The Beach is Good for the Soul

It’s that time of year…. We’re getting ready to go on vacation again. We’ve rented the same house on the beach and I cannot wait to sit on that ocean sand. In the Autumn I like vacations to be about activity, and since I love that time of year it is a great time for me to be busy. But in the summer… there is just nothing more spiritual then sitting on the sand and watching the sunrise and set each day. I am also thrilled to be loading up the car, packing up the dog to go along, and driving to the beach for 7 sunny days of being totally lazy. I even love the long car ride down.

Since we’ll be gone during the Summer Solstice I am packing my handy dandy mini travel altar with me. I have picked up several different ones on ebay and such because we’ve been traveling lots more the last few years. I have some cool stuff I gathered from various kits and pretty much put my own together. It all fits in a small wooden tarot box that I also use as the altar when traveling. I also take a mini tarot deck on every trip and my journal to document things. I can do a lot of reflection on my trips, and I am lucky enough that I can do them because going away is nothing short of ‘cleansing” for the soul.

Look out beach….. here we come whoohoo.

The Meaning of Life

All philosophy teaches us that the meaning of life is knowledge. Through knowledge, we evolve. Through knowledge we obtain happiness, and balance. Through knowledge and intelligence we create. Through knowledge we develop technology and science.

Living solely for happiness isn’t logical, knowledge strives for far more details in the puzzle. If you consider yourself ‘at peace” then you aren’t advancing in knowledge.

Why or how is your life worth living? Much depends upon your career, and the things your contribute to the world which creates knowledge. How can you become a better person?

Grow as a person. Build your knowledge. Discover a use for what you know. Create something meaningful. Help others in some way. Anything more complex than that is ego driven.

Humans often lie to themselves believing that it is better to be the saint and “sacrifice” rather then the genius that shares their knowledge. Having the willpower to make sacrifices doesn’t make the world a better place. One person with a lot of willpower does not advance the willpower for anyone else. But a brilliant mind can advance many things.

Intelligence allows us to make better choices. The higher the intelligence the more likely the action will follow. Intelligence allows us to adapt to things, changes, situations, and even people. Being holy for the sake of being holy does not do good in the world, it only does something for that individual… the ego.

Visiting Salem

I’m back to work after a really long vacation whoohoo. The hubby and I did some stuff at home but then we also went away to Salem Massachusetts. We had a total blast omg! There are so many things to do such as: the Salem Witch Museum, Ghost Hunting, Cemetery tours, Wiccan shopping, and lots more. We caught a few paranormal things on film actually, very cool. One thing I know many Wiccans get flustered about is Laurie Cabot’s commercialism which I feel is all just a matter of opinion. She has obviously done so much for Salem’s tourism industry and yet managed to keep the rich history there. Just being in the same room as Laurie Cabot was a spiritual experience. Many non-fluffy Wiccans dislike her books due to the fluffiness but I do feel she tries to inject a much needed spiritual view rather then the “be a cool witch” attitude. She is a woman who has committed to the fight of truth which I must honor. Much of the tours were tourist themed…. however, they did an excellent job of actually educating everyone on the Wiccan religion, and the true history of the Salem Witch trials. Many people watch The Crucible and do not even know it was a metaphor for the McCarthy era. I was thrilled to see that was explained. I learned things I didn’t know too. And let me tell you the shopping was AWESOME.

The photo above is one of the postcards I bought, I scanned it before I mailed it to a friend.

To learn more on the events in Salem be sure to check out Three Sovereigns for Sarah - A True Story Of The Salem Witch Trials I think you’ll find it interesting!

The Ocean is Spiritual

….all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean… We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came.” - John F. Kennedy

I have loved the beach since I was a small child. Coming from a dysfunctional family it was the one or two weeks per year that we behaved as normal. I have been to a few beaches along the East Coast; I can count at least 9 off the topic of my head. Just planning to go to the beach contains certain rituals for me that I know I mimic from my own mother. Once I got older I immediately took my husband to two beaches in our first year of marriage. There were some years where I couldn’t go due to finances, but I am back to going steady again.

The ocean is magical. The ocean is spiritual. If you simply sit in the warm sand and look at it… everything else seems meaningless and it melts away. The sound of the ocean waves are just naturally relaxing. The further you gaze out into the water the more you realize how small you are. For me, it is the perfect place to be.

So we just got back from a 7 day beach vacation. It was awesome to do nothing and make no plans, have no responsibilities. We brought back some Real Estate info because my husband who had never been to a beach before he was 23 yrs old is now committed to moving to it… and I couldn’t want anything else too!

I took the photo above with the sun in my eyes and a glare on the camera lens yet it still came out perfectly vivid and soothing.

We Don’t See Things As They Are

We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are. ~ Anais Nin

Human beings are defective, we’re just not perfect, and as long as we learn to understand that… we can also learn that many of our problems are self created. I believe that all problems have solutions or ways of meeting in the middle. But in order to make changes in our lives, we really have to look to ourselves first before we assume that another person is to blame. Or before we decide for someone else what they “coulda, shoulda, woulda. We have to become honest with ourselves in order to grow, move forward, and make our life better. It’s all just what I believe in personally. Perhaps you reading this feel differently, I respect that too.

