Week7:Richmond, VA

Merry meet friends!

Michelle here, bringing lots of love and light………

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”  …..John Lennon

 How true that has been for me this week!   I had my week planned out, starting in Charlotte, NC and ending in Lexington, KY, by way of Earthaven, Atlanta, GA, Flat Rock, TN and Nashville, TN.  Not!  I needed to be in Richmond on Wednesday with family matters so I decided I would take the bus on Thursday.    On Tuesday night I communicated via messenger with those friends I planned to visit.  On Wednesday morning I received a message from Lori in TN saying that she and her husband had just agreed to house and pet sit for friends for two weeks beginning Friday, the 25^th.  Another friend from the Immersion, Dana, told me earlier in the week that she now had a spare bedroom and I could visit.  She stated that she would be in Atlanta for a family reunion from Thursday until Sunday.  So when I couldn’t visit Lori, I decided to stay with Amanda (with her consent) for a few more days until I could visit Dana.  Afterwards I would go to ATL and perhaps on to Whitney in KY. 

My trip to ATL would be from Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 3.  Originally it would have been the weekend of July 26-27.  My daughter Tiffany checked with her friend in ATL who said I could visit.  On Wednesday, Tiffany sent a text saying that Lerissa (her friend) might be out of town that weekend in August.  So I thought to myself, ok, I will just visit Earthaven, Amanda in Charlotte and then Dana in Charlotte.  Wednesday evening I received a text from Dana that she would not be returning to Charlotte on Sunday the 27^th but would now return on August 1^st.   Ok Universe, what is going on?  At that point, I told Amanda that I was not coming at all.  Later I thought about it and decided that I could still do the initial visit with Amanda and ride with her to the Red Tent event in Earthaven.  But then I decided against that as well.  I was very excited when I wrote about this upcoming journey on last Sunday but as it got closer to Wednesday, I had the feeling that I wouldn’t be going.  Isn’t it funny how we can know something inwardly even if our conscious mind won’t accept it?  I still have not discovered why this journey has been postponed at this time.  It may never be revealed, I just have to accept that it was for the highest good of all concerned. 

While I wanted to visit everyone, I was very much looking forward to revisiting Earthaven and Medicine Wheel again.  Corinna’s Red Tent event, seeing my friends from the Immersion and helping Virginia celebrate her birthday was important to me.  I spoke with Virginia on Friday and she didn’t attend!

This weekend is the Dark Moon and I wanted to share that experience with women I grew close to at the Immersion.  A dark moon describes the Moon during that time that it is invisible against the backdrop of the Sun in the sky.  The duration of the dark moon is between 1.5 and 3.5 days.  “Dark moon is the time of the month (2 weeks after full moon) when our energy is at its lowest ebb.  Traditionally women would go to the moonlodge (Red Tent) at this time of the month to fill their cup so they would have energy to give to everyone else the rest of the month.  Women would share their previous month and assist each other in identifying lessons in order to age with grace and wisdom”…. (Thanks to Tanishka: The Moon Woman for some of this info).  Corinna Wood says this about the dark moon:  “In the Wise Woman Tradition,  we honor the dark as much as the light, turning inward as much as shining outward, loving myself as much as loving others   Blessed Dark Moon.”

There are still Red Tent events happening around the world today.  I’m happy about that because we women need this.  I have a strong desire to teach women “Blood Wisdom” and how the moon affects us.

When I spoke with my daughter, Zakiya, on Tuesday, we discussed setbacks or the appearance of them.  She and I seem to parallel each other in what we are growing through.  It may be because she is Scorpio with a rising in Sagittarius and I am Sagittarius with a rising in Scorpio.  At any rate, we usually have the same type of experiences.  She mentioned that she felt as if she were going backwards if she made a particular decision.  I told her that when we attended Hosanna, a charismatic church, the pastor and prophet, Travis Thigpen spoke some words over me that I have never forgotten.  He said that Spirit was giving me a mid- course correction; and then he said, you’ve heard the saying, you can’t get there from here?.  He went on to say that my destination was on point but I was headed to it in the wrong direction; hence, you can’t get there from here.  I went on to tell Zakiya, that sometimes going backwards is going forward because we can’t reach our destination from where we are.  We have to turn around and head another way in order to get there.  We’ve all had detours, physical ones, mental ones, and spiritual ones, but we keep forging on.  As it happens so often when we give advice, we are giving it to ourselves.  I had to listen to my own words.  Prophecy is usually for some future time, it’s not always in the present. 

