it’s easy to see the world in black and white, but can we too see it in all the shades of greys and greens and everything else in between? can we look not only to the trees but also the grasses and ferns to see ourselves anew? can we listen to the birds as they sing their evening songs - frogs chime in and maybe even a squirrel or two. the world is rich around us. and within us, and between us, all over us, beneath us, and below, over and above. casting light into the shadows, and shadows into the light.
0 Comments
Diaries of an off grid witch.
Entry # 3 October 28, 2023 It’s been a while. At first I intended this diary to follow me through every day. But I was soon reminded that I’m generally not one to do the same thing every day. Some would call me fickle, I would call myself dynamic, and to be dynamic one must be willing to pivot the plot a plenty. I got a bit ill two weeks ago…a common cold the had my head pounding and my breathing less than desirable. I wasn’t inspired to write, or be creative in any manner what so ever. Just as my energy was returning and I could see the and feel the clarity returning, my moon cycle arrived and my energy plummeted again. I’ve had my moon cycle for 30 years, or approximately 390 moons…and every time I am in need of deep rest for 2-3 days. It wasn’t until about a decade ago that I got wise to my cycles and actually chose to give myself that rest when needed instead of trying to push through. I’ve fashioned my life around this cycle and have done a pretty decent job of making sure I’ve giving myself what I need at all times, but especially at this time of the moon. So suffice to say, at least a whole week passed by with mostly just hours of rest. I do believe the body will create this rest for you if it’s what you truly need and aren’t heeding the quiet call. It was hard to slow down when I had so many things to try to do in the three week period before leaving on my autumn adventure west. It was a practice in surrendering to what was, and allowing myself the grace to say, ok, there are things that I just certainly will not get done this fall, but I will do my best to get done what I actually need to! This is all to say, that writing has fallen to the wayside to a certain degree. Though there are sill poems flowing out of me, and a few prompts shared between friends that are intending to help us reflect on all the changes that have internally occurred in the last 8-10 years. And one evening dedicated to the writing circle, which is generally just me and one other woman who gather on-line (and once in person) to write together, be creative together, and allow ourself the space to express and be witnessed if we wish. So, yes, there are still words coming out, yet this diary has sat untouched by my hands, though my mind has wandered to these pages quite a few times. Tonight I sit in a beam of full moon light, on the wooden floor of my cabin, softly cushioned by the wool mat beneath my body. I can see the moon through the branches of the giant spruce and fir that tower around me, and a planet too that hangs to the left beneath the moon. I’m not sure what planet it is, maybe Venus, or Mars, or Saturn, truly I have no idea, but if I need to I will bet on Venus…and some research after writing this should bring me the answer. Arriving home to my tiny temple in the forest this evening, I am somehow thrilled by the crunchy fallen leaves that great my feet with every step I take. I gather my clothes from the line, and trundle through the path, moon light bright enough to show me the way and I step inside and see this perfect moon beam upon my floor and it feels too perfect to not sit right in and bathe in the energy of this time. And it is here, that I finally feel the urgent call of this diary, these pages that were beginning to get lonely, and I listen to the urge, because that’s what a witch does right, she listens to the universe as it calls to her and gently nudges her to what spell must be cast next. I wrote a poem last night, that I will too include here, even though I have already shared it on instagram, I feel like it belongs in more than one place. And so it will find it’s way further out into the world, and my vows will get stronger, and my dreams will become more vivid, and my hope for a better world will gain more strength. I never meant for this diary to be just for me, I have never intended my spells to kept under wraps, I write from my soul and my heart so that the world knows I am here, and that I am worthy, and deserving of space to express. Just as you too, if you are reading this, or listening to this, are to be reminded of your own worth, of your own beautiful boringness on this earth - I want us all to remember. there are too many guns in the world, too many bombs, too many mad men with power at their fingertips, cowards who send people into places to fight wars fed by the need for more - fuelled by greed and a desire to be seen as “on the top”. but at what costs, and on the top of what? a world that has crumbled to rubble and waste after too many terrible decisions that take no consideration for human life. i vow to hold tight the hope for world peace - i vow to believe in a better way upon this earth - i vow to unlearn all the violent ways of my own being - i vow to never stop seeing the humanity in each and every soul who incarnates on this earth. i choose to recognize hate for what it truly is - a lack of love felt from within. i choose to perceive the destructive patterns of this world as something to be disrupted, and every time i can, i will disrupt hate with love, i will disrupt violence with peace, i will disrupt greed with generosity, i will call for a ceasefire of all weapons of war - and i will keep dreaming of a world where we only ever relate with kindness and care. Good night friends, May you feel the warmth of love somewhere within you this eve. I wake to the sound of my fathers mill, becoming quietly alert as the small engine starts. I find myself wondering where the furry friend is at the end of my bed - every time I finish a pet sit and come home to my cabin in the woods, I feel at odds with the new reality of no other living creature as a companion. And then the squirrels remind me, they’re still here. But I don’t really want them here…they’re more annoying than the mice - finding ways in and places to nest no matter how hard I try to keep them out. I cover the holes and they chew through the walls. What can I do, they’ve lived in this cabin for longer than me! I have made the decision though to build them their own place - a mini replica of this tiny temple - but all for them and filled with the small spaces they like to call home. I’ve added it to my mental list. Build the squirrels their own cabin so I can finally have some peace. I say a little prayer that it will work to gently and lovingly relocate them. As usual, I wake slowly, thinking of coffee and raisin toast as I lay in bed. First a banana and then comes the rest. As I sit and enjoy the leisurely breakfast, I start checking in with myself about what feels apt to pursue today. I decide to start with cleaning the chimney, a task that’s been on my list since the spring. As a take it all apart, scrape it inside and out, I think to myself : “this is a good skill to have, cleaning chimneys”. It might seem less than extraordinary - but it makes me wonder, how many people in this world have actually ever cleaned a chimney on their own, and if I were ever in a situation where I was the only one, I’d actually know what to do and have the confidence to make it happen. So, yes, I confer with myself, it is a great skill to have. While I’m at it, I clean out the extra ash and soot from the inside of the wood stove. It’s strangely satisfying to sweep away all the built up ash in the upper chambers that has collected over the last many moons. Clearing space for it to happen all over again as the moons continue to wax and wane into the colder months. I walk to the garden with my tray of ashes in hand, dumping them onto my hugel culture mound I’ve been building for the last three years. Ashes, sticks, weeds, leaves, goat shit and straw. I’m betting on some fertile soil and look forward to finally planting on it next spring. For now, the mess of weeds are adding their magic to the mix. My sister arrives and we go for a walk in the woods. We talk of love and life and the things that make us go “huh?!”