Fiestaestrellas.com has been active for 6 years! Blog posts have ranged from subjects in art, shamanism, astrology, reiki, poetry, short fiction, gratitude, survival, planetary love, trees and friendship. Blogging has been the hug (hub – last word was a typo I thought I’d keep!) of wonderful new friendships and connections, with lots of sharing, growing, and camaraderie throughout the years. It’s been a place to celebrate the magic and mystery of creation.

Just 6 years ago, before a life-changing trip to Kauai (and following 4 years of radical personal change), and a resultant development along my shamanic path as a then solo practitioner (with lifelong study of astrology and intermittent art-making in various media), fiestaestrellas.com was born! There was all the excitement of Uranus having just entered Aries, and the inspiration hit: begin this blog! I was working with children and tutoring high school refugee students in English around that time. I remember so fondly our Valentine’s Day celebration the month prior. Seeing the culmination in action!

6 is the number of this blogger’s life path. It is the union of 3 and 3. It is the path of the healer-nurturer, while 33 is that of a Master teacher. To me this is the guidance from the way. I receive the guidance ‘on the way,’ as I am with ‘the dao’ and inseparable from it. Scholars may remember that Dao once written as “Tao.” Even the ancient terms are re-written and from this new expressions are given to the value of the old.

Old and New collide here in the Blogland of “celebration of stars,” Fiestaestrellas, and make something all together different, timeless, and hopefully beautiful. Because who doesn’t need a decent measure of hope and beauty?

Uranus will change signs into Taurus in 2018 (a time I am very much looking forward to!), and with that time another foundation will be laid here, as the endurance will be a sure measure of the creative output and willingness to move with Spirit – while having a good time – will be and is the reason and why!

As Venus currently retrogrades in Aries and then into Pisces – inspirational (Aries) value (Venus) is under review, introverted, re-claimed, re-beautified, and/or released. What I value in this moment is to recollect the gentle energy of receptivity, the sculpted and painted form of love and living love through my values, exchanges, and relationships. The poetry of the way life moves, in true acceptance. Impressions and general affinities – the light touch of the sensory perceptions and those of the beyond – are embraced, valued.

Mahalo ~ Mahalo ~ Mahalo ❤

In honor of this time, I have a song I want to play, a song that gently repeats itself in my life practice. It is Tara’s mantra: White Tara (some will say Green Tara). While the mantra has such meaning of itself, this particular vocalist really brings the harmony to my ears as I experience it, and into the song of the meditation, offering, peace.   Aloha ❤

Post update: The wonderful photo above in the shape of a wireless signal, was inspired by one of my blogging friends, Ra @ Rarasaur: In this blog post, she showed us where to get a nifty design online. The image was sitting in my downloads folder until I saw it while cleaning.

Recently I finished reading a book by Jeremiah Hues called, “The Law of Propulsion.” Within it he shared his life work and also an invitation to the reader to meet with him in person to continue the work, as well as one’s own personal investigations. I met Jeremiah a few years ago in the spirit of common interests and friendships. He was conducting his thought experiments at the time, and also expanding his work. It’s very inspiring to be with people who are working on their projects and really coming into and sharing their life’s work. There’s an openness to sharing, and there’s also an invitation for more. Each person has their own focus, their sacred attention. Sometimes, for a time, our interests may overlap and our inquiry may be along the same lines, even our goals; other times, we need to fly free and into the unknown. We need to explore a bit on our own.

I am excited for people who decide to become authors. Having recently embarked on this journey myself, I can honestly say: doing it was better than imagining it. It opens up new worlds! Also, you never know who will be interested, and who will buy your book! Sometimes the people who you most admire might be your fastest, quickest customers. Who knows? What else is possible?

On Flying

Interestingly, after some time at the air and space museum, I was reflecting on the words of the flight pilot Amelia Earhart – the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things.” 

As we come into the full moon in Leo on the 10th of February for some, and themes of Aquarius and Leo abound, we seek to balance what is internal with what is external: what is about “the group think” and the community consciousness, consensus; and what is in “the content” of the “still small voice.” Even astrology is interpreted differently among astrologers, based on personal experiences and biases (and charts) (and chart systems and house divisions, etc etc). Same pie, different cuts.

