"There will be a revolution!"

I have long had a love for words. The other day, I gave this one a pondering—“revolution.” Where does your mind go when you hear the word? Here’s an offering before diving in….

Revolution
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

A decade ago, on the eve of Candlemas, a voice spoke—
“There will be a revolution.”
Those were fighting words,
or so I interpreted at the time.

Years of being lost in translation transpired, until…
now, when I hear the word, “revolution,”
I immediately drop down
into the central fire,
and literally turn—as moon around the sun,
dark revolves toward light,
head revolves to heart.

I had to fight a war before I could surrender.

I wrote this poem in preparation for entering an annual 40 day retreat that’s soon approaching. Why the retreat? I don’t actually go anywhere except inside. It’s my time of the year to check in with my translations of life, set my priorities and define my North Stars. Everything on the outside putts around as normal while I turn, turn ever more, turn toward what is lasting and true. What the heck is lasting and true: love, peace, joy, hope and freedom, to name a few. Nothing else cuts through the crap (excuse my languageJ) and transforms like these North Stars. Do I choose to fight a war with others or turn, turn ever more toward what I know to be lasting and true?

  

Do you know how loved you are?

"Yogini" by Karla Johnston & Punkin

It's 20 degrees in the sunshine today, and I decided to do my body practice indoors (body practice, huh? Read my Inner Constellation Compendium). My yoga moves caught my cat's attention and she revived out of a dead sleep, sauntered over and began chewing on my braid (I was in Child's Pose). Then, as I entered into Up Dog, she collapsed beneath me, obstructing my path. I proceeded anyway, like I usually do, so she moved off to the side (just a little) and began rolling on her head in the sunshine. Now, she's a flirtatious little creature and knew this antic always captures my attention. So, of course, I went into Corpse Pose early and lay down beside her, head-to-head.

Have I told you I believe cat's have the power of telepathy? Between her contented little grunts, I heard this still voice, "Do you know how loved you are?" My heart swelled, and I had to fight the urge to draw her closer. But, she's taught me over the years how to be a good cat owner, so rather than disturb her, I opened my heart even fuller and simply soaked, just like my kitty in the sunshine. As I was soaking, I had an insight: if I had expressed my heart's fullness by scooping her up, rather than getting closer to the affection, I would have actually interfered with her contentment--true love respects one's autonomy. Another a-ha followed: love, joy, peace, contentment, those energies I classify as feeling-good, cannot be grasped or held onto but operate best when allowed to expand.

Well, with these realizations transmitted, the Yogini rolled onto her back and went even deeper into her quivering-paw Goodness. Do you know how absolutely loved you are?

Overlay of Spirit

I was thinking the other day that the spiritual world seems overlaid atop the waking world (i.e. "real" world). The day I came to this conclusion, I was privy to a Geology class whereby the students were instructed to "overlay your lab sheet on top of the map and trace accordingly." I smiled and took it as a sign--case in point.

I live my life committed to paying attention to signs and wonders, and actually depend on the communication of the world around me to reflect if I'm on my Charted Course. I believe this practice might have begun when I was struggling with a decision, and a dear friend of mine suggested I ask for signs. I did so and was amazed at the clear sign posts reflected in my natural world.

Overlay of Spirit also brings up the idea of a benevolent power which interacts with us, a creative force initiated by our thoughts, words and actions. I've experienced this time and again, especially in relation to my writings and the inspirations that show up, indicating to me that I'm on the right track with a character or story line. If the spiritual realm is overlaid over top your world today, what's being communicated?

This Idea of Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, Peeps! I woke up this morning thinking of a habit I’ve developed over the last year or so—giving thanks at the end of the day for all the day’s blessings, big and small. I do it as I’m driving home from work as a perfect way to unwind and set my heart in a position of gratitude before greeting my family. I began the practice after reading an article interviewing elders living into their 80’s and beyond on the number one ingredient to a happy life—you guessed it, gratitude. For me, this idea of giving thanks as a daily practice has proven an effective way to keep me on track, literally Charting my Course toward what I want versus what I don’t want.  Whatever one gives attention to increases, and by giving thanks, I increase the good. I’ve also implemented “gratitude tapping” into my daily meridian tapping routine. Once my symptoms are alleviated, I tap in the blessings. When I do this, I often notice my SUD levels drastically fall as I experience giving and receiving deep in my tissues. It's a giving thanks miracle! This Thanksgiving consider extending the idea of giving thanks to a daily creative practice and you will experience abundance and increase beyond a single holiday.   

