Monthly Archives: March 2014
Sometimes by David Whyte & 10 Questions That Have No Right To Go Away
SOMETIMES
Sometimes
if you move carefully
through the forest
breathing
like the ones
in the old stories
who could cross
a shimmering bed of dry leaves
without a sound,
you come
to a place
whose only task
is to trouble you
with tiny
but frightening requests
conceived out of nowhere
but in this place
beginning to lead everywhere.
Requests to stop what
you are doing right now,
and
to stop what you
are becoming
while you do it,
questions
that can make
or unmake
a life,
questions
that have patiently
waited for you,
questions
that have no right
to go away.
~ David Whyte ~
This is a profound and thought-invoking poem by Poet David Whyte that I love. David grew up with a strong, imaginative influence from his Irish mother. His work is known to foster a deeper relationship with the nature of the individual, while thoughtfully cultivating courage and engagement to support creativity and synergistic change.
While I love his poem, I also love this piece he wrote that expounded on the “questions that have no right to go away”, sharing 10 questions that he confronted within himself that I feel are really powerful ones for all of us to ask ourselves.
You can explore the questions and engage yourself in answering them, as you read David’s insights and the full article here:
Opening to the Expanded View of the Butterfly
This felt particularly resonant today, as I stumbled upon it, so it felt to be perfect for today’s inspired post. Hope you enjoy the message from the Hopi and from one of my animal totems that has been the symbol of my life’s path since I began a conscious journey – our friend, the alchemical Butterfly.
“Grandmother Mona believes that giving the origins of her ancestors is as important as telling her name…Her last name, Polacca, means butterfly in the Hopi language and is the name received from her paternal grandfather. In Hopi lore, the butterfly is the symbol of man’s spiritual transformation.
‘At the level of existence, when it crawls on Mother Earth in the form of a caterpillar, it only sees what is right in front of it,’ Grandmother Mona explains. ‘There comes a time in the development when it puts itself into a little cocoon and enters the darkness. In this darkness, it completely breaks down. During that time a great change takes place…’
‘Finally it emerges into this world, into this life as a beautiful creature,’ Grandmother Mona says. ‘Yet it doesn’t immediately fly away. It sits there as if to be making a connection again with the elements of life: the water, the air, the fire, the earth. Then there is a moment when its wings start fluttering, developing movement, developing strength within itself using these elements of life.’
‘When the moment comes and the butterfly takes flight, it suddenly sees the world from a completely different point of view, a view of vaster beauty and a much, much wider worldview. This is what I was told about being a butterfly.’
…Grandmother Mona believes the Hopi legend of the butterfly can see us through these turbulent times of darkness and confusion by revealing to us our path of transformation.
These times can actually be viewed as necessary to enable humanity as a whole to transform into a comprehension of the truth of our oneness with each other and with all of Creation.
Only by going into darkness and breaking down our old ways can we move from the myopic view of the caterpillar to the greatly expanded view of the butterfly~ a necessary view if we are to save the beauty and resources of our planet for the next seven generations to come.
Then we will have emerged out of the darkness of ignorance into the beauty of the butterfly to see the wonder, hope, compassion, faith, and charity so essential for our survival.”
~Grandmother Mona Polacca from Carol Schaefer’s book “Grandmothers Counsel the World: Women Elders Offer Their Vision for Our Planet”
Full Moon in Virgo March 16th, 2014 – Liberation of the Divine Feminine & Your Unique Self
This is an enlightening post from Emily, of Virgo Magic, sharing on Sunday, March 16’s Full Moon in Virgo. (Thank you Laura for bringing it to my attention). It highlights the importance of healing, embodying, and expressing the Divine Feminine, within each of us, with a new perspective that can assist you in claiming your sovereignty and sharing your authenticity.
I love how she also brings to light the shadow side of Virgo and how it can play out in self-sabotaging ways (also echoed by Cathy Lynn Pagano, as you’ll see below) by blocking our power and inner Goddess from coming forth and taking on the guiding lead in our lives.
