Walk the walk

Unsteady

Been a tough weekend for mobility, but inspiriting!! Bernie Sanders stumped for Zephyr Teachout (running for the 19th congressional district.) At a local park in my town. I stood on the grass on this lovely late summer day,in the strong sun. After these 2 motivating progressive activist’s speeches, I realized walking would be a struggle, and it was, every step. My groovy leg brace, and olive wood walking stick, are little help in the face of body fatigue!

A day later, I sat on the grass again, in the strong sun, to watch my little boy’s first soccer game. Coaching myself: legs, engage, muscles, hold the body up, walk forward, take another step. “I think I can, I think I can…”

The question of “what is my life’s walk,” Comes to mind. Or more importantly, “how can I be of service in the world?” or as Jewish sages call it, Tikkun, or repair of the world. In the wise words of, Howard Thurman,

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Answer: do what you love! So I am facilitating a dream group at the Center for Symbolic Studies, a new venue for me to host at, but I’ve been coming to the dream group at CSS, under the masterful tutelage of Stephen and Robin Larsen for 19 years! (Since I moved to the Mid-Hudson Valley.) Substitute facilitating when so honored.

Steve certified me to be a dream group facilitator 6 years in, of a direct lineage of teacher to student to Carl G. Jung, whose picture adorns his office, I have also had the great, good fortune of learning with, and being certified by master teacher and minister, Jeremy Taylor, of MIPD, and dream shaman, “the maestro”, Robert Moss.

And a further report on these symptoms caused by MS, the pain level in my right shoulder is high! wow- an electric pulse coursing through me, my right side of my jaw has joined the fray- maybe the Medical Marijuana takes the edge off? (see previous blog post: Medical Marijuana Today, I went for my first session of Qi Gong with a phenomenal woman, Helen B., who is offering this ancient knowledge as her service in the world

A little later in the season with the changing leaves in this pic.

. Though my body is limited in the motions it can make to gather the energy, let this serve as a baseline from which to only improve, and may this martial art bring renewal in mind, body, breath!.

Here is the event invite for the next dream-sharing circle I’m hosting: https://www.facebook.com/events/210249016059245/
If you find yourself in New Paltz, (which I highly recommend), Come do dream work with us!

G-dful

September sky is blue and clear. Autumn changes: the topmost leaves in our tree, Abundance Chai, are lightening/yellowing, littering the earth with golden, sun-light.

On this day- Receive the G-d presence on the right side of the heart. An audible gurgling, a breaking through a clog. And an emptiness, an aching. Thinking it Connects body to the spirit I have encountered through sight-the sun!- through sound- the bat Kol- through smell- L’airdetent.

So, my question is what one makes of the fact that our planet is hurtling, spinning, circling through space, around a star that is moving also, contrary to what I was taught in school, nothing is fixed/static. And as the child observes, the sun and the stars are one and the same.

Yesterday, limping along, weak and body fatigued from the MS (an active weekend takes it’s toll!) I said to my housemate, “well, I’m still standing!” And he laughed, and shared the quote, “Any day above ground is a good day.”
Weekend infused with spirit! Native American celebration and sweat lodge. Matoquiocin, to all my relations. Then Jewish Renewal gathering in the woods- again, my chevre!

All people, connected by love and kindness, and spirit! It is Elul- hear the clarion call of the shofar.  The time of T’shuva, reflection, returning… As we ready ourselves for the Jewish New Year!

Return again, return again, return to the light of your soul.
Return to who you are, return to what you are, return from where you are…born and reborn again.

A sturdy arm and a steadfast spirit. The chief supports you. The chief nourishes you, cooks for the tribe. The Rebbe teaches you, touches you, learns from you. The rabbi sings to you, inspires you. The child needs you, individuates from you, hugs you, ignores you. And you just keep on keeping on.

I got stuck conceptualizing what G-d is. An old man on a throne, an energy, the great No Thing (the Ain Sof). So I go back to chanting. Sheviti SHekina l’negdi tamid. (I place G-d before me always.) I feel one should be G-ful as well as mindful! ❤

Living in it

Low flying crow over my Southbound car.

Graying  praying mantis steps across the threshold of my front door As I open it from inside.

We find a perfect wild turkey feather just before the season opens,

and a tiny Tall magenta mushroom living under a wet fallen leaf. these are the days for bluejays in the compost pile, quick moving

clouds in the wind, and a half moon visible in the noontime sky it’s shadow autumn clarity. slow reaching sun chiding squirrels in transitioning trees we’re noticing the earlier evenings and we continue.