Now for Something Completely Different

Karen Bishop of whatsuponplanetearth.com is launching a new Wings column. This is the first one, and it's very powerful and meaningful for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It was very soothing during our current challenges.
Also, to see my new project, go to taosbutterfly.wordpress.com and, there's a great new post just below this one - Prosperity Through Generosity, The Forgotten Path to Abundance.

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WINGS will be a regular posting on the Emerging Earth Angels web site…very similar to the energy alerts of the past. It will contain information that is relevant and currently pertinent to where we are in our evolutionary process as angels of the New Earth. It differs from the energy alerts in that it will not contain information about what is occurring on the planet (although at times some of these occurrences will be briefly mentioned if they pertain to our process). WINGS will be very focused on you (or rather us)….what our new roles are, how we will implement them, who we are, what we are here to contribute, and how this process is unfolding for all of us.

We have recently completed a vital part of our evolutionary process here on planet Earth. In times past, we knew at some place deep within us, that we were here for a vital and important purpose. Simply being present here on the planet was purpose enough, as holding more light and vibrating higher served its’ own purpose all in itself. This purpose of times past involved raising the vibration of the planet, as we had decided as a group of souls to wrap things up here, to leave all our past “incarnations” behind from eons of times ago, to let it all go, and thus begin the process of creating a very new and pristine planet Earth before we moved on to a very new universe that we had yet to experience.

This involved taking on many lower and more densely vibrating energies in order to transmute them through ourselves, becoming intentional “healers,” and striving at times to serve, lift up, and change the planet.

The first phase is now complete. We have taken things as far as they can go. We have infused our light, our energy, and much else of ourselves into an old world and brought it up to a very new level. We are now done.

How has this “being done” manifested in our lives? We may feel very lost, no longer know what our roles are and what our identity is, we may feel that we have nothing to tap into or hold onto anymore, we may feel like we are “floating” or simply hanging in a space of no space, or perhaps even feel useless with nothing to offer and nowhere left to go.

We may wonder what all this ascension stuff was ever about anyway. We may wonder if it was even real, if it made a difference at all, or perhaps if it was just one big joke. We may find that all we thought that we had learned is not happening at all or has even disappeared entirely. We may wonder if we were just going through some strange stage that is now over or maybe we just grew up. And we may even wonder if we have indeed gone backwards and are now living in an old reality where no higher ways, experiences, or energies exist at all.

This is normal. These feelings arise because our old roles are over now. And these old roles are all we have known in this current reality up until now. These feelings are common for ascension and are only temporary.

We may also feel that whenever we go “out there,” all we seem to encounter are strange energies of a lower vibrating nature with a strong sense of “dis-connect,” staleness, flatness, and a two dimensional theme…while at the same time we are also experiencing new connections that feel oh so much better. We may feel that there is not a story that we are a part of. There is no book that we are characters within.

Part of this process involved a reeling in of all the places where we had infused our energy in the past. We had to “take back” ourselves from wherever we had treaded and spread our energies. This is because we could no longer use our natural light to bring up the vibration of the planet. It must now be done by those who are now occupying the space that we once held. If we continue to have a party in our old space and with our old roles, after we send out the invitations, we will most likely find that no one shows up. We are in a big lull, a vast void of emptiness, and a space of near no space while we are waiting for the gelling process to complete. All as it should be.

Although it may seem that things have ended abruptly, they actually have not. We have been preparing for this the entire year of 2008. This is why 2009 will indeed be our year of new beginnings and new connections. We have prepared by slowly finding that we need not ever again “save” anything or anyone. We have been preparing by realizing that the higher vibration we thought we knew, was actually an illusion stemming from our old naïve 3D minds. In this way, we are now much more “real,” as we know that true spirituality involves a different state of affairs than what we may have believed it to be. We have been preparing by losing much of our old “ego” or being in charge selves. Yay! We have been preparing by now knowing that great love and things of a spiritual nature come from the simplest of things and from simply being present. And we have been preparing by finding that whatever we seem to think we need to create, seems to continually change as we change, before it can even manifest, thus resulting in a much more highly evolved “us” with a much more highly evolved creation.

So now here we are. We have hopefully removed ourselves from much. Having experiences of “being invisible,” unnoticed, disregarded and disrespected, and perhaps mis-treated have taken place in order to encourage us to pull out and move on. Our job is now done. We no longer belong in the world of the old. It is OK to leave. We are no longer responsible for bringing up the vibration of the planet. This has been accomplished…we have succeeded.

Now what? Like very new babies with a very new start, we now get to choose with fresh new eyes. We get to tap into our pure innocence and tap into a whole new us. We get to begin again. We may regain our curiosity, our sense of wonder, and a pure and pristine sense of things. Continuing to remain in old and familiar ways and surroundings will serve to impede these great gifts we are receiving. Jump starting and reviving the old will place us in a reality that may serve to bring futility, stagnation, boredom, and even depression.

We have graduated to a new level, but in many ways, we have yet to connect to that level. This can manifest as lower vibrating energies continuing to want access into our space, and even as thinking we have made new connections, jumping into them, but finding that the time has still not arrived, and we now need to back out and stay still for a while longer.

The rung of the vibrational ladder that we have just removed ourselves from, as we no longer need to hold that space, is still gelling. It is being set up and things are still being put into place. Once changes begin to be implemented, we will then get our “high sign.” The old space has yet to anchor itself without us. This phase must occur before our very new phases and roles can get going.

As we are now evolving into earth angels, as this is our new and natural space on the energetic hierarchy, we need to have a vibrational level below the one we are now residing in, in existence so that we can be its’ angels. This process is occurring now and in divine and perfect order. So even though it may appear as though the economy and our old sources of income have completely stopped, dried up, and become non-existent, they are simply on hiatus as they are waiting for this gelling process to complete.

While we are waiting, then, we are making progress none-the-less. In small, progressive and steady steps, we are setting things up for our new roles and new connections. We will be paired with incredible new people and places in the new reality of 2009. These pairings and connections are rapidly taking place now, even if not evident in all ways. And while this gelling and preparation is in progress, we will indeed be taken care of. We will receive at times, just as much as we need to stay afloat while in the lull, even if in small and sporadic amounts.

We have thus been removed from much of everything. We are being divinely protected now. All is in order. We are being housed in a beautiful and loving womb until we can emerge once again in a very new reality of a very different order. Thus, it can be challenging and difficult to try and connect to the new when all things are not yet in place. In this way, we may grasp and look for something to grab onto, for a sense of familiarity, but find that there is nothing yet to anchor onto. The lower dimension below us is going through this same process, but in different ways. All as one, but in different vibrational realities.

So although it may appear that things are tough, that much of everything has dried up for us, I can assure you that we are simply at the very end of one reality and now poised to enter a very new reality. We are done. We will now be reborn and offering our special gifts and talents as earth angels to those who need assistance from the next rung up on the ladder. Assistance for those who want to expand, who want to know how to create a new world, who want to reach higher, and who know that we can show them the way.

As the new angels of the earth, we know that the vibrational rung below us has free will to choose what it will create. We thus know that we need lovingly wait for it to be ready and for it to ask for our guidance. Just as when we resided at that level and asked for messages from “above,” we will now be “above,” and thus be providing these messages and this guidance for those needing it.

