Spiritual Blog Reviews

Tao Wow

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:37:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Tao, Meditation, Meaning, Consciousness

Something that touched me: Not too long ago, I went for a meandering walk with my friend into the heart of Santa Fe. While we walked, I tried to talk to him about compassion and wisdom. As I spilled out my theories and thoughts as they related to safety/security, growth/protection, male/female, co-dependence/interdependence he finally stopped and looked at me with an exasperated look: "Darcy, I hear so much talk from you, but you haven't taken a deep breath yet." Enter the Bloody Buddha:

So like it or not you are either a Buddha or a Buddhist. You have to solve the issues he left us or not. Everyone is a Buddhist to some degree and as that is measured in awareness then the worst ones don't even know it. And now for a quote that struck me recently;

"When I was a Buddhist my family and friends became so tired of me. Once I was a Buddha we were perfect together."

Review: I was invited to this blog by author, Chris, for a bit of wu wei. Indeed, I would say that Chris has created a space on this ever growing Internet prairie for some wu wei:

Move when it is time and the movement is easy, try ahead of time to shape the world to your desires and it will be work. Do things when they are easy to do. A little comes to a lot.

I could almost picture myself doing a bit of blogging Tai-Chi while I read these posts. No, not a deep, ponderous blog...or, perhaps it is. Each post seemed to have an inhale and an exhale. You might react to this blog as you did when you first read the Tao Te Ching or any number of similar texts. In fact, I do believe the author began his blog with a poem he wrote entitled New Tao Te Ching.

Though we are part of Tao,
we can act as the worst kind of fake;
Seeing your breath does not help the wind,
let a swamp in your mind be a lake.

His language is clear and concise yet filled with an impeccable call to action, devoid of confrontation. The blog itself is colored ornamentally, but the look and feel is modern and simple. One thing that I found fabulous was a link to Tao Wow Important posts, or "the more polished posts and cover my basic ideas." Tao Wow self-describes this way:

WELCOME TO TAO WOW.

Indeed, I began to wonder-how do you write the wu wei way for the Wow? And of course, my answer would be, Tao Wow. Many thanks Chris for the expressing and the knowing.

Feed: Only found an ATOM feed for posts.

URL: http://taowow.blogspot.com/

Seriousness

The most contagious, man-made, terminal disease, is seriousness. I was going to go on at length about this but thought it wiser to to just end by saying Ffffert!

Triumph of the Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:02:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Joy, People, Stories
Something that touched me: I've been picking an choosing the priority of relationships in my life lately- my relationship with my son, always number one, and my relationship with my boyfriend is second. Interestingly, my relationship with my boyfriend has become strained, not because we're not good people, but because we have expectations, judgments and needs that are not always fulfilled in the way we want. I've had to take a long look at my so-called "safety zones" of operation, and how my needs play in to the facade of security rather than the promotion of growth, love and compassion. Talk about intense! So, of course, this post gave me a chuckle as it shines forth with humor for the puzzling times in a relationship: What Do Women Want?

Review: Phil Bolsta is a unique man with a big spoon to stir the world. I could picture him with a chef's hat, sprinkling in a bit of networking here, folding in gentleness and letting it rise on the counter while he conjures up some guests. Following a recipe? Pshaaaw! He don't need no stinkin' recipe! Phil goes for it and the way opens up before him...His posts are a mixture of experience and wisdom that just comes. He's a natural storyteller and in fact writing is his world in more ways that his blog. I reviewed his book, Sixty Seconds: One moment changes everything, in my other blog- Spiritual Market Reviews, and yes, I love it!

So what you see in this blog is a mixture of tough love and inspiration, spices of all kinds, and a lot of leavening.
Tough Love: Beware of Woundology

Pain has its privileges. Those who adopt a victim mentality may use their wounds to manipulate and control situations and people; after all, suffering can be a convenient excuse for dodging responsibilities. Others discover that, after a lifetime of attending to others, they relish being attended to.

Spice: Neale Donald Walsch Addresses Suicide

Something immensely important is gained during the years we are preparing to make our major contribution. Do not confuse gain with loss. There is nothing lost in learning, and all the experience of all the years will serve you dramatically one day.

Leavening: Stay Close to the Fire

As you accept the notion of a divine intelligence at work in the world, your awareness of and appreciation for the perfection of God’s plan gradually expands.

As a devoted father, Phil taps into the part of parental joy that carries on even after your children are grown and out of the house- be prepared to know and love his daughter, Erin for her innocent and delightful childhood. This post, inspired me to start my own book for my son Ean (who recently told me when very, very mad that he was going to "vote for McCain!" since I like Obama!).

So, if you want to find a rounded, responsive author who is in love with life, check out Triumph of the Spirit. Thanks Phil for all you do, say, create...and next time you're in SF, let's have some more blueberry cheesecake!

Feed: Posts
URL: http://bolstablog.wordpress.com/

2009 and New Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:50:00 +0000

To my readers:

Over the last few months I've done much growing and appreciate your many emails to me about special blogs! I will be increasing my posting frequency over the next few months to accommodate the large numbers of active people with blogs that should be found!

However, this unfortunately means that my posts will be shorter and not as in depth...so that means I'll be relying you to help me out- correct and add things that I miss!

So-stay tuned!

Discover your Compassion.
Discover your Wisdom.

Darcy

Good to Feel Good Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:14:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Law of Attraction, Abundance, Change
Something that touched me: My personal process of "uncovering" brings currents of joy and difficulty into my life. I continually apply a steady hand to the rudder of my "spiritual ship" so I am not swept away in the emotion. But this past year I have been on a tremendous growth curve with a struggle against "going unconscious" with my actions and thoughts. For me, "going unconscious" simply means falling into a safe, secure pattern of old thought and action, particularly when my habitual self-thoughts are challenged. In fact, this not-so-convenient cycle of mine reflects something that I really don't like thinking applies to me (but absolutely does), a lack of self-confidence.

Often, many of us feel unworthy to have all our hearts desires. Perhaps this is due to the amount of self talk we’ve previously used on ourselves, or perhaps it was inherited from family and friends. Or maybe it was both. Either way, lack of self-confidence is our chief enemy and our greatest weakness.

This post, The Starting Point of All Miracles, presents thoughts and a process of moving past self-confidence problems to create the life you want. Here are the first two steps in a list of six.

Self-Confidence Formula

First. I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Purpose in life, therefore, I DEMAND of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.

Second. I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality, therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture of that person.

Review: Coming to us from Costa Rica is Gary Evan's blog specifically centered around the Law of Attraction. On the one hand, this blog seems like a journal for Gary's systematic testing of his personal application of the Law of Attraction. On the other, it is a venue for distributing the wealth of proven methodologies that he has read, reviewed, applied and written about in his downloadable guides. The whole of it is easy to read and a continual reminder that implementing the law of attraction is a process that requires persistence, but shouldn't be hard work.

Whatever you feed your conscious mind over and over again and then mix emotion with the thought, will be sent to the subconscious mind. According to Napoleon Hill, it is part of the subconscious mind that is talking to the universe which determines ultimately what you will attract using the Law of Attraction. -My Subconscious Addiction

The textbook for Gary's blog is Napolean Hill's Think and Grow Rich. You don't need to go out and buy this book if you don't have it on hand- All of the principles are covered in the blog in one form or another with quotes in practically every other post. Gary dissects phrases and chapters with a neat precision that has obviously applied to his own attraction process. Example:

To complete our study of autosuggestion, I have quoted Napoleon on a three step process that summarizes the 6-step definite action plan laid out in chapter 1. He provides us with a brilliant example of how precisely to apply this knowledge. -3 Step Process to Riches

Gary brings a new set of eyes into the Law of Attraction category and acts as a set of bi-focals to bring focus and attention to processes readers may be looking at. In today's world, Gary can help to sharpen your commitment to moving beyond the web of "lack" and into the world of "abundance." Many thanks, Gary, for your sharing your journey in such an abundant way!

Feed: I didn't see one but thanks to commenter below: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GoodToFeelGood

URL: http://www.goodtofeelgood.com/blog/

Changing your thoughts to focus upon positive aspects most of the time is a time consuming challenge and will require persistence and a real determination to change. It will be a lot of work, but it will not be hard work.

Personally, I think that a lot of people perceive it to be “hard” work and so they give up and go back to their mediocre lifestyles. Let’s put this into perspective, if feeling good and imagining your desires as if they are already here is hard work, then something has gone horribly wrong in your deciphering of what it is that you want.
-How Do I Use the Law of Attraction

So You Want To Create A Spiritual Blog?

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:19:00 +0000

Well folks, this post will stray a bit from my usual review style to address something that it seems many of you are interested in: how to create a spiritual blog. There is a big question in many minds of exactly how to go about doing this, and the short answer is really simple- sign up for a free blog and then put your spirit into it.

The longer answer is a bit more involved, and I'd like to draw on the much more credible minds of some professional bloggers and the wide world of the Internet for details. I will also put forward my experience and what I look for in a blog to review (which you might want to remember is completely subjective).

Here's what I'd like to discuss:

Why you want a blog

How to create a blog

What makes a blog "spiritual"

What to expect

My experience and what I look for

Why do you want a blog?

As my friend Sol Lederman says, "I quit my job to have more time to myself, became a professional blogger, and now have even less time than before." Blogging takes dedication, commitment and some kind of self-described passion. Think of it as an online journal which you can choose to keep to yourself, or share. Most of the blogs that I see or hear about are from those of you wishing to share who you are, your experiences, your beliefs or even to teach. Some of you have begun to blog not about current writings or thoughts, but about past journalings and stories. But the desire to blog for the majority of bloggers seems to stem from the desire to be heard on some level (even if it is just the cavernous blogosphere) and perhaps even interact with those who visit your site.Some things to consider:

Do you want a public or private (invite only) blog?
What is it that you want people to "get" from your blog?
What type of reader do you want to attract?
How much passion will you express?
Is your passion sustainable?

