Friday, December 21, 2012

Critical Mass


Critical Mass 
Collective Agreement Creates Momentum


(c)TuesdayMayThomas

“The critical mass of enlightenment can be defined as the smallest number of awakened human beings whose collective influence can initiate a significant shift in global consciousness.”- John Hogue

"Critical- significant-intense-heightened
Mass- accumulation-collection-immensity"


Consider the sayings “Chain Reaction”, “Ripple Affect” and “Tipping the Scales”. Next imagine how you feel when observing a ‘good deed’, such as someone sharing a kind act with another person- be it at work, in a shopping center, walking down the street or driving in your car. The observation of such has the potential to influence the way you feel and perceive the world around you. This ‘tips the scales’ and can influence how you will in turn re-act to situations as they arise in your life.

Yesterday I was witness to such beautiful humanity on my travels. An elderly woman in her seventies gets on the bus and as she makes her way down the aisle, the bus driver hit the brakes suddenly. This causes the woman to wobble and loose her balance. She reaches out to grasp at something- anything- so as not to fall. Suddenly ten arms stretch out to brace her. She is steadied, held, and lightly guided to a seat-by these many mysterious hands. As the bus slows, she sits comfortably and smiles at everyone around her. We all smile at each other and nod our heads. A collective sigh of relief is released- not only from those whose hands steadied the woman to her seat, but also from those who are simply observing the experience.


When you smile, others cannot help but smile too. Your positive presence creates a ripple effect that has the potential to touch everyone around you. That effect can create a chain reaction. Imagine the people you share a smile with throughout your day. And of those that let the smile ‘in’, imagine them bringing that 'smile frequency' into their own circles- the smiles go on and on and on- until a many fold of people who were possibly not smiling before this experience- are now with a new filter on how they perceive and receive life’s experiences.

Think about it- if you are mostly miserable, depressed and cynical, most of what you experience will be filtered through those lenses of perception, and so give rise to you viewing life with misery and pessimism.


What we focus on is what we are privy to experiencing.

Equally so, if we are mostly grateful, positive and optimistic, well then- our experiences will be filtered through those lenses of perception and so give rise to viewing life with graceful contentment.


Here are some examples of how Critical Mass works and what it is in every day life. Remember when hybrid cars were a far away dream? Or when cell phones were for the few? What about eco/green technologies? ... And brining your own shopping bags with you to the supermarket? And what about Lady Gaga! A lot of these concepts were invisible ‘ideas’, until they were given suffiecient thought, feeling, belief and vision by enough people as to create a 'Chain Reaction’ in consciousness about them- thus activating a ‘Ripple Effect’ amongst the masses and in turn ’Tipping the Scales’ within our consciousness, until they became a reality for us all to perceive. These days many of us automatically bring our own bags to Trader Joes, and even my 87 year old grandmother has a cell phone, writes texts and knows who Lady Gaga is!



In all of these cases a tipping of the scales and ‘Critical Mass’ had to be reached within the realm of collective consciousness before these concepts and creations could be mainstay- as staples of our every day life. The same can be done with the concepts of Love and Liberation, or Fear and Violence. 

Today is December 21st, 2012. For many years this date has been spoken of as the ‘End of Time(s)’, or the “End of the World’. It is through Critical Mass that we have come to learn these terms through many forms of media and as such, we have added our own interpretations. I offer the following insight at this juncture.


Consider the ‘time-phase’ of 12.21.12 as the beginning of a collective exodus of consciousness that anyone can join whenever they feel to. Along this migration, the journey moves us from thinking through life with our minds, to feeling our way through life via our hearts.

A collective of humanity, compassion & optimism is evident in the world, and is reaching Critical Mass in our shared visions of reality. As this Critical Mass of Love and Peace rises, so too will its dual reality, that of Fear and Violence, and an alter-exodus thus is also on the rise- that of a fear based reality. We may meander back and forth between the two, unsure which to choose. “How will I know which path to partake upon?” You may question.  It is ok to meander, simply remember that which makes you feel happy and that which inspires you to do good, be good and grow in peace and joy with your families and communities are equal to the frequencies that build global unity.

“Personal Transformation equals Societal Transformation”
-Deepak Chopra

 As we feel through our hearts, we exercise the energetic muscle of the ‘feeling heart’ and begin to appreciate that 'having faith' takes us beyond using logical reason. No longer is seeing believing, but believing is now what gives rise to seeing! We are now invited to participate in navigating the exodus of humanity. Or more over, we are now with greater awareness that we are already-indeed  navigating the path of existence we all share as human beings on this planet.