This speaks to what I keep sharing, about taking a look at how and why you are holding yourself back from living your life out loud and being your shiniest. Then taking the steps to integrate your insights so that you can then fully put into action your findings.
You can read Emily’s full post at this link:
Liberation of the Goddess – Approaching Sunday’s Full Moon in Virgo
In general, we’re definitely at another heralding point of needing to make a decision that can change the entire course of our lives and then putting into action the steps in support of it to create that empowered balance. This may entail embodying, and therefore speaking, your truth and personal power, both to external and internal authority figures, and in general, in terms of repatterning what was once considered/conditioned to be the authority in your life.
I also love Cathy Lynn Pagano’s take on the energy of this Full Moon in her article, “The Cosmic Story: Virgo Full Moon 2014”.
She also shares about “reclaiming our feminine virginal energy”, but again in the sense of this meaning to seek self-knowledge and know yourself for who you really are in your purest authenticity – both light and shadows. This takes the willingness to face fears and vulnerabilities to acknowledge and celebrate yourself at the heart of hearts.
This is a great insight from Cathy on how there are more productive ways to utilize the energies of each astrological sign (and anything in general), in this case Virgo, especially when we understand how the energies work:
“Virgo’s shadow can distort our need to know ourselves into the need to control things to attain the ideal of perfection–someone else’s idea of perfection! Virgo’s real purpose is to help us know and accept who we really are. Virgo’s analytical mind measures and aligns; Virgo’s magic understands how everything fits together to make it work. Virgo’s greatest gift is discernment, knowing this from that. This helps us master a talent, and understand how it can be of service to others.”
Are you seeing your true self when the Full Moon illuminates things? Or are you still looking through a veil? If you hold the intention of being ready and willing to “see” the truth, you will likely receive revealing answers, through some time well spent with yourself on this Full Moon, that will assist you in accessing and reactivating parts of your soul, in alignment with your personal expression in the collective.
As Cathy also shares:
“The Pisces Sun shines out on the Virgo Moon to illuminate how well we’ve integrated our spirituality with our physicality, our soul with our personality. Uniting a deep spiritual outlook with a sense of humble service, this Full Moon calls us to be of service to our world now.
All societies need certain rituals that hold and focus the energies of the people so we can act as a community. It is the feminine spirit that holds the hopes and wishes of any society. And it is the Divine Feminine who is calling to us now to remember we are all one–that we depend upon each other. It reminds us to be courteous, thoughtful and compassionate as we head into the tumultuous times coming our way this April.”
I’d like to leave you with these excerpts, also from Cathy’s article, as I really love how beautifully she articulates this energy and clearly points out the heart of the matter – you belong to you…so what do you want to do with that? As I shared in my previous post today, “…we are artists of life and to the degree you exercise your imagination, infused with heart, is to the degree your freedom is contracted or expanded, and limitations are created or removed.”
Here’s Cathy:
“We’re still swimming in the dreamy waters of Pisces, so flip over onto your back and let the moonlight bathe and sooth you, body and soul. That’s when Spirit’s voice comes clear. Perhaps you’ve been lost in the dark watery depths amidst strangely glowing nightmare creatures or swimming fast and free with a pod of dolphins or breaching with a family of whales. Perhaps you’ve gotten stuck in stagnate seas of weeds and grass or finally been tumbled to distant shores. If you’ve flowed with Pisces’ watery energies, you might feel like your life is dissolving into a new unity of spirit; if you’ve struggled against the tides you might find yourself lost at sea. But wherever you find yourself on Full Moon night, take this magical moonlight into your heart. Listen to and look at what’s there.
The Virgo Full Moon tells us, “You belong to yourself. As much as you are part of a whole, you are also a unique drop in the ocean of consciousness. What do you want to do with your drop? What does your drop want to do with you?”
