Listening to Your Own Voice
by BlackLion

No wonder everyone is so confused – we get so busy listening to what other people are telling us that we forget to listen to ourselves. With all the constant input in our lives from television, radio, books, the internet, etc., when do we make time to seek answers from within? When does our inner voice have a chance to get a word in edgewise?

Perhaps that is one of the reasons I moved to the country. Ample peace and quiet is available, with only the birds, crickets, and an occasional meow to break the silence. This has afforded me the chance to relax, regroup, and reassess where I am in my existence. I am no longer bombarded with media, and the noises that a city can bring. Of course, you can find a quiet space wherever you are – the most important thing is to make this time for yourself.

What does your inner self have to say to you? Is the path you are walking really going where you want it to go? Do you feel confidence and passion or are you walking in fear and powerlessness? One of the ways to help right your ship is to listen to the little voice in your head, especially the one that speaks volumes by saying very little.

To seek within is an age-old adage, yet doing so is the only way to know what you truly want, and to actually achieve it. No matter what anyone else has ever told you, you are the only one who knows what is best for you. Seek the knowledge and love that is within you and you can find the same in the world around you. Focusing on what you want rather than what you do not want is the only way to find what you are seeking.

What Is Crystalline Prose?
by Starcat

Over the past few years, as I’ve honed my writing skills more attentively, I’ve developed an admiration for a style I call crystalline prose. It can be found in works of both fiction and nonfiction. Like poetry, crystalline prose is descriptive without being wordy. The sentences seem simple, yet a rich and complex meaning is conveyed. Each word shines, fitting snugly with other words and phrases to paint a lovely picture in your mind. Crystalline prose speaks to you in a timeless, resonant voice.

Here are some examples of crystalline prose that you may have read: The EarthSea Cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit by Tom Cowan, The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O’Donohue, and Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip.

I don’t know the process these authors use to craft their works. Crystalline prose may come naturally to them, or they may assemble it word by painstaking word. BlackLion and I developed our own writing process, which we’ve been using in the book for our Core Belief Kit, and also The Book of Ing. Our goal is to create crystalline prose in our shared voice.

We begin by brainstorming and then refine our ideas into outline form. We separately write “SOCs” (stream-of-consciousness pieces) on each topic. Sitting together at the computer, we combine our thoughts into a coherent piece.

With a thesaurus close at hand, we refine what we’ve written, often shortening it considerably, using fewer words to convey our thoughts. We liken it to coal being compressed into diamonds. We set the writing aside for a few days (or longer) and then return and repeat the editing process, often several times. We take turns reading each section aloud, savoring how it sounds and feels, finding ways to rephrase or adapt as needed. When we are both satisfied that the section is ready, we’ve reached the crystalline prose stage.

Crafting crystalline prose may sound like a lot of work. I find it to be tremendously fun. It may take us longer to complete a book or e-book, but I think the attention to detail is well worth it. I’ve seen our writing improve since we began and I’m sure it will continue to do so. We are finding our own voice and allowing our creativity to ripple outward into the world, enjoying the wonderful process all the while.

Imagine It, Be It
by BlackLion

Imagine waking up tomorrow in a world that you find so enjoyable, so awesome, that you are breathless. Imagine the events that would happen on such a day. Feel the excitement and exhilaration as you focus on each moment of your ideal day. Now, throughout your day today, remember how great you are feeling about tomorrow.

Now, think about what might happen in an hour that would be great for you – something that you are hoping will happen. Luck will be on your side, things will go better for you, and what you want will transpire. What feelings are you experiencing? Joy and happiness? Or perhaps doubt and skepticism are running amok in your otherwise joyful story.

Life is a grand adventure, a choose-your-own adventure. Whatever it is you are anticipating or dreading is bound to come your way if you focus on only those possibilities. Why not, as in the exercise above, focus on what you really want to happen? Even if it doesn’t happen literally tomorrow, mainly because of chronic pessimism or “reality checks,” moving forward in your life with anticipation and joy is a heck of a lot better than being afraid or full of worry.