As we give our energy to creating in the world, consider consciously what is important to you. What do you want to focus on and create for yourself, families and communities? Consider how what you create and envision, in turn can create a chain reaction and ripple effect- thus tipping the scales in lighting the way for others that are seeking to find 'the way'. Through our choices and perspectives, what are space are we  holding for others? It is said that it takes only 1-5% of people to think and feel ‘positive’ to help others to shift into positivity too.


Living life is an intimate experience. We are connected to one another and all things and beings in an inseparable whole. Life is a relationship, a get-together with all of existence.. With a clear mind and open heart, what would you like to bring to the gathering? Bring it forth and Shine it into the world like the glorious fountain of infinite magnificence you are!


We can do, be and create anything we can see and feel within.

(c)TuesdayMayThomas

Om



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Un -"quoted" Text Copyright Tuesday May Thomas 2012



Sunday, November 11, 2012

Shaman's Fast- Part Two



Shaman's Fast- Part Two
(c)TuesdayMayThomas

Can you admit honestly when you have broken a pledge, promise or vow? Well if you were in Hollywood this past Wednesday afternoon and happened to be on Vermont Ave around 5pm you may have seen me digging into a veggie burger and fries at Fatburger! Yes it’s true, I broke my fast and cannot tell you how much I truly enjoyed and delighted in one of my favorite ‘treat’ meals.

There are numerous reasons why I could say it happened. Was it that I just finished receiving two-hours of spiritual counsel with a Monk at Self Realization Fellowship, and all we shared served to stir my hunger? Or is it that I am with weak will power? One thing I know is years ago if I would have ‘broken a vow’- I could never have admitted it. I would have wanted people to like me for what I do, not how I do- what ever it is I did. I would need to appear as some version of perfection- thinking this is how people will respect and ‘like’ me more.

When I lived in New York I taught yoga and worked at a nursing home during the day. At night I performed shows with a rock band. I lived two seemingly separate lives. At yoga I was always the ‘perfect’ teacher. For many years none of my students knew I smoked tobacco or drank alcohol. At the nursing home my hair was up in a bun and all of my tattoos were covered. While performing in rock shows with band ‘69 Nova’, I let my dread-locked hair down and pushed my cleavage up! I drank Guinness and Jack Daniels, and smoked my famous sagerettes during those late and raucous nights- back when you could still smoke in bars. Low and behold, over time some of my yoga students began coming to the rock shows and my two worlds collided. I suddenly felt I was betraying my students by having this other life outside of our very pure yoga classes and my good girl employee-at-a-nursing-home reputation. Could I smoke in front of my yoga students? Could I swill a Jack and Coke and still be my pure and true self? The answer is YES.


        
 Tuesday performing with '69 Nova' circa 2002.


It is actually quite liberating, allowing myself to be human. The best part about it is I intend to stay the course of this fast. I have not allowed my ‘slip’ to take me down a road of giving up and throwing away the blessing and merit of what has been achieved thus far. When I say merit, I mean the spiritual, energetic and personal expansion, the transformation, focus and discipline gained along this fast thus far. It is easy to just give up completely, I could decide to eat veggie burgers everyday from here on out and forget about the fast altogether. But then what? What of the magic that is dispensed by the universe for following through on the innate divine guidance one receives?

This is the third in a trinity of the longest fast’s I have ever been guided to practice.  It is easy to allow a ‘slip’ to change the entire course of one’s path. Say, for example you are trying to give something up, like smoking for instance. You may have been very good for many months and have not gone near a cigarette. Then one day you decide one wont hurt, and then you have another, and then you buy a pack and you are smoking more than you ever did before! I will my will to stay the course of this discipline. I am happy to say my fasting diet has expanded from adzuki beans, vegetables, miso soup and quinoa- to include yogurt, organic coconut shards, rice cakes, nut butters, avocado and hummus. I do daydream of pumpkin pie, and with Thanksgiving coming up... well, I will cross that bridge when I get there!

