Lion and Magic Boy

So I didn’t post ahead last night for today, so what.

Maybe I was, you know, busy.

Maybe I was working on stuff for one of my new jobs, which is LIVE today and I can finally announce! Parentricity is a social network for parents, and here’s an official description:

“Parentricity aims to become the largest, most highly regarded destination for moms and dads that uses social networking as a guide to raising young children. Parentricity will empower parents with the collective experience, knowledge and expertise of a national network of peers and professionals in an environment that fosters community and friendship. Built with the best of Web 2.0 features and functionality, Parentricity will be a one-stop resource center for parents.”

So, you like? Go over and have a look. And then join: this promises to be big! And I’ll be writing over there about three times a week. Here’s my first contribution.

And! Not to be outdone, because hey, this stuff is really powerful (go read it and see for yourself), there’s a new post up at Loving Awareness about surrendering to The Void. You know you’re curious; go on.

At least, not a thought that’s printable.

But! (nice segue there) At least I heard back about the small claims court thing from last week. So glad I got dressed up for THAT one!

(Why yes, that was intentionally ambiguous, why do you ask?)

Oh! The NaNoWriMo thing. And the writing-ahead-for-the-two-new-jobs thing. And the Posting Queen at Strollerderby thing. All on hiatus! Apparently. Because, when something’s important to me, then I get all FUCK YOU IMPORTANT THING, I’LL SHOW YOU A THING OR TWO! And then I watch an entire season, okay half a season, of 30 Rock in one night. With popcorn. AND butter. I tell you, I know a thing or two about self-destructive behavior, I do!

Yeah. And then I went out and bought some Tic-Tacs.

So today? I managed to Not Write pretty much all day. Yay me!

Oh, and there’s no internet connection here.  I hate that.  I even unplugged stuff and then plugged it back in.  Still nada.  So thanks, Jennie, who is apparently a neighbor or something, for your wireless connection.

So I guess it’s time I show you my podcast.   It’s really quite awesome.

I’ve been thinking about change lately. Well hello, embrace me, Change! Why yes, I have, thank you. Actually, I have been enjoying a certain amount of staticness lately, and I’ve been really proud of how I have maintained all sorts of balance under various circumstances.

Which makes me think it’s all bullshit, and the whole house of cards is going to come tumbling down on me pretty soon. I can feel it, actually. I can feel an undercurrent of Things and Issues and Patterns waiting to bubble up to the surface again. I can only push them back under so long, you know? Because I really embrace change, I truly do, and I embrace self-awareness and growth and all that good stuff. So I am getting ready for the onslaught that surely will come, and why hello, you get to go on that journey with me! How nice! Because I am blogging daily regardless.

Word count NaNoWriMo: 1891. Was shooting for 2000, but this is decent. Only 29 more days of this to go.

And, oh! How about the monthly channeled message for November? You wanted to see that, right? I think I’ll just paste it in right here. And the whole year’s other messages are here; go see what a wonderful year you have been having!

Monthly Message November 2007

This indeed is a season of change for many. What began manifesting through natural events and through a sensation of transformation has grown into a much deeper experience for some. Old patterns are being unearthed and examined, laying the fields bare for new thoughts, responses and reactions to eventually emerge, leaving behind what has been discarded to be used as energetic compost to assist others in similar patterns of experience. Oh, do you feel you are the only one in the universe having this experience? Indeed you are not, and indeed there are many who share your experience, yes even THAT ONE, and it is through your undeniable connection that even allows you to acknowledge the truths of your own dark experiences, the ones you are just now coming to be able to shed light upon. It is this shared experience, this universal and human commonality, that forever links you, forever, and inextricably links you, to everyone and everything else. It can be no other way, do you see?

Think of yourself now, then, as but an atom in a field just recently cleared for harvest. One atom amid thousands, millions, trillions of others, all awaiting the sunlight, the rain, and time to bring what will eventually be much growth and then another harvest. It is an unending cycle, this cycle of clearing, waiting, growth, and harvest. It occurs over and over and over again, and no part of this cycle can occur alone, no part is any less than any other part, and each part relies upon each of the others. Do you see how it is all linked? And you are but one atom in this field of incredible transformation, one atom forever a part of every other atom, forever a part of the entire growth and transformation and eventual death cycle, one atom without which the entire system would be incomplete.