In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that I was going to live rent free with a woman in Asheville who had Parkinson’s in exchange for helping her.  It didn’t happen because her partner decided not to go to Europe and she didn’t need the help.  While looking on Craigslist on Friday for housing in Asheville, I saw a post for rent free housing in exchange for house help for a woman with Parkinson’s. I replied to the post and inquired if it was the same person.  I haven’t received a response as of yet.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s her or not, I’m still interested but this is another example of “can’t get there from here”.  “Here” isn’t always a physical place; it can be a consciousness, a time of the year, etc.  I wanted to stay in Asheville until I heard to leave but nothing supported that at that time.  Had it happened then, I wouldn’t have been able to help my son, Jason, with moving perhaps, or do a number of other things that transpired.  Maybe now is my “here”.

I am learning/remembering so much about myself on this journey of self-discovery.  I am being reminded of words spoken over me long ago that were still with me just not in the forefront of my consciousness.  Another prophet said to me once that I was like an eagle.  He said eagles fly high above the clouds and have the ability to see storms coming before they actually happen.  Another prophet, Jan Painter, said that I had a tiger in my tank and I was raring to go.  LOL, it seems that I have a lot of references to animals in descriptions of me.  I guess it’s the wild nature, huh?  I often refer to myself as a wild stallion.  I don’t know where I’m headed, even with the eagle eye, Spirit has the upper hand.  I only know that I am waiting for the next thing.  I remember Travis saying to me once that being still is still growth.  It’s just growth that can’t be seen but it’s still happening.  If you’ve ever had any type of garden, you know that to be true.  I taught a bible study on this principle once.  I gave everyone cups with seeds planted in the soil.  I told them that if they gave it water and sun, it would grow.  I reminded them that they wouldn’t see the growth at first because it would take place beneath the soil.  The roots had to grow first before the flowering and if it was uprooted before the roots became strong, it would die.  It’s the same with us.  We need nurturing in order to grow, we need to be rooted and grounded, and we need to know that whether we see it or not, growth is happening.  Life seems to begin in the dark, obscure places, doesn’t it? 

Until next Sunday…..

Merry part and merry meet again,

Gypsi Mama Michelle

Journey 5: week 6/Richmond, VA

Merry meet Friends!
Michelle here bringing lots of love and light......


On The Road Again
             by
Willie Nelson


On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again


On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again


On the road again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world keep turning our way and our way


Is on the road again
I just can't wait to get on the road again


This song seems so appropriate as I will be back on the road as of Wednesday.  Woo Hoo!   What appear to be setbacks are just a temporary bump in the road.  No, a car has not manifested yet but as I was in meditation during the week, the Mega Bus dropped into my spirit.  I hadn't considered that before.  I had thought about Greyhound and Amtrak but not the Mega Bus.  I checked schedules for where I believe Spirit has me headed and not only does it travel there, it's very inexpensive.


Corinna Woods is having a Red Tent event in Earthaven on Thursday.  Thursday is also the birthday of one of the women from the Immersion.  Virginia would like for us to come to the event and help her celebrate.  Greyhound goes to Asheville and I would have needed a ride but Amanda (another woman from the Immersion) asked when I planned to visit her because I could come into Charlotte and ride with her.  The Mega Bus goes to Charlotte. I will spend the night with Amanda, travel to Earthaven with her on Thursday morning and then back to Charlotte for a visit.


Amanda raises bees and I can't wait for her to show me all that entails.  I want to learn all I can about natural living.  Her daughter is going to teach me how to make foot bracelets.  Amanda and I are sure to make infusions, salves and tinctures.  Maybe there's even soap making on the horizon!  From there I would like to visit Lori in Tennessee.  I would have to go into Nashville or Atlanta, GA because the bus does not stop in her town.  Lori is willing to drive to pick me up from the bus stop.  I think I will do Atlanta and visit some people there before she arrives.


Lori has a mini farm.  I certainly hope that there are some cows or goats to milk.  Maybe there are chickens and I can gather eggs.  I believe Lori made some peanut butter recently.  Yum!, can't wait to try that.  Whatever she wishes to teach me, I'm willing to learn.  Next if my friend Whitney is back, I would head on over to Kentucky from Nashville.  I would like to see some of the places in Nashville before traveling on to Kentucky.  Whitney and I did our first year of seminary together and I haven't seen her since 2011 or 2012.  Either way it's been much too long. 


While in Earthaven, I plan to visit Medicine Wheel and see my house mates.  I also want to see how the potato bed I started is doing and any of my other vegetables as well.  I wonder who took over the Greenhouse?  I miss Medicine Wheel and the people there.  It will be good to see them again and hear Seaver sing, "Oh I wish I was a glimmer in your eye". LOL  I think Dimitri may be back by then.  It will be like a reunion!