I have spending most of my time these days in the company of my non-physical companion. Over the most recent years, he arrived less and less frequently, as I needed to find my own guidance and council. Now, we are pretty much in the same space as this evolutionary process serves to continually move us up. We just hang out now as buddies, talking much through-out the day. But because of this, I also know that we will soon be parting ways. I have reached his level and will soon be receiving a new companion or “guide.” My current guide has been with me for several years…since I began my process in 2000. I am so very sad to know that we will be parting. But our guides are only higher vibrating aspects of ourselves and when we reach this vibration and unite fully, we then connect to something very new and different.

I share with you this story, as I know that many of you are experiencing the same. We are most assuredly moving forward.

Our new roles will involve our true and authentic selves. We will share our wisdom with those going through their process of evolution. In this way, we will offer a vast array of services to those who are expanding. We will know what they are experiencing because we have been there ourselves. And because we have purged and released so much, we will know how to assist in a higher way as well.

In addition, we will connect more securely with our brothers and sisters, as we assist each other in our very new roles. We will most assuredly be there to help each otheras we offer our own special gifts and talents to create the whole that will comprise our very new reality.

We are in a temporary stage of a massive transition. But as the new earth angels, we will experience a very new way of living and being, while we are residing in a very new reality in a much higher dimension. We need only hold on a little bit longer, stay centered, in the moment, be still, and trust that all, as always, is in divine and perfect order.

www.whatsuponplanetearth.com

The Forgotten Path to Abundance

Prosperity Through Generosity

A true story by Sandy Penny

For years I have practiced "Prosperity Through Generosity" sometimes known as tithing or sharing the wealth. Whenever I receive money, I share it with others even though I may not have a lot of cash at the time. I have learned that, by continuing to share, the energy keeps moving and more money comes in. I also tithe in time by doing my work for no charge when someone can truly not afford it. This has afforded me the opportunity to do many things that I might not have done because of lack of funds. One day, while musing on the subject, I got a little hungry, so off I went to one of my favorite restaurants, not knowing that Spirit had a special challenge and a lesson for me.

I headed over to the Enchanted Garden (nice name eh?), and they knew me because I ate there a lot. It was one of my regular hangouts. When I walked in, the regular waitress came over and introduced me to a new waitress. The new waitress, Mary, knowing that I was into spiritual studies had a story and a question for me. She told me how she had been out of work and down to her last $43. She was driving to a job interview and on the way saw a woman holding a baby and a sign that said, "Baby needs Dr. please help." Being soft-hearted, she pulled over to the woman and reached into her purse and handed her $3. As she drove away, in the rear view mirror, she could see the woman clasping her hands and shouting, "Thank you, thank you, thank the Lord."

She thought, “Wow, a lousy $3 makes her so happy,” and she felt good about having given it to her even though her funds were low. When she arrived at her interview, she looked in her purse and found that she had given the woman two twenties and a one instead of three ones. She now had $2 to her name. She was kicking herself and couldn't believe she had given away her last money. The next day she got the job at Enchanted Garden. She asked what I thought about all that.

I told her not to be upset about the money, that perhaps that woman needed exactly that amount for the doctor and that she may have been praying for it. Mary may have been the instrument to answer her prayer and change her belief about prayers being answered and about life in general. She said that was a good way to look at it. That being said, I headed for the ladies room.

While in the ladies room, my guides said to me, "Give her back the money." I protested that I did not get paid for two more days and I wasn't even sure if I had that much in my bank account. They insisted, so I wrote a check for $50 and wrote prosperity through generosity at the bottom. I asked the other waitress to give it to her after I left so she wouldn't refuse it and wouldn't be embarrassed.

But that started me thinking about my checking account, so I went to balance it and see if all my checks were in and how much money I actually had left. I did not want my gesture to be negated by a bounced check. When I did that, I found that I had an extra $500 that could not be accounted for anywhere in my deposits, and all the checks had cleared the account. Suddenly I had 10 times what I had just given away. I felt it was a major sign for me. And that was a huge lesson, but the biggest lesson was yet to come.

A month later I received a letter from Mary. She said, "I don't know if you remember me, but I just wanted to tell you that I never cashed your check for $50. Money started to come to me from all directions. I framed the check and put it on my wall, and whenever anyone comes into my home, I tell them the story of your generosity."

I choked up and cried. I still can't tell that story without getting misty. And I got the message to think about how many people were being affected by that simple gesture while following my guidance. I will never know exactly how many people were moved by that story, but it was a very powerful lesson for me, and a much better reward than the $500. The small random acts of kindness that we do ripple out into the world and create all kinds of abundance, and it comes back from all directions.

Ever since that day, when I give a tip, pay my bills or receive money of any sort, I hold the money in my hands (and the hands of the giver and receiver whenever possible) and say this... "Divine Love through me blesses and multiplies all the good I am and have, all the good I give and receive, Bless the gift, the giver and the receiver. Bless and multiply and multiply and multiply."

Ripples...After telling that story at a class, one of my students tried it and was amazed at what happened. She stopped to buy a sandwich from a charity fundraiser. They were complaining that business was slow because of rain. When she paid them, she said the blessing out loud so they could hear her. They thanked her, and immediately three cars drove up and placed large orders for food. They looked at her and said, "You did that." She smiled and continued her day, knowing that however it happened, that something had happened. It became a mystical experience for all concerned. She felt great and continues to do this all the time now!

Understanding Prosperity through Generosity

The first objection I hear when I talk about this is, "Look at all the people who are rich and do not share their wealth, look at all the misers who just don't care." Well, I can tell you that they are not in abundance. Abundance is more than money - abundance is fullness of life, joyful spirit and magic and adventure in everyday life. That does not mean that people with money cannot be in abundance, just that those who are so fearful of losing what they have that they cannot share it with those who have openly supported them and been emotionally and spiritually available for them end up unhappy with their money and material accomplishments.

There is joy and great reward in making money and working hard. There is a fulfillment that comes from putting in an effort and seeing it manifest and no matter whether the motivation is to see the financial reward or doing the job for its own sake, there are rewards. However, these rewards are small in comparison to what we receive in all areas of our life when we put in an effort on behalf of others. When we move out of our little selves and move into our huge spirits, abundance takes on a new meaning. It no longer has a price tag in dollars. Abundance becomes friendship, loving relationships, financial stability, flow, joyful expression of our higher nature and more conscious connection to our divine spirit. No longer do we consider what the outcome will be when giving of ourselves and resources, we act from the heart in the moment, and it feels totally right, and we are blessed because of it.

Most wealthy people give to charities. Why do they do that? Sometimes it is giving from the heart, and sometimes it is a recognition of an ancient principle, "you have to give to get," you have to be willing to keep the money and energy circulating in order for it to keep coming round again and again. This applies to every area of your life, you have to be willing to give love to receive it, mainly because if you are so closed that you are not giving it, you won't be able to feel it when it is available. You have to be willing to give emotional support for that kind of support to show itself to you. You have to behave in the ways you want others to behave to you - it is the Golden Rule restated, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

There are people who continually give to you, organizations that dedicate their purpose to serving your spirit, and they do it with open hearts and continual flow. When it comes time to give back to them, do you act from the appreciation you have for what they have given you, or do you act from a sense of lack? Do you take advantage of their generosity or do you continue the cycle of prosperity through generosity? If you are asking yourself why you can never get ahead in life, ask yourself if you have been acting out lack over and over again when your opportunity to be generous comes round? And if you are acting generously, is it from the heart, or are you standing in judgement of those who, in the midst of their lack, cannot bring themselves to be generous to you? If you are standing in judgement, then you are only completing half the equation for abundance, you are giving, but you are holding other people in a "mold" that says they are unable to return the generosity, and that prevents them from changing and acting from their heart.

