Starting the Week with Inspiration ~ Snow Enchantment Lights Up Our Hearts Here at the Forest Portal

Snow Rabbit Queen Astrid was filled with hoppy joy from the tips of her ears to the ends of her thumpers this morning and Faery mom mirrored the delight with giggles, sparkly eyes, and tickled-to-joy wings.

Astrid is a true snow bunny who has always found Winter Wonderlands to ignite her heart, ever since she first came home to live with us. I always find her looking out the window at the snow and excited to tell us all about it. In fact, this morning she couldn’t wait for us to wake up and peek outside.

She was zooming around our room to get us up this morning and then followed me into the living room and zoomed around some more. While I looked out all the windows she was right at my feet, eager for me to check it all out, and then we celebrated with snuggles.

We were glad we listened to our intuition and took in all the deck furniture for the season yesterday afternoon. The day before was a beautiful, sunshiny Autumn day and we enjoyed lunch on our deck for the last time.

The winds were rolling in fast yesterday, and so after our hike down to the lake, we gathered everything up, including a last harvest of my Garden Tower for Astrid before the storm hit.

I was so surprised that even though everything had gone to sleep early this year with my being unable to tend to things while we were evacuated and then frost nights that had us needing to shut the sprinklers and water spicket off early, that my Garden Tower had a come back of a 1/3 of the herbs on it. Enough for one lucky bunny to have a few days of fresh deliciousness to add to her snow celebrations.

Last night was cozy movie time, as we heard snow hail coming down outside and this morning we find ourselves with our fireplace going.

We woke to three inches of snow at our elevation of 6600 and much more on the mountain tops above.

It’s so beautiful!

And so inspiring!

I was sad that we had missed the first dusting while we were away on our little retreat recently. It wasn’t much the first time at our house, although it stuck around at the south end of town and the upper mountain tops.

Our house and fur baby sitter had sent us a video of the snow coming down, so at least we got to see it. She told us how much the fur babies were enjoying it, especially Astrid who was at her feet watching with her.

I secretly was wishing for more that we’d be able to experience when home….and then we got it.

Hoping we get an early and big Winter this year, as the environment sure needs it and us snow bunnies sure love it. It’s such a gift and with all the droughts, it’s nothing to be taken for granted.

The change of seasons, my being home now more, and having extra time with projects completed means faery baking and cooking kitchen fun begins.

In fact, yesterday before the storm I made a simple little dish with what I had on hand – a peach, pear, apple cobbler that had the house smelling like holiday spices.

It was the perfect warm welcome to the storm, melting my vegan whipped cream upon touch.

We’re looking forward to our first snow walk today, as it kept snowing this morning and the snow isn’t melting away fast like usual.

I find surprises like these and especially nature-created wonders, to be super inspiring. It makes me feel extra productive and motivated when there’s beauty around and I add to it with creative things that I enjoy.

That’s also why my creative work space is decorated as my personal magick Wonderland sanctuary…It inspires me and nurtures my imagination. I have things in it from all four seasons, as I love what each of them does to my senses.

I hope these snowy windows and cozy, comfort and joy feelings (like this bunny latte) find their way into your heart today.

Wishing you a wondrous week of things that inspire you around each corner.

Faery Garden Sanctuary Reflecting Embodied Evolution

What’s new here in our Forest Portal garden world? Well, for me who observes, nurtures, and cultivates things more intimately on a regular basis I’d say a lot, but in comparison to other areas, we experience things on a different time table. Although things progress much more slowly here at the higher altitudes of the Sierra Nevadas, things also can go quite fast when their window does open. That’s why I’ve been waiting on garden updates so that I can share the evolution of things over the course of a period of time, which more greatly reflects the changes. That said, I constantly see daily transformations, but these are the kind only a mom or dad appreciates from watching their babies grow up.

I thought that today, July 4th’s Independence and Freedom Day may be fun for sharing one of the pieces of my life that brings me a sense of liberation and independence since it’s my own little world I spend time in away from everything. Rather than celebrate in bursts of colors lighting up the sky, I opt to celebrate more gently in bursts of colors lighting up my garden of life.

Today’s share is a little peak into the evolution of things in garden land here, so far, now that we’re in Summer’s embrace. So much has already come and gone, but so much more is yet to emerge near Summer’s end and Autumn’s appearance.

It’s been fun to watch the transformation take place – some of it being Nature’s own spin of the roulette to see what she’d like to create this season – and some of it being a progression that reflects the shifts in my and our lives here, as things anchor and ground more solidly and peacefully.

I find it interesting that every time I sit down to write a blog, lately, a thunderstorm and drizzles or downpours are taking place, which is happening right now. Feels like Nature supports cozy writing time and it feels extra nurturing for inspiration to flow.

Since last share on May 28th (now over a month ago) a lot of growth has taken place and quite a few new plant babies have joined the family, along with a couple of sweet magick mushrooms and mini gnome with watering can.

I added quite an array, to include mostly all perennials to the garden, yard, and Garden Tower, but also several annuals and experimental plants that I’m testing for other reasons, mostly in planters for now and a few in the Tower. I’m happy to report that with all the fluctuations in weather, I managed to only lose one plant – a cantaloupe – but everything else survived and flourished, including the two tomato plants I was monitoring when they got hit by the frost.

For those of you plant enthusiasts and garden lovers, here’s the long list of what I added since last share:

• 4 dark red lilies
• 3 more yellow lilies
• 5 more Lamb’s Ear
• 3 Salvia Mysty Blue – 2 small and 1 large
• 2 Purple Sage
• 4 Muehlenbeckia creeping wire fine for rock garden
• 3 Ajuga Bugleweed for rock garden
• 1 more African Daisy (4D Harvest Moon)
• 5 more Dahlia – 2 red, 2 golden yellow, 1 peach
• 1 Dianthus
• 6 Italian parsley
• 1 more peppermint
• 2 pineapple sage
• 3 yellow bell pepper
• 2 red bell pepper
• 1 Serrano hot pepper
• 1 Habanero hot pepper
• 1 Cherokee purple heirloom tomato
• 1 Container tomato
• 2 Purple Coneflower (echinacea)
• 2 Clemson spineless green heirloom okra
• 1 Japanese long cucumber
• 3 crimson sweet watermelon
• 1 heirloom Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin
• 2 Wee B Little pumpkin

Weeeeeee indeed! So much fun stuff!

