May 5, 2013

Samuel: Greetings, dears.

Hello, Samuel.

S: How many of you were at the recent Retreat? And how many of you out watching this as a video are raising your hand, too, saying, “I was at the Retreat.”

Just a moment ago, when I came in, and looked up and said “Greetings,” it was a room full of golden pyramids over the top of the head. So congratulations, you figured it out.

You’ve just gone through a very, very important month, and are about to head into another. How was this last month for you?

It was very busy, and it seemed to be a month where there were lots of things happening.

S: Many openings, yes, I would say.

Physical issues going on with me—back, sinuses.

S: This is springtime in Kentucky, so if you never had an allergy before, you might now. And it seems that the whole force of nature is working to let her presence be known. It’s quite a difficult time around here for those with respiratory issues. Is that what you’re experiencing?

Yes, and back issues. In the yard weeding.

S: I can see how that would fit in there.

How many of you are aware that your sun has been active these past few days? And are you aware of it because you read a report that tells you that, or because you feel it, or you know it because of behaviors or something like that? A little of both. When you are feeling it or it’s a behavioral thing, what is it you are feeling? What is it you are experiencing?

Energetically, it’s like a vibration going through my body. That’s usually the first sign to me. Then I start seeing people behaving weirdly.

S: That could just be the Beltane energy, you know.

There seems to be more activity hitting the news about events that are happening that are more extreme than they would be at other times.

S: I would agree, yes.

I feel a little bit on edge, you know?

S: That make sense.

I feel on edge, feel there’s more energy pulsing through me, and actually I didn’t do the sun-gazing yesterday, but when I did it the day before the sun just seemed like it was sending a lot more. That’s the only way I can describe it.

S: Right, your way.

Just putting it together, but I realize that when we have massive solar activity, I have sleep problems.

S: That makes sense as well. I heard a lot of agreement in that. Many of you over the last few days—four days maybe—been having sleep problems? Anybody sleeping more than usual? Nay. For the most part, it’s that your sleep is a lot lighter, isn’t it? Yes, that would make sense as well.

The energy of the sun mixed with the energy of this particular time within the minds of—I think if I say naturist, it’s different than what I mean, isn’t it? That’s not the word I’m looking for—nature lovers, pagans everywhere. Because the sun is the god, or the solar lord, to springtime’s goddess for this section of your world. And that you’re having some pretty strong solar events along with some pretty strong earth events, cues me that there is a very strong change in energy going on this year, more so than the same sort of things this time in past years. And I would tell you that makes perfect sense. Now, you say “bell-tane,” I say “bell-tonny,” but what is that ancient holiday about?

Fertility.

S: Fertility is in there.

The earth goddess is opening herself up to the god and it’s sort of the beginning of the last of the spring earth holidays, and it’s sort of heralding the beginning of summer.

S: Early summer. Yes.

Fits in with growth of new life, but also creativity.

S: Good, good.

And you have to really plan for what you want to reap in the fall, so have to think about plantings.

S: The time to prepare your goals, to set up your hopes, to put out your wishes. To make tomorrow’s life real you must plant it today. It’s also a holiday very much about relationships. And sometimes around this time individuals’ relationships tend to get better or worse, undergo challenges they may not have been undergoing. With solar flares going on at the same time, you may find that you have less of an attention span and less patience, and you’re tending to be a little crankier, judgmental. And when you are in a relationship, those can make for a very difficult time. But when I say in relationship, it’s very important that you remember that I’m not just talking about you and a partner. It’s also You and you. The spirit you are with the human you are. How is that relationship going and how do you see it flowing? Well, Bonnie said she’s been noticing her body’s been making itself known to her. She’s having a little bit of trouble with the air, and the way her body moves after exertion and this is very much a masculine-feminine clash going on there. The response to bring balance there would be to look into your life and see those areas that are air/goddess—easy flow, creative energy— and god—the bones and the joints that hold strong, how they are working together. What can you do to help them better work together? Now, if I were to ask that as whole, those who take part in an exercise program, yoga, would recognize immediately that yoga is all about putting that masculine/feminine together, putting the god/goddess together. You inhale and exhale at specific times to make the positions. Might be something to look into slowly.

Angela just suggested yoga.

S: You see, we’re on the same line. You may also find the masculine and feminine—and I have been saying that as your body and your spirit self, but look at it as the qualities of the masculine and the qualities that are feminine—think of it as simply functions of energy. Generally speaking, masculine qualities are what? This isn’t hard; you know these answers.

Actions.

S: Action, all right. Specifically moving forward, all right.

Setting and attaining goals

Outward.

