New Leaf Mentoring … new thought. new health. new life.

Posts tagged ‘Andrea Thiel Connell’

Let’s Build an Enlightened Dream!


I’ve been getting a lot of emails to join prayer groups for the healing of the oceans, the forests, the earth; and just when it seems to me that people are starting to actually wake up, I get other emails that say ‘the gods are angry’, ‘the earth is angry’, ‘these catastrophes are happening in areas where people have been evil for too long and god is teaching a lesson’. They reek of judgment, fear, and projection. If we want to help our earth and ourselves people it’s time wake up and get real! These mind-boggling catastrophes are caused by human error, negligent practices, unbridled greed and lack of foresight. The earth changes are part of the earth’s journey through the stars. There is no mystery. The earth is not angry (though I wouldn’t blame her) and the gods? Well… no comment!

Let’s try to look at things a little differently. We’ve been asleep, not because we haven’t been serious about the escalating level of crisis in our world, but in the ways we have been dealing with all these issues. We blame, we hate, we rage, we sign petitions, we engage in war. We’re expressing powerful emotions of anger that aren’t doing anything except perpetuating more powerful expressions of anger, fear and rage and sadly killing millions of species of life on our planet every minute in the process. The global fear and outrage is part of the nightmare we currently find ourselves in. Remember like begets like.

So wake up!! The nightmare can still end, it must or we will all be trapped in it. It’s imperative that we learn to focus all our collective energy towards the dream we have for ourselves and our children.

The clock is ticking and we are quickly approaching the end of a massive time cycle. This is a natural course of events, nothing unusual at all. We have already gone through 4 of these 5,125 year cycles, we are currently ending the 5th and heading into the 6th. It is part of what is known as the “precession of the equinoxes”. It is the journey Earth traveling through the heavens as marked by the placement of the constellations of the zodiac. We are leaving the Piscean Age and beginning the Aquarian Age. Each age is marked by a key development which had significant influence over that time. The Piscean age was marked by the event of Christianity and has 2 fishes facing opposite directions as it’s symbol. It’s been an age of dualism, opposites, ownership and conquering. The Aquarian age however, is an age of oneness, unity and holism. And this clearly presents the task ahead of us now.

We can no longer assign blame and point fingers for the problems at hand. What happens to one, happens to all. We are one mind, one consciousness and we have one future. We need now to get together and practice patience, tolerance, respect, love and acceptance. The possibility to heal our world lies within our ability to heal ourselves and ultimately, how well we will be able to release ourselves from fear and the limiting, debilitating effects it has over our free thinking minds and henceforth our ability to solve problems.

As our Earth travels its elliptical path around the sun and now reaches its furthest point away from the center of its orbit, the magnetic pull on the earth is at its weakest creating a wobble in its axis. The earth has been steadily shifting on its axis and it is being predicted that a complete polar magnetic flip may happen. All these planetary changes seem to mirror the madness happening to the people on earth. Wobbly intentions, lack of direction and commitment, lack of meaningful relationships.

People…it is time to dig our feet into the soil and get grounded, make a strong commitment to Earth and life on earth, and start developing a focused relationship based in  love and compassion for one another, all life, and the earth. We are one. Don’t Pray for the earth as though you are worried for her survival,  your own life and the life of your children, pray instead by communicating and holding glorious visions of beauty, health, wisdom, balance, peace, light and faith in her and our potential. In love there is the possibility for new understanding and true problem solving. When fear and blame are abolished solutions can arise that were previously hidden. Only then can we hope for a new light filled beginning. The solutions for a new world rest in your hands, in the visions you hold in your mind, and the love that is born of your heart.

Category:

Healing

Tagged with:

Spirit Guides Come in All Different Skins!


Some people have angels as spiritual guides, I have Snakes.

This is no huge surprise, I have a love for the earth, her plants and her animal species. I love the myths of dragons and transformation. I love the philosophies of death and rebirth, of what goes around, comes around, of the renewal and evolution of life, fertility and egg symbolism. Serpent is the keeper of all of these ancient wisdoms. That said, it still took me a long time to see snake as a spiritual guide.

Many, many moons ago I took part in my first Shamanic workshop, it was an experience I’ll never forget. It was during that first workshop I met Snake in a very personal creepy way.