. We stop at times to just listen to the running water, the leaves falling, the dogs romping through the sticks and branches scattered on the forest floor. I find a perfect mossy tree base gently bending over their stream, to lounge upon as we share stories of the strange ways we sometimes feel when someone tells us things we’d rather not know. Back at the cabin, I fit my chimney pieces together, revelling in the ease of this process today - as it doesn’t always go so smoothly since I have couple twists and turns as my chimney reaches for the wall. Satisfied to have that part complete, I tell myself I will redo the gasket seal on the door another day, but another day soon, before I leave on my next trip, so that when I return in the midst of winter, my stove is at its optimum. It’s lunch time now and I make myself a quick meal, enjoying it on the front steps of my little deck - I revel in this time of year when the biting bugs have all vanished and I can finally enjoy more than 45 seconds outside on a nice day. I decide on an afternoon coffee, which I rarely do but today seems right for this kind of thing. I drink it slowly, still on the steps, watching the squirrels and the season slowly change. I carry the last sips into the garden with me, to see what I might be able to harvest. In the garden I find mini cucumbers, tomatoes, a giant zucchini, green beans, both fresh and for seed, kale, mizuna, cilantro and dill. Not bad for a barely tended garden season. My mind wanders to what kind of kitchen witchery I’ll get up to with this fresh garden ingredients. Time will tell and creativity will lead the way. I help my father move a heavy piece of metal, and then notice the mill yard could use some clearing up. I shovel sawdust, one of my favourite mill yard tasks, and carry it by wheel barrow over to my cabin where I dump it on my path that connects my front steps to my shower - this section needs a bit of building up as it often gets mushy and mucky - one of the damp spots found over in this part of the woods. I move chunks of slab wood destined for the firewood pile over to the chopping block - telling myself it’s my strength training for the day, filling the wheel barrow a little more full each time = building muscle as I go. My sister arrives back home, from wherever she has been, and she asks if I’m up for another walk. I hesitate as I still have things I’d like to do before the dark sets in, but I remind myself the importance of slowing down and enjoying the world around me. I casually convince her to walk up the hill this time (rather than deeper in to the woods) - there is resistance, on my part and hers as it’s steep and offers little reprieve as the climb begins as we step out of the driveway. Yet it’s always worth it to get to the top, or whatever we choose to be the top today, which is not the “top” per-se but a plateau along the way that offers some of the greatest views I’ve ever seen. We are greeted by a sky filled with fluffy clouds, shifting between blues and purples and pinks - cotton candy skies we call them and imagine ourselves nestled in the sweetly spun sugar, held by the universe itself. We walk the bumpy winding dirt road through the field, my sister ringing her bell to alert any wildlife that might be hanging out there tonight as well. We walk towards the line of sunlight in the distant part of the field, never quite reaching it, yet enjoying the light show on the clouds every step of the way. Turning in circles to take in the full 360 degree view. Ocean, hills, trees and sky for as far as the eyes can see. We give thanks for the opportunity to walk in someone else’s field, enjoying the view that belongs to us all. On our way back down, we hear an owl call out several times. Perhaps it is calling to us, perhaps calling to the moon, or its mate, or something else entirely. I’m always grateful to hear an owl calling through the night, sometimes offering reflective wisdom, other times offering warnings of fate. Tidying my cabin is still on my list, so I do just that, shaking my rugs outside, putting away the items still in my suitcase, sorting my laundry, vacuuming the bits left behind by the mice while I was away. I light my fire and burn some sage & rose incense recently gifted to me from a soul sister friend. I step into the night, make my way to my outdoor shower and enjoy a long hot shower under the stars with my twinkle light strewn driftwood offering subtle illumination as I enjoy one of my favourite things about living this way - hot water outdoor showers with a view of the trees and the sound of the stream at my feet. I wind down my day with a quick meal and braiding strings for my art while I watch reality tv on my little screen. Productive mindful mindless relaxation at it’s best. I crawl into bed and give thanks for warmth, for life, for love and for all the things that make my heart feel alive.
Diaries of an off grid witch. Entry # 1. October 10, 2023 I’ve lived off grid since before I can even remember. I came to this world in a way that kept me tethered to the ways of the quiet earth. Dark skies with bright stars. Open fields filled with berries and bees. Rivers and streams and changing leaves, these are things that make me who I am. I arrive home, after two weeks away from my little cabin in the woods. It’s dusk and the trees are beginning to close in around me as I make way along the winding path, using the fallen birch branches I’ve place along the sides to light my way. Listening earnestly to the sound of the stream that runs year round when the weather is right and the rains have continued to fall. I hear it and make sure to keep to the left of it, the low branches of fir saplings tickling my arms as I pass by. I knew when I left two weeks ago, my power station was at 0%, and since my cabin is completely surrounded by trees, it’s not set up to charge by the sun while I’m away…thank goodness for battery powered fairy lights and an led battery lantern an old man gave me last year. The red lantern, where is it? I look for it in all the usual places…nowhere to be seen, ahhh, my sister, she mentioned she’d been over to have a fire in my cabin a few days ago and I suspect she used the lantern to light her way through the woods to her home nearby. I text her to ask and she says she’ll bring it right over. I need it to go get kindling, which is closer to her place than mine so I walk her back through the woods, load my arm with dry kindling, pop into my fathers house to pick some extra fairy lights I left there during my camp out in his living room during the last hurricane that passed through these parts. Settling back into the cabin, lovingly called “my tiny temple”, I find a pan of mouldy apple cinnamon coffee cake I forgot to take to the compost before departing a fortnight ago. I also forgot to empty my grey water buckets under the sink, so I do this now, finding two dead mice having met their fate in a swirl of dirty dish water. Living with mice seems to be par for the course when you live in a hand built home amongst the trees. They’re so cute, and so darn frustrating as well. They are a great teacher that the polarity of feelings and emotions can exist at once…I am both annoyed and enamoured by them. Both realities are true and it’s often hard to know what to do. While I hate to see them drowned, a part of me thinks “better than them running free amongst my belongings”…it’s tough, I love them and I find them disturbing and messy. I light my fire, light an incense to take away that musky woods scent that seems to always come with living so close the the fecundity of the earth. Sometimes I love it, other times I want to smell frankincense or jasmine or a mixture of resins and herbs meant to mimic the scent of unicorns. I give thanks for the warmth of the fire and the sweet smells that fill my nostrils as both fill this space with life and sensual delights. I step outside to pee, and as I squat down, I think to myself, wow, it’s been two whole weeks since I peed on the ground. There are some things in life that feel more natural than others, and this is one of those things, along with outdoor showers that seems to me to make so much more sense than their inside counterparts. Hello home. I missed you and I am glad to be back.
