Journey of the Heart

I am an aspiring bhaktin (practicing student) on the path of Bhakti Yoga… Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of devotion. This poem came as a metaphor of my inward journey in this wintertime of hibernation and contemplation. It reflects spiritual growth, trust and surrendering to this process of new life. Remembering the importance of patience, protection, time for space and growth...and to be open to Grace. 'Winter Landscape' by Martin Lisec My Winter’s Prayer There lies a seed within, deep inside one’s heart, resting in the womb of the Divine Mother. This wintertime of hibernation is a holding place always there, protecting, waiting for the Springtime of life. When the seed begins to open to the Sun within, we remember His Light and Love. Nourishing, caring for this tiny seed, this sweet delightful bud, the flowering of our True Self appears. Beginning in the dark womb, with patience and loving care, ...

For me the rosary is a holy object that connects me to my origin, and the origin of all creation...  We spring from God's womb, the Mother-Womb of the Holy One. In art this divine womb is pictured as the cosmic rose. The rosary, in Western spirituality, is what has survived of our devotion to the motherhood of God. It is the mother-prayer.  “As a mother comforts its child, so shall I comfort you: You will see, and your heart will rejoice, and your bones will flourish like living grass.” ~Isaiah 66~ The feminine principle in God has been called by many names: Great Rose, Mother of All, Flower of Venus, Rose of Divine Love. The 'World Tree' of the East was a rose-tree.  Barbara Walker tells us this was a female tree of life and immortality and that in Central Asia it was called Woman, the Wellspring. All these images found expression in architecture, especially in the mandala-like rose window of Gothic cathedrals, reflecting the beauty...

Part of being a Druid for me is that all things are connected... Each rock, tree, bird, animal, and human being joined in this dance we call life. Not one being more important than the other, each with a part to play in the greater scheme, which is to honour our Mother. Nature's Symphony  Rushes heavy with their Summer seed heads Bend with the breeze Alive With warbling birds Not Exactly Singing As this could not be called a song But it is praise To the Creator.                                                                   And I find peace Where nature meets The creators paint brush Alive In all creation Living Breathing Life Begetting more life in a colourful symphony Alive with Her sounds Alive with              ...

What is love expressed? What is it to tend the language of the heart?...  How do I share beauty? What is compassion in action? How do I touch suffering in myself, and in others? What is a life lived as art?  These are the kinds of questions I ask myself every day. I am in a continual inquiry about who and what and how all this came to be and how we can participate in it with our very aliveness. Painting for me is a devotional act, a spiritual practice, a prayer and a way to share my love. My creations are the bountiful harvest from a life lived in service to Beauty and the Divine. I feel like a tree whose branches offer fruits and flowers to the sky – that must be -because they do not belong to me. My creations are both my offerings and my overflow. I share some of them with you on this Mother's Day, along with a blessing. 'Passing the Wisdom' A Mama Day Blessing This day we honor and celebrate the women who have given life to us,   the wo...

I wrote a letter of forgiveness to my mother many years ago… This freed me spiritually to allow Divine Goddesses to flow into my life.  For my biological mother was addicted to prescription pain medication and did not provide me with a foundation of nurturing, nor was she a role model for me to experience myself as a Divine Goddess. I have, however, been blessed by so many teachers and healers who embody the unconditional Divine Love of the feminine. One of my yoga teachers, Joanne Flaherty inspired my poem Goddess. I opened my heart and soul to experience the Divine connection between us as the Divine feminine, healing all that went before bringing me into that mystical moment with her. Goddess art by Zeng Hao Goddess The embodiment of Divine goddess long locks spill over sinewy silhouette in tadasana eyes closed serenity breath beckoning to join her on the mountain top Spirit set free flows with each inhalation and exhalation strippi...

I am a mother of two, a daughter and son, both young adults and on their own. My own mother passed three years ago... Mothering and being mothered is a life long process. Taking many forms as we all go through the phases of our lives and circumstances. A deep relationship with self and the other....our children, mother, friends and clients. It’s very sacred work and way of being: this mother-ness! Recently I have felt that in my life there is another kind of birth that requires mothering. Similar to what I felt with my children. A sacred archetype of mother, as I continue to birth my Self (soul) with the grace of the Divine Mother. Death and re-birth... And now I feel very full, heavy with "child"...waiting.  And my poem speaks of this... 'Pregnant Woman' painting by Isabelle Vavasseurj Birthing As the mother, in gestation, preparing for birthing, nurturing, holding, loving. Carefully choosing pure nutrients for the one to be ...