S: Good, good. All right. Feminine.

Creative, initiating.

S: Initiating.

Receptive.

S: Receptive, intuitive. Inner as opposed to outer.

Energy preparing to be directed.

S: The energy preparing for direction. Intent and Thought would be what?

Feminine.

S: Word and Deed?

Masculine.

S: So in your life right now, how is your relationship with your masculine and your feminine self? How balanced are you there? If the sun is masculine . . . why would it be masculine?

Because it’s outpouring energy that’s directly affecting . . .

S: All right. Very good.

Physical form you can actually see.

S: Good, yes.

Do you mean specifically now or in general?

S: In general, the sun is a masculine force. Why?

Because it’s a form of a formless, but then there is also feminine. So I’m not sure.

S: It emits radiant power which is received as creative force.

It’s a catalyst.

S: Yes. Feminine earth. Why would the earth be feminine?

[. . .]

S: As a creator of life, a place in which life force grows . . .

It’s receptive to the masculine. It has to have that to be.

S: Very good. So when the masculine is forcing powerful bursts of energy out into the universe, creating disruption—not that you would necessarily notice it, but satellites did—and even not being directed specifically to earth, effecting earth, at this time, Beltane, where there are still, believe it or not, large numbers of people who recognize the ancient relationship of god and goddess, you have a very strong surge of Creator and Created/Creative energy—all right—Creator and Creating energy happening right now. And your physical body responds to it and you bring healing to that physical body by using your mental and emotional bodies in a creative way.

What could be a creative thing you could do that could help your physical body? Let me give you a hint. It doesn’t have to be directed to your physical body at all. So really all you’re answering is what creative things you could be doing?

Create a garden.

S: Sure, create a garden.

I’ve been writing a lot, and it helps to balance me—that creative act for me, and cooking, also help to bring balance.

S: Excellent.

Samuel, for that matter any action where we put our intention to make it a creative aspect that takes on that energy. Maybe it might be just de-cluttering my house, and I have a vision of how I want it to look . . .

S: And the vision is the creative aspect of it. That vision of “here is what I want it to be like” makes the mundane an act of creativity. But generally you run into problems in your life when you do not set aside time for specific creative pleasures. When your creative time is “I’ve got to de-clutter my house,” you can make that consciously “and this is an act of goddess-will being put out here now.” But much better for you would be taking writing, painting, cooking, planting.

Physically active.

S: Physically active creativity, not mentally active creativity. Something you’re actually doing creatively. Is that what you’re saying? Yes.

Music.

S: Absolutely.

Dance.

S: Dance, yes.

Learning a new language.

S: Excellent, excellent. What can you bring into your life that would make creativity a regular part of it? Because now until autumn that feminine charge, that need for a creative outlet, is going to be keeping you off-balance.

What if your job is to be creative? What if you are a dancer or a floral designer? That’s very creative. Those don’t count. Why? Why don’t they count?

Because they’re your job

S: Because they’re work. They’re part of your rote function. To make it a spiritual act, you are stepping out of your day-to-day and giving something. Of your time, of your mental/emotional self, of that feminine function whether you are gender male or female it doesn’t matter, that feminine function, that creativity. And when I have the opportunity to speak with people individually, I very often will ask, “What are you doing for your creativity these days?” And so often, if there is an answer at all, it comes with “Not enough.” More often the answer is, “Well, I haven’t been making time for that.” When you are not functioning creatively, when you are not purposefully bringing balance, the feminine aspect of you—and here is—I will come right back to that. The reason this is important is that Americans particularly are so driven to “do.” You judge yourself, you see yourself, as what you do and whether you’ve done enough, or not done enough, and the inner working is not as valuable and sometimes not as valid as the outer working. So when you are not consciously functioning in a feminine enhanced activity to bring balance, you are going to find: number one, your body is going to be out of balance; number two, you are going to start getting a sense of overwhelm. “Do, do, do, do.” too much.

Your diet can help bring balance into that, but most of the time it does not. Your exercise can help bring some balance into that, but most of the time it does not. Not because it cannot, but because you are not. Anything going on mentally becomes overpowering, over-thinking, over-doing, emotionally dramatic, loud, not at peace.

So what does the goddess you are need for that balance? The easiest words are “creative outlet.”

