Fire & Rain - Imagine the Shift of Opening Your Heart

Earlier in the week I dreamed I was sitting with a mother and daughter I know.  The mother inquired as to what I had been learning. I shared how lines from random songs had been showing up in my mind and if I only paid attention to the repeating line seemingly stuck in my head there was usually a message, a message I needed.

I recalled this dream upon waking and smiled because it's true. More often than not in the oddest of moments I'll find a particular line or phrase in a song going round and round in my brain usually holding a kernel of wisdom or truth for me. 

I then made my way outside to be with the sun as it rose over the neighbor's house and went about the morning's three W's - watering my garden, watching Nature and walking my neighborhood streets.  As I did I heard James Taylor's song "Fire and Rain" in my head in particular the line of the song that goes "Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain."  I had already forgotten my dream and only wanted to get fire and rain off my brain.

Then it happened.  After an hour of watering, watching and walking, the dream resurfaced and I got it.  I have seen fire and rain.  I've known and witnessed the fire of passionate people over lifetimes and I've felt and seen the rain of deep tears and grief as well. 

I have seen fire and rain, the fire of masculine action that often has led to the rain of the feminine's pain.

I also hold fire and rain. The holding of these two energies at times is my greatest challenge and yet my greatest gift.  Years ago I came close to burning out numerous times because my heart's fire was so impassioned regarding injustice.  Afterwards I went through a period of living on autopilot not engaged but going through the motions followed by drowning in grief over the unnecessary loss in the world.  Death is inevitable, but so much loss today is unnecessary be it from the cancers caused by our poor habits like my father's smoking or our chemically-laden, over processed foods, insecticides and pesticides.

As someone who cherishes Nature, the loss of animal life pains me deeply.  To see what feels like my children slaughtered for their fur or their hides and heads hung on walls makes me sick.  To know bears here in my own state are hunted for what reason other than to be able to say "I killed a bear" outrages me.  To know that people torture cats and dogs makes me want to torture and I am not a torturing person.  

My challenge is holding the fire of passion while asking not with hate but with compassion "Why? Why do you need an animal's fur for a coat or a hide and head to put on your wall?"  My challenge is to state with compassion "What you did is not okay. Who abused you?" to someone who's an abuser of an animal or another human.

Yes, I hold fire and rain and it is through both that I've come to experience the power of my heart or what I see in my friend Judi's painting "First Alchemy."

I awoke this morning thinking of Judi's painting* and the fact that it is time for fire to reign, the fire of passion and compassion, the fire born of an open grieving heart, grieving for what our ancestors have done and we continue to do to Earth while also feeling deep joy for the experience of living on such a beautiful planet. 

It is time for fire to reign so we can remember the power of our hearts and who we really are.  

Thank you James Taylor* for reminding me that I am a vessel of fire and rain.

Imagine the Shift of opening your heart.

-Dawn, The Good News Muse, 21 June 2012

dawn@imaginetheshift.com  

* "First Alchemy" is by Judith Prince. This image is from a note card replicated from the painting. Cards are available from Judi Draper, Nashville, TN. 

James Taylor link above will take you to info on his guitar lesson series offered on-line and I just learned he'll be playing Nashville's Bridgestone arena July 12th.

Wanted: Willing Weavers -Spider's Message

Early this Spring one afternoon sleep over came me and I lay down.  As soon as I closed my eyes a fuchsia spider crawled into my black field of vision.  The spider itself then turned black as my field of vision turned fuchsia. I watched the little black spider crawl upward. As it got to an edge the Universe appeared and spider vanished as it crawled into the stars.  The scene then began to move away from me. As it did, I realized the Universe was in an eye, a woman's eye which I think of as the Divine Feminine.

For days I tried to figure this out. What was I being told?

Something has shifted in my brain over the last year. For a long time I blamed it on surgery nearly two years ago then on nearing menopause.  Now I sense it's part of another shift, a shift from my thinking the way I'm accustomed to listening deeply and intuitively.

Days passed and a month later, I snapped this photo of our clematis. This is the most beautiful it's been in the nearly twenty years since we planted it.

After taking the photo I saw the spider and immediately thought of my vision as well as another last Fall when I was in the stars and saw a black hole or portal holding what I knew was the uncreated energy in the Universe making itself available to us now for conscious creation.  

This speck of a spider so near the clematis' center looked right at me and suddenly I knew what it was telling me:  "This is where I crawled to in the Universe. I am at that energy center making available for all who are willing weavers new energy for this Time, energy of Love wanting to come into the Earthly realm, but I need willing weavers."

I'm a willing weaver most days yet there are times when I still go unconscious, struggle and disconnect.

Spider says: Give me the strands of what you call fear, your uncertainty and apprehension and let us hold them in Love for you do not do this alone.  I sit at the portal ready to weave with all on Earth and through the Universe the energy of compassion and love."

Are you a willing weaver?

-Dawn, The Good News Muse 21 June 2012

dawn@imaginetheshift.com

"Children, Wake Up"

I was walking down the hall headed for my shower this morning when suddenly sadness overcame me.  From out of nowhere sorrow that I knew was not mine was palpable in my body and I heard:  "I carry the voice of the Sacred Mother, the Divine Feminine.  I am heartbroken over what man does to man and man does to Earth and all Creation. Children, please wake up.  This is not how it was suppose to be.  Please, please wake up.  Stop your fussing and fighting.  This is not what was intended for Earth.  Earth can sustain you. There is enough for everyone. There is enough of my body for everyone. Please take of me, but do so mindfully and without greed.  I need your joy and praise and you need me."

I recorded each word then promised I would share what I heard.

-Dawn, The Good News Muse, 20 June 2012

dawn@imaginetheshift.com