Lessons in Balance

The Seventh Night of Christmas

What a beautiful way to make our resolutions for the New Year. How about living in an abundant world where generosity flows, both to us and from us? How can we express our generosity to ourselves, our families, our world? - Penelope Clement

The hand in this card appears to be deftly twirling coins and what it symbolizes to me is the importance of playing life with an open hand. In order for me to adopt an easy-come-easy-go attitude, do I not have to fully trust that this is an Abundant Universe? I think so.

In the coming year, I want to be more vigilant about my thoughts and emotions in regards to giving and receiving. What could I give more of and what more can I receive?

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Sixth Night of Christmas

An important card for the end of the year. We are allowing the old year to die so that a brand new opening is available in the new year. Why just repeat the old one over and over? That's no fun! Also, with the work we have done with the cards, many of our automatic assumptions need to die as we open up to a more open and giving relationship with life. - Penelope Clement

The red reclining figure reminds me of lying in Savasana at the end of a yoga practice. It's the time to completely relax and let go, but I also like to think that my body's absorbing the benefits of my practice, while releasing tension and fatigue.

It's a good way to view this time of the year too. I'm going lay down in Savasana and with each inhalation, allow all of the good from this year to be absorbed into my life and as I exhale, release old patterns of thought that don't bring me joy. When I'm done, I'll roll over to my side into a fetal position. When I slowly unfurl and sit up, I'll be ready for the New Year.

I could actually do that everyday or whenever I feel like starting over. Death does not have to be the final act.

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About my TwelveNights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Fifth Night of Christmas

With integration, we are now conscious of the sources of strife - both inner and outer. Now is an opportunity to be responsible for our creation of strife in our lives and our world and to be able to release ourselves from these patterns. - Penelope Clement

I like the solidity of the sword in the center, where all thoughts should be referred. Although I feel more conscious of my inner being these days, I often allow conflicting thoughts to spin me around.  Until it becomes a reflex action to check inward, I'll let this card remind me of my ever present Source.

The more I think about it, Strife occurs when I stray from that centered sword.

What image do you hold of your inner strength or do you believe it's outside of you?

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Fourth Night of Christmas

It is important that we take time to consciously look at our thought patterns and integrate our new realizations in our speaking and thinking. - Penelope Clement

Swords can be used as weapons or tools and they also symbolize thoughts. In just these past three days, I can already feel the power and efficacy of the first night's actions as I direct my thoughts everyday to gratitude, care and connection with others.

Tonight as I think about Integration, I'm wondering what would happen if I continue to think, write, and speak of caring terms, consistently. How would I change? How would the world around me change?

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. -Mahatma Gandhi

 

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About my Twelve Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

 

The Third Night of Christmas

With the inner openings of the first two cards, we can now start to see/hear those interior voices that rob us of our emotional energy. It's our own ego that wants to be right at all cost and blames us for all our mistakes, making us feel depressed and unloved. As our awareness increases of how detrimental these patterns are, we can actively bring compassion and inner knowing to change them, to support ourselves and others. -Penelope Clement

Lechery is another word, like Compassion, that is shaded by moral standards so when I look at this card, I view it as waste. We often have ideas or inspired actions that could fill the needs and wants of others but because we allow the critics (outside and in our own minds) to have their say, we discard our creative juices and no one wins.

The lesson here for me is to go back to the first two cards, Compassion and Inner Knowing, and use them as filters and gauges for my impulses. Rather than throwing away the contents of my Cup, I might find one simple ingredient that could make it palatable, even exquisite. Bottom line: focus on solutions, not problems.

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About my 12 Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The Second Night of Christmas

Our compassion allows us to start moving forward on a spiritual/creative level based on our inner knowing, rather than our assumptions and judgments. - Penelope Clement

I love the glowing heart center of the Prince and how he seems to be guided by that pulsating life force. He knows what he's been put on earth to do: follow his heart's signal. It's a reminder for me to always check in with my Inner Being before setting fire (action) to an idea or thought, to cultivate what my yoga teacher calls a Cool Head and a Warm Heart.

Look at the picture for a minute, what does it say to you?

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About my 12 Nights of Christmas

Artist: Penelope Clement

The First Night of Christmas

This is the first of my Twelve Nights of Christmas postings and I've decided to begin each of them with a sentence or two contributed by the creator of the cards, artist Penelope Clement. I'll then follow with my own thoughts, which aren't guaranteed to completely flow with Penny's but hopefully will leave you some room to protract your own opinions.

We begin with Penny:

Very appropriate. The Christ impulse arrives at Christmas which is about compassionate love - moving past our self-serving love to genuine care and connection with others. Also a strong female energy showing mastery on the emotional level. The cards start and end with a strong female voice which needs to be heard as we move into the new era of human evolution. -Penelope Clement

When I look at this card I see Giving and Receiving. The figure is pouring the contents of one cup into another. Is she pouring out of her cup or into it? The first action implies selflessness, the second, selfishness.

In many ways, I feel that Compassion has become as commercialized as Christmas. It is the emotion or sense of moral obligation that's courted by every human, environmental and animal rights organization in order to raise funds. I've often wondered about the depth of my Compassion though, when I feel sorry for the pigs in a slaughterhouse and despise the ones digging up my vegetable garden. And how can I be Compassionate towards a victim of a war torn Congo and dispassionate towards an unkempt person conversing with a fire hydrant in my own town? It sounds more like selective empathy.

Granted, a teaspoon of Compassion is better than none and as I saunter into another year in this physical body, I want to cultivate Compassion in the following three ways:

1. Upon waking, when my outlook is fresh and untainted, I want to give thanks to Three Things in my life that I truly appreciate. I'll write them down in a little book by my bedside and start the day with gratitude.
2. Find three things (people,places or objects) that appear in the news each day around the world, to send positive,healing wishes. I want to search for items to bless, as opposed to dreading the news to sift through.
3. Throughout the day, whenever I have the urge to judge someone's actions,opinions or appearance, I want to be able to acknowledge our connection and appreciate their presence in my life.

Energetically, I think I would contribute so much more with those three actions than my tax deductible dollars. Yet if I could combine them, dollars and thoughts, that would be...well, priceless.

How about you? How do you feel about Compassion and its importance in your life?

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About my 12 Nights of Christmas.

Artwork: Penelope Clement

In Light of a Full Moon

Tell me what you feel in your room when the full moon is shining in upon you and your lamp is dying out, and I will tell you how old you are, and I shall know if you are happy. - Henri Frederic Amiel

The full moon always grabs my attention, no matter where I am. It's obviously my ruling planet. I went to the health food store after dark last night and as I got out of my truck, there it was in all its waxing glory. I snapped a shot with my iPhone, knowing that it would be 'sketchy', but after a bit of cropping and editing it reminded me of an Edward Hopper painting.

The full moon has always made me happy. It rules!