I recently had ordered plant nannies as well – actually right before our silent retreat away – as I felt like they’d be helpful when temperatures are higher or we’re away, to keep the extra thirsty, sweet babies hydrated without having to be out there watering constantly. I haven’t actually used them yet (I’m still waiting on a back-ordered second package as well), as I’m still gathering bottles to use with them and the thunderstorm afternoons have kept things on the cooler side. But I do plan to implement them in the next couple of weeks, as I want to make sure they’re doing their job well before I’ll really need them here shortly.

They are Astrid approved though, as you can see. 🙂

And speaking of Astrid, she’s been a bit more quiet these days from the public eye, but I assure you she’s doing fantastic, got a great, regular vet check-up, and is snuggly fun as ever. She’s just wanting to be behind-the-scenes for a bit, as she’s prepping a lot of things for our focal switch here that’s been underway. But she did want me to send her love and to let you all know she hasn’t dropped the ball on all the collective work she so generously does with her off-Earth friends and those in the unseen realms.

That leads me to one of the things that’s also developed since our own silent retreat away.

Not only has the faery garden continued flourishing in the vein of enchantment, but upon return from that reflective time, our upper, back deck that looks out on the forest has since turned into a serene sanctuary of blooms and mindfulness.

It wasn’t pre-meditated and just happened to align with our silent retreat energy. Dave surprised me with a Buddha and Buddha Bunny statue that arrived when we got back. He ordered them some time before, but that’s when they showed up.

He didn’t know that I had a bunch of plant baby inspirations, wanting to bring more blooms to the deck that we could see both from the deck furniture AND from inside the living room that looks out at it.

I also wanted Dave to have flowers to look at from his office, which is upstairs, since my office looks out on the garden and is abundant with flowery and magickal friend views already.

And so the rest just evolved, creating a peaceful, zen feel and reminded me of the gardens we walked while away on retreat. This is also where I now have a lot of my experimental planters, which are part of a bigger vision I have.

I’ll save that for when it actually does.

In the meantime, my Garden Tower is full and abundant, having provided several harvests for Astrid and us already.

Here’s the latest harvest, mostly for her.

And my sweet bubblegum pink, mini rose bush has been abundantly giving, too.

We’ve enjoyed mini bouquets and I already have a full jar of dried rose petals to use in my faery kitchen creations. My mini, crimson red roses are now making a debut, so soon I’ll have those to add as well.

Every slot in the Garden Tower, though, is full and they’re all doing so well. Again, I’m so grateful that with all of the see-sawing weather surprises and frost still biting that I only lost that one cantaloupe.

Everything else has been doing fantastic. Some plants and flowers have already gone through their cycle for the season and others have yet to dance. The side yard is jumping with happy little wildflower plants galore, but they are going to take time to fully mature. If they follow in the footsteps of my garden, they’ll get to a good place come early to late Autumn, but next year will flourish amazingly, right when Spring warms up.

My garden wildflowers are popping one-by-one…they’ve cycled through one round of oranges and are now on to the array of beautiful pinks, fuschias, purples, lilacs, whites, and crimsons, with so much more to come!

And scattered throughout I have lavender, foxgloves, dahlias, African daisies, salvia and then delphiniums, lilies, and salvia along the walk way.

The one incredible plant that deserves its own mention, however, is my very first yellow lily plant that I got last year.

She started pushing through the snow, as temperatures started rising and hasn’t stopped growing since. I actually go out every single day with a measuring tape to see how much she sprouts each day, as it’s mind-blowing!

As of this post, she is currently 52 inches tall from bottom of stalk at dirt level to the very tippy top of the tallest spire to her four-spire tower. There are a few smaller ones at the bottom as well, but these four are going for it big time! She has been steadily growing about an inch a day, recently, and is going to be amazing once all of the buds open at top with yellow lily stars reaching for the sky!

Interestingly, all of my other lilies, except for one dark red plant, have all cycled through their blooms already. But this towering giant is taking her own sweet time to put on a show.

She sits directly in front of my office and feels very reflective of things for me. I’m excited to see both of our evolutions unfold.

I find the pace of growth in my garden to reflect the changes in my life – sometimes these huge spurts, but mostly just steady, forward movement that takes the perfect time it needs without rush.

I have a feeling she’ll begin blooming just as I shift gears fully.

And like me, my garden and plants don’t try to be like the rest of the world, or other parts of the state or country that move at a different pace. We’re happy creating our own peace process and unfolding in our own uniquely creative ways.

The more embodied I feel, the more fully embodied my garden has become. And vice versa, the more plants blossom, the more I see new ideas and possibilities blossom for me.

Another thing I love is that there are always amazing surprises that my garden will unveil. I have SO many plants and flowers that I never planted and yet they are growing right before my eyes. And even a couple of plants that were here previous to my starting a garden, but never would grow abundantly or even bloom, are now suddenly this year really flourishing and I have flowers on them for the first time.

All of these pointing to me of a new cycle and that what was seeded before is finally able to see the light and come forth now in bigger and newer ways – integrating the old and new into something more than either.

One more beautiful story is that of a tree that sat at the edge of the back deck. It was one that the previous owners had planted, but it just never did well and died this last Winter. I saw it hanging over the deck with lifeless barren branches and felt like it was calling me to remove it and let it go fully.

So, I went out one day and cut it down myself with loppers, which was quite a task, and what do you know? Small new growth popped through the ground right next to the short stumps I wasn’t able to get myself and since then has flourished and is on its way to being a whole new, happy, and healthy tree.

From death, there is life. One door closes and another opens. A chapter ends and a new one begins.

There is never loss, just recreation.

I’m currently awaiting four new super enchanting additions to arrive for the garden world of unseens brought to life. I can’t wait until they do. They will truly add icing on the cake as the perfect mirror reflection of Wonderland, outside, that reflects my office and shared creative portal with Astrid, inside.

