The Sign

The mountain I see every day from where I am sitting is called 'Montseny'. Its been there for four months and I've been looking at it, on the rim, peering over the apartment blocks, and I've been thinking about it, and what it was.

Its name in English means 'Sign/Signal Mountain'.

Lately I've had quite a few moments of 'not seeing the forest for the trees'. The removal of layers. The peeling off of the onion skin. The removal of dirt from my eye.

Catalonia/Tiffany

I just wrote this for the Catalonia blog – but actually, I was writing two pieces at once.

First Half

Catalonia has not yet come into her own. She is blooming after the repression of the Franco years and the introduction of Spain into the European community, but she is still shaking off the hold of Spanish rule and bucking at the new people coming to live amongst her people.

There is insistence of speaking the Catalan language, of waving the Catalan flag, of protecting the Catalan culture, and yet, it seems, she is reacting against her past and not resonating with the prosperity of her present.

When we were travelling to and from Australia, people asked Albert where he was from. He would say ‘Spain.’ They would say, ‘Madrid?’ He would say ‘No, Barcelona.’ There would be a great smile and warmth and the word ‘Catalonia?’ and, no matter how many times we had this conversation, we would be amazed that people knew the difference.

Obviously, the soccer team, Barce has helped sell the awareness of Catalonia to soccer watching nations. However, Barcelona as a city, has become a by word in cultural cool. Its sexy, its charming, its hot, it has everything a traveller is looking for. The Costa Brava is near by, the Pyrenees is over the hill, and the food is to die for.

So, the world knows about you. They know you exist. They know you are not the same as Spain. They see you as a most beautiful, charming and wonderful place. With something unique to offer the world.

Now its time for you, Catalonia, to accept your position as a jewel in the crown of the world.

Second Half

Tiffany has not yet come into her own. She’s blooming after the repression of ideas of how things should be, and responding well to the world travelling, but she is still shaking off the hold of her Early Years of Protection and bucking at the new role she is being given.

There is insistence on following old Tiffany paths, of waving the Me flag, of protecting the Tiffany entity, and yet, it seems, she is reacting against her past and not resonating with the prosperity of her present.

In the previous years of her life, people have responded positively to her. They have loved her, called her ‘angel’, ‘blessing’, ‘precious’ and ‘dear’. And she looked behind her, to see who they were talking to. There was no response in her heart that resonated from the gift of the other’s love.

So, the world knows about you. They know you exist. They know you are not the same as you were. They see you as hopeful, happy, and helpful. With something unique to offer the world.

Now its time for you, Tiffany, to accept your position.

To accept the ‘I am.’ To feel it resonate within. To allow it to be.

Full forgiveness.

Full love.

Full acceptance.

Full awareness.

Fully united.

Aloe Vera

I've had five plants since arriving in Spain. They have all died, except for the Aloe Vera. Its thriving.

It was a plant given to me by a yoga student. When I first saw it, it was healthy. I took it under my care, and it started to look sick. I was afraid I was going to kill it also.

I took a step back and thought of my smother love attitude to plants, and let it go.

I was looking at the aloe today, and its thriving. Not just healthy, but vibrant with life. Its even sprouted a little baby in its soil.

I did a bit of research. The Hindus called it 'the silent healer'. It has been a symbol of beauty, health, longevity and healing for many peoples.

The Spanish are given credit for bringing it to Europe, and it was used by priests and grown in monasteries as a healing aid.

Jesus Christ was anointed in Aloe Vera (John 19:39)

The Burial of Jesus

³⁸Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴²Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Aloe Vera History

Gertrude Baldwin's history of Aloe Vera

I drowned the other plants in too much water. I gave them more than they were capable of absorbing. With the Aloe Vera, I waited for the soil to dry out, and then watered it, when it was ready.

Enki, the Sumerian God of Wisdom, is also the god of the waters. He is father to Ningal, the moon goddess, and the grandfather to Inanna.

This ties in with a conversation I was having about limits and energy within the mind/body and breaking those limits before the 'whole' was ready for transition.

The wisdom is. The water is. It is.

The seeker, if her chalice is already full, can not take any more water/wisdom. There is even the possibility of drowning in too much water/wisdom.

Wisdom, the water, must wait until the chalice is ready to be filled. Must wait until the chalice is empty.

I have always had the tendency to 'tell the truth'. Regardless of the consequences. Even if the ears were not receptive.

Its time to take my watering can and place it upon the shelf until the timing is right.

That means, just as I watched the Aloe Vera plant, testing its soil, and being careful of its nature, I need to keep this same observance/awareness in my daily life.

I am that I am.

God grant me patience and humility to await for Your guidance.

with Love

For a quick reference on water myths

A Crack in the Earth's Crust

Last night I woke with an image of the earth cracking.

I'm a bit in the dark with this one. A shift? An opening? It didn't feel like destruction. But an opening.

Really a way into the darkness?

Doorway to the Underworld

Today we are going to see a dolmen, not so far from here. It was Albert's suggestion. I didn't know about them before. I was researching their significance quickly, just now - some suggest it is a doorway to the underworld - 'the great below' and the Sumerians used them too. Dating back 3000 years or more.

I'll take photos and update as we go.