sometimes you think i’m delusional, and sometimes i think i am too. yet most of the time i’m fairly convinced my ways of seeing and believing and holding faith in better ways ahead are exactly what we need to change the trajectory of human life on earth. i think i just have faith and optimism and an imagination that tends to flow towards beauty and wellness and possibilities that bring peace and compassion and understanding. call me whatever you will, i’ll just be over here envisioning and living in a way that defies the constructs of linear life. soul poem : {optimistic delusions} october 2023
in fullness : soul poemin fullness. whatever you choose to do - do it fully. be present with where you are, be present with who you are with. gather yourself and breathe fully into the moment - release the need to be anywhere other than where you currently are. release the need to know where you will be in the moments to come. be here now. be in the now. be present with yourself. breathe. learn discernment of place and action through living in tune with you own alignment. step away from living for others in the sense that you are trying to please - please them only when it pleases you - not for the sake of self fulfilment but for the sake of being fully present. learn the art of letting go of needing to be in two places at once. find the truth in your heart as it speaks to you so clearly what is sacred and important to you… listen for the answers - they are there. let go of what you think you know of yourself and come to know yourself new. you are not the same person you were last year. you are not the same person you were last month. you are not the same person you were last week. you are not the same person you were two days ago. you have changed. shifted. evolved. grown into new phases of knowing and more dimensions of the unknown. chemicals internally and externally are being altered with each interaction you have with nature and with those who come to nurture you. you are not static. not stagnant. do not fall for the fools game of complacency. there is eternal growth to be had - infinite expansion of all aspects of being. do not tether yourself to one idea over the other - both can exist at once - there is no either/or - only no/and. only yes/and. only my hand as it reaches for yours - stretched fingers across the parallels of time. turn inwards and learn who you are in the simple presence of you. turn outwards and learn who you are in the complex presence of all of eternity. shift your gaze from the floor up to the grand picture that plays as the clouds shift and form patterns meant to still the mind. be kind. to yourself. be kind. to all else. whatever you choose to do. do it fully. all else is only half way there. and who wants to be half when we can choose to be whole.
quantum leap : soul poempredictability is sodden with the mundane. mud drips from the boots whose feet inside walked through the storms of what it means to show up in the full humanity of individual existence. we exist alongside one another as well as because of one another. every aspect of who we are is deeply influenced by those who touch our hearts and see our souls. all responses are born from a place at the centre of our being. reactions come from the surface but responses are woven deeply within our dna. dreams swirl between worlds that hold truth for the psyche to see - relevant consequences are always an option for surrendering to a new way of being. if we can see the flame of fire in the eyes of those who we stand before - we can feel deeply in the pulsing hearts of love that reaches beyond a currently perceived notion. when we uncloak ourselves from the recessed places of hiding - we may become surprised at the immense potential for love to exist beyond limits and in allotments unmeasurable in the quantum’s of math. infinite. eternal. as dark as the night sky when the moon is new. as deep as the ocean waters when the tides are high. as beautiful as utopia in the minds eye. these words come to greet me and offer a lesson in learning to expand beyond any constraints of what has held me back. an opportunity to lift my own oppression from the tight hold around my neck. i have chocked myself for as long as i can remember - i have stifled the energies of what it means to live alive in the creative centre of my very existence. i have swallowed the lies of society and chosen to turn a blind eye to the desires that lie dormant awaiting self permission for full activation. and here i sit now - here i lay now - here i stand now - too many feelings to express in words - too many potentials to carry in one hand - too many and always just enough. just as there is always enough love to be present for all - in similarity there is always enough joy to be expressed in ways that ignite change and catalyze the alchemy of my soul.
love & prayers : soul poemstop casting your net wide before you have truly learned to hold yourself within your own weave. hold your heart so tenderly that all who pass by your sphere of energy will want to do the same. release your need for power outside of yourself and seek only to know exactly what makes you tick and tock - but no like a clock that simply passes time - like a metronome that counts the cycles of what it means to live in rhythm with the simplicity of your humanity. pull back the reigns on that horse you have galloped upon looking for love that comes from somewhere externally. you dear heart, dear soul, dear sister, dear human being, belong to yourself and hold the capacity to love yourself so deeply that it becomes first nature to know what truly makes you feel good in each moment you exist on this earth. release your need for freedom from outside of yourself and come to know the liberated being that came into this world hell bent and heaven sent to drop beauty and divinity into the grand mix of existence. this is not to say we do not still work towards freedom in the outside world but simply that we turn our mission inwards first and foremost so that what we seek externally is primarily known internally. we cannot change the outer atmosphere if we do not first change the inner workings of our body, minds & soul. let go of the desperation - the urgency - the need to control - we cannot use the same tools of the oppressor to free ourselves from the cavities of oppression. we are collectively birthing a new world into being - a new earth into seeing - a visionary shifting of realities - a bridging of dualities - a merging of common ground - a resonant sound of harmony as the humming and strumming of hearts strings and spirit songs bring the new and the sacred ancient into focus. we can practice these new ways of being in every moment of every day. each relation is an opportunity for elevation of the human evolution - this is the revolution. one sacred relation at a time. one open heart at a time. one unobstructed mind at a time. one awakened soul at a time. this is our time. this is the time. this time. it will change. it will. we have the collective will combined with the collective spirit of transformation. prayers and ritual hold us in the most trying of times and now is a time to try holding prayers and ritual as a daily practice of being human - as a daily practice of human being. love & prayers from the inside out. love & prayers from the inside in. love & prayers from the outside in. love & prayers. love. prayers. i love me. i love you. i love. love. &. prayers.
