8th Feb 2010
What is that inspires you? What thoughts, ideas, places, or people bring you a feeling of joy and connection? We’re talking about the kind of feelings that make you want to create, in whatever forms you enjoy. Remember, being creative is not only about the fine arts, such as literature, music, and painting. You are creative each day, as you live your life and shape it according to your desires. When you become more conscious of this process you will experience delight and joy as you go about your daily activities.
Do your children or your friends inspire you to be at your creative best? Are there any paintings, sculptures, or other works of art that fire you up? Seeing your tidied-up workshop or kitchen can inspire you to create a brand-new project or recipe. Perhaps you find inspiration from taking a walk in nature or on a busy city street. Maybe for you it’s sitting alone in the dark listening to your favorite music, or finding a comfy window seat and re-reading a much-loved book.
The key is to find what speaks to you. Then you can surround yourself with things you’ve found inspire you: colorful flowers, thought-provoking quotes, paper snowflakes on the windows, a soft blanket to curl up in, a notebook in which to jot down your ideas. These things will serve to remind you that you are a creative being and can achieve your dreams and goals.
Whenever you invoke this feeling of inspiration, are there ways you can harness it and create more of what you dream about? Will you create your own music or writings? Make a quilt or plant a garden? Update your personal finances? Will you share your skills or wisdom with others through teaching? Do you want to find a new way to communicate with your friends and loved ones, or the world as a whole? Be inspired and create!
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5th Feb 2010
Since our last update we have been busy little fae, working on many aspects of Feline Dreamers.
As you may have noticed, we have been adding more blog entries. We’ve also been working on ideas for an e-book that we’ll be offering soon.
The book for our 30-Day Core Belief kit is coming along great. We only have Day 30 and the introduction left to finish! We’ve scheduled some studio time next week with our friend JWL of Crafted Recordings (http://www.craftedrecordings.com/), to get started on recording the audio for the guided meditations.
The newly updated website should be up and running very soon. We received some awesome feline artwork from our friend Max (http://mortalityfigure.com/), and will be incorporating it into the site’s new look. It’s so cool to have our own logo!
We now have a Feline Dreamers presence on Facebook and Twitter, and we will be launching our brand-new weekly e-zine, Dream Journal, when the website is ready to go.
So much to do, and we’re certainly having fun doing it! We hope you’ll keep in touch, and enjoy some of our new offerings. We wish you creative energy in your life!
Blessings,
Starcat and BlackLion
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4th Feb 2010
Meditiation is one of the tools that we encourage for those seeking to explore themselves more deeply. There are many ways to meditate. They can be either guided or self-directed. By seeking within, you can find that which seek outside of yourself.
Essentially, meditation allows us to connect more directly with our inner knowing. Through vivid imagery and calming pathways, we can access our deep yearnings and bring forth thoughts and ideas that can guide us in the directions we most want. The wisdom that comes from seeking within allows each of us the opportunity to find connection with other beings as well as help us lay to rest our “monkey mind.”
We do a chakra cleansing guided meditation which allows us to not only access the energies of our inner selves, but to access the divine connections we have with All-That-Is. By focusing within, we can better offer our true selves to others. Be the way you want the world to be. You can do this by learning who you are and what you really want. Know thyself.
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1st Feb 2010
One of the challenges that all of us face once in a while is staying grounded when we find that old patterns and beliefs have cropped up and stuck their noses in our usually calm day. Now that you have knocked yourself off track, how do you get back to a state of balance?
There are many ways to do this; here are some examples:
* Take a break. If afforded the opportunity, step away from the frustrating situation and find a quiet place to gather your wits and calm down. Some bitter words can be said, or actions taken, that cannot be taken back if you remain in the situation.
* Breathe. Taking a few long deep breaths will help center you and set your mind right. Just the act of stopping what you were doing to simply breathe can help immediately change your viewpoint.
* Change the subject. If you find yourself in an argument (either with yourself or another), focus on some other topic. Instead of trying to change the view of another person, just change the subject and find some common ground.
* Meditate. If you have time, take 5 to 10 minutes and relax in a chair or lie down. Focus on your breathing and let the tension release from your body. You will be invigorated from the experience.
Now that you are grounded again, you can use your new head space to reexamine the situation with calmer eyes. With this new perspective, you can better see the frustrating situation coming and head it off at the pass. By examining the “sore” spots in your mind, future occurrences can be avoided, or at least tempered to a light grumble.
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28th Jan 2010
What is passive income?
We recently read “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki (http://www.richdad.com/). He lists various ways to create passive income, that is, to put your money to work for you. They include: buying real estate, investing in the stock market, and creating intellectual property (such as patents, books, and music that will generate royalties).
