Hearts galore

For the morning already I've seen three hearts.

The first was the leaf on the driveway with a heart-shaped hole in it.

Then, on the way to get the car brakes checked, I saw a huge heart-shaped concrete slab of sidewalk near a gaping manhole.

I returned home and, while searching the small garden outside my bedroom window for a rock, I came across a small piece of heart-shaped snakeskin.

Of course I took shots of all.

I get the message, loud and clear.

Reading the snake

Be patient with yourself, with others, with life in this period of great inner and outer change. There will be moments when you suddenly feel that you do not "fit". Familiar environments which once gave comfort begin to feel uncomfortable—akin to a foot that has suddenly outgrown its favourite, most comfortable old shoe. Get new shoes.

Be flexible, allow the change, surrender. Have the guts and you will have glory. You are not alone. There are others, perhaps as yet unknown to you, who are willing to assist along the way—often without you even having to ask.

Speak and project your essence with confidence. Believe in the power of you as you are now.

Be a Flower

You don't have to exert extra energy by going searching. Be a flower. Stand rooted and patient, effortlessly emitting the unique scent that only you possess. Your scented vibration draws who and what is for you to you.

Blue Moon & New Beginnings

Time lapse of clouds rolling over the Blue Moon directly above us on the cliff
31 Dec 2008 - 1 Jan 2010
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As time crossed the bridge from 31 December 2009 to 1 January 2010, I was on a cliff in Balandra with my friend Vandana, who came to visit me for a few weeks.

Below us was choppy black sea with galloping white waves, illuminated by the Blue Moon directly above like a spotlight. We didn't even know there was going to be a full moon that night ... much less a blue one. It was huge and amazing and seemed to have orchestrated itself to be over us at the moment that the year turned. Being the second full moon in one month, blue moons signal a powerful time. It is said that if you have special wishes and desires, this is the time to send them forth to the Universe in the form of rituals, prayers, etc.

Without even knowing, this is what we did.

We went onto the cliff at about 11:30 p.m. and did our own little personal rituals. Being on the cliff was like standing on a finger projecting into the Universe, surrounded by all of the elements - earth, air, fire (we were burning incense), water, ether. We had plastic tablecloths that we lay on, looking up at the stars and clouds racing over the moon The energy was tangible.

At 11:55 we did eleven minutes of a Kundalini Yoga meditation for prosperity. This took us to until 12:06 on 1st January 2010.

Then, inspired by this, V did her own ceremony, with me and the elements as her witness.

It was the perfect start to a new chapter.

When dawn cracked, after doing some meditation and yoga, I went down to the cove and found a large piece of driftwood floating in the water. It was shaped like a bow. I mentioned it to the friend I was talking to on my cellular phone at the time and she said: "And you are the arrow."

I brought it back home with me. It is a symbol of my focus for this year and the many bulls-eyes I will be hitting from now on.

Follow Your Heart

Standing in the river

This morning I was up early as usual and headed out to buy some fruits and vegetables. However, instead of just going to the fruit stall around the corner, something told me to go further. It was a lovely clear morning and because it was early, heat was not a deterrent.

The roads were quiet. I found myself heading into more rural distructs, enjoying the breezy quality time with myself.

I ended up at Salybia (at least one hour from home, for those who don't know it), where the river meets the sea. There were enough people on the beach for it to not be 'deserted' - a small family of what looked like three tourists, an elderly man bathing in the river, two men at the fishing depot, a woman in the refurbished building with toilets and changing rooms, a man selling fruit at the corner of the road. (I bought a coconut, watermelon and paw paw from him after).

I got out and walked along the beach. I have a knack for seeing rainbows before they appear and knowing when there are heart shapes in the area. My heart radar was strongly telling me that I would find a special one, so I kept my eyes to the ground. I saw nothing in the sand. But when I got to the river, I found this (see below video). As I saw it, I couldn't help but say "Thank You!" aloud. It made my day.

Does your path have a heart?

