Kwan Yin and the Dragon

K is for: Kwan Yin

She is the Goddess of Compassion, Mercy and she is said to be the Savior of Seamen and Fishermen...

Some call her the "Buddhist Madonna" or as she calls herself, "The Mother of All Buddhas".

But Kwan Yin is not one person.
Rather....she is Compassionate ENERGY.
She is the Protector of the weak, ill, children and babies.

She is a Bodhisattva, or a "Being of Enlightenment". 


As far as fishermen and sailors go, sometimes she is pictured on a floating lotus flower or in a boat or rising on the back of a dragon...and so it is that I love her.

Kwan Yin is the brave embodiment of Mercy and Compassion. 
She is the courageous one that can tame the fierceness of Dragon.

In dragon's wild and cruel nature, Kwan Yin is the only one who understands Dragon and his nature.
She is the one that can heal him.

This does not mean that Kwan Yin is a doormat. NO. It means that she is a forgiving spirit, with Unconditional Love, (much like Mary, the Mother of Jesus). 



The Yang energy of the dragon is tamed by compassion and together when Yin & Yang fly together, then new enlightenment can come, new vistas and portals for learning are opened.
 
Kwan Yin knows the energies behind why people fight, she knows what people fear, and why they harm others. She has figured out what has motivated these behaviors and she offers healing...
through understanding and caring.

Kwan Yin offers forgiveness and a balm to their being so that they can find their own healing and so that they will not harm others again.

Kwan Yin represents the salve of Compassion for injured souls. 

Kwan Yin is Divine Female. 


She is Sweet Mothering and Tenderness.

She is "One who hears the cries of the world."

Once in history, Kwan Yin was depicted as a Male deity. The God  Avalokiteshvara cried tears of compassion upon the masses, it is said, and from one of these tears, or pearls of wisdom came Kwan Yin (or the Goddess Green Tara in some traditions).

Her symbol is the Weeping Willow tree, which also "weeps tears' from it's branches and is green most of the time.

I have always loved Weeping Willow trees.

When I was young, I spent MANY hours climbing them, and living on it's branches. It was my home. There is no other tree that I identify with more than the Weeping Willow. It is strong. It is a MAGICKAL tree.
It is a pain killer!
Did you know that is where the drug Aspirin comes from?

And so it is that Kwan Yin's energies also kill pain. She HEALS like the Weeping Willow.

See how the tree is so strong, and yet bends with the wind? It flows and grows and drinks deeply of the water. It is not rigid. Oaks and other rigid trees are buffeted by the storms and fall over trying to resist the wind's strength. Willows BEND. Willows GIVE and SURVIVE.

So to does Kwan Yin (Green Tara) bend with emotions and flows with the changes....she teaches us to drink deep of compassion and flow with new developments.

Kwan Yin demonstrates to us that we need to be strong, to drink from the of the cup of Good Will and to flow with life's changes.

Forgive someone today.

Kwan Yin wants us to understand that they have their own issues.
They, like the dragon, did not understand themselves or were able to handle their own power...
and so....
could not understand you, be there for you, heal you in the way that you may have needed to be healed.

We must each heal our own self, and then offer compassion to those who need us, while we continue to breathe deeply for ourselves and for others to grow in fertility, hope and love.

"Dearest and Most Loving Kwan Yin:
Beautiful Goddess of Love and Compassion.
Fill us with your love so that we may spread your Good Will to others.
We pray for others to be healed....as we pray for ourselves.
Heal us with your nectar of wisdom and caring. Blessed Be."

For more information on Kwan Yin....surf to these wonderful sites:

http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/kuanyin/


http://www.mykwanyin.com/kwgoddess.html

http://thedreamtribe.com/kwan-yin-dragon/

What is My Life Purpose?

It's been a batch of beautiful days and ones in which finds me searching for my next move. My kids are grown, many of my life's goals and dreams have been accomplished, I've just had another birthday...and it all makes me wonder the big question:

"Why am I here?" For what purpose are we to be accomplishing? Life should have meaning and more than just your "to-do" list and outings and work and chores.

I've been reading a pretty great book called, "Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction" by Laura Bergman Fortgang. It's very interesting and I'm trying to do the exercises in the book as I read along.

One of the most interesting (and involved) exercises is to make a Time Line for your life so far. Starting at birth, you note important events/memories/markers in *bullets (to keep it simple and less wordy).

A daunting task? Well, it did take me a couple of days. Memories would be complete and then I would remember something else and put that in. My advice would be to do it in a word document or use a lot of paper with spaces in between and a pencil with an eraser. You will find that you think you have it "done" and then you will get something triggered in your brain that you need to add.