When you were a child, and you were in school and you colored outside the lines and they told you that was wrong, and you drew something and your mommy said, “It’s a horse,” and you said, “It’s you!” And you stopped trying to draw because you knew you could not, and you stopped playing with color because you could not, and you brought that into your adulthood. It’s those ancient fears—you’ll get laughed at, you get into trouble, it’s not as good as—that cause you to never even think of trying again. You might color in the lines now. You might color outside the lines and like it better. Try. Try. Maybe you lean toward something inside of you saying, “Wow,” something inside of you saying, “I’m not so much for drawing, but I’d really like to paint. But I cannot paint like Gwendolyn can.” But you can paint like you can. Maybe that little self is saying, “Take photographs.” “Wait I’m blind. I can’t take photographs.” Well, tell that to the hospital that has a showing of your work in their permanent gallery. Sure you can but you’ve got to try. Writing, same thing. Gardening . . . how many of you have a brown thumb? Really, that few of you? Brown one; so don’t gardeners have green ones? So if you’re not a gardener, wouldn’t you have a brown one? There’s a few in here who know just what I’m saying there. And maybe a whole garden isn’t for you. Maybe succulents are.

And saying succulents reminds me: use your senses through these days. Pay attention to what you see. Look around at the colors in this room, the colors people have on. See the beauty even of a cold and chilly rainy day. Bunch of wooses. You don’t get to have the beauty of the flowers and the trees without the rain occasionally, you know. Of course you do. What are you smelling? When you eat, do you take time to really experience what you’re doing, what you’re eating. Probably not, but you can move it into a creative experiment that might also, as a second advantage, slow you down a bit so that you are aware of what you are eating. Smell it, chew it slowly, move it through your mouth so that all of the variety of taste buds can get a piece of that flavor. Chew thoroughly, because anything that you are eating has a second taste once it has been chewed to water. I could not think of a pretty way to say that. I was going to say “chewed to mush.” Chewed to water—will that work enough? Liquefied, yes. Chew until you have it liquefied and get that second flavor that most of you didn’t even know existed.

Be as creative as you can in your relationships. And that doesn’t mean you’ve got to go off and paint something together. Means looking for alternatives. Don’t always follow the same road. Do something different. Try something new, which some of you are already doing. You’re also going to find that right now more people come to you. It may be that they’re just wanting to talk, it might be that they are old friends who have not been in touch with for quite a while, but you’re very likely to find people that you don’t know seem to want to chat. Be aware that those are creative opportunities, means for the feminine, the nurturing, the compassionate to come out in an act of love.

I’ve talked a little bit now and again about a random act of kindness. Coming up with a random act of kindness is an excellent creative activity. Needless to say, it’s very good training for you to not get to see the end of something. You don’t get to know what came of that act. And learning to give without strings is a powerful function of spiritual service. Every day do something that gives of yourself. I’d like to make a suggestion for a very simple thing that you can do. Sticky notes? Little pad of sticky notes? Yes? Pull it off it sticks? When you stop your car parked next to somebody, leave a note on the window that says something like, “Have a really great day. You deserve it.” Or, put a note on the mirror next time you . . .  the Phoenix room will have notes all over the bathroom mirrors now, that say, “You are here for a reason. Thank you for being a part of this world,” or something that can cheer another person or make them smile or remind them that they’re not here alone, that they are loved and that their life matters. Of course, you can buy the coffee for the person in line with you or pay the toll, but this is a simple one that only costs you the sticky notes. And it’s a creative action involving a balance of masculine and feminine to make it happen. You think of the idea, you put it into place. The feminine, the masculine. Give a few examples, please—especially those of you who are really good at thinking this way—of things that could be said.

Leaving a sticky note on the mirror in a public place, like I teach at community college. “You look great today.”

S: Really. Yes.

When I send an email to a friend, I usually end by saying, “Have a wonderful day.”

S: I’m wanting your ideas because that makes it possible. Mary Claire, then Jan, then Bonnie.

Smile, you’re going to make somebody else’s day.

S: Lovely.

I just say it to people I don’t know, I don’t need a sticky note. A thousand people in the building I work in. I just say whatever I feel, “Having a great day, today? I like your sweater.” I do it all day long, and it makes me feel good.

S: That’s the advantage.

I have a neighbor very generous with baked goods and magazines, forever sharing. Her son is always available in case somebody needs a jumped battery. I thought of putting a note on the door about being great neighbors and that the whole neighborhood really appreciates them.

S: Absolutely yes!

I got this from a card I received once, and it touched me very deeply, and the covering said, “God danced the day you were born.”

S: Very nice. More.

See the beauty in the person on the other side of this mirror.

S: Oh, yes! Very nice, very nice.

I used to do this a lot on Post-it notes, say “You’ve made my day better and brighter,” anonymously, and put it on people’s desks all over this huge building in Frankfort. Everywhere. It was great because those people didn’t know who it was, and I’d notice them smiling and just being real cheerful because someone didn’t care that they didn’t know who it was who said that to them.

