Hoop Dancer DeGrazia

Today, I was gifted this stunning, limited-edition print by DeGrazia. I can hardly wait to get home and frame it... it so wonderfully captures the magic of the hoop. The DeGrazia Gallery was home to Ted and his wife Marion. Both created exceptional art within the walls of the studio. Yet, what stuck me as most precious was the love and creativity that they put into the grounds in which they lived. Touring the place is like walking in a desert painting, alive with color and the native american spirit of serving the whole.

I was reminded how the hoop is a symbol for that wholeness... of unity... this weekend. Our Thanksgiving celebration was at Daniel's uncle's home in Scottsdale. This was my first time meeting this side of the family. They were all so warm and welcoming. One of the highlights of the evening was after dinner. I had a hoop in the rental car. Upon the urging of the group, we brought it out for a demonstration. I made sure that everyone else had a chance in the hoop first. Daniel's younger brother, Nathan, is a good sport. He jumped in first... followed by Daniel... his stepmom... then aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was immediate joy bursting from the seams! I gazed around in awe as the entire family was bathed in contagious laughter. And I remembered why this simple service that I offer is so potent.

The Circle.
It brings people together.
By its very nature, it unites.
And for its simple teachings, I am grateful.

When I was searching for an image of the above print to share with you, I ran across this poem. I hope you enjoy it as I did. And I hope that you find yourself in a circle dance of your own, sometime soon.

Hoop Dancer
(Based on the painting by Ted De Grazia)

A stream of light flows in circles around me.
Hoops and halos surround my body,
as I reach through each center with a dancing limb.
My pointed foot draws a blue circle
while my outstretched hand
paints a swirl of bright yellow.

I am the hoop dancer.
I carve a story into the night air,
as I move in rhythms,
that make my heart pump stronger
and my skin tremble with pure knowledge.

The lyrical notes fall all at once
from the dark, speckled sky.
They come crashing in waves,
and jingle at my beaded, fringed ankles.
Movement creates a limitless space between
my feet and the dry, crumbled earth beneath.
The hoops are as light as the air itself.
They raise me up and I am in flight.
Each circle is a galaxy –
each waving feather in my headdress
creates the stardust that lights up the world around me
so that my body is the bonfire –
aglow with a story.
It is the narrative of the hoop.

Cristina M. R. Norcross
August 2, 2006

Sabino Canyon, Arizona
November 21, 2007

Yesterday we hiked 10 miles... a journey into Sabino Canyon just outside of Tucson, Arizona. This is by far the best photo taken of Daniel and I on the mountain side. The desert is so majestic and beautiful. It's like walking in another world.

We are here visiting Daniel's family (his Dad's side) for the Thanksgiving holiday. The sunny skies... and the warm, dry air is medicinal to my body and spirit. I forget how much pleasure I feel in the silent pathways along a mountainside... blazing towards the summit. There is a meditation in walking a trail that is unparalleled. The first half hour or so, there is an effort to it. The body, like an engine, warming up and readying itself for the road ahead. Then it happens. The zone in which the body and nature become one... and the mountain seems to move me.

As I was traversing my way down the trail, I noticed my legs feeling that lovely warm, rubbery sensation. I began to pick up speed and hop and skip... up and down... in and out of the miniature mazes created by fallen rock. The subtle muscle fatigue caused me to slip now and then. I did the dance of regaining center each time (something that I secretly relish in). One such time, Daniel was behind me, and he cautioned me with care. Then added playful, "you're so graceful, baby." I smiled... then I heard myself say:

"Grace is in how your recover; it's not about what happens along the way." And as I continued to walk, I contemplated these words and settled upon their truth, for me, at this moment in my journey.

Nature has a mysterious medicine that can be heard with the ears of silence.
Here's to more adventures in Her landscapes!

Faith (according to Wikipedia):
To commit oneself to act based on sufficient evidence to warrant belief, but without absolute proof. Mere belief on the basis of evidence is not faith. To have faith involves an act of will.