love yourself fiercely : soul poemlove yourself fiercely. love yourself so fiercely that even the moon cries tears of joy when it looks upon you - dancing beneath the light it casts into the night. love yourself so fiercely the stars write songs with your name penned into the ‘i love you’s’ as they twinkle and shine above your head as you spin to the ecstasy of your own bliss. love yourself so fiercely that the only thing you ever miss is your soul in those moments you lose touch with the breath of life that lives within your heart.
light seeps in : soul poemlight seeps in. light seeps in as dreams fall forward into the now. love exists because we are. truth prevails because we care. sometimes we have to let something go to make space for something new. sometimes the light ignites a fire in the heart and sometimes the wind fans the flames of transformation so we can burn that which is ready to shift form. light seeps in from all angles and changes all that it touches. there is much to witness in these times. the external world mirrors the internal as we choose each step we take. we can make what we will out of the ingredients of the universe. the stars speak as they dance and the moon enhances all that it touches. light seeps in. can you feel it in your bones and in your homes and in all the corners of your soul?
expansive freedom : soul poemexpansive freedom. i drop into the knowing of me by releasing the knowing of you. i hold all in a simple and profound embrace that ties no-one and nothing to anything other than themselves and the love the binds us all as we weave our stories together and under and over and around the layers of existence. i hear the sound of expansion as hearts drop into themselves and effortlessly beat in unison with the pulse of the universe. dreams become undone and reworked as beauty and grace find their way into the crevices of unchecked and unmarked places within the human spirit. rather than quitting we stay tuned to the harmony of what it means to commit to oneself and to life itself. we come alive in the presence of one another and continue to make room for all that is to come. breath in and then out - shifting realities as air enters lungs and veins move blood blessed with the sweet nectars of life. honey drips from the branches and lips find themselves reaching towards others who share in the quest for being in ways that give way to the practical desires of the heart. we shift and move - we dance and weave - we strip ourselves bare as the trees bask in the glory of who we are in the wild form of humanity. we recognize the connections between one and two and two and three - and we see how we are not separate from nature but rather completely intertwined just like our hands as our fingers find comfort in the way they fit as we loosen our grip and create space for the infinite grace of lovers in a time of complex change. we rearrange the constructs of our minds so we may see beyond the conditioned ways that have kept us tethered to lives that no longer make sense. there is immense liberation when we can immerse ourselves in the joy of opening to that which is beyond our comprehension. did i mention… expansive freedom is who i am - it is me in the entirety of my awakened soul. it is the gold that glows from behind my eyes as i learn the wise ways of days gone past and days to come. presently present - i walk into what it means to be. expansive freedom. this is me.
true reciprocity : soul poemtrue reciprocity. i spoke of true reciprocity and then she tells me she has been ruminating on this notion and is curious as to what it means to me. true reciprocity, to me, is about the allowance of being. it’s about seeing everything at once yet not trying to discover what it all means before the body mind and soul are ready to receive. in essence there cannot be reciprocity without the true. the true is added simply for effect because there is no reciprocity that is not so true. reciprocity happens without having the mind involved. it’s the breathing in and out and back in again without a thought of what one is doing for the other. yet there is a part of us in those moments of breathing that knows to appreciate the three parts of the whole. in. pause. out. pause. in. pause. out. pause. reciprocity knows nothing of keeping score. it simply just is. there is give and take and no-one or nothing is minding a tally to make sure all is even and fair - because reciprocity is about trusting that all will arrive time and again to a place of equitable harmony. there is a balance of needs getting met and truths being spoken and words being taken as seriously as the souls that occupy this body. with a grain of sand and a pinch of salt - we hold ourselves accountable for the ways our tongues bring magic to the world. true reciprocity is the trees dropping their leaves to nourish the earth. it’s the sap that flows because it knows we humans love to taste the sweet syrup as we fortify ourselves for the times ahead. if in the mind it is ever hard to comprehend - simply look to the natural world that surrounds you - the natural world that abounds within you - and it will be easy to see how you and me flow together like the streams and rivers flow into the ocean and lakes. there is a balance of holding on and letting go - a knowing of hearts beating with some sort of unison with the very centre of the earth. it is death and it is birth. it is all and none wrapped up in one.
light seeps in
as dreams fall forward into the now. love yourself so fiercely that even the moon cries tears of joy when it looks upon you - dancing beneath the light it casts into the night. where does the sun go when it no longer knows whose hands hold it in it’s place in the sky. we are knee deep in a spiritual crisis. he asks me if i’ve had long term relations. i’m sorry for the way this world is. i spoke of true reciprocity and then she tells me she has been ruminating on this notion and is curious as to what it means to me. i spare no-one around me the comfort of living an “ordinary” life. 7 minutes to midnight eve of the leo full moon coyotes howl a familial familiar cacophony of the wild calls of nature. i drop into the knowing of me by releasing the knowing of you. stop casting your net wide before you have truly learned to hold yourself within your own weave. you do realize right that the human experience is not about fighting? whatever you choose to do - do it fully. every year approximately 7 million people worldwide die from air pollution related illness & disease. some people are terrible spellers of this language of english. we are in the midst of a massive collective baptism so to speak. she says to get over it. not sorry to say we no longer live in a “get over it” world. sometimes it’s the very thing that we believe to be our lifeline that is actually the very thing destroying us. the spirit of humanity reaches deep into my being as i stand hands submerged in the soapy waters of rose and kitchen debris - eyes on the treed horizon as the sky turns soft shades of petaled pink. big cat energy stalking what once was stealthing for what is to be moving silently on the paws of digression flashing eyesscanning the horizon limitless potential for change and a world in constant rearrange. make no mistake. when you and i merge our bodies