“To use the gardening analogy, this retrograde has had us tilling the soil, composting, pulling weeds. Now that Mars is going direct, we may feel released to dig in and do. This grows stronger around May 17th, when Mars hits the degrees where it started the retrograde. This shows up in the houses where you’ve got Leo in the birth chart, and any planets it touches.” Astrologer Molly Hall

Have fun gardening!

You can also check out Mars Retrograde 101

SPRING EQUINOX – Saturday, March 20th

The Spring Equinox or Vernal Equinox is right around the corner – bringing equality between day and night… and marks our passage from darkness and cold to warmth and light. As the newly reborn sun moves across the sky, the days become longer, the air warmer and, once again, life begins to return to the land. The equinoxes mark the time in which seeds would be planted (spring) and then harvested (fall.) In the old tradition of celebrating Springtime, the ancient goddess, Eostre, a Saxon deity who marked not only the passage of time but also symbolized new life and fertility, was the key symbol of the celebration of the Vernal Equinox, which was also known as Ostara. Legend says that the goddess was saved by a bird whose wings had become frozen by the cold of winter. This process turned the bird into a hare. Yet this was no ordinary bunny; this long-eared rabbit could also lay eggs! I think you know who I’m talking about…

TIP +  Spring Ritual for Abundance The planting of the new crops would often be held during the new moon closest to the Equinox (Monday, March 15th – New Moon in Pisces). In honor of this tradition,  gather seeds to represent the things you want to grow during the new year (refer to your vision board/resolutions) — abundance, wisdom, understanding, patience, love, partnership, unconditional love, etc. As you plant your seeds in a pot of soil or in your garden, visualize those qualities coming into full bloom in your life. As you plant them, bless the seeds honoring the 4 elements: pat the seed in the dirt (earth), water it, blow on it (air) and light a candle by it (fire) or hold up to the sun. Express your gratitude to all the people, places and things that have gotten you to this point in your life. Invite the seeds out the formlessness of winter’s dreaming…asking them (and yourself) to awaken to the light of spring – to grow and thrive with new life and new possibility. YES!

adapted from a ken brown piece “peace please”

THE WRITING CIRCLE: My Pen is My Friend!
Led by Allison Sarubin Fragakis

Wednesdays 11 am to 1 pm, April 21-May 26
310 West Baltimore Ave, Larkspur 94939
Cost for 6 week series: $75 – register

A gathering of 8 writers of any level… who want to connect with their pens, journals and CREATIVITY!

A writing circle is a private place to:
- Adventure, take risks, leap, belly-flop, twist and twirl words in any way you desire
- Delight in what you write and share if you wish
- Leave judgment and critiques at the door
- Invite your authentic voice to the party
- Stumble upon insights with the help of your pen
- Dip your toes or your whole body in creativity
- Play with the process, more than the craft, of writing. (Yet, the craft is honed organically with a committed writing practice)

The format:
- Each week we’ll dive into several writing prompts for about 8-10 minutes each.
- (A few examples: “Describe the sensation of laughter…Write a letter to someone you forgot to thank…The wind tastes like…10 things I remember about 6th grade…Write a poem beginning with “I am”… The recipe to me is…”
- Good news: There’s no time to edit or self-judge! After each prompt, we’ll share our “unplugged” writings

What to bring:
- A few pens that feel fabulous in your hand
- A beloved journal or plain old notebook (Page size matters–go for big over small)
- A totem/trinket that symbolizes creative freedom to you (a photo, an animal statue, song lyrics that inspire you, a piece of nature…)

About Allison: Formerly a dietitian and author of nutrition books and articles, Allison is currently uncovering her long, lost creative dreams.
She is in hot pursuit of all forms of creative expression—children’s story writing, painting, poetry, dancing, singing, song writing, guitar & piano, leading women and girls’ circles, and more to come. She loves helping people reconnect with their exiled creative selves

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://buildaltars.com/2010/02/24/life-is-in-the-making/feed/ 2 http://buildaltars.com/2010/02/24/the-principles-of-reiki/ http://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.”

FOOD MAGIC GARDENING LOVE RENEWAL and an Apple Tree

I love good story telling – stories that transport you to another world, open you up to new possibilities, and inspire a shift in perspective. I also love to be entertained. I love intrigue and the irresistible lure to *find out what happens next*. The best stories are the ones that stay with me…. that keep me up at night, thinking about the characters, mulling over the action, wondering what they will do next. I have been watching a lot of movies and series lately and was lamenting the lack of reading. Garden Spells has been sitting on my bedside table for well over a month. I decided last night to pick it up – so glad I did. It is a magical, delightful and quick read. If you need to get back into reading and love magic, check it out. You might also want to check out the author’s website.

The history of Valentine’s Day and its patron saint is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

Today’s celebration of Valentine’s Day grew out of a tradition that began many years ago in ancient Rome. A Roman feast of Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15. This ancient festival involved the celebration of fertility and honored two Roman gods, Juno and Pan. One of the conventions of this occasion called for young maidens to write love messages. The messages were placed in a large urn and then drawn out by unmarried men who courted the fair maidens whose messages they had chosen.