Look up! Way up!

This is a photo that has been sitting in my Love's digital camera for months, just waiting for us to get enough time to download it onto the computer. It kind of looks like the beginnings of a nuclear explosion. At sunrise one morning my Love exclaimed, "Wow! Look at what the sun is doing!" I just had to grab a snapshot of it.

Usually when we see things like this and don't get a photo people will write it off as another lunatic saying that he's seen something that no one else in the world has seen and he really needs to be locked up. Well, nana boo boo! I have a picture for you! Next thing is, "Ya, well, digital photos can be doctored!" I say to this, "Prove to me that, without any influence on my part because I wouldn't know how to doctor something if my life depended on it, my camera did something to create this effect!" You want proof, well, be prepared to show me the anti proof as well if you are going to be so skeptical!

Now, I don't know what exactly it is in the atmosphere that creates an effect like this one. The sun shooting straight up in the sky is, however, breath taking. And my Love and I both felt that it was a message to continue to reach higher and keep our visions of what we desire at a very high vibration. The sky is not the limit! Shoot for the stars!

Ah, yes, we will miss that fabulous view that we had from 20 stories up. But now we have a beautiful house with a yard that is manageable and space to live without having to step over stuff and walk around stuff and climb through stuff. We performed a Harry Potter act in that we were able to fill a house with the things that once fit (sort of) into a one bedroom apartment. We truly are magical!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

The Vertical Expression

Dance is the vertical expression of the horizontal desire. When we allow ourselves to let go and dance we discover a primal force within us. This helps us to connect more intimately with our surroundings...the earth, the animals, the birds, the insects, the trees and flowers, and the people. Is it any wonder that some Western religions have banned it? To quote my Love, "I find organized religion the greatest deterrent to true or authentic connection with God." She is quite an amazing person to have that figured out at such an early age!

In Shamanic practice there is something called Trance Dance. This is utilizing dance as a means to connect with Spirit. Sometimes one dances their power animal, sometimes their fears or joys, sometimes their passions, and sometimes Deity Itself. In the process, all the energetic blockages that have been tightening up our bodies let go and release. It becomes an ecstatic experience. And yes, it can lead one to having the best sex ever. But, for those who are religious beyond belief, just remember that sex can also lead to dance! A very dangerous thing indeed!

When we release the blockages it frees up our energy fields for other, more life giving things. Sex is just one of those life giving things. Once clear, we are able to dedicate our time to those things that fulfill us. We follow our creative flow and discover that we are really good at stuff that we never allowed ourselves to explore, either in terms of time or in terms of believing that we actually could. Suddenly our world changes into a vibrant place that is full of life's potential. And it is not even that the world itself has changed. It is more that we have changed and are now reawakening to what was already there. So go ahead everyone! Shake that bootie!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

The Best Part

When we lived on an acreage, the best part of spring was the part where the "gently undulating" landscape (a term the assessor used, not me, even though you would think it was me because it sounds so sensual) melted all the snow it had gathered through the winter and became a small lake. The water went through most of the back yard, through the bushes and trees and out into the pasture. This meant, of course, a prime opportunity for rafting!

Now, I must admit that, unfortunately, I was too heavy to actually be supported by any of the rafts that were constructed over the years. I don't think that it was actually that I was overweight (or at least I hope it wasn't!) but that we couldn't build a raft long or wide enough with enough buoyancy to actually keep me afloat. I was tempted to purchase a canoe and say "To heck with it, I'm going boating!" but I never did. Why? Well, because it was just way too much fun to watch my kids and their friends do the rafting. Yes, there were many a time when someone got dumped in the drink. But that is all part of the excitement of the whole experience!

This is what being a kid is supposed to be like. Not a time where you have to pick up one responsibility after another and worry about whether or not your clothes get dirty. Just get into the oldest clothes you have and get on the raft!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Many Faces

When you look at this picture, how many faces can you see? I see quite a few. But then, I was trained for years to see what was not immediately visible to the naked eye. I find that natural rock formations are incredible in what they reveal to us. Legend has it that the stone people are part of the bones of Mother Earth. They are also, according to legend, able to hold the history of everything that they have witnessed over many millennia. Some say that they also are able to transform themselves into statues of beings that they have seen or with whom they have interacted. Considering how many faces I see and how many partial bodies I see there, it is pretty easy to believe that part of the legend.

The question that I always have is....why? What makes them able to do this and why would they want to? Is this part of their process of the storage of information? Or is it also a curse of some sort that they carry with them? Or are we all crazy for seeing these things in rock formations? Nope. I had to ask that one, but the answer is no. The straight jackets are still not on, and this is good. So feel free to allow yourself to explore what you can see. I dare you! I double dare you!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Just Breathe

Breath is Mana. Breath is the energy flow that moves through the body and attunes us with the subtle energies of the world and the universe. When Dolphin was having struggles breathing under water, it was Grandmother Moon who taught her to breathe properly and how to allow the breath to move through her as the waves ebb and flow with the tide. She taught Dolphin how to allow the energy to move through her so that she could survive the deepest experiences of the soul and how to burst from the depths in joyous dance. Now Dolphin is able to dance and play and live very comfortably in the water. She has become a guardian of humans, her close relations, when they are in the water as well. For humans sometimes still need to learn how to breathe. She also flows with the phases of the moon, as do the tides. She inspires humans to honor Grandmother Moon in her many phases and to celebrate with ceremony and dance. All we need to do is breathe.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

For a Plant to Grow

For a plant to grow it must be deeply rooted, have the right amount of sun and water, and experience loving care. People are like plants. This beautiful Lilly is one that grew in the garden of a dear friend of mine. She was kind enough to email me a photo or two to utilize in my blogs. Today, this one caught my attention.