Another way that I have decided to travel is with Amtrak.  Amtrak has a rail pass.  It's good for 15, 30 or 45 days consecutively.  15 days has 8 stops on the route.  I would go from DC or Chicago to New Mexico, spend a few days there, then to LA to see my daughter, then up to San Francisco for a day or so, then Oakland to see Ali'a possibly, then Denver, CO, then Chicago, then DC to see my other daughter, and Richmond.  I think this would be an adventure and I wouldn't have to be concerned about where to sleep, eat or take bathroom breaks. 


I was opposed to these modes of travel at first because I originally heard to "get in the car and drive" and I would hear Spirit tell me where to go and when to stop.  A bus or train would mean knowing where I was going because of ticket purchases.  It didn't feel Spirit led to me.  However as long as I check with Spirit about where to go, the journey is still Spirit led.  I just will not look up and find myself someplace unexpected. But, I may still find myself in some place unexpected but not in the physical sense.  One never knows what may happen on a journey.


I'm finding that we have to adjust our thinking sometimes and truly have "the intelligence of water".  Go with the flow, take the shape of the container, go over, under, around and through any obstacles that seem to hinder the progress.  For in reality, there are no obstacles except the ones we create.


Until next Sunday.....
Merry part and merry meet again...
Gypsi Mama Michelle

Journey 5: Week 5/Richmond, VA

Merry meet friends!
Michelle here, bringing lots of love and light


Earlier in the week, I spoke with my friend, Rev. Whitney Blackburn-Lynch.  She asked how I was doing and my response was that I had no idea and that I felt stuck.  She then asked if she could do a Shamanic journey for me, to which I readily replied, "Please!"  Whitney did a journey for me before in 2012 after my graduation and ordination from OSIS.  I knew something was happening in my life but I didn't know what.  This was before the breast cancer diagnosis.  The journey was not about cancer but it was spot on so yes I wanted her to journey.


Journeys are personal and would only have meaning for the individual but I feel led to share some of this recent one.  This is what Whitney saw:  I had a turtle shell with a tree growing out of the back.  I was also confused.  I trusted the Divine path implicitly, but feared that where I was going I wouldn't fit in.  She then saw me with a Priestess who was showing me my heritage and the white magic from which I came.  In September, 2012, Rev. DeShannon Bowen, a Yoruba priestess, did a reading for me.  I held questions in mind, not revealing them to her, and the reading produced the answers.  She told me that turtle was my totem and like turtle, my home was with me wherever I went. I never needed to know where to settle.


I told Whitney that I understood the turtle but not the tree.  I also explained that since I didn't know where I was headed, I didn't know if I would fit in or not.  However, I have felt out of place for most of my life so I could understand that.  Whitney felt that the tree is a symbol that I not only carry my home, but my roots with me also.  I'm not tied to a place because my roots are with me wherever I am.  She felt it was time for me to figure out where the ancient ways began for me.  This was said because I have felt my ancestors calling me home and back to the ancient ways.  Whitney went on to explain that the ancient call isn't about where my physical family came from but where my spiritual heart was born.  It is the path of the creation of my soul.  Whitney is deep and so is the Shamanic way!  She offered to send me a meditation in order for me to find this out.


Whitney said that in Native American cultures, turtle is not only one who carries her home, but is also very in touch with the earth.  Turtles are protectors of the earth.  I looked up turtle symbolism in Native American cultures.  This is what I found: "The wisdom of the turtle totem teaches us about determination and staying strong despite obstacles or distractions.  This animal encourages those who have it as totem to listen deeply to their guidance and trust their path no matter what.  It is a great helper for those who need to provide a steady effort and persistence.  You can call on the wisdom of the turtle when you need help to sustain your efforts and succeed in a long-lasting endeavor.  By analogy with the biological attributes of this animal characterized by a long life, this spirit animal is also associated with longevity."


"The turtle symbol also represents the earth mother. It represents her stoic ability to carry the burden of man on her shell.  Many species of the turtle have 13 sections to their underside believed to represent the cycle of the thirteen moons.  The moons are a celestial symbol of motherhood."  "Turtles share an association with water, which lends meanings of motion, intuition and emotion to the myriad of more symbolic meanings of the turtle."  I find this to be interesting based on Sam Christensen's assessment of my myth in his workshop.  Not only did he give me "the intelligence of water" but he saw me as an "earth mother".  Turtle makes sense as my totem.