Wearing my heart on my (yoga) pants

This heart was on my path this morning as I walked around the Savannah with a friend before a yoga class.

Then found this on Youtube:

Nothing is a coincidence

(Canada Chronicles continued ...)
One day last week when I was in Montreal I was walking with my cousin. We passed a shop displaying some brightly coloured images on fridge magnets and coasters for $1 each. I was drawn to a bright image of Cupid. My cousin was drawn to the image featured above. We made our purchases. As soon as she paid for the angel, she turned and gave it to me.

Maybe because I was in a French speaking place, the name Celestine popped into my head as I looked at the image of the angel. I then remembered the 'Celestine Prophecy' and the fact that there is no such thing as 'a coincidence'. Before we continued along our way, I said to Celestine (in French): "Show us signs along our path that lead us to the answers we need right now to advance our lives in accordance with our happiness."

Along the way, we passed many signs that had the word "Angel" in them ... whether on advertising, the names of buildings or even embedded within names of streets (e.g. Blvd Langelier). 'Coincidence'? Were we looking for it? Or was there really some kind of angelic presence?

We were on our way to look for a labyrinth in a park about 2 hours away on foot. As we walked, we were talking of a few things ... one of which was 'fear'. I was telling her that everyone feels fear at some point and that we need to push past it to get to the next level and where we want to be. At that moment I had looked at Celestine again and the cross she was carrying reminded me of an image I had seen once of my hero since childhood - Joan of Arc. How relevant. I started to tell my cousin about Joan and two of her quotes which I love:

(i) I am not afraid, I was born to do this
(ii) Act and God will act

Just a few seconds later, I looked up as we were about to cross a street... and right before us was a street sign: Blvd Jeanne d'Arc! (Joan of Arc Boulevard)

We were blown away. Coincidence or confirmation? Long story, but in that moment I confirmed the decision to extend my stay here an extra month.
Yesterday I was walking through town with a friend and saw this stick (above image) on the ground. It's the second one I've found since being here. It's in the shape of a divining rod. I see these "Y" shaped sticks as a sign that I'm being assisted in finding something important to me.

As my friend and I walked, I was telling her (relevant to our conversation) about a time I was in a meeting (in TT) and one of my peers had run out of the room, traumatised by a phonecall that a very dear friend of hers had been killed that morning in a car accident. After a while of several of us comforting her, I offered to take her home and stay with her until her sister came to keep her company. On the drive to her apartment, I didn't know what to say. What do you say to someone who has emitted such gutteral cries of grief and is still reeling in shock? The only thing that came to me was to ask her what were the things that she loved most about him ... what were some of her favourite memories of their times together ... what kind of person was he?

This kept her talking about things that she found pleasant, even though sad (given the circumstances). At one point, just before reaching her apartment, I saw a car heading toward us. It had her deceased friend's name (NICHOLAS) emblazoned across its windscreen in red with a huge red heart next to it.

"Look! He's hearing you talk about him and he's sending to say he loves you!" I exclaimed.

Coincidence? Confirmation? Consolation?

So ... I was telling my friend this story as we walked yesterday in Toronto with my divining rod ... and lo and behold, just as I finished telling it to her, we stopped to cross a street, I looked up ... and we both gasped as my finger pointed to the name of the street:

St. Nicholas St.

Coincidence? It gave us the confirmation that we are on the right path and are being guided.

Sunflower Power to the Rescue

Samantha Rochard's piece for Mystic Intervention was The Moon Tree ... a tree containing little gifts bags of seeds and a small candle. Each kind of seed had its own meaning (e.g. I got Sunflower seeds, representing 'recognition of achievements'). The idea was for the 'giftee' to devise and perform a personal ritual while planting his or her seeds ... and to subsequently nurture them, thereby nurturing the promise inherent in the seeds.

Yesterday, from the moment I woke up, I was focused and absorbed, busy cleaning and clearing, throwing away, playing some good music in the background as I did so. I was feeling purposeful, happy about lightening up the energy, about the feeling of clearing space and getting rid of 'old', excited about new things to come and that "Life is good ..."

Then at one point, around 3 p.m., I stopped, sat down ... and suddenly started to feel very low in energy. Everything within me dropped and I just sat there. My sense of focus and purpose quickly turned to disillusionment, apathy and doubt as I slipped into the 'What am I doing with my life? Does any of what I do make sense? Why do I do it?" mode that I sometimes slip into after I've poured a significant amount of energy into a project that leaves me empty after, with nothing visible or tangible to show for it ... but yet with a great intangible, energetic feeling. In other words, the kinds of projects that I really love doing and would happily absorb myself in, that come from the heart and spirit, that really touch and move people and myself in the process ... but which don't (yet) seem to translate into the 'real world' of buying material necessities and paying bills ...

After a few minutes of pensive moping, I suddenly remembered the little yellow bag with the candle and Sunflower seeds ...
I immediately got up, went outside with it, found an empty pot, filled it with rich soil (the same soil I used for Melanie the Miracle Melon) and planted the three seeds.

The three seeds ... and one little piece of something that looks like it belonged with them.

Making a hole for the last seed

I placed the pot in the little garden outside of my bedroom window, close to Melanie.
Then went indoors and placed the candle from the little gift bag in this small candle holder on the bookshelf in my new clean, light space.

Doing this activity, I felt my energy shift. Even though so small an act, I felt that something big had happened. At the very least, it distracted me from my own mind. Now as I sit here writing this, I know that the doubt, disillusionment and apathy I was feeling in that moment yesterday were caused by me projecting ahead of 'the now' (Desirée, if you're reading this, I dropped that link in for you) and worrying about what I really don't need to worry about.

In the moment of worrying about bills or buying things do I actually have to pay a bill or buy anything?

No.

So why worry about it?

New life

On mornings I usually buy a big slab of watermelon from the fruit stall where I also buy papers. When I return home, I sit on the ground in the driveway eating the watermelon and reading the papers. I absently toss the watermelon seeds under the pine tree to my left.

Yesterday morning as I went to open the gate, I noticed a colony of little seedlings growing under the pine tree. At first I wondered what they were. They looked so healthy, eager and happy, that the first thing that crossed my mind was: "Sunflower seedlings?"

Then I realised they were the sprouts from my watermelon seeds. I was amazed. To think that something so casually tossed on bare earth (and forgotten) had sprouted with such life and determination.

Two rainbows, two dolphins and a pair of angel wings

Pulling into the jetty on the way back from 'down the islands', just before sunset ...
these clouds reminded me of a huge pair of angel's wings.

*

My entire body feels the pain today (good pain) after a full day-into-afternoon on Chacachacare Island shooting with my friend Miss T from TO. We arrived by boat then, together with two of the subjects of her documentary, made the 30 - 45 minute hike up a steep, winding road, to the light house. From up there, the view of the islands is breathtaking. And Venezuela is so close, you feel you could skip a pebble and it would reach.

On the journey back, I observed the following beautiful pairs of symbols. Things I see often jump out at me as being more than just 'things I see'. I'm sure it happens to you too. That's when 'things we see' are divine symbols and messages, telling us something important, giving us clues to life's grand treasures.

(1) Two rainbows - one, when we were walking down the hill from the light house, looked so close that it seemed to end (or begin) in the bush a few steps away from us at the roadside. The other was in clouds over the mainland on the boat ride back. Rainbows symbolise many things - from being a symbol of 'gay pride' to signifying hope, the promise of a new day, arc of God, bridge between heaven and earth ... etc. In addition to those things, for me it is one of my favourite natural phenomena (if not my favourite). Seeing one, no matter how small or faint, always makes me say "Wow!" and uplifts me. It's a great sign.

(2) Two dolphins - A power animal moment and another thing that makes me say "Wow!" I saw them rising together out of the water in the distance. Dolphins play in that peninsula. When I used to go fishing years ago with my friends Joseph, Curtis and Wayne, the dolphins would sometimes frolic alongside the boat, more so when we banged on the side of the boat to call them. According to this source, dolphins represent: joy, spiritual depth, play.

Extract:
The dolphin is a symbol of joy, of being able to ‘go with the flow’ of life, free from worry. It is significant that they are mammals that live in water because water and the oceans are symbolic of our deeper emotions and the cosmic ocean of life. Dolphins play, leap, twist and turn in these waters, and so as a symbol they represent the ability for us to release limitations, and then accept and enjoy our deeper spiritual nature. Dolphins do not dwell on the meaning of life, they simply live life to the full as a part of the cosmic dance. You should wear the symbol of dolphin as a way of showing your intention to become more at one with the breath of life (that is the spiritual nature of life) and to promote a connection with laughter, joyful release and the ability to give of yourself freely to others.

Seeing a pair of dolphins also always makes me think of a happy, simple, soul-connected, unconditional life-love partnership.

(3) A pair of Angel Wings - The image of huge, luminous angel wings in the sky spreading over everything at the end of the day (see above photo) speaks for itself. Huge cosmic blessings.

Naked Soul

Clothesline, Englishman's Bay, Tobago
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Through the window of my inner Eye, I glimpse her removing this world's clothing from the line. She knows that Life's fashions do not always suit Truth's form.

"Why keep what does not fit us anymore?"

My Soul disrobes and walks, naked and brilliant, in the room we share. "Look at me," she says, glowing. "Have you ever really seen me before?"

Sea Key

When I was at Grand Riviere last week there was a lot of heavy, stormy rain. One day the river swelled up, broke the sandy shoreline at its mouth and went pouring into the sea in a mass of churning, muddy chocolate water, with large branches and other materials swept along its path. The entire landscape was entirely changed within minutes as the river lived up to its name (Grand Riviere means Big River).

Afterwards I went walking near the river mouth and saw this key lying in the sand.

Immediately I wondered: Whose keys are these? What do they open?

The key didn't look as if it had been swept there by the waters. It seemed to have been placed so gently and specifically (quite like this) for someone to find.

I wondered: What would I want it to open up for me?

Then just now as I wrote the title of this post, it immediately sounded to me like 'seek ye' ... which in turn reminded me of Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and ye shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Anna's outfit

Lying in bed, holding up Anna's outfit and looking through it to the light on the ceiling

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Yesterday a friend and I went to another friend's house. I would say our friend, Mitch, is like a local Crocodile Dundee jungle man. One of the animals he has rescued and now cares for is Anna, the boa. As we were leaving, I saw Anna's skin hanging on the fence, like a large outfit drying in the sun. Mitch ripped off a big piece and gave it to me. Anna's outfit reminds me of the constant process of shedding my own skin - the parts of myself that are no longer needed or no longer fit as I grow. Sometimes it is a conscious shedding, sometimes it is involuntary, sometimes it feels overwhelmingly intense and urgent (to me), but is not necessarily visible to others. It is an inevitable desire and a never-ending process ... peeling off my 'surface' and going deeper ... not only to reveal, discover and understand more of who I am, but to fully be that in my truest form.

"What is your truth? Ask your heart, your back, your bones and your dreams. Listen to that truth with your whole body. Understand that this truth will destroy no one and that you're too old to be sent to your room. Move into your truth as though it were an old house. Walk through each room. See, hear, and feel what it is to live there. Try to love what you find, and remember the words that come to you as you explore. If you embrace it, if you are faithful to it, your truth will reward you with unimaginable freedom and intimacy with yourself and others. You won't land in a world made to order; some people in your life may not like what you write. But those who remain will be allies, people who breathe deeply and listen. It will feel good to be seen completely and loved as you are." John Lee, Writing from the body (I found this extract here)

Reunited

I found this cracked stone in the driveway on Saturday morning. I took the below photos of it because, symbolically, it made me think of a coming together, a reunion after separation. To the relief, joy and ultimate gratitude of so many of us, there was this great reunion the very next morning.

Released. Returned. Reunited.