Thursday, October 30, 2014

Your Tiny Seed Self


“Your Tiny Seed Self, a Meditative Journey”

Begin by calling in Great Spirit and Mother Gaia, angels, guides and higher self.

Imagine yourself as a tiny seed.

What does your seed-self look like?   What does it smell like?  What shape is it?  Is it small or larger? What color is it? Is it brown, green, red or orange? 
What does it feel like?  Is it soft or hard? What type of seed are you?  Are you a flower, a vegetable, a green plant or even an acorn from a mighty oak, perhaps?  Breathe for a moment as you intuitively sense your tiny seed-self?

Now, see your tiny seed-self, placed gently into a container, into the garden or into the ground by your loving Creator.  Where is your seed-self now?  What environment is your seed-self resting in? You understand and know even though you are a tiny seed-self that you are in the exact environment you need to be at this moment.  Feel the loving embrace of Mother Earth as she surrounds your tiny seed-self, cradling you in the comfort of her soil.  What is the soil like?  Is it warm or cold?  Soft or hard?  Wet or dry? Clay, dirt or sand? Breathe in this feeling of security, warmth, and love, surrounding your tiny seed-self.

As you wiggle around to find just the right spot to lie, you feel the moisture of a raindrop against your tiny seed-self, nourishing your whole being.  The water although rejuvenating, creates changes in you that cause you to expand and grow.  This feels slightly uncomfortable at first, but natural still.  More warmth from the glowing sun makes you enlarge even more as you notice the top of your tiny seed-self, poking out through the dirt.  Whoa, what is this?  I have never seen this before?  Your tiny seed-self is amazed, excited and anxious at the same time.    Do I continue?  Should I stay in the loving arms of my Mother or carry on this journey of evolving, scared yet intrigued?   Breathe in this feeling of growth, expansion, and love.  Know that even with growth you are grounded in your Mother’s Love.  You grow and grow and grow.  Feel it.  Breathe it.

You are now no longer a tiny seed-self, but a marvelous, beautiful, abundant and expanded plant.  See yourself in all your glory.  Take a breath and imagine how you would look, how you would feel, what it would be like to touch your outer layers or taste your fruits, flowers, seeds or nuts?  You feel happy and grateful for the loving beginnings from Creator and Mother Earth.  You feel delight in the fact you are still grounded deep into the Mother protected and loved. You feel thankful for the nourishment of water and sun.  You feel strong, reaching toward Creator, heart extended. You feel proud for the courage you had to grow beyond the soil.  You feel joyful for the expansion, abundance and love you have now, in this moment.  Your tiny seed-self is not tiny but vast, immense and infinite now and always. 

Breathe.  Breathe.  Breathe.

Love, “with a heart of peace,”

Susan J. McFarland

October 2014

Filling Your Soul Self




Filling Your Soul Self

When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” – Jean Shinoda Bole

As the body needs daily sustenance your soul likewise must be filled for optimal living.  With the understanding that a person is more than just a body, I would like to examine “filling your soul self”.  In today’s busy and chaotic world we are all suffering from a lack of nourishment as we can see with the rampant numbers of people who anguish from physical, mental and emotional ailments.  Yet less attention is paid to the needs of the soul.  We are a whole being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  We are also a whole consciousness, so as one aspect of ourselves suffers our entire state suffers.  Collectively, we all suffer.    

You are a soul having a physical experience.  You, as a soul and therefore a divine child of God are deserving and worthy of fulfillment.  “Filling your soul self” is the primary act of service.  By serving yourself, you have ample energy to gift to others.  Just as the body cannot sustain for a long period of time on poor quality food or lack of water, the soul cannot thrive without a healthy intake of “soulful” activities.  

Awareness of the soul’s needs, wants and the desires is a key factor and one of the first steps in “filling your soul self”.  Living in the world of duality we are fortunate to have contrasts (although they don’t always appear as blessings the moments they are occurring).  Contrast brings clarity.  If it was sunny and warm every day we would value it less.  Coming off a long harsh winter we celebrate the sun and warmth.   
Knowing what you do not want, like impatience, resentment and anger, leads to knowing what you want.  Knowing what you want can lead to peace, joy and happiness.

Have you ever been on a vacation and wanted to stay there just a bit longer, perhaps one more day, week, or even move there?   We have a little cottage up north on a small lake in the forest where it is peaceful, quiet and calm.  Often times I do not want to leave this place of serenity and solitude and rejoin the “real” world.  My soul is filled and it feels good.  Your challenge is to find this place and “fill your soul self”, even in the world we live in, regardless of circumstances.  How do we do this?  We all have choice.  We are all creators of our conditions. 

Every person is different and we should celebrate this.  That means what fills one soul self may not fill another.  Personally, my soul self is filled by journaling, meditation, walks in the woods and reading.  Your soul self may have different wants or desires. 

 Take a moment and breathe deeply  Breathe in the number 13 and breathe out the number eight. This is a Toltec exercise, an ancient Aztec wisdom regarding breathing in the energies and powers of the solar system and breathing out that which you do no long desire in your life.  Once completed take a moment and think of three activities that “fill your soul self.”  Later today practice this exercise seven times and then begin to practice your three chosen activities with awareness, in the moment and note how your soul responds.

