Just for today

I have decided quite recently to start working with Reiki again. I have missed my daily sessions and meditations with Reiki. The Reiki precepts are not only for Reiki but suitable for use every day whatever your beliefs.There are many versions of the precepts but this is the one I like:

Just for today I will let go of anger

Just for today I will let go of worry

Today I will count my blessings

Today I will do my work honestly

Today I will be kind to every living creature.

Some of these can be quite hard at times. I am not one to get angry at others or things that happen but I do worry and find this precept quite hard to deal with. Yet worrying doesn’t make sense and I know this. I try to change the things I can change and learn to live with those things I can’t change. I always count my blessings, doing this every night before I go to sleep. Looking at what you have puts things into perspective when you see those who don’t have anything not even water in some places. We are so lucky in the western world.

I am honest and always have been and that can cause me grief as I do tend to speak my mind but try to think first before opening my mouth! I also try to be kind to every living creature including the spiders I don’t like but in general I feel I do this.

After all the recent stress of moving house and having the new bathroom, then working with Reiki has helped me greatly. I am no longer stressed and feel much happier in myself. I always understood that Reiki was not just about helping others to heal but about healing yourself and becoming who you really are and this has certainly worked for me. I am now at the moment where I am going much deeper into Reiki and the meaning of the symbols and everything that goes with Reiki. I am also now feeling able to teach others Reiki again and this does not have to be done person to person but can be done over distance so if you are interested then do let me know.

My photo this week is a butterfly, a symbol of transformation.

 

Memories

It has been an interesting week with some stress at the end but a lot of memories have surfaced. While writing my new book I have been looking through old diaries and journals and keep finding things even though the book is finished apart from a few additions. The additions are because of what I keep remembering!

Just talking to others who have known me for some time brings other things I had forgotten to my mind again. Launde Abbey was one such time I had forgotten and yet I spent many days there walking in the woods and grounds and exploring all kinds of inner work. The old journals jogged my memory about books I had read that I felt had influenced me in some way. This has led to me buying some of these books again so I can look back at how they did influence me if that makes sense. One of the books was the Celestine Prophecy. I know this is fiction but even now I can see lots of food for thought in those books. I remember going through the Experiential Guide to these books and I now have another copy. The work still resonates and I hope it will bring back more memories for me to write about.

It is strange how one memory jogs another one and so on but that is what has been happening. I found another journal for 2001 with not a lot in it but what was there was interesting and brought back other memories. How can I write about all of these? I don’t think I can or the book will never be completely finished Talking to a friend last night she did say there could always be book 2, a follow up to this book. That is something I will have to think about. Do I remember enough to make another book as well as this one?

If you read this blog and you have met me either in the physical plane or elsewhere and have memories you would like to share then please do so and contact me. I am finding that writing this book is a deep emotional experience at times but I will get it finished soon.

Random thoughts

It has been a strange week, interesting in many ways and hard work in others. I have started to move boxes into my new home and that has made things easier in some ways and harder in others. So this week has been a mixture of good things and bad things if you like. It was sad to say good-bye to a group of people I have been working with  on family history but we will keep in touch. Maybe there is a new group around the corner once I have moved.

The events in Manchester have coloured all our lives especially as we are not that far away where I live and many people that I know go regularly to there. But fear is not the way forward and that is what our current government are trying to do, make us afraid and take away our liberty whatever they do or say. It is a well-known way of controlling the masses. But the way in which people  work together after such a tragedy is always for the better. This is how it worked during the war years. People pulled together and shared worries and gave help to all who needed it. But we should not need attacks such as that this week in order to work together or help each other.It is something that should be an everyday part of our lives. But I am still amazed at the racist outpouring that I heard from some I thought were better than that.

On a good note, I have taken some of my blog posts over the last couple of years or so and made them into a book. Many people don’t want to scroll back and read previous posts so a book is easier for them. I have titled it ‘Words from the Heart’, because that is what these words are. They come from my heart and often from deep down. There is space after each one for you to write in your own thoughts. I will post a photo of the cover here at the end. It can be obtained via my web site (www.cerianwen.co.uk) or direct from lulu.com

The hot weather of recent days and the sunshine have brought the rose tree in my back yard into bloom. It is more like a wild rose but it does have a scent and together with the scent of yellow roses in someone else’s garden, it has enhanced the days. Nature is a wonderful thing.

My final random thought is this, peace and love will prevail if we allow it. Send out those thoughts into the world and love yourself too. Set an example for others and don’t let fear in or hate.