It is this unending hopefulness that we wish to bring you today, this assurance that you ARE a necessary part of a whole, that you ARE indeed a wholeness yourself, that you ARE acting out of choice in every moment. For all of these are true. There is no choice you could make at any time that would lead to disaster not chosen, no choice you could make that would lead to difficulties you are unable to move through. For you we wish to impart the thought that everything is simply a matter of perception; indeed, all change, all transformation, is only a difference in perception. And if you come to varying places in your ability to perceive, it will indeed feel as if change has taken place within your life, will it not?

In the next month, then, you will continue to perceive differences in your perception. How could you not? The act of simply breathing brings a change in your perceptions. Breathe in, breathe out. Life is no more difficult than that. In and out. Round and round. Change will occur around you even if you do nothing but breathe and stand still. For time will pass, even though time is simply a way of perceiving in itself, and your perceptions will change. And you will continue to feel transformation, sometimes wrenchingly, sometimes gently, but always present. By moving into this possibility, by accepting your every breath as an agent of change, you create additional space for the transformation yet to come.

Breathe in, then, and create your own space. Breathe out and prepare your fields. Embrace yourself, for you ARE the change you see in the world.

Part of this breaking down and recreating process I talked about yesterday has to do with the whole process I’ve been using not only for my work as a channel but also in maintaining access to my ow inner strength and intuition. Now, I’ve been thinking about this for awhile, thinking about some of the mechanics of what I do, and thinking about how they are changing. It was really useful, then, as I lay not sleeping in bed for over three hours early this morning (note to self: next time, just get up. It saves time later) to remember my journey several years ago in becoming able and comfortable in reaching toward my own inner strength and source of intuition. Interested in hearing about it? I wrote about the process, breaking it down to its most fundamental parts, over on Springing Light. Plus there’s a fun thing you can do right now to help access your own intuition. Go have a look!

Want something else fun? We’re getting into podcasting! Want to hear me channel on the topic of Community? Then head over to Loving Awareness and hear what I do!  And then be sure to have a look at what Matthew wrote about Joy.

And an update: getting closer to being able to announce details of now 2/3 of the three new gigs coming up! You SO want to know more, don’t you?

You have to admire someone who dares to rhyme predictable with despicable. And wetness with tetanus.

In a poem about rain.

11 years old, that one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ass-cork cat has turned into the Cat Who Pees Anywhere.

Who has turned into the Cat Who Now Lives in the Garage.

Yes, I realize I’m turning a blind eye to the urinary suffering of a poor wee animal, but there’s a huge chasm between urinary suffering and my rented carpet, and I am determined that it remain just that, a chasm. The damage Eric inflicts is quite enough.

Feel free to send healing thoughts to my kitty’s bladder, if you will.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After having been mentioned in The Times, being interviewed by the Chicago Tribune for an upcoming story on all the toy recalls seemed kind of blase but the story should run over the weekend and I’ll post a link when I get it.

Could definitely get used to this being famous stuff. Aren’t you glad you know me now, before I get a big head and all?

[tags]poetry, writing, rhyming, cats, urinary infections, sigh[/tags]

He’s back.

Yes, it’s the phrase that strikes fear in the hearts of Cat People everywhere: “litter box indiscretions.”

Yesterday afternoon Shadow (the black one) started crouching in various spots throughout the house as if he was going to pee there. When shooed away, he’d hunker down, upend himself, and vehemently begin licking his balls. A curious approach from Nacho (the black one)(”Hey! Whatcha lickin’? Can I have some? Can I at least smell it? That looks good!”) elicited growls and hissing. Not a good sign.

Later, on my bed, Shadow (the black one) lay on one side with his leg up in the air, looking uncomfortable. A glance from uncorrected eyes revealed what looked like a sausage emerging from between his butt cheeks. Not a pretty sight at 1 am.

Shadow spent the night in the garage.

Needless to say, rather than risk repeat of ass corkage, Shadow paid a visit to the vet today who poked, prodded, and palpated him in various undignified places with a gloved finger.

Tentative diagnosis: urinary infection, sausage notwithstanding.

Now both cats are eating expensive prescription food and Shadow (the black one) received a $100 injection of something expensive and probably ineffective.

Plus I have the enviable task of performing extensive litter box reconnaissance to determine who is peeing and how much.

Oh joy.