The remedy for this half-heartedness is to be grateful for everything you have, spend time reflecting on what is abundant in your life, spend time giving thanks for every little blessing that comes your way, no matter how small. Practice focusing on the good in your life, and it will grow the same way that plants respond when we focus positive attention on them. Plant seeds of thankfulness and it will bear the fruit of abundance every time. If you can't begin to feel really thankful because things are pretty bad right now, just begin acting it out, looking for what others might see as a small blessing and giving lip service to it. This tiny step begins to change you - your higher self, angels and the divine source use this small opportunity to show you their great love, mercy, abundance and grace.

What if those people and places that have been providing you with spiritual and emotional sustenance were gone? What if they could no longer serve you because they could not afford to keep the doors open? Where would you go for the things they have been providing you? How would your life be without them? Ask yourself just how important these people and places are to you in making your life better and give to them based on that feeling. Open your heart and give your time, your money, your good thoughts, your ideas, your talents, your connections!

Make a commitment to support those who are supporting you, and suddenly your crop of abundance will be harvested. You will receive time, money, good thoughts, ideas, talents and connections from others. Your life will transform itself into joyful community with like-minded people. You will see the seeds you have planted grow into fruit-bearing trees all around you, and you will experience the amazement, the joy and the fulfillment of going beyond your small self and becoming part of a greater whole. And that serves the world at large and the universe in its highest and best good, as well as yours.

Co-Creating and the Language of Peace

Co-Creating and the Language of Peace

by Sandy Penny

Co-Creating: Now that the SHIFT has occurred, energy to fund new emotional, creative and financial structures is floating around in the atmosphere. Can’t you feel it? Now is the time to claim what is truly yours, and as I’ve said so many times, knowing what you want is the important part of creating.

You don’t have to know exactly what you want, just know how you’d like that to look and feel and what you want from it. And you might even have to be flexible on how it looks when it manifests. What is your passion?

For instance, many years ago, I was managing a secretarial service, and I wanted my own business, but I had no idea what kind of business. I had been a secretary and a graphic designer, but my true love had always been writing. I didn’t have a degree, so I wasn’t likely to get hired anywhere as a writer. So, I made a list of what I wanted in a business. I wanted it to use my writing and graphic skills. I wanted it to include my spiritual focus that was definitely not mainstream religion, and it needed to support my son and me. I had a house note, a car note, insurance and all the expenses of a single mom with only enough child support to pay for day care. And, this was in September. I wanted my own business by November of that same year. I gave Spirit 2 months to manifest what I wanted. I did not say what kind of business it had to be, only that it include the things I mentioned above. And, oh yeah, it had to take no investment because I did not have any money to invest, none at all.

I kept focusing on the vision and expecting it to materialize. And, I didn’t have to have Spirit hit me with a lightning bolt and speak into my ears what it should be. I just stayed aware of what happened around me and what people said to me, knowing that someone else can deliver a message from Spirit. I had no idea where it would go.

Then, in early November, I was at a psychic fair. The buzz was all about the Common Ground, an events newspaper that had gone out of business. People kept walking up to me and saying things like, we had a lot more attendance when there was a newspaper, and we sure need a place to advertise that is targeted to our market, and we need a place to introduce people to these Spiritual concepts and get them to attend events and classes. After a few comments like this, a light bulb went off in my head, and I heard myself say, “I could do that.” As simple as that, a business idea was born. Then it was incumbent on me to act on the information.

I picked up an old copy of Common Ground and called the phone number to see what kind of info I could find out. It turned out to be a woman named Katherine Shugert who owned a bookstore called Pilgrim’s Path. She told me to come over and talk with her, and I did. She had been the answering service for the paper, and she gave me a list of previous advertisers. I did a proposed layout and wrote a couple of articles for the layout, and I invited all the advertisers to a party. Meanwhile I investigated printing costs etc. During that party, I sold enough advertising to pay for the first issue (no investment from me.) From that first issue on, I supported myself with the newspaper, something no one had done before with a free distribution newspaper. I lived on it for several years, and then met the woman who I trained to take over, and I move to another level in my life.

That being said, what do you want in your life? Write your program and focus on it until it shows up. Keep in mind if you are conflicted about it, don’t put it into the program, it will slow the process of return. Only put what you know you want into it, and I always added that it be “AIDO” All in Divine Order, in harmony with my soul’s purpose.

Now, on to what I started to write this newsletter about to begin with, the Language of Peace. You know how metaphysical types are always reminding you about negative words in your vocabulary and negative thoughts that are counterproductive. Well, I have some new monitoring to recommend. Einstein said, “We cannot solve a problem at the same level of thinking at which it was created.”

As long as we are holding a war mentality and fighting everything in our lives, we cannot use all that energy to create a new world. In the old Piscean age, fighting for what we wanted was absolutely necessary and appropriate to our history, but now we have moved in the Aquarian Age, and fighting is no longer supported. That’s why I said, co-creating. Cooperation is now the new focus, what is win-win and what is for the greater good. Sacred partnership is the call of the day.

Our language is filled with words of war and conflict. We “fight” for what’s right. We have the “war” on drugs and the “battle” of the bulge. We fight cancer and heart disease. So much of our language still says that we are at war with our circumstances instead of being at peace with them. As long as we are at war with our fellow man and within ourselves, we are wasting precious energy that could be used to create peaceful, co-creative, community oriented projects for the good of all concerned. What are you fighting? Who are you fighting?

The world will never be at peace until we create peace within ourselves. Let that be our goal, to live at peace with our lives, to create for the greater good which is always for our own good because we are part of the greater good.

Greed is violent. It starves those who are hungry in favor of those who have way too much. Greed follows emotional need. If we have a hole to fill up inside us, we keep pouring material possessions into that hole, and it never fills up. Emotional needs cannot be met through material acquisitions. Look at the mortgage companies who just took billions of dollars of our tax money, and they are still not negotiating with the homeowners and bailing them out. If, instead, the homeowners had been bailed out by paying off their mortgages, the lenders would have their money and not need a bailout. Business would return to normalcy. But, the greedy are holding onto that money and they will not prosper because borrowers will remember how they were treated, and eventually all that bailout money will be spent, and we’ll be right back where we started.

Unless, unless - the greater good wins out. Please focus on that. This is the age of community and cooperation. We have enough resources in this world to feed the hungry, house the poor and heal the sick. Let us co-create a new non-violent world system that serves the people who fund it instead of exploiting them. Instead of fighting, let us join together in world service. The only reason we don’t have “heaven on earth” is our fear of lack. Let go of the fear and live the dream. Take responsibility for yourself and also help those who have not awakened yet to their own power. Instead of accusing them of contributing to their own demise, let us lead them to toward a brighter future.

Let us stop fighting and begin building. Let us stand up for what’s right. Let us heal the underlying emotional issues that drive the drug culture (emotional pain and boredom) and let us create our perfect weight out of respect for our bodies. Instead of fighting illness, let us restore the balance that creates our perfectly healthy bodies and lives. Instead of warmongers, let us be peacemakers. Pay attention to your words; they tell where you are coming from and what’s inside you.

Wishing you peace, love, abundant joy and all your heart and soul’s desires.

Sandy Penny "Writing is My Passion" sandy@writingmuse.com www.writingmuse.com Taos, NM HM/OFFICE: 575-751-1456

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Energy Alert - Where's My New Outlet?