I really don’t know a person on the planet that has not been exposed to the existence of astrology, and has not at least become a little bit aware of what is said about their sun sign, often in a dual way, the “pros and cons.” In this way, we are all astrologers. We are all (dual) thinkers. We are all open to the awareness of contrast and to the continued study of astrology, and the question of illumination in unity: what is its meaning and purpose, and role in our lives (if any).  Hopefully, we also have access to seeing our divine-mundane canopy as well, the real twinkling stars out there, exploding with gas and spectra: conveying without words, frequency and sometimes a detectable presence! I’m thinking of a distant nebulae right now where it hasn’t even been discovered or yet named! How free is that nebulae!?

Historically, astrology has been focused on celebrities and interpreting the actions of “the outside” world – politics, you name it, offering prophecies and speculations. I enjoy it as that, but even moreso as a tool for introspection. Most astrologers see astrology as a tool for enlightening and opening the mind and consciousness. A tool for recognizing biases and for seeing how each sign is a part of our chart! No escapees!

Fame has often been linked with Leo, but I have a different understanding for Leo – my sun sign in the tropical zodiac, with Aquarius on the S. Node and also Ascending. Because fame always sounded awful to me. Leo calls us to be with the courage of who we are. Leo and Aquarius work in harmony when best. They are opposite signs, but they demonstrate two aspects of the same coin. What they point to is a fulcrum- a place where balance is not only likely, but necessary, for peace within wholeness. These are two fixed signs, different perspectives!

We all can conduct our experiments and come up with what is meaningful to each of us. One of my favorite excerpts from Jeremiah’s book is from the section called, “Why Knowing the Knower?,”

The quality of knowing your knower adds to your highest self. It’s a tool that accesses deeper understandings as a resource.

Because your kinesthetic/deep Knower nature operates from a respectfully shy part of your communication structure, it gets bullied out our your attention by your active mind. You’ll be able to use this awareness as a tool to regain more control over the leading, pushy nature of your active mind.

Your truer, more mature deep parts of your spirit get to become a more influential part of your cognition processes and therefore get to steer the ship, instead of the part of the mind that will knock your attention span out of the way, like a kid fighting for free candy.”

May you use this full moon in Leo to your attentional advantage and keep your heart and goals focused on the love that you have to share – to be that presence, that presence that you need to be in order to fly through all your noble struggles while in a human body, living in a world with lots of other nobles. Amelia Earhart’s courage and Bessie Coleman’s courage transcends anything that I’ve ever known.

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.

a wolf’s path

guidance comes in all the spaces,

enter the cave
to see the vision

but be clear,
about who you are.

You are the candle.

When we live by our hearts,
we may choose to walk alone.
Because trying to match everyones’ beat
isn’t quite “making the band.”

When our integrity is challenged,
we do and say what needs to be
said and done from our hearts.

in response.

There doesn’t need to be
a response to walking.

Walking is its own thing.

When we go within and set our
mind upon the infinite,

we have to let go a little.

My wholeness is not contingent
on whether or not I have
been received.

My wholeness does not need to
be mirrored in the world around
me.

But it is,

Sometimes I look up or down
or straight ahead, and what I
see, I want to identify with.

The choice is mine.

Watching for fun.

Seeing what stirs beneath the feathers,
What flies above the clouds.

What will this New Year bring that every other year
Has not already brought?

There is Peace and a safe place to grow. A little being is
Loved, and so are each one of us.

Hello Friends, Readers, Welcoming new Followers!!  Thank you for signing up.

There’s such a challenge to be magnificent in life, especially these days. Just to get up. Just to step out.

Yesterday I got 100%s on my two comprehensive tests, both written and practical. They were called that, even though they weren’t the comprehensive, comprehensive tests (and one day: Boards). Lessons in misnomers: they abound.

I don’t always get perfect grades. It’s not that big of a deal – at least to me. I am graded endlessly. (which means I am tested endlessly – and who is prepared/present 100% of the time?)

*breathe, Ka*   The reality is that no one is.

But there are people… who…

At Gangaji’s retreat she said, “We meditate, because, no one is good at it! It keeps us humble.”

I mean, it is important to me to score well, because I do work really hard (and smart!), every day, so it’s important to me to have something to show for it, but when I work really hard and still have nothing to show for it (until maybe one day in the future) it’s important for me to love myself even more (Thanks Matt Kahn!) for giving my heart to my work, to my every day, for just being, and for doing it, for awhile!  By the way, I am good at being. I really am. I am. I am. (there’s my plug.)

