My friend Francesca sent me this image of her mom Susan on their family farm. There are so many things I love about this image, but the thing that struck me the most was how present she seems and the way she is holding this other being – with reverence & awe. How can we hold the wild, tender parts of ourselves? of the people around us? of our children? Susan is a busy woman. She is an artist, as well as an integral part of the family business. And yet, here she is. Taking the time to hold and appreciate this miracle of life.

After I completed my last intuitive session today, I asked for a personal message from the Universe. It responded with this, Life is in the Making. We tend to spend more time concerned with “making it” than we do enjoying it. Our thoughts tend to inhabit the future or the past, rather than the present. We know that our Life is happening NOW but we rarely appreciate that fact. Today, can you allow yourself to enjoy the present? Enjoy the making, the creating, and the living…

]]> http://www.buildaltars.com/2010/02/24/life-is-in-the-making/feed/ 2 http://www.buildaltars.com/2010/02/24/the-principles-of-reiki/ http://www.buildaltars.com/2010/02/24/the-principles-of-reiki/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:16:55 +0000 + Heather http://buildaltars.com/?p=1275

I took a Reiki class when I was living in Vail Colorado for the summer, at the ripe old age of 29 – almost 10 years ago. As my 39th birthday approaches, I tend to look back and review what I was doing 10 years before. That summer in Colorado turned into the most wondrous journey of self-discovery. (Traveling can have that effect on people!) I lived in a VW Vanagan with my raft guide boyfriend & his dog Mojo.  I loved it. I felt as if I was living out a childhood fantasy – living in Barbie’s Dream Van.

We camped every night in the National forests surrounding Vail and each morning my boyfriend would park the van at the trailhead across from the Rafting Company where he worked. I would wake up early and head out for hours and hours of hiking with the dog. I spent my days exploring Vail, rafting, learning to kayak, painting by rivers and letting life lead the way. I also read a ton. The libraries in Vail were beautiful and I spent countless hours following my interests, one book leading into the next. It was during this summer that I discovered the work of Edgar Cayce. (If you do not know who he is, he was rad – often referred to as the “sleeping prophet”.) I also had my first Astrology Reading from a fellow in Boulder, which was enlightening. It was in that reading that he affirmed I would meet a mentor, and that mentor would most likely be an older woman. At the time, I thought it would be in web design but it turned out to be in a more magical realm. I met Mary Swanson within the year and my first intuitive session with her changed my life forever.

Follow your own lead, my friends. Follow your passion, your interests, your desires. They will never steer you wrong. Though a never practiced Reiki, I love the principles outlined on BodyTalkTahoe by Brooke Butler.

• Just for today, do not worry.
• Just for today, do not get angry.
• Honor your parents, teachers, and elders.
• Earn your living honestly.
• Show gratitude to everything.

She also quoted John Muir.

“Tug on anything at all and you’ll find it connected to everything else in the universe.”

From my Brigid Ritual 2009 - Gratitude is the remedy for tightness. When we give thanks, scarcity fades away.

Practice, training, experimenting, while pushing through the pain to be the best that I can be.

She writes: Is it all downhill from here? “Apocalypse” means unveiling, and the dictionary defines “Armageddon” as “the site or time of a final and conclusive battle between the forces of good and evil.” Here are some perspectives on chaos, tuning in, and staying in wonder that I’ve found inspiring.

1. Do Your Own Dance