As people, we need deep roots. We need our family ties to help us to establish what is important in our lives. Sometimes this is because what is important is not what our family's expectations of us are. But often it is the deeply rooted love that is important and sustains us. This is what will often get us through the tough times. Family, however, does not always mean our family of origin. Sometimes, in fact more often than not, it means the tribe that we belong to, some of which are related through blood, and some of which are related through love.

We all have sunny and rainy times in our lives. That is what life is about. In an earlier blog I mentioned a quote that said that it is not the absence of rain that makes our lives complete, but the ability to learn to dance in it. At the same time, if all we experience is the sun, we get parched and burned. We need both experiences to be whole.

And we also need loving care. From the time we are born to the time we die, no matter how much of a span there is between these two events, we need to be held. We need the physical touch and we need to be able to experience the love that transfers from one to the other through that touch. This is why so many NICU babies survive. The parents and family members and staff touch them. At my mother's death bed there was a lot of time spent just holding her hand. This was not to hold onto her and keep her with us. This was to give her comfort while she completed her journey to the Otherworld. And then the cycle was complete. Shortly after she died, my youngest daughter was born, and the cycle was, once again, begun. I am still holding her whenever I can. After all, they grow up way to fast and there will soon be a time when she may not want me to hug or hold her. When that time comes, the rain will begin again, but I will learn to dance in it in celebration of her independence.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

The Long Way

Sometimes the long way around is the fastest way to get to your destination. Take, for example, getting home after work in 5:00 crush hour traffic. I find that going around the city on Circle Drive or even through the city to the farthest bridge is faster than trying to take a direct route. The direct route can sometimes be clogged with the most traffic. This is true of life itself.

I sometimes take the long way around to accomplish things instead of the direct route. Why? Because it is simply more enriching and I meet the most amazing folks along the way. It also ends up being faster because I don't have to wait for others to get with the flow. I simply flow around where they are already clogged up. Works for me.

Blessings

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

The View

"Life is a climb, but the view is great." Character of Tyler in the Hannah Montana movie "The Best of Both Worlds".

Sometimes there are surprises along the way. My Love and I took my daughter to see the Hannah Montana movie yesterday and, you know what? I highly recommend this movie! It is not just for young teenage girls. It is a movie with real quality. It had a lot of slapstick moments that slayed me, and the gist of the movie is just what that quote said. I love it when there is profound wisdom presented in a way that young people can understand.

No matter how high the climb may be, there are struggles along the way. I have certainly had my share of those. It is true, however, that the view along the way is awesome. The connections we make and the way we come to understand ourselves through the process can be amazing. Our relationship with the Divine can also be greatly enriched along the way. I personally think that this is the main point of it all. Some would disagree, and they are welcome to their opinion as well. I am grateful that I have had such a climb. I would not have become half the man I am now if I had not had the opportunity, through the climb, to develop as I have.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

The Interwoven Nature of Things

It is amazing to me how connected I feel with nature, yet how annoying parts of nature can be. For example, I love birds. I find them to be fascinating creatures. I have even kept birds in my home and thoroughly enjoyed them. When living in a high rise apartment overlooking the river, however, one soon discovers how incredibly loud water birds can be. Sea gulls and Canada Geese are community oriented. Well, oriented to their own community, not that of the human community around them. Needless to say, during the spring and autumn when migration is happening, the noise level gets pretty much unbearable.

I have, over the last 2 nights, finally had the pleasure of silence at night. It is amazing, in a new home, to discover delightful things like quiet nights. The clock radio starts in the morning and you realize that, hey, you haven't even woken up to go to the washroom! When you closed your eyes it was dark outside, now it is light. And you actually had to be awakened by the clock, as opposed to waking up before the clock! It is amazing to me what a rested state can do for you.

It is also amazing to me how interwoven things can be. One can love birds and thoroughly enjoy them, and at the same time have a ripple effect of birds=no sleep=fatigue=stress=poor health. There is also the weave of no birds=excellent sleep=energy=excellent health. This is how things can weave together in ways that create harmony or not. The weave can sometimes get tangled, but then can get disentangled and flow very well. No matter what the weave is, it can be changed by choice. My most recent choice was to move house to, amongst other things, disentangle from the racket that the natural world was creating. Now I can enjoy a peaceful neighbourhood and a peaceful yard, and a peaceful night's sleep. You gotta love that!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Chaos

Every now and then we go through the experience of chaos. While we are walking that path we need to remember that chaos is the first step to harmony. Everything has to just come to a head and burst open for the healing to happen and the harmony to be achieved.

These days I am walking the path of chaos as my Love and I are in the process of packing up our apartment and getting ready to move into our new house. The living space in a one bedroom a challenge at the best of times when amalgamating 2 homes. When you insert into that equation trying to function while also packing that amount of "stuff", well, let's just say that I am very appreciative of the expansive view off our balcony right now because I can always just step out and breathe.

So my apologies to all my readers for the delay in getting back to the blog site and making this entry, as well as for the delay over the next week as we do the deed of moving house. I have a friend or two who have been quite patient in reminding me that I have not blogged for some time now. I thank them for this as it lights a fire under my butt, so to speak. And I encourage them to also eat chocolate as this will help them through their blog withdrawl symptoms!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com