sisters find in each other, the silence a hug they meet and greet, they come and go we light candles for our families and gaze up at the moon let the earth be our messengers who passes on all the real votes, when we are heard by the river and we listen deeply to her. […]
But, I’m not done yet….! I plan on blogging into the New Year, 2023. I plan to publish my next poetry book in 2023–and I’m planning on including more highlights from people in my life and in my community. January 2023 is going to be the start a fun blogging New Year. I have lots of content to share; and I hope you all will be there! 🙂
The above poem I wrote in February of 2017. My favorite part of this poem is its ending.
My heart is touched by the sisters I meet in my life. I’m dedicating this poem’s reblog, and final Nano Poblano post, to blogger who I have met through blogging named Christy Birmingham-Reyes. She manages and writes a beautiful blog called When Women Inspire. Her blog is an excellent resource for women. She writes daily on issues that affect women, daily. Her blog has pertinent topics like single motherhood and addiction–signs to look out for and where to get help, blog posts about exercise and health, about how to become a successful entrepreneur/ business woman with practical articles about taxes. Her topics demonstrate a wide array of supports and inclusivity, such as family planning for LGBTQ+, while she also showcases and spotlights women who are serving through leadership, and making waves. One of my favorite recent articles is from guest blogger, Esther A. Armah, who writes about Unlearning Emotional Currency. Her blog provides hope and inspiration.
I hope you enjoyed my version of Nano Poblano, which is a version of NaBloPoMo, which is a National blog posting Month challenge. My theme for this year’s challenge was reBLOGathon, and I teamed up with Cheer Peppers year after year for Nano Poblano. You will see the logo again below. Click on it to see other team member’s posts. Thank you for those who stuck with me this whole long posting month, and I hope you are ready to see more of me in the days to come!
Psst… One of my inside reasons for doing the Nano Poblano challenge, started by Ra Avis, a truly AMAZING poet, it the tagline for the challenge: “Official Home of the World’s Least-Official November Blog Challenge” I’m very attracted to “unofficial-ness.” It appeals to my sensibilities and my desire to enjoy myself on the planet. I hope you join us next year.
Give me honey Any day And I’ll find a place for Sweet to counter the bitter. We move through our days Trying to keep our stories On the margin of our memories Trying to be present to What we encounter in the moment. Then… As I have, We just move on. Or is it that […]
I chose this post and image for my reblog. The choice for today might have been inspired by my blogging friend Janet Weight Reed at the same time as I was reviewing my past poetry to begin my next publication. This drawing is linked together with my poem “Honey is Home“ that appeared in my publication of Art for Art, 2017.
The drawing above is my own; I probably should have signed my art when I was in my teens and making it, circa 1995. This is a portrait of one of my best friends, Jana. I did it in a cubist style, inspired by Picasso and Paul Cézanne. In the 20th early century, Cubism was a new movement in art where subjects were depicted with multiple perspectives, and nature was often interpreted through a geometric shapes. I didn’t know it at the time, but Picasso was not only inspired by Cézanne but he was inspired by African art. African art appealed to my soul from a very young age, all forms of African art, including music and drum signatures. This was a theme that continued for me well past the time I visited S. Africa, and into the present as I enjoy playing djembe in the local Women’s Drum Circle.
Due to apartheid, townships were places that could be very dangerous for white people to go. It’s understandable why. Because white people created and enforced apartheid, and destroyed homes and lives in the process. White people destroyed a whole people. Since my educational trip was focused on service and expanding the minds of Westerners, I was admitted into these exclusive spaces which, as I said, existed as a direct result of heinous racism which drove blacks from their homes and communities.
“The Apartheid (1948 to 1994) in South Africa was the racial segregation under the all-white government of South Africa which dictated that non-white South Africans (a majority of the population) were required to live in separate areas from whites and use separate public facilities, and contact between the two groups would be limited. The different racial group were physically separated according to their location, public facilities and social life.”