In other news, I’m making preparations (i.e. thinking about what to pack) for another trip to Vancouver next week, having purchased airline tickets lo these many months ago. I’m looking forward to being in the forest right by the beach and doing a LOT of writing. More on that later. Plus I get to meet someone I’ve been wanting to meet for awhile now, having missed my opportunity in Chicago last July and another opportunity in June.

Tomorrow I meet with the reading specialist at Serena’s school and get to convince her that Serena is able to learn to read without their help, thank you. However, the paper she brought home on Christopher Columbus rather belies my point (hello! yes, you’re supposed to read the words on the page! it makes it easier to answer the questions!).

Nathaniel is morose today. Only seven more years of this to go.

Eric found the container of 100 small blocks that I was using to teach Serena about multiplying by 10’s and has dispersed them all over the house. Now he’s demanding reading.

Bedtime’s in another hour. Serena is running a constant narration of the copious research she is doing on various elements of cats in a book, interviewing the different types of cats and recording her findings. Nathaniel is singing and making sound effects while he does math. Eric is grinding his teeth as he flips the pages of a board book.

It has turned into a quiet evening: the wind picked up; it’s raining and there’s been distant thunder; the air coming in through the open windows is fresh and cool; all marking the change from this long Indian summer into autumn at last.

Oh! There’s a new post up at Springing Light about reconnecting to Self. You’ll want to have a look.

Wow.

Just wow.

Not only am I quoted in today’s New York Times, but uber-uber-parenting-bloggy-dude Dutch has linked to me in his piece today about his thoughts on prenatal testing for Down syndrome.

I’m not sure what it says about me that I’m all blase about being in the FREAKING NEW YORK TIMES but when I saw that Dutch-from-Sweet-Juniper had linked to me I got palpitations.

Back to the NYT (keep reading, by the way; I’m at the end of that piece). I wouldn’t have known about it at all except for the advent of social networking. I’ve had a Facebook account for awhile and steadily keep adding contacts, a few here and there. Look me up! I’ll be your friend! And one sent me a message today commenting on my quote in the NYT, and I’m all, huh?? Thinking it must be a mistake, but no, there I am. Talking about plastic surgery with some vehemence (here’s my orginal piece at Babble).

I think I love the internet.

[tags]New York Times, sweet juniper!, Babble, Facebook, mommy makeover [/tags]

I gots me some plans, baby!

Yes. It’s true. I’ve been working on some new projects, that is, when I’m not deep in the Black Hole or doing any of the myriad things that seem to come up when there’s three kids and two cats around. (Oh. The vacuum cleaner has been repaired, by the way, and I’m thrilled to report that one rotating power head brush later, it works as well as it did when new and doesn’t make that funny sound anymore. Yay for that!)

1. Project #1. New blog! Yep, I’ve launched a new blog, so go over and have a look! Called Springing Light, it’s a spiritually-based blog that’s closely aligned with the kind of spiritual counselling work I do with people. I’ll be adding a new post there once or twice a week. Go see! (I’ll wait here).

2. Project #2. My website. That’s LightSpring Transformations. Links in pages! Samples of my work! That’s just a small part of what’s new to come, as I’m looking to completely revamp that site, but sometimes small changes add up and hmm, maybe that’s a lesson in impatience? Yes?

P.S. If anybody can tell me how to make the in-post links here at Lion and Magic Boy a solid line instead of a dotted line, I’ve been irked by that forever and would be hugely indebted to whomever could tell me how to make it stop!

3. Project #3. Another new blog! This is co-written with Matthew, except (ahem) he’s been doing most all of the writing on it thus far. But you can look for my stuff there in the future. Loving Awareness, doesn’t that sound wonderful?

And because I love you, not only will I remind you again about sunscreen, but I’ll post this month’s channeled message. Which, frankly, I was quite looking forward to as I was very ready to say goodbye to that last part of September and all that went with it. But look! The sun’s out, it’s a beautiful day! As I hope it is where you live, too.

You have been awaiting further confirmation of what has been transpiring of late, and we wish at this time to show you how you already have access to this information, access to the deep inner recesses of yourself. There is no separation as you perceive. You are always connected to your inner resources, whether or not you have awareness of this. The trick, then, is to expand your awareness so that its sphere includes that which you feel is a separate thing from you.