We are all here on Earth for the specific reason that’s encoded within our soul, just as our physical body is encoded by our DNA. Each of us has a destiny–each destiny is unique and yet part of the whole. Are you rebirthing the archetype of the Mother, because our society needs nurturing, love and comfort; are you transforming the archetypal image of Father into the wise guide, the caring protector and the truthful judge? Our world certainly needs more of these people. Do you find yourself incarnating the archetypal energy of the Warrior, the Healer, the Artist, the Bard, the Leader, the Priestess or Priest? How about the conscious Merchant, the courageous Scout? Uranus in Aries opens us to these archetypal identities just as we are challenged to re-create the society that Pluto in Capricorn is tearing down. If we are truly one universe, then our instructions are clear–be your unique Self. Who do you want to be?”
Jon Rappoport ~ The Age of Imagination
Love this post reblogged by Laura Bruno, and written by Jon Rappoport. As my motto is, “creating life as a work of art” – also the theme of my blog site, of course this speaks to the heart of me and what I believe in – that we are artists of life and to the degree you exercise your imagination, infused with heart, is to the degree your freedom is contracted or expanded, and limitations are created or removed.
The Gateways Are As Open As You Are
We’re approaching a Full Moon on the 16th and then honoring a new cycle with the upcoming Spring Equinox on the 20th. So, there is the potential for much magick afoot, but it takes more than just good thoughts and saying you’re ready. The proof is in the pudding as they say…show the Universe just how ready you are, by being a walking example of what you’re telling it.
Are you ready to charge forward in new ways? You likely will feel more ready when you’ve created a more intimate relationship with yourself that entails knowing all of your parts vulnerably, integrating, balancing, and cultivating inner harmony and authentic self-love.
The keys to access the gateways to your freedom have always been within. You have had to learn to navigate your way through the dark by realizing the light is contained within it, and when you recognize this, you are no longer lost, alone, or blind, but can see your way from the heart through anything.
I LOVE this image, which I feel speaks volumes to an energetic landscape we are collectively riding into. It plays out individually from the personality stand point, but is shared collectively in terms of our experiences in the bigger picture. It was shared by my sweet friend and fellow Reiki Master Teacher, Dawn Vierra of Reiki Dawn and felt perfect for what I was feeling and guided to write. So thank you Dawn, as the image supported this share.
Also, it felt particularly reflective and celebratory of what today marks for me, as it is my 13-year anniversary of legally changing my middle name to my official last name, hence now my full name being Tania Marie. This was to create my authentic reflection of self and a rebirthing into who that is, as I move forward throughout the rest of my life. Taking that leap and charge forward through a new doorway of experience has been vibrationally supportive and aligned with my personal frequency I wanted to embody, and ignited a new flow in my life.
I definitely feel something different in the air and that we have as much available to us, as we are willing to embrace, embody, and enact. It all stems on how much you are ready to “live”, “breathe”, and “be” the necessary shifts so that you can enter a new gateway of experience you desire, because, and in spite, of circumstances in your environment.
I’m seeing people face things over and over again to remind that what ever you are trying to create anew, must indeed be new, from the ground up, inside out, from above to below, and every which way. So experiences and challenges are reiterating the “key” points you’ve chosen to learn, that you value, and are consistent with the message ingredients that are part of the recipe of your desired manifestations. They are helping to bring to light the gifts you may be overlooking and the gifts you have been devaluing, as I see everything as a gift regardless of its nature.
When you realize that the level to which you are able to love yourself authentically and find that harmony within is not at the mercy of anything outside of you, you begin to realize your true power, and find walking through any doorway to be invigorating rather than threatening.
Barbara Marciniak shares this beautifully in her book, “Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians”:
“As all of you are on the path of integrating the polarities with your selves, difficult issues are going to come up over and over again. Welcome the difficult times, for they can be your greatest teacher. Stay focused on your own growth, your own path, and your own self, and not what others are doing.
Call on your internal masculine and feminine and set up a dialogue between them so they can begin to work in partnership and harmony. Give yourself a lot of love and encouragement. Make an appointment with yourself and say, ‘I love you, self. You are wonderful self….
When you give yourself the dignity of your own love… Strength and integration become yours because you believe in and love who you are. When you believe in and love yourself, everything starts to go your way.