I was an anthropology student at the time of this visit to a township in Capetown, S. Africa. As an artist, photographer, and a person devoted to the mission of sharing the beauty of these communities with my then very small reach, I took pictures of these children with permission. The following is one of the many images I photographed of some of the township children. These children were so cute. I was in love with them. Interestingly, the people in the township often had designer clothes, but lived in very, very poor conditions–without electricity, and even lived in shacks that were put together with reclaimed materials. Why did they have designer clothes? Well, just ask yourself what all the wealthy of the Western world do with their designer clothes? It’s increasingly happening among the extreme wealth of the whole world, not just the West. The clothing is expendable and tossed down the line through donation. See this post for my short discussion on disposable goods and consumerism. So this is how you can have designer clothing and can be extremely poor. Kind of changes the status of designer clothing, doesn’t it? These old neighborhoods, before apartheid, these communities had street signs and livelihood. They had roads, and owned their own land. “
Quick Facts
Between 1960 and 1994 over three and a half million people were forcibly removed to the homelands.Their land was taken away from them and sold to white farmers at very low prices.People were unable to make a living in the homelands, and many had to work as migrant labourers in the cities of South Africa. (source)
I was there in 2001, and sadly, by 2014 (see article linked below), not much has changed. Racism is cruel.
From 2014 article, a resident explained, “When it rains, the public toilets overflow into my living room,” she says. “Water comes in through the ceiling and the electricity stops working (Guardian)” See links below for more information.
In an age of fast development: technology, tv screens, constant-upgrades, new designs, “better,” “more connected,” webbed, and “seamless” living, I am amazed, and I Am inspired by those who commit to their goals. Now, life will throw us off track, time and time again – especially if you have a very strong relationship – for […]
This ReBLOG came up on its own on another social media feed. It’s so cool to read these old posts—> I’m still going strong and living my truth. I know that for a fact. The evidence is here. 🙂 I’m also posting this because we have some strong Mars transits coming up. A message like this can be handy.
In this life, we might be terrified. we might feel alone, though we are not. we must work every day to give ourselves enough space, to be who we are. however we are, “dark” or “light” or the huge gamut spanning between even if not one single person feels that what we offer is valuable, […]
Today’s reblog links back to a poem I wrote, about not being afraid to stand alone. I think this is a good reminder for all of us while the season is all about “coming together.” For so many this season bring a lot of pressure, loneliness, and oftentimes tremendous grief. However for others it’s a time to really express our happiness and our love with our friends, families and everyone in our lives. Truly the holidays are days when most people have off work–even though not all do.
Yesterday I took time for myself to really appreciate the moments in my life. There’s this beautiful quiet descending upon me. It’s far from depression and it feels like inner peace. I’m not even chasing after it either. It’s there when all the chasing runs its course. 🙂
the focus, the point of any moment’s contentment is the delicate reality of right here, now playful ~ cross crawl, ipsilateral, in a ball: when hands touch soles of feet, and reach to touch toes! this pose – is made for giggles, and wiggles. the sacrum is flat, and the body is a bowl nimble […]
Howdy! I didn’t make it to the blog yesterday. Mr. Ka ended up getting a gnarly case of shingles 😦 and well, I spent the day having so much fun with my daughter! Please send him good, quick-healing vibes.