09/19/2008

My Dear Friends:

I am including excerpts from “What’s Up on Planet Earth” because I have been saying the same things using the same metaphors to illustrate what’s happening right now. It’s an amazing time in the energy of the “shift,” a major shift in humanity’s consciousness. Remember, sometimes the darkest hour is just before the dawn. The hurricane that swept through the US is an indicator of how big and how fast the energy is traveling. It was hundreds of miles wide and deep. It has caused upheavals in power systems throughout the country from Texas and Louisiana all the way to Ohio and Illinois. It is no accident that Houston, the energy capitol of the world, shut down its grid almost completely, with millions of people still without electricity. This is part of the plugging into the new system. Keep your eye on the prize now and be clear on what you want.

Consider the following, written on 9/12 before the hurricane hit, in this context of the shift. And, note that a huge shift occurs at the Equinox this coming week, if you’re willing to choose it and accept it. Let go of fear.

Here’s what it says on the latest energy alert at Whatsuponplanetearth.com…

THE LIGHT WITHIN

We are still in a stage where we have unplugged from one “outlet,” and our plugs are hanging in mid-air until we plug into a new “outlet”…but the glimmerings are arriving for that very new outlet in strange and sometimes subtle ways. While we are in the unplugged stage, we are preparing and re-aligning in preparation for a whole new us with a very new role, or new aspect to our current roles.

So then, being unplugged means that things are still, as we bottom out before we begin again. When things are still, at times it can feel that there is more going out than coming in, but this will change when we plug in once again. Things may be still without, but not within! During this preparation period, we are given the opportunity to open and to embody much more light. After this stage is complete, we then begin to feel the glimmerings of a very new connection.

You may suddenly feel very empowered for no particular reason. You may feel like taking a stand. You may feel ready to let go of any of the old that has entwined itself around you or that perhaps you interacted with out of politeness. You may feel like you did your part in a higher way, but you were the only one, and now you must move on….ready to dis-connect completely from any energies that were in a very different space than you. You may feel like it is time to have your way.

Some are having dreams of empowerment, of re-connecting to something new, solid, and of a much higher order, and others are finding new strength in setting boundaries. The past year and a half have been challenging for many, but we are about to finally re-connect to something we have not felt for a very long time…and it will be even better than what we have known thus far.

You may be feeling the glimmerings of being strong once again, as during the dis-connect, we can become disconnected from our true and authentic selves because we are moving into a more pure and higher vibrating version of ourselves. This can make one feel weak, fragile, lost, weepy, and frightened, but it is only temporary. It reminds me of a heart transplant surgery, when the old heart is removed, and all the blood is drained from a patient before a very new heart is then implanted.

In addition, a big shift has occurred over the past several months, even though it may not have seemed like much was happening at all. This shift is directly related to what is about to occur, and all of it has to do with re-connecting to a new and different energy. Over the past several months, we were removed from the old, prohibited from holding it up in any way, and may now have found ourselves in a very new space. Our old roles of holding the light for the entire planet were now abruptly over. This may have caused confusion for some, as who we had always been had suddenly changed, but we are, as always, evolving. We did not need to do this anymore, as we had completed one very important phase.

In times past, the higher energies would bombard the planet, and thus, create frequent shifts. But as time went on, and as we progressed so much in our spiritual evolutionary process, the higher vibrating energies coming from the outside began to diminish and subside in frequency and duration. There-for, these phases of “everything is going so well!” and “there is so much light!” became fewer and far between.

But there is good reason for this seeming lack of light and presence of “darkness.” We are now embodying much more light within. …But what is actually occurring is that we need to carry the ball now…ourselves. The scales have tipped….we are the light as never before. There is still the same amount of light, only it is has now been distributed a bit differently, as it is now within us to a much greater degree.

In this way, we are very strangely releasing from the whole…the whole being the outside energies of the universe or Source, as well as the whole being the old energies of prior creations on the planet. And yes, of course we are still and will always be connected to Source, only now we will be running and managing our energy in higher and different ways. We will be finding that the way we utilize energy will now be a bit different. We will thus need to manage energy through ourselves in different ways, and we will be guided and connected to these different ways without needing to consciously know how. So then, we have graduated.

In this way, we are now being encouraged to do what we want to do…We can now choose what we want, and then make it work. It is entirely up to us. There is no right or wrong, or even guidance from above, as the only guidance now is that “it is up to us.” We have earned it. We are re-connecting then, but we are re-connecting to ourselves…our true, authentic, and light filled selves.

But we are also connecting to a new whole, while we release from an older and more densely vibrating whole of the past. The new whole is comprised of purer energies…and most importantly, it is comprised of us. So then, we are connecting to ourselves and we are also connecting to each other. It is then, much more about us now.

As we release the “old whole,” we begin to learn about discernment and boundaries. Although we may still have many different energies wanting to arrive within our spaces, we will now interact with them in new and better ways. This is because we are no longer connected to them in the ways of the past. We are now more detached and can simply see love in every situation, as we now know that everything is not about us. We need no longer “work with them” or even try and be a part of them. We are no longer connected, so we can now observe them, know that they are not about us, and hopefully see them in a loving way.

Wonderful things are about to transpire, but these wonderful things are all in relation to how we choose to handle or interpret what occurs for us on a daily basis. We need not be “waiting” for a better day to arrive, as each day has, as always, its’ own gifts and beauty if we only choose to look. The better day, then, comes through us. In this way, we are now more powerful than ever before. Yes, we may have utilized this knowledge and these principles in times past, but there has been a monumental shift now, so things are different in this regard.

As the equinox of September 22nd draws near, so will our shifting and connecting to things new. Brighter and better things will depend upon each and every one of us now, more than ever before, as we are the ultimate creators. Connecting to our passion, to our true and authentic selves, to what makes us feel great, and to good and special friends are the ultimate ways to connect to more light. And knowing who we really and truly are, while bringing that gift to the planet, will automatically place us in one big and awesome alignment.

Locked in Lack?

Confirmations for Money, Abundance and Joy

May 24, 2008 – by Sandy Penny – sandy@writingmuse.com

Are you locked in lack?

Why do so many wonderful, spiritual people live in lack? The test of whether you are locked in lack is this, do you have everything you truly desire? I’ve considered that question so often for myself, and I’ve come to one pretty clear conclusion. Most of us have old programming that limits us.

I know I’ve had a lot to overcome. I grew up in a family of 10 children, living in a government housing project in a really poor neighborhood in a really poor area of the Midwest . Some old tapes: “No one gets out of the projects.” “A welfare child is a welfare parent.” “Born poor, poor for life.” “Poor people are lazy.” I was immersed in poverty, and it has been a challenge to overcome and move into abundance. Think about the concepts that may be keeping you from your abundance. The first one is thinking that you’re poor, accepting the label.

Have you ever had any of these thoughts or others that are similar?

Rich people are too snooty and self-centered. (Why would you want to be one of them?)
Money is the root of all evil. (Who wants to be evil?)
Spiritual people don’t care anything about money. (If you care about money, you must not be spiritual?)

Truly spiritual people take a vow of poverty. (If you have too many things, you’re not spiritual?)

Poor people are the salt of the earth. (Poor is good? Everyone wants to be good.)

I don’t deserve to be abundant when people are starving. (That’s a biggy in our culture.)

If I’m abundant, if I take too much, someone else suffers. (Fear and lack and self judgment.)

I’m not smart enough or good enough to deserve wealth. (Another big one, low self esteem.)

I’m not as smart as my parents, so how can I exceed their wealth? (A huge internal conflict trying to live up to someone else’s negative expectations.)

Do you think you’re better than those you grew up with? (Guilt trip deluxe. Most of us want to fit in.)