The most difficult thing for most of you is making the commitment to believe you deserve love. No one else has to love you. You are not here to go around gathering love from other people to convince yourself that you are worth it.
By committing to love yourself and making this commitment the number-one step from which you operate everyday, everything falls into place. You become whole and complete.”
Wishing you grace and courage of heart to step fully through the gateways of experience opening before you.
Inspiring Sunsets – Bimini, Bahamas July 2014
I love how synchronicity is always at work. I felt inspired to share these lovely sunset images from my times in Bimini and wanted to listen to music, while putting them together. I knew which song I wanted to listen to, but rather than look for my cd, I went on to YouTube and looked to see if it was on there. There was only one video available of it and it just so happened to feature a beautiful collection of ALL sunsets ONLY to accompany what is one of my all-time favorite pieces I love listening to.
How perfect is that?
So I hope you enjoying listening to this beautiful piece, as you explore the images and allow the resonance to integrate with your body, in the energy centers it awakens. I feel it a lot in my Throat and Heart Chakras, as well as Solar Plexus and drawing the energy very deep at center and down.
Both the images within the video and that I’m sharing, along with the music, take me on a journey in partnership with the nature within and without. I love the amazing array of nature’s beauty, and as all things are a reflection of us, it causes pause to recognize the miracle and beauty within us each.
How blessed are we to be able to experience the unique gifts Mother Earth has to offer? And how lucky are we to experience the sensuality of life through this integrated experience that is equally tangible and exquisitely visceral and ethereal all at once.
Every moment is opportunity to experience something unique, as each moment is different and all experiences are relative to the uniqueness we each embody.
I’m grateful to have the ability to experience and feel things on many levels and to enjoy the cyclical changes our Earth and seasons provide us, in mirror to our own transformations.
The enchantment is ever-giving on this beautiful Earth we share and co-create on.
Today I’ll likely being taking a stroll on the beach for an afternoon break, and will be envisioning how these same rich blue waters encircle the globe, connecting us all, and reflect on soon finding myself past the east coast of this country walking along the white sand shores where crystalline aqua waters will immerse my toes and body.
I’ve posted a lot of photos of the amazing crystal clear days in Bimini, but haven’t really focused on the magickal sunsets that vary from evening to evening (with some interesting orbs and shapes that emerge). I was inspired by this beautiful warm weather here and the extended sunny days, reminding me of Bimini, and so this little glimpse of just 
“some” of the sunset experiences I’ve had are shared for your own inspiration or meditative breaks you may be taking or needing right now.
And if you would like to experience the powerfully transformative and healing energy of Bimini this summer, perhaps you’ll feel called to join us for another heart-full journey in July for the upcoming “Accelerate Your Vibration” Bimini Retreat.
If you’re looking for a way to really plunge into the new, experience opening and greater expansion, as well as nurture greater well-being, balance, and come more fully into embrace of your authenticity and unique voice in this world, then this retreat may resonate with you.
There aren’t words to describe the experience you’ll have in this amazing energy vortex, not to mention when you look into the eyes of a dolphin out on one of our swims.
Don’t forget that if you register by 4/11/14 for this amazing week on the magickal island of Bimini, you can receive up to $200 off.
All participants of this week will also receive a free Brazilian Quartz Crystal that has specially chosen to work with each of you.
For more information and to reserve a place for you to join our group, please direct your inquiries and requests to tania@taniamarie.com.
With love and creative magick always!!
Giving AND Receiving – Keeping in Rhythm with the Universe
Giving & Receiving Oracle Card – Doreen Virtue
I spent last evening putting together gift bags for the beautiful souls soon to arrive at the upcoming Reiki Renewal Retreat on the 20th and it had me again pondering the art of giving and receiving that is another of the great lessons I have had to learn to balance in my own life. This prompted me to write this short share about it.
I feel that it can be a challenge for many to balance giving and receiving in a healthy way and especially in terms of opening to receiving and embracing your own value and self-worth that comes along with that. I know that there is a lot of conditioned victim or martyr energy we have learned and this is an essential aspect to look at integrating, as self-denial and self-worth will have a direct result on your ability to tap into your natural abundance innately available to you.