I chose the above post as my “make up” post for yesterday’s reBLOGathon Day 27 and Cheer Peppers Nano Poblano because its about yoga, and embracing the moment. 🙂 The World Tree is consistent in my previous images with my adventure tree so I thought it also connects up well, there, too. I’m planning on collecting my poems that I wrote since my last publication and gather them up, do some editing and publish another book. This is a very exciting project, indeed 🙂
July 1, 2011 Partial Solar Eclipse in Cancer/ New Moon The astrological sign of Cancer is given the element of water, describing what type energy it is, and the cardinal modality, describing how it operates. Cancer, like water, flows into any shape of container. It surrounds and absorbs. It is inherently adaptive. Water energy is […]
I remember writing this post, and it really was a collection of information and knowledge I gained through many years of experience. The one thing that stood out to me when re-reading, was thinking about how the signs of both Pisces and Cancer deal with the subconscious. Pisces because of its relationship to the 12th house of the unconscious (and its nature as a water sign) and Cancer because of its inherent relationship with the moon (and it’s a water sign). Scorpio also shares that water relationship. When you differentiate the water signs you want to look to its modality: Fixed, Cardinal, or Mutable. Cancer is a cardinal sign, the sign that this reblog is focused on (along with its opposite Capricorn). The opposite signs share the same modality–which is the hidden harmony in opposition.Astrology has many harmonies built-in, if you look for them.
Cancer has “direction.” The energy is focus and directed: it’s creative, which is why is related to the Mother-mothering principle.
After I published this post. I thought: hmm… why am I interested in this post as my reblog? How did it come up in my awareness? So I look at the transits for today. The moon is exactly opposite my natal moon (in Cancer) @ 12 degrees. So that’s how astrology works… it’s beautiful, and poetic–and you don’t even have to PAY ATTENTION to it or “FOLLOW IT’, for it to work; its just silently in the background, describing what is already happening.
I hope everyone who celebrates had a good Thanksgiving, for everyone else, I hope they had a good end to their week and a nice weekend ahead. This Tanka poem is my reblog for the day. I didn’t manage to post yesterday, but that doesn’t bother me too much. This is my makeup post. It’s the first time I didn’t complete the monthly challenge in the years that I participated, that I remember. I am slowing down my energy, anyways. It’s fabulous! I love this slowed down version, soaking up the sensory experiences, reflecting on more memories, being one with my life. I hope you enjoy.
Unsplash photo Give Thanks from Unsplash Image from Unsplash In the deep falldon’t you imagine the leaves think howcomfortable it will be to touchthe earth instead of thenothingness of air and the endlessfreshets of wind? And don’t you thinkthe trees themselves, especially those with mossy,warm caves, begin to thinkof the birds that will come — […]
Today is Thanksgiving in America. Tomorrow is Native American Heritage Day. November is also Native American Heritage Month. There’s no real way to reflect on this time without asking questions about traditions and remembering the past. That’s how National holidays are. They are, for many, time off of work, time with family; and maybe they are just time for reflection.
If you are not busy with family and friends. Maybe I can interest you in reading the following post and helping you get yourself into some Qi Gong. There are so many lovely ways to celebrate by yourself, this is a luxury I sometimes miss!
We are busy today with our friends coming to visit (I invited them– Hah!), and the food is already ready to be picked up at the restaurant this afternoon. This morning, however, after coloring seasonal imagery with my daughter and writing out what we are grateful for, I decided to make my very colorful red beet salad. I make it with a Russian style, really full of garlic. Then I decided before cleaning I would make some pumpkin bread. I was going to make the zucchini bread from scratch, but I really don’t have the energy. Yesterday I spent time with my hairdresser, Lei, and I was in with my women’s circle, virtually. I connect with technology, text, voice, etc… to those family and friends afar today. I receive texts from friends who are infrequently connectors–and it feels great to hear from them as we are all so busy, but this is life–right?! My village is growing and it’s plump. Writing this sentence amuses me.
I’ll be looking forward to catching up with all of your posts. Reading blogs has been one of my favorite activities, along with writing, and art-making. I really think blogging is its own art.
Thank you so much for being in my community. For those of you who took the reblogging challenge as your theme for this Cheer Peppers connection, thank you so very much for joining me!!! Shout out to Barbara over at MeMyMagnificientSelf and Linda over at Litebeing.com also have been blogging as Reblogathoners! We are all teamed up with Cheer Peppers this year, who I have been blogging with each November for Nano Poblano for at least the last 5 years. However, I have known Barbara and Linda for years on the blog.