 It’s amazing how the senses become acutely heightened during fasting. The other day while walking in the city I was overwhelmed by the pungent fumes of carbon monoxide distilled from car exhausts, and I had to cover my nose and mouth as the spritely stench of urine became illumined through my nostrils while undertaking my usual path to work. Are these smells always here? And are they always this strong? Should I find a new route to walk tomorrow? It is profound how fasting and a change of diet can expand the basic and often overlooked sense-abilities.

It is the same for my home. How could I have left it so many months to clean the refrigerator, and my bathtub? It reminds me of my favorite Yoga teacher, she is the closest thing to a guru I have ever experienced. Meaning, I have never been the type to call anyone ‘my guru’- until she came into my life. I still don’t really call her my guru, well - maybe sometimes. Deep within, I know she is the closest thing to ‘guru’ I have ever felt. Traditionally guru simply means the remover of darkness. In many ways we are guru for one another.

I recall my teacher telling a story about how she had discovered an old lemon upon her sacred alter space. Within the area allocated for pictures of her gurus, Indian deities and other objects that signify her spiritual path, she would often leave offerings for the gods such as sweets, small stones, or fruit.  She had left it so long before cleaning her alter space, that upon finally taking things down and wiping picture frames and such, she discovered the fateful lemon she had once left as an offering to Ganesha. It was shriveled up and covered in dried and dusty mold. I thought of this story a couple days ago while showering. I couldn’t help myself, I had to step out of the running shower, grab the Ajax and copper scour scrubber from under the bathroom sink and get to work. Just how many months had it been since I scrubbed the tub? Too many.  


Ganesha

The fast is not allowing me to leave any corners unkempt. I can’t just turn a blind eye anymore. All the little things I would normally gloss over now require my appreciation and attention. No more thinking “Maybe my roommates will do it.” Same thing with the fridge, and this week the fast wouldn’t let me get away without seeing the utter funk that had built up in the cracks and crevices. Now that I am finished with the liquid portion of my fast and onto the solid food part- I just can't bare to put beautiful and amazing food items such as fresh organic kale onto a dirty refrigerator shelf, knowing I will soon be eating it.

While I scrubbed the tub I noticed bright orange flashes of color within the center of my palms and the backs of my hands. After some time I recalled the porcupine quills broken into my hands amongst my recent ceremony within the inner worlds. I realize it is past the time the tribe leader told me to come back. I envision my body wrapped like a mummy inside that dark cave, deep below this world of scrubbing tubs, bus rides and grocery store lines.

This leads me to ‘Part Two’ of my  inner world travels. This last journey took some time to digest, as it served to move my soul in ways it had not been moved prior. This ‘soul movement’ is the blessing, and the ‘merit’ I spoke if earlier. When we are guided from within or above by a divine force, and see something through – there is usually a reason. A meaningful revealing often takes place in our lives as we complete the task at hand.  

It is Sunday morning and I am stirred to awaken. Upon checking the time I see it is 4am. I think to myself “I wanted to sleep in today...”  And close my eyes while snuggling with the cat but I can’t deny a tingling in my heart, and I know I must get up and meditate at the birth of this new dawn. After gathering my drum and sacred items I sit with a blanket and light a candle. Today I begin with counting my breath. I perform oujai breathing while connecting my tongue to the top of my mouth, and roll my eyes (behind gently closed eyelids) to the center of my forehead. I count one, two, three, four- up to eight as I slowly inhale and then one, two, three, four... up to eight again as I hold my breath, followed by another count of eight as I slowly exhale completely. I perform eight round of this practice and follow it by softly drumming. A song wishes to come through and my tongue relaxes while my eyes stay suspended upward. A sacred song I have not heard before begins to sing softly through me.

Over the years of being ‘with drum’ and using it as a part of ceremony during personal and group meditations, Reiki gatherings and spiritual practices, I have experienced such sweet, sacred tones channel through my vessel. While in ceremony with Ayahausca  last year, I heard my voice reverberate from within my body as I never had before. This, I believe is due to the shape-shifting of my skull from bone to quartz crystal during that evening. My crystal skull allows a deep resonance of sound to echo within my body and without. The occurrence shifted my voice to a new frequency that has been with me since. It is no longer my voice that sings during service, but the universe that sings through me. *It is interesting to note the word ‘Universe’ translates to ‘One- Song’.

