution….. which of course it did later this evening

… so with a few minutes left of a busy day, I have resolved to take up the offer of a Reiki and deal with some personal issues – so that I can be more present for the clients that have chosen to book in with me…..

 

 

Mindset

conversation, Goal Setting, Philosophy, ,

ResentmentRecently I was reminded of an old folk tale coming from the Cherokee tradition.

An elder was teaching a young boy to recognize his inner self.  He told the young boy, ” I have this fight going on inside me….. it is terrible, like a fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. Full of anger, arrogance, resentment, envy, greed, lies, ego, superiority, false pride and self-doubt and self-pity.”

“The other wolf is good. This one is loving, peaceful, full of joy and compassion, hope, kindness, serenity, truthfulness and generosity.  Everyone, including you has this same fight inside.”

The young boy looked at the old man and after a moment of deep thought, asked the elder, “Which wolf wins?”

To which the elder replied, “The one you feed.”

When we feed either wolf, or our mindset, we also strengthen the neural networks within us. So if we are in a negative or fixed mindset most of the time, then that’s the one that gets fed. Likewise if it’s a growth or positive mindset.

How can we tell which is which?

A person with a fixed mindset is more likely to believe that success is achieved by innate talent. They will make excuses that they are not good at being creative, artistic, sporting and so on…and will often seek to hide or disguise their flaws. They make themselves familiar with failure and use words like “I wish……”

On the other hand, a person with a growth mindset believes that through determination and hard work,  success can and will be achievable. They seek opportunities to develop their creative, artistic, sporting skills and will create a “to do” list to address their flaws. A person with this mindset will see setbacks as challenges to overcome.

So feed the mindset that you want.

Have a vision and set some achievable goals.

Love what you do…….

 

The Outer Circle

balance, Chakras, Earth, Energy, labyrinth, Polarity Therapy, , ,

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

Chakras, Emotional baggage, labyrinth, Reiki, release, , , ,

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

Chakras, Hypnotherapy, labyrinth, Solstice, , , , ,

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

labyrinth, , ,

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!