We were on a quest to meet our power animals. The first couple of times we journeyed I had trouble seeing anything. I was very jammed up in my linear mind. I hated looking stupid or falling for stupid things. So until I was crystal clear, I wasn’t willing to acknowledge anything. I was afraid of knowing what there was to know. I very much wanted to control the information that I received. My ego was also always getting in my way. If I had my choice I would have wished Eagle into my vision, or an Elk or even a Hummingbird, something pleasant, regal and easily accepted. So when I went on my journey and didn’t see any of these likable animals I apparently didn’t want to see anything. So the teacher lined me up with another classmate and we went on a journey to find my power animal together. In about 30 seconds flat I was covered in writhing, squirming snakes of various sizes and colors. Yuck…but I figured I could still be wrong, it could just  be a hyper active imagination. When we came back from our journey and I was asked what I saw, I said “Nothing.” My teacher was astounded.

Down we went again. This time one very large fat white snake cuddled up next to me – have you ever been cuddled by a snake? It wasn’t my idea of fun! We were quickly summoned back to the room by the drum and this time the teacher didn’t even ask me, and turned to my partner instead “well?” he inquired. Jody answered simply and matter of factly, “Snake.” The teacher turned to me with an inquisitive look on his face for some sign of my concurrence. I shuddered and confirmed Jody’s experience. That was more than 15 years ago. Today snake and I meet regularly for journeys, meditations and conversations. And no I’m not nuts!

Snake and I have an agreement. If I’m jammed up and trapped in my linear mind and can’t see something I need to be noticing, or if there is something I need to be paying special attention to, or if there is something I need to go through and I’m blind to it, He will show up in my path somehow. Now I know that when I see, feel or even just think of Snake I have to open my eyes, ears and other senses; something important is afoot. The rap on the knuckles is the same; get out of your head, ground, and pay attention.

It has been an interesting coincidence that almost all of my Reiki and metaphysics students also have a relationship with snake, not all of them friendly I might add, but they’re learning. I strongly encourage them to build a solid kind appreciative relationship with Snake. Snake teaches us to be flexible, on guard, on patience and on being quiet. He teaches us the value of shedding old skins of belief systems as we grow and learn. As we out grow our old way of being in the world to easily let go and move on.

Today Snake is once again making a very big appearance in my life. My cats keep dropping big garter snakes on my doorstep. Snake has appeared in my dreams, through the stories of my clients, through references in the books I’m reading and while working in the garden. So I’m paying attention. I notice the growth and letting go that is happening in my own life. I see how differently I cope with life around me compared to how I used to. These days I am happy to see Snake appear. I know that I am progressing through change. I am grateful for all my friends that also have snake as their totem, we’re a clan of a specific vibration.

What ever your special affinity with any animal is, make friends with it, build your relationship, embrace your ally. Recognize that this is a spiritual relationship to help you through your transitions. Not all spirit guides are beautiful angels with iridescent wings from ethereal realms, some are right in  front of our noses with all the reality of earth-bound living.

Category:

Metaphysics

Tagged with:

Eye on the Future


My father died almost 6 years ago. It’s hard to remember this. His presence is still very strong. Every day I see remnants of his being growing in new ways through the legacy of family he left behind him. His son becomes more like him every day, his 5 grandsons, each in their own way, exhibit some random piece of him without any awareness of it having been present 2 generations previous to them. His 7 grand-daughters will spontaneously recall an experience with him, a story, a joke or a lesson that they share whenever possible. Every time you meet a member of our family you meet my Dad. His influence was strong in life and still flavors each of our lives. And so life continues. Aboriginal tribes know this. We are influenced by 7 generations behind us and continue to influence 7 generations before us.

With this awareness we feel a special onus to behave responsibly because we know that everything we think and do affects the future. It’s important that we recall the roots from whence we sprang. History must not be repeated. We must learn to consciously cultivate, nurture and grow the best of who we are and compost the rest, mulching it back into the soil of our consciousness to allow better future growth. Come to understand the person you are today, bearing in mind what you have learned from your forefathers. You are not a lone isolated being. You come through a family tree, your roots run deep. There are inherent traits, strengths and weaknesses with which you have to work. Come to know what they are that you may utilize them to their maximum potential. Evolving consciousness depends on what we each bring forward from our own family roots. We can blindly repeat, and make the same mistakes, or we can learn, make new better choices, fostering the best.

