Dreamers and Schemers

The Fool’s Journey

Late last November I was sitting in meditation and had the distinct feeling that I should drop everything I was working on and clear the decks. For what, I had no idea. This had been a growing sense at the margins of my awareness for a some weeks prior, but it hit me with a sudden force while I was meditating, and when I felt more consciously into it, my body felt an immediate sense of relief even though my mind was protesting. The message to wind down Dreamers & Schemers was clear, though for no good “reason” and with nothing to fill its place. (more…)

By Ysette, ago

My current call to the four directions

Here is the audio of the extended version of my call to the four directions. (9:55)

You may want to strip it down to the essence and/or build upon this framework, swapping out aspects of it (e.g., using a different set of power animals, adding sacred plants, assigning different symbolism to each direction, etc.), or changing the starting point and/or the direction you move through each point. (more…)

By Ysette, ago

Customizing a call to the four directions

Upon returning from my trip to Peru, I started a practice of calling to the four directions because doing so engaged my heart, got me immediately grounded and centered, and made me feel embraced in a very supportive atmosphere. I got really curious about it because I noticed that the way my shaman opened sacred space seemed a little different from the method attributed to the Q’ero (here in Spanish and in English). This makes sense considering that practice is rooted in various indigenous communities around the Americas, so there isn’t one consistent way of going about this. I noticed that where people started their circle (some in the East, others in the South), and also what they called in (animals, plants, elements, attributes) differed depending on how a tradition constructs its medicine wheel. Aside from the First Nations of North America, versions of this prayer practice is also found in among Andean, Mayan, Nordic, Siberian, and Celtic communities, as well.

Faced with all this variety, I got a little overwhelmed. When I asked my Akashic Records about the best way for me to go about doing this for myself, they responded that I should keep doing what I was doing: letting my curiosity lead me to different versions of the prayer, trying each one out, and noticing what portions of each prayer seem to connect to my heart. They said that eventually I would find my very own way of doing it. (more…)

By Ysette, ago

Anchoring peak experiences

Sometimes it seems like we are randomly gifted by peak experiences, when we feel indubitably connected to something bigger than us all, something that gives us a glimpse beyond the veil, something that enables us to transcend the hustle and bustle of the everyday. These moments can feel truly life-changing, but when we come back down from that experience and re-enter the familiar rhythm of daily life, it’s easy to feel disconnected from that magic. One way we can integrate those peak experiences into our present reality is to recall—bodily—what it felt like in that moment. You can start with memory, but the point is to bring it down from the mind into a highly sensual experience. The more you can transport yourself back to that moment and relive it through all your senses and emotions, the easier it will be to anchor it into your body. What you are doing is anchoring the vibration of the experience so you can recall it and reexperience it ever more easily going forward. (more…)

By Ysette, ago

Open Focus

 

3D Magic Eye images are computer-generated pictures that contain hidden three-dimensional images beneath a surface of really busy patterns. To successfully see the image, you have to be able to shift your focus to a more relaxed gaze and see “beyond” the surface into its depths. I used to do this with physical posters in high school, but you can also buy Magic Eye books or, most easily, google images on your phone. Whatever format you choose, know that you will probably be physically moving your eyes and the images away and toward each other until you find the sweet spot where the image suddenly emerges. As I wrote in the minutes, “To successfully see the hidden images in these sorts of [pictures], you really need to shift how you look at the [picture] by softening your gaze and looking past the surface details and finding the hidden depths.”

Interestingly enough, barring any eye or brain conditions, what gets in the way of us seeing the hidden images are many of the same things that get in the way of us connecting with our own internal sense of vision: inflexibility, impatience, and doubt, for starters. (more…)

By Ysette, ago

October 2017 gathering

 

Getting to know you

This month we checked in on our intuition journals (or just what we noticed about our intuitive connection) over the past month. One thing of great note was the one of our participants noticed that she had gotten an intuitive hit about something, but then proceeded to downplay it or ignore it, and then when things panned out as her intuition had warned her, she had that awareness of having gotten that message. She said that in the past she might not have even noticed that she had gotten that warning, but because we had trained our attention to our intuition over the last couple of months, she was able to notice the connection working for her.

I think lessons like this are really important, and just as valuable as all those times when we follow our intuition. It’s all a part of noticing and understanding how are intuitive connection works for us, and how we still operate under free will to weigh the risks or effort of taking the advice of our own intuition.

My own observation about my intuitive connection this past month was how illness affects it. Even though I “only” came down with a slight cold, it was much more difficult for me even just to sit in meditation, let alone work in the Akashic Records. I had to drum up self compassion to stave off the self judgment that can come up in these kinds of situations. It was a wonderful experience being held by the circle as I recounted this process.

(more…)

By Ysette, ago