While I am blogging daily, and visiting as frequently, if not daily–I try to get to everyone’s blogs. The joy I feel with reading the poetry, seeing the art, reading about your day, seeing your travels, and it all really adds to my life. Thank you for putting your voice out there. Keep going; never give up. Keep going. You matter, and your life, matters 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving and Blogsgiving 😉
Me at Angkor Wat, 2001 I won a book at a raffle during my local astrology group meeting this past weekend. Inside Planets in Aspect, on the book’s cover, is a quote by T.S. Eliot. To me the quote fits perfectly with this New Moon in Sagittarius. For even though I shall be taking easy street […]
Forgive the old image/photography. In the image, I am being dwarfed by an enormous fig tree. This was in Ta Prohm, Cambodia, in 2001. This image was taken during another “peak” experience. Being pictured with this gorgeous, powerful tree was like being pictured on top of a mountain that I hiked up. I made it! ❤ I arrived; this tree was my epiphany in so many ways.
This reminds me of one of the epiphanies that one of my patients had on my treatment table this week–they can happen anywhere. We are ripe for enlightening.
Happy New Moon in Sagittarius!
I don’t know about you, but I sure do miss traveling. We will find a way to do it, again. Hopefully sooner than later. If you are already traveling, thank you! I am enjoying your pictures and adventures 🙂
Deep gratitude for this life that I am living and all the ways that I can experience it and share it with others. I am grateful for this blog and my wonderful followers and supporters. Fiestaestrellas.com has grown the most in the last couple of years with my book publication in 2017, and continued poetry […]
Reality is an illusion or “user-defined.”That’s my own declaration; but it’s also an oversimplification. There’s a shared reality, too (in a sane world with sane people). I was talking to Mr. Ka about the fact that I feel like I am getting upgraded, and not in the same sense as from a place from an alien civilization with this authority or divine power “upgrading”me, but not necessarily that that is false, either. I really don’t know; I have never channeled alien beings or multi-dimensional beings. But, I don’t think I am a computer or that my consciousness is relatable fully to the analogy of computer software.
Even the work I do with shamanism is from the imaginal realm. For it to work, it doesn’t need to be understood in terms of mechanics or even “realness.” Though I have seen it work, and I have remote reviewed, and I do believe these “skills” can be gifted and/or worked on. I have seen healings and strange things when people allow the possibility for them–and even if they don’t. I couldn’t give you the recipe for how it works, or why exactly, that when I journey with certain people, we see the same things. It doesn’t happen often, though. Maybe I’m waiting for it to happen more often before I speak up. Maybe I am not the type of person who is prone to making conclusions.
For me, personally, I’m not committed to a belief in a particular dimension or by receiving “wisdom” from ascendant masters or things like that. My brain and/or consciousness is quite an ordinary one. I don’t receive the very specific guidance of GPS from some other dimension. If I did, I would question it highly and make sure it has the best intentions, otherwise I would tell it to go F-off. That might be why I’m not that approachable.
So, with my ordinary brain I was musing with my husband about how I do tend to believe that our reality is a hologram. I experience this and I haven’t really researched it to check my musings with other evidence out there. My sense is that I am connected to a system that is constantly getting upgraded. I look at my phone and now it can do more things than it can do yesterday–the font is different, the layout is different. It’s got new nifty features letting me know how easily I can schedule an email, for example.
What is my upgrade? I think my upgrade is noticing things. I have been able to access my internal states in a new way, and with that, I am becoming more informed on how I process the world. This allows me to tweak it! I’m observing objects in my field and learning how to use them more efficiently. My mind feels like its “dilating.” What an interesting word to use–my field is widening. I feel like there’s an aperture on my experience that is developing flexibility in flexibility, and it’s well, mutable. Difficult to explain, but pretty cool.