Most people feel like they wouldn't have anything important to post about ... of course sometimes that's true but for the most part I think people would genuinely surprise themselves at how much they really have to write about ... once they start. Getting started is the hardest part. -Kim Wencl

How to create your blog

Now for the easy part! I have created several blogs in my blogging lifetime and each one takes time and thought but is essentially easy to create, even if you think you are technically ignorant! I use Blogger as my web host and blogging software, but many also use Wordpress or other online blog hosts. Most of these are pretty easy to set up and all have tutorials for you, but there are a few differences I think are notable. Blogger seems to be a better platform for the beginner who just wants to get a blog started. There are plenty of "widgets" to add in (those fun things you see on the side of a blog) and navigation is simple. Wordpress, on the other hand is slightly more challenging for the newbie, and more suited to those that may have a bit of coding or computer experience. Navigation is not as easy as in Blogger, but Wordpress offers a wider variety of widgets and more opportunities to customize.

Here are a few tutorials:

How Stuff Works

About.com

You may also want to scout around the Internet for other information that might be more suited to what you want to do. There is plenty out there! But there are few things to keep in mind when creating your blog like ease of navigation, presentation, theme, social networking, analytics and ads. Don't forget to set up an RSS feed (try Feedburner). I would suggest exploring different blogs and when you find one that you like, imitate! Chances are, if you like it, others who come to your blog will as well!

What makes a Spiritual Blog?

The benefits of creating a spiritual blog, as opposed to a spiritual website are notable. Spiritual websites tend to be static, meaning they don't change frequently, so they are better for stores and spiritual products or services. (Please see my site Spiritual Market Reviews for more information on these!) Spiritual blogs, on the other hand can get up close and personal on a variety of levels, not excluding marketing a product or service. They can be the running commentary that your mind has as you try to meditate, or the love you feel for your child, or customer testimonials of your intuitive reading service. OR, it can be all of the above plus some!

But here is something to remember: A "spiritual" blog only has to be "spiritual" to you.

With that said, there are a few things that personally, I think help a blog fall under the "spiritual" category. These aren't really much to go on, so you might need to think on this a bit more...

The blog does not necessarily have a religious affiliation, or if it does, it is not dogmatic or overly narrow in thinking.
It expresses an exploration of a very personal, very moving emotional, physical, mental or spiritual healing or path.
It aligns with other blogs that are considered "spiritual" in the blogosphere.

What to expect

Your blog most likely won't be a success overnight. If you want a highly trafficked blog, then you need to market it. I know, that seems to contradict the ways we "spiritual folk" like to think, but I can assure you, it's quite true. On the Internet, in order for the world to find you and marvel at what you're saying, you need to scatter your breadcrumbs. Start building some credibility in the blogosphere by writing posts, commenting on other blogs, linking back to other blogs and helping Google find you. Many spiritual bloggers just have a knack for "getting found" but when I "find" their site, it's usually because they've done a couple of key optimization tactics that have drawn me in. And once you get found, word spreads. The spiritual blogosphere is a friendly world!

Here are a few links on helping others to find your blog:

My experience and what I look for

Having reviewed quite a number of blogs of all shapes and colors and diverse messages, I can only see one common thread among them all: the authors have found a way to connect with themselves through blogging, and through that have connected with others. This doesn't usually happen overnight; a blogger begins a blog, and then somewhere down the road finds his/her voice. Which leads me to the first thing I look for- how many posts does the blog have? If it is a new blog, chances are the blogger is still mulling over post material and checking analytics every hour. My policy is usually about 3-6 months of blog posts.

As I peruse a blog, if I notice mistake after mistake in sentences such as simple misspellings or grammatical errors I get a bit perturbed. Not to say I dont mke my fare share of them myself, but unless I see some pretty amazing posts I may just pass that blog up. Remember, there is a spellchecker built in to most blogging software!

The posts themselves (as you will see if you've perused my blog) vary from highly talented authors, to intellectuals to heartfelt expressions and all of these are perfect because they have defined the flavor of the blog. The words, the tone, the phrases, the stories all make up a unique scent that identifies the author in the crowded blog universe. The more the author pours themself into their blog, the cleaner the blog's fragrance. At the risk of taking hyperbole too far, I suppose it is kind of like pheromones; bloggers got 'em, and only the readers who can smell 'em will clamor to their screen.

When I land on a blog, one of the things I want to have happen is for something in the blog to touch me, hold my hand, punch me in the stomach, put me into an alpha state or make my big toe jump. If it doesn't do that to me, do I think it will do that to others? If not then I usually make a call to move on. If so, I look to see what the consistent theme of the blog is, and how it is interwoven in the posts.

Speaking of consistency, most bloggers don't seem to have any trouble with regular posting, UNLESS we're in a dry spell. Nevertheless, regular posting is very important whether 3 times a day or every two months.

Last but not least...

There are other bloggers out there who write about well, writing, blogging and posting and do so with a "spiritual" bent. If you are new to blogging, or want to improve your writing I would suggest a visit to Slade at Shift your Spirits. You may find or know of others out there as well, and please do leave a comment with the information! If I have left something critical out, or you have questions, let me know and I'll add to the post! Good luck and happy blogging!

Photo credits-me and all from my yard! Taken of my back slope, my son, and my patch of four-leafed clovers.

Spiritual Market Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:54:00 +0000

To all of you excellent bloggers who offer a product or service of a "spiritual nature" you may be interested in my brand spankin' new blog, Spiritual Market Reviews. It is so new, that I actually have NOTHING on it yet. So that's where I need some help. If you, or anyone you know has a spiritual product, service or store, I'd like to get them on the site!

I'm excited about the opportunity to bring yet another service to this amazing, online community of seekers. So instead of offering just "another" venue for selling, I'd like to offer a simple review of a product, service or store (depending on information that I'm given, or personal evaluation) which would be categorized and labeled as suggested by the seller. The beauty of a review? It almost certainly will eliminate cheesy, fake, fly-by-night, or otherwise scammy sellers from hocking their wares to the unsuspecting...or so I hope.

I've also created a Google Map specific for this blog, so if you are looking for a service in a particular area (ex. Readings, Reiki, Massage, Photography, Counseling, etc) forget having to scroll through a list of cities (provided the location address is provided to me).

Other ideas that might make this site better? Please let me know!

URL: http://spiritualmarketreviews.blogspot.com

Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:27:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Books, Healing, Growth, Awareness, Surviving Child Abuse, Emotions

Something that touched me: Well now, I scrolled completely through this site thinking to myself, "I am not going to write about surviving incest...nope" because in the back of my mind I must have some judgment on admitting something like that to you, my anonymous readers. However, in my quest for a different post, or any other post to touch me in some way other than this one - well, the epiphany struck: I'm running from fear of exposure. I'm about ready to put some walls up. My throat closed off, I almost closed the site. I almost ran away to some nice, fluffy spiritual site. But I'll be the first to admit, spirituality isn't all about fluff. So, if that ain't a prime example of being touched, I don't know what is. Here from Boundaries and Inappropriate Behaviors:

Because of the abuse, I had walls that I hid the real me and the wounded me behind. Walls are not boundaries. Walls are rigid. Walls are solid. They kept you out and also kept me a prisoner trapped in the abuse. In hiding from you and life, I was just existing, getting through each day, just going through the motions of surviving and not really being touched by anyone or anything, a prisoner of my own fears. If I let you get too close, you would hurt me. The walls that protected me also kept me a prisoner of fear and despair.

Review: As I read this blog, I could almost see Patricia, lightworker and woman extraordinaire chiseling away at some adobe brick wall, flaking the mortar off, and examining the block with every single sense. It's a "tearing down the wall" metaphor on many levels with the motion of revealing clearly coming through in the posts.

Many (over 30) of Patricia's posts are devoted to surviving incest and all that goes with it, from the processing of emotions like grief and fear to the books, thoughts and community that may be able to help. In Gift of Facing Your Fears she says:

People keep telling me that I am courageous to write about incest. I am not any more brave than anyone else. I have just reached the grand age of 56 years old where I don't care as much what other people think about me as I once did. I do care. At 56, my opinion of me is the most important. Doing what is right for me has become more important than your opinion of me.

So with that said, many of her other posts deal with coming out of what I think of as "survival mode" or victimhood. They cover a wide range of emotions and thoughts from courage and grief to forgiveness. Her ability to clearly express her own emotions on a topic while filtering compassion to her readers into the post is extraordinary. She has an excellent blogroll for blogs dealing with healing from sexual abuse as well as blogs contributing to the health of the mind, the body and the spirit. For, coming into oneself encompasses a whole houseful of cleaning activities...Here's an example from Forgiveness Is For You; Not The Other Person:

Forgiveness is something that you do for you. Until you can forgive, you continue to carry around hurt, anger, hate, sorrow---all deep emotions that affect your body, the way you see yourself, the way you see other people, and the way you see your world. Not forgiving can keep you stuck in all of these emotions.

The beauty of Patricia's blog is in the simplicity of her sharing. This is a woman who has gone through the forest and come out a hero. Her blog reveals her delving into the past, her yearning for presence and her encompassing belief in the human spirit. Whether you have experienced sexual abuse or not, this blog site is informative and touching- Thank you Patricia.