In the meantime, I’m still feeling into some expansions and changes we’re looking to do in and around the house, yards, and garden spaces. I have some research to do still and also seeing how my experiments go. But all of it, again, mirroring the inner world of evolving changes in motion that I’m/we’re taking our time to feel into the when’s and what’s of, rather than rushing forth into.

It’s exciting for sure, but since it all points to major change, I’m making sure these are the changes that feel aligned for the next leg of the journey and asking myself if this is truly the direction I want to go?

May you also create your own divine space and timing for yourself and life’s unfoldings.

Allow yourself to deepen into fuller embodiment of what you would like to experience, while allowing sweet surprises to tickle your heart along the way.

If Nature can, so can you.

A Celebratory Homecoming Inside and Out

I wasn’t going to post a blog today, but I was so excited upon returning home to discover these welcome back gifts that I thought I’d share them so I can pass on some signs of renewal already underway. You might recall that last February, for my birthday, some surprise purple irises bloomed out of no where as a message of hope – irises I don’t remember planting there and at high mountain altitude, were an early amazement. I wondered if the same would happen this year and was sad of the potential that I might miss them, since we were away for my birthday. But the moment we pulled up to the house I caught sight of two purple beauties peeking out as you can see!

They are the very first ones, with another about to bloom. I understood that they waited just for me, continuing in the vein of birthday celebrations and also reflecting another hopeful outlook on the year ahead.

I know this past Winter has continued trying for many and there’s been a lot of challenging energies to integrate, but as Spring is just around the corner so, too, does it feel that there is promise to believe in and inspired action to put into motion.

After saying hello to my “birthday irises,” as I’m now calling them, I discovered that some of my other bulbs were also pushing through.

I shared in September how I planted 150 new tulip and daffodil bulbs and the ones I discovered upon returning home were in fact the very ones I planted this past fall! Another beautiful reflection of seeded intentions that were woven, in fact are starting to sprout. They feel to foretell of nurtured goals and dreams not only having potential, but are in fact a reality beginning to manifest – step-by-step.

Another interesting reflection came through random photos I took of myself on Friday after our last day skiing before we headed out the next day. I noticed when I took off my helmet, how the silver was really showing up all over both woven throughout and in the stripes along the front. It was even more noticeable in person, but I snapped shots anyway because my hair had a wild, witchy look to it I wanted to document for how it also felt reflective.

I didn’t realize until it was pointed out, that somehow parts of my hair showed up as vibrant teal when in fact I have no teal in my hair what so ever and there was no teal light shining on me.

Check out the left side of my hair especially in the above two photos, and then the overall aura glow on the one below that almost has a touch of violet in the teal emanating.

I did at one time have teal put into my hair for Spring two years ago, as you may also remember, but this was odd. It reminded me of those cameras that catch auras on film and it felt like the teal was being revealed as my aura color, which makes sense if you know me and my energy and that aqua/teal has always been my favorite color.

Essence reflections, perhaps?

Does it speak to the evolution and integration I underwent this past Winter into a greater embodiment of the nature of me?

Bare-faced and silver woven, I feel a great sense of peace that cannot be swayed by anything outside of me – enhanced by experiences this Winter where I learned I could navigate any terrain with calm.

I went out this morning to say hello to our land and check everyone out, as well as introduce this new addition to the Enchanted Garden Portal.

These two sweeties are another solar light decked out in succulents to match the one my parents gave to me. They are actually going to be in the garden soil itself, but I took the photo below to show how sweetly they go together.

I couldn’t resist and felt they’d be a perfect addition, home coming, and a great way to welcome Spring with a big Hoppy Ostara/Oestara!

Ironically, although it appears like Spring is on the way, we actually have a storm that is making itself known a little earlier than expected. We’ll have snow the next few days, but on and off snow flurries already just started a couple of hours ago. There is still a lot of snowy patches all around and the mountains are covered, but I’ve noticed green sprouts peeking through here and there.

Feels like we still have some incubating to do while growth is underway.

I know we’ve only just landed to our Forest Portal yesterday, but it feels oh so good. No matter the adventures and beauty we go off to enjoy, we always feel most gratitude for our home right here. Oh how we missed our tree guardians that encircle the house, the Fae of the land, our forest, Sierra Nevada mountains, and the incredible mystery jewel – Lake Tahoe – which is beyond compare for us.

The comfort of a sanctuary you’ve created in a land that you love is priceless.

The fur babies are all enjoying being back, each in their happy places. Astrid knew mom promised we’d return and while she had quite the evolution this Winter, she’s super pleased and at peace being in her royal faery realm.

What a trooper they all have been, but Astrid is truly the Rabbit Traveler Extraordinaire! I’m amazed by her, as anyone who knows rabbits would likely tell you what she accomplished through road trips alone was nothing but incredible.

We’re grateful to our friends who have sent so much loving support and good energy.

As Astrid and I entered our Wonderland room we nearly lost our breath because we’d forgotten how much we adore it. Everything has a freshness to it and feels as if the Fae sprinkled extra magick into everything while we were away, to prepare it for us as a welcome home.

To say she and I are in bliss, is an understatement.

(UPDATE: I forgot to mention that on our travels back home we saw pronghorn again and an owl flying in plain sight of daylight. The owl was in the exact area we saw her at the start of the trip so that felt potent and full circle, including how I saw on the clock every consecutive repetitive time: 1:11, 2:22, 3:33 (owl showed up right after this), 4:44 and 5:55! Also the night we returned I woke in the middle of it with tailbone aches. I haven’t had that in a while and usually it happens at very shifting times. Being that this area of the coccyx and sacrum are a portal, it seems powerful to note.)

Memories of a Forest

I returned home Tuesday evening from a very nurturing time away, but have been immersed in settling back, completing some projects, and getting a lot of year-end things in place.

Although a second beautiful snow storm was the welcome home here, weather while away saw lots of sunshine and warmth providing my skin with an autumn tan to carry me over through winter.

One of the late afternoon hikes we did, however, took us through this enchanted forest you see pictured throughout this post where a pocket of fall magick awaited, nestled in its own vortex-like zone separate from everything else around.

I shared this little snippet of prose (below) on my Instagram page, but since I’m unable to post anything new yet (hopefully in the next day or two), I thought I’d share it here as well.