S: That’s right. It surprises people. Work on surprising strangers’ hearts.

Now, I want to shift a little and kind of quickly.

There are magical times in your life, times of programmed change. In this culture, somebody pretty clever figured it out looking at the way humans function throughout their lives, after having them around for a few thousand years, and recognized, but probably with a slightly different timing than I’m going to say, that there are three major times in a life that need particular attention. The first one is at seven years old. Now, there is some important time after a child is born until they are one, then again at somewhere between two and three, sometimes before that. But at seven there is a massive change, because at that point most children have developed enough within their in bodies and brains, that they are not so focused on themselves and are capable of moving outside of themselves to establish their own communities. Now I don’t mean they go off and create their own villages, I mean groups of friends. This is often when they are in school. They are no longer in the home all the time. They have time away from the parent telling them everything to do. This age is a very magical time because it represents moving outside of one’s self and into the world. And therefore it can also be a highly traumatic, negative time. It’s not unusual for me to ask somebody what they remember going on in their lives when they were around six and a half to seven and a half. And very often adults who functioned immaturely and have trouble committing and having relationships had a very difficult experience during that time. It’s a very important time. If you are one of those, put on your seven-year-old’s head and repair it. Really. Just like that.

Fourteen is the next one. Now, these are cycles that are all going to be within and without, the home, a group, single connections, multiple connections, like that. This is a pattern that lifetime’s experience. Around the age of fourteen, two very important things have happened. One of them is the hormones that started kicking in, probably at twelve or thirteen—knowing Americans, probably ten or eleven. Nonetheless, have balanced for a bit. And until seventeen, they’re going to be all about emotional stability. Between your ages of fourteen and seventeen you were working on developing singular relationships in the midst of all of your friends. Perhaps you had a girlfriend or a boyfriend, or multiples of those, but it’s where you learned to commit because that’s where you learned that you were or were not safe with others. So if you look between thirteen and a half to fourteen and a half, around fourteen, you will likely see a creative reflex going on in your life, and you will likely see an event that allowed you to believe that you were acceptable and that what you could offer was acceptable to others, and that you had something worthy to give—be it intellect, be it love, be it friendship—but it was all about your connecting safely, being accepted, at a time that hormonally really wanted that connection. Again, for your children, the timing may be slightly different, but for most, and certainly for most of you, fourteen to seventeen was where you learned to create intimate relationships—not necessarily sexual mind you, but intimate relationships. And if you did not, that shows up now as an inability to commit, an unwillingness to try something new, a fear of rejection and failure.

At thirty, which is really more of a span from probably twenty-five to thirty-five, you start recreating your home. It doesn’t have to be with somebody, but you start recreating your home. You are an adult, you are making income, you are making choices, you are decorating your home, you are whatever. And if your home was unhappy, you try not to create one. In fact, when you go into the home of somebody who had a really icky childhood, they probably have very little on the walls, very little coloring in their home, very safe, everything’s very careful. Thirty is the point in which you are either able to release your past or become enslaved by it . . . twenty-five to thirty-five.

Now, the rest of your life flows from those major functions. I want to remind you no matter what happened to you when you were seven, and fourteen, and thirty, you are in charge of your life. You have that power to determine that you are going to re-create yourself, and this is the time for it. This period right now at whatever age you are. When you have the sun, the moon, and the earth, when you have the god and the goddess, the masculine and the feminine, when you have that which is within you and that which you are coming into a place of balance by your choice, this is the time to release what does not work, to let go of past pain or sorrow, to choose balance, love, ease.

The energy of Beltane adds to that need for unity, that seeking of bringing the parts into wholeness, functioning as a team being a part of the village. It takes—you know, “It takes a village.” Your life is changing so rapidly now, do what you can to make sure that you are functioning with ease and joy in a life filled with love. Get that balance. No better time.

All right. So, I’ve got two dogs here who have done nothing tonight.

[. . .]

S: Are you being balanced, love? Is that it? She says, “No, it’s not.” This is called, down-stay. Well, one thing that helps brings balance into your life is when you have the opportunity to play with creatures. So it does your heart good. Remember that, it does your heart good to play with a dog, to pet on your cat. They tend to give you more feedback than your plants do. So take advantage before you go of these creatures, who will be delighted to help you get a little balance.

I understand that Remi [one of the dogs at the previous meeting] did indeed leave very soon after being here at the last first-Sunday, yes? He said he was not going to be long, but apparently it was pretty fast. A black poodle, here. See, sometimes they need your energy for their balance. So thank you for helping Remi move on.

So, get some balance before you go.

Glochanumora