As spirit moves through and I drum softly, I feel the Tribe Leader pull me towards the cave. I was to be wrapped up for three days and at this point I am late in my return.  As I drum in the physical world, I depart my body and float down the kitchen sink pipes, returning to the sacred space of the inner worlds. Many of my totem animal friends are awaiting my visit. I sit next to my big tree, leaning my spine against her wide trunk. I can feel the soft grass under my bare feet as I breathe deeply here. Crocodile slowly emerges from the saltwater lake that always accompanies my inner world environments and I recall how I dreamt of him recently. Telepathically he transmits to me he will be my escort into the cave where Puma and my mummified body reside.


I look down and notice an army-green satchel I often use in this realm.  It feels heavy but I do not look inside. I take it along and reach for my inner world drum that lies by the tree. I begin drumming as myself and Crocodile enter the darkness of the cave and within minutes we arrive to the cul-de-sac area I left several days before. Puma is sitting at the entrance to this space. He is alert and ‘on guard’ as a loyal watchdog would be. Crocodile takes his place while Puma accompanies me into the circle where the tribe resides. I stop in my tracks, astonished to find my body dismembered, and I slowly stop drumming. My head, arms and legs are severed from my torso and individually wrapped in the same cloth of the previous ritual. What is even more daunting – each tribe member appears to be gnawing at one of my limbs as the eyes inside of my dismembered head watches from a tree stump. I look sheepishly to the Tribe Leader, knowing I am late in my return and wonder if the scenario I am seeing is somehow a punishment for my tardiness. Tribe Leader motions to me telepathically, letting me know the current happenings are of no such consequence. He knows I am late, but he welcomes me because he is my teacher.

He guides me to stand above my severed head. I take my place and realize the tribe members are not actually eating my limbs. The closer I look, I see they are simply motioning as if. Are they chewing away debris and illness, all the parts of me that need cleaning? Soon the tribe members place my body parts down in alignment with my torso.  Tribe Leader motions to the satchel that lies over my shoulders. I reach into it and pull out a huge shining green emerald stone. It weighs heavy in my hands and its energy pulsates as I pass it to the Tribe Leader. He holds it up into the air with both hands, as to bless it- and then sets it aside.

My body prickles with fear as I sense what may be coming next. I feel a 'surgery' of sorts approaching this scene. I know it can’t be anything I am not ready to receive in this world, or any other, but I am still on high alert. Though these experiences are new to me in this life-time, they are like memories of life times past. Tribe Leader swills from a clear glass bottle and holds the liquid in his mouth with cheeks large. He next spits and sprays the liquid over all members in the circle. He next takes a puff of tobacco from his pipe and blows the smoke in all directions. He speaks a few words, again in a language I do not recognize. It feels like the invocation to this ceremony has begun. He nods to me, and as I stand over my dismembered crown, I begin to drum. 

The beater in my hand bounces on the skin of my drum- in a heartbeat rhythm. Tribe Leader next hovers his hands over my lone torso (still unattached from my limbs) for a few moments, and then plunges his right hand into my chest. While I sit in the third dimension, drumming in my living room, I feel a deep sensation in my upper body and gasp a deep inhalation. He next pulls my heart from my body. I see it bloody and beating in his hand. I watch this ceremony of the inner worlds from the alternate universe of my living room and begin to cry. I know what I am watching is an initiation of sorts, and once I allow this ceremony to be complete there is no going back.

He takes my heart into his left hand and cuts an incision into it with the fingers of his right hand. He then places the emerald jewel inside of my incised and still beating heart. I immediately sense an intense healing take place from deep within a part of me that has always been here, but I have not explored much; my soul. Again Tribe Leader swills from the glass bottle and spits and sprays the clear liquid over my heart while it rests in his hand, and follows that by smoking from his pipe and blowing tobacco over this sacred organ of my body. He next places my heart into his mouth and just as Crocodile would, he gulps my heart down in one swoop. As I stand drumming in this inner world circle, I see my heart travel down inside of his body until it sinks into his own. It begins beating in synch with his heart. At this point I know there is no turning back, from this ceremony and from its significance to me at this point in my life. Is this something I have deliberately asked for? Or is this something that simply is? I have always known my path would come to this, as it has many lifetimes over.