Passive income is great, but even if you’re wealthy, you’ll still want to do things that you enjoy. Why not make your passion work for you and become part of your income? There are many ways to take a hobby or interest and turn it into a business. We’ll use our own situation as an example.
First, don’t let the term “business” faze you, especially if you’re a creative type, like us. Lately we’ve been “working on our business,” which sounds dry and boring. But we’ve been having an incredibly fun time, overflowing with creative ideas and epiphanies! It’s amazing how easy it can happen if you let go of the stereotypes of doing business “how you’re supposed to.” Instead, do things like you do them.
The key word here is “do.” Taking inspired action is a way to move energy and thus create new opportunities. How do you get inspired? Find like-minded people who have creative ideas to share. We recently listened to a free teleseminar by Christine Kane, about how to “Uplevel Your Business” (http://uplevelyourbusiness.com/). By opening ourselves up to some new tools that she offered, we came up with lots of ideas and strategies for our business, ones that are fun to create and implement.
As creative people, we chose to start with creating content such as books, guided meditations, music, and other projects. As we build our business around these creations, we can re-invest in it and then expand our offerings as we go, such as adding retreats and online classes. We want to encourage our passions, so the passive income we’ll be generating can support the next set of adventures we want to explore. We’re integrating our passions with our business, and allowing our “passion income” to flow freely into our lives.
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26th Jan 2010
When doing spiritual work, be sure to take time to focus on yourself in a kind and generous way. Look at the positive qualities you embody and the creativity and skills you bring to your daily life. Sometimes it can be a challenge to see the best in you, because you’re always trying to improve yourself and learn to be “better.” Yet you are an amazing being! Cherish yourself as you would a beloved family member or friend.
Here are some fun ways to celebrate and take care of yourself:
- Schedule a “me day.” Take yourself out to brunch, get a massage, and go see a movie, or simply sit in your favorite chair and read a book.
- Soak in a warm bubble bath or take a long hot shower, just because it feels good. Then get in your most comfortable pajamas and enjoy a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Savor it.
- Exercise! Not the kind that bores you, but something you really enjoy. Take a walk or a swim, dance around the kitchen, or go cross-country skiing. Notice how you feel during and after moving your body.
- Write a love note to yourself. Thank your body, mind, and spirit for all that they do, and expound upon all the wonderful things you’ve accomplished. Keep it by your bedside so you can re-read it at the end of a challenging day.
- Meditate on your breath, or find a recorded meditation to guide you. Sit comfortably and let your thoughts drift by like puffy white clouds in the distance. Connecting with your inner be-ing is but one breath away.
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24th Jan 2010
We are inspired to take action, and this post is our first step.
We have decided to rededicate ourselves to ourselves and our calling, which means our creativity and our business, Feline Dreamers! We want to share ourselves with our online kin while we explore new avenues of creativity and abundance.
Okay, now that that is out of the way, here is what we mean. In the past couple of months we have been focusing our energies into writing our personal blogs, BlackLion’s Den and Starcat’s Study (we did a 30-day blog challenge). We have been introspective, taking on and completing a 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse. And we have focused our energies on learning to Uplevel Our Business.
So what’s next for us and Feline Dreamers?
We are nearly finished writing our 30-day Core Belief book and will soon start working on our meditation recordings. This has been a long process, but we have learned a great deal about ourselves and how to create something really cool for others to use. We look forward to launching it soon!
We are also planning on updating this website with new images, design, and content. We hope to have that going in the next month or so.
Along with the revamped site, we will be offering a weekly e-zine to share our thoughts, inspirations, and ideas with you.
There are several other exciting projects percolating and we look forward to offering them in the new venues we are creating.
We hope that you will be a part of our new adventure and learn, laugh, and enjoy yourself along the way!
Blessings,
Starcat and BlackLion
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16th Nov 2009
(This article was published in the Spring 2009 edition of the EarthTides Pagan Network’s newsletter).
Recently I’ve been studying and working with the Law of Attraction (LOA). The concept was made popular by the 2006 book and documentary “The Secret.†LOA is taught in more depth by Abraham, a non-physical entity channeled by Esther Hicks, beginning in the 1980s. It was also explored in the Seth material, channeled by Jane Roberts, published from the 1960s through the 1980s. The basic idea of LOA is that we are each creating our own reality based on where we put our focus. The universe is made of energy, and each being’s perception and experience of it is unique.
Just reading the first paragraph of this article might make you squirm, or want to stop reading. “What’s the difference between a Pagan workshop and a New Age workshop? About $300,†goes a joke that’s been around for a while. I often hear (or read) Pagans disparaging New Age concepts and practices, and I wonder why that is.
