I'm making an official prediction today...

And I figure I should publish it on the Interweb today so that I can prove months later that I made it: In a couple of months, Gore enters the race, which will lead to the Gore/Obama ticket getting elected and Gore will actually be President this time...

My first week at Massage school...

In class last Thursday, we performed exercises exploring Presence, Energy, Tension, Attention, as well as other ideas. When we were exploring Energy in a Client/Therapist exercise, I was the Therapist, and my client was lying supine on a table. We were to walk in and not verbally address our Clients, and we were also not to touch them. At first I felt awkward just walking up to someone and introducing myself so intimately to their Energy field, but I went with it! First I placed my hands about 2-3” above Bridget and quickly scanned her body’s field. I was drawn to her legs and to her 4th chakra, the heart. Her legs had a “heavy” sort of tense feel, so I just concentrated on them, as though I were using an iron to get the wrinkles out of a pair of linen pants. Later, she did mention that the sore body part she had been focused on was her legs, and that at some point during this exercise, they began to relax and feel better. (The Energy at her Heart chakra felt like it was radiating quite strongly, not sure what that means, I haven’t studied this much. It felt positive though.)
We also participated in an exercise in which we entered the classroom, chose a partner, sat down and were to proceed in sharing something that was very important to us. When I sat down, my partner Emmanuelle was reading a book and barely acknowledged my presence. Her energy was very obviously somewhere else and also seemed deliberately closed off to me, so I didn’t even bother attempting to proceed sharing with her as some of my classmates were still trying with their partners. I did try to get her attention by joking around, and while it did work a little, she made a conscious effort to shut me out, so I gave up. We were then to leave the room, return to the same partner and try again. Though this time Emmanuelle was obviously opened to me, at first the rejection of the first time made me wary of trying again, a sort of “once burned, twice shy” situation. However I did, she was very engaging, and soon we were talking about things quite unrelated to my original topic. She engaged me, asked questions, kept wonderful eye contact and opened her Energy towards me, and soon the rejection of the first part of the exercise was forgotten and made up for. I learned soo much about practical Energy! Our instructor for this class is a Reiki Master, so I'm excited about what I can learn from her...

Fear of Change...

St Theresa

About a year and a half ago, I felt as though Someone was trying to give me a message. In the grocery store, I'd be in the Goya section picking up some Sofrito, and the large glass votive candles of either St Theresa or La Virgen de la Candelaria would fall off the shelf. Finally, I bought a candle of La Virgen, and the second I stepped out of RiteAid, the sun dramatically appeared from behind the clouds making the temperature on the street feel much warmer. When I would pass by a certain cemetery, the winds would pick up very suddenly, and with force...


La Virgen de la Candelaria

On a trip to a metaphysical bookstore with a friend, by chance I pick up a book on Santeria and proceeded to flip through it. The book opened up directly to the section describing the orisha Oya, and I felt like I was shocked with static electricity!

I was formally introduced to Santeria in college classes I took, Religions of Latin America, and Puerto Rican Studies 101, but I didn't know much else. I had friends that "had a Saint," and visited Botcanicas, but if they weren't comfortable sharing, I wasn't going to push. So on my own, I did a little research, which simultaneously calmed me and made me nervous...


Oya, by Thalia Took

Oya, the African Goddess of the Niger River, was represented in the Americas using Catholic images of St Theresa and La Virgen de la Candelaria. She is the Spirit of the Wind, and with Her machete She cuts through stagnation and clears the way for new growth. She can represent sudden and drastic change. She is a perfect example of a true Goddess of Rebirth-- As breath is wind, Oya is there at birth and when you die, She calls the wind back to Her.

Her
power sweeps over all injustice, dishonesty, deceit from her path. Although
unpredictable, Oya understands everything, but will only accept the truth.

Warrior queen Oya, the loyal and favorite wife of Sango would
often go into battle by her husband's side and is known to be indispensable to
her husband in every way. She is the strong wind that precedes the thunder. She
can fan any fire set by Sango's thunderbolts into a high blaze and she also has
the ability to use forked lightening, to assist him in his battles. It is said
that without Oya Sango cannot go into battle. She is also known for her
intelligence, independence, fearlessness, gracefulness, sensuality, power,
razor-sharp tongue, and deep intense passion.

I've noticed that since I've been hesitant to truely involve myself with showing reverence to Her, I've developed quite severe allergies. (Oya is supposed to rule the lungs and mucus membranes.) It is one thing to refer to the abstract, and say that fear of change can be detrimental... It is quite another to experience it in the way I have, trying to fight the changes that must come........

Pagan Music Videos on YouTube

Really awesome video on YouTube, it's a (tasteful) music video of that pagan classic, "We All Come From the Goddess."



Enjoy!