I have found many interesting things about myself.

One thing is this: that during times of great distress (my father's death/mother's death, etc)....I have also had to grieve the death of one of my pets AT THE SAME TIME. The pets died due to health reason or hit by a car or some sort of tragic end at the same time that I was grieving a death of another loved one.

Pretty harsh reality there. I've had to go through some grievous life moments and they were doubled it seems in tragedy at the time.

I've also realized that of all the obstacles that I've overcome, I seem to help others or at least have been a solid support and lighthouse for others in some way.

I am an ENCOURAGER.

I believe that my art, music and hands-on personality style is a gift that does help others.

Helping others to grow and heal seems to be my life purpose.

I have attracted.... and been attracted to.... people that have needed me for some reason. To grow, to learn, to be supported or propped up in a time of need. And they help me too.

There have been some folks that I have had a hard time letting go of, because of their psychic thread or emotional attachments to me or that I have had attached to them in not wanting them to fall or fail again. I care. It matters to me what happens on my watch.

But at some point in time, I do let them go, to sink or swim, having imparted what I can to them and I hope for the best. There will be new folks for me to mother and help to guide and as a loving friend, I have no doubt.

I think my LIFE PURPOSE is that I am supposed to be:

 a Kindred Heart that soothes with Love and Music.

Someone who lifts spirits with humor.....who takes herself lightly...

 Someone who has arms for a much needed hug or touch....

or to simply acknowledge their presence, their gifts.

I will continue working with this book, and looking inward to see how I can continue to be a help to others, to YOU, and I know that my music is a big part of it and will continue to be.

Who knows?

Maybe I'll end up as an advice columnist or a traveling lecturer....have guitar, will travel :)

I'm still learning, but at least now I feel like I know I'm on the right path, going in the right direction....
to get to where the Gods need me to go.

So now, I ask you......

What is your life purpose?

Talk to me, I'm here to help :)

Kundalini Energy....a sexual awakening

Ok, so you've probably heard about "Sting" and his wife doing Tantric Yoga to awaken their Kundalini energy, right?

Tantric Yoga can help release Kundalini energy....

Kundalini energy is within us all and is basically a wild force of nature that is coiled up within your lower Chakras just WAITING to be tapped.

But CAREFUL there. It's been pent up a long time. You are a powerful being.

There is also a thing called "Kundalini Syndrome" where the wild energy is released.... and ...well....
people have gone MAD from it....or comatose....or are not to be reasoned with. We are talking about experienced Yogis and meditation Gurus here!

It is an untamed force that evidently needs to be tapped carefully, deliberately, within reason....

ODD huh?

You would think that tapping your sexual power would be easy, like turning on a faucet....but...wait.....

It's a faucet that you can't turn OFF when you wish. The energy rises like a coiled snake within you....
rises up the back of your lower spine....with HEAT.
It takes over your very being. Not just in sexual energy, but in POWER.
You just have to be VERY careful and respect Kundalini energy.

Here I am....turning 52 tomorrow....

My wild ass libido of my younger years....still around ...(some days...with the right mate :)

And this new year?

I think I will look into tapping this energy. Call it a project.

Carefully.

But VERY carefully.

I don't want to go into a coma.

But....

hey....

what a way to go............:)

This is all I want for my 52nd birthday tomorrow.

This....

and?

some Tequila :)

Jesus

Been thinking about what other "J" word means a great deal to me to write about for this week's letter here on the Pagan Blog Project....and I have toyed with several, but this morning, the word, "Jesus" popped into my head and so here am I.

"Here am I, Lord."

I sang that refrain in a huge choir at a Billy Graham Revival in Syracuse. Betcha didn't know that, aye? Yes, right there in the monotone Alto section :) It was very kewl to be in a choir as huge as that. It was a long time ago. I was also a Sunday school teacher in the Dutch Reformed Church and one in the Methodist Church as well. And now? What am I?

I'm an....Eclectic Seeker of Spirituality in all it's forms.

Just the other day I was sitting with one of my best friends, and we were having ice cream on a beautiful summer day, sitting outside at a Byrne Dairy and a biker sat down and started talking to us. He was nice and kind and would put in his "witnessing" here and there...you know....name dropping his friend Jesus here and there into the conversation.

And that's ok, the way this biker did it. He was just talking. He seemed to need to be listened to. We heard about his trouble with prostate cancer and his hardships with lack of hormone therapy....all from a stranger, while we were licking the sweet cream from the cones. We let him chat. He never did get around to dropping the big question, "Are you saved? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?" (although I could feel it coming....he never did get round to it.)

What would I have said?