to become for a moment in time united as one - our essences will mix and all the opening that is happening for one will want to happen for both - all of the awareness that exists in one will want to be the awareness of two. this has been said a thousand time already by a thousand different souls who are neither more or less qualified than me to speak this truth. she said that someone told her friend that orange & red were not as spiritual as purple and pink. we have been force fed a narrative that money equals freedom. i’m tired. how is it i wonder at 4:17am have i so many times been relegated into the position of the other woman? shattered. there is an emptiness insidethat i keep trying to fill but it doesn’t want to be filled. there is no true neutral. we set ourselves up to stay stuck when we claim to know how we will feel in a future situation. it’s never about loyalty to someone else. whenever there is a hierarchy at play, whether spoken of or not - a space of inequality is created. why push away when we could pull in instead. i cannot fully understand if dealing with the feelings that arise from not being included is just something i never learned or if perhaps the need to exclude is a shadow side of humanity that i am being asked to witness from the perspective of the one being excluded so that i may bring this human trait to the surface of conscious awareness so it may be transformed by the acknowledgement of how much pain and suffering is created when one person or one group or a whole society chooses to close the doors on another person or a group or a whole society. diamond fire blaze through my heart light the dark corners and the nearly missed crevices that hold all the secrets of what it means to be me. as the rains fall from the sky and tears drip from my eyes i feel love slipping away - loosening it’s grip on my heart. she assured me with no doubt in her mind that not all who cross my path will know what it means to love without conditions - to love without restrictions. it’s a new moon in aries. where does the world go when we try to hide from our own realities. today if i were to take all the advice i like to doll out i would say to myself: “trust when they tell you deserve more” - because you do. until this day - i was under the impression that womanizing was an act of consciousness. social arsonist - you will burn yourself just as much as you burn all else. how does one feel such disgust for the same person they so recently trusted with their whole heart. when an option exists for forgiveness - i am not one to carry hurt in my heart. i choose to release the need to feel as though the way people treat me is a personal affront. i don’t need fix this i don’t need to react i just need to hear them. in matters of the heart the only thing worth avoiding is avoidance itself. starting on a fresh page, no lines in sight - most of us still adhere to the western rule of left to right. sometimes liberation strikes the heart like a sword of truth from the very belly of the earth. why did you put me on a throne just to later knock me off? fuck you for fucking with my heart. the other woman, no, he assures me i am nothing of the sorts - fully integrated part of the equation. i thought that if i dated someone who was friends with my family - someone who i had known for half my life - i would be immune to the “fuck ‘em & chuck ‘em” syndrome that is so prevalent in our relational culture these days. empty the sky of your tears dear child. allow yourself to touch the freedom you know lives in your heart - the freedom that gives you permission to love even amidst the pain - to keep your heart wide open even when the shadows scream for it to remain closed. violet voice of transcendence. you see me as spiritual. i asked myself to expand and his hands reached for mine and her hands became outstretched on the limbs of her sacred existence. as we walk our hearts back to the centre of the earth - we bring compassion to the birth place of humanity. the trees. you cannot take my light. moths to a flame. words without follow through are empty. i did not come here to be wrapped in criticism. have i ever let myself be fully loved? if i am to claim anything as my own, i will claim my sacredness. awareness equals healing. what does self love have to do with it? i will be an example of the world i want to live in. dear full moon in aquarius, on this eve, into this fire, into these waters, upon this earth,with the spirit of the land energetically enveloped around me - i release any and all barriers and/or restrictions that are hindering any personal fulfilment of deep and fulfilling community connections, partnerships of all kinds, & nourishing relationships based in reciprocity. i’ve given my love, the care of my heart to too many people who have not known what to do with it, who to be with it, how to care for it. i want you to know how beautiful i think you are. i see your soul shining through all the expressions that show up on your face. unrush yourself. for me, sovereignty is being ok with being alone. i have zero desire to “go into space” as i am already fully aware of the magnificence of this human experience here on earth. when stardust settles heart and mind find congruency. it is only when i forget my connection with nature that i feel alone, for how could feel alone when the trees reach for me and brush my skin gently with the tendrils of their arms, and when they shade me from the sun on the hottest of days, asking nothing more from me than the presence of my being. anytime i am making a choice to do something that is out of alignment with my values, ultimately, in that moment, i am betraying myself. salt of my sweat mixes with salt of my tears mixes with salt of the ocean. stay soft and respect the thorn. if we really knew how much pain lives inside each one of us, if we could remember the struggles that humans encounter in life, if we could acknowledge our own and each others suffering in real ways and in ways that honour the experience of that expression of pain maybe then we could learn to love our neighbours - hug our kin that we don’t yet know as kin, see beyond what some deem sins and witness each other as complex creatures who have all been made a mess in our societal structures of racism and classism and sexism and ablism and capitalism - these infectious dis-eases of the mind constantly in effect to manipulate humankind. *this poem is compilation of the beginning of all the poems i typed onto my computer this year! stay soft
and respect the thorn. learn the velvet touch of the petal and the pierce of the prick. heart beams and bloodshed co-exist just as love and pain remain constants in our human being-ness. hold the ones you love with tenderness and great care - yet let them go with the same ease of a breeze the stirs the night air. one can let go and still be with - renowned love glistens with liberation for the unity to be true. profound love drips freedom and lets all parties exist in the truth of being untethered to a roof - for a roof holds the love in while an open top lets it expand and touch the spirit of all matter. perhaps true love is simply the constant act of letting go - and of not knowing - and of allowing the growing to take place as it is meant to. capitalism is destroying the planet.