It’s the touch that I’m after, though: “the touch” on many occasions, I’ve been told that I have, but not all the time, 24/7.  There is no guarantee with these things, there’s no 100% in real life.  Of course the goal isn’t to be in the spotlight.  The spotlight has always felt uncomfortable. The goal is to be really effective.  The goal is become more effective at being effective, over time.

Different things matter to different people.  We score in different ways.

One day I was gifted (after a particularly challenging test because I was too exhausted to prepare properly) with a sweet croissant (I’m not gluten free at the moment but I still support gluten free options). Anyways, this wasn’t GF, but it was delicious! and my body is ok with gluten, and my body did devour said croissant.

My friend said it was because of something I did or said. I don’t expect this. This is not why i do anything! ever.

People who know me, know. i do not just do things out of obligation. my heart has the arms and legs and the voice. my brain is there. it hangs out with my heart. they share notes in their own ways.but obligation does not make me doeth.

I’m a little bit tired of being in graduate school, and I have years to go, so grades have literally made themselves irrelevant (thank you program!). Our TA’s are always like “no one is going to ask you what you got in such-and-such class, and on that one in a million test.”  Maybe so. but some people do like to compete. I try to stay away from them. I know they are cool, too. They are super focused. I admire that focus, and determination. I know they want to be a better version of themselves – and they are pre-occupied with that. I have something to learn from them.

But different things are valued by different people. Different magnificences, if you will.

unique.

I know that when a fellow student (or myself on a bad day) gets a bad score, I don’t believe they are ineffective, and especially do not believe that they are unsuccessful or less magnificent. I believe that they were having a “a day, or a moment.” Honestly I don’t care what their grades are, or even if their hands are cold (because body-work! is always happening in cold rooms) I care that they are trying their best, and loving themselves (because that translates over to us all).

When I see my classmates show up, I feel inspired. It’s just like that.  We have already all graduated. That’s already done. Now, it’s different, now it’s about that ‘inside work,’ and that’s the priority. If we are “caught being cool or magnificent and seen doing something” on the outside, in the world, that’s a particular bonus. Though we need our little nest to nurture ourselves, and maybe it’s a small nest, focused.

We all show up in different ways.  That is magnificent.  I am Magnificent.

My classroom patient had some neat experiences after she left my treatment table. I don’t take credit for them. She should [my patient]. Plus, my supervisor’s diagnosis was fascinating. My supervisors are Magnificent. We did spirit work. It was a good learning experience.

I am magnificent.

Eventually, one day, AGAIN, I will be paid in money for my learning experiences. I just want to really honor that process, because right now, I am rewarded in many different ways. I am the money. I am magnificent. I do wake up. I do show up. I do love myself. I am here to be “whatever i am.” It is golden. I have a cup of source, and it belongs to the ocean, so it is endless, and we each have it.

What’s more magnificent than the usual, everyday, though…?   I don’t know. Now when I say “here we are” to my classmates, it makes me giggle. It’s like the same place that we have always been, but it’s brighter, shinier. It just is. because it is. My friend adds, “and there we were.”

And we share this paradise of struggle and overcoming.  Someone remembers how we started out…and how far we’ve come.

There’s more ease. It gets easier; and that is magnificent, too.

*Thank you to Linda Litebeing at Litebeing Chronicles for hosting this challenge.She’s offering a free astrology reading so that’s awesome, right?! Go check her out.

This card came up in a reading for myself recently. It’s from MY favorite deck: Tarot of Spirit, by Pamela Eakins, PH.D. This deck has been working for me since 1998, and moved everywhere with me over time. Let’s give it an applause! I know I am in awe. This was the deck that inspired me to make my own, which I never did (at least yet!).  To my credit, I was busy with school (undergrad).  Sometimes in life we sacrifice for a better future (just like my ancestors did), and eventually, we do, we do arrive – and then, we keep arriving!

Meditation from Tarot of Spirit:

Leo, Virgo
Earthed/Grounded
Mountain Power
The Fire Father in Earth
builds lasting gardens
that produce and produce
the Earth Father
moves
through Cycling Time
surrounded by
Fire and Sea and Sky
Sons and Daughters
of Cycling Time:
steady!

Earthed/Grounded
Abounding Joy
tilling vast lands
investing well
and Time will tell
as intellects rise and shine and die,
fires rage, lovers sigh

Time will tell
the Earth Father
helps them all
through their Dark Age
constancy —
he knows them well
he himself was ill —
before he came to Man’s Estate.