We, as people, tend to blame our problems on others, and we use our emotions instead of logic. It’s the easy way I feel. Just because you felt “this, that, or something else” doesn’t mean the other person intended or meant it or that they even DID it. Basically it’s about YOU and why your feelings are that way. The only person who can ever really sabotage you… is you. Team efforts do not fail…. Unless one party breaks the chain in some way.

There are 2 ways to “deal” with things in life: to meet the challenge… or to run away from it. Both are kind of “solutions” but one is practical, and the other is based on our ego in my opinion. We know the word ego technically means…. “I, Myself” so if you run away from a problem you are only thinking of yourself, not the others involved. Freud said the ego had 3 parts so, of course, that could all be broken down further which isn’t the direction of this post.

Introspection and extrospection are needed in our lives. Yes, spirituality is about looking within… but it is also about observing the world as a whole too. If we are not looking inside and out… viewing the entire picture together, then we’re always working from the ego. If you are suspicious, make assumptions about other people, do not communicate, make accusations without asking… then you are reacting with emotions and your ego. People who are afraid to communicate because it may bring a confrontation are also reacting from ego and emotions. Logic is not emotional therefore it isn’t afraid to confront. And confrontation doesn’t have to be a “fight”… it doesn’t have to be a scary word or process. Confrontation is supposed to be used to clarify things where inconsistency exists, which could be simplified into: “you say one thing but are doing another and I need you to explain it.”

The ego can be tricky. The ego can be hidden to us. For instance, the desire to help others. It’s a new age “belief” that helping others is a life mission. The common discovery anyone seeking spiritually thinks is that their own life mission is to help others or to heal and teach. It seems to me sometimes that it is everyone’s life mission. If that was the case - the world would really be a different place. I believe that it’s too vague, and ego driven. I think of the show LOST on TV and how every survivor there has a specific role, how as a team.. they are all pieces of a puzzle that create a society, a problem, and a solution. In essence that’s how we all live, each one of us are a single piece in a larger puzzle. We have to figure out where we fit in the big puzzle. And sometimes we won’t be as important as we might like. But it doesn’t mean our piece doesn’t hold every other piece together anyway. Maybe there are several puzzles we fit into…. a big one, and several smaller ones too. Maybe we have a world puzzle, a family puzzle, a work puzzle etc.

How do you figure out where you fit? Introspection and extrospection. Healing ourselves first before we ever attempt to heal someone else. Never preaching your own philosophy as a fact to anyone, because the concept of philosophy means it is just a theory or thought process. Accepting situations as they REALLY are from the inside and the out, and then figuring out what YOU can do to make it better. Realize that you hold responsibility somewhere…. and find it. Then it’s probably a good idea to allow a release.

I have to clarify. There is also a major difference between “release” and “quitting”. You can release negative emotions, childhood hurts, past traumas; you can even “release” grief. But you don’t release people, jobs, or abandon a situation instantly… because if you do, then you are really just a quitter. And we have all heard the old adage “quitters never win.” It’s pretty simple logic.

This post is a personal response to a woman that has emailed me several times for “free psychic” readings. She had explained her entire situation to me, and I don’t do free readings. In my experience people who ask for that are basically seeking a quick emotional fix which I can’t morally support. And no such thing exists from others, only from ourselves…¦ if we open up to the truth widely, or just lie to ourselves to make it easy. I cannot better you with a reading; I cannot lead you to figure out a lesson that’s for you alone to learn, and I don’t want that responsibility. Moments of enlightenment do not happen when you are seeking… they happen when you least expect them too. They come from great need when you “get it” with the lesson. I can only share what I have learned about life based from my own experience. In some way all of the things I wrote are what the Death Card means to me, but it’s also all just my opinion. You wrote me about the situation with your husband and I really wish you luck.

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Advice from a Dog

I’m an animal lover, but I have always had an extra special attachment to dogs. We can learn a lot from dogs and how they live. So this is a list of advice from a dog:

Run, romp and play daily
Never pretend to be something you’re not
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm
Take naps and stretch before rising
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them
Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory
Be loyal
When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle gently
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body
No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout….run right back and make friends
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Dogs aren’t religious, they aren’t spiritual, and a dog isn’t waiting for her prayers to be answered or wondering why they weren’t. My dog doesn’t read her horoscope or her tarot cards looking for something to blame her problems on, or to find a quick fix. She doesn’t read gossip blogs, do fad diets, or watch TV, and she doesn’t complain that things aren’t going her way… but she is connected more to nature then I am. She relies solely on instinct without an ego, the will to live, and satisfying her basic needs to be content. Maybe sometimes simplicity is best and more powerful and still a spiritual thing. Dog spelled backwards is God. Think about it. LOL. Everyday with my dog makes me think and appreciate the little things in life.

Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar’s Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life

Tarot The Empress

I create collage style Tarot Cards on my computer for fun rather than profit. Trust me when I say there is no “talent” involved with it! Just my own personal experiement and a little way I keep my creative juices flowing for myself on my own time! Sometimes work can bog me down and I need to step away just to play with something creative as a hobby!

Each day I select a card for myself and I ponder it’s meaning. As time permits I will create some artwork of cards.

Today I selected and created….