Make Sacred Space
When we give ourselves the gift of sacred space we are feeding our heart, body, mind and spirit. A special place tucked away from the hustle and bustle of everyday living, where one can sit quietly and commune with the divine.
Sanctuary for meditation & prayer ~ An offering of peace . . .
Our patio is home to a couple of statues that are especially meaningful for us. They help remind us to make time for meditation, prayer and reflection.
“Prayer clears the mist
and brings back peace
to the soul.” ~ Rumi
Just by spending a couple of minutes or an hour in sacred space, we refresh ourselves and restore a sense of balance and peace in our lives.
A special place to relax, be still and listen.
Something opens our wings.
Something makes boredom and hurt disappear.
Someone fills the cup in front of us:
We taste only sacredness.”
~ Rumi
Kuan Yin ~ She is associated with compassion and healing. For me, she is a symbol of the spiritual principles of love, forgiveness, kindness and gratitude.
Lovely golden green glass suspended between sky and earth. I found this garden ornament packed away in a box and decided to hang it up to celebrate the changing of the seasons. It reflects the color of nature’s first golden green of spring, the color of joy, wonder and impermanence.
While cleaning our zen garden on the patio table, I added a beautiful figurine that we found at one of the local thrift stores for just 25 cents. Love the detail and flow of his clothing. ~ So very Zen!
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Hand blown glass balls for your garden. ~ They are said to bring harmonizing energy into your home & garden and deflect negative chi. The blue ball represents the Feng Shui Element Water in places where it’s not easy to have flowing water. This works for me since I don’t have room on the patio for a water fountain.
Sea shells that hold memories from special places. ~ Just another way to add the element of water to your sacred space.
When creating sacred space outdoors you can add potted plants, stones, herbs, wind chimes, color and anything else that you love. Sacred space is all about surrounding yourself with things you love and what makes you feel centered, peaceful and balanced.
“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself over and over again.” ~ Joseph Campbell
“Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside each of us.” – Rose Arizmendi
Spring Equinox ~ 2011
Spring is on it’s way!
Like many of you I’ve been watching world events with a heavy heart. How do we find and maintain our center when the ground is shifting and changing beneath our feet. . . Most importantly, how do we cope with the face of inevitable change?
Each of us have different ways of coping whether it is through prayer, meditation, writing, painting, watching movies or doing the spiritual work we have been practicing over the years. In times of crisis, we often return to those beliefs and practices that restore a sense of balance in our lives. A renewed sense of connection to the Divine.
We are one ~ we are not separate.
Finding comfort in nature.
Even on days where there are more shadows than light, we find beauty.
“A fresh attitude starts to happen when we look to see that yesterday was yesterday, and now it is gone; today is today and now it is new. It is like that ~ every hour, every minute is changing. If we stop observing change, then we stop seeing everything as new.” ~ Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
“Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside each of us.” – Rose Arizmendi
The Healing Passage
What I have been doing lately. . .
Recuperating from a nasty flu bug. My husband came down with it first and I succumbed to it a few days later. The only good thing about being sick with the flu is that it forces you to slow down, rest and sleep.
When my husband was running 102 temperature, I began making soup, herbal teas, vegetable broths and tonics and stocking up just in case #1 care giver (me) ended up getting sick, which I did.
Meanwhile, I came across an old healing magazine published in 1976 that I subscribed to years ago when I was volunteering at an organic food co-opt in Hawaii. The little magazine was called Well~Being and I have managed to hang onto a couple of my favorites over the years.
I especially loved one of the articles titled “Caring For A Sick Friend”. The author of the article is unknown however the graphics were by Rosalie Kessing. I still find the information just as valid and important today as it was some thirty five years ago.
I’m sorry that the print and images are blurry but the magazine is very old and the paper and print has faded somewhat over the years. I used Photo Shop to try and make it a little more legible.
Another interesting article in the same magazine mentions how President Ford’s administration was making plans to inoculate everyone in the U.S. against a viral infection call “Swine Flu”. Sound familiar! This article was published in August of 1976.
Although our home has given way to clutter and neglect with cough drops, kleenex, nasal spray and empty tea cups littering every tabletop, I have found a sense of peace and resignation that this too will pass.
Outside the sun is shining and I already feel a bit shinier because of it. xo
thought for the day;
“The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience. Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around…. Throughout history, “tender loving care” has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing.” ~ Larry Dossey
“Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside each of us.” – Rose Arizmendi
Reflections On A Rainy Day
Today, I woke up to heavy rain and wind. It was raining so hard I could barely see the neighbors house across the street.
Later I wandered quietly back to my desk, savoring the warm comfort of my office. My quiet little world where I can dream, write and create.
A brief interlude~ a respite from the heavy rain that had been falling all morning.
Standing in a place where land and sky meet ~ Capturing reflections , clouds winging past, moments, wind and more rain. . .
A perfect lunch for a day like this . . .
“Soup is the song of the hearth… and the home.” ~ Louis P. De Gouy
The ever-changing play of darkness and light ~ Dark clouds hang above our head. The storm in all it’s fierceness is still beautiful, poetic, and lyrical as winter gives way to spring.
“Last night the rain spoke to me
slowly, saying, what joy
to come falling out of the brisk cloud,
to be happy again in a new way
on the earth!” ~ Mary Oliver
“Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside each of us.” – Rose Arizmendi
Inspirational Friday~You Are Worth the Time
The alchemy of creating art comes from your heart, the deep places within you and your response to what is going on around you. It is an expression of your heart and soul. I find that creating art is a profoundly healing act in itself, and feeds me on every level: Physical, mental and spiritual.
I found this great video on YouTube and loved it.
“Creativity is a shapechanger. One moment it takes this form, the next that. It is like a dazzling spirit who appears to us all, yet is hard to describe for no one agrees on what they saw in that brilliant flash.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes
“Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside each of us.” – Rose Arizmendi