Happy New Year

On New Year's morning I found myself watching the sunrise over the beautiful hills of Sonoma County.

We had camped overnight to avoid any neighborhood ruckus and awoken to a beautiful  dawn.  We went for a walk and I reveled in nature. As we wandered along paths,  I thought about how important it is for me to get out to the  expansive spaces more often and about how much I want to spend more time in the natural world this year.

That morning as we packed up camp I felt a sense of calm and happiness. My husband was  hitching up the trailer and I was standing quietly with the dogs nearby when Bam!  I was on the ground.
 
 And then I was being dragged on my back, one arm behind me, one above me and my huge dogs lunging toward dogs that had come near our campsite.

It all happened in one second.  I wasn't prepared, I was holding leashes too loosely and wrapped around my hands.  My husband grabbed the leashes, I got up and the pain in my body was so intense I was sure I had broken many things but the worst of all was my hand. 
 And so my friends this message comes to you via voice dictation.  What I am learning is that writing with my voice is so different than writing with my hand that the way my brain forms sentences changes when I put them into my mouth instead of just channeling them through my fingers.
If my narrative sounds slightly different that's why.
 
 I'm not too broken (thankfully)  just one finger but it's amazing how many things you use your fingers for!
 
 That being said, I feel like a broken finger is just one more way the universe keeps telling me to go slow. To pay attention.
 
 And so that is my intention this year,  slow down,  pay attention. My word is Pause. 
 
 I have so much that I want to share with you all about the things I've been thinking about and discovering over the last few weeks.  I know I've been pretty quiet. 
 I've been Hermiting. And yes it is a verb. 
 Maybe you've been Hermiting too. 
 
 I'm getting done what needs to get done.  I'm sleeping more.  Taking lots of baths.  Listening to music.  Reading.
 
 My body is telling me this is not the time for a resolution to go harder or faster, try something new or get more done.  My body is telling me this season is quiet,  this season is one for rest and dreaming and visioning.
 
 When you lean into Winter what does your body tell you?
 
Simple Practice: 
Find an image of the Hermit,  this might be from your Tarot deck or other deck searched online.  Be with this card. Examine the details, the colors. 
Take 5 and write about what you see, feel,  believe about the energy of this image.
Then take another 5 minutes and journal about how these energies are showing up in your life right now how is the hermit an ally? 
(If the Hermit doesn't speak to you pick a Winter Goddess or God and do the same.)
 


 over the holidays I cleaned out my garage.  well a corner of it anyway.  and as I was going through bins and boxes I discovered all sorts of bread crumbs left by my past self.  there amongst all the papers that I was saving I discovered outlines for workshops and circles that I had written over 15 years ago. Only one of these was ever put into play at that time.  the others never filled when I advertise them and instead they found themselves left as just papers unrealized. 
 yet as I went through those papers those outlines the things my past self wanted to do and create I realized I had done and created many of those things in wise woman Witchery.  that these dreams my 15 years ago self wanted to manifest had come into being. 
 that some of the things that I thought were new   ideas had been percolating inside of me for ages.

 it's always surprising to me the way my past present and future selves dance.  it's like they have a packed that my conscious mind is unaware of.

 maybe it's because I'm always on the go and my brain is always feeling like it's 12 steps ahead or maybe it's because sometimes I'm so in the moment once the moment is past everything in that moment is gone too.  I don't know.  but I do know it's exciting to see dreams come into being to watch as ideas become reality and as my past self gets to shine in the present.

 what  what was your past self dreaming of?  how might that come into the future?  or the now? 
 it's okay if you don't remember.  I have a trick for that.

Simple Practice:  you will need a mirror a candle and darkness.
 set the mirror up so that the candle is reflected in it and nothing else turn off the lights steady your breath and let your gays soften into the mirror  Focus your intention on listening to any messages your past self might have for you as you do notice what comes Into your mind. 
 this simple practice is crying does not always show you actual visuals,  but it does open a portal into your inner site,  and this site can speak to you through thoughts ideas feelings and Sensations. 

​