Monthly Archives: April 2021
Once, Twice, Three Times A Synchronicity!
Synchronicities seem to be coming fast and furious these days! These magical ‘coincidences’ in our everyday world open us up to the Divine Flow, making us feel like we have the key to the ‘Matrix.’ Is it because our spiritual DNA is changing, or is it simply that our focus is now where it had not been before?
The more we become aware of something, the more it enters your daily experience. But it’s also like a boiling pot of water and constantly looking for synchronicities can begin to feel like a guilty obsession.
Of course, many of us are going somewhat ‘nuts’ these days during the pandemic, and we’re searching for deeper meaning while waiting out the crisis. When synchronicities occur these days, they indeed feel like gifts from the gods, and one should never look a gift horse in the mouth.
But that’s precisely what I did about three weeks ago.
My daughter is a young and gifted writer and actress. She recently graduated from a prestigious performing arts school, and her first novel was published this year. She also began working as a theater critic just before the pandemic hit and Broadway went dark, stalling career before it could even properly launch!
I urged her to return home for the lockdown and stay with me, while we waited out the pandemic together. She used this time to write articles for online publications and even landed an acting gig on Zoom. She also successfully pitched a project to a female producer in Hollywood, who graciously took her under her wing, slowly mentoring her with a promising script.
All of this was great, but she feared her trail-blazing would soon grow cold again, and she was hoping to find additional opportunities or prospects.
Everyone Is An Artist
Art is a powerful form of self-expression. It allows us to communicate complex emotions and spiritual concepts through various mediums such as the visual and fine arts, music, dance, acting, creative writing, and so on.
When we are being creative we connect with the subconscious part of ourselves. This can be a powerfully healing experience to help us process and integrate our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and life experiences on a deep level.
When we are children, we don’t have any preconceived ideas about art. If you observe young children, you’ll see this very clearly. They don’t worry about how ‘good’ an artist they are. Most kids just see art as a form of play. They love to draw, or paint, or color, and are typically pretty thrilled with their creations.
So, what happens along the way that we become so self-conscious about our artistic endeavors? It seems to me that at some point most people have had ‘the artist’ within subtly discouraged or silenced. Whatever the case may be,suffice it to say that life takes over at some point and being creative artistically takes a back seat.
“I was never very good at it anyway,” or “I just did it for fun,” are common remarks I’ve heard from people. But what’s wrong with not being very good at something? Especially if it’s fun? Moreover, the benefits of spending time being creative are vast! Art Therapy is growing in popularity and more studies are being done around this modality.
One particular study focused on people with chronic illness or cancer. The researchers looked at the impact visual art activities such as painting, drawing, and pottery had on patients and found that art helped to distract them from thoughts of illness.
Art therapy improved their well-being by decreasing negative emotions and improving positive ones. Depression levels were also reduced, and medical outcomes improved overall. There were also reductions in stress, anxiety, and distress. Further there were improvements in the patients’s spontaneity, expression of their grief, positive identity and social interactions.
The Cosmic Dance Of Life’s Challenges
No matter where in the world you live, the seasons always change, albeit some may present with changes that are more subtle than in other places. While there may be an unexplained blizzard in Florida in March, the windswept islands of the Greater Antilles may be balmy year-round with few dramatic changes in weather.
Wherever we live in the world, nature is a force all unto itself. It is sometimes predictable, while at other times intensely climatic, with extreme highs and lows.
As we all live on this big, green planet we call Earth, our human species is also subject to changes in our natural environment. We are all impacted by the seasons in some way, as well as climate unpredictability. It is an eternal cycle that impacts our crops, livestock and food supplies.
With nearly every turn we make, there is always an interconnectedness that is ever present – a reminder that our vast world is host to a greater macrocosm that supports each and every microcosm. In other words, Spirit, God, the Universe has our back!
The microcosm-macrocosm analogy is a reminder that there is a fundamental similarity that can be seen between the expression of life as we perceive it on this glorious planet, and the wider, infinite cosmos. Some philosophers have posited that a higher understanding of the cosmos may even be more closely inferred from the lessons of human nature, and vice versa.
Without expounding further on these mysteries, I believe we are bound on this plane by a natural ebb and flow that ushers in various degrees of change during many of life’s intervals. One lesson taught by life is that there is no growth without change. We see this in the natural world, as well as our personal lives. To move through various life stages requires fluid thinking, adaptability and purposeful actions.
Astrology Forecast April 26 – May 2, 2021
Today’s Scorpio Full Moon, also known as the ‘Pink Moon,’ may throw us a bit off-center for a day or two, as its intensity can tend to bring hidden fears to the surface or make us doubt our current course. On the upside we may feel very sensual, adventurous and even courageous to try new things, but we may also be prone to passionate drama, overreaction or conflict. Combined with Pluto turning retrograde in Capricorn on Tuesday, the first part of this week therefore is a time for practicing caution and refraining from making any hasty decisions or taking impulsive actions one way or the other!