As I meditated on the turtle and the tree, I realized that if the turtle represents the earth and the tree, according to Whitney, represented my roots, then the tree coming out of the shell makes sense also.  Roots grow in the earth.  My roots are "rooted" in the earth.  This is why I care so much about the earth and honor her as our mother.  This is why I desire to live from and off the land.  The tree is also symbolic of the tree of life.  Roots give nourishment to the plants that grow from it and the plants provide life sustaining nourishment.  It is a cycle ordained by Creator/ God/Goddess and All That Is.  So my home and my roots are wherever I am, giving me life and sustaining me as I hope to bring life to all Spirit brings my way.


Until next Sunday.....
Merry part and merry meet again...
Gypsi Mama Michelle

Journey 5: Week 4 RichmondVA ( NY, Victoria and Petersburg, VA)

Merry Meet Friends!

Michelle here, bringing lots of love and light

"To be an artist it is not necessary to make a living from our creations. Nor is it necessary to have work hanging in fine museums or the praise of critics. It is not necessary that we are published or that famous people own our work. To be an artist it is necessary to live with our eyes wide open, to breathe in the colors of mountain and sky, to know the sound of leaves rustling, the smell of snow, the texture of bark. It is necessary to rub our hands all over life, to sing when and where we want, to take in every detail, and to jump when we get to the edge of the cliff. To be an artist is to notice every beautiful and tragic thing, to cry freely, to collect experience and shape it into forms that others can share."...........Jan Phillips, "Marry Your Muse".....courtesy of OSIS

"To collect experience and shape it into forms that others can share".....this is how I choose to live my life; to live, breathe, know, hear, smell, feel, sing, observe, risk, notice and cry the full extent of life, in order to experience it and share.  I feel it's how most people, if not all, wish to live as well.  We are born  with an innate sense of curiosity and somewhere along the way we seem to lose it.  Have you ever noticed the wonder and amazement in the eyes of children as they happen upon something new?  If only we would capture that sense again, that newness of life again.  Who would we be, what would we do? It is my purpose to find out as I journey.

 

I am completing my journey here in Richmond and releasing things that no longer serve me.  This, too is a part of my journey, which I was reluctant to acknowledge but none the less, it is a necessary part.  In another week I expect to start traveling again.  As I've stated before, I no longer have the use of the car so until one manifests, it will be the Greyhound bus.  There are pros and cons to this mode of travel.  The "pro" is that I can relax and leave the driving to them (their slogan at one time), no bathroom stops and I can carry my food and sleep as well.  The "con" is that I won't have the freedom a car provides and I can travel more places with a full tank than I can with the price of a ticket.  BUT, I am sure Spirit will send me to the exact place that I need to be so traveling freely will just take another form.

On Sunday and Monday of last week, I was still in NY helping my younger son with the finishing touches of his move.  It was not as intimidating as he thought it would be and he was very grateful for my help.  I spent some time with my grandson, my oldest son's child.  He was so sad to see his uncle leave but Jason assured him he would return shortly.  I love the energy of NY and always have but it will probably not be on my agenda any time soon.  I spent this past week hanging out with friends. It was a very full four day weekend; movies, birthday party, cook out and a wine festival were the activities.  The time was divided between Richmond, Victoria and Petersburg, VA., where I spent two nights.  I was happy to spend the time with them because I'm not sure when I may return. 

I am anxious to resume natural, sustainable living.  I've spoken with some of my friends at Earthaven and I'm seriously contemplating returning for awhile.  Being off the grid isn't as bad as one might think and I miss it.  I've been invited to spend some time with some of the women from the Immersion and I'm looking forward to that as well.  One of them, Amanda, is going to teach me about bees.  I think that's exciting!  I know we will probably make some infusions, tinctures and salves and possibly soap too.  I can't wait to blog about that experience.  There are two other women I will visit while there, Dana and Mary.  Dana makes her own soaps, deodorant and toothpaste.  There's a wealth of hands on experiences awaiting me.  I plan to explore other sustainable communities across the country as I'm directed by Spirit. 

I know my journey is not over because I don't feel the need to put down roots just yet.  As much as I love interior decorating, I don't have any desire to do that.  I would love to have a camper van though and make that my own.  The gypsy blood is flowing strongly through me and I must be on the move, SOON!   So week after next is when I plan to "hit the road, Jack, er Michelle".  However, as I have learned, when we listen to and for Spirit and try to follow what we hear/intuit, our plans are sometimes null and void.  I guess because they are ours.  Anyway, I await with bated breath the collection of experiences that I can shape into forms that others can share.

Until next Sunday.....

Merry part and merry meet again,

Gypsi Mama Michelle