I was literally swept away by how the landscape of leaves and scents all around made me feel. The photos don’t do it all justice, but hopefully it might provide you a little bit of the inspiration it did for me.

I literally felt like I was flying on a magick carpet throughout this realm with layers upon layers of floating leaves. The veils were like a magickal web encircling me in a womb of creation. I wonder what was in motion. I guess we’ll see.

Wandering through forests laced with delicate veils of sweet floating leaves suspended in time and nestled in a timeless slumber is pure enchantment.

The landscape felt like a thousand pastel faeries on parade and the scents coddled the heart in warm embrace of memory-laden feelings floating gently in the air.

The nostalgic aroma merged that of an ancient wooden chest of old, eclectic tea leaves with holiday mesquite burning a warming calm in the solar plexus. 

Letting Go, Listening, Purpose & Celebration ~ Autumn Equinox Portal Preparations

Fall is in the air and everything is falling all around, including my hair. Well, not quite like that, but I’m letting it go as easily as the trees let their leaves shift and drop. More on that shortly.

I read a short share from Avia Venefica exploring where the phrase “turning over a new leaf” came from. She writes:

“…many types of trees can detect changes in their environment. They sense a shift in weather before it happens. It’s as if they predict the weather. Trees adjust to these changes to prepare themselves for pending change. For example, deciduous trees like maples and poplars turn their leaves as a protective measure before a storm hits.

Rather than flippantly tossing about the catch-phrase of ‘turning over a new leaf’, maybe we can embrace the idea that a deeper presence within and around us is beckoning us to shift our position. Maybe a powerful, sentient energy sees a positive purpose for making a motion for our betterment – for our safety – for our future.”

She points to how the inherent awareness we have is easily distracted, whereas Nature continues to listen to the signals no matter what is going on in the outside world. There’s an innate wisdom that can guide us just like trees. Surrendering to that space of knowing how and when to change will lead us to our most optimal life experience.

Yesterday morning kicked off with an Autumn celebration of joy and change with a procession of over twenty quail, a chipmunk and a squirrl, with chattering birds to accompany, all parading in front of me with a grand show.

I shared a video of the fun on Instagram yesterday, which followed the quail from fence to fence of the perimeter of our yard, with a chipmunk and squirrel who kept zipping by to add giggles to the show. It all made me so happy!

The quail use our yard for grazing and as their path into the forest. This is the sweet family we’ve seen since the babies were tiny ones, now all grown. I was doing my usual morning feeding and cleaning routine with Astrid when I caught glimpse of the action. The quail were lined up along our fence and squirrel was enjoying his pine cone not far from them and then ran closer, as if to make sure he was in camera focus (as seen above and below).

I went outside to enjoy both their presence and purposeful journey, as they hopped down into the yard, grazed a bit and hopped back up to the forest-side fence to continue on. While watching them, a chipmunk got super excited and started to zip back and forth in front of me several times, which I caught on the video. And then squirrel (this is the same little guy who always comes to tease me when I’m in the garden) decided that looked like fun and wanted to steal the show. So he ran up closer and made sure to look straight into the camera and then over to the quail and back to me.

It was so cute watching all the activity and observing the quail, one-by-one hopping up to the fence, surveying the forest, and then jumping down onto the forest floor. One of them was so excited she overshot the fence and when leaping with flutter to the top, toppled right over instead.

This reminded me of a dream I had last night where I was flying. I have dreams of being in flight, although many of them are about the effort and concentration it takes to lift off the ground and keep rising, but I prove that flying is possible. This dream was very different. Like the little quail who overshot the fence with propulsion, I had almost too much propulsion and force behind my flight. So much so that I was able to bring two other people along with me, as we held hands in a line (reminding me of Peter Pan flying with Wendy and the kids) and I flew us up and far, doing all kinds of tricky maneuvers along the way. By the end of the dream, I was in fact learning to harness, refine, and dial back my energy a little because it was on full force and I was having to navigate us to a very specific coordinate that I couldn’t overshoot. That seemed like a significant dream to have at this change in cycles right now and with all that I’ve been experiencing.

But back to the quail – I adore them and love that our home is such a welcome place for all the forest creatures. They, along with the activity of the other little animals in Autumn prep, herald the change of seasons to me.

This traveling troupe, I read, take us on a journey of reflecting upon our life story and the symbolism around purpose and progress…to see if the details are aligning us to where we want to go and what we want to create as contribution. And synchronously, this HAS been a big focus for me recently.

They speak to any action being sacred and that even the smallest of steps in the direction of purpose will propel momentum and create opportunity. So, in this way they encourage action toward our goals and to seize what is showing up.

Quail are also very social, aware, instinctual, confident, connected, and community-oriented. So there are varying levels of how these messengers may show up in our lives. As always, only we can decipher how that translates for us.

And yesterday afternoon, Hope made a reappearance in the garden just outside of my office that I share with Astrid, my rabbit. She was enjoying yard munchies and even had a fun encounter with squirrel where they nearly ran into each other, and she bounded off in surprise. Of course, I giggled out loud. She sat under the fence a while just exposing her cute little cottontail and I enjoyed watching her explorations. I discovered later that she likely ate my comfrey plant, which is funny because it’s the first plant that finally took after about four efforts. I took it as a sign she’s blessing it for next year’s abundance. 😉

While watering, two chickadees were flying and perching next to me, chatting with curiosity and of course my squirrel friend made me laugh, as he ran right up to me on the top of the fence I was standing near, looked me in the eye, chattered and then ran off. He’s such a tease, as I said.

So, it was a big day of forest celebrations for tomorrow’s Equinox, the circle of life, sacred community, purpose and the journey, and enrichment even within the transitioning seasons of change.

I’m very much hunkering into the change of seasons, which includes inner preparations matching outer ones. I’m also loving to wear the Fall colors and matching the natural environment around me. It seems to be quite a full time recently for getting a LOT done.

Do you find yourself making any shifts too, whether consciously or instinctively? Or engaging in more things than normal?