After some time the regurgitation of my heart from his body takes place, and again he holds it in his hand.  He reaches for a small pouch and with head tilted back, he appears to swallow its contents. Upon lowering his chin, he then spits over my heart again. But this time it is not the clear liquid from before, or smoke of tobacco, but a beautiful gold dust that covers my heart completely like a shiny metallic paint. He turns to me in his stoic manner and telepathically tells me my soul is now 'fire-proof' and protected throughout all worlds and dimensions. He seals the area of my heart opened to place the emerald inside, with a clear wax liquid he pours from a small glass bottle. Once again he raises my heart to the sky and speaks in a language unknown to me yet. He then places my heart back inside of my chest. My heart begins to beat in my body and the tribe members rejoin my arms and legs to my trunk. They drip, pour and rub the clear wax serum (that Tribe Leader used) over and under my shoulders, arms, hips, thighs and neck. This instantly heals and reconnects all of my body parts.

I am now rocking back and forth in my living room as I drum. I am crying- softly howling as sobbing tears flow down my cheeks. The intensity of this experience is almost too much to bear. In the third dimension my hips and ankles are aching and pulsing from sitting in lotus for... I’m not sure how long. All I know is I am ready to go home, I am ready to come back. "Can I go home now?" I think to myself. In the cave of inner worlds the tribe members are now dancing, playing drums and rattles in a circle around me while I slowly sit up and become re-acquainted with my renewed body and heart. I motion to Tribe Leader and telepathically tell him I am ready to go. The tribe members help me to stand and unwrap my body from its mummified state. Tribe Leader motions that we will smoke a tobacco offering before I go, but now I can feel the extreme discomfort of my third dimensional body like never before and I just want to go home. I shake my head ‘No’ and motion to Puma and Crocodile that we are leaving. “I gotta go.” I tell Tribe Leader. “Come sit with us, stay and smoke.” He motions. I bow to him with great respect and thank him for this otherworldly healing and the many blessings therein, but I cannot stay a moment longer. “I must go.” I speak out loud to him. I gather my satchel and find it hard to walk, so sit I upon Puma's back as we make our way out. My journey body is still drumming as I walk behind the scene of my renewed-body. I see me riding upon Puma's back, along with Crocodile as we all make our way back to the entrance of this cave. And it cannot be quick enough.

      Crocodile

We finally return and I crawl from Puma to lay upon Crocodile’s back who then walks us into the lake where I am submerged three times and it feels so good, so healing to be back. I next crawl from the water and lay upon the grass. I am out of breath, exhausted and feel drained. The journeying, 'drumming me’ knows I must leave the renewed and refurbished me to rest. Once I feel the renewed me is comfortable, I quickly fly up through the sink pipes and return to my body. Three last beats upon the drum to complete the ceremony and I fall back in lotus and slowly begin to uncross my legs, gently unwinding my knees and ankles that are throbbing at this point. I lay back and sob even harder now. I cry of the energetic shifts bestowed unto me from this mind-blowing journey.  As I make my way to bed I see the clock signify I had been in ceremony & sitting in lotus for 100 minutes. No wonder my hips are aching.
 
I sink into a deep sleep and awake four and a-half hours later by a phone call. A pal asks if I can substitute teach his yoga class. I agree, knowing it will help me to get ‘back into my body’ but I feel very disoriented and foggy as I make my way through Downtown. All through class I am careful because I feel drunk, or like I have just got new glasses and need time to become acclimated to my ‘new sight’. As I wait for the bus home, I feel completely jet lagged, and hungover- though I have not drank any alcohol and have only traveled to the inner worlds. As I sit on the bus home I notice a very old woman sitting across from me. She has a black beaded Crocodile keychain hanging from her purse. It is a sign. 

                                                                                                    

At home I feel ungrounded and ready to eat, though it is my seventh day of liquid fasting, and I have only to go through this eve until I can ‘officially’ eat tomorrow if I shall decide.  I sit and watch the movie ‘Frida’ about Frida Kahlo’s life. I am astonished and moved by the scene in which she is fascinated by the gold paint of an artist on the bus that later covers her body (as is my heart). The same bus ride causes here to undergo a lifetime of her body being broken apart and put back together again. The Crocodile keychain, the gold paint and her physical-body's incarnations are synchronistic with my  scenario. 

Frida Kahlo

 I finish the movie and sit in stillness. I want badly to smoke a sagerette and briefly wonder if I have the ingredients to make it a reality. I then consider the ramifications- "You are fasting Tuesday.. No smoking!" I think to myself.  I then realize Tribe Leaders request for me to stay and smoke with the group. I could not earlier, as I had reached my limit of other worldly surgeries and third dimensional lotus hips reality. But now, as darkness falls and day becomes night, I know I must go back and fiinish the ceremony started earlier this morning.