capitalism is destroying humanity. capitalism is destroying our spirit. we have all been complicit in capitalism to some degree, simply from the fact that we, in “western” society have been born into the trappings of this system. we have been sold democracy disguised beneath the dirty shadows of capitalism. we have been told a a story that if we follow our “dreams” we will succeed, yet our dreams have been co-opted by the forces of the unnatural world, rather than in tune with the forces of the natural world. we have been corralled down a certain path, school, jobs, degrees, climbing the corporate ladder, scaling up of our small businesses, the mortgage, the cars, the cottage…most of us don’t even know what it is our soul wants to experience in this life. we grasp at fulfilling a narrative that isn’t even ours. do you understand what this means? it means we aren’t living our own lives. it means we haven’t written the very story we are starring in. we are reading from someone else’s script. we are flooding our minds with lies while we sidestep our own truth. for years i have held a vision where all of us just say no to this false way of living on earth. where we come together and move beyond this system that tells us we need to rely of them for order, stability, structure and security…as if without this system we would be lost, our lives thrown into chaos, violence and crime erupting all around us. yet, when i look out into the world through these eyes of mine that have cleared enough to see a different truth, i see that the system we live “under” and within, is the very source of what i just mentioned. i see how this political system of “order and control” is creating suffering and illness, hierarchies and divide. i see how it has been put in place to keep certain people at the top and to push an agenda that certainly does not have all humans in mind, let alone the earth that we were all birthed upon. i see that there has to be another way, because this can’t be the way that we were meant to exist with each other on the planet. some people say it’s human nature to seek to control and destroy that which is placed in front of us. i whole heartedly disagree. i see human nature as kind, and peaceful, and loving, and generous. and at the same time, i see the human condition as an entirely different thing. i believe we as humans, have been conditioned into being the power hungry, dominance seeking, ruthless forces of destruction, and this is the shadow of humanity that we are continuously witnessing play out in front of us and within us. i witness this conditioned shadow alive in me when i find myself wanting to control a situation, when i want to be right at all costs, when i act against what i know to be the core truth of my values. i also recognize the perpetual cycles of past traumatic experiences playing out with me reacting to situations in ways that create more pain and cause more hurt in the world. it pains me to know that i cause more pain in the world, and i don’t say this to get sympathy, i say this simply because it’s the truth of how i feel, and to my expressing the truth of how i feel, is what leads to my own healing, and when i engage in my own healing, i engage in the patterns of healing for the entirety of humanity, and when i engage in the patterns of healing for the entirety of humanity, i cast light into the darkness, allowing more shadows to come out to be acknowledged and healed. i speak of the pain within created by the pain and hurt i spill into the world, as a way to step more fully into my humanity and everything that exists within that, the purity of my nature mixed with the grotesque aspects of my conditioning, mixed with all the trauma, mixed with all the joy and light that lives alongside the dark stones of hardness and cold cutting reactions that i sometimes witness in myself. capitalism has led us deep into the pitfalls of competition when i believe it to be our true nature to be cooperative and collaborative. capitalism has led us far into the death grips of greed and hoarding of resources when i believe our true to be generous and sharing. capitalism has led us down a dark and rough road of acting in extractive and exploitive ways when i believe our true nature to be naturally reciprocal beings who know the goodness that comes from giving and receiving, offering and consuming. capitalism has led us into very shallow perceptions, very shallow expectations of one another and that it means to be here on earth, when i believe our true nature is to live deeply rich and fulfilling lives. capitalism has done it’s best to disconnect us all from the very sprit of what it means to be a human being amongst this miraculous universe and upon this extremely beautiful and magical earth, when i believe our true human nature to be so intertwined with the spirit of all things that we need not see spirit as something outside of ourselves, but instead something that is alive and well and the very core of who we are. and so while i do truly believe that capitalism (oh and let me be clear, i am talking about colonial patriarchal capitalism, capitalism in it’s true nature is not necessarily exploitive & driven by greed and dominance and control) is destroying the planet, humanity and spirit, i also believe we are moving towards an entirely different way of being on this planet and in relation to each other and i see it as a merging of indigenous ways with a visionary way of being that is attuned to our human evolution as our awareness and consciousness continues to expand and have space for the persistence of healing. i am personally committed to acting and living in ways that hold true to this vision, while i dedicate my own life to healing, learning how to be in better reciprocal relationships with any and all, and taking great care and showing great honour to the earth that holds my feet steady and my heart in a space of love. and so it shall be. amidst the beauty
of petals unfurling a thorn waits patiently down the stem to remind us all that you cannot have victory without the pain that comes from penetrating the heart with the truth as all illusions become unveiled. we are one step ahead and three steps behind where we could be if we let the world be in all of it’s natural diversity. we are one step ahead and four steps sideways at a time of great upheaval. are we willing to remember what it means to surrender to that which seeks no hold on control and at the same time be reminded that if we do not move towards liberty freedom & justice for all - all we really do is stay trapped in the makings of colonial conditions as power over gets wielded in the name of forward motion towards “progress” & “developement”. as some would say, this late game stage of capitalism is nearing the point of no return - it’s crashing & crumbling but no-one really wants you to know this - and barely a soul will be able to hold onto the way of life we walk in today. things are changing slowly and quickly - in small ways and with great vastness - we are collectively being asked by forces much grander than any kind of political system, to move beyond this phase of disaster making so we can step directly into the unknown intricate workings of the mystery. are you with me still? can you let your finger be pricked by the thorn so your own life force can be released into the energies of transformation? can you allow yourself the chance to wake up to a new way being and a new way of seeing and a new way of imagining a way of life on this planet that honours & respects the sacredness of all existence? “If we aren’t in love, what are we?” she asked finally.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “You really don’t think we’re in love?” “Time matters to love. It’s what changes everything.” “Then what is this feeling?” “It’s the wanting to be in love, I believe.” - excerpt from If We Aren’t In Love by Evan L. Klein This conversation makes me wonder how many times I’ve confused the wanting to be in love, with the actuality of being in love, or even if it’s possible to want something that doesn’t already exist. I have a strong notion that whatever it is we want in the world, is already in existence, already within our grasp, if we could just find the way to open to it, to let it in. I feel that there is no difference between this concept of “being in love” and simply being love. If we are being love, in our everyday existence, how would it be possible not to be in love with all we come into contact with. Once we come to a place with being in love with life, with existence itself, then we are in love with everything. Of course there are times when we encounter another soul with whom we experience this love towards, only to find that it’s not reciprocated. Not everyone is loving on the same levels or in the same way that we are. This doesn’t mean that our love for that person is futile or a waste of energy. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over time is that to express or experience love without it being returned or reciprocated, or even received, still builds love within myself. In this sense, the love that we send out to another person, who perhaps isn’t in a place to receive it, can have a boomerang effect, coming back to land in our own hearts again - allowing us to experience, if we will, a greater sense of self love. Mostly we end up loving another person for what they bring out in us, whether it’s a feeling of opening up, expanding or blossoming, or a reflection we see in them that shines a light on a part of ourselves that we may have ignored until that point of seeing it in them - this is an amazing gift in itself, regardless of whether the outcome of that loving feeling results in the scenario that we’ve projected into the moment. My father once said that we don’t get to choose who we fall in love with, but we do get to choose who we spend our lives with. Therefore, I feel that we can live our lives in love with all that comes onto our path, yet we get to choose how we foster those relationships. We can love it all, and still have the choice on how we will express that love. Not all love leads to intimacy. Some love is expressed and felt from afar - where there is no chance to delve into the intimate connection that the energy of love could potentially foster - but that doesn’t mean that love itself doesn’t exist in that situation - it is ever present, regardless of any actions or inactions. Over the last few years, I’ve done a lot of self study on the topic of relationships. One such piece of information that stands out is the idea of whether a person can fall out of being in love. Many of us have been on the giving or receiving end of this comment: “I love you, but I’m not in love with you anymore”. An article I read ages ago, stated that the author, who is the founder of The Relationship School and creator and host of The Relationship School podcast, believes this statement to be utter bullshit. He feels that this statement is a complete cop-out of facing our own blocks around the concept of love and intimacy. In a similar vein of truth as my own around there being no difference between being “in love” and “being love” itself, this statement really only reflects our inability to hold the concept of love as something that simply exists and can change in the way it manifests over time, as far as how it makes us feel and how we react to it, depending on our own path of growth and what traumas and blockages we encounter along the way. One thing that often comes up and is spoken alongside that first statement of “I love you but I’m not in love with your anymore” is the idea that “something is missing”. I’ve also been on the receiving end of that statement. Upon some deep inner reflection, I’ve found that the thing that is most often missing, is the willingness and ability to show up to that person in an authentic and vulnerable way - so in essence, what is missing, is the truth. What is missing is the ability to access and witness the absolute core of that other person, or perhaps the ability to access and witness the absolute core of who we are. From my experience, usually, by the time a relationship has reached the point where this conversation arises, both people in question have slowly been shutting down and putting up walls, creating a lack of vulnerability and authenticity. It’s common and normal for this to happen as most of us carry a lot of our past experiences into the present moment and can easily confuse the fear and hurt that is born from past trauma, with what is happening in the present moment. But just because it is common and normal, doesn’t mean that we have to stay living within these detrimental cycles and patterns. I believe people come into our lives to help teach us things about ourselves so that we can show up in the world as the most true versions of who we are beyond all of the conditioning, expectations and wounds (both big and small) that have been inflicted upon us since the time we incarnated into this human form. I’ve found that three of the most important tools to carry with me and use on a regular basis are patience, compassion and grace. Not only are these tools handy to have when relating with other people, they are also extremely handy when it comes to relating to ourselves. I had a teacher once tell me that an easy route to self compassion was to practice compassion with others. This might seem like a backwards route to take, because we may question how we could have compassion for another before we can feel it for ourselves, but if we look at the notion that most of us are way harder on ourselves than we are on anyone else, trying to start with self compassion would be the biggest challenge. What I have found through this practice of developing compassion for others, is that I have ignited, and over time deepened my self compassion simply by experiencing the feeling towards others. This works for me because I have a strong notion that on an energetic level, every single thing that exists in this universe is intricately connected. So, when I practice compassion for another, in essence, at the same time, I am also practicing self compassion. Two of the people that I am closest to at this time in my life (and have been for quite some time!) have recently said things that kind of surprised me, but at the same time reaffirmed that the tools I have been working with for many years have not been used with futility. One of these people said that she feels I am the most patient person she knows. Wow, I take that as a giant compliment, and attribute it to many years of consciously choosing to walk the path of patience and understanding. One of the things that has helped me on this path is the choice to come from a place of responding, rather than reacting. This leads into the tool of grace. With choosing to use grace as a tool in my life, my understating of the importance of slowing down and accessing my true feelings in a situation, has resulted in me being much less reactive. My sister (one of the people I am closest to) and I were discussing a situation and whether the person in question would be bothered if we chose to move forward with our plan, and I said, “well, if it was me in that situation, I feel like I would be grateful that you made that choice and did that thing” and she said “well, yeah, but you are quite an exception”. I don’t know if she knows how much that touched me, for her to recognize the way that I generally respond to life in a non reactive manner really meant a lot to me. I feel it touched me in a particularly strong way because she is also one of the people in my life who reflects back to me all of the places in myself that I have yet to find compassion for. Family members are really great at this! To loop back to the beginning, tying it all together - all of these practices and tools that I use, have helped me come to a place of experiencing love as a never ending energetic source. We cannot want to “be in love” if we are already ‘being love”. We cannot fall out of love, if we are love itself. This post was written in April 2019...since I'm in a constant space of transformation, I'm not sure if all of these words ring true to my heart still...but they are there and I figured I'd share them! Dear Women & Femmes of the World
We are not here to compete. WE are are take the notion of competition and make it obsolete. There is more than enough love to share between the hearts and souls of us all. And this love that I speak of is standing tall in our own sense of self worth. This love is the love we can feel when we open to the abundance of our sprits co-existing. We are spiritual in nature, and at the same time, we have been given the opportunity; the choice to experience this life as psychical beings. We are able to connect to the source and see that there is enough love in this universe for both you and me. We can drop the thoughts that arise out of fear; they are doing nothing but creating our own demise. Drop the lies we’ve told ourselves and had battered into our minds. Drop the idea that we must fight for the right to be loved and cherished and treated like the divine beings that we are. We must remember, RIGHT NOW to start seeing ourselves and each other as one another. We have all been born with the light in our hearts that is in itself true love. WE are here to share this blessed opportunity that is so rare. To step away from separation into true unity. I remind you! WE are not here to compete. WE are here to take the notion of competition and make it obsolete. We are here to stand…hand upon hand upon hand, giving and receiving, in perfect balance with the universal forces of this star creation. We are here to sit, arm in arm, in arm, in arm. Re-framing the picture in our minds to blur the lines of yours and mine. We are here to love with all that our hearts have to give. To live in harmony and bliss. I choose to seal myself to this fate with a tender kiss. I choose to relate with sense that there is indeed enough love to go around. I choose to stand upon this ground and feel the love that pulses forth from the Earth herself. I choose love. That is the choice that I have made. I’ve laid in the sweet embrace of universal love. poem circa 2016/2017 - felt like a good time to remember the importance of unity. rising from the ashes
the birch song can be heard on the wind as it winds its way through leaves and trees still standing after the fires took their rage and spilled it on the land. the sound of wings overhead as birds fly beyond the eye of the storm. rising rising rising. gentle overtones of melodies amongst the living and the newly dead. death and rebirth will continue to flourish - cycles never ending only changing and shifting and drifting down gullies as streams and rivers run wild over rocks and stones and pebbles and gold. the birch song takes hold in the hearts of those who walk softly and gently upon the earth - and those too who dance fervently and with abandon of inhibitions. we can visit those who have gone beyond by opening to the knowing of all and none, of one and all, of energy that never leaves, never ceases to exist. deep drumming and thrumming resonating beneath the dirt below our feet - roots tangled with the wild abandon of the call of the soul as it dances and dreams - whirling and spinning - opening to give and to receive - unlearning to believe again. First things first, stop buying shit just for the sake of buying shit.