Dream Yourself Awake Part 2

After writing Dream Yourself Awake Part 1, I decided to dedicate some blog space to Asklepios, a Greek physician who lived around 1200 BC. In spite of having a tricky name to pronounce, Asklepios eventually became deified as the god of healing and medicine. He's often depicted as a kindly bearded man holding a serpent-entwined staff. This staff is still used today as a symbol for medicine, often confused with the caduceus--a rod etwined by two snakes and topped with wings. The caduceus is an ancient symbol for Hermes, the god of commerce and theft (I'll leave that interesting screw-up to your imagination, lest I get distracted!).

We know of over 320 Asklepian Medical Sanctuaries in Ancient Greece that housed dream alcoves, wherein ill people would enter with intentions of finding cures for whatever ailed them. Thousands of testimonies report cures delivered in the dream realm over the span of 2,000 years, with people repeatedly saying they were visited by the deceased Asklepios. I like the idea of dream healing for a number of reasons--first is the idea that entering one's internal universe brings remedy. Our Inner Constellation is that universe, but it's not limited only to this waking, tangible world. Second, help is not limited to living, breathing people but includes beings who have passed from physical form. I see no better physician than energy itself, working on one's Inner Constellation when we grant permission to do so. Next time you go to sleep, consider dreaming a cure for whatever ails you.

Dream Yourself Awake

"Blue Egyptian Eye" by Jayde Kyst (DeviantArt.com)

The word for dream in ancient Egypt is “rswt,” the root meaning, “to be awake" and is represented by an open eye. Many cultures believe that dream time is actually the real world, and the everyday world is the dream. Throughout history, dreams have been seen as portals to other dimensions, including one's Inner Constellation. Using dreams for guidance is an age-old practice. In ancient Greece, the people had sleeping caves they visited with the sole intent to enter the dream time and receive instruction on healing conditions of the body, mind or spirit, the most famous being the Sanctuary of Epidaurus. This place deserves a blog article dedicated to it alone however, so stay tuned for Dream Yourself Awake Part 2. For now, a bit of poetry to get us in the dreaming mood, inspired by an evening spent sleeping under the stars: 

Luna

©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

Slithering snake-like through river-fed grass,
basking on turquoise rock
as sunshine burns by,
in mere moments sets with crimson fire.

White-dusted Milky Way and blazing, shooting stars
trail past lidded eyes, cobalt-blue.

Am I the dreamed, or did I dream you? 

Angel on One Shoulder, Devil on the Other

"A Complex Choice" by Ixilder (DeviantArt.com)

The following picture expresses a metaphor most of us have experienced. I was thinking the other day about the dialogue continuously running inside one's head and the capacity for inner-talk to either nurture or condemn, not only the listener but all those interacting with the listening one. I began seeing "the voice" inside one's head from the perspective of energy. One of my Inner Constellation truths is that energy never dies, it just changes form. Who's voice is replaying in my head? Is it mine? My relatives? An ancestor even further back who passed the nurturing or condemning voice down through the family line? Is it a beloved one or someone hurtful? A wise counselor or baneful adversary? Did it originate from a book I read or show that I viewed? To me, the source isn't as important as is these two factors:

1) Do I attend and identify with the voice, giving it expression within me?

2) Is the voice helpful (angel on my shoulder) or hindering (devil on my shoulder)?

Wherever the voice originates, do I wish to give energy to its continuance? Does my inner-talk support what is hopeful and good, or is it despairing and critical? What we attend to will increase, this is a natural law. Do my thoughts increase what it is I want, or what it is I don't want?

The other day, a friend of mine used the old adage, "Easier said than done." (who originally spoke those words into existence? And was it the angel talking or the devil?). I prefer to turn the adage around, "Easier done than said." Let's stop yapping and step into conscious action-tap the little devils away (with meridian tapping, of course), keep persisting until no vestiges remain and then fill up with goodness. In the words of my favorite heroine, Joan of Arc, "I was the angel, there was no other."  She's speaking to you, my friend.