Today I spent some time talking with a very dear friend regarding some changes developing in her life. As I listened to her story, I reflected on how much is unknown in the unfolding of our lives. As humans, we are most comfortable with some degree of predictability in our everyday. When that sense of order is challenged, we can sometimes feel like we are in the midst of a great ocean without sight of the shore. What should I do? Where am I headed? And how will I know when I get there?!, we wonder.

I am definitely a black sheep in my family... yet really in the best possible way. My relatives often wonder at the way I choose to live my life. I have made the conscious choice to sacrifice certain securities for a those uncertain. While many of the conditions of my life have fluctuated considerably over the years, the one security that matters most to me (while it may be briefly forgotten from time to time) is never truly threatened. It resides deep within my heart. It is FAITH. Faith in the Brilliance that guides my life. It is the "SH NE" that "i" am surrounded by.

Recent events have actually challenged the faith that is my trusted foundation. Given the recent evolution in my most intimate relationship (with a man whom I love dearly), Brilliance has taught me a very valuable lesson. I am realizing that, all too often, I have prematurely assigned my faith inappropriately. Upon reflection, I see that I have placed my faith in a condition (such as: a particular job, relationship, or source of inspiration)... leading me to be repeatedly baffled when I outgrow it. At other times, I have placed my faith in those people close to me, sometimes experiencing confusion (or even resentment) when their desires no longer align with mine.

This became obvious in recent days as I felt a nagging anxiousness... wondering if a particular condition that I have invested my faith in will serve me in the end. Placing my faith in this uncertain outcome, I felt insecure and afraid. How could faith feel so fickle?! Today it became clear... to place attachment to something or someone outside of me is an illusion of control masquerading as faith.

When I look around at the Great Unknown of my life, I can sometimes feel a great sense of overwhelm. At those times, I find myself looking for something (or someone) to bring me a sense of security, safety, and a sense of control over my destiny. Yet, I know better. Born a black sheep, I know to trust the one thing that is certain...

Therefore, I am choosing to actively place faith in the Unknown. Yes... by definition faith dares me to place my trust in the one thing that I truly believe always and in all ways will lead me to my greatest good: paradoxically, that which is far outside the scope of my understanding. Now THAT I believe in.

You see, for me, faith defies reason. And it is with an irrational certainty that I find the greatest sense of Peace in my heart and mind. Call me crazy... call me naive... call me what you will. Meanwhile, I call upon the Love that I believe in above all else.

Faith is Freedom. It is true liberation to know that you are secure in every way that matters in the end. And so I choose to dip inside for a Freedom that is attached to no-thing and no-one. I will do my best to love others with more Freedom... without need to hold on to any condition, person, relationship, or outcome. I will move towards what moves me with a heart faithful in its trajectory.

There is only one thing that I commit to holding onto.... the Loving Hand that guides me gently along this joyful path of self-discovery.

When I woke, I told Daniel (my partner in home and life) what I had just experienced. He listened intently, as he does so well. Then he added with surprise that we had dreamed the same! He had just woken from a dream where I had stepped in a campfire! He was yelling to me to pull my foot out quickly. In his dream, my pant leg had caught fire. He was concerned for my safety.

It was as if he penetrated my own dream world to be the man who cautioned me; as he was simultaneously receiving the same message. And interesting that in his dream the fire was burning hot. In my waking world, he is often urging me to slow down and sees fires burning wild in me when I am not fully aware. I am grateful to him as a witness.

In that same dream, I was running around the campsite holding a very small and sweet turtle in my hand. It was so small that I could hold it with my thumb and forefingers. I had been told to represent the turtle in a fight against another animal who was much bigger and faster. I remember feeling anxiety that this kind, slow-moving creature would be placed up against such a senseless challenge. I was struck by its continual pleas for help... as it would stretch out its head and cry out before retreating again and again into its shell for protection. I telepathically urged it to stay inside! but it kept crying out for help.

So I say to whatever Dream Guides may be out there... I am heeding your call. The message of the fire delivered through both Daniel and I is undeniably something to be mindful of. And the Medicine of the Turtle fits into this mix perfectly. I am grateful to that little guy in my dream!

TURTLE MEDICINE
http://morningstar.netfirms.com/turtle.html

Affirmation for Turtle Medicine:
"I am open to moving with the waters of life that I may find my true place and fulfillment."