In the art of Bonsai, the external nature of the tree is altered to conform to extreme conditions and inherent species strengths and potential. Roots are ruthlessly clipped back, keeping only what is important and necessary for continued growth, branches are manipulated into unnatural positions of maximum flexibility, and foliage is pruned and forced to a new diminutive expression of perfection. No human being can be made to conform to these extremes, for generations though, our governments and militia have tried. There is a certain strength that comes with surviving conformity, rules and extreme conditions but in the end we strive to be ourselves. In the end, what we believe in the most of ourselves will dictate our futures.

When the Bonsai is left once again to its own nature, even after decades of shaping and molding, it will attempt to revert back to its own genetic DNA patterning. As the internal natural wisdom tries to reveal itself once again it risks it’s life. Some make it, some don’t. As we struggle to free our selves from outside dogmas and rules and conventional structures of recognized power – some of us will make it and some of us won’t. It is imperative that you come to understand and love the truest nature of yourself as we move into the ending years of this cycle we are in before we head into the new cycle.

My Dad mastered the Art of Bonsai, leaving approximately 40 of them for the rest of us to try to keep nurturing along. Some have made it, most haven’t. When I look upon his creations I remember him; his spirit, his vision, and how his heart would not conform. He lived his whole 69 years trying to live free, thinking for himself and questing into every possibility of himself.

Not many (if any) of his little trees will survive the next 7 generations – but my Dad will!

Category:

Healing

Tagged with:

Wheels of Change


The cosmic wheels of change are turning. Of course they do every day for many people, but there are times when the really big wheels turn for many, many people all at once. These are times of transition for the masses. I know when these times are because personally I get really quiet and still. I shift in to waiting, watching and listening mode. I also know when we are in these times because I start seeing people going through the same issues at the same time, they say the same things to me, their stories are eerily similar even though the people themselves often feel isolated and alone in their pain. The other sign post that tells me that we are in one of these big transitions is that I have an overwhelming need to sit in my garden, touch the earth and be immersed in Nature’s order and harmony.

So I’ve been sitting there amongst my hostas, day lillies and herbs listening to the wheels of change turning. Actually, to put it a little more accurately, lately it’s been the sound of wheels grinding to a halt. I’m hearing stories of people wanting to make some significant change but stepping back into their reliable – even if painful – routines. Afraid. Confused. Depressed. Avoiding making any change, fearful of making the wrong changes. Fair enough, but it is a dodge, stall and hedge tactic. And the soul knows it and feels deeply unhappy. I feel compelled to remind folks to breathe deeply and keep it simple.

It seems to be our way to confuse issues, adding in too many considerations, too many responsibilities. Bottom line, there are 2 ways to make change just as there are 2 ways  to live your life. You can choose to fight your way through, dealing with obstacle after obstacle, resistance after resistance or rather choose to shift along peacefully, rightfully, respectfully and in good timing. One way is really hard and one isn’t. In the first way you are pushing the river, in the other you are going with the flow. In the first way you are in a survival based mode, fight or flight, strategies and manipulations, the other is harmony based, right time, right place, present in the moment with vision for the highest good of all.

It can be difficult to shift from a reactive to a proactive way of being. We are conditioned to believe that it is easier to change things from a reactive stance in that we wait for the situation to unfold before us and simply respond to it. From a reactive position we know very clearly what is expected of us, and we simply have to respond accordingly. It also gives us a way out and the opportunity to shirk responsibility with statements like “what could I do?” or “I had no choice”. Everyone gets it because everyone’s been there. But it’s miserable all the same. You feel disempowered, cheated and diminished. In a proactive situation you make choices before you’re painted into a corner. You decide ahead of the demands, choosing an option that is more aligned with your own intention and thus your own happiness.

You’ll find it easier to manage through difficult times if you just wait patiently and quietly for the right moment, when the force of the universe is behind you to steadily and consistently make the changes you need to be making. Life after all, is all about making choices and changes. The more you resist change the more difficult life will get. You’ll recognize the right time when you feel gratitude and respect and happiness oozing up through the muck.

Category:

Healing

Tagged with: