Winds of Change

New vision and inspiration for the journey.
A Mystery School Newsletter from Linda Heron Wind published on each Full Moon

February 2006 Full Moon Newsletter

Contents

moon phases

Full Moon in Leo
Feb 12 (11:44 PM Eastern Standard Time)

Beautiful full moon
Paints dark shadows of the trees
Makes night into day

What's Happening?

The full moon in Leo calls us to express our beauty in an authentic and truthful way. Focus on the beauty that you put out into the world by your very being and acknowledge the beauty that you see in others as well. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we must train our eyes to see beauty wherever we are looking.

While challenges continue to unfold in our lives and the world, the returning light is lifting our spirits and lightening the load. Remember to laugh each day and not take yourself so seriously. No matter what is appearing in the outer world, we need to trust that it is part of the death and rebirth process that humanity and Earth are now undergoing. De-light in the amazing world that is unfolding!

Learn to be joyful
To laugh from your belly more
Life is humorous!

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND CAMPS

Emotional Education for Parents and Children
Facilitated by Linda Heron Wind

You probably never went to school to learn about the purpose of your emotions, how they can be effectively expressed, and what they can teach you. If you are like most people you learned about your emotions from your parents who didn't know any more than you did. This usually results in a variety of ineffective ways of responding to your emotions that go all the way from stuffing them to projecting them onto others. Wouldn't it be nice if you and your children could learn together how to work with emotions in a way that enhances family relationships and promotes good emotional skills in everyday life? That is exactly what this series of classes is about. In 4 sessions of 2 hours each you will acquire the knowledge and practical skills that will provide a solid foundation for your family to work effectively with the emotions that surface in everyday living.

Using stories, role playing, self control techniques, and problem solving skills, parents and their children will learn to identify, express, learn from, and resolve their emotions as well as how to respond in helpful ways to the emotions of others.

Outline

Recognizing emotions in ourselves and in others
Techniques for working with emotions in the family
Tools for self-control
Distinguishing between emotions and behaviors
Expressing emotions
What we can learn from our emotions
What to do with the energy of emotion
Identifying and handling emotional triggers
When to hide your feelings
Using problem solving and thinking aloud to address emotions

WHEN: Feb 19, 26, March 5, 12.
WHERE: Farmington United Methodist Church
COST: $180 per family for all 4 sessions or $50 per individual session
Email LHWind@aol.com or call 585-924-5620 if you are interested in being part of that group.

Ritual

Blessing Ritual - There are many ways to bless the things and people in your life that you love. Blessing with words requires us to consciously speak a vibration into the world that surrounds that person or thing with love. To know what words to use in a blessing, begin to pay attention to the feeling level of words as you speak them. Sometimes changing the words around helps to feel the vibration. For example, rather than saying, "You're beautiful," say, "You are full of beauty." On this full moon bless the people and other beings around you with your words. Also notice the blessings you receive from others with their words.

My words are blessings
For all of those that I love
For all creation

Meditation Exercise

Journey Into the Heart - Get in a comfortable position and take a few deep breaths to relax and ground yourself. Imagine that you are standing behind your body, looking at the center of your back at the heart level. Then allow yourself to see a small doorway emerge in your back. It might be a pretty door. Notice its shape and color. Then see yourself moving closer to the door, and as you do so you get smaller or the door gets larger until you are able to enter. You are entering the domain of your heart. Notice what the space is like. Are you in nature, a chapel, a temple, a cave? Continue to explore this space until you feel that you have arrived at a center spot where there may be an altar. On the alter is a box labeled, "Love." If it feels right open the box and see what is inside. What message does your heart have for you about love? Or what symbols are inside this precious box. Perhaps there is a guide or animal there that can tell you more about this box. Spend as much time as you like there, knowing that you can return at any time. When you feel complete, take some deep breaths and come back into your physical body.

In my heart's center
I hold safe all that I love
From here seed words grow

Inspiration

Now available on the website, poems by Heron:
What the Trees Know

This Month's Article

How to Love More Deeply

Linda Heron Wind

I was reading an article recently where children were asked about love and their wisdom was recorded for those of us who have forgotten. One five-year-old boy was asked, "How do you know when someone loves you?" His response was, "When someone loves you, you know that your name is safe in their mouth." As I thought about that answer, I became aware of what profound wisdom that is. What and who do we love and are their names safe in our mouths?

Holding your name safe in my mouth would mean that the words I use connected with your name would speak to your beauty and wholeness. They would be said in a tone of voice that is loving and respectful. Your name would vibrate in my mouth like a song that is soothing and warm. And my mouth would remain silent and loving when you are not at your best. Safety is love that is always there, not just when you are doing what I believe you should do.

My father always used to say that if you can't find something good to say about someone, don't say anything at all. He also modeled this fairly well - a very quiet man sometimes! I have tried to practice that wisdom only to find myself drawn into the conversations about someone and what they are doing or not doing that others think they shouldn't or should be doing. It is difficult to remain silent sometimes, especially when my own shadow is ready to jump up onto the stage and inhabit this person. From the costume of this other, my shadow thumbs its nose at me and invites me into the drama. Yes, those are the hard times to provide safety for the other's name in my mouth.

There are many meditation techniques that teach us to silence our minds and some of them involve long periods without speaking. When we return to our daily lives, however, speaking is a more automatic response than a spiritual act. I think of words as seeds that are spread out into the world every time we open our mouth and spill them out. Seeds, of course, sprout and grow and bring back to us a harvest.

Sometimes when I plant my vegetable garden, I can't remember exactly what I planted. I need to wait until the plants grow to see what they are. Words are the same way. We may be unconscious about what the seed words were that we put out into the world until they show up in our harvest basket.

Words that carry love and beauty into the world show up in our lives as love and beauty given back to us. Angry words come back to us as anger and critical words come back as criticism. I believe the saying is, "What you sow is what you reap." Loving more deeply requires us to be more conscious of the words that we use that are connected with the names of others or with our own name. When we cannot speak in a way that sows love and creates safety, silence is the best option. While keeping our mouths closed may not initially silence our minds, at least it does not give more power to what the mind is thinking. When we become more aware of our words and learn to be silent, our minds will also learn to be selective in what seed thoughts are sent out to the garden of our lives, and both our mouths and minds will be safe places for the names of those we love. As we go into Valentines Day, make your mouth a safe place for those you love.

To all that I love
Your names are safe in my mouth
In words and silence

If you have comments on this newsletter or ideas for future topics,
call Linda Heron Wind at (585) 924-5620 or send e-mail to LHWind@aol.com.

Check out the article about CIRCLE in the D&C
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/02042S35QT0_news.shtml

Page last modified on February 5, 2006 by RMC