When Turtle appears and for those who carry this medicine, it is also important that we have patience and act only when we feel the time is right for us to do so. Turtles themselves are slow moving and do have slow metabolisms. Yet because of their slow movement they are much more aware of what is going on around them! We can call upon this energy to help become more aware of our own surroundings and thus be better able to grab and act upon opportunities that we might otherwise have missed if we were hurtling along at a more frenetic pace!

Faster is not always better, if one moves too quickly, attention to minor details may be passed over resulting in a loss of opportunity because one was not better prepared or one may fail to notice that an even more fulfilling door was opening. Our world has become so solar, everyone feeling the push to constantly act and do rather than sit and just be and know that from time to time, thats precisely what we need to be doing. Yet as a very wise person once said, "we are Human BE-ings, not Human Do-ings!"

Other things that may be important for you when Turtle appears :
- A successful completion of one phase leads to a new cycle of opportunity opening for you.
- Greater Success and Recognition for hard work and painstaking effort.
- A sense of willingness to begin anew after a cycle of pain or hardship.
- Feeling more connected with the flow of the Universe or having a sense of your own personal cosmic mission.
- International travel or business success.
- A Change of job or residence, sometimes via a promotion that leads to needing to change one's residence.
- Anything that requires patience, hard work, attention to details or is very long term is wonderful to start at this time.

TURTLE
http://www.geocities.com/tammlynn/turtle.htm

The turtle is a shore creature, using the land and the water. All shore areas are associated with doorways to the Faerie Realm. The turtle is sometimes known as the keeper to the doors. Turtles thus were often seen as signs of fairy contact and the promise of fairy rewards.

 In Nigeria, the turtle was a symbol of the female sex organs and sexuality. To the Native Americans, it was associated with the lunar cycle, menstruation, and the power of the female energies. The markings and sections on some turtles total thirteen. In the lunar calendar, there are either thirteen full moons or thirteen new moons alternating each year. Many believe this is where the association with the female energies originated. Turtle is the symbol of the primal mother.

[Interestingly, I had started my moon in the middle of the night, just prior to having this dream.]

If turtle has shown up in your life, it is time to get connected to your most primal essence. Go within your shell and come out when your ideas are ready to be expressed. It is time to recgonize that there is an abundance out there for you. It doesn't have to be gotten quickly and immediately. Take your time and let the natural flow work for you. Too much, too soon, can upset the balance. Turtle reminds us that we all need for all that we do is available to use, if we approach it in the right manner and time.

November 2007

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.
- Jean Baptiste Massieu

I love the idea of a remniscent and grateful heart. I could reflect volumes on what the heart has led me to know in my short life. It is upon its urgings that I continually traverse the majestic mountain of my spirit's longing. And the ever-more expansive views continually take my breath away! This month, I sit in silent celebration of the imprints of self-love that gratitude has left deep within my heart.

I looked up the etymology of the word gratitude. There are many derivations listed...however, I am most struck by the root of the word as: grace, to welcome. How much of the time do we graciously welcome the remarkable conditions of our life? Do we fight with tooth and nail to change them so that we might find peace in our hearts (chasing the dragon for days, months, years at a time)? Or do we look deeply within out hearts, invite gratitude, and welcome the path that is revealing us one glorious petal at a time? I commit to choosing the latter more often. While I do understand gratitude to be an agent of creation (modern metaphysics teaches us to give thanks in advance for that which our heart desires)...I am more inclined to feel an authentic and divine buzz of appreciation when I allow my heart to remember, notice, and celebrate the many miracles of everyday magic in my current reality. It is in this space that I feel my heart SHiNE with gratitude and remembrance.

In coaching sessions and teacher trainings, I often hear myself reminding clients to reframe their perspectives. I witness that we are often cynical in our approach to our life circumstances. Yet, by consciously shifting our vantage point from one of critical perplexity and resistance to curious wonder and acceptance, we create a space for gratitude to emerge.

Invite Wonder. Embrace Gratitude.
Not for what it might bring you to do so,
but for all that your heart already possesses in the simple act of holding you close.

With Wonder-filled Gratitude,
Candice