Just like Reiki teaches us, everything in the Universe is energy and naturally, energy just wants to keep flowing and cycling, as is its innate “beingness” to do. It does not judge, attach, or stop and block the flow – we do. We are the ones that block it and this is what creates challenges and dis-ease in our lives.
Giving and receiving are two parts of a whole that coexist, are essential, and create natural balance. When we only focus on one more than the other – never allowing receiving to take place, or never freely giving – we are blocking the flow of energy to cycle through us both ways, and we then create energetic imbalance that manifests as challenges in our lives on any or all levels – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
As we grow spiritually, this often presents experiences of greater receiving and giving in our lives to embrace. Since both are energetically equal, coming from the same Source, they increase mutually. So it doesn’t make sense that giving increases while receiving decreases, does it? They will both naturally increase together, which means receiving well entails giving well and giving more means we must be open to receiving more – ultimately supporting and embracing what serves the greater good and well being when we do so.
In order to have a fulfilling life, your giving and receiving must be in balance and rhythmic harmony. Balance is essential to every aspect of life and we are constantly in practice of creating what that harmony means for each of us, as there’s no one formula that will work for everyone since we all have different strengths and limits.
Stress can be a result of over-giving, which can lead to other effects as a result, including damaging emotions that can build, and the same can happen if you are receiving in imbalance.
So if you are feeling you are receiving too much, start giving now, and if you are giving too much start finding ways to appreciate what you receive and have. Keep on top of not overburdening yourself with the responsibility of giving, as well as be mindful of creating guilt, or not being grateful, for all of the receiving you’ve been gifted.
Simply recognize where the flow may be blocked and on a one way street, then start making adjustments to balance out the energy with either some random acts of kindness, donations, and offerings, or with more thank you’s and allowing to mirror your new found self worth.
In doing so, you will tap into the limitless and abundant being that you are and this will be reflected in all ways in your life to enjoy.
Loving and Living “Your” Truth – Taking the Steps to Creating the Life You Want
This post feels especially important right now to reshare, given what I’m picking up in the collective energetic field. As many of you are embracing new shifts in your life and focusing on your joys, passions, and dreams, it can bring up a lot of voices and create an inner conflict between what you know you want to do, and what you have learned to do. Real security is only found in your heart. Nothing else will ever provide that. Taking steps is more important than arriving anywhere, as your life will always be constantly evolving and building upon the steps taken. As you journey more into living from your truth and supporting what that means to you, may you be inspired to keep reaching deeper into the well of your heart that has unlimited gifts to bestow upon you.
Chicago Accelerated Reiki Workshop Weekend
If you’re in the Chicago area and you’ve been interested in learning Reiki and feeling ready for the next step in your expanding journey, this could be an opportunity to infuse your life with new energy to ignite change.
Beautiful alignments of synchronicity have led me to be able to offer training in this area of all three levels of Reiki certification training.
You can either choose to come for Saturday 10/11’s Reiki 1 & 2 workshop only, or take advantage while I’m there of both days, including Sunday 10/12’s Reiki 3 workshop, and receive all three levels of training through Reiki Master Teacher level.
Registration confirmation needed by July 31st, but if you register early I will provide a discount.
Because I am traveling from out of state, Pre-Registration Is Required and registration is non-refundable.
If in the event cancellations are unavoidable, I provide full credit to be able to apply for a future training, or to any of the services I provide.
There are several people confirmed already for this weekend. I can accommodate a few more.
Contact me for more details and to register at tania@taniamarie.com.
Date and Time:
*Saturday, October 11th 9am – 5pm Reiki 1 & 2 Workshop
*Sunday, October 12th 9am – 5pm Reiki 3 Master Teacher Workshop
Where:
Location provided upon registration. To be announced.
The Reiki classes offered are part of the Traditional Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Certification Training.
