Balancing Act Ellipsis

In the last two days at work, I suffered 5 glass cuts on my hands/fingers. Aside from the discomfort and inconvenience of these occurrences, I am being forced to analyze this (that's my Virgo Sun rearing her meticulous head) energetically. My co-worker at the frame shop- M. (who I rarely work with) is a spiritual ally as well as a friend- was startled by my bloody mayhem and said :

“Violet, you are out of balance and need to ground yourself.”

Truer words have not been said.

I'm stuck on Band-Aids, 'cuz Band-Aid's stuck on me!

I have a cut on my left pointer knuckle/base, another on my left thumb knuckle, one on my right inner thumb crux, one on my right ring fingertip AND one on my outer right pinky fingertip!

Our hands represent that which we grasp or hold. I clearly had not been able to grasp the brevity of my emotional world, that much is obvious. My body manifested reactions to the sublime workings of my Heart and Soul.

It is perfect timing to be reminded of the delicate balance of life as the Sun transits through Libra. Libra, oft represented in imagery as the scales remind us of balance, of dichotomies and of fairness. A Libran will listen to an entire anecdote and judge it based upon balanced fairness. (Versus the Gemini who will listen to and pose both sides of the story- in efforts to be thorough and well-informed, often without making a judgement about it at all.)

Shattered

Interlude- the Science behind said slices:

Glass is known as a super-cooled liquid. Molecules of heated silica (imbued with a flux during the melting stage for stability) are mechanically or manually poured out and pressed or rolled out into sheets to cool, forming what we call glass. Although we usually think of glass as a solid, it is not. It is a fluid whose molecules move so slowly they appear as a solid to the eye. If you have ever worked with panes or sheets of glass, you may be familiar with the quasi-bendy quality- especially if you have pushed a large sheet to it's limit and it shattered in your hands. Ouch!

When I woke today, I started thinking of the glass-cut correlation and my balancing- energetically. I did not cut myself on mat boards (representing an Earth quality, being made of cotton pulp) or with tools (representing Metal) but with glass (representing Water, the emotional world.)

Admittedly, I have been out of balance emotionally lately. For some time now, emotional lessons have been extra stringent and heavy, due to my resistance of them. I was not ready to delve into the shadows of that world, being intense and scary. Heartache and heart-break will do that sometimes, and I made a pact with myself some time ago to allow myself a safe place to experience and immerse myself in it when I have the space to.

At times, life does not work as we plan it to, does it?

From the Mary-El tarot deck.
One of my favorite Lovers cards ever. 

For months now, I have been resisting a grieving period necessary for the emotional growth I am needing so desperately. Touching upon the grief, tiny periods of release have popped up at the most inconvenient of times, like when I am at work, or while riding the bus. “I will revisit you later” I told the emotions, but never finding “the right time” I suffered silently, eating and swallowing the pain that so desperately cried to be released in physical and spiritual form. It festered and grew which made matters worse in the long run. I couldn't bawl at work, on the bus, etc. Timing is of essence sometimes.
It has been months since I really cried. When I had access to the tears, had the space and the time to, tears dried up and went away. It was like “holding it” when you need to pee; the urge just dwindles until you cannot wait any more.

I can't wait any longer.

Even though I have no tears at this moment, I welcome them when they deem fit, and in the meantime, I will embrace the healing process in other forms. I am finally excepting the harsh reality of what got me to this place, the dark and the light of it. I had compartmentalized the two aspects for far too long, seeing only the dark or the light. Therein lies the pain. The two cannot exist with out each other.

Being an Earthy lady, it sometimes takes physical signs for me to correlate the deeper recesses- not all the time though, just when I need it to. (I am not suggesting that always I need an ailment or accident to manifest for my sight to be crystalized, but on occasion it has happened, and it helped. How do we spin out of control? Nobody is perfectly balanced 100% of the time, nobody!)

