Turn Your Love My Way: Every Day As Thanksgiving Sharing and Gratitude

Turkey Power Animal Medicine (Giving, Giveaway)

ORIGINAL PUBLICATION DATE: November 26, 2015. 

Now that the deep duality that exists within us has been brought more fully into the light, it seems appropriate to remember our common values that this holiday inspires in personal and very practical ways.

Last year, I did not expect Thanksgiving to be celebrated in the usual way. Typically, it's been shared with my family (my two sisters, my brother, my aunt, my nieces and nephews who live in New Jersey). However, it was the first year that my brother (who died in January 2014) was not with us, and my aunt who died in 2013 would not be at the table, and my mother, and grandmothers, plus many other family and friends who have died many years ago are also passed on.

Instead, I spent it in Pennsylvania with a good and unconditional loving friend of mine, Holly, who I had been longing to see and spend time with for a while; and despite best laid plans for what to share doing on Thanksgiving, the Creator (God/Goddess/Great Spirit/Higher Power/Jehovah/Allah) had something else in store for us--though we didn't know what it would be. So I was set to expect the unexpected.

Our plan was to be of service by working in a soup kitchen or a shelter serving food to people who can't afford a traditional Thanksgiving spread for themselves or their families. Well, we learned that all the places serving food had all the volunteers they needed. This is good news! This had me thinking about the origin, the beginnings of what has become a national U.S. holiday, and how it's about SHARING and GRATITUDE.

Crow Power Animal Medicine (Sacred Law)
Photo: http://birdcamoncheltenham.blogspot.com

I'm thinking now about anyone who may be feeling low or sad about not being able to sit at a table in the traditional way on this holiday, because self-pity and guilt was beginning to snap at my heels because I wasn't celebrating with my birth family, and Holly and I were not needed to prepare and/or serve dinner as we planned. The image that the Creator awakened me to that Thanksgiving morning, was me sharing a piece/crumb/morsel of multi-grain bread with a crow. For those unfamiliar with animal spirit medicine, the CROW represents THE MESSENGER, SACRED LAW (and TURKEY represents GIVING, SHARED BLESSINGS, SACRIFICE). In that moment, I realized that nothing is too great or too small to share whether it's funding, housing, a ride, listening, food, a smile, a story, a free haircut (see post with video about Mark Bustos) whatever I have to share with any creature that is open to receiving the love that I turn their way (and that is turned mine. ALWAYS, 100% by my Creator).

In this spirit, I want to share with you a song and some words that I received from D.K. Brainard, a man I really like a whole lot, in his e-newsletter that he sent out with his own take on Thanksgiving last year titled, Miracles and Gratitude. Thank you D.K.! (Listen to D.K. as a guest on The Healing Artist Studio Project's Radio Channel. It's a podcast titled, "The Greater Reality: Soul Healing and More". Some highlights include: What has been the most challenging concept for us to accept in the Greater Reality consciousness? How close are we as adults to our childhood career dreams? Is "not being enough" an aspect of spiritual consumerism?)

Also, I remember one person I spoke with at one of the shelters on Thanksgiving sharing with me the fact that they have a great need for people to help prepare and serve food EVERYDAY, not just on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and other holidays. So this year, a friend and I are planning to volunteer on days other than the holidays.

Happy "Everyday is" Thanksgiving! Thanks to you all for what you've shared with me, and thanks to Godd, who for me, all blessings flow in one way or another.

But I love Thanksgiving because it's so easy for me to forget to be grateful for all the blessings in my life. The holiday itself is about food and relaxation and the fact that Life offers us lots of help - including from people we've never met and may never see again - if we're open to receiving it. I believe on some level the Native Americans knew what the white man was bringing their way. But Pocahontas and her tribe had compassion on the poor, suffering pilgrims anyway. 

Photo Credit: http://allaboutbirds.org

CHILL UPDATE (Dec. 2010): Stress Relief, Multi-System Conflict & Energy Balancing, Cleansing and More

So far, there have been two Chumpi Illumination (CHILL) events during the month of December 2010.  I was invited to participate in two group events: one public in Ringwood, NJ and the other private in Bethlehem, PA. Prior to the month of December I had only provided creative counseling and healing artist individual 60 and 90 minute private sessions to clients from my home office, the office of another practitioner in New Paltz, NY, or at a client's home.

FIRST CHILL PUBLIC EVENT A SUCCESS
On December 11-12, 2010, I attended a Native American Indian Christmas Fair in Ringwood, NJ where I was invited to offer healing sessions using my new, portable massage table in this type of environment for the first time. The CHILL sessions offered were for 30 and 60 minutes and included stress relief through energy balancing and cleansing (chakra and meridian systems), resolving opposing, polarized, conflict issues, and a neck, shoulder and back massage.

I didn't know what to expect in terms of the variety and number of people who would be interested in CHILL (Chumpi Illumination). My first customer who kicked off the sessions was a nine year old girl who said: "I am stressed out because someone keeps picking on me." Part of her session included muscle testing and questioning her body for the best solutions to address the bullying. Stress is high during the holidays and is an equal opportunity offender (age, sex, race, ethnicity, income bracket, sexual orientation, religion, disability, etc.), so I worked practically nonstop from 12:30 pm until 6:00pm closing on Saturday, Dec. 11. It rained heavily on Sunday so I had fewer customers and I ended early.

Thank you to Marcey "Tree-in-the-Wind" Langhorn and Tony "Moon Hawk" Langhorn for inviting me to participate in my first public event.

FIRST CHILL AT HOME PRIVATE EVENT A SUCCESS
Two customers (a woman and her son) traveled from Pennsylvania to attend the fair. The man contacted me about traveling to Bethlehem, PA to provide stress relief balancing and cleansing sessions for family and friends prior to the new year. On the weekend of December 18-19, I provided my first CHILL AT HOME event providing 30 and 60 minute sessions sponsored by a client at their home. People were hanging out, eating and talking while waiting their turn in pre-arranged shifts organized by the hosts (the man and his wife). They both received free one-hour sessions for hosting a two day event.

Clients who requested 60 minute sessions received additional services based upon issues shared with me or revealed via muscle testing and questioning to help them heal themselves. The ones I recall facilitating for clients included karmic softening to address deep-seated guilt over past negative behaviors in a relationship; extracting a negative energy "form" from the body and transmuting the residue with light;  dissolving multiple levels of energy "chains" that interfered with wellness (the woman believed a "hex" was put on her by an old boyfriend); and channeling a woman's Guide to help her realize that she has made herself unavailable for a future relationship based upon the stress of caring for her husband who died of cancer, plus carrying guilt that he died so shortly after she placed him in a facility. The Guide's message was that she is living the life of someone dried up like a desert, but her authentic Self is a lush, fertile oasis. She has so much to offer and receive. Of course, much more occurred over two days with nine customers but these are the sessions that stand out the most to me today.

Thank you to the couple who sponsored my first private home event.

HOST YOUR OWN CHILL AT HOME EVENT OR CONTACT ME ABOUT YOUR PUBLIC EVENT
Contact me to schedule hosting CHILL AT HOME events for your arts and entertainment family and friends or to invite me to participate in a future public event in the 2011 new year at discounted group session cost:

• Call (973) 986-8125 or email me. 
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Thank you everyone for your love, light, prayers and other support. I wish you and your loved ones a merry and CHILL holiday season!