What makes you think you deserve to be rich? (Low self-esteem masquerading as humility.)

Everybody’s having trouble right now. (Getting trapped in the group consciousness. again trying to fit in.)

It’s useless, nothing I do seems to change this. (Stuck in old patterns. This is a very negative proclamation.)

You have to work hard and scratch a living out of this world. (Old tapes, old paradigm.)

It’s only worth it if it was hard to come by. (Ease and flow is a better measure of worth.)

I couldn’t possibly take that gift you want to give me. (Lack masquerading as pride.)

I can’t change who I am, and nothing I do succeeds. (Defeatist cop-out on your Self, sets you up to fail.)

I can’t change the world, it’s too overwhelming and I’m just one person. (Acceptance of your defeat, victim consciousness.)

If God wanted me to be wealthy, He would just give me lots of money or I’d win the lottery. (Absolves you of any responsibility to do anything for yourself. Accepts your lot in life.)

What are your limiting beliefs? (Make a list so you can counter them and burn the list.)

First, I want to say that I’m not in judgment of any of these beliefs if you truly accept and love your life the way it is. These comments are for those who say they want to change their financial situation. You may not even consciously believe your limiting programming, but you may have been subconsciously programmed by your family, church or surroundings. It’s up to you to choose change, to engage what you want to live with and how you want to live in this world.

Ask yourself these questions…

What did my parents say about money or wealth? What was I told about my deservedness? What was I told about my worth? What was the general financial status of those with whom I grew up? What’s the worst thing anyone ever said to me?

These beliefs are deeply ingrained, and may even have been imprinted on you before you were born through the financial stress of your parents. You did not have to be born into poverty or even live in poverty to have a poverty consciousness. Many wealthy people have poverty consciousness in the form of fear of losing their wealth or not trusting people who may steal their money or possessions. The also may lack a sense of self worth. They may even try to hide that lack behind layers of loot.

I think it was Joe Vitale (of the Secret film and long-time friend) who recently asked the question, “Would you go to a movie you hated 1000 times?” Of course not, that would be silly, but when someone says something negative to us about us, we repeat it thousands of times, watching that bad movie in our heads over and over. Is that a good thing? Not so much, and we pay a high price for watching that movie. Give yourself a break and turn off that stupid negative projection that keeps playing itself on auto pilot. How? Read on…

Again - You might want to make a list of the thoughts you have from time to time about money, wealth or the wealthy and then create counteracting confirmations to reprogram yourself. It takes awareness and mindfulness to recognize, admit and overcome financially limiting beliefs. Being defensive and denying that you have them can keep you locked into lack. Now is the time to transcend the issues of the first chakra (survival issues and group consciousness issues, family, church and society).

In order to move into happy healthy relationships (second chakra and heart chakra - love), we have to resolve our first chakra and solar plexus issues (fears of survival and fears of others). Just because something is happening in the general public does not make it a truth, a rule or a law for you. It’s all subjective, and you have to claim your own self-worth and value the contribution you make to this world.

Here’s one that may floor you and be hard to accept… The world DOES owe you a living. If you are here on this planet, this world is what you have to work with. It’s what we have to live from, and you were put here for a purpose, so the world owes us a living just for being here, for just showing up. We now have to figure out how to collect on that debt. There is plenty for us all. We are not taking anything away from anyone else if we are abundant. In fact, the more we have, the more we can share, and the more others become abundant by our example. It’s like the potato chip commercial: eat all you want, we’ll make more. For the conservationists out there, I’m not saying to overindulge in everything. I am saying to pay attention to what you really want and know that having it is OK.

Changing Your Money Karma

Your money karma is determined by what you came here to experience and overcome. All karmic issues offer us the opportunity to overcome them, integrate them and transform them. It works like this, REAL life – Recognize, Experience, Accept and Love. Those are the usual stages we go through if we’re living a REAL life, a conscious spiritual life. Anything less is simply not real, it’s subjective, and everything subjective can be changed. I have an article on REAL life for any who want to request a copy. I’ll email it to you.

Since so many spiritual people have dealt with lack recently, I decided to write and record these confirmations. You can say them yourself, and you can listen to them on your computer whenever you want to. Just play them as often as you feel lack. If you don’t like mine, record your own. It’s easy to do. I am also including some releases for things that may be preventing you from having what you want and need. Some critics say there is too much focus in the “spiritual” community on money, but the real truth is that this is a limiting belief, and it’s time to transcend lack that keeps us locked into poverty or just getting by. When we have plenty, we can easily share with those who are still caught in lack and begin to help them move out of poverty consciousness into their true abundance and joy.

I repeat these confirmations three times in three different ways because that is the minimum it takes to get through to your subconscious. Now, this is new information from my guides - there are three aspects of each confirmation: a statement of being, a love of that state and gratitude for the results. I’ve been using the word confirmation where many people would use affirmation. What’s the difference?

According to Dictionary.com:

Confirmation: an established truth, accuracy, validity or genuineness; corroborated, verified. To acknowledge with definite assurance. To make valid or binding by some formal or legal act, to sanction or ratify. To make firm or more firm, to add strength to. To strengthen a habit, resolution or opinion. To administer a sacred rite.

Affirmation: The assertion that something exists or is true. A statement or proposition that is declared to be true. Validity of a prior judgment or decision.

A positive statement as if it is true. To uphold or support. To express agreement to.

Which one sounds stronger, more certain and more real? The difference in a confirmation and an affirmation is simply this: a confirmation has three parts, an assertion, an acceptance and gratitude.

You can repeat confirmations as many times as you like, there are no negative side effects. So, for your highest and best good, I give you these confirmations for abundance, prosperity, joy and love…

I release any limiting beliefs within my body, mind and emotions.

I love the freedom of abundant wealth and joy.

I am grateful for the freedom of my abundant wealth and joy.

I always have more than enough.

I love having more than enough.

I am grateful to have more than enough.

I am a money magnet.

I love being a money magnet.

I am grateful to be a money magnet.

I am generous with my wealth.

I love being generous.

I am grateful to have enough wealth to share.

I am healthy, wealthy, compassionate and wise.

I love being healthy, wealthy, compassionate and wise.

I am grateful for my health, wealth, compassion and wisdom.

I am the essence of joy manifest in this world.

I love being joyful.

I am grateful for my abundant joy.

Love flows freely to and from me.

I love the flow of love in my life.

I am grateful for my abundant fountain of love.

I have all the time, money and energy to do whatever brings me joy.

I love having all the time, money and energy to do whatever brings me joy.

I am grateful for all the time, money and energy that bring me abundant joy.

Everywhere I go and everything I do creates money and joy.

I love creating money and joy.

I am grateful for the money and joy in my life.

I live in a positive flow of love, joy and abundance.

I love living in the positive flow of love, joy and abundance.

I am grateful for the positive flow of love, joy and abundance in my life.

I am a gift to this world and I deserve prosperity, love and joy.

I love being a gift to this world and the prosperity, love and joy that is my heritage.

I am grateful for the gift that I am, the gifts that I have and the gifts I give to the world.

I share all that I am and all that I have.

I love sharing all that I am and all that I have.

I am really grateful for the joy of sharing all that I am and all that I have.

I radiate love, joy and abundance of all good things.

I love radiating love, joy and abundance of all good things.

I am grateful to be a radiant, loving, joyful and abundant presence on this planet.

I am surrounded by loving, supportive people who help me accomplish my goals.

I love all the loving supportive people who help me accomplish my goals.

I am grateful to all the loving supportive people who help me accomplish my goals.

Money rushes to me in all forms from all directions in unexpected and delightful ways.

I love that money rushes to me in all forms from all directions in unexpected and delightful ways.

I am grateful for all the money that rushes to me in all forms from all directions in unexpected and delightful ways.

I am rich.

I love being rich.

I am grateful for all my riches.

I am a divine conduit of unconditional love.

I love sharing my unconditional love.

I am grateful for all the unconditional love in my life.

I celebrate life and see the joy in every experience.

I love joyful celebration.

I am grateful for all my joyful celebrations of life.

I am in love, living in the midst of love and joy.

I love being in love and living in the midst of love and joy.

I am grateful to be in love and living in the midst of love and joy.

Everything good that I think, say and live manifests abundantly.

I love experiencing everything good that I think, say and live as it manifests abundantly.

I am grateful that everything good that I think, say and live manifests abundantly.

I invoke my highest and best good and the highest and best good of everyone in my life.

I love my highest and best good and the highest and best good of everyone in my life.

I am so grateful for my highest and best good and the highest and best good of everyone in my life.

All my relationships are based in love and joy.

I love my relationships that are based in love and joy.

I am really grateful that all my relationships are based in love and joy.

I declare what I want.

I accept what I receive.

I love what manifests.

I am grateful for all that I declare, accept and love.

And so it is.

I love it all.

Thanks to me.

Thanks to you.

Thanks to the planet for the stage on which we live and move and have our being.

Thanks to the Universe for the methods of manifestation.

And, thanks to the one power who creates it all and holds open the doors for the abundant flow of love, joy and prosperity.

And so it is. And so it ever shall be. And I am truly grateful.

Our Spiritual Journey

5/10/2008 - Our spiritual journey…by Sandy Penny

For the past couple of years, many of us have been re-immersed in the physical world in an attempt to clear and release lifetimes of karma. Many of our friends have fallen away as we shifted and changed and lost patience with old vibrations. Relationships may have come apart as we outgrew the patterns that brought us together. Some of us fell into worse patterns than we were used to experiencing as we dug deep into our hidden issues to heal and move forward. Many who were dedicated to their own growth suddenly became tired of processing as they turned their commitment to creating a more joyful life. Those who had been healers changed their paths as their vibrations reached a level where they no longer wanted to be held in lower vibrations. All this is part of the ascension process.

Check out www.whatsuponplanetearth.com. It has a list of ascension symptoms and other good information about the shifts and changes on the planet and within us. It’s very helpful to know that we’re not experiencing these physical, mental and emotional symptoms alone. The important thing is to let the changes occur, to cooperate with them and avoid descending into fears that will slow your progress. When physical symptoms occur, and you visit the doctor and the doctor does not find anything, let it be. Don’t fall into wondering if it’s something terrible that was missed. The power of your creativity right now is so great that you can create what you fear quickly. It’s very important to develop patterns of positivity now, more than ever before.

Katherine, my spiritual teacher who is now on the other side used to say that the reason we do not have more free time is that we don’t know how to use it well. She said when we learn how to use our free time that we will no longer have to work in jobs we hate just to keep us out of trouble. She recommended studying something we enjoy learning and using our free time to better ourselves mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Even the marketplace now says that we have to be lifetime learners to be successful in the future.

It’s time to stop doing the things that don’t bring us joy. It’s time to find what does bring us joy and to give all our attention to it. Joy is the reward for finding our true life path. Stop finding reasons why you can’t do what brings you joy and just do it. When you make a true inner commitment, the universe will support you in it. If that’s not happening for you, you have to take a deeper look at the thought patterns and body memories that are holding you back. What’s holding you back from doing what you love? Now is the time to let go of your fears, your projections, your old patterns and start moving toward joy. The world needs your positive energy to feed the group consciousness so we can make the leap forward that we all want.

Today I shall Eat Strawberries...

Today I Shall Eat Strawberries

by Sandy Penny

For the last week, for breakfast, I’ve been eating toast with peanut butter and banana. It’s a favorite of mine as a vegetarian breakfast, but today I woke up with a thought.
That thought was, “Today I shall eat strawberries.” I have a pint of strawberries in my refrigerator, and I’ve looked at them every day, and I haven’t felt as drawn to them as I did when I bought them. But this morning, something in me said, “It’s time to eat strawberries.”

Since I try to look at the larger meaning in all my thoughts, especially those early morning messages, I meditated and used that phrase as a seed thought, today I shall eat strawberries. Some very interesting things came to me.

*Today I shall make a change, not a big change, but an obvious one.

*Today I shall focus on red instead of yellow, get out of my mind in into my body. And perhaps this was my body’s message of what it needs.

*Today I shall have a little more tartness in my life. Sometimes we focus too much on the sweetness, and we have to balance that out with a little more tangy energy. That tang can help us move out of lethargy into a new comfort zone.

*Also, banana is considered a masculine symbol because of its shape. Strawberries are considered feminine, food of the goddess. Perhaps I’m shifting from my masculine more into my feminine side today.

I haven’t eaten my strawberries yet because I wanted to share this meditation with you. I did make coffee, as I have all week, and it tastes terrible to me. I like coffee, and it’s the same coffee I’ve been making, and the same creamer, but today I don’t like it. Something has definitely changed. I like that, actually. I can use a change. I think I'll have a cup of tea.

So far, my year has included quite a bit of change for a small town girl. I was managing Santiago’s Gallery, and for about three weeks, I was getting a message that I was not going to be there for long, that I had done all I could, and it was time to go. I wasn’t sure where I’d go. A couple of weeks after I first got that message, I had a phone call from an editor at the Taos News. She said they had lost a couple of freelancers and asked to see my samples. After reviewing them, we had a meeting where she gave me seven assignments to do. I was a little overwhelmed. Working full time at the gallery and doing this much writing would be difficult, but I was determined to get it done and start building my writing in Taos.

A week after beginning these articles, one day, at Santiago’s Gallery, I was sitting at the desk when Santiago and his brother Charlie came in. They said they were closing the gallery, that it was not showing signs of making a profit or building sales, so it was time to shut it down. I was a little shocked since they had opened in the late fall when they knew that spring, summer and fall are the art season here. We had even discussed that, and they had decided to do all the start up in the winter so it would be ready for action by spring. Here it was, just about a month from the spring season, and they were quitting. I would have protested more than I did, but having had the messages about it being time to go, I knew I was done.

I also knew that the Taos News work was not enough to support me yet and that I would need something else. I got a couple of week’s severance pay, so I could figure something out. During these two weeks, I got an email from Dr. John Lerma, author of “Into the Light” which I ghost wrote for him. He asked me to do another book project, and I accepted. That upfront money helped me through the last couple of months.

The angel doctor has been pretty busy, so we haven’t worked much on the book yet, but last week, my editor at Taos News called and begged me to take on three articles for the summer guide here that are due next week. I accepted. I could use the money, and the subjects were fun for me. One was about the farmers markets and a sidebar on restaurants that buy local organic produce, a subject close to me heart. The second was about the art colony that is Taos. The third was about the community kitchen and garden here. There’s so much here that is creating community and creativity and personal expression. Well, the sidebar on the Glorious Green restaurants has now turned into a full-length article, so that’s helpful too. And, all this writing is in keeping with my mission to support myself with spiritual writing. This is all about the spirit of Taos, and the people who live here.

I am affirming another long-term project to begin in the next couple of weeks, so please put some energy into that for me. Please see me happily writing, researching and being paid well for a wonderful spiritual writing project with loving supportive people.