Get real with yourself about what you are spending your money on. Know where your dollars are going. Begin to understand that everything you buy has it’s own story attached to it - are you willing to hear the story of whatever it is you are buying? Or would it be more convenient to not hear the story because it might ruin your buyers high? Imagine we all immediately ceased purchasing new items. Imagine the impact this would have on the global constructs of capitalism. Just imagine. Imagine how much more valuable everything you currently own would become, knowing that there would be no replacing it with a new item. Imagine how we would begin to move more towards fixing items, up-cycling items, re-using items. Imagine the ingenuity that would ensue. Could we commit to a world where we weren’t always upgrading our technology, our vehicles, our wardrobes, mostly just for the fuck of it, because we can?!? Could we give up bigger and better and faster and “more efficient”, for smaller and good enough and slower and “maybe I don’t need that”? Imagine a life of equity, where everyone on this planet had exactly what they NEED to live a good healthy life. We don’t all need the same things. We probably know that by now. We are unique beings with unique needs. Some of us have more than we need. Some of have way less than we need. Some of us have a little bit more than we need. Some of us have almost enough of what we need. Some of us have way more than we could ever imagine needing. Here in the north western hemisphere, we are mostly all sick with a nasty, virile dis-ease called capitalism. Perhaps capitalism is a direct result of colonialism. Perhaps colonialism is direct result of the patriarchy. Perhaps the patriarchy is a direct result of the loss of connection to spirit. Perhaps the loss of connection to spirit is a direct result of the burning, hanging, & drowning of the “witches” way back when. Perhaps cultural genocide has been perpetuated so as to eradicate anything or anyone who might stand in the way of capitalistic takeover. Perhaps or perhaps not. The history in my mind is certainly different than the history I learned in school. One things I do know for sure - we are neck deep in a crisis of the spirit. I say neck deep because the neck is directly related to the throat. Most of us have major imbalances of the throat. We are either over-talkers, or scared shitless of speaking our mind aloud. We all have our own reasons for this common human condition of throat imbalance. Imagine as we balanced our throats, we learned to listen better. Imagine we started to listen to the spirit that exists in all things. Imagine we could sit quietly and still enough to hear the murmurings of our own spirits. Imagine that having a connection to spirit fulfilled us in ways that buying shit we don’t need ever could. Imagine we learned to listen better. To the trees and the streams and the earth beneath our feet. Imagine we began to learn about the sacredness of all life. Imagine we started to act in ways that honoured the sacredness of all life. Imagine we lived in ways that looked beyond what the eyes can see. Imagine we learned to truly feel again. Imagine a human species that was no longer de-sensitized to destruction and violence. Imagine we actually felt the suffering of our brothers, our sisters, our neighbours. Imagine what we would do if we truly felt that suffering. Imagine we began to act in more ways that brought relief and care and resources to our suffering brothers, sisters & neighbours, because we began to realize that when one suffers, we all suffer. Imagine a world where we didn’t simply try to save one another, and instead took the time and care to learn what the other needs, and then we shared what we could based on their true needs, and our true ability to give. Imagine a world where all human’s were considered gifts. Imagine a world where all human’s gifts were of equal value and worth to the collective whole. Imagine that time became the new currency, because at least in each day, we all have the same amount. Imagine what you would do with your time if it became the most valuable thing you had. Now, if you can, go do that. Time is already the one true currency that we share. Time is already the most valuable thing each one of us has. Our intangible human gifts are the things that will make this world turn into a better version of itself than is currently present, if they are so freely given, as they have been given to each one of us to bring forth into this world. Perhaps it is the gifts of our human spirit that will burn the wobbly constructs of capitalism to the ground - if we so dare use them. pop over to the poetry book page to get yourself a copy of this entire e-book.
what is the purpose of ego?
the ego is one of the vehicles with which we use a force to “drive”, “propel”, “move” through life. when connected to the heart, the spirit, the body, the mind - the ego works in a balanced manner. it is neither good nor bad. it simply just is, in it’s natural & balanced state. the ego serves to inspire forward movement, or movement towards one’s playing/acting out of one’s purpose. it we were to live without ego at all, we would come to a standstill, and while some try to attain an egoless state, this is impossible in the human form. if we try to erase a part of ourselves, we do just that - we sever a piece of us that is here and part of us as an ally, an in integral part of who we are in our wholeness. the key with ego is to be able to come to place where the ego is balanced with the rest of our being - where it is a piece of the whole - welcome to be integrated with all the other aspects of what create the totality of our humanness. let the ego and the heart speak to one another. let the ego and the soul dance with one another. let the ego and the body be kind to one another. let the ego and the spirit play with one another. let it be. kind. heartfelt. spirited & free. let it be. let it be. let it be. sometimes i sob
as i remember by commitment to being of service to the earth and to humanity as a whole - sometimes my hearts aches with all the pain i step into for the collective healing of the world. sometimes my mind widens with thoughts of compassion and grace - as i face all the demons that still exist within. sometimes the verses cannot be seen - or the songs cannot be heard, just as the curses & the blessings cannot be explained with words in a language that is disconnected from the earth itself. i came to this life with love in my heart and deep peace in my soul.
as things unfolded, i began to lose myself. i began to be transformed into what my family and society wanted me to be. i listened to them because i cared about them, more than i cared about me. i gave myself away so many times - parts of myself being scattered into the world, for others to hold as they saw fit. and then one day, with a heavy heart and a confused mind, i was reminded - i began to remember who i came here to be - i began to see myself from the inside out - and so my journey back to myself was ignited - the fire of my life now burns bright. i am the light. when you are forced to become intimate with death -
you are presented with the opportunity to open to life on a deeper level. a certain fear escapes you and an awareness comes in it’s place. an awareness of what is at stake when we cease to live fully from the true depths of our being - courage is transferred from the dead into the living - so we can cease to waste the gift of precious breath - potential relationships - dreams that are asking to be awakened. a gift is granted in the absence of one life to the presence of another. just as life is not something to “get over with”, death itself is not something to get over. death is asking to be lived in the very spirit of every passing gust of wind - every inhale - every exhale - death reveals the tender parts of ourselves and helps us meld flesh + bones with spirit + ether. |
morgan leigh callisonmostly i write to remind myself what it means to be me. it is through words, my soul finds expression & my mind finds a place for form to take shape. Archives
August 2024
Categories |