As a person who is interested in consilience (the unity of knowledge, or in this case wisdom), I tend to see the commonalities among various philosophies and practices. Sure, every religion and form of shared spirituality has devotees who keep the teachings on a surface level and are most interested in being trendy. Yet it would seem that Pagans and so-called New Agers are natural allies. The Reclaiming salutation “Co-Creators of the Multiverse†evokes images of people who are conscious of our own divinity and our participation in the unfolding of life.
What do these two distinct movements have in common? We are the ones building the new paradigm, as the old models of our civilization and culture fall away. Through consciousness awareness, we are recreating the world as we work from the inside out to change ourselves and to release old patterns and blockages. We recognize that there is more to life than what we see with our five senses.
An issue some Pagans have with the New Age movement is that it focuses on self-development, perhaps to the exclusion of working toward environmental awareness and political justice. Yet what I am seeing in my contacts with others is an amazing ripple effect. As we become aware of our inner landscape, we look at our interactions with others and the Earth in a new light. Even if we look through the lens of one particular issue that calls to us, such as mindful parenting, we soon find that dedication to a spiritual practice opens our consciousness in many other areas.
For example, several months ago I joined an e-mail list called “Radical Unschooling and the Law of Attraction.†Here’s a description:
“Combining the philosophies of Radical Unschooling and the Law of Attraction is a progressive, revolutionary approach to parenting on the Leading Edge of Thought that we are honored to be pioneering. Radical Unschoolers choose to replace the cultural norm of using control, shame, coercion, rules and punishment with *Respect*, *Trust*, *Freedom* *Peace*, and *Joy* in our lives with our children and with others.â€
Some of the list members are Pagan, while some are members of other religions, or simply seekers wanting to do things in a new way. What we have in common is that we are all working toward parenting with consciousness. That intention, in my experience with the group and my own practice, tends to expand outward into all other facets of one’s life.
Certainly, my own practice of LOA has a Pagan flavor. I include it as one of the tools I use on my path. The teachings I encounter, no matter the source, must resonate with me. This does require an ongoing commitment to self-exploration, something that most Pagans understand intuitively. We are drawn to this path because we want something more than following others’ dogma. In that regard, we are individual seekers who have much in common with our New Age friends, whether they are pursuing a secular path or are already part of a religion. We are each looking for wisdom that helps us to pursue our goals.
There are strong similarities in some of the methods we use to create change. A simple summary of the Law of Attraction says that your thoughts and feelings determine the reality of your life. If you consciously focus them towards what you desire, it will happen. Take a look at Aleister Crowley’s famous definition of magick:
“Magick is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will.”
Our will is made up of our deep desires. By getting clear about what we truly want, and then focusing on it, we create change in ourselves and thus in the world around us.
Again, an objection I’ve heard is that people will begin to manifest things they want, like luxury cruises and SUVs, that aren’t good for the Earth. This is something I’ve been examining as part of my journey. One answer is that since everything is made of energy, whatever we want is available to us all the time. Abraham emphasizes that there is enough abundance for every being on this planet to have all that they wish. This can be hard to grasp, particularly when we observe the natural world being mistreated by our culture’s business practices.
What I’ve discovered is that when I look deep within myself, the things I truly wish to manifest are in concert with my deeply held values: an addition to my home that enables us to heat with solar energy, to travel the world in an eco-friendly way, a big organic garden, to write about things that I hope will help others on their paths. As a Pagan who strives to be in touch with myself and the world on many levels, my desires dovetail with the needs and wants of the Earth’s spirits and beings.
Another thing that Pagan and New Age practices have in common is self-determination. If a tool or ritual doesn’t work for you, there’s no authority telling you that you have to use it. We employ the techniques that work best for us because we understand that our path is uniquely our own. Again, there certainly exist gurus trying to get people to buy into their authority, but we’ve all heard of occasional Pagan covens with questionable ethics who teach in this way. In both cases, they are the exception.
My personal study of Paganism and New Age theories (as well as Eastern philosophies) finds commonalities in the ideas of personal responsibility and power from within. There is no one we can “blame†for our troubles or challenges. We are here to learn and grow, to help ourselves and others in ways that ring true for us.
As more and more people awaken to this way of living, we encounter resistance to this expansion. You can see it in politics and mainstream religions; it is easier to follow a predetermined path and leave the tough choices up to God, the priests, or the survival of the fittest. As human beings who have decided to move beyond the accepted answers and find out for ourselves how to live, I believe that Pagans and New Age practitioners have similar goals, and much to learn from each other.
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12th Nov 2009
Each time someone asks Abraham a question about a relationship or job, or anything that has to do with another person’s actions or beliefs, the reply is the same: the only thing you can change is your own vibration.
On one occasion, Abraham replied to a questioner about her partner, who wanted a divorce. Their answer, which did contain helpful suggestions on how the woman could change her vibration, noted something that seemed a bit cold: that the man in question was “irrelevant.” They were trying to convey the idea that the woman holds her own concept of her ideal partner, and ultimately, whether her former husband chose to return to the relationship, or she found a new partner, didn’t matter. She was told to focus on becoming a self-reliant and positive individual, and then the right love interest would show up in her life.
On an abstract level, it is a lovely concept: souls that are doing their spiritual work and have found a way to let their lights shine will naturally come together and share that joy. Yet in a daily life setting, being mindful of compassion and love, how do we find our self-reliance and still be in healthy relationship with our loved ones?
I don’t care to think of my family members as “irrelevant.†They are important to me, and I care deeply about their well-being. Yet I’m learning recently about self-reliance, and discovering that I am the only one who can create my experience.
For example, in the realm of finances, I’m a stay-at-home Mom, and I’ve been relying on others to pay my expenses. This has been a recent source of stress, particularly when things don’t go as planned. So I decided to take charge of my own prosperity. Not only through physical action, such as finding paid work, although that is certainly a part of it. But also in the realm of changing my vibration and being more positive. I practice gratitude for that which I enjoy: a warm home, good food to eat, books, my laptop. I work toward feeling more abundant.
Yet in this process, I realize there is a certain reliance on others once again: namely, the people who employ me and my family members. Another layer to peel away. We can’t “count on†these sources. My thoughts continue to ripple outward, and once again, the answers I receive are abstract.
I rely on and have faith in the Universe to bring me that which I want and need. A good belief, but how does it manifest in actual practice? If the only thing we can rely on is our own individual vibration, how does that translate to daily action? We are out there on the edge, balancing on the vibration we’re creating in the moment. Surfing the waves of the Universe, as it were. Again, I like the concept, but my earthy self, used to a reality made up of tangible things (grocery shopping, electric bills, a furnace to fuel), balks at the perceived precariousness of such a position. As a friend of mine queried, “how do you make a budget when you’re in the process of creating unexpected funds from unknown sources?â€
As you can probably tell, I haven’t found my own answers yet. I’m exploring the complex dance between self-reliance and living in a family and community setting. Part of it, I think, is being open to constant changes. If some money I’ve been expecting doesn’t show up, I’m learning to go with the flow rather than letting myself worry or panic. In the same way, I’m being open to unexpected resources. I want to be proactive and joyful in my exploring of options. Mike Dooley calls this “knocking on doors.†I have faith and will also take action.
I’m also practicing being actively grateful for everything I experience. I’m reading a tale of the Buddha’s life, and he was a very thankful person. He relied on offerings of food to feed himself and over 1,000 disciples. He offered his thanks at every meal. And guess what? Buddha and his monks were always well fed.
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11th Nov 2009
We have manifested because the Divine had a thought about who we could become, an idea of our ideal life that we can attain if we so choose. That ideal way is unique to each of us and is so fulfilling and satisfying that we would wish to attain even more when we get there.
There is no end or beginning. We continue to create and recreate ourselves all the time. We are essentially infinite Divine beings ourselves. We are creators of worlds, in our dreams and thoughts and outrages. Yet our creations, like us, have free will. We have the ability and grace to choose to be whatever we want, even to the point of blinding ourselves to our own gloriousness.
So the age-old question: “why are we here?†is an easy thing to answer: because we wanted to be! We each chose to come to this place to grow, to expand, to create, and to learn. We are also great teachers to those who have not yet come to this physical world. We are able to show them all the possibilities we are capable of and all the great mysteries yet to explore. All possible ways of being are explored here, including our animal, plant, fungus, and rock friends.
At this time in your life, what things, beings, and actions are you choosing to create and surround yourself with? What great lessons are you teaching yourself? Do you feel wonderful, ready to take on the world? Or do you still have challenges that you do not yet wish to face?
We are all here to be ourselves, to learn from and teach each other and to expand All That Is into frontiers never before seen in the universe. There will never be another moment like this one. Now is the moment that we create in and when we can do the most. There is no past and future, only memories and thoughts of what might be. The past and future can easily be changed by using the power of your now to guide them.
Every possibility is available to you right now, and every possibility will happen; we will experience it or our counterparts on adjacent lifelines will. This is why you have so much power! You can guide your lifeline to be whatever you want simply by attracting these things that you most desire!
A simple technique is to visualize yourself doing or being or experiencing a certain thing. Since all possibilities are going to manifest, you can be or do or have anything that is possible. Start by simply manifesting your favorite beverage, a small amount of unexpected cash, or a call from a friend you haven’t spoken with for a while. As you practice and manifest these simple things, your confidence will increase and you will allow yourself to imagine and believe in manifesting even “larger†and “bigger†things. There are no limits except the ones you place on yourself. So be calm, stay true to yourself, and enjoy!
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