This past month has been a transformative one for many of you. Both inner and outward changes have resulted from the alterations in perception you have engulfed. For many, this was a painful process; for others, there was more peace in it. There is no right or wrong or judgment attached to either path, though it may be helpful for those who experienced pain to understand that the pain itself was a choice: perhaps to obtain your attention, perhaps to learn from the experience of pain, perhaps for other reasons. But of course you may ALWAYS choose a different path by which to reach the same result.

We wish, then, to give you some tools this day to help you take a different path the next time such a transformative time is at hand.

Stand before a mirror, and look at the reflection of your image you see there. Ponder this: is this image you see your WHOLE self? Does it accurately reflect the ENTIRETY of you? Or is it simply an image in a polished surface? Which is more real, the image or the surface itself? Which can you touch? Raise your hand and caress yourself through the image in the mirror. Really reach through and imagine not only the touch of your face through your fingers, but also the receipt of such touch. Really imagine this. Try to feel warm flesh rather than cold glass.

Oh, you try and try, but still the reality of the cold glass is there, is it not? Yet you are aware that there is more to you, MUCH more, than what you see or can feel before you.

The next time, then, you begin to feel pain as a result of the enormous changes that occur for you AT ALL TIMES, step back and remember how you perceived the greater YOU even though you could only feel the image of you. Remember the difference between the wholeness of YOU and the part. You can then access this whole You AT ANY TIME, and realize that there is ALWAYS something greater than what can be perceived through an image. Always.

This next month we see of course a continuation of the changes wrought in the immediate past. How could there not be? Much energy is afoot here and some of you may be embracing change as a means of moving through some very old patterns. The more you embrace this, the easier it will be to accept these patterns as part of yourself. By accepting these patterns rather than RESISTING them, you connect more with the wholeness of You and therefore can feel more connected to the utter joy that is within you, always there and always present and always accessible to you. It is our wish for each of you to know, if you choose, the joy that comes from connecting to the Love that is each of you.

Happy October, everyone. You are loved!

(Oh, if you liked this message you can read the entire year’s messages over at LightSpring Transformations)

I feel the change in the air; do you?

It’s more than the prospect of school beginning again tomorrow and all the changes that will ensue from moving from the Waldorf school to public schools.

It’s more than the fact that for the past several days, both Nathaniel and Serena have disappeared for hours at a time, running wild in our little neighborhood with a pack of kids, which is a huge change for them considering it wasn’t long ago that I wrote that they had no friends at all.

It’s more than the ever-lowering sun, marching down the horizon a little more each day until meeting itself again on the solstice again in December, to begin a new cycle once more.

It’s more than a suggestion of the crispness in the air that will arrive by month’s end.

It’s more than a reddening and a yellowing of leaves here and there amid the green, the fields of corn turning brown and standing, rustling a little in the late-afternoon breeze amid lengthening shadows, on almost-early-autumn stalks.

Those outward signs of transformation are matched by the inward ones, the ones that arrive with a new certainty and a new knowingness, that arrive too with latent fears here and there that well up at unexpected times, swelling with importance until they burst almost of their own accord and dissipate into the nothingness from whence they came.

Do you feel them, the changes at hand? Do you feel your constant creation, coming ever closer to fruition as the who-you-are emerges, shining, light-filled, and whole?

September’s Monthly Message over at LightSpring Transformations is all about transformation; change is in the air!

Well, it’s been quite a month, July. Has it been that way for you too? One moment I’ve totally got a handle on things and in the next it feels like the universe has ripped a hole in the fabric of time and my life is leaking out through it. There was some major intenseness in the month, and all the while I’ve either had myself convinced I was on top of it all, or I knew I was in deep trouble and just rode the dark waves.

So I’m not all that unhappy to see July go, even though I know better than to wish my life away at this point.

However! There’s brightness on the horizon, apparently, and resolution. And meanwhile we are urged to enjoy and play. Well, that sounds good, doesn’t it? And all this advice comes to you from the new monthly message up at LightSpring Transformations. (Oh! And while you’re there, check out my new offering, a personalized, channeled, annual report prepared for you or someone you love! Ooooh! I know you want one!)

So this explains why I was compelled to order some luscious Lush soap today (this is very much fun, by the way!). Yep, I’m right on top of things!

Enjoy! And I’m planning a sensual, allowing August. How about you?