Things ease up considerably under Wednesday and Thursday’s Sagittarius Moon, when a more lighthearted energy emanates from the heavens. Staying focused in the moment will help bring things to right size again and eradicate a feeling of being overwhelmed.
It’s back to work the remainder of the week, as the Moon travels through responsible Capricorn from Friday through Sunday. Time to tackle the workload and chores that keep our worlds running smoothly as we transition from April into May. All in all, even though things may start out on a somewhat challenging note, we’ll be able to reclaim our balance and equilibrium later in the week and become very productive.
The Capricorn Moon Trine Venus in Taurus on Saturday will have us in a very loving, happy mood with the desire to care for friends and family and have everyone get along in peace and harmony without conflict or arguments. This amicable energy makes the weekend a good time to build family connection, rekindle friendships and cultivate a sense of belonging.
How To Practice The Art Of Gratitude
My life has not been without its challenges. Nevertheless, I love my job, have a beautiful son, an adorable husband and supportive friends and family. Therefore, irrespective of current world events, I genuinely have a lot to be grateful for!
Gratitude is beneficial for all of us, including physically, emotionally and spiritually. For one, appreciating the good things in our lives helps us to be more tolerant and forgiving, with a higher sense of life satisfaction. Grateful people also tend to have more hope and inner peace and feel less anxious and alone.
God, Spirit, the Universe loves gratitude! Those who are sincerely grateful are blessed with even more to be grateful for. Like attracts like.
How does one ensure that you practice the art of gratitude ever day? The following guidelines should help:
Seek Out The Positive
In my own personal research into positive psychology, I became aware of something referred to as negativity bias. In case you have not heard of this, it means that our negative thoughts tend to be more dominant than the positive ones.
An excellent way of counteracting this negative way of thinking is to seek out at least three things in your life every day that you are well and truly grateful for. Try to make this a daily habit. By doing so, it should have you smiling in next to no time!
I remember when I was about 26 years old and in a particularly challenging place in my life. I was advised by a psychic, whom I reached out to with my troubles, to watch the film or read the book, The Color Purple by Alice Walker. It is some of the best advice I have every received. Once I had read the last chapter, I felt so grateful for whatever I had in my life.
Put Down The Phone And Start Living
I used to walk around the lake in the small town where I used to live. It was a picturesque hike that took you all the way around a large body of water that fed into the lake.
It was also a popular camping ground. Many city folks came to our little rural town to camp. Day after day, I saw them walking their dogs around the campsite, or relaxing on the park benches overlooking the water.
But nobody seemed to be appreciating much of the beauty of the natural surroundings. No, they were all too busy looking down at their phones!
In the good old days, people used to love breathing the fresh air, watching the children playing, looking for baby lizards on the sunbaked rocks, admiring a newlywed bride dancing on the beach, or marveling at the curious formations of the clouds above. These many beautiful nuances and subtleties in the world around us, are what make life joyful and precious.
Sadly, even seeing people walk their dogs saddens me these days. Everyone appears to be obsessed with their phones only. The dog owners hardly notice their own dogs, never mind anything else around them. They miss out on their dogs’ cute moments of joy and excitement.
Someday, when their dog is no longer around, they might regret missing these precious moments. So many lost opportunities and forfeited memories. Or maybe they will still just be staring at their phone.
Once, I saw a couple at the lake. They were also campers. They were lounging by the water, with their chairs far apart. Of course, this was of no concern to them, because they were both far too busy on their phones to even notice.
I’m sure they were posting pictures they took in front of the lake on social media. By the time they leave, they would have only those photos, but no real experiences or memories of ever being there. They were not at the lake, they were in cyberspace – the cell phone rabbit hole.
True Love Has No Time Limit Or Deadline
We live in a busy world where most of us have gotten used to a very hurried life. Everything is on a strict schedule and time limit, because we now judge everything this way. We have become a restless society demanding instant solutions and immediate gratification in all things.
If the line is too long at the supermarket or fast food restaurant, some of us get upset. If we have to wait for our doctor when we have an appointment, we become annoyed. Some cut in front of others, or even cross streets while the light is still red, because they hate to wait.
Similarly, if we do not get an immediate reaction from our latest love interest, some of us do not become just a little restless or anxious. No, they get really upset!
If this kind of hurried, rushed way of life plagues you, then you may definitely need an major attitude adjustment. Because your naturally loving heart and your capacity for love and romance may be in serious trouble.
Maybe your heart never got the memo that there was no need to constantly hurry up and adhere to time limits and deadlines. What happened to dating? Romantic chats? Patiently anticipated expressions of affection? Dozens of love letters, and more recently emails and test messages? The joint holidays and weekends away? The looking forward to new adventures together?
What happened? What happened to living wholeheartedly in the moment? What happened to just enjoying the ride without constantly watching the calendar or the clock?
The one joy that we all desire and cherish is being loved and feeling special in someone’s eyes. To be affirmed, to be accepted and appreciated, to belong. It gives us an inner peace and happiness that cannot be found in any other way. Love and belonging is a fundamental necessity in everyone’s life. No matter how busy you are. Continue reading