Dealing with anger and hate

It is such a beautiful morning here in the UK. It was like this yesterday as well and I have always hoped that days like this make people feel happy and balanced. Not so. Recently I have felt anger around me, in shops, on the bus and in the town. It is like a huge volcano waiting to erupt. This feeling has been simmering for a long time. I first felt it a couple of years ago and have watched it grow and grow until it will soon erupt. But how will this anger erupt? Will there be strikes, violence, fighting or other things?

Some of this anger and hate seems to be erupting on social media. I have always tried to keep the peace and have often posted on social media trying to calm things down. This no longer works. I only hope that the anger is because people are waking up to the injustices of our world and not for other reasons. But much of what I see and hear is directed at people of other colours and this is so wrong. We have allowed the media to brainwash people into thinking they are the only ones of importance and that any one else is not worth thinking about.

But as I wrote in a previous blog post we are all connected spiritually and genetically, in Europe at least. Where have things gone wrong? How have we come to the point where only the rich matter, where those who are less well off are at the bottom of the ladder where health and a living wage are concerned. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening and we seem unable to stop this. Is this why people are angry? Hate is of course rising again like it did in the 1930s. We should be looking at the similarities between us not the differences. How can we help these people to release anger safely and to change from hate to love?

We have a beautiful world, let’s enjoy it in safety and in peace. Let anger wash over you and fade away, let hatred be changed to love. Let the sun warm your heart and mind and open it to the real potential that we all have, to find peace within us and in the world. It is time to live in harmony.

Spring brings hope

The phrase ‘hope springs eternal’ has been going through my mind all week. So I have taken the words ‘hope’ and spring’ away from that thought and that is what I am writing about today. But the original quote is about hope always being there even if we forget about it, it says’ hope springs eternal in the human breast’. However bad things get there is always hope within us that things will get better.

So what about Spring? I can feel that Spring is in the air. I go into my back yard in a morning and you can smell the difference in the air. It might be cold or wet but that smell of spring is there. And when the sun does shine, you can feel the warmth too. I can see tiny buds on branches and the crocuses are coming into flower.

So if I put the words together I get Spring brings hope. It was the celebration of Imbolc during the week. For me this is always about hope and looking forward to the coming lighter and longer days. I look forward to being able to create in a better way, to being able to get out more to enjoy the natural world and above all to enjoy what the season brings. It gives me hope that the future will be different and better although I am not silly enough to expect it to happen all at once. I know and understand that things often get much worse before they start to improve and I feel that is what is happening now. But the bad changes occurring at the moment are awakening people to their real reason for being on our planet and hopefully that will bring about the changes. Many people have just lived their lives squandering and wasting resources as if there was no tomorrow but now everything is coming home to roost as we say. So take hope from the coming of the longer days and the burgeoning of nature and know that eventually the world will become a better place as more people find their real place in our world.

Words from the Druids Prayer

I have spent some time this week thinking about the words of the Druid Prayer. Some words stand out clearly, knowledge, justice, truth, love. There are many versions of this prayer but they all have the same intent within them.

At this time in our lives and in our chaotic world, then these words are ones we need to hang on to. I am not sure what order I should put them in as for me they all have equal impact. However, truth and justice are extremely important at the moment. How do we know what the truth about a situation really is? This is where knowledge comes in of course. But don’t take everything you read as being true. So many lies are told nowadays and so many truths altered to make people think differently. Brainwashing was a term used many years ago but it is inherent today. You have only got to look at adverts on the TV.

If we are really spiritually aware and awake then we will have that inner knowing of what is truth and what is a lie. Work on this so you get better at it! So what about justice? There is not much of that about at the moment so we need to make sure it happens in whatever way is right for you. Last week I wrote about protests and the word protect came up as an alternative word. I think this word ‘protect’ fits in here. We need to protect our justice system and make sure it is not contaminated by wrong thought.

Knowledge is something we gain over the years although many of us who go deep inside know that we all have an inner knowledge that can serve us well. Dig deep into your inner self and find that knowledge. You are going to need it.

Love of course is a word often used and misused too. Unconditional love is so important and we need to work at this more. Putting all four words together can make a powerful statement whatever order they are. Let’s concentrate on these words today and all days until the world changes for the better. One word I missed out is understanding but for me they all come together in understanding, and for me understanding is also part of knowledge, truth and justice.

 

 

 

Respect or not as the case may be

Respect seems to be one thing that is missing in the world at the moment. It is not just young people who have no idea what respect means but often older people who have forgotten. So what is respect? There are several definitions which vary slightly but the main two definitions are as follows;

due regard for the wishes, feelings and rights of others;

a feeling of admiration for someone for their abilities or achievements.