I have a full couple of weeks of bulb planting, cutting old growth, bookkeeping, house cleaning, updating our Magick Rabbit Etsy shop (which I’m hoping I can get up for Equinox tomorrow since there’s a couple of sweet Autumn additions), Reiki 2 online training and road trip prep, alongside new focuses I’m developing. So, I feel a bit like the squirrels and chipmunks in seasonal production mode. Yet, like them, am making sure to integrate some fun along the way.

Which leads to the opening about “letting go of my hair,” as tomorrow I have my first appointment with my hairstylist that got rescheduled by divine alignment to Equinox. She only sees one person at a time now so that works well. I’m planning on the first big cut I’ve had in years, since I’ve been mostly just letting my hair grow during these transitional and deepening years.

Yet, I feel so ready for something lighter, fresher, softer and releasing all the years of old at the ends. Normally, I’ve been trimming about four inches off, but it grows so fast, it never seems like I do.

I’m not yet sure what will evolve this time, but it makes me excited because I love change and get bored pretty easily. This may just be the first stage of cuts to come, but whatever and whenever they happen, it is a way I align myself with the new. And since it’s been years since I have done anything more drastic, it undoubtedly reflects big, apparent, upgrading change.

I thought this was interesting. My hair is currently a little past my waist, as you can see in the left photo, which was taken Friday to document the before. The lighting wasn’t direct, so it was a little more accurate to my medium brown hair (of course I have silver too, as you can see in the photo above this one). Then just a couple of days ago, Dave saw the light on my hair streaming in from outside and took the photo on the right. It completely transformed my hair to a honey gold, or slightly strawberry blonde, which made me look like a completely different person from behind and actually mirrors my hair in photos from when I was a little girl. I had both pixie hair when I was super young, and then hair down to my butt for years. The right photo reminds me of little Tania and seems fitting to have recaptured that, since a lot of focus for me has been about retrieval of my parts.

Now, it’s about reinventing something new.

The shifting light of the season casting a glow of change and reflection.

I also have an eye appointment Thursday to upgrade my prescription, as I can tell my vision is shifting. Vision changes reflect, to me, a different perspective on life. Vision and perspective feels important, as it relates to everything shifting so much in the way we are experiencing the world and collective right now. There seems to be a call to alter our perceptions overall and even a mass movement in terms of the things more people are becoming ready to see now. As layers of the veil peel back, we are being asked to see with new eyes and trust what is being shown/felt because that will be more key in creating a different reality than the one we may have thought was the only version of reality available.

As always, I am fascinated by connecting dots of the journey and share these experiences as one of the ways in which we can invite awareness and creative energy to the process.

Nature reminds us that we need to relinquish the need to hold on tightly with fear and to trust in the process – to allow ourselves to have everything we thought we knew about ourselves to be stripped away, only to discover a greater truth to our authenticity beneath the temporary structures.

And in the process you’ll discover the only thing that is eternal is the core essence of who you are beneath the temporal layers. You learn then that the rest isn’t as serious as you make it and is simply part of the journey to that core.

We let go, just as the trees effortlessly allow their leaves to shift colors and float off in the wind. We embrace the only permanence, which is change. And we take grateful stock of what we do have, while preparing for a new birthing that will be incubating during the symbolic stillness.

Seasonal transitions mirror the evolution of human consciousness and the dynamic shifts of life cycles.

If you feel so called, perhaps you might create an intentional space, moment, or ritual of your pleasure to connect within and without as a way to unify through love.

I wish you a beautiful change of seasons that represents the merging of two into one and a balance between contrasting energies, at the portal point of Autumn Equinox (for Northern hemisphere folks) and Spring Equinox (for Southern Hemisphere folks). May it illuminate your inner journey in enriching and deepening ways.

Whimsical Wednesdays ~ The Artist’s Corner: Wondrous Gifts from the Elemental Realm

Who better an artist to highlight whimsy, magick, wisdom, and harmony all woven imaginatively together, than the Earth Spirits themselves? Today’s short share brings to light how the Elemental Realm has been so sweetly showering us with surprises here in the days leading up to our wedding, and how much delight it has been to receive these generous and thoughtful gifts.

My sweet friend Mari pointed out how our Forest Portal Faeries are having a joyous time making sure that there’s a continuation of celebrations leading up, on, and following the big day – remarking on how they enjoyed sprinkling the sparkly powdered dust to create extra snowy enchantment that they know we both love.

The magickal snow seemed to enchant the garden too, as right after, my yellow lilies began to bloom right outside of my office and shared room with Astrid.

They evoke such joy, warmth, inspiration, purity and light heartedness. Seeing them makes my heart smile and believe in happy endings.

They anchor the path along with the welcoming yellow daisies in my garden and create a beautiful aura of energy in synergy with all my pink, peach, purple and white foxgloves blooming.

I have beautiful little blue faery flowers also blooming in the rock garden to the right of the lilies creating a lovely contrast.

I can’t wait until all the rest of the flowers burst with joy. I saw my first pink rose bud pop up at the same time the yellow lilies opened and all the wildflower plants and clover we seeded are all growing wonderfully too.

It’s the little things that make a difference.

The late morning before the surprise snow fall, we went on a crisp walk along the lake where I found four large geese feathers and another beautiful great horned owl feather.

Alongside the refreshing winds of change and clarity that day, these treasures were very meaningful.

There’s also continued to be a lot of new adventure hikes revealing inspiring vistas, sweet beauties, and unusual hidden things for my wondering heart to enjoy.

This included finding the largest sugar pine cone I have yet to discover at nearly two feet long from stem to end.

It’s exactly 21 inches! I thought the one I already have sitting on my desk was big, but this one towers over it nearly 6 inches more! I learned from another friend that pine cones were the first flowers so they carry ultra ancient wisdom and energy.

I looked it up and found amazing scientific information on it dating back 130 million years ago! Incredible! Also interesting is “the likelihood that a single male cone was responsible for the world’s first flowering plants owing to the elasticity of their genetic structure.“

I knew some of the symbolism of pine cones, but this info really put a new spin on them for me. I even read that in 1244 BC in Egypt they found an Osiris staff with pine cone at the top entwined by serpents rising up to meet it. The pine cone is associated with the pineal gland, spiritual consciousness, enlightenment, and eternal life. To be gifted such a huge one is something else.