So I begin to travel with my drum and re-enter my saced space. Crocodile is expecting me, and with Puma we re-enter the cave. This time there are bats flying around inside of the cave. They are swooping and trying to dive bomb me. Is this because I did not finish ceremony? I feel like they are here to signify the opening of my energy, left by not completing the ceremony. Would they be here had I finished the ceremony earlier? I feel they signify no real danger, but they are a nuisance none the less. 

As we arrive, The tribe is sitting in a circle, awaiting my presence. Tribe leader shows me where to sit and begins to fill his bone-pipe with tobacco and other herbs. The pipe is passed in a clockwise direction, away from me. Each member takes two puffs and slowly passes it to the left. As it arrives to me, I savor the feeling of this pipe in my hand. I hold it to my lips and take a long slow inhalation. The smoke fill my lungs with its healing energy and I take one more puff, this time holding the smoke inside of my body for a few seconds. I look to Tribe Leader and he nods, as if saying “Now this ceremony is complete..” We sit for some time together in silence and I now know I am truly ready to go back home. I offer gratitude to my group and Tribe Leader and make my way back with my totem friends. This time the bats are hanging upside down, asleep and do not notice our passage through the cave.

As I enter my sacred space outside of the cave, my renewed body lies upon a bed of daisies and my Peacock totems flourish their beautiful feathers around me in a circle, as to protect me while I rest here. Upon returning to my third dimensional home through the kitchen pipes, and reawkening from this second journey of the day. I feel refreshed and any craving for tobacco is now gone. I slowly stretch and stand up, deciding I will in fact begin my solid food diet tonight and commence to make quinoa and steamed kale. It was the best meal ever... maybe even better than that veggie burger and fries! (c)TuesdayMayThomas




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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Shaman's Fast 2012- Part One


Shaman's Fast 2012- Part One
(c)TuesdayMayThomas

I fast once a year and have been doing so since 1999. The Fall is always such a powerful time for me to settle within and find stillness amongst the changing of the leaves and coolness that beckons in the air. In the early years of fasting, when I lived in New York, I did so amongst a six-day workweek. I still found time to be still, pray, meditate and simply ‘be’ with what ever came up, mind and body. The Master Cleanse is the means by which I usually undertake my fasts. Over the first eleven years, I started with fasting for three days, the next year I did five days and continued up to ten days, expanding the length of time in alignment with what felt correct for my body.

The past three years have been very different, they have signified a specific calling within and the universe has requested I undertake to fast for longer periods of time. 2010 called on a twenty-one day fast. 2011 guided a thirty-day fast & 2012 is asking a forty day fast. I understand this to be an initiation of sorts that serves not only to strengthen inner discipline, will, commitment and focus, but serves as an opportunity to expand my capacities to channel finer frequencies of love and light. Personally, I feel my soul purpose is to share my life’s experiences with the world through written word, song and story. As a writer and author of spiritual transformation and multidimensional meanderings, I can’t help but connect this longer phased ‘fasting guidance’ with the upcoming alignment of planets in our solar system and the said ‘shifts’ that will continue to occur during this time and space we all share here on this planet and cosmos.

To channel divine downloads of information is a precious gift we all have the capacity to share. We can sharpen intuition, balance our sensitivity and fiercely strengthen the ability to face addictions (be them mental, physical or emotional) and overturn them for good over time. We can redefine our relationships with substances, people, places and things and learn to be a Master of our Time and Space. Fasting is one of many routes to assist this paradigm of becoming ONE with all that surrounds.

The guidelines downloaded from my Higher Self for this year’s fast are; Begin the fast with the Master Cleanse for seven to ten days, and then slowly include clean foods such as following a simple macrobiotic diet.

So for the next forty days, this means No Wine- Oh and I just discovered I love 'Garnacha'- a yummy smooth Spanish red wine that gives my usual love of 'Shiraz' a run for its money! No Tobacco- I occasionally smoke what I call ‘sagerettes’. A sagerette is a mixture of organic tobacco with sage that are mixed and rolled in a cigarette paper with a cotton filter. No Caffeine- Arghh! I love my morning cuppa- coffee- and the occasional Iced Vanilla Soy Latte! And- No Junk Foods-Now this is generally no big deal as I’ve been a vegetarian for over 25 years and have what would be considered a ‘healthy diet’- but my ‘healthy diet’ usually goes out the window when my monthly cycle comes along ... Oh Yeah, I like to let myself eat pretty much anything for a couple days in a row including cheetos, french fries with thousand island dressing, chocolate cake and , well anything chocolate and red wine!  Alas I will skirt through my macrobiotic recipes to find an alternative to my monthly sweet treat cravings..