Let me know what you’d like me to see for you. I spend a lot of time every night focusing on what my friends and acquaintances are affirming in their lives. I also love to hear about the changes occurring for all of you. And, I got quite a few new subscriptions to my newsletter after the last issue. That was nice. Welcome to all the newbies and thanks to all of you who have stuck around when I was not sending out regular emails.

Let me hear from you, and feel free to pass this along to anyone you want.

Now, I shall eat my strawberries.

Peace, love and joy to you all.

Just Another Day in Paradise ... Hanging at the Hot Springs

On March 21, 2008, we celebrated Yoga Jane's 50th birthday at Ojo Caliente Hot Springs. It was lovely. These are some of my lovely women friends in Taos. Aren't they great? It reminded me of another memorable hot springs adventure ... see below the photos.



Above, Yoga Jane, Birthday Girl - beautiful at 50.


Me in the background soaking with my home girls.


More me and my home girls.


Below: Deep soaking, ahhh.


Above: The other Sandy in the deep pool.

Below: The evening party continues at
Sabroso Restaurant in the mountains...


Above: Two Sandys


Above: Elizabeth on the left, Birthday Jane on the Right


Above: A little too much wine at Sabroso.

---

Hanging at the Hot Springs…

After an exceptionally cold winter in Taos, the snow is finally melting, and I feel spring’s rapid approach. The sun warms me as I lounge at Mondo Kultur café and sip a double mocha latte while I conduct a psychic reading for a friend. I am unusually tuned in, and the camaraderie of the spiritual process inspires me to drive into the mountains north of Taos. I hop in my little red Mazda Protege, pop into Cyd’s health food store and buy a few picnic items for my little journey. Smoky gouda, ripe edam, 9 grain bread, organic bananas and spicy ginger beer fill my goody basket. I head up Highway 522 toward Questa, intent on enjoying the sunny afternoon with a drive around the 100 mile Enchanted Circle through Red River, Eagle’s Nest, Angel Fire and back through Taos Canyon. When I reach Questa about 30 minutes later, I spontaneously decide to drive up to Valley View, a beautiful hot springs area three hours north, along Colorado Rt 17.

I don my movie star sunglasses, tune in a rousing radio station and sing along as I glide down the winding road. “They say I have to go to Rehab, and I say No. No, No.” I grab my cell phone and realize I haven’t programmed Valley View’s number into it since I changed services. Oh well, I punch in my home number, get my son on the line and ask him to look it up in the computer, call them and book me a room. He calls back in a couple of minutes and confirms a small room in the community house. The rooms are very basic, only a bed, a chair and hooks to hang your towels on, but the view out the window offers a spectacular sense of lavishness.

After a few miles of roller coaster winding up and down, the road flattens out all the way to San Luis, about 50 miles of fast driving, open range with herds of cows, buffalo and elk curiously staring at me as I fly by. I pass the time talking on the phone with my friend Sue in Houston, laughing about my spontaneous jaunt and listening to her political banter. San Luis is an interesting little town with a mountain shrine that attracts tourists and devout Catholics, but I don’t stop. The road ends at Ft. Garland, Colorado, and you have to turn left or right. I make the left without stopping and head toward Alamosa, about half-way to my destination. Instead of going all the way into Alamosa, I turn right at Rt 150 and head toward the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The spectacular view of the giant sand dunes looms in front of me. They form where the mountains rise up and collect the sand and silt that blow through the high desert countryside. It’s kind of amazing. The dunes resemble pyramids, and for a moment I forget I’m in Colorado and daydream about Egypt. I stop at the park’s visitor center for a restroom and leg-stretching break. Absorbing the unusual vista, I snap a picture with my cell phone to document it for my friends.

I have to backtrack a mile or so to the cutoff that takes me westward to Mosca through the lakes of the dunes. It’s very remote, and radio reception is nil. I notice that not only is my reception temporarily gone, but I’m rapidly losing power. So much for being spontaneous. I would soon have no phone at all as I left my phone charger at home, and I have not yet bought a car charger for my new phone. Oh well, guess I’m meant to be incommunicado. The important thing is that my son knows where I am. Nothing can spoil my good mood, the joyful sense of adventure, and the peaceful quiet of the deserted road. I let a few friends know that I’ll be gone for a day or two and that I may not have phone service. I am so ready to concentrate on me for a change.

I spend the rest of the trip just watching the snow frosted mountains move closer and closer. A wave of awe sweeps through me as I connect deeply with the earth and the beauty. The clear blue sky is dotted with ship clouds, often seen in this part of the country. They are white fluffy low-riding clouds that seem to go the opposite direction of the higher wispier ones. They are rounded and flat on the edges and resemble the small runabout ships that fly out of mother ships in so many sci-fi movies. The scene is surreal with the landscape still snowy white with watery patches. It looks like an aerial view of Alaska as glacier-like fields spread for miles and miles in all directions.

Soon I reach the meeting point of Highways 285 and 17 and County Road GG. It was a fast three hours. I pass my cutoff to drive a few miles further to Villa Grove to pick up a bottle of wine as there is no restaurant or liquor store at the springs. What you take with you is what you have to eat and drink. I walk in, ring the bell to be let into the small establishment, and a slightly suspicious looking man unlocks the door. Not much selection in wine, so I grab a bottle of Canadian Whiskey to mix with my ginger ale and stand at the counter until the attendant returns from watching TV in the back room. I hand him my debit card, and he curtly says, “Sorry, cash only.” I ask if there’s an ATM at the restaurant across the street, and he says, “Nope, closest one is in Salida, 25 miles ahead.” Ahh, the joys of small towns. Tired of driving, I leave the bottle of liquor and head back to GG and start driving up the mountain on the dirt road. I see a muddy wash ahead, and I debate whether my little Protégé can make it through without getting stuck. I decide to go for it, so I rev up my speed a little to power through. I fear I might slide off the road. My stomach does little flip flops as I skid sideways but regain control quickly and make it past the first challenge. I wonder if more washes are up ahead, and I resolve to go back on another road that should be less hazardous and stressful. It turns out that the rest of the road is just fine, no ice, no water, no big ruts, just a washboard that I can handle.

Seven miles down the road and up the mountain, I come to the junction where I have to cross a cattle guard where I turn left and enter the Orient Land Trust. Almost there. The Trust is a non-profit organization that owns Valley View and is dedicated to keeping it natural and buying surrounding land to ensure that it will stay that way. Nothing needs to interfere with the magnificent Valley Views. I slide into the parking area facing a wall of snow and breathe a sigh of relief as I cut my engine. Trudging into the office, I pay for my room. Fortunately, they take my debit card for the night’s stay, the best $27 I’ve spent in a long time. I quickly head for the exit with my coin in hand to drop into the box at the gate that blocks the entrance to the springs. The arm lifts, and I feel finally at home in the land of the goddess. I only have to drive a few hundred feet to park in front of the group house. I inhale deeply as I cross the little wooden bridge over the steaming stream in front of the long wooden structure. The laughing trickle of the water instantly relaxes away the stiffness of sitting for three hours. In a way, I am home. I’ve been visiting these springs for the last 15 years, and they always welcome me back.