Well, I would've told him, "Thank you for asking, but it's none of your business." And I would've said it kindly and with a smile. But he didn't ask. I could've gone on to say, that "Yah, I've done that....a long time ago. Jesus is my good friend. He helps me and I love him, but I also love a lot of other Gods and Goddesses....altho, I'll admit that Jesus is my favorite. "

Jesus is a wonderful symbol of a God that got his hands dirty. He didn't sit up on Mount Olympus and look down his nose. He didn't throw thunderbolts or fuck around. Jesus tried on the human suit. He buttoned it up and lived it, they say. Jesus is probably an amalgamation of several leaders, so the history books say.

And that's ok too. His symbol is one of Kindness, Humanity, Faith and Action all rolled together.

He rubbed elbows with great leaders and minds....and kept company with sinners and prostitutes and beggars and thieves. Who else needed him more? Those that have to run with the dogs....that need hope to get out of bed in the morning...those that need a friend. Just like my ice cream biker guy. Just like me.

His giving of himself, even to the utmost sacrifice of his breath, a truly honorable deed. And yet, what I love is that his story doesn't end there. He REVIVED.

Because that's what LOVE IS.

There is a song that Pete Seeger used to sing called "God Bless the Grass".

And it always reminds me of the nature of Christ.

"God Bless the Grass, that grows through cement.
It's green and it's tender and it's easily bent.
And God Bless the Truth, the friend of the poor,
and the green grass growing round the poor man's door....
God Bless the Grass.


God Bless the Truth, that fights toward the sun,
they roll the lies over it and they think that it is done,
but it moves underground and it reaches for the air
and after awhile...it's growin' everywhere!
God Bless the Truth"

Some scholars say that Jesus was an Essene. The Essenes were a sect of Jewish faith that accepted women and believed in the feminine side of God. They believed in the essence of life and adhered to vegetarianism in diet as well as in the psychic nature of all living things.

What I love about Jesus is that he was:

Regal, yet unassuming.
Firm and yet kind.
Followed the rules, yet suggested that you continue to think for yourself.
He taught by example in his own life. He was not "Do as I say just do as I do" but he really lived his ideals.
He was not afraid to speak up for his own beliefs.
He encouraged others to find their joy.
He was INCLUSIVE.
He was tolerant.
He was FUN.
He was communal.
He taught to the person's needs. Some needed to be taught through reprimand and some through consolation. It depended on the person.

Did you know that he loved dancing and singing?

Jesus is NOT what has been portrayed by the Church.

Jethro Tull was right: "He is NOT the kind you have to wind up on Sunday."

And you know what? Jesus is just alright by me. :)

If you would like a different look at Jesus check out the link at the bottom of this note.

Jesus also embodied in action: "Harm none, do as you will"....so in many ways, with his love of the Father-Mother God, his love of nature, his respect for living things, he was also a good example for us to follow. Even us pagans.

And BONUS?

He was HOT :)

http://www.essenespirit.com/jesus.html

Janus~ The Two-faced God

In Roman times, Janus was the God of beginnings and endings.
He is the God of first steps, doorways, thresholds, transitions, bridges and  yes...even the calendar.

The month of January was named for Janus, and rightly so...for in January we look back and forwards at the same time. Just like the song I sing, "The January Man".

Yes, Janus is the two-faced God....but not in the sense of the word, "two-faced" , as in the catty sort of way that you may think....but rather the "Looking back to remember...and Looking forward to anticipate" sort of way.

We must look at our past to find where we've been.
"Hindsight is 20/20" they say.
It's true. I've fallen into repeated pitfalls.
Most likely, you have too?

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me".

We NEED to look at our past. Our triumphs, our shortcomings.
We need to be wise to the ways that we have failed and succeeded in the past. 

Have I made mistakes?
YES.

Have I also overcome a lot of shite?
YES.

Janus is the one that can make us AWARE of these things.
We need to be able to look at our past, with kind eyes that have seen both regret and also those eyes that have seen the pride in our efforts.

When I look back.....I see myself and my choices in the past. I see that I have tripped, stumbled, went off the path, got lost, made errors...fucked up.

But I also see that I have been very brave, kind-hearted, forgiving, and walked on despite my injuries (from others and my own foolish or careless choices), I see I have also gotten to my destination many times, footsore and weary, but with seeing wondrous vistas and making many new wonderful discoveries and friendships along the way.

Janus reminds us that we need to see BOTH viewpoints.

We cannot focus merely on the past. Those that do, never grow and trip and falter and never get to where they want to go, for they have no destination down the road.

Those that focus merely on the future, never take into account the trials and pitfalls and bear traps that have caught them in the past and keep falling prey to the same problems over and over and over again.