Life will happen.  Your spouse, significant other or friend will disagree with you.  You kids will challenge your advice.  Your parents will attempt to control your actions.  Your boss will expect more out of you than is humanly possible.  Yet our soul desires to stay calm and centered.  We have this capability and responsibility to ourselves and others.   
Losing this balanced state, we lose ourselves.  We give up our authority to situations external from our soul.  By “filling your soul self” multiple times throughout the day you have the nourishment to sustain yourself.  Without this “food” we fall prey to the circumstances surrounding us.  Events will occur that can be potentially unsettling to you, but having your soul filled with the “food of choice” will aid in keeping your focus on truth, which is, there is only Love.              

Regaining your power over the situation, you now have a choice to perpetuate the energy of negativity or change it.  As you know, we are a united consciousness.  What happens to one affects all.  By changing or releasing the negativity you change the energy for the whole.  If you can remember, that the cause of the upheaval is not a reflection of yourself then adjusting the energy is an easier task.  Transmute or transform the energy.  Ask for help and guidance.  Call in your guides and angels.  Call in Arch Angel Michael and ask for the cord to be cut from you and the individual involved.  Send them love and peace.  Pray for the highest and greatest good.  You have the power inside of you if you have done the work and “filled your soul self”. 

In the end there is only love.  We are all united in one consciousness of love.  Use your personal tools that “fill your soul self” to guard your energy.  Once you are there you will want to leave less.  As things in life stir up call in help from your spirit family.  It may be necessary to “cut the cords” of ownership and responsibility for others outlooks and manners.  You are in sole or “soul” ownership of yourself, your attitudes and your actions.  “Filling your soul self” can help you maintain a balanced and centered state offering peace and love to all situations. 

Love, with a “heart of peace”,

“I will transmute by filling my soul self”

Susan J. McFarland             
October 2014                                




Thursday, September 25, 2014

Weddings, Rainbows and Transformations



“Weddings, Rainbows and Transformations”

Weddings are a time of unification and new beginnings.  This weekend I was blessed to attend the wedding of a young couple.  What a joyous occasion.  The wedding was outdoors and the weather was threatening rain all day.  Rain, a sign of purification and cleansing, began soon after the ceremony had ended. 

As the rain continued, the guests poured into the elegantly decorated barn, trimmed with tooling and chandeliers, smelling of popcorn and cider.   The atmosphere was warm and cozy on this fall equinox weekend. 

Soon afterwards I ventured outside to help my daughter change into more casual clothing.  Looking into the sky, a double rainbow appeared a sign of transformation.  What a beautiful message on the start of a new life together for this happy couple.          

As the seasons change from summer to fall, we too transform like the couple in the wedding, purified by the rain, united in spirit and guided by a sign that bridges Heaven and Earth.  The day after the wedding a sweat lodge or “house of prayer” was poured, which I gratefully attended with a small group of close friends.  Cleansed not only from the continuous rain but then from the hot stones heated by the fire.  A feeling of renewal and refreshment engulfed me at the end and had a lasting effect.

After a long week prior and a busy fall with the start of school, trips and life I feel the energies settling, my energies settling.  We transform, hour to hour, day to day, week to week.  At moments we are riding high on the rainbow, other times spiraling and descending downward. 

Because of this we must have a constant, stable, reliable, spiritual practice.  It matters not what your practice is, so long as you practice it.  The beauty is not in the vehicle or even the destination but in the journey.  Ride your rainbow of transformation, cleansed by the waters, united in Oneness and guided by signs from both Heaven and Earth.

Begin a new life with yourself.

Susan J. McFarland
September 2014

Thursday, September 11, 2014

United in Oneness





“United in Oneness”

Today is 9-11, the anniversary of the bombing of the world trade center.  I placed the flag that honors one of the fallen on our doorstep in remembrance.  He was from Japan, a place where my husband travels for work.  How connected are we?  This event affected not only the victims and their families, not only New York City but the entire world, the entire consciousness.  Instead of dividing the world, it brought us closer together.  I believe it was a start to the raising of the world consciousness.  For this point on, when global tragedy arises we come together as One, in spite of what the media portrays.  Our hearts beat united.

Serving as an advisory circle member for the foundation, Gathering Thunder (GTF) I have seen first-hand the power of unity.  GTF supports Native culture and spirituality while caring for the elders and children of Native America.  The peoples first abused, then forgotten remain strong.  Just as the occurrence of 9/11, the history of the First Nations affects the entire consciousness of Turtle Island or North America.  Whether we acknowledge it or not we all are a part of this circle.

All children of Creator, standing together on Mother Gaia can raise the energy levels here, now.  Returning to the old ways of honoring the land, the air, the water and the animals while embracing the spirit of change and transformation can bring a lasting peace. 

Yet, this is not a singular journey although we are all on our own spiritual path.  This is a journey of the heart, the heart of the One.  We are all native to this Earth, to this planet.  We all belong here and we all are responsible for her care.  The time is now to respect the ways of the past, to ask forgiveness for all harmed and neglected and to move forward in unity, as brothers and sisters of this land, our home.

Susan J. McFarland
September 2014