Feed: Posts

URL: http://patriciasingleton.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer

The information that you will find on this website and blog are written to be strictly educational or entertaining. I do not claim to be a counselor or a teacher. I am a fellow traveler through this Life. I have thoroughly researched my life and my issues. My desire is to help others through sharing my knowledge and experiences. If you don't want to feel anything, please leave my site. If you want to stay asleep, leave now. My blog is about awareness, my awareness of my life. I accept no responsibility for how you use what you read here. What you do with this information is entirely at your discretion. Seek professional help, if needed.
Feel free to share my words and articles with others. I ask only that you change nothing about the articles and that you give me credit as the author.

Patricia Singleton

Silver Maple

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:02:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Unitarian Universalism, Druidry, Paganism, NLP
Something that touched me: Probably the very first thing I looked at when I saw this blog was the picture that denotes the author, his avatar. As he says:

This is free Microsoft business clip art and has been out there for many years. The keywords associated with it are-

arrows, business, businessmen, choices, choosing, crossroads, decisions, dilemmas, directions, doubts, fork in the road, futures, men, metaphors, night sky, paths, persons, roads, scratching head, signs, stars, travels, uncertain

Perhaps this is an accident and the artist simply made an interesting picture? Perhaps there is a guerilla paganista artist at Microsoft sneaking in bits of really interesting pagan clip art? The jury is still out on this one, but it seems unlikely that the faery crossroads and the four elements and center could have appeared here so succinctly without some intent.

The funny thing is, I've used this picture in a power point presentation! In the presentation, this picture symbolized the confusion confronting a researcher to find information as they explore the "deep web." Of course, as this picture is described above, I can see why I used it so readily!

Review: The Silver Maple, although the national symbol for Canada, means something completely different for David, author of the blog by the same name. And since many of David's posts touch on druidry, I would advise you to move past thinking of the Silver Maple as "just a tree." As I have found an excellent and articulate mission statement written by David, I figured I'd put it here in entirety. The beauty of this mission statement is not only David's clearly stated goals for his blog, but also an invitation to those traveling a similar path. This, from the post Silver Maple FAQ:

Mission
This blog is dedicated to exploration. Exploring our shared pagan past - particularly 1983 which I am completely fixated upon. Exploring my own past through writing - knowing full well that thinking will not help, but sometimes writing draws from a deeper well. Exploring what it means to be a certified rationalist who finds that given a mystery, the only logical response is to join a mystic Order. Exploring the connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, objects, beings and events and experiencing the joy of discovery.
This exploration is joyful, but there is an underlying darkness too. So, this blog will explore the fine line between being a spiritual tourist and a spiritual seeker. It will explore the nature of sacrifice and ego and compassion.
And finally, this blog will empower my INTP rationalist tribe on their own paths. Our spirituality is different than anyone else's and often unexplainable in traditional terms. Let this blog be a beacon unto my enslaved people!

David brings his exploring to different levels...as a reader, you are on an intellectualized adventure, a recording of notable sojourns out of ego, out of mind, out of judgement...or, perhaps I should say into trees, into NLP, into curiosity, into compassion. For example, from the post Dialog with the Heart:

I asked for a heart of compassion and the wish was granted for a brief time. Judging abandoned me. I saw this rhythm in people, their personal rightness though it was not a rightness that I would embrace for myself. My heart felt like it literally had doors that were wide open and would not shut. It required no work at all.

And that, I note, is kind of a subset of David's exploratory theme: his ability and desire to dip into the machine of the universe, on whatever level that may be from brain mechanics to the genus of a tree, and still see the mystery and marvel in it. There is a great phrase that David uses throughout his blog- "Druid geeks only..." or "Extreme Druid geekiness..." If you feel that you fit into this category, you should certainly check out Silver Maple. Not only will you be pleasantly surprised by the xylem and phloem of Silver Maple, but by the forest of friends, peers and fellow bloggers that seem to have grown up around David. Enjoy, and many thanks to David for this wonderful blog!

Feed: RSS Feed
URL: http://dmiley.livejournal.com/

There is a Sound

There is a Sound,
That supports the World.

It is tree dance
And brook babbling.
It is summer storm and volcano.
It is in us and apart.
As loud as sleigh bells -
Still, you may not hear it.

Touch tree.
Face fear.
Light fire.
Dance in moonlight.
Make love.
Sing.

The Sound is silent
Til you sing it.

-There is a Sound

Linkbacks and updates

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:32:00 +0000

If your blog has been reviewed by me, and you would like to linkback blogside to the review on Spiritual Blog Reviews, I've created three different pics for you. Thanks to Prema for suggesting this! If you are interested in putting one of these up, please email me.

Also, please help me keep your information accurate by emailing me on changed information and broken links. (Feel free to keep reminding me as sometimes I get a bit behind on email)

A big THANK YOU to all for making Spiritual Blog Reviews the Number One result on a Google Search for Spiritual Blogs! It is my great hope that every seeker who finds this site can click through to a community, a thought, an author or an interest that may resonate with them. Namely, YOUR SITES! I'd also like to recognize the many, many emails that I get (which I don't always respond to, but please keep them coming!) suggesting excellent blogs for future reviews. Thank you!

Suggestions on how I can improve this site? Or, perhaps you'd like to contribute a review of your own? I'm interested and hope to hear from you. This site is about the spiritual blog community, a world that's getting wider and deeper by the minute as more and more people define what "spiritual" means to them and decide to write about it online.

With love, honor and respect,

Darcy

Indranet

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:21:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Technology, Meditation, Tantra, Psychology

Something that touched me:

I've seen some horrifying things in life, but nothing quite like watching my son plop down in front of a television set and become a lifeless zombie like creature, nonreactive to even the words "ice-cream." This zombie-mode is well known and I've heard countless jokes over the years. But I didn't know that the phenomenon can actually be attributed to alpha-waves and is explained in this article:

Meditation and staring at a screen share the same brain waves, but are actually different internal states. It seems that looking at a screen hooks people seducing them with a fake feeling of relaxation through the presence of alpha waves and even lower brain frequencies.

This relaxation, though, not being integrated with an attentive and aware observation of the contents of the mind (as happens in meditation) gives rise instead to an internal restlessness and stress, often unrecognized until it becomes full-blown.

What's interesting, and as many mother's already know, is to question what exactly my son is learning from this pseudo-meditative commercialized input? I suppose I can take a gander- he came to me the other day and said so clearly in his 31/2-year old voice, "I love John McCain."

Review: I come across a lot of "technology luminary" types who have their thumb on the pulse of search, the internet and new technologies. Between you and I, at some point, the lingo, the discussions and the ideas fall into some categorized part of the mind and I begin yearning for something More. And then I found Indranet.

Meet Ivo Quartiroli, a logical mind tempered with breath, action and passion. Let me just attempt on this simple blog page to categorize in one word what Indranet's theme might be: Connection. Just think for a moment about what form connection takes in your life and on what levels. I may be presumptive in saying that those of you who are reading this are fairly "plugged in" to the world of computers whether on the user level or more advanced levels. You may appreciate that Ivo has delved deeply into the association between the soul of technology and the spirit of humanity. Example: from the post I Click Therefore I am, Toward Outsourcing our Identity:

Our identities are becoming ever more fluid, we feel affiliated with various situations with only a part of ourselves. The real communities of family and friends too are now more like windows which maybe we would prefer to also manage in our computers. Lifelogging projects want to extend the scope of our life activities which are processed and managed online.

The questions raised by Ivo in his superbly crafted articles (indeed, they go beyond the scope of just posts) beg the reader to examine his/her place before the computer, the TV, the blackberry or bluetooth. Can you go a bit deeper and think about words like anonymity, global consciousness, and social networking in the context of this paragraph from Wireless communication and reality mining as a reflection of pervasive consciousness:

I observed that through our technological achievements humans unconsciously attempt to produce realms that emulate more advanced psychological and spiritual levels of human development, levels that can't be reached by the conceptual mind. What is achieved through technology is a simulation of the mystical conditions of a global mind that pervades the universe. The longing toward rejoining with the global mind is felt by every human being, but when we still identify ourselves with our individual ego and mind, we can't abandon those and be embraced by a wider mind. Nonetheless we unconsciously perceive a faint echo of the spiritual global realms and we construct through technology a simulated reflection of a pervasive conscious universe. This pale reflection on the technological level won't threaten our individual ego, still not ready to melt with the global consciousness.

True to form, Ivo explores connection on levels within levels; The self, the input and output, the social sphere, the spiritual realm, the physical realm, sexual intimacy... connection implies firewire in all necessary channels to achieve a higher level. From the post Disembodying at Broadband Speed:

Our sense of personal identities is much connected to the presence of our body and its feedbacks. Mystics say that when a person becomes spiritually enlightened, the connection with his body/mind is not the same as before since the identification with our limited structures is being replaced by a wider embrace.

I suspect that Ivo is something of a bibliophile, as you will find quotes and ideas from a variety of books, some of which may just inspire you to check them out from your local library. Whether or not you feel a connection with Indranet, Ivo's search for integrated awareness as presented to his readers provides a refreshing look at the technology of humanity from a luminary's perspective. Many thanks to you Ivo!

Feed: Posts Comments
URL: http://www.indranet.org/

This unification process of internal energies didn’t come as a “technical” skill, but as giving light with awareness at what was preventing the integration of the heart and the body. And much of what I saw in myself was rooted in collective religious conditionings, even though I had not personally been much conditioned in that sense. Those collective messages are stronger than our personal or family histories; they are just in the thoughts sphere that is breathed in by everyone.