The largest pine cone found according to the Guinness World Record is also a sugar pine at 22.9 inches. So, yes, I’m quite in awe by this massive cone gift that now sits beside my other one on my desk bringing in the ancient wisdom and forest energy to my creative space.

Other fun finds and sweet gifts have been little faery bell wildflowers, tons of lady bugs landing on us, swallowtail butterflies dancing between us, serene lush beauty that provided a natural healing

attunement for me during a solo hike on Sagittarius’ Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, a dreamy spot

where you can swing from a tree overlooking inspiring beauty, an incredible little cabin hut

someone is building off-trail out in the middle of the forest, and a carved stump made into a mini throne/chair also found hidden in the forest.

But these Earth Spirit gifts are not just for my/our eyes alone.

Earth Spirits show up in our lives to teach, guide, nurture, heal, inspire, and so much more.

They are way-showers to self-nourishment, living in harmony, stability, and abundance, and showing up responsibly and compassionately in cocreation with all life and consciousness on Earth.

The Elementals of air, water, fire, earth, and ether are spirits that embody varying forms of energy to assist with different aspects of life. Within each Elemental family there are varying creatures, beings, tree, plant, mineral – crystals, rocks, and stones – spirits, and life forces that help us to understand our place within the rhythms of nature and this world.

We can learn and receive so much from the subtle and potent messages they bring us that ultimately fine tune us to both our Earth and Cosmic selves.

They offer us ways to feel lighter, more flexible, listen within and trust, support greater creativity, imagination and inspiration, help us to clear and balance, experience more grace and flow, learn the secrets of transformation and purification, increase our vibrancy, awaken our dynamic nature, pave a way for clearer communication with all life forms, provide soulful illumination, meld instincts with heart guidance, strengthen and ground our life force energy, and overall guide us to raise our vibration and live in greater alignment.

As we open our hearts more to all that is going on in the world, let us not forget we have powerful allies within the Elemental Realm, too, that show up in the most wondrous of ways.

Monday Musings ~ The Writer’s Corner: Magickal Rituals & Tales from the Forest Portal

While I’m immersed in painting portal flow working on an author’s book cover, creative writing has been coming through me in small channeled snippets during a mini novel break. I love how everything interweaves together and supports the other. So, in my own short book hiatus, I’m still very much writing and book focused, with simple musings and artistic inspirations. These are two recent channelings that came through, inspired by the forest and my enchanted garden, which I shared on Instagram and compiled together for my sweet blog friends. I hope you enjoy and/or find your own inspirations from them. One friend called the tree channeling a magickal spell in ritual. In both musings, the words glided through me, but were both me and not me. Enjoy.

INVITATION TO THE GRAND SUMMER BALL

The flower faeries are beginning to appear and invitations to the Grand Summer Ball have gone out.

Some can hardly wait and have thrown on their gowns while they make preparations.

They are the way-showers for all the new faeries of this realm and ensure pollinator guests for when they make their appearance.

The mainstay perennial hosts have returned with vigor and in some cases multiplied with glee. They are cycling in intervals with many yet to bloom and others taking the plunge into early brilliance. They encircle the enchanted garden bed – the ballroom stage for this yearly celebration – awaiting the tiny green shoots newly seeded this year that carpet the realm.

You can’t make them out, but I assure you they sprout with glee to reach the sunshine and join the dance. Sparkling butterfly and dragonfly guardians decided to watch over the garden this year too, and send out beacons to all their family, inviting them to what could likely be the biggest celebration this realm has yet to see.

There’s even been an addition to the serving stations to ensure all forest creatures can easily hydrate during the jubilee. Alongside the larger standing water bowl and bath anchored with a quartz crystal center, there’s now a small sunflower dish with bird hosts watched over by a pair of rabbits with solar succulents that light the way for forest creatures of the in between hours. In this way the ground dwellers like rabbits and mice can sip of its contents, while the birds, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, and opposums can continue enjoying the higher water station.

There is much excitement and many whispers throughout the land, calling in the seen and unseen creatures of the forest portal.

Summer Solstice is near and everyone is doing their part to make it a beautiful celebration.

* * * * * * * * * *

GREAT TREE

Oh Great Tree your roots carry the whispers of times forgotten, your branches see times yet to come, and yet your strength is in the presence you bear witness to unconditionally.

You are a portal to your Mother, The Cosmic Tree, through which multidimensional experience is woven.

Pressing my heart to yours I remember. 

Pure Gratitude: A White Thanksgiving

I wake with extra gratitude this morning for a wish come true and heart full of gratitude! We woke to a white Thanksgiving this morning and magick blanketed all around. We were out late last night, which is highly unusual for us early-to-bed kids, but we had friends in town visiting, which put us outside witnessing the first falling snow and snowflakes sprinkling our hair, as we dashed in and out of destinations. It also created quite a contrast that found us sharing a very deep discussion into the wee hours of the night about the meaning of life, what’s really important, and having gratitude for those things with an extra layer of new tenderness while sitting up on the 18th floor of a casino in a bar overlooking the falling snow. I, of course, was only drinking a sparkling water splashed with fruity fun that looked like a tropical drink that could whisk you away on a beach somewhere.

The point is, no matter what I’m doing, even if it seems out-of-character, I always find some nugget of a gift to be grateful for and the contrasts usually help to highlight things even more.

Nature helps with that too, and the more time spent outside, the more you experience the richness of life that is always walking beside you, despite your sometimes not being able to see and embrace it.

I shared a post of gratitude on my Instagram to all of my friends and connections there this past week, which was prompted by a big hike out in nature that had me reflecting on all of the things to be grateful for.

And I now want to extend that same message here to those of you who have been with me through all of my creative evolutions, challenges, and celebrations and who have shared your own journeys and experiences of inspiration and growth.

I’m grateful for all that you contribute to the collective in all the myriad of expressions and experiences that create this colorful tapestry of life as we know it and unfolding magick within the Great Mystery.

Together, we move mountains and paint masterpieces.