I’m not exactly dressed for this, since I did not plan the trip. I have on jeans, a sweater and three-inch high heeled boots. I get a few knowing looks like, “You didn’t plan to come here, did you?” Apparently, it’s common for repeat visitors just to pick up and head out to the springs to alleviate stress. I carry in my food and my leopard print wrap that will be my costume for trekking to the springs. I can hardly wait to feel my weary body sink into the hot steaming pools nestled in the drifted snow around them. It has always been my dream to spend time at the springs in the winter when the contrast of the hot and cold make it deliciously inviting to soak for hours. This was my second time to fulfill that dream. Groceries safely placed on the chair, I make my bed with the clean linens stacked on the bed, strip off my sticky clothes and tie my sarong. I wish for my my flat slip-on shoes, but three-inch heels will have to do. It’s all I have. I briefly walk to the back of the building and take in my first Valley View of the stay. I deeply catch my breath at the distance and the loveliness, but the water calls me, and my body longs to float free.

It is unseasonably warm, and the lingering evening sun feels good on my bare shoulders, but the breeze is rapidly cooling. With only a short uphill walk, I am confronted by the small hot pot, the large swimming pool and the new sauna building. Both pools are thickly steaming and beckoning me to hurry into them. I decide I’m not up for swimming right now and drop my sarong on a chair and step into the hot water. It’s so hot it stings a little at first, but I know I’ll soon adjust to it and will be amazingly soothed. I twist my long blonde hair up on top of my head and secure it with a spider clip I had attached to my sarong for that purpose. Having just gotten over a cold, I don’t want to get my hair wet. I immerse myself up to my neck as two other people join me in the water. We all rest our heads on the side of the two feet deep heated soaking pool, the lobster pot and breathe deeply of the warm vapors.

At first, no one speaks as we settle in. Soon, the man who has not introduced himself begins to talk of how long he has been frequenting the springs. He says, “This time, I came because of my skin problems, psoriasis. The minerals in the water seems to help a lot.” “I know,” I respond. “My skin is always so much softer after a trip to the springs.” The woman who says her name is Katie tells him the name of a tea that will help. Apparently she is an herbologist. They continue to discuss subjects like the difference between detoxing and flushing your system. I drift away and block out the conversation as I just enjoy the soft sensuality of the water. All the dramas of my day are washed away by the water flowing through the pool as it rejoins the warm river that winds its way through the entire property. It’s as if all my cares flow away. After an hour or so, I begin to get a little overheated, so it’s time to rewrap myself and head for my little monk’s cell.

I lie down on the comfortable bed and drift into a light sleep until my bladder compels me to get dressed and head for the baths next door. There are none in this building, one of the drawbacks for me since I get up a couple of times in the night. After making my necessary trip, washing up and refilling my water bottle with the cold filtered water from the fountain in the bath house, I notice my stomach grumbling and begging for dinner. Checking my cell phone for the time, it’s about 9:00 pm so I decide to eat lightly. I slice some of the smoky gouda and slice a banana from my stash. I check the refrigerator and happily find some mayonnaise to slather on the tasty brown bread. I pop open a bottle of ginger beer and eat at the community table. Soon a group of men drift in from the springs and settle into the chairs and couches by the table. We all start to talk about where we’re from and why we’re here and what else we do in our lives. There’s a guy from Colorado Springs who works for the city. He complains that it has gotten to big, too busy and too trendy. Valley View is his respite from what used to be a small town and is now a thriving metropolis. When they ask what I do, and I say I’m a writer, they want to know what I write. When the subject of the angel book comes up, a discussion ensues where one of the men tells the story of his near-death experience. It’s a good discussion of the afterlife, death, and other spiritual experiences. I find it unusual to have such a discussion with a room full of men, and I am pleasantly impressed.

After a while, someone picks up a guitar and strums a melodic folksy tune. I retire to my room and listen to the music while I stare out the window at the star-filled sky. I soon drift away for the night until dawn’s early light when it’s time for another trip to the building next door. It’s crisp outside, and I hurry between buildings, scanning side to side for deer, bears or skunks that proliferate in the area. An uneventful trip and a refilled bottle of cold water takes me happily back to the group house. Katie, from the hot pool the night before, has started coffee and is busy making pancakes in the community kitchen. She offers me a cup of wonderful smelling brew and a pancake. My stomach urges me to accept, and I do. Unfortunately for me no one has left any creamer or milk to share, and I didn’t bring any, so I have to drink the coffee with honey only. Oh well, it still tastes delicious, and the warm cup in my cold fingers feels so good.

Katie and I sit at the dining table and chat about Taos and the springs and other light chatter when we hear the door open. Most everyone in the building has already gone to the springs for a morning soak. We are pleasantly surprised to see a very handsome, well built man wearing nothing but a royal blue Williams and Sonoma apron that shows off his muscled arms. He’s carrying a French press plunge pot of coffee. He says, “Hey, I just made this great Vietnamese coffee. I’d love to share it with you. Want some?” Katie and I looked at each other, back at him, and said in unison, “Uhhh huhhh.” It’s all we could muster in our current stunned state. We quickly finished the coffee in our cups, and he refilled them with a sweet-smelling essence of the coffee bean with a buttery nutty flavor. Then he left, and we both stared after him at some of the best breakfast buns we’ve ever seen. We both started laughing.

“Wow,” I said, “When does this happen in real life? Are you sure we’re not dreaming?” “If we are,” she responded, “we’re having the same delicious dream.” “I want to affirm more of this in my life,” I smiled, “Men dressed in nothing but an apron, who can cook, who have an appreciation for the subtlety of good coffee, and look great doing it.” She nodded in assent as she took a deep draft of the smooth concoction. Nothing could top this as a great experience at Valley View. The huge green comet I’d seen last year paled in comparison with the implications of this little metaphor. More please, I thought wishfully. Katie and I headed to the pools for another long, leisurely soak and more conversation.

There was an inordinately large number of men out this morning, and this being a naturalist property, clothing optional, it was nice to see a range of ages stretched out on towels sunbathing, soaking and drifting back and forth to the sauna. What I love most at Valley View is the respect shown by everyone for the vulnerability of everyone brave enough to remove their clothes and share a sacred space. There’s no gawking or posturing or crossing boundaries without an invitation. It’s very refreshing to share such a place of freedom and joy in relaxation and healing.

Later in the day, Katie and I ran into our morning chef (and his wife or girlfriend) with their clothes on. I did not recognize him, and I did not correctly remember what color his apron was. Katie and I got a good laugh at that. We returned to the building and pooled our food for a picnic on the porch. I sat in a swing, and she sat on the bench across from me. Two of the men who had also been at the springs, who turned out to be brothers, came in, and we invited them to join us for food. They added some sesame seeds to the cheese, bread, fruit, ginger beer, artichoke hearts and Indian Samosas for a quick outdoor feast. It was so pleasant just to enjoy the scenery and hang out at the hot springs.

Katie and I were both leaving, so we had to pack up our things. When we finished packing and were chatting on the porch, our chef returned in his apron and invited us to join him and his wife for lunch. We both regretted that we had already eaten. Just watching him cook would have been the best entertainment we could find, but it was time to go. Sometimes, trying to repeat a pleasurable experience just negates it. I wanted to hold the fond memory in my mind just the way it had happened. Nothing needed to be added. It was perfect, and it was time to go.

I slowly, reluctantly, climbed back into my little Protégé, said goodbye to my temporary friends and the lovely land. I thanked the earth for its beautiful blessings and drove back to the office to check out. They have to know who’s in the park, in case of sudden storms or bear alerts. I stayed long enough to check my email and let my friends and my son know I was heading back. My cell phone had long since lost its charge. Now I would have a wonderful three hours driving back with nothing but my memories, my thoughts of the future, and the beautiful scenery to enjoy. I can’t tell you how refreshed, revitalized and rejuvenated I felt. I could face anything from this place of strength and vitality. And so I headed back to Taos. * * *