Have you been feeling the desire to connect more deeply with yourself and others? Do you experience increased feelings of love, intuition, and awareness of synchronicities? Are things feeling more uncomfortable or out of alignment because of rapid shifts taking place? Does all of this create a longing to embrace, in wholeness, who you know yourself to be and to start bringing that into your experience in bigger ways and more regularly? Do you feel a calling to be of service, start living your dreams, and perhaps are looking to live and work in more alignment with your heart?
Perhaps then, you are experiencing what many are in terms of accelerated actualization and you feel drawn to take a leap on that journey in order to assist things both personally and collectively.
Reiki is one tool that can support this and is an option for those that feel resonation with it.
Reiki has the ability to bring greater sense of:
* self awareness and alignment with your personal frequency
* clarity
* empowerment
* intuition
* peace
* joy
* balance
* creativity
* abundance
* deeper love and compassion
* expansion
* synchronicity
* wholeness
The focus is on learning, sharing, supporting and expanding your heart through Reiki (pronounced ray-key). The practice of channeling Reiki (spiritually guided Universal Life Force Energy) is an easy-to-learn, gentle and powerful system of natural healing that reduces stress, induces relaxation, supports intentions and provides many other healing benefits. As a very powerful aid to personal growth, Reiki works on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level, and can be refined for personal use and in our service to others and animals.
March Inspirations – Clarity, Courage & Commitment
If you don’t receive my newsletter, here’s an excerpt from this month’s inspiration:
The year keeps rolling along and we find ourselves fast approaching a new Season. I don’t know about you, but I have been feeling that “Spring” in my step and a freshness of limitless possibilities already, and especially in the last couple of weeks.
If anything it’s been more about “Where to start?” than it is about “What the heck do I do now?” And that’s where discernment comes into play and to stop all activity of any sort, just to tune in to receive clarity that will help me to decide where I choose to commit myself, as I know that I want all of my energy fueled purposefully, precisely, and as productively as possible.
I simply don’t want, nor can afford to put energy into things and experiences that no longer serve and truly aren’t aligned with where I’m going, as that not only affects my well-being, but my ability to be of service to a greater good and to people who are also taking accountability in their lives. I’ve had enough teaching experiences to realize where my time and energy would be better focused for the highest good and have learned to allow things and people to come to me in Divine timing.
If I extend myself and receive no response that doesn’t mean to keep at it until I do, but rather, to let it be, regroup, and see if either I’m forcing the timing, or perhaps am not realizing that something is out of alignment. It may be that I’m only focusing on part of the picture that I’ve figured out how to neatly fit into my framework, but am not seeing the bigger picture that reveals an actual mis-fit.
We shouldn’t have to “make” something fit. You’ll know when it truly does, as things just magickally fall into place and continuously keep unfolding without effort. The only challenge may be with your own inner dialogue that might be doubting or fearing the thing you have manifested – in which case its then about building the courage to follow through in action to your visions you intended.
Perhaps you know what I mean when I say that something you manifest may not be exactly the right thing, but is evidence you are on a roll of starting to create and draw in things – your intents may just need a little more tweaking. You get excited about the first opportunity that comes your way and focus only on the parts that feel good, and allow those to overshadow the fact that you likely had an initial “hmmm” that you quickly dismissed because of the shiny pieces that drew you in and spoke to the excitement you had about being able to manifest something that seems like what you asked for. While there are some less obvious and perhaps hidden aspects that just aren’t going to create harmony the way you’d like.
It’s important to clarify what you want and be willing to make tough decisions to release things that don’t feel good with trust that something better is on the way, and set those boundaries, continuously, so only those things truly worth letting drink from your well, is what you choose…
To continue reading please visit: Clarity, Courage & Commitment – Actualizing Your Visions
You’ll also find this month’s special and other supportive opportunities including retreats, workshops, and things to look forward to. If you’d like to sign up to receive my newsletter, there is a link at the bottom to do so, or you can also join my mailing list here: www.taniamarie.com. If you’d like to receive email notifications of article posts and be the first to receive announcements, you can sign up to follow this blog here: www.taniamarieartist.wordpress.com