In a Perfect World....

Recently this question was posed to me, "In a perfect world, where you need not worry about making money or supporting yourself, what would you chose to do?" When I heard the question, it reminded me of North Star, and the idea of identifying and embracing what is most important in your life. OK, I'm not avoiding the question, I'll divulge my answer, but first--how do you answer the question: In a perfect world, whereby everything you need is provided for, what would you chose to do?

My answer is two-fold, I would write and I would act generously. Now, I don't know about you all, but my answer begs the question, why wait until everything is provided in order to do my heart's desire? In fact, perhaps the heart's desire is the path to receiving abundantly. And, then, to go even deeper, perhaps we are always absolutely provided for.

I had a friend once who governed her life in the following way--she made a deal with her Creator, agreeing to do her heart's desire under the expectation that all her needs would be met. I have known this friend for over 10 years and her expectations have been granted every time (sometimes in the nick of time, but met none the less). The Inner Constellation Blog is the perfect venue for pursuing my heart's desire--to write (thank you for indulging me). I'm in the stages of developing a Pilot Program which will fulfill the second part of my heart's desire--to act generously.

Remembering the universal law that whatever we give our attention to increases, it make sense that following our hearts' desires will bring increased abundance. Tonight, I wish upon a star and make a promise to follow my heart's desire. I release it now into cyberspace--stay tuned for the IC Pilot Program coming soon!

Invoke Your Muse

I just spent the last half hour enraptured by a Monarch butterfly feeding on my wildflowers. She's still there as I write this, probing and seeking out the juiciest parts of the flowers. As I watched, I got to thinking about a poem I wrote and the lines kept tumbling through my head. Blessings to you on this beautiful summer day, may this poem provide inspiration....


Invoke the Muse
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

Lay me down 
in a field of green.

Gossamer wings
flutter near.

Like a honey bee
enter me,
expose sweet nectar center.

Before pulling free
dance with me,
lead and I will follow.

Star of divinity
constellate me,
reveal:
a song,
a poem.
I’ll engrave it all—
Lay
me
down.

Remembering Your Goodness

Happy day, IC friends, I’m currently reading a book entitled, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.” Perhaps you’ve read it? It was voted one of the ten best books of the year, and so I couldn’t resist (besides the intriguing title). This morning I read a line that stuck. A character by the name of Eben Ramsey wrote a letter reflecting on the time of German occupation, “We clung to books and to our friends; they reminded us that we had another part to us.” I pondered if the “they” were friends, books or both. We’ve all known people who have nurtured and reminded us of our best parts and forgave our not-so-best parts. Books can do a very similar service but in the guise of characters or human insights shared. I got to thinking how I’ve befriended many a book (what can I say, it’s a Saturday and I’m feeling whimsical). As a kid, Harriet the Spy was one of my best loved characters. The curious and intensely honest girl filled notebook after notebook with life’s observations. Uh, wow, does that sound familiar! A similar inspiring favorite was Harry Potter (is there something to the name?). Most recently, I’d vote “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett as a most exquisite read.

My closest befriending of a book was with "Child of God", the story I wrote about Joan of Arc. It was a seven year project involving travel to France, pouring over trial transcripts and then creating a first person account of Joan's life and visions with what she referred to as, “the Voice.” I published "Child of God: The Humble Beginnings of Joan of Arc" in Kindle electronic format. In this day and age, you can befriend a book in a few seconds!

Eben Ramsey’s wise words, “…they reminded us that we had another part to us,” sum up perfectly what great books and good friends do—connects us to a deeper part of ourselves in spite of situations that counter otherwise. OK, TTFN, gotta go write in my notebook!

Everything is Energy

I don't watch a lot of Oprah, but I highly value her generosity and big heart. A friend of mine sent me an email mentioning a topic addressed on her final show: "It's all ENERGY!" Her show topic supports one of the Inner Constellation truths attributed to Albert Einstein: Everything is energy. I did my research and here's what influential Oprah had to say:

“You are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself, and you’re responsible for the energy that you bring to others. Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.” 

Her call to action may sound a bit woo-woo, but I have a simple story to illustrate Oprah's point. I must warn you, if you're a rabbit lover, you may wish to not read on....About four years ago, there was a large forest fire in our area, and since the fire, rabbits have overpopulated our neighborhood. This summer season not only did we have our typical adult rabbits but two babies galloped around, jumping over rocks, chasing each other and eating up our lawn. They were so cute, we didn't mind too much. But then, of course, the flowers started disappearing. So, using the power of my thoughts (energy), whenever I thought of the rabbits taking over the hood, I turned my thoughts to the good and simply envisioned fat, yummy bunnies for anyone needing a dinner. A few days later we found a huge pile of coyote skat in our fenced yard, then, a black cat started visiting. He's been around for about three weeks, looks very healthy and well feed and the flowers are doing great! Now, I'm pretty sure Oprah would think me an irresponsible brute, but this brings us to the next Inner Constellation truth: Energy never dies it just changes form: flowers, to bunnies, to cats, to coyotes, to me, sitting and thinking about what it is I want versus what it is I don't want. And now, for the third IC truth (drum roll please...)--we are all ENERGY! 