This brings me back to astrology. Tomorrow is the Sagittarius New Moon (chart below from cafe astrology). This degree is almost exact my natal MC. I already know my astrology, but it will be easier to just share with you what the internet says about what this means:
“People who have this MC sign are born to show fresh perspectives and to ignite faith in others. They can’t stand limits and are often trailblazers, caring little about what others think about them. They are following their ideals and crave a deep connection to the universe.
In the birth chart, the Midheaven is the highest point. It shows your aspirations in life and your greatest achievements. The sign here shows which qualities you are growing towards. It helps you decode your path in life. The MC is more expressed at an older age, and it’s the side of you the world sees (people who don’t know you personally).”
Advanced astrology.com
Midheaven in Sagittarius
“The MC in Sagittarius calls for constant expansion, especially when it comes to finding your role in the world. You approach life from a philosophical perspective. Things make the most sense to you when they are colored by an ideal. You really do care about the world and think a lot about how you can make it a better place.
“People with this MC sign dream big. They want to find a sacred calling they can dedicate themselves to. Profession should also allow them to make a contribution. The Midheaven in Sagittarius suggests that you are the most fulfilled when you can inspire others. You approach goals with hope and optimism. You love to have things in your life you can be enthusiastic about.”
All of that is 100% accurate for me. It’s not super specific, but it’s been highly relevant throughout my life (and even moreso during this time of the year when I get even more philosophical, and wander-y.
If you want to know your MC based on your topical Western astrological chart. Go ahead and reach out to me by using the contact form, or easily use cafe astrology.com, both would be free! Make this your time to DREAM BIG!
Ye with noble goals! Today is not January 19th! It is a Monday, and it is January 25th 2016! Yes, it’s Mercury’s stationing direct period. When do you feel the effects? You tell me! 3 days +/- Which means: ________ ? Symbols and non-sequiturs. On the lighter side – as we rock forward onto Mercury’s funny shadow. […]
In honor of the approaching New Moon in Sagittarius, I’m taking all my philosophical thinking that been on the rise, and taking a little bit of a break at the humor station. I’m so serious most of the time–which is fine. Seems like everyone’s experience of humor is very diverse. Seems like the best of friends know how to just be light with one another. I think about those friendships–the ones i’ve had or have now. We roasted marshmallows yesterday at a beach bonfire party. It was so much fun for the kids. Yesterday was sot of an epic day. The photographer had to cancel at literally the last minute. I wrote an email entitled “Big Problem” and the company fixed it right away and got us another photographer at the same location. This time we get all the photos for free. I’m pleased that the customer service for this women-led company are doing a good job.
Ode to the Clothes Every morning you wait,clothes, over a chair,to fill yourself withmy vanity, my love,my hope, my body.Barelyrisen from sleep,I relinquish the water,enter your sleeves,my legs look forthe hollows of your legs,and so embracedby your indefatigable faithfulnessI rise, to tread the grass,enter poetry,consider through the windows,the things,the men, the women,the deeds and the […]
This post I wrote from the inspiration of a Pablo Neruda poem. The thoughts struck me again about how things used to be made with high quality back in previous centuries while I was watching an episode of Outlander. I was marveling at the costumes (this is when they were in North Carolina). Things just don’t last now. Clothing falls apart almost immediately. Shoes have a very short life (especially for children). These are my passing thoughts on the morning where we are going to get family photos by the beach. Our photographer lost the first set of pictures last weekend. I hope these images last. Really, I hope our smiles last. I hope we always find it easy to smile.
what’s in my little satchel? freeing the ‘ever i was’ and ‘always will be,’ as are you. updating, electrifying characteristic of total love i will read with excitement and travel through all those moments of reciprocity while i am busy, and then scale up-down into that once solid core of molten awesomeness that flows and […]
There’s a story about that feather. It was the first I received on my shamanic path that I didn’t know I was on. A few years before the feathers, it was books that magically showed up along my path at random places–it would seem. One of my best friends from childhood must have known I was on the path, though, because she had even given me a book called, “Path of the Feather.” I do not remember if I started receiving the feathers before or after she gave me this book as a present. I lost track of that book, sadly, with the moves, but I am thinking about it now. Maybe I will find it in storage at some point.