For me it is something slightly different but I think that words do change their meanings as the years go by. Sometimes it feels the same as courtesy, another thing long forgotten. This means holding doors for the next person or helping others with heavy bags, or allowing someone else to get on the bus before me because they may be older or have heavy bags. To me it also means that I respect the religions of others, their food choices, their clothes, and so on.

At the moment our world seems to be full of people finding fault with others because they don’t think the same way or dress in a way that is thought to be the right way.OK  of course there are some things that would have no respect such as bullying but I am thinking of things in general. It is good to look at ourselves and see how others perceive us. Do we come over as good, kind, tolerant, gentle and compassionate or are we seen as bullies, dominant, nasty and so on. How do you see yourself? Do have the respect of others and do you give respect to others? I think there is a lot of food for thought here.

 

Gathering

It is that time of the year when I start to gather together food for my larder and freezer so that if and when the weather gets too difficult for me to go out, I have food to eat. But it is harvest time and many others are out collecting the fruits of nature. I saw a woman collecting blackberries the other day. So far I bought some Victoria plums which I really like and turned them into jam. It is a good start but I need to check what is in my cupboards and see what I need to buy.

It is not just food that needs to be collected and stored. There are all the other household items for laundry and cleaning and the essential toilet paper! Over the last few years there have not really been any hard winters here but if it is icy then going out is a no-no. So being prepared is good.

I do like this time of the year as the leaves change colour on the trees and gradually fall to the ground. When out last week, there were elderberries ready to collect but remembering to leave some for the birds. There were cones ripening on trees and lots of beech nuts lying around. I feel it is important to recognise these gifts of nature, take a few for yourself but leave plenty for others. I hope to get out this coming week to take more photos and to enjoy the autumn colours but this may not happen as my arthritis has flared up again especially in my spine which makes lots of walking difficult. But I will go out even if not very far. I have lots of trees at the end of my road and they are slowly changing colour.

How do you experience Autumn and do you store things for the winter?

 

 

Noticing and seeing

I love to walk every day but sometimes the pain makes it impossible. However I do walk even if just around the streets and avenues nearby. But it is surprising what I see. I have noticed that the plants in people’s gardens are now in full bloom while some are fading now. There are leaves on the ground too, brown and yellow. When I get to a certain point where there are crossroads and a good view over the land in the distance I always pause and look at the scene in front of me.

Although there are lots of houses, there are also a lot of trees and in the far distance there are green fields separated by hedges. I can stand and look at this vista for ages trying to find different things to see. I do this when walking in the other direction as I live on top of a long expanse of higher land.

When I visit Trentham Gardens I not only look for butterflies and dragonflies but notice how the gardens change and how the lake is, whether it is calm and serene or whether there are ripples caused by the breeze. There is so much to see and each time I visit I see something new. But I also see lots of people just walking by and chatting and often on their mobile phones. They are missing so much that is around them but I suppose the good point is that they are in the open air and sunshine.

As many of you know I love taking photos and have been wondering about the best way to keep them safe and where I can look at them. Printing photo books can be expensive but I thought I would add bits of poetry to make it better. I like Haikus so that is what I have been using for my poetry. Here is one to go with a photo of a tunnel formed by trees.

Avenue of trees

Drawing me in and then through

Feeling their great strength.

But my photo today is of the view from the crossroads which I saw this morning.

Strength and power

‘As the world that we have known crumbles around us, let us stay strong and focus on peace. It will come one day at some point, maybe not in my lifetime but in that of my children and grandchildren.’ These are the words I wrote yesterday. As we look around us we can see everything that we have known and felt to be safe is now crumbling down around us.

I am older than most of my readers and remember the hardships following a war. Since that time, we have changed in many ways, not just ourselves but our country and our world. Some things have got much better but others have got much worse and there are large gaps between different populations.

Many years ago I felt that we were approaching a fairer world but that was not to be. There are so many people around who are greedy for money and for power. But they don’t understand what power really is. They think it is about controlling others and that is not the case. Politicians say things they don’t mean and make promises that they have no intention of keeping. But those words and promises lead people to think that they are good which give the politician a feeling of power.

What does power mean to you? If you look up the word in a dictionary you will see that there are many different meanings but the most ‘popular’ one is about being able to do something in a proper manner and having the ability to do something.

For me maybe it means the ability to do something, to help others, the ability to search for truth, To offer thoughts of peace and healing to others is also what I see as part of my ‘power’. We often hear the words ‘people power’. What do these words mean to you? To me they mean people getting together to do something which can change the way we live in our world. Think back to the effect of the ripples in the pond, the gathering together to spread words of peace. What are your thoughts? Let us stay strong like a tree even when its branches bend in the wind.