Nature's Remedy

Wild Rose in water,
I drink from thee
and feel your effect immediately--
like medicine you open a closed part of me.

After finishing a run this weekend, I wrote the above ditty in tribute to the Wild Alpine Rose. I discovered the Wild Rose within weeks of moving to the mountains and continue to make tea from its petals and rosehips. One of my favorite energy techniques is to borrow properties from nature when I need a pick-me-up. In my work with people, I've noticed a tendency to sometimes wall off our hearts, perhaps as a survival instinct, especially in the event of trauma. If I feel this tendency within myself, I purposely look to remedy it by choosing to focus on the opposite--opening. For me, two wonders of the natural world inspire opening--roses and the waxing moon.

If you're lucky enough to have Wild Rose growing in your area, try picking a tight bud and after carefully running under water, place it either in a cup of boiled water for tea or straight into a quart of filtered water, where it will stay fresh for days. Wild Rose has a very pleasing, delicate taste. I wouldn't suggest domestic Roses due to dyes and pesticides. Rosehips are slightly sweeter and hold the seed pods of the Rose when left un-pruned and in its wild state. The fruit is typically scarlet to orange and can be gathered in the fall and added to tea as a natural sweetener.

Moon water is easily harvested using filtered water and preferably a capped, glass container. Old wine bottles work great. I place my water out after sunset and retrieve it in the morning. The moon begins its waxing cycle on July 30. Consider taking advantage of its fullness and voila, drink down the moon!

Jaycee Lee Dugard

If you watched the ABC interview with Jaycee Dugard a few days ago, perhaps like me, you’ve been thinking about this remarkable woman. Specifically, I find myself pondering the North Star she held in sight during her eighteen years of captivity—hope in seeing her mother again. As the interview began, Jaycee touched a delicate silver pinecone necklace that hung around her neck, saying it represented two vivid reminders. Physically, the pinecone was the last object she remembered touching before she was lifted bodily into her captor’s car, and metaphorically, that “there is hope after something tragic.” Her life gives witness to one of my favorite processes—energy changing form or transformation.

Jaycee spoke of another anchor to her North Star of hope, the moon. While in captivity, she looked out her tiny barred window at the moon and thought of the conversations with her mom. They used to debate which stage was most beautiful, full or crescent. Days before she was reunited with her mother, both women recalled looking at the moon and thinking of each another.

Holding onto hope was Jaycee’s mother’s North Star as well. She relentlessly believed in her daughter’s return and upon its arrival eighteen long-years later, embraced her and the two children fathered by her abductor. I was glued to the interview, wondering how on earth they survived such tragedy. Jaycee spoke candidly when she was asked about the shame of what she suffered, “Why not look at it, stare it down.” This brave, brave woman knows the wisdom of not turning away from suffering. I thought of the gift of energy therapy and the physical techniques used to release stored trauma from the body. I wondered what she did to move such energy through and foster healing. About this time, the film crew filmed Jaycee riding a horse, with spine straight and a joyful smile on her face.

Jaycee spoke another clue to surviving her ordeal—remembering her identity. Her abductors blotted out her given name and had called her Alyssa. On August 27, 2009, when two police women followed their intuition and asked an estranged-looking girl her name, she said she could not speak it but could write it down—Jaycee Lee Dugard. At the end of the interview, Jaycee’s clear, arresting blue eyes communicated beyond words the significance of acknowledging her true identity, “...it was like breaking an evil spell.”

We are celestial, boundless, an entire universe. Remember this in darkest night; nay, shine in spite of it! Thank you, Jaycee Lee Dugard, for embodying the ideals of Inner Constellation; you are a shining star.

Open Slightly Your Hearts

“Open Slightly Your Hearts”
© Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

Eve approaches and night wears on.

I crave stillness,

peace and calm,

falling into beloved arms.

Shed the cloaks of this world,

slip between the veils.

Minds let go, souls take flight,

carried bare and vulnerable to the heights.

Eyes closed to outward form,

an entire world is born.

Heaven exposed, boundaries none,

moon eclipses sun.

Your strong hands grasp the stars,

with arms flung wide, you cast them broad.

I stand in awe, showered in sparks,

of first creation.

Glittering seeds cascade to earth,

find loamy soil and nestle in.

Husks fall away,

surrender begins:

flickering,

venturing,

emerging.