Naked Vulnerability

Come read my latest article called
Naked Vulnerabilityin Cosmic Cowgirls Magazine.

I sat in the creek, sweet water gurgling and caressing my naked body.  I gazed at the greenery, the light reflecting off the water, and felt the very chilly water pour over my thighs, while the gentle breath of warm air on my face and shoulders offered a stark contrast.  Under the canopy of tall trees and dappled sunlight it was easy to feel small, but in a good way, in the way you feel awe struck and full of wonder about the breathtaking beauty of our planet.  Nature often has that effect on me, but to experience being completely naked and so remarkably peaceful as I listened to the natural sounds of birds and the water, was spiritually soothing and uplifting. Harmonizing with the rustling of leaves and the babbling water flowed the spoken word of a sacred water dedication,

“Water Spirits know this child as your sister…
Give her the ability to flow in life’s stream…
Great Spirit, this child is of the people…
guide her to always walk in beauty.”

Come read the entire article over at Cosmic Cowgirls Magazine.

Dos Aguas photo by Michelle Fairchild

Tears of Transformation

Today in Cosmic Cowgirls Magazine
is my latest article called

Tears of Transformation

Walks Tall Woman felt the tears of transformation run like slow moving, lazy rivers down her cheeks. The truth had taken root in her heart and the impregnated seed of change had been planted in her womb. It would gestate until it was time in the future for the Clan Mother to give birth to her new, more vulnerable self. She quietly sat and reflected on the words Mountain Lion had spoken before she asked a question. ‘How can I be an example to other women, Mountain Lion, when I have to learn these lessons for myself?’

Click this link Tears of Transformation or the one above to visit Cosmic Cowgirls Magazine to read the full article.

Mojo Monday ~ Believing

There is something about this time of year that encourages many adults, even those who no longer believe in magic, to suspend that rational way of thinking.  The holiday season is a time of Santa, elves, flying reindeer, and speed traveling around the world in one night.  It is a time of encouraging the young ones to continue to believe in wonder, mystery and magic.  

In one of my all-time favorite books The Book of Awakening, author Mark Nepo writes about the topic of believing.  It is one of the shorter essays in the book, but is nonetheless a deeply contemplative sharing.  It begins with this quote: "Believing is all a child does for a living." ~ Kurtis Lamkin.

Here is how it continues:

"Picasso once said that artists are those of us who still see with the eyes of children.  Somehow, as we journey into the world, more and more gets in the way, and we stop questioning things in order to move deeper into them and start questioning as a way to challenge things we fear are false.

As a child I used to talk to things -- birds that flew overhead, trees that swayed slowly in the night, even stones drying in the sun.  For years, though, I stopped doing this freely because of what others might think, and then I stopped altogether.  Now I learn that Native Americans do this all the time, that many original peoples believe with their childlike eyes right into the center of things.

Now, almost fifty, I am humbled to recover the wisdom that believing is not a conclusion, but a way into the vitality that waits in everything."

* When you can, talk with a child about how they see the world.

I am so moved by this short essay by Mark Nepo.  Is there anything particular about this passage that resonates with you?  

As a child did magic and creativity play a big role in your life?  Was it encouraged or discouraged? 

Imagine you have a magical pair of glasses that can allow you to return and look at the world through the eyes of your former child self.

What do you see when you look around yourself right now?

What do you see when you walk outside and look around?

Try communicating with any animals you see - cat, dog, squirrel, birds, or maybe even wild turkeys perhaps?  What do you want to tell them?  What do you think they want to tell you?

Now try communicating to the trees, bushes, flowers, and grass your thoughts and feelings.  Now share a message with the sky, the dirt, the rocks and water if there is any nearby. If it isn't too cold out take off your shoes and stand on the ground in your bare feet. What does communing with our earth mama feel like?  Do you hear any messages in return?

Considering how we are also about to end one calendar year and begin another one anew, is there anything that you want to believe as you enter into a new cycle?  Are there some beliefs in magic and wonder that you want to recover and feel deep in your soul?

The Sacred Space In Between

Today in Cosmic Cowgirls Magazine
is my latest article called

The Sacred Space In Between

“My Grandmother Twylah taught me that the Sacred Space can be found in between the in breath and the outbreath.   Holding the breath to the count of ten allows us to stop the outer world and to open the door that leads to the inner world of the Self.  I developed a way to get to that place within myself so I can connect to my Orenda (Spiritual Essence).  By inhaling, holding the breath for a moment, then exhaling, I can calm myself and enter the Stillness. Then I listen to find the small, still voice of love within my heart.  The voice of the Orenda, which always speaks from love, stops the outer world’s chaos from impinging on my senses.  In this place of quietness that exists within myself, I am able to find the Eternal Flame of Love from the Great Mystery that feeds the voice of my Spiritual Essence.”

Click this link The Sacred Space In Between or the one above to visit Cosmic Cowgirls Magazine to read the full article.

Indian Paint Brush painting by Thomas Blackshear