We need to see both sides of the coin.
Heads and Tails.
Yin and Yang.
Black and White.
True and False.
Beginnings and Endings.
Left and Right.
Loud and Soft.
Good and Bad.

This is how we make more informed choices.

We need to be armed with this information to combine our duality into ONE.

The past holds the clues to the future.
This is the KEY to walking our path.

"He who controls the past commands the future. He who command the future conquers the past." ~ George Orwell.

Intuition

I had considered writing this week's "I" word about the "Inquisition"....
because ...........
(shrieking music fanfare)

"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!" 

What with mostly all the tortures and death tallied, it was mostly women who were killed ....
and looking back at the  historical demographic of women...
those ladies who kept (and still keep) families together and grounded in spiritual traditions...

No wonder the Catholic Church wanted to limit women, breaking them, would then break families and make them all rely on the Church for their needs.

But... I just didn't have the heart for that tragic story.

Women have Heart. 

But I do have heart to talk about Intuition.
 
Women have Intuition.  
Lots and lots and lots of it. 

And so do I.  Intuition is like a 6th sense. 
So that led me to my topic today:

Intuition

Creative people have long listened to their intuition when in the process of creating artwork, music, literature and even cooking.
Artists often follow their inner guidance to express themselves. They follow the path of intuition, going on "hunches" and "gut feelings". 

"A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants." ~ Lao-Tzu


Even Scientists have seen the benefits of tapping their intuitive feelings: 

"I believe in intuitions and inspirations...

I sometimes FEEL that I am right. 

I do not KNOW that I am."~ Albert Einstein

Intuition has also proven to be an excellent defense mechanism:

"Intuition is always right in at least two important ways:

It is always in response to something.

It always has your best interest at heart." ~ Gavin de Becker

"Trusting our intuition often saves us from disaster." ~ Anne Wilson Schaef

But what IS Intuition?

From the dictionary is says:

1. Direct perception of truth, fact, independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension.
2. A fact, truth, perceived in this way.
3. A keen and quick insight.
4. The quality or ability of having such direct perception or quick insight.

INTUITION

Do you have it?

Are we, as humans, born with it?

Can we develop what intuition we have?

I believe the answer to all three of these questions is a resounding YES!

My intuition ability is very strong. I usually know when an important phone call is coming through. I know who’s on the other end. I can feel when someone I know/love is upset or needs me- even though no word has been sent. I knew the moment when my grandfather died-even though I was miles away at the time.I know when someone misses me or wants me. I can feel their cry for help or love.

I have often surprised and confounded men I love, simply by "knowing things", without cause or proof. 
I just KNOW...that's all. This skill was backed up by this following quote (and I had to laugh when I saw it): 

"God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met." ~ Farrah Fawcett

I think Intuition is actually what we’d call “instinct” in our animal friends. Maybe we needed this skill way back when we were hunters & gatherers and couldn't "phone home" to the cave dwelling family at home to say that the hunting party was delayed/chased by the tiger it was hunting...
Who knows?

Although, our instinct or intuition has become clogged with daily life, shrouded from us by the interference of other radio wave frequencies (cell phones/TV/internet/radio) that we often times do not hear it, much less react to the information that we are given.

It’s VERY important that we tune into our messages. It is a skill that humans are LOSING. 

What someone is saying to you can come clearly through to you, even without their words, but with their body language or with their thoughts. Messages may come to you during the day and in our dreams, from a song, a sign, these are all important, UNSAID communication.

Think of it as humans "texting" each other....w/o a cell phone.

Intuition is NOT the next step of Evolution.

NO. It's POWER we have been given since humans began... but a power that many fail to use!!

The next time you get a thought to call someone, do so. And then simply ask them, "I was just thinking of you, were you just thinking of me?" Start to document your accuracy level.

Do you get an idea sometimes, and act on it and then are successful with solving that problem? 
This is Intuition at work! Those are the same niggling little thoughts that say, "Call him/her!" or "Stop here!" or "Do it Now!" These little inner feelings, heart voices and transmissions ARE communicating to you. 

Determine if it's really Intuition: 
Ask yourself : Are the messages are for your/their "Greatest and Highest Good?"

If so? LISTEN and DO. 

Put it this way....I know that when I DON'T follow my intuition, disaster is sure to follow. 




"I feel there are two people inside me- me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow here, we get along quite nicely." ~ Kim Basinger


"Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way." ~ Ray Bradbury


My pen is on the paper, Ray. I'm just waiting for the next inspiring message.


Thanks for reading. :)

Definition found at: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intuition

More resources can be found hither:  http://www.awakening-intuition.com