Thank you for sharing your love, support, gifts, and incredibly unique sparks of beauty with me and the world. There is so much to be grateful for and today is a reminder to make that a regular practice, just like infusing fun into your life is fundamentally important, as they both are life-changers.

I just wanted to share a little message of thanks, as we’re heading off here for some snow-shoeing out into the Winter Wonderland that awaits us before celebrating this day with friends at a giant vegan potluck Thanksgiving, bringing together a collective community here beaming out joyful wishes to all.

I will be holding thoughts of love, gratitude, and hope with every step I plunge into the pure white snow.

Astrid and the kitty babies send their good wishes of wonder and joy too!

 

 

Unifying Layered Realities as the Living Dream

June feels ripe with much in motion and round-the-clock fullness, which is being mirrored in all the flowers and green blossoming everywhere. I mentioned recently in conversation that dream time is stepping forth in grand ways because it is where the layered realities of our multi-dimensionality are. This reality we are focused on in waking life is but one offshoot of what really is and things will flip when the collective is ready to “live the dream.” This last week has been layered with interweaving parts that are merging into a new creation. I’m sensing many can feel what I’m saying and are experiencing the difference, as well as likely have been involved in a lot recently too.

The first three photos you see here are of our home on the forest. Everything right now is coming up flowers and is completely enchanted. I can’t get enough of all the variety of wild flowers surrounding our house and throughout the forest, as we let our hearts wander the paths. I can’t help but stop to take them in with all of my senses, which sparks a feeling within to skip and frolick to join in Nature’s dance.

The layers of lush beauty and blooms seem to reflect the many layers of fertile potential stirring in the cauldron of our inner desires and dreams. Anything is possible. We just simply have to choose what we want to nurture, cultivate, and grow with all of that potential.

And speaking of dreams, I can’t emphasize enough how potent these are and have been for me. Things have been amping up and increasing there. I’ve always been a vivid dream weaver, but I’m experiencing so much more there than ever, including more of that cohesion of bringing together the multiple realities going on at once so that things are becoming more seamless.

I continue to dream in excess of people I know and having remote viewings, very clear psychic experiences – that I would rather say are simply tapping into the other realities and living and remembering them in the now, rather than actually being this psychic experience that seems supernatural – and when I touch in with people they confirm what I “dreamed” as being exactly what is going on with them.

This in part has to do with my Pisces boundless energy, but I’d like to emphasize that I feel this is where we’re headed as a collective in progressively tapping into our multi-dimensionality as no longer a concept in our minds, but a reality we live and co-create in. It would be too much for many if it simply opened fully and immediately, so in stages, the more each of us are tapping into it, the more the collective at large is, and vice versa it also speaks to the readiness of the collective that this is possible too.

This is the progressive spiral of humanity moving into a wider experience of dimensional cognition that the other parts of ourselves are already experiencing.

I’m finding that the more this happens, the more full my life is and the more I am experiencing the direct alignment and effects of every little thing I do very clearly. When we stop to recognize and be curious about it all, we expand and draw in more possibility.

It’s been a full week and continuing. I know many of you have found yourself with full plates as well. I always like to review things in my life and connect the dots, as it ignites things more and bringing things together.

And what a week it’s been:

• I read four books – just started my 5th – that had the perfect ingredients for the next leaps. I haven’t read much recently, but Dave has a library card and the last time I went with him I suddenly found myself with a stack of six books coming home – I’ll likely have the last two done here shortly. I followed my intuition and was led to the exact books perfect for the next phase of experience and creation. Even the order I’ve been reading them has unfolded in perfect cohesion.
• Cleaning out and organizing was at the forefront again – I am finishing our bedroom closet, started my office closet, and Dave and I have been working on our garage – the last piece of our house getting fully settled since moving in. We marvel at the fact that nearly 100% of the garages people have here in Tahoe are unusable, meaning they are full of stuff people store or throw in there and they park their cars on driveways – yes even in the snow of Winter. And even the few who do park inside have disorganized garages that are a storage area for mostly old and unused things. Feels very symbolic to me about the subconscious and unconscious parts of the collective that are running the show in the shadow. I feel that even our unseen spaces speak to our lives and it’s bothered me that the garage was, to us, unorganized even though to others it wasn’t. And the same for my office closet, although organized, just has way too much in it that I had to find space for at the time and now is going to be cleared. This speaks to clarity of mind, heart, vision, and manifestation to me and also of shadow integrated rather than hidden, denied, or tucked away. As I look through every piece it reflects a piece of my inner world I am putting into productive use or releasing. The timing on getting these clear as the last steps, mirrors what’s ready to come forth. We even decided not to just organize and open our last boxes for the garage, but are getting rid of things, got shelves and storage boxes to have it all organized, are hanging our bikes to have clear space, and before all this we’ve been prepping the foundation of the garage – also symbolic – by cleaning it, filling cement cracks, and painting it in a nice finish to keep it clean and look good. No reason the garage can’t be special! It feels like taking care of the shadow in a way of valuing and merging it as usable.
• I found a magickal horse duffel bag hidden in the garage – in the process of all the moving around a bag of stuff showed up that I thought I had lost, got stolen, or I threw away by accident. But in going through this process it showed up tucked away behind things. In the bag were some very cool things that were meaningful and special, including a portal tapestry I’ll be hanging downstairs in the guest room that will mirror mine and create a dual doorway reflecting layers of multi-dimensionality we have access to. Treasures found in the process of clearing.
• I found our telescope – my parents had given us a telescope when we moved back to Tahoe and there it was in the garage all dusty and in a corner. I cleaned it up and brought it in and set it up downstairs for now. This feels like a treasure too with clarity, vision, and connection bringing the Cosmos in closer merging with Earth, as the two become one through our physical forms
• Honing in on details for more effectiveness – I/we have been doing a lot of this and especially so in the shared business/work I have with Dave. In the interim it may seem like more work, but sets things up to be passive and supporting the intents we have for our life
• Anchored in new sacred rituals – in bringing to light more ways to be effective and aligned, I’ve added in some different practices to enrich my/our life further and it’s definitely making a difference
• Deepening shadow work and increased daily vitality and magick – this has included another level of awareness and application to bring more unification to life and making things easy and natural to discern and experience in each moment
• Taking action on intuition and putting in place the steps for actualization – by listening to myself I’m seeing the thread on the weave tighten from being a loose loop and the image of the tapestry reveal itself by bringing things together. I’ve put my ideas out there vulnerably and have received welcoming yes’s to them. This is bringing together the perfect collaborations and I know will continue to
• Garden tower recycling prolifically – I’ve harvested quite a lot and the last big harvest left the tower quite bare, but it’s all grown back in again. This tower has been even more abundant and rich than my last one and I feel its reflective of the things I’ve shifted, as well as the endless abundance available to us in our heart wells. I love seeing everything as a metaphor for my life
• Blueberry sightings amped up – the wild baby mountain cottontail that lives here outside my office has been coming around abundantly. I named him Blueberry based on a dream I had of a bunny I adopted. The interactions between us and seeing him daily is another metaphor for things and to me is reflecting the path I’m on and have been cultivating, as well as the book I’m completing and its process
• Fun news about Astrid – TBA but not only have her ears healed, but she is stepping out more and more collectively in her work and visibility
• Sunshine immersion – during all of this I have been getting out daily in our beautiful 70’s weather and getting some great Vitamin D time, which I thrive on and that infuses extra vitality. I’ve also started using my Sun Oven again, which also infuses extra vitality in our food. So while dream time is revving, it is in balance with daytime immersions. All things in harmony create wholeness of being and experience
• Dreams going crazy with psychic, remote, and symbolic messages that are bringing waking and dream life together – I already mentioned that above
• And amidst all of it I’m still on track to finish my book this potent month of June with the Solstice portal aiding it. This is my last editing/reworking before I surrender it to the next phase and a professional editor