Yin-Yang

Libra, the opposite of Aries on the Natal wheel, represents the WE in life, the partnerings experienced in life which bring us lovers and business/working pairs, versus the Arien I we all put forth. Libra energy heralds the balance and lessons learned in the world of We. Following Virgo's period of analysis and subsequent healing, Libra moves us forth onto the next step of life's processes of the experiences we take on as we grow. I like to think of Virgo as the pathologist, one who gathers detailed information and views the physical scenario to create a healing plan. Libra is the partnering of the healing.

In this suffering, I am the pathologist, the doctor and the patient. Physician, HEAL thy Self!!!

Okay then. Here we go.

Viewing life as an ellipsis, I seek a center point to view experiences from- the grounding point on a mathematical compass. Experiences and lessons cycle and re-cycle throughout our lifetimes, pleasant and unpleasant. To say to the Universe: “I no longer want to experience this” before we understand the meaning of the exact point of the path we are on would be like short-changing one's Self. I don't want to do that. Conversely, repeating uncomfortable lessons, experiences and patterns could insinuate a deeper Karmic issue at hand which needs to be dealt with energetically in another manner.

Awareness: I have literally cut myself off energetically to the deep emotional world which seeks to embrace me through this trying time. I return to the fearless state of Knowing this, and I am able to transform this seemingly-alarming energy into a positive experience where I continue to grow and trust the process. AHA!

PATH of least resistance

Assessing my wounds (pathologist) I am in charge of the healing path I choose to put into play (doctor) and experience the healing which is taking place (patient) as I share this process here, aloud.

Fortunately, I have been creating works of art and writing, copiously- throughout this entire “rough patch.” Looking at the fertile body of work flowing forth from my Soul and through my hands- which have bubbled upward and out- I see that I have been expressing my rich Emotional world all along, sometimes delicately and at other times, fiercely. The Emotional world balances itself out, given space and time to. Thank you Libra, for bringing this to my attention.

Isn't it attention and presence which leads to grounding one's Self? It serves as a giant step at least!

Ma'at weighs our hearts against a feather...
I have been heavy-hearted to say the least!

Apprehension (fear) leads to blocks of the necessary flow towards our higher Self's validating and healing experiences, or at least slows them down. Like glass. Slow to flow. I allowed my wounds to slow me down. I needed to. It hurt too much to delve in. But it does not any more. I see the path and move forward on it toward the goals I made, stopping to smell the flowers along the way- an imperative step in human development. Some flowers smell glorious, others make us sneeze. I will walk on, resting when I need to, pushing forth when I need to, sharing when I need to, retreating when I need to- all the time, blessing life, in gratitude and with grace.

Keep on walking the path!

H is for Health -VS- Happiness

 Sunny Sunflower, Oh So Happy! 

Many of us understand that health is a wholistic term. We are not just our bodies, but have a body with a mind, a spirit and emotions. The four elements are at play. Our Body reflects the Earth, the materialization of matter fusing with intent. Our Mind reflects the Air, the mental/intellectual component of ourselves. Our Spirit reflects the Fire which animates and activates us into forward motion, fueling our primal drive and connecting us to all living beings. Our Emotions reflects the Water which flows into the cracks between the other elements, fusing them together with feelings.

Being healthy can be so subjective, depending on who you ask. Ask a M.D. If you are healthy, and you may get a different answer than a psychotherapist would tell you, and yet an even more different reply than a shaman may give. But it is truly only your-Self who can dictate your states of your actual health.

 Playing Scrabble makes my brain happy & healthy! 

When I feel off, I ask myself one or more of these questions:

How is my body functioning, are all my organ systems operating properly? What is the state of my mind, am I thinking clearly and understanding the analytical processing in my brain? Where do I sense I am spiritually, am I grounded and centered, aware of my soul's purpose, sensing the vibrational connections outside myself as well as within? When I survey my emotive field, am I open in my heart, operating from a place of Love, or am I reacting to situations and people in my life out of Fear?
Then depending on my reactions, I go deeper for the reasons how, why or why not.

