Seasonal Changes in the Labyrinth

I’ve been feeling very lucky in that the snowfall this year has been limited. Yes, we got 18” of the glorious white stuff in late October and then another 6" in mid-January. That’s worked out well for walking in the labyrinth and I have noticed there is a definite difference in how it feels to BE as I walk along the paths.

My labyrinth was completed this past summer. It was dedicated and officially “open” on  Monday, July 11th. A gorgeous day; warm, sunny, a nice steady breeze and all the plants were in full bloom, lush and thriving. I found the animals, especially the babies, were roaming about, curiously taking in

all the world has to offer. Walking the paths during the summer I soaked in the warmth of the sun and felt enveloped in all goodness of the earth experiencing a strong connection to Gaia that just felt strong and complete.

In the fall, the leaves were changing color and the air was crisp. At times I could feel a coldness in the breeze reminding me of the lower temperatures that were destined to come. Yes, I knew there was a difference during my walks. Gaia was readying herself to hibernate for a bit. The sun was not as warm as it had been in the summer and I had a sense of letting go, a determined releasing of all that is no longer necessary.

Now we are in the midst of winter. I am fortunate that snow is not covering the paths so I may continue to take my daily walks. At this time, the air is clear and there is ice in the breeze. It is so very quiet. There are no birds singing or bees buzzing and the animals are no longer scampering about. It is a perfect stillness, a perfect quiet that allows me to be at peace with myself. Just me - no sounds, no creatures visiting. A true sense of clarity comes over me unlike my walks in the other seasons I have experienced in the labyrinth thus far. My connection to Gaia seems stronger. I reflect and remember how just a year ago I came to this spot asking Gaia permission to build my labyrinth here. To create a sacred space with the intention and promise that I would care for her and all the inhabitants that would come to walk through and/or occupy these paths.

I’ve seen, met and touched many creatures that have come to visit or walk through this labyrinth and I anticipate there will be more when I walk these paths during our first spring together – now less than two months away. I suspect I will feel a sense of renewal, typical of spring as Gaia gives birth to the season filled with hope and promise of sun-filled days, new babies, lush gardens, trees dressed in green and warm rains nourishing all that wonder.

Gaia will do her job and I shall do mine. We have an agreement – a contract of sorts. She provides for me and I take care of her. We both do our best although I must say, she’s much better at it than I. She trusts me and I trust her and because of that, I know all is well.

My labyrinth offers so much peace, wonder and clarity in each season, different, yet the same. It’s a sacred place where I find I can BE who I am meant to BE.

If you would like to experience the wonder of a labyrinth walk for yourself the following link will allow you to locate labyrinths near you: http://labyrinthlocator.com/

I intend you enjoy your walks and that your experiences will also be wonderfully peaceful and calming, enlightening and uplifting.

Celebrations!!!

Today is my birthday.

This year, it seems different.

It's not a milestone, it's just a day that turned out great! Really great!!!

If it were not the day of my birth, I don't think it would have been as wonderful though. It seems everything was better than I anticipated. Things worked out better. I am very much aware of this. I noticed it more today than usual.

Perhaps this is a sign that during this next year I need to be even more aware of all that is around me. Cherish each moment. Treasure other people and what they bring to the table - good and not so good. There are lessons to be learned from the not so good and THAT is good and necessary.

Yup, today is my birthday and for the first time, in a very long time, I am celebrating it in a BIG way by just being aware of who I BE and feeling good about it.

I intend all your days are filled with awareness and bliss. Even when it's not your birthday!

10 Mind Bending Facts about the Universe

1. The universe contains around 50,000,000,000 galaxies each of which has between 100,000,000,000 and 1,000,000,000,000 stars

2. At the speed of light, time stops

3. Dark matter makes up 83% of the matter in the universe . . . but we can’t see it and we don’t know what it is.

4. Time passes more slowly in orbit around the earth . . . meaning returning astronauts arrive home slightly younger than if they had spent the same amount of time on earth

5. Atoms are 99.9999999999999% empty space . . . meaning all matter making up the entire human race could fit into a sugar cube

6. Just a thimbleful of a neutron star would weigh over 100 million tons

7. Sagittarius 3, an interstellar gas cloud . . . contains a billion, billion, billion liters of alcohol

8. The most powerful explosions ever witnessed in the universe . . . are gamma-ray bursts – they are trillions of times brighter than our sun

9. In Quantum Physics causality can work backwards. Our choices in the present can effectively determine what occurred in the past.

10. According to some models of cosmology there are an infinite number of universes . . . with an infinite number of people reading this list.

The Amazing Quilter

I recently received an e-mail with a link to a YouTube video – I know, you get them all the time too. This was different though. The subject line stated ‘Absolutely incredible. I feel like a slacker next to her’. I wondered why this particular video would make anyone feel that way. After all, most of the videos are depictions of animals that are just too, too cute, or people who are purposely performing death defying acts or well, to be honest, some of them are just plain stupid and I wonder why they are getting so many views. Then again, a lot of the stupid ones involve death defying acts and people love horror. Curiosity is the main reason we watch these videos, they’re sent from friends so it must be worth the time to look at it, right? Yeah, sometimes that’s not true but that’s exactly what got the best of me when I read the subject line on this video.

I clicked on the link and viewed the video. This one is most definitely worth the view.

WOW! There really is no easy way to explain this inspiring, phenomenally amazing woman.
\Her name is Diane Rose. After viewing the video I went to her website, took down the phone number and because no one wants to be called in the wee hours of the morning, I called her the next day. Being polite is important.

Our 40 minute conversation was so uplifting. I felt wonderful after the call. She lifted ME.

Diane is genuine and she truly is the real deal. She is loving, kind, caring, positive, funny, talented, knowledgeable, filled with integrity, optimistic and she is blind.

She is a quilter and as I said, there is no way to do her justice with the written word.

Please view this video and pass it along to anyone and everyone you know. Her message needs to be heard – we all have gifts and she most definitely is using hers to the fullest.

I will be interviewing Diane on my radio show in the next few months – she’s going to England in April and her schedule is very full. As soon as I confirm a date, I’ll let you know so you can tune in to hear Diane, who I am quite sure you will agree, is an inspiration for us all.

Here’s the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=7lfaSmDxVZQ


Here’s the link to her website:

http://www.theamazingquilter.com/

What do you think?