With love

Cut in Half

Last night, my son came came into our room. I could hear he'd had one of his disturbing dreams.

I patted the bed, 'Sit here. Are you ok?'

'Yes. Now its all right. I dreamt you were cut in half, and there was blood and your eyes were popping out.'

I smiled in the darkness. My death. Of the physical. Change is surely announced.

Roads, Walking - the path

I woke this morning with visions of the open road in front of me. I was walking, and I was in a car. I didn't know where I was going.

It triggered the awareness of my inability to orientate myself in new places. I have a feeling for where I should go, but I don't know where I am going until I get there. I have no idea how to return.

Lately, in physical life, I've been walking around my area, trying to explore and become familiar with the area. I looked up now, and there is a big balloon over the mountain range. I was listening to Dr E and her talk about flying dreams. The ability to get a new perspective.

Perhaps I don't need to stay on the ground to find my way. :) I can fly and get a birds eye view. :)

At any rate, I'm on the journey. I'm very happy to have a little bird flying by some times.

I remembered too - next year, we're going to walk the Santiago trail! I thought of that too.

With love

Inanna - the story links

Last year, in 2008, we were travelling in Australia. We stopped by a book store in Kuranda. It was a women's initiative. We couldn't buy many books because we were travelling lightly. I only bought what I had a feeling for.

I bought this book,

Inanna. Queen of Heaven and Earth. I didn't know why at the time. I wasn't particularly interested in her, actually, I'd never heard of her before. But, something about the carving kept pulling me back. I was sure I had to buy it. I did. Its been sitting in the book shelf since we arrived here.

Today, Albert cleaned up the books lying around. We are still settling in with the furniture. Going slowly. I resorted the books, and Inanna stood before me in all sincerity. Now I have two books beside my computer. Montserrat and Inanna.

Inanna's father is the moon god, Sin/Nanna. (There are many spellings of his name that are so close to Amma, by the way, its impossible to overlook.) And as I was looking for images, I found this one, already made up.  It was as though it was a message, a gift, a treasure.

And look at this - from Judith Shaw

Also, this is a long post on Venus, Inanna's star.

One more for when you have time - Emergence of Civilization and Fall into Patriarchal Dominion

With Love

Montserrat - the book

Yesterday I was in Barcelona for the first time in a month. There is a book fair this week. As I was walking past the books, I came across one that had 'Montserrat' emblazoned across the front cover.

The book is written by Jacinto Verbaguer. It was first published in 1890, as far as I can make out. Mine is not a first edition, though the book is well worn and falling to pieces. It cost 10 Euros.

I will need help in translating it, as its written in Catalan.

Inside, it says 'Llegendari, cancons, odes'. The front cover has the mountain of Montserrat, a cross, the virgin with a crown and child, men praying to her.

The picture I found on the internet is small. Sorry for that.

With Love

Dragonflies as Flying Serpents?

I was outside, just now, and a dragonfly dove into the pool and straight out again – and I thought DRAGON FLY.

Dragon is a type of serpent, or snake. And it flies. If we look at the body of the dragonfly, it is like a little ‘stiff’ snake, with wings.

I was thinking today, what heralded the whole snake phenomena? And I remembered vividly, the dragonfly landing on me.

So, here it is – the dragonfly who was the first messenger -

By the way, it 'stuck' to me for about ten minutes. The little sweetheart. We had just packed up the car, and were about to leave, and then the dragonfly just 'sat' on me. After a few minutes and getting the 'proof' photos, I tried to 'release' it gently, but it continuted to land on me. So we just waited until it was ready to leave.

Thank you for the beautiful experience and for heralding in the new era.

Gold Tara as Dancing Shiva

As I was watching the Golden Tara - she became Lord Shiva dancing.
'I am all'
And - funnily enough - the name for this being is 'Nataraja' - here are a few links from Wiki

and from Lotus Sculpture.

Did I tell you that 'tara' gave me a white egg in my solar plexus on the 22nd of November... When I looked up the symbolism of white eggs - I came across the pagan goddess ostara...

They say its three times lucky. What more stamping and thunder signs do I need to believe?

Well - I did a 'soul mate' meditation - and it revealed itself to be my soul mate - then what? All the pressure I've been feeling around my heart chakra - the squeezing and pressure is my soul mate trying to get my attention...

I posted a variation of this in the spiritualblessings forum -

I did a meditation on soul mates - and - it felt so real. I feel that for some reason - for my development - my soul mate did not reincarnate with me - that it stayed in the spirit world to help me in this life.

As soon as I met the soul - it was just like the visions I've been having of the Gold Tara - it 'merged' with me, danced around me - my heart almost died from the pressure - and it 'was' me - in some way - and then I asked 'why' did it say behind - and it was to help me in this life - to push me, because I needed it. It gave me a white rose - and a cloak of protection (love).

And I think wow - I've always felt so alone - and yet I realise that I'm here to learn independance - and now - I see/feel that she's 'there' for me any time - that I'm not alone - that we are one - and it is with her I can share my true self with.

Ostara and Snakes Just as Tara and Nataraja are also associated with snakes - birth, renewal, spring, balance, the ability to live in the dark and in the light - just wow...