I love analysis, especially related to my health and healing.

Some folks think we need to be happy in order to actually be healthy. I disagree. Yes, happiness is a great feeling, but it cannot remain a constant 100% of the time. Life is so filled with ups and downs, full of joys and disappointments, yet none validate or dismiss the others. Such it is with happiness and health. Our bodies can be functioning in tip-top order, yet our heart may be broken. Our emotions could be clearly focused and positive, yet our bodies can be quite unwell. All elements of health depends on the individual and their intentions.

Operating patiently from an open heart, with gratitude, has made my life smoother and less pain-full, when I am in that space. I am not there each and every moment of my waking or even my sleeping hours.

I am not perfect, nor do I wish to be.

(Releasing the need to strive for {the all-impossible} perfection has freed me up to BE happier though.)

 Enjoying time with loved ones makes my heart very happy! 

There is no ideal model for ultimate health for us all.

Being Healthy is so specific and unique, like us, that regularly taking the time to survey your health inside and out, is a good idea for anyone.

You may even find that you are doing better than and are healthier than you thought.
Which may make you happy!

Be you healthy, happy or not,

the best healer of all is Love.

Love yourSelf.

Love others.

Love Life.

Be Love.

Love.

E is for Emotions

I wasn't going to write this blog with this subject's focus. I was going to tell you about Epictetus instead. 

But as I sat typing while listening to electronic ocean waves crashing, I decided to stick with my original plan. Please look Epictetus' work up though. It's good stuff!

Yesterday I was at BB&B perusing the shampoo and bubble bath aisles, opening bottles and sniffing happily as I went. After about the 5^th sampling, one of them smelled like him. The {gasp!} dreaded him. 

Mr. X.

In the span of a millisecond, I was verging on tears. 

There I was, not half an hour prior, thinking about how I am doing so well with this huge life change- without him. One smell, quasi-reminiscent of his natural smell- and I almost let myself slip into utter despair, stewing in those intensely charged thoughts.

But I didn't.

I knew in that teensy tiny fraction of time- if I let one entire minute go by emoting over that failed relationship, lingering on my feelings for him, I would undo some healthy healing progress.

I said STOP!

(To my thoughts, that is...)

What did I do then?

I opened up, bottle after bottle of yummy, cheery, high-noted fragrances, and brought my Self back to center. 

I repeated my mantra, whatever it was at that moment.

Mammalian's sense of smell is the deepest of all senses. It is the most developed (especially if you are a bear or a bloodhound!) and lasts far longer than sight or hearing. Scent therapy is even used with [human] geriatric patients in memory health.

So it is of no wonder that I almost descended into the abyss from a sniff or two.

 Duh! 

It is in the mind that the emotions develop into something positive or negative. 

Sure, a quick burst of volatile organic compounds meshed with a receptor neuron or two in my nasal cavity and my limbic system went on red alert! 

I “get” the science, but my reaction was so much more than what can be reduced to a laboratory and a white coat.

Other than from triggers like scent, sound and visuals, it is from deep within us that emotions begin. Both conscious and unconscious thoughts tumbling around in our heads become the basis of a complex emotional world. Like the enzymes which combine to form proteins, these thoughts are linked to bigger things than when they are solo. Thoughts can snowball into unmanageable messes which become emotional minefields. 

And unless you are a bliss addict, these may lean toward the neutral to icky emotions.

Each emotion serves a purpose. They inform us of our state of Be-ing. Both pleasant and unpleasant emotions help us grow as individuals and show us where we need to adapt and change. 

 You too can be the fearless brain-tamer! 

It is through intentionally monitoring my mind that I am getting a grip on my spectrum of emotions. 

I do not seek to control my having emotions, yet I seek to control my reactions to them. 

 Want to feel more peaceful? 

 Mind your mind,

all the time!