--Port 2.0

Practical Spirituality

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:32:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Family, Inspiration, Astrology, Motherhood, Gratitude, Dance

Something that touched me: Tumbling-what a fascinating number of applications that word has in my life. I recently visited the beach in Encinitas, CA and could have walked for days picking up rock after rock, polished smooth by the rolling, and washing, and tumbling of the ocean. And rocks don't complain about the loss of minerals, or the disintegration of a quartzite vein. In fact, all I saw was serenity as they sat, basking in the sun, roost for a fly, shelter for a crab, bathed by the tide and admired by me. Earlier this year, I found myself not quite so content with my own personal tumbling. Why would my computer have the gall to crash, sickness invade my household, finances sneer in my face and yet another frost kill my seedlings? Family death and friends giving life all wrapped up into a span of weeks.

I think trying to keep your feet on the ground is instinctual on some level. Where spirit kicks in is in the process of just lifting them up and tumbling, grounded in the consciousness that you are present in polishing yourself.

Here's an inspiration: Being Tumbled. I love the way Staci moves her words together, as if they were the rocks tumbling with her:

Today I feel open, curious, my vision feels sensitive as it adjusts from underground to daylight. I have decided to trust this constant slow. Something is growing here in the almost stillness. I am blessed to be able to stay with it.

Review: If you sit for a moment and recall something that you created- a pot, a garden, a poem, a blog, a child...think in the moments leading up to it's completion of the anticipation, then the exhilaration, the gratitude when complete, the responsibility of what to do with it afterward, the maintenance. Let me distill it down: with the birthing of something comes a whole slough of movements arising from it's creation. Practical Spirituality swirls around those everyday movements. Not so coincidentally, the author, Staci Boden is a certified Doula, helping women with their own magical child birthing moments (although the site is not limited to this in scope). For an in depth view of Staci's helping hands and heart, view her profile page.

Everyone experiences the moments of revelation differently, but Staci certainly has a unique and powerful way of expressing, delivering and involving her readers. Throughout her posts you'll see simple lines that might hit you contraction hard. Here's one from A Visit With Shakti that I empathized with: While on the outside I may look like a domesticated mother, inside a creative fire burns, fueling an ecstatic hunger to express.

Really, whether you're a mother or not, sometimes, the skin seems so mundane to hold such passion. I think part of Staci's journey that she shares on her blog is about bringing forward that exuberance for life-yes, even from an ordinary looking persona. For example, in her post entitled Are you hungry for meaning she puts a little shape into what she believes "spirituality" to be:

The term “spiritual” often leads to religion and God. But for me spirituality is simply a hunger for meaning. It is hopefully something that we can lean on during hard times. It offers insight into how we treat ourselves and others. Spirituality is a relationship with the unknown mystery of life; an energy that is difficult to quantify or touch. It’s not something we can use to get what we want so we can feel more in control over life’s challenges.

I think Staci honors the Unknown in her blog in subtle ways- by addressing the mystical connection (as in A messenger from the unknown: A big messenger in forming a relationship with the unknown is synchronicity.), or physically acknowledging the space a body takes on the journey to form that relationship. Here's a beautiful post on Dance entitled Movement is my medicine:

What makes moving spiritual for me is the opportunity to become aware as I dance. On a good day, I experience many levels of learning at once. I feel my body from the inside. I notice how energy expresses itself through me. As my feet move up and down, the earth holds me; as my arms open high, the stars shine and replenish me. Joy and grief transform through my skin as damp release. Thoughts come and hopefully, they go. Dreams arrive and grow into ideas.

Growth, dreams, birthing, dancing, nurturing, sharing and learning--here swirls Staci Boden. Enjoy her blog and her beauty. Thank you Staci for sharing your richness and wealth.

After about 8 months of letting go, diving inward, falling into the unknown and just being, form is birthing me into surprising directions. Along the way I have done my best, not always gracefully, to listen and follow. Some of my choices made no sense to the outside world. For years. But I’m seeing that if I hadn’t traveled here or there I would have missed essential threads in the tapestry of faith that is just now coalescing into being.
I now recognize how rare in life these moments are and am so grateful for the reminder to trust–myself and the unknown. I am a baby touching the tip of grandma’s wisdom, marveling at her presence.

-Sacred Life Sunday: Connection

Feed: RSS and Email

URL: http://practicalspirit.wordpress.com/

Holistic Personal Development

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Health, Personal Development, Consciousness, Perception
Something that touched me: It is so strange to all of the sudden wake up and realize how my walk through the last few months has been so unconscious. Bringing myself back to the present moment brings myself back to joy--It's easier said than done, as we all know- I can't tell you how many business meetings I've been in recently where I've planned out what I'm having for dinner, reinforced my evening schedule, and created a to-do list in my head a mile long. Of course, we find the balance between this frantic, fast paced culture within ourselves, each in our own way. My guidance is the present. Awareness of the joy of being alive, appreciation for those around me, observation of beauty, flowing of events, emoting, retreating, releasing...

Here's a post that allowed some reinforcement of my flow for me- The Head and the Heart.

When we use consciousness to give us direction in life, we become more and more aligned with the power of Infinite Consciousness that pervades the universe. This power gives the will to be conscious to all that is finite in the universe – to be in harmony with the symphony called life. It is the power that evolves the soul from lower life forms to higher life forms. It is the power that propels everyone, in their own perfect time, from lives of limitation and ignorance to the eternal experience of Infinite Power, Knowledge, and Bliss.

Review: While the term "holistic" tends to be bandied about fairly often, I would say this blog is aptly named for content and feel and aligns with the true sense of the word. The author, Gregory Allen Butler says this about his blog:

Holistic personal development differs from traditional approaches to personal development by having one primary prerequisite: an inner connection to the source of being. That is the awakening of conscious awareness. When that is made, personal development becomes a process of effortless mastery.

"A process of effortless mastery"- I find this term so appropriate to this blog. Each post supports this process in one way or another. Most of the posts are instructive and some others personal, or at least express flavorful opinion. Here's an interesting question from the post Wrecking Ball through the Wall on conditions we create in our lives:

The world is so out of balance. People, after all, are dying of starvation while others are dying of obesity. It seems to me that more people care about winning the lottery than finding inner peace. More people care about who wins the Super Bowl than how much of the polar ice caps melt.
How did this state of affairs come about? This state of spiritual ignorance. A state of existence whose priorities are skewed from egoism and selfish considerations. How is it that we live in a world where disharmony, greed and selfishness are not even listed in DSM IV, the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders?

Moving past conditioning may not be as effortless as we would like, but there are some great tools placed before us on this blog. If you are looking for something to help you out of a rut, or give you that one phrase to make it all "click", you just might find it here. When the downward spiral flows in, this site might wash something up...(In fact, I searched the blog site for the term "downward spiral" and it actually came up with a post. Not surprising as Gregory has posted regularly since November of 2006.)

While you may think this sounds like a self help book blog, I would advise against scoffing and waving your hand toward your sagging bookshelf. Finding something interesting on this site is simple. Applying it, not so simple, perhaps... Like Holistic Goal Setting, parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-"How many times have you decided on a course of action and simply didn’t follow through with it?"

This blog is a motivating and challenging opportunity for spiritual seekers to find nuggets of wisdom to adopt a more holistic lifestyle. Thank you Gregory for your contributed observations as you follow your own bliss!

Feed: Entries and Comments
URL: http://holistic-personal-development.com/

A soul on fire with longing for the infinite is a soul free from the ruts of conditioned thinking. It’s like the drop of water making its way down a ditch, to a stream, to a river, to finally reach the ocean. And in doing so, discovering that it is the Ocean itself.
-Patterns of Consciousness

Welcome Back

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:13:00 +0000

Yes, it's been a while since my last post. It's certainly not for lack of activity in my life! As many of you know, the speed of life with a small child very often rivals the speed of a Wall Street businessman's life. Sometimes, it's essential to put all of our electronics aside, camp, go to the beach and just be with yourself...go to ground, so to speak.

So I'm back- and weaving between work travel, work commute and three-year-old will be posts on excellent blogs. Please stay tuned!

Darcy

Shift Your Spirits

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:14:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Spirit Guides, Spiritual Blogging, Writing, Angels, Webpage design
Something that touched me: So I'm sitting here in Las Vegas, of all places, between conference classes for marketing, exhibiting and trade show professionals. I'm focused on why I'm here- to learn how to make my company's message concise, clear and enticing on the display floor. What's our story and how do we set ourselves apart from the myriad other search engine creators out there kind of thing.

Admittedly, there's not a whole heck of a lot of excitement in a search box, relevance ranking and clustering of terms. What is the trick to writing so that people glean something of value and walk away nodding saying, "yes, I want to read more?" In the high-tech industry I find it challenging. But even my personal message needs refining at times. How do I differentiate myself, amidst these women and men in business suits with cell phones pressed against their ear and serious looks of concentration? I simply SMILE at everyone.
Of course, there's more to writing copy than smiling-and not all books are helpful, but Slade is. Here's an excerpt from Spinning Your Story:

I’d like to continue my thoughts on the difference between Your Story/Your Identity and the details, events, and plot-line “ingredients” of your life.
A time-line of details, or the conflict of events, is only a small part of a story. Consider Patricia’s articles about abuse — it’s not your fault if you are victimized (an event). You can’t choose what external forces invade your life; you can’t control the actions of other people.
So what do you do with a story of abuse? What do you do with a story of disease or some other tragic hardship?
Spin
You do what any good storyteller, journalist, writer, or filmmaker does — you choose the energy of a story that transcends the details. There’s not a single person on the planet who doesn’t have all the necessary ingredients for tragedy. But look at the recipe for Stories of Survivors — the details, the actions, the events — the elements that make up the story of a Victim are the same raw materials that you can use to tell the story of a Survivor.

Review: Slade Roberson- His name fluttered across my screen for the first time when I started blogging last year. I have since run across his name at least once per month (usually more) from bloggers who reference him, his site and his advice. Slade says:

My own blogging mission is two-fold:

to inspire you to shift your perspective on the life you are already living into the unique, powerful, spiritual mission you know it’s supposed to be

to show you how to use simple, extraordinary, web-based tools you already have access to — like email and blogs — to share your mission with the world

The bouquet of topics Slade talks on is refreshing and really does fulfill his blogging mission--you'll see topics from writing to spirit guides. Of course, on one level this makes perfect sense- there has always been the mysterious muse that graces the page. But Slade doesn't infer that he's inspired by some nebulous pen; he writes about communicating with spirit guides frequently, but also on communication with people. Every post you read seems to be about connection - with you, with me, with spirits, with nature, with angels, with blogs, etc.

Slade is clairaudient- which means he "hears things"...But instead of just relating the words, Slade actually shares the process, the journey, communication tips and revelations. Here's an excerpt from Ghost in the Flame Part 1:

“What is your name?” I immediately asked him.
“Harris,” he said clearly, in a sound I can’t call a whisper, because it swelled, with a surge of layers, more volume — the name came like a chord, as if several voices spoke in unison, all of them his. Earthbound spirits often present names or simple sentences to me this way, with an eagerness and added force, like a very young child who has only recently discovered he can answer the question.

Why else visit the site of a man who sleeps with books and wears a magic ring? (7 Random and Weird Things About Me.) Because it's not just about spirits-it's about increasing awareness of the community of spirits that surrounds you, intangible or otherwise. If you're a blogger, this may be something you've thought about; how do you increase traffic to your blog? How do you write in a way to keep people coming back? How do you boost your subscribers? There are juicy articles just waiting for you to bite in on his Behind the Screens page. You'll also notice that Slade is VERY active with his comments--have a question? Expect an answer.

Along the same lines, many of you have written me asking for advice with your new blog. Here it is: go to Shift Your Spirits. Spend some time reading--there's a reason why Slade has over 60 comments on some of his posts-- He knows what he's doing and he's sharing it with us. Slade is just one of those foundational steps in the growing online spiritual community.

Many thanks, Slade, for opening so many doors for your readers!

This web site — this broadcast channel — this techno-vessel is just one of the strands of the Web where we communicate. This is just my thread in the tapestry of the Stories and the Mysteries. At any time, you may weave the silver cord and the sky blue hyperlinks of your own voice into this Chorus of Consciousness, this great big ball of conversation we call the Web.
Doesn’t It Sound Enormous?Way too big for such an ugly little word –blog.

From Why I Blog

Feed: Via feed or email subscription

URL: http://sladeroberson.com/

Awakening Sense

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:55:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Self-Inquiry, Psychology, Awakening
Something that touched me: I helped a friend try on a wedding dress today for a wedding that was cancelled last week. This couple had been serenely happy-in fact, I'd say blissful, until something jogged an old structural weakness in one of them and it all came tumbling down. They are working it out, but it made for interesting conversation over satin, beaded shoes and a friendly little seamstress who scrunched together the hemline and mentioned out of the blue "life is a series of simplicities all chunked together to form complexities." My friend, nearly in tears, held it in until we were alone and then gusted out her emotions about her ex-fiance-she loves him, but is beginning to demand respect. In order for her to reach this point, though, the whole thing needed to explode. The structure that they had built together prior to this point had a foundation of insecurities, control issues and platitudes all covered over with a nice layer of stucco. Reminded me of this post: Humpty Dumpty (pt. 1).

The Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme reminds me of our inner resistance to change, to acceptance, to transformation. Could it be that Humpty Dumpty is just afraid of change? Could he be hiding his own connection with spirit from himself?
If we allow our "old selves" to be dismantled and we are confident of a positive outcome then there is......a real opportunity. Dismantled means just to let things fall apart so they can be re-arranged more creatively.
This is the "adaptive mechanism" of spirit in action. It is the phoenix rising on whatever level we can let this happen. Finally it is becoming more human, more alive and more awake. It is accepting that the gift of Awakening Self is ever-present. (also see Humpty D. part 2)

Review: The idea of awakening, as you can guess from the title, is the main current of this blog. And this theme is swift and powerful. It's almost like wading into a lake for the first time and feeling your feet sink into a soft bottom when the surface is glassy...Awakening Sense, in my mind, is about pulling together the sinking feet, the flow of the water, and the crisp air you breathe into one single inhalation of consciousness- and each person is wading into the lake differently. I loved the acknowledgement of the metaphorical lake in this post "Common Domain."

How is awakening our "real common domain?"
One viewpoint: that it is an inevitable event for us all, that this is simply a matter of time and life-times. This event would be like a grand earthquake that levels the entire playing field of consciousness....and the one of the many becomes the One in its Unity State.
Another viewpoint: that awakening is like a series of tremors, a process of preparations. The starting point would be anywhere, because everything is part of the same big picture. This is a process common to us all. This is an activity we are all involved with whether consciously or unconsciously. Both viewpoints about awakening apply to us. We are all in the same boat, the same domain. Whatever we seek and desire is a reflection, no mater how distorted, of that Oneness that finally, or suddenly, becomes our True Common Domain.

There is a scholarly sense to this blog, but old-school, as though you are walking into a hidden back room where you might smell wine casks and expect a secret gnostic meeting. But the exploration of awakening from this Anonymous author (purposefully so, I might add) isn't dust- laden, by any means. These explorations carry with them that tingly feeling your foot gets when the blood rushes back into it after going to sleep. From the post "Credible Sources"--

These posts are original material, but not based on any spiritual "expertise" on my part. If asked what my credentials were I would say none in particular! I have simply re-configured what I have absorbed, pondered, and wondered about.
You will notice the lack of links to sources and resources. Why is that? To emphasize the Inner Resource that each one can link with; to underline that each of us actually can recognize and do this in their own way.

If you're looking for a blog to make your feet tingle, well, this may not be it. But it may make your mind tingle, and possibly open your heart up a little more so the blood can rush in. The navigation on the blog is simple-there are only three categories. But if you want to start with the basics of what this excellent blog is about, try this Overview page. Otherwise, let the lake bottom squeeze between your toes, steady yourself in the current and breathe deep. Many thanks to our unknown author for the very present and very real Awakening Sense.

Remembrance is one of the great spiritual keys; remembrance of Self, of the Beloved One. It opens doors and invites new insights and new feelings. Part of the natural cycle of remembrance is forgetfulness, indifference, doubt, etc......in other words these are natural reactions by those parts of us that are in fact not so natural.

From Key to the Treasure

Feed: Yes
URL: http://awakeningsense.typepad.com/

Druid Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Druidry, Linguistics, Paganism, Psychology, Children, Tarot

Something that touched me: My son and I have been walking every evening after dinner to bring the day to a close, spend some quality time together and to stretch our legs and hearts. Since it's dark at 7:30 at night, sometimes he insists on holding my hand because of monsters. Other times, he's off like a shot, or will stop and listen for planes and dogs. For him, there's magic in the air-presences and visions and shadows and lights that so many adults have become immune to. Interestingly enough, many people have been telling him "there's no such thing as monsters." What an easy thing to say to a child afraid of the dark because of monsters. But the question begs to be asked..."Are there really monsters?" I thought this was an exquisite post, Children in Paganism, for the recognition of children's natural window to that other world:

And children seem like born polytheists. The world of nearly every child, even those of monotheistic parents, is populated with spirits and guides and gods of all kinds. Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Jack Frost (to pick few American favorites) are just the tip of the iceberg. My oldest daughter spotted fairies four times on her own while we were still waffling between Zen, agnosticism, and atheism, and one of her best school friends, whose parents are Christian, sees them even more frequently. And all children feel the power and presence lurking in odd corners and nooks in the house… places where adults rarely go, where darkness and silence are allowed to gather. The children can sense the goblins as well as the gnomes.

Review: There is a culture all to its own on this site. You can't help but be enamoured with the earthy, intellectual writing of Jeff Lilly. If you were one of those kids who voraciously read Tolkien again and again, you will find Jeff's analytical style on a wide variety of fascinating subjects appealing, from the structure of human consciousness to tarot, from meditation to children. The interesting thing about his posts isn't their "spiritual nature" but his ability to wordsmith just about any subject into a simple, natural and spirited unfolding of thought and logic. While he might be an academician, you'll be reading from a very solid base in paganism and earth-based exploration with detailed explanations of thoughts, meditations, poetry and theories. His fascination with language, the origination, and the the shaping of societal use of words mulches each post. In fact, he's created separate sites for equally fascinating roots and stems--Druid Journal Word of the Day, Name Analysis, and Meditations. Oh, did I mention that Jeff's a linguist?

Here's an example of Jeff's higher thought processes at work: We all have some familiarity with the "Law of Attraction" but have you ever heard it phrased "Positive, Specific, Timeless Intention Manifestation"? This post not only covers the basic premise, but actually methodically reviews Intention Manifestation beyond the mind from a linguistic point of view. Here's a snippet from the middle of the post (as a disclaimer- for full understanding, you'll need to read the entire post):

Common components of intentions like “for the good of all” may not be as effective as we’d like to hope, simply because “all” isn’t a word that Spirit can really “understand”. (Can you really understand it? Can your mind encompass “all”?) This isn’t to say the statement has no effect; it definitely packs a certain emotional punch, a sort of fullness of gratitude and generosity, that can’t be missed. But the literal meaning may be lost. It’s simply not specific enough. You might do better to say “the Earth” or “the Universe”.

The very first post outlines what Jeff's intentions were (and by my book, he's done a fine job of doing this and more.) I'm going to include his list of intentions here because they exemplify the flavor of his blog very well.

Welcome to my Druid Journal. This blog will be a chronicle of my entry into the Ancient Order of Druids in America. (You can read all about them here.) So this will be a different kind of blog, in the following ways:

1. It will be quite personal. I’m a solitary Druid, at least for the present, and this is my Druid Journal, so I’ll be spilling my heart all over the web page. When you visit the site, bring a Kleenex and a mop.

2. It’ll be eclectic. My interests range widely, from astronomy to Waldorf education, and this blog will cover all it, I’m sure. Druidry is a broad subject; it wanders freely under the vault of the sky.

3. It will have poetry, because I’ve selected poetry as one of my spirals. Now, many blogs have poetry, but this will be poetry written by a 33-year-old computational linguist, married with four children. So it will be different, in that unicorns and fairies will appear somewhat less often.

4. I will use my real name.

5. For better or worse, I will never use the acronyms “OMG”, “FWIW”, or “BTW”. I will also try very hard to avoid the :-), although I reserve the right to use it if the situation becomes desperate.

If you are looking for elegantly crafted posts that corner topics from unusual angles, ineffable theories brought to ground and successfully argued to conclusion, and the simple journaling of a druid exploring the world from the inside out, then you are in luck! (Or gheluc, it seems it was in times of yore per Jeff's Word of the Day site.)

Feed: In a Reader or Email

URL: http://druidjournal.net/

Want to be a Guest Reviewer?

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:07:00 +0000

I know that many of you know fantastic blogs that should be on here, and this is your opportunity to not only let others know about great spiritual blogs, but to let them see your own writing style and link to your blog as well. With so many suggestions pouring in, and my time limited to one post per week, I'd like to just open this site up to your posts.

Here's the criteria:
1) You can't review your own blog or one that you contribute to.

2) You must be a blogger yourself (and I'll make sure your blog is plugged with a URL and your name).

3) You need to follow the format that I have in place to give consistency to the site, but are welcome to embellish on lots of different levels.

4) The blogs must have been around for at least 6 months and have a good number of posts. Consistent publishing is key, even if it is only twice a month.

5) The site must be spiritual in nature...since this is rather a broad category if there are any questions on this, please email me.

6) Make it a good, meaty post. For your post to be a resource to other people, you will need to reference material from early posts to present.

7) If you review a blog, it's your responsibility to make sure that it stays up to date. If it goes offline, or the author stops publishing, then you'll need to make a note.

8) Play, Experiment and HAVE FUN! I have had so many opportunities for growth from my reviews and I hope you will too!

And last but not least--let me know if you have suggestions or comments that I didn't include here. There are so many people looking for "spiritual blogs" and it can be confusing if you're new to the blogosphere. Even if you're an old hat online, with the number of new blogs springing up every day, who can keep up? So please, feel free to contribute and bring your thoughts to this site! Just email me your review with suggested tags, links, pictures!

Many thanks for all of your great comments and suggestions!

Darcy

The Inner Travel Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:33:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Clarity of Mind, Emotional Balance, Spiritual Conciousness
Something that touched me: I have been experiencing an immense amount of anger lately. Anger at my boss, anger at my friends, anger at my boyfriend. Mentally, my first inclination is to suppress this, or control it, or meditate and become the observer. But I'll be honest, I'm ready to FEEL this. Five years ago, or even ten years ago, I would have said I was fairly emotionally intelligent. Now, I realize that I have skirted my own emotions by focusing on separating myself from them, rather than fully immersing myself in the passion, the power, and the raw life of my own emotions. I recognize that people all have different paths here. But for me at this point in my life, it is about letting go of the chokers holding my emotions in check and letting them seep through my blood, integrating their own brand of intelligence, without fear, without judgement--and then watching them expend their flame and bring calm. How amazing! Here's something that clicked for me from the post Experiencing Emotions:

Experiencing emotions. Just that. Not deciding if they’re positive or negative. Not trying to change them. Not trying to express them. Not trying to suppress them either. Not doing anything but - experiencing emotions.
At one level, experiencing emotions is what we do all the time. It’s a thoroughly joyful, beautiful, amazing experience. However, for most people that “level” seems to be totally out of reach, or at least far away from their daily awareness, daily experience of themselves. There are glimpses of joyfulness, here and there, but there’s no such thing as experiencing joy all the time.
For most, experiencing emotions is a pressure. It’s a problem. It’s a burden. It’s hard work. Why?

Review: I happened to spontaneously stumble onto this blog on one of my sojourns through the web recently...and realized it needed to be shared. In my words, this blog is about being true to yourself or realigning with the inner knowing. Let's say the theme of this blog could be about listening to yourself, not the books you're reading, blogs you subscribe to, people you meditate with, groups you pray with... Stop for just one moment and listen to yourself; does the input you just received resonate with you? If not, can you let it go? From the About page:

The thing about travelling is that the landscape changes all the time - and so does the way we experience it. The things I wrote yesterday or another day felt true when I wrote them. They may still feel true tomorrow - or not. When you read my notes they become a part of your journey, your landscape. It’s up to you to take a closer look at it or to let it go by, it’s up to you how you will use this. Whatever you do is certainly the perfect thing for you to do, this I believe.

It seems to me that Halina, the author of this blog is sharing her journey of experiences as she works through some of Byron Katie's books as well as the 7 Centers for Personal Liberation. You'll see references to both of these liberally sprinkled through her site. To illustrate her journely just a wee bit, here's a picture from the 7 Centers Guided Tour that I think is very much how Halina has organized her blog: http://www.7powercentersoflife.com/7p.jpg

She has included references to many things on her journey, one I thought tremendous was a letter on grief. Here's a clip:

Dear…..
My heart goes out to you.
It hurts to grow - it hurts terribly at times. Some call it ‘the little death’ because you have to say goodbye to something old and familiar — and hello to something unknown, new. And even if you did buy a ticket to the self-development tour you probably had no idea that a journey around the world is nothing compared to meeting your self face to face and taking responsibility for your own life. And the first stage of that rocket is to withdraw your projections, back to your own court.
On a very, very, very profound level you decided this - because you wanted to grow.
Why THIS and why THAT … are but old and dusty road signs which you have passed long time ago — and probably overlooked back then.
Be courageous and step into your own new age - the now.

Halina is located in Denmark and hosts not only her personal blog site, but another site entitled The Inner Travel Agency which covers sites and books from Emotional Freedom Techniques to Emotional Marketing. Many thanks Halina for sharing your journey!

Just think about a river. Does it lack focus? Does it lack direction? Is it just all over the place and going nowhere? Absolutely not! A river flows from its ultimate sources to its ultimate goal - which is the sea, or the ocean. Within that direction and that focus a river has other functions too and they are being taken care of as well. Such a bringing life wherever it flows, giving a place to live for fish, plants and insects, providing a transportation (and inspiration!) for human beings… etc. etc. etc.
All of this is taking place in a totally effortless, natural, flowing state. It’s an enormously powerful creation beyond our understanding, but there’s no effort to it.
Being a river person is knowing and trusting that the river of your life is that focused, that directed and that way fulfilling myriads of goals along the way. It’s a very creative, powerful and effortless way of living. It’s a way of living that often defies logic and rationality. Not that it’s less efficient that logic and rationality. It’s coming from an intelligence that’s far more wise than that.

--From River of Life

Feed: Yep
URL: http://www.halinagold.net/blog/

Mystery of Existence

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:59:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Buddhism, books, reflections, dreams, quieting the mind, self inquiry, dreams
Something that touched me: With as much good "spiritual" stuff as there is on this site, I'm going to, alas, reference a political post. This particular post, Visual Insight into Candidates, is nothing but videos by a political caricaturist on Obama, Clinton and McCain. What I find fascinating about this is the insight needed to really draw these sketches. In the Obama video we hear, "What someone shows about themselves I find much more informative and trustworthy than what they Say about themselves..."

Beyond the politics--If someone were to draw a caricature of you, what would they emphasize? What are the unspoken words that you say about yourself? Would you be aloof, smiling, furrowed brow or calm. How closely aligned are your thoughts about yourself with your "presentation"? Doesn't the saying go, "as above, so below, as within, so without"? I think it is so interesting that the creation of "image" for so many people involves smoothing out the ripples that may reveal emotion, or sub-surface worries, doubts, joys, fears without necessarily addressing the ripples themselves.

Really, this makes me want to go find someone to draw me so I can get a bit of visual insight into myself.

Review: This blog has perhaps the coolest layout I've seen in a long time...there's nothing canned in this one. Well, no wonder, the author, moe, is a CSS (cascading style sheet) expert, which essentially means...website designer. It's worth checking out for the neat little "Pull" tag on the top of the screen.

Going with the theme of the pull tag, it seems that this blog could metaphorically be about "pulling." Pulling down the walls, limitations, self-constructed beliefs, dogma, etc. Going to the source of it, the I, is prevalent and you get a great synopsis from this essay (note this is also the URL of the site), Absent of i.

A comment left some days ago made me explore in what ways there is an absence of I in awakening. One, and the most obvious one, is that there is an absence of I in content. When we look of content of awareness, we find sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thoughts. This human self and its surroundings is arising.
And we often take a portion of this content as who we are. I am this human being, or maybe even really some portions of this human being, the ones that correspond with an identity I have made for myself. I am this human being, and I am also smart more than stupid, nice more than obnoxious, right more than wrong, and so on.

If you're finding this blog for the first time, you'll find over 60 some pages full of self-inquiry just like this. Probably the easiest way to navigate the site is through the Tag Cloud. You'll see a predominant current of Buddhism here with little spurts of website design commentary. Two things I loved, other than the marvelous philosophical nature of this blog:

1) On Books--The author performs mini book reviews like this one on Buddhism for Dummies. Or this reference to Alice in Wonderland entitled Believe Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast:
Alice laughed. ‘There’s no use trying,’ she said: ‘one can’t believe impossible things.’

‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

- From chapter five of Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carrol.

Only six? Why, I’ve believed far more than six impossible things before breakfast. And so have we all. We’ve all had plenty of practice.

In reality, any belief is an attachment to something impossible. We attach to a thought, make an impossibility appear as true and real, and then act and react as if it is.

It is every bit as astonishing as anything Alice encountered.

2) On Dreams--I think we lucky readers get to see a glimpse of the author's astounding dream journal.

This blog reflects the author's personal travel into simple landscapes; there is virtually zero "clutter" on these pages. No typical blogside directories, blogrolls, quotes or pictures. Again, access everything from the pull tag above. If you have a philosophical bent, and self-inquiry is part of your process, you will find questions here, and thoughts that may help you zero in a bit more.

Just about any form of self-inquiry, and many forms of mediation, gives a taste of it: this human self lives its own life.

In shikantaza meditation, I allow anything arising to live its own life. Thoughts come and go. Sensations come and go. Sights come and go. Tastes and smells come and go. Movements come and go.

From Human Self Living it's Own Life

Feed: Yes

URL: http://www.absentofi.org/

A Dragonfly in Shaman's Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:33:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Shamanism, Power animals, Drumming, The Divine Feminine, Faeries

Something that touched me: Acceptance and trust seem to be lessons for me right now. As I move deeper into those places that are so easy to slide by, overlook, or put aside, I recognize that my own challenge right now is not about money, or relationships, or child-rearing (although every single one of those manifest for me) but about accepting and trusting myself through each of those events as they arise. To trust myself on that deep, cellular level that was programmed almost before we could talk is tough and takes vigilance to counter those almost subliminal, contrary voices. Dragonfly Shaman wrote her own version of this in her post Down to the very Fibers:

Down to the very fibers....I feel like a sore swollen course thumb among glowing painted dainty fingers. Down to the very fibers....I don't feel like I belong and dislike what I am. I am bold, I am wild and complex, I am big and bright and very very firey. Why can't I accept and love that which I know I am.....and honor and nurture and thrive....

My challenge. One of many. My greatest challenge.

To accept and be the fire. To love the fire.

Review: "I was given the name "Spirit Walker". I dwell in the in-between. I am continually seeking the light, personal truth, and above all, a damned good flan recipe."
Now how can you resist an intro like that? Dragonfly Shaman has one of those connections with her spiritual life that beats out even a good flan recipe. Her writing is like a drum circle in your head- rythmic. Don't be surprised if you get the itchin' to just move your body as you roll through her blog.

So what sets her site apart from other Shamanic sites? The heart(beat) that's put into it--This blog explodes with passion for life and brings you the questing of someone totally attuned with the percussion of the earth. Her journey becomes transformed into fiery, mystical words. And if you've tried reading other shamanic sites, then perhaps you should read her take on many in From It Seems: To me, it seems a waste of time to continually try to define everything around us. I read other webjournals on shamanism and enlightenment and find myself feeling bored. I don't want to read about the mind. I want to read about the heart.

From the time she first started this blog back in 2005, there's been no hiding of herself. We see Dragonfly Shaman's dance with her struggles in life, to her classes in shamanism, to her everyday wonderous experiences. She says in her post, Not Trying, Just Being:

This webjournal is simply an outlet for my experiences and thoughts on my shamanic/energetic journeys.

So if you're looking for connection, heart, and the mystic you might be snared by a dragonfly in shaman's skin.

Traditionally, women were more often than men to be the shamans. I can completely understand why. Men take things and try to apply logic and thought to it, head first then heart. Whereas women tend to internalize things first from the heart and then the head. (perhaps these are gross generalizations but you get the picture). Shamanism isn't about logic. It goes far beyond anything that words can explain or describe. It goes beyond time, beyond all reason, and becomes everyone and everything. Shamans use the world around them to find answers. They become the world around them.

From Shaman Woman

Feed: None that I saw

URL: http://dragonflyshaman.blogspot.com/

Walking the Labrynth of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Pottery, Introspection, Positive thinking

Something that touched me: I recently read something about how people who are their true, authentic selves will more than likely have at least a few people who plainly just don't like them. I had to think about this a bit, considering I've spent the majority of my life trying to "fit in" to certain areas--say the right thing here, do the right thing there. We live in a society of perception, and those perceptions can be powerful things. It takes some serious introspection to kick up your heels and be you in all of your forms. Even then, that ingrained, guilty conformity can sometimes roll over and swallow you down. Being true to yourself takes guts and a whole heck-uva lot of love. This was a cool thought from the post Scrub a dub dub:

Do you ever wish that someone you really care about could be more who you know they are and less who they appear to the world? Is that a nebulous statement? I am dealing with someone right now who has 2 faces, the one the world sees and the one that they are when no one else is around. I understand that society requires a certain behavior, but I guess I just don’t give a rip. Color me selfish.

Review: This blog did not begin as a spiritual blog. Sorrow, the blog author, is just your normal, everyday potter with two kids whose original purpose was to keep in touch with her friends. But this blog has a unique texture--Readers get a special, velvety glimpse into Sorrow's world, up close and personal. From her very first post, Last in Line:

Who wants to lead a life away from self? I guess thats why I am most content to read other folks trials and tribulations and wander quietly in my own little land…

Not surprisingly, Sorrow has created quite the land of her own, honoring (and being honored) on sites throughout the blogosphere. She throws each post delicately, pressing a tone here, expanding a thought there--all of them compiled of the earthy clay of her own character. For example, she writes in the post Heathen Gods about a visit from some Mormons:

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior?” ( Darlin if your reading this , The ” Do you really believe I will change my religion at my front door” sign is being made!) When Ismiled and said “No, I don’t” I think I really shocked them. I smiled and said ” On my mantle is a Buddha, a Menorah, a Siva , a Vināyaka, a Mary , a Crystal ball and on my book shelf there is the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Book of Zoroastrianism , the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, the book of Pagan and a whole host of other religious books ” speaking calmly because of the insueing look of panic on there faces I continued ” My God is too big for one religion, so no, Jesus was a wonderful man, but he is not my chosen path.Thank you, blessed be! ” and I let them scurry up the drive muttering about heathens , hell and the general malaise of the world. Bless their hearts.

Sorrow carves out her blog with whatever tools suit her at the time, I think. Sometimes, she chunks away at her posts with her nimble fingers. Other times, she delicately etches fines lines of poetry like this post-Pull. If you're interested in seeing some of her more tangible creations, you may want to visit the Labrynth of Life shop, her brand new and growing online store.

Technically, the blog is slightly hard to navigate--I didn't see any category lists or ways to jump around posts other than going back through time on the calendar blogside...what fun, though! If you've ever wondered what a potter's life is like, slide over to this blog. You'll get updates on measurements for glaze and life at an art fair booth, while reading about the grounded, logical conculsions, theories and passions of a woman whose hands touch the earth daily. Our thanks Sorrow for letting us see the spin and whorl of your own personal wheel.

I went for a walk in my woods tonight. The moon is waxing gibbous, so there was plenty of light. There was this intense connection within me to the tall trees, to the streams, to the earth. It was if the air itself was alive and on each inhale I could feel it seeping into me. When a leaf fell on my bare arm in the dark it was akin to a lovers touch and I almost wept with the intensity of it.

---Sorrow, from Glade

Feed: Yes

URL: http://sorrow11.wordpress.com/

Meditation is Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:57:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Meditation Techniques, Books, CD's, Practices
Something that touched me: On the side of the blog is a newly created Google widget (by the Meditation is Easy team, as a matter of fact) that you can put on your homepage if you choose. It has quotes from Osho on it... Interestingly, the quote right on the side of the page caught my eye.

Drop guilt! -- because to be guilty is to live in hell. Not being guilty, you will have the freshness of dewdrops in the early morning sun, you will have the freshness of lotus petals in the lake, you will have the freshness of the stars in the night. Once guilt disappears you will have a totally different kind of life, luminous and radiant. You will have a dance to your feet and your heart will be singing a thousand and one songs.

This is so powerful for me. Let me stop and think of all of the ridiculous ways I conjure up guilt in my life...I didn't get so and so a Christmas gift, but they gave me one, I stuck my foot in my mouth talking with someone, etc. My ideal world of how I should act and interact doesn't always meet my reality. But as I claim my actions, my thoughts, my emotions more, those feelings of guilt become less pervasive. As I quiet myself and recognize my own song, the ideal and real meet. It always amazes me how some people can be completely guilt-free. I want to be one of those people.

Review: New to the world of meditation? Sit-relax-read... This blog is essentially a meditation library of goodies and answers that assist you with getting started, and moving through the process of creating a meditation ritual. The blog author, Eklavya, in her About page says:

In its collectiveness, this site is the synthesis of most practical & useful techniques of meditation, yoga , and other tips and tricks that I have learnt in my personal endeavor on the subject. Originally these articles were written to help some Indian teenagers who were facing difficulty in understanding/learning meditation. Since many people found these articles very useful, I decided to share them with everybody

I was surprised to see such an excellent gathering of news clips on meditative benefits--for example, did you know that there was a government study done on the possible benefits of meditation for heart disease patients? Check out this post: Meditation Could Alter Insulin Levels.

Heart disease patients who practiced meditation for four months showed slight improvements in blood pressure and insulin levels, a small government-funded study found.

There is a superb category on meditation news to keep you abreast of those studies that you want to know about but are too busy to research yourself (which is one reason meditation is important in the first place, right?). If you are looking for meditation books, or CD's, you'll get some great tips from this blog.

In addition to this blog, Eklavya also authors "New Tips for a Stress-Free Life" with posts on money, life, health, etc. I loved the most recent post-A Story about "Out of the Box" thinking.

Thank you Eklavya for your time spent researching these techniques, products and news so we can just come and visit your blog for them!

For an almost instant recap of this entire site, you may want to visit the Meditation is Easy homepage: http://meditationiseasy.com/

The most modern doctors of world's best health institutions are recommending the daily practice of meditation to their patients. What was once consider a part of religion, is now taking a centre stage in our most demanding worldly activities. Now meditation is globally recognized as an essential tool for stress reduction and mental peace.

Feed: Yes

URL: http://www.meditationiseasy.com/blog/

The Sacred Space

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Paganism, Rituals, Honoring the Earth
Something that touched me: Having attended a Baptist school from 4th grade to 12th grade, I completely identified with some of the thoughts on this blog about "guilt." As the blog author has transitioned from a devout Catholic to a "raving liberal" as she says, she has had to deal with shame (in my own mind I translate that into guilt). I learned so thoroughly that the "one and only path" is the one that involves Jesus as my savior and that all love comes from an external source. Whew--what happens when you begin to love yourself? (Is that pride, a deadly sin, or self-respect?) What happens when you begin to swing the pendulum back the other way and open yourself to up to the wealth of possible paths and actions that may reveal a truth greater and deeper than your mind could have imagined?
Excerpt from the post Believing:

A friend of mine has lately been experiencing some frustration at not feeling a connection with the Powers That Be. Like me, she comes from a Catholic background. She is exploring Paganism and wants very much to make a connection, yet, is struggling to believe. How do you get past the comfortable, well-worn concept of the identity and form of your god? Regardless of whether you were a fervent or tepid believer this is a formidable block to climb.

Review: Ever feel lost in a forest of choice and not sure which path to take? Or perhaps the path you are on is nice, and the flowers smell nice, and the trees look nice, and the people are nice, but it doesn't touch you deep down. You feel there is something more that you want- perhaps you feel that you have an ability to celebrate life and nature more deeply than you are currently experiencing right now. But where to start?

R.E., author of this blog, felt the same. She says in her post Path of Green:

I do believe that the Powers That Be manifest themselves strongly in nature. This is where I connect. This is where I fit.

What I find interesting about this blog is that she is recording her journey through the creation of her path--her fears, her guidelines...expectations, dissapointments. Being a relatevely new blog, R.E. is laying out her desires in an almost "business plan" format sometimes. But she stops to smell the flowers alongside often enough! Essentially, my thought is that she is bringing a semblance of the Catholic ritualistic style into a Paganistic form. For example, she uses Prayer Beads in many of her rituals and questions why Paganism isn't considered a religion. For those of you who are purists, you may find this dull, or possibly insulting. But keep in mind that there are many, many Catholics turned seekers out there who want greater fulfillment with a comfortable feel. In Seeking Company on a new spiritual path she outlines-

My goal is to establish an online community committed to growing each member's personal commitment to the Powers That Be of the natural world. This commitment will take the form of new Pagan tradition, a community or order of priestesses and priests who focus on weaving elements of prayer, scholarship and a living connection with the natural world into their daily lives.

She speaks quite a bit about the different Wiccan sites and publications and this is a great place to find some interesting thoughts and questions about your path and links to articles that may discuss this. Occasionally, R.E. will mention a book she's reading and talk a little bit about what thoughts they bring up. I could see, as she establishes this path, more posts about her connection with nature, but up until now, she hasn't elaborated on those special experiences much. What she has shared are some of her rituals and prayers she's created. This is an interesting walk through the mind of a catholic turned pagan wanting to bring the celebration of nature into her world on a completely new level. Thanks R.E. for delving deep into yourself and sharing those "growing pains" so we can see your journey unfold.

Order of the Verdant Path Membership information: http://earthspirituality.blogspot.com/2007/08/order-of-verdant-path-membership.html
Note: Music automatically plays when you open this blog so browsers may be slow.

For me, being present in every moment with the purpose of my spiritual path and the Deities I follow in mind. Presence helps me to respond, from my Pagan soul, authentically and consciously to every life experience. --R.E. Art of Spiritual Blogging

Feed: Yes
URL: http://earthspirituality.blogspot.com/

The Wild Pomegranate

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:32:00 +0000

Topics/Categories: Divine Femininity, Wisdom, Exploring the self, Astrology, Politics
Something that touched me: I've been perusing the Wild Pomegranate for some time, and have been touched by so many thoughts and ideas--BUT, for some reason, the most recent post on January 9th, Dancing with Myself went right to my core. Here is a poem that, although not written by our blog author, was found, and shared and I think all that I can do is marvel. Since this post comes early in the year when I am formulating my approach for the next 12 months, and how I am going to accomplish a state of balance in my life, I find this poem connects with those deep places of strength and melancholy and sacredness that I want to unveil. Here's the first stanza:

We have come to be danced

not the pretty dance

not the pretty pretty, pick me, pick me dance

but the claw our way back into the belly

of the sacred, sensual animal dance

the unhinged, unplugged, cat is out of its box dance

the holding the precious moment in the palms

of our hands and feet dance

Review: Ever eat a pomegranate with a nice white shirt? No? Well, just go to The Wild Pomegranate blog and you can wear whatever you want with no concern for the fine linen top you have on. There will be no concern for bright red juice squirting or dripping across your chest or into kitchen crevasses that you find only with spring cleaning. You may, however, begin to tear into some fine facets of your own personality, or psychology with each post. Just like that mythological, absolutely delicious fruit, the blog author, Grace, spills out her blog posts with prolific wonder. As I've discovered, you can read a whole bunch in one sitting for a fierce burst of flavor, or one at a time to savor the moment.

I think her blog has been a journey of pulling out those little gems within herself, connecting, savoring... Her explorations take you through her own journeys, whether through understanding her job, her history, her political questioning, her motivations...you find her words will touch you on levels perhaps unknown even to you. And it won't be just her words that touch you, but the incredible art that she includes, and the touching poetry she finds.

Speaking of Grace: Here we roll out what makes this blog spectacular...It's not that she claims to have any kind of special connection with the universe above and beyond what you and I have. It's simply that she recognizes her path, and each step sidles her closer to love. And, she shares so much of it with us, her readers. We hear about her ideas, and triumphs, her marketing successes at work, and her failures at purchasing a house. She says in her post All I Need is Love, "My purpose is to help others to know what their purpose is - and how to connect with it in a deeper way so that they know they are living it. In a word, it’s about LOVE." On the side she does intuitive tarot and medicine card readings and has just opened that up to others. She's a real person, but recognizes that perhaps being "real" isn't about unfolding yourself to others but to yourself. Here's an excerpt from her post entitled The Journey to Real:

Is “Real” happening to you? It sure seems to be happening to me - and FAST! OK, and while some days I definitely feel like one of my eyes has gone missing, and I’ve got tuffs of stuffing poking out in the most undesirable places, I’m absolutely falling in love with this part of journey. It’s so…well….Real!
In the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, it was a child that loved all the shiny new toys into shaggy, well-worn Realness - the type of realness that can come only through being handled, so to speak, in a certain way. And it lasts forever.

She has an extensive blogroll if you're in browsing mode. The only "Too-Bad" type of thing I saw was that several of her posts containing You-Tube videos were unavailable anymore. She mentioned recently that she'll be taking a short break from blogging...Now, for some reason I translate the word "short" into microscopic...writing is in her blood, she dances with it, she sorts things out with it...But, she says, "And so I find myself wanting to hybernate. Seek silence. Connect with my Source. Heal. Release. Receive. Shed my Old skins. And delve deeper into the River of Love that continuously courses though my life, carrying me on the gentle currents of Grace towards the New." I have no doubt that when she makes it back to her blog, her writing will be just as passionate and her posts just as touching. Thank you Grace for you magnificent ability to delve into those wholesome, real places we are all seeking.

From Walking My Talks and Winks:

Today I would encourage you - wherever you are in life - whether you’re feeling lost or ‘there’ - to be true to your Authentic Self…that beautiful specialized Song that hums in the deepest part of you that only you can bring to the world.

Feed: Yes

URL: http://thewildpomegranate.wordpress.com/.wordpress.com/

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Darcy) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:54:00 +0000

I have been in Denver for the past few days celebrating the New Year, so, alas, no blog review last week. Instead, I’d like to express my gratitude for:

-The many wonderful blogs I’ve had the chance to review
-The amazing people, thoughts and ideas that surround me
-The energies that move me through my own “stuff” and create growth opportunities
-The simple things in life, and my simple life
-The opportunities in the year to come

Reflecting on this last year, I’ve seen how just a little bit of motivation to adapt new things can create a tidal wave of change. My own ability to grow is directly linked to how willing I am to “let go”. By becoming cognizant of the many ways that I box myself in to what I think is “right” I can focus on being mutable , flowing, and becoming a more complete person.

It’s so easy to mentally commit to something without actually doing anything. I see this next year as bringing me to a state of balance: the letting go will be tempered with receiving, the cerebrating will be balanced with physical activity, the fear countered with love.

Which is not to say that I don’t find myself slightly uncomfortable with the thought of all that change, and the immensity of possibility…

In 2008, I see some changes for this blog in how I review as well as formatting, style and themes, too. Do you have suggestions? Please share how I can make this blog a more reader friendly, informative and intuitive site for you!

My thanks to the bloggers, the readers and the friends who have given me the support, the thoughts and the comments over this last year. What a wonderful world this is! I wish you all a powerful year full of possibility, learning and balance.

With much love - Darcy

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