12/21 Postcard Greeting

Quirky Synchronicities part one: *Magical Mochi*(1)

Yep. You can just go ahead and call me a "tool"! I mean it in the most positive sense of that word. I had a couple of very "funny" things happen this past month, synchronicity style. "You're going to like it" [Abraham]

       

So, last month out of the blue I catch a coconut craving. It didn't matter what- a bag of shredded coconut, some 'Almond Joy' candies, coconut water (aka 'milk'- to paraphrase my teacher, Susun- I digress..) in my soup, in my smoothie, you get it. So, I decide that I have to find some recipes for coconut and am going through all of my Thai, Hawaiian, Indian and Caribbean cookbooks. Then, I remember my old favorite, coconut custard pie. There's a recipe for that in one of the Hawaiian cookbooks. On the opposite page is a recipe for Coconut Custard Mochi. 

       It calls for '4 cups of mochiko or 2 10-oz. pkg.'  Mochhiko. "What the hell is that?!" I say out loud, with gusto. You know because it's coconut, in pudding. That is enough. But, then I look it up online and see that this is a sweet rice flour. Hmm. I've never seen that here, but it must be a common shelf item in Hawaii. 
       Now, whenever I think of Hawaii, I immediately see T's face in my mind, because he lives there. Then, I get this whole download to copy the recipe, put it in a card and write a note and send it to him- just because. I did photocopy the recipe, but I put the card that I chose and the whole thing to the side for a couple of weeks. Because, my 'brain' took over- "Aw, whaddya' gonna' send that to him for? How silly. What does he care that a mochi coconut custard made you think of him? Don't be weird!" So I didn't send it.
       Now, when I'm writing a card or even an email to someone {now this is a little secret I'm divulging} I am not simply writing "words", I am actually imprinting the communication with energy. I am holding the image of that person in my mind, but more so, in my heart and i am recollecting whatever fond feelings I have for that person. Then, I open myself up as if I were intending to channel or receive Divine guidance, and I just write whatever comes out- until the force, the feeling, dissipates. I never force one more word, or punctuation mark beyond this sort of fuel to what I write. Often, I will put the writing immediately into the envelope, so this orb of energy is, well... 'sealed'. 
       So, there's these pieces of paper so far that I've prepared and, moreover, an envelope already stamped. It's been sitting here for a couple of weeks now. And I have one of those, "Oh, fuck it." moments (I've written about those amazing manifestation moments, sponsored by my "fuck it" mantra: http://ursulacarrie.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-have-some-funny-stories-on.html ) I do the same process. I need to retune to my friend's energies, because by now I'd lost the original energy that inspired this little note in the first place. So, I find him, I'm tuned and I'm open and writing through my heart. I take it and a couple of other things to the post office, drop the envelope in the slot, and forget about it....

{*magical mochi*(2), on 12/21}

something to do with something like this.....

Leaf Blowing

       I see human beings performing so many actions that are, to me, counter-intuitive to living in harmony with the many Beings of the planet, with the Earth and how she moves through her cycles. I'm no expert, but I trust my intuition. I'm talking about stuff like- leaf blowing just a day or two before the snow is about to fall. Is that really necessary anymore? Every time I witness that anyway (leaf blowing) it horrifies so many of my senses. Then, I soothe myself by also acknowledging that the people who are doing the blowing are making money to take care of their families and that Nature will recover because She is Strong. And I let it go. Or, wait a minute- mowing the lawn in mid November, right before it's going to snow. Like the grass is still growing.... really? Really? What is that all about? We all have those things that scrape our chalkboards! Mine are: leaf blowers, chainsaws, mowing the lawn when the grass ain't growin', LED head lights on cars and door slamming. That's all I can think of for now! Lol.
       But anyway, think about it from a holistic perspective. Do you remember the growth cycle of a tree? Imagine only from the perspective of no human activity interfering with the tree's business. An acorn, or other type of tree seed, falls to the ground (or gets "hidden", then forgotten, by a Squirrel! See, did you also know that? That so many trees have grown because of those Squirrel Shamans I was talking about in an earlier post! Lol.) and through a miraculous series of transformations becomes a full grown tree. Then, as this full grown Tree, the rotation of seasons bring rhythmic changes and growth. 
       The roots draw Nourishment from deep within the Earth bring up in the Spring in the Saps (tree blood, really). More bark is created from the inside to the out (relate this to the rings you've probably counted on your fresh cut disk from your holiday tree by now), and up the branches go this vital force to the create the leaf buds, which will unfold into the Leaves. When these leaves fall in the Autumn, much of that which was taken from the Earth- is given back to Her. The decomposition process begins. Granted, it can take longer than one year for those leaves to fully become dirt once again. At least the nutrients go back to the soil. You see that in the forest in places where humans don't walk a lot- off the trail- this dark rich forest floor soil. That's what has been going on there, undisturbed- the cycle of give and take. That does not happen when the leaves get put in a plastic bag. That gets buried somewhere, or floated out into the ocean on a barge. 
       The other thing about just letting the leaves be... They provide a nice cover over the grass and little plants, an insulation from the snow. We all could use a bit of cover and protection from the storm. Why not wait until the spring, when everything is getting warmer, and the frost warnings have ended. Then remove the leaves so everything beneath can take a big breath. We all take that Breath together, that first warm day of Spring. Winter is for resting, for everyone, including the Earth, for taking cover, for counting your blessings and dreaming "long-winter's-nap" sort of dreams about what seeds in *the garden of life* you want to plant in the spring.
       We can all take that Breath together.

Time to Relax, Listen to the Within

The message this past ten days, in every reading that I've pulled for myself, have a theme. "Nurture yourself", "self-care", "life review", "let yourself receive", "avoid negative or harsh environments". I like to pull for just a few days at a time, since things change fairly often with me, sort of mercurial it can be. So this is the theme. Well, I had a feeling about that. I know of other people who are receiving the same messages from the body and energy systems. I decided early on to employ some of the lessons generously lavished upon me by 2014- and I surrendered. Snowstorm, surrender. Don't have to go out, then don't make up a reason to. Stop. Open up, and breathe. 

       One of the first things to be forgotten with a quickness when we experience a full on crisis, or simply an unbearably stressful situation of any sort, is the self-care aspect of the day or week. Even some simple stretches can make a world of difference in unlocking the emotions that can get stored in the musculoskeletal structures of the body. But, these are the times when we need movement the most. With movement, the Breath. And Water, preferably not in plastic. We need to move, breathe deeply and feed the water that is the body. I'm saying this because it is these three things that people tend to forget in the hustle-bustle. Very simple, but Manna-feeding.

       I hope that you are taking some time each day to move and breathe and stretch and take care of your Soul's Vessel. And remember to drink Water, even in the winter.

       May you have the weekend that is of your personal preference :)

Love and Blessings