Journey of the Heart

I didn't have any knowledge of spirituality and poetry at first... Yet when one day a poem jumped on me, and the other sneaked up on me, then finally merging into one. Little did I know of the language of symbols, and Jung's Soul process of individuation. Yet it all sprung up as if from a well hidden deep within me – my Soul turning me inside out – revealing the real me. Images emerging from deep within not yet influenced by over-used spiritual cliches – completely unique and fresh SoulSpeak – creative works whole and complete unto itself. Photography by J onna Jinton Downfall by Romana Anna Nova In honor of the downfall I can not pretend anymore. There comes a point, where the encounter with the Unknown feels almost welcoming. I don't care for who I am. Who I thought I was, has lost its importance in the face of the sweet necessity to be real. The neat and silent slipping out of old skin, where a new one hasn't grown yet to restrict you. The fre...

The creative shakti flow of energies is feminine and giving. .. This represents a divine flow inspired by Mother Earth and her abundant offerings of energies and spirit. As I explore the flow of life and various realms, transcendental moments, deep dark roots, and the beauty of the here and now on our precious planet, my spirits  vibrates! I feel this vibration resonate with the greater Spirit:  our unified spirit, our unified being, which vibrates way beyond what is immediately seen.  "Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavatu" May all beings be happy and free! Aum shanti! Photography by Catherine L. Schweig Free-for-all Kundalini by Ava Bird ah, up the spine the kundalini rising sacral chakra heart spinning red and orange like fire fast and pure peaceful and still beating  to the sound of one one moment to breathe breathe  in  deep  and clear and sigh 'om' loud and clear exhale shanti time to fly now time to pound the stone...

As uncomfortable as suffering can be, I’ve discovered its ability to connect me to others... Whether it be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, pain is the universal experience, surpassing all things that have the tendency to separate us. This poem was written during a dark night of the soul, a time of intense anguish when I felt isolated not only from others, but also from myself and from God. Yet at this intense low point, when I was enveloped in shadow, I stumbled upon a surprising truth.  In the midst of my pain, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of being held not only by God, but by all of humanity’s suffering. I could rest inside this unity and be comforted. Face of the Tempest by Victoria Lantz She dropped what she was doing and ran to the village as soon as she heard the moody rumble of thunder. She climbed into the hut, catching her breath in the space’s center before falling onto her back and arranging her body in a star. Staring wide ey...

This poem was inspired by several things: First, my heart ache and heart longing for the need of and call for love, peace and change in this world. There is so much darkness that has been brought into the light this past season for all of us, I wish to raise my own candle as high as I can and continue to shine bright in whatever ways I've been gifted. Second, the loss of my brother and this strange, odd journey of grief that has been this past year of my life. As the holidays arrive and the year anniversary draws near, I am aware that part of my soul is exhausted from the footsteps of these past 11 months, even as part of my soul continues to wake up and fully step into the Love I wish to be and see in this place. Last, the backdrop of an Alaskan winter, which always conjures forth imagery of starlight, midnight, and crisp, snow-tipped days. Since I am leaving Alaska in June for the warm shores of Kauai, I am trying to embrace all the gifts of one last arctic season. An...

I was pondering my place in the ‘universe’, my stance and relationship to the whole and to the personal... What is my place, what is my connection, what is mortality? Do we really end when our bodies have given us up? What would my intuitive wisdom say to me?  This poem is how I answered my question: Infinite Grace by Nanci Bern Myself, Land, water, sky, flame, they flow endless to the single consciousness, their confluence makes whole, my blood is thick and shiny as sap, my feet rooted, reach down through the cool, rich soils. I go on forever, from all dimensions, spaces luxuriant in their ardor for breath, from my head that becomes part of the universe, my hair sparkles like the stars. I go on forever, my body a tube like a hollow flower stem, the winds, the voice of nature, whips through me, my spirit whistles with the rush of itself, and the act of naturalness flows. I go on forever, even when I, my shell is no longer whole...

This poem from an unpublished collection I wrote in 2010… The collection is a refection on Time. It speaks of communing, or speaking with God about how, as life passes, as time passes, the things that pull me away from divinity, from my spiritual path, fall away, becoming less relevant, as the vision of all living things as a family of souls gradually becomes more vivid in my heart.  That eternal family of souls that will live after the body dies. This is the vision I wish to strive for in this poem, and in my life. This slide show is a series of photos I took while standing amongst a flock of seagulls on a misty beach in southern California. I used this poem after I put the video together, because the motions of the birds felt, to me, like the motion and flow of the poem. Photograph by the author, Janavi Held When by Janavi Held Whenever the future finds me when memory is gone when longing no longer reminds me that remaining here is wrong. When th...

I love winter time: its beauty, its stillness and its gifts of listening, receiving and dreaming... This winter, after a tumultuous year, I feel we are being called on to dream a brighter future. Writing, for me, can be one way to contribute to this collective dreaming. "We have to believe in a more beautiful world  in order to serve it."  Charles Eisenstein My poem is intended as an imagining, a wish and a prayer. A dream for a better world which our hearts know is possible - one which already exists in bright, hopeful corners of the world and which needs to be nurtured.  Of course, dreaming is just a part of changing the story. But it can be a foundation for action and for real change. As we reach the winter solstice, let's turn towards the light and remember that: "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.  On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."     Arundhati Roy The Rising by Caroline Mellor Afterwards, doves were gi...