Be assured that with practice and patience, you can overcome any obstacles that you may have placed in your path. You may have put these roadblocks in your way especially to help you recognize that you put them there in the first place, allowing you to overcome them with purpose and understand how not to do so in the future. Move forward with confidence, knowing that you can change your life and feel the love and joy in your heart.

Dream Catching
by BlackLion

To further my spiritual practice, I have begun to keep a dream journal. Nearly every night I write down a dream or two, whether it is a snippet or a full story. Many of them include strange encounters or scenarios that would not normally happen in waking life. People and places from my past, along with folks I have never met, are all a part of my dreaming life.

Until recently, I have rarely recalled any of my dreams. In fact, I believed that I didn’t dream much at all. With this belief, I would wake up every morning with barely a skip from waking time to waking time. From my current perspective, I believe I purposefully chose not to recall any dreams. I essentially cut myself off from the other parts of my mind.

So what changed? Well, first, my partner Starcat is an avid dreamer. She has been keeping dreams ever since she could remember. The stories and adventures she has are quite fantastical and I was a bit envious. Secondly, since she was such an active dreamer, we decided to create a dream tower that we could go to when we wanted to meet but were physically apart. Then we could see each other and have fun times together.

As I became a more active dreamer, a choice I do not regret, I have come to realize that through the interpretation of my dreams, on my own and with the aid of Starcat, I am better able to understand and forgive the parts of me that get upset or anxious about waking events not to my liking. I am also able to forgive the parts of me that are no longer serving me in the ways I want, and let them go more easily.

Now, whenever I wake at night, I immediately turn on the light, grab my journal and pen (placed conveniently nearby) and jot down whatever dream I have just awoken from. Sometimes this can be quite hard to do, especially when I am feeling groggy (and my penmanship is not great, especially while half-asleep). At times, I have barely had a thread of a memory about my dream, but once I grab on to it, I am able to write down much more detail than I initially remembered.

If you have an active dream life, and even if you have so far chosen not to, I would highly recommend keeping a dream journal. The insights that you can find about yourself can be quite fascinating. With practice, you can affect your waking life by understanding and working with your dream life. The friends you make there can help you on this side of the veil. Sweet dreams!

The Spacious Present
by Starcat

I’ve recently experienced a shift in my perception. I’ve been able to let go of a lot of old worries and fears. In the process, I’ve noticed that I seem to have more time for meditation, contemplation, and creativity. It’s not as if I purposely rearranged my schedule or let go of particular tasks.

I think what happens is that when we are clearer and more aware of each moment, we naturally move through time more gracefully. Rather than using my energy to worry about what was or what might be, I am here in this moment. When I wake up, rather than rush off to get my body ready for the day, I first let my thoughts float gently into waking awareness. I write down any dreams I recall, and maybe craft a journal entry. My morning routine then proceeds more smoothly, and if something unexpected comes up, it’s simply a part of the dance, rather than an interruption.

When it’s time to do the dishes, I do them. They wait patiently for me until I’m ready. There’s no need for guilt if I leave them in the sink until after I read to the kids or chat with a friend. This accepting attitude, more often than not, leads to an easily-cleared kitchen just minutes after dinner is done. Less stress and worry means less effort, and things get done, leaving plenty of time for family reading and friendly laughter.

It’s as if the concepts I’ve been learning over the past several years have finally become integrated into my daily experience. When we truly let go of worry, which is a form of trying to control life’s events, it’s amazing how much easier life becomes. There is more time, in these spacious present moments, to do the things we love to do. That in turn helps us to relax and enjoy life even more.

The way we get to this place of letting go is unique to each of us, but it feels like a deep sighing breath. And trust me, when you experience it and live it, time will open itself to you in new ways, leaving you with a sense of deep wellness and delight.