Feather gift:
When I was driving through a very rural area into a long driveway for my Census Bureau job back in 2010, this very, very large turkey feather landed right on my windshield, right near my view. I had to stop the car and get out and get it. It was during this time that I just moved back to an area of Eastern PA after quitting my technology job in Western PA. I was in a place of rediscovery, and I was also experiencing some depression. I was reconnecting with older roots, but not on the terms I exactly wanted to. I was surrendering, big time–that’s what surrender is–
This turkey feather became my first smudge feather. It was obvious that was its intended purpose, shortly afterward. I think one of my magical friends at the time helped me to see that, but I don’t remember that part clearly. For many months and a couple of years afterward, I received a feather at my special park each time I would visit, until it culminated into a series of hawk feathers that matured into the red-tailed one. It happened each time very consistently. It was again, an obvious message. I was also praying to the goddess and acknowledging HER for the first time. There’s a longer story here, but I’m not going to just write about it on a whim. Here is my post for the day. It’s titled, “Mixed bag of wishes freed.”
I am experiencing another period of complete surrender. This time without the depression, which is pretty nice. I know my path is already written for me. I walk it, and I write it. It has been written for me, by me, before. I haven’t stopped walking this guided path since this particular feather came into my life, in the most obvious way, and made me see. There have been times when my devotion and commitment wavered, and that is part of the process of the deepening. My roots are going so deep, they have penetrated deep, deep into her core. She and I are mother oneness.
I am releasing all this energy now, anything left over. I’m sending it up to the heavens, and I’m sending it down into the ground.
I am freeing myself of everything, every goal, every vision.
Ka Malana Photography A lifetime of memories can show up at your doorstep and sweep you up in love like the wind that brings changing seasons collects the leaves for colorful treasures to be pressed and captured in scrapbooks and photographs. We can live in the memory of love as the wind that rushes through […]
I almost didn’t make it to this post! I finally finished all my last coursework (I’m done!!!) for my doctorate and then ran around with errands all day. I hit yoga class in the morning and the whole day flowed. I took more time to just stare into the moment, to absorb my surroundings, to feel the gratitude for arriving at the end of a very long journey. What I will say is this poem I linked you to above is even more meaningful to me now. It’s about continuity.
We are all ready for our friendsgiving. I couldn’t be more delighted with the laid-back nature of my holiday planning this year. BUT leading up to it is quite busy: like this weekend. Sadly the photographer lost the photos from our family photoshoot last weekend so we’ll have to squeeze it in to another very busy preschool birthday weekend- one birthday party each day (this weekend photoshoot “Take 2”) That, and Spanish lessons, and you see.. it’s super busy! Not a lot of time to do much of anything, really besides work on my business planning for the week and the near future, prepare for my patients, work on my other certification program in Sports Medicine (including taking more tests), and the zillion other projects I don’t even mention!
That said, I cannot comment on your blogs today because I have been getting the walk-around from the phone app. It’s frustrating. I read these lovely posts, and I cannot respond because I am prompted to put in my name, email address, and my url only to have it circle around again and no comment getting posted, in the end. I don’t know if I have to uninstall and reinstall my app or what to do, but I really don’t have the time to blog daily and do tech support. I keep telling myself “just get through this challenge!” That said, I am convinced that I will catch up. I am convinced that I will do my best to provide feedback to you, to comment, to laugh with you, to celebrate with you, and to let you know that I am here. Here on my blog, and there, there on your blog. Take care. Happy holiday season! Enjoy every little bit of fun you get to have in this life, and get through the other stuff, day by day! 😀 Remember, it takes a village to do just about anything that is both really neat and really fun! So stay connected, and reach out.
Fiesta Estrellas 
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