Ok, so all this said, I am on day 2 of my fast and want to share with you my morning meditation. I light a candle and sit with a picture of Yogananda, my drum, and a selection of crystals that ask to come along for the journey.  I sit silently for some time, focusing on my breath and using it as a tool to draw light into the Sushumna, Ida, Pingala and up to my Pineal Gland. Next my cells begin to breathe and I feel an expansion of light from these central channels expand and absorb into each cell in my body, through each organ, muscle, bone, tissue- to my brain , every part of my internal being is breathing light in and out.

I am next guided to begin drumming.  Sitting with eyes closed I begin to drum softly and after several minutes, begin to travel down the kitchen sink pipe-lines as a means to enter the inner worlds. Upon my entrance, I am greeted by my family of animal totems. We sit for some time in meditation amongst a beautiful lush-green area next to a lake. I then notice my Puma totem sitting next to a cave entrance to my right as if to signal I am to partake in a journey through the cave. When you journey through the inner worlds, ask for the accompaniment of one of your animal totems to travel with you- always. He sits and awaits my readiness and we both begin to walk into the dark cave. I am suddenly holding a rattle of invisible/clear leather that contains many shards of quarts crystal and sacred beans. I shake the rattle as we walk and our path is made lit by the shining light of the crystals as they dance in my rattle. I feel the cool muddy earth beneath my bare feet and it squelches between my toes as we walk.

After turning and meandering along this cave’s curves, I hear a drum beat. In the third dimension I am still drumming as I sit in meditation, but notice there is a distinction between the two. The beat I hear in the cave is harder- and there seem to be multiple drums in the distance. I walk with my puma and we calmly enter a cul-de-sac where six tribe’s people are drumming and awaiting my arrival.  I stand at the entrance to this space and look at my puma. He sits calmly and it serves as a signal no danger lies here. I enter the space and continue shaking my rattle. The tribe’s people next take me into the center of the circle and begin to drum harder. The Tribe’s Leader takes a handful of porcupine quills and proceeds to enter them through various areas of my body by piercing my skin. There is no pain, only an elated sense of communion with these beings and this ceremony. After all the quills are in place through my skin, a dancing ritual begins and we all circle and pound our feet to the earth for some time while dancing in reverence for this ceremony we participate in together.


The drumming then ceases and the Tribe Leader repeats a prayer over and over in a language I do not recognize. I look to my puma and he is now laying down in a relaxed fashion at the entrance to this mini cave cul-de-sac. The Leader guides me to lye down upon a slim straw bed and proceeds to crack and break each quill while they remain inside of me, this leaves shards of quills inside of my body. For example, one quill was pierced through the palm of my hand and he broke each side off, leaving a piece inside my palm. He next rubs a healing salve upon my wounds, and I feel no pain in this inner world of worlds. The tribe members next wrap me in a dark linen type of cloth like a mummy, and telepathically tell me to rest there for three days. Puma comes and lets me know he will stay with me the entirety of the time.
I am still drumming in the third dimension and feel pulled to make a way back to my living room and allow this journey to be complete for today.  My spirit floats back out through the cave’s tunnels and into the lush green landscape I once arrived and I next travel up through the kitchen sink pipes and into my body where I sit and continue to drum for a while until it feels natural to stop.

Yesterday, day one of the fast brought with it some lower back awareness. Not pain as such, but a weakness of sorts while I taught Yoga. I consider it the breaking down of the old patterns kept there, and the freeing of space for greater love and light to channel through this vehicle. I receive it. As years go by, the initial shifts and changes brought about by fasting can truly quicken and launch us into a new terrain of understanding, expanded consciousness, alignment with our destiny, energetic expansion, enlightenment, and sweet joy, as we welcome the awakening of wisdom innately embroidered through our D.N.A. (c)TuesdayMayThomas

With great respect I have asked in Spirit if the above photo may be included in this journal 
and am grateful the presence of this Tribe Leader.




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(c)TuesdayMayThomas