So, yes there are many layers going on and these are just the main ones I’m sharing to express how I integrate the meaning, reflections, and symbolism into my life as a unified field of experience.

These last photos are of the Forest Portal we live on, where this magick is unfolding, and of all the beauty blooming here in the wild, enchanted garden of my heart.

Flower Moons & Memorials

Today’s Full Flower Moon in Sagittarius speaks to abundance, blossoming, expanding, exploring the new, and being free. As Earth’s fertile soil springs forth in flowers and welcomes the planting of new seeds, so too can you plant new intentions in your garden of life that speak of your deepest dreams and heart’s joys. Responsible action aligned in heart, leads to renewal. The last two days here spoke to me of these fertile and shifting life cycles, as we ended a couple weeks of thunder and rainstorms with Summery weather, saw the reappearance of a dear friend, laid to peace a sweet soul, and I reached the half way mark of reworking my book, which looks to be in line for completion this month, as I felt.

The Sun’s rays are so vital to life and for me, to have sunshine is key for my own vibrancy. I’m much like a snake or lizard, who thrives off time in the Sun and feels more alive when it’s energy touches my skin. I guess I also “shed” skin just as much as they do too with all my changes. 😉 So I do make a point to relax and read a book while soaking in rays when I can, as well as being out getting natural exercise with Nature, as vitamin D does the body good and for me, a lot more than others is needed.

Today I plan to harvest my Garden Tower, get some Nature time, and write, but I’m feeling a greater sense of joy and peace from Sunday’s sighting of what I feel was momma bunny.

After thinking a lot about her and tuning in, wanting a sign if she was around and okay as I was feeling sad, we pulled up to the house that day and there on the front lawn was my answer. She hung out for a bit then took off under the trees.

I then saw baby in the side yard munching away on the grass and wild sage, and he scurried under the gate to join out front by the trees. I’ve only ever seen mom and baby here, so unless this is another elder family member, my instincts say it’s momma. We were far from her, but it felt like her especially given my asking for a sign. Yay! I thought you might want an update too. I’ll be keeping an eye out to get a closer look for confirmation, as I know her eyes and face well. Seems she is teaching baby the ways of being on his own more and entrusts Astrid and I to also watch over him while she’s away and if she may go away one day. We are one big happy bunny family! 

And daily now are sightings of baby just frolicking in our yard. It is the perfect sanctuary for him and bunnies for sure, as it’s safe and there is so much for them to indulge on. This is definitely becoming a more and more magickal spot by the day.

Then yesterday was bitter and sweet, as Memorial Day saw me creating a memorial.

In the morning, as I was checking out my Garden Tower, I noticed a beautiful little bird laying on one of the pavers keeping the netting in place. Poor baby must have hit a window perhaps, but it was interesting to find this sweetie right there waiting for me and its symbolism speaks to many things.

I always seem to find animals, alive, injured, or moved on, feathers, bones, etc., or perhaps they find me. I feel I am here to create sacredness around their transitions, to bring peace, and be a bridge for them. And that’s what I did yesterday for this sweetheart.

I normally wouldn’t show a photo of this, but this dear one was so lovely and still so full of life, as I held him or her in my hand and nuzzled it’s sweet feathers and breast with my fingers. There’s something about its energy that moves me so much – perhaps to remind us of singing our song and living life fully EVERY single moment.

It seemed like it had happened not long before my discovery, and so I honored the little one and created a special spot to memorialize his or her life right next to one of my barrel pots of Foxgloves, Delphinums, and Salvias just outside my office door.

I want this to be a sacred place where all creatures great and small feel to be a sanctuary and honoring of their lives and a place they can feel to come and we can all share in the magick.

Yesterday was also like the first Summer day here and continues today, with temperatures in the low 70’s. Everything is blossoming, especially the trees and bushes here.

We spent most of our day outdoors, including celebrating with friends, relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the now and the joys life has to offer.

We shared a short hike out back and then enjoyed great food and conversation.

We enjoyed outdoor grilling of my Hawaiian veggie skewers, some Sweet Earth burgers, Field Roast apple and sage sausages, rice slaw with sesame siracha dressing, rainbow potato salad made by one of our friends, chips and guacamole, “cheeze” with crackers and spinach naan appetizers, fresh raspberry and rhubarb pie made by our other friends from their garden, and topped things off with S’mores…all vegan and full of love and yum.

Life isn’t worth living to me unless we are enjoying it to the fullest with gratitude and the freedom to “BE”.

Wishing everyone a blossoming week.