Eco Spiritual Blog

Love

It is easy to love a laughing child.  It is easy to love the playfulness of a  kitten.  It is easy to love a beautiful sunrise or a bright yellow harvest moon.  It is easy to love a soothing lullaby, the first spring flowers, and the mist that floats across the lake.  It is easy to love the smell of a home-cooked meal, the crunch of leaves underfoot in the fall, the sound of the surf, and the person who loves you in return.  It is easy to love….

or is it?

Valentine’s Day is Sunday, and I am reminded to care for the tender hearts of those in my life who do not find love easy at this time.  In my circle of friends, there are those who are alone, those who have suffered great loss, ended relationships, are alone, those for whom “love” is a painful word, those who feel overwhelmed in a red and pink heart-shaped sea of chocolate and roses to which they cannot relate.

I am reminded that “Love” can hurt – as in ” I am doing this because I love you” -  or “You would, if you loved me!” – and that “Love” can stop a person from saying “No” to what is harmful.

“Love” is a powerful word that is used more often than not, without thought.  It is a word most people long to hear – and long even more deeply to feel.

To my friends and family who are alone this Valentine’s day, I want you to know I am thinking of you.  I want to share that I honor the difficulty of this day for you, and that I wish I could make it easier somehow.  I want you to know that I love you – and that I mean something when I say those words.

I mean this:  You are dear  and important to me.  I value your presence in my life and am grateful for you.  I appreciate who you are and what you are struggling through.  I see the unique expression of the Divine that you are in the world – and it warms my heart to be with you.  I am sending my love, in the most healing and gentle way I am able.  I am wishing you peace.

To those who have someone to share the word “love” with – and especially those who are graced with many to whom they might speak this word – I invite you to look around you.  Who do you know who needs to hear the word “love” come from a sincere source?  Take the joy and gratitude that fills your heart this Valentine’s Day and share it, not only with those who are close to you – but also with those for whom love is not “easy” at this time.

Say the words “I love you” in a meaningful way and you will bring comfort, and peace.

Hello, Dear Friends!

It is Yule, and tonight, friends from far and near will gather in faith that we can survive the longest night.  From this night forward, we will experience a little more sunlight each day, until the Spring arrives in all her colorful glory.

There is much romanticizing about this holiday and how the ancestors celebrated. Lengthy conversations are held about the origins of the Christmas Tree, Gift Giving, and the Jolly Ol’ Elf himself.  I wonder if it might be more important to discuss what these traditions mean in our modern world, where the holiday season can be challenging for so many.

My sweetheart is outside, as I am writing, stringing lights on the Douglas Fir in our yard. We decorate the Evergreen because it is the one living thing that consistently stays green throughout the winter.  We see it as proof that Mother Nature has not abandoned us.  She is simply resting, in preparation for a new season of growth and abundance.   Despite the headlines about unemployment, crime rates and economic decline, the Evergreen reminds us that we have the strength to persevere through the “winter” of our own lives.  It serves as a reminder to have faith.

We hang apples and strings of popcorn as gifts to the animals because it is harder to find food this time of year. It is a way to give back to “that-which-is-wild,” and to remember that we are all interconnected.  As we care for the wild world, we honor our own wildness, the untamable human spirit that tenaciously finds a new way of doing things. This same tenacity delivers us to the doorway of change.

The sparkling ornaments dance and sway, reminding us of the brilliance of our lives.  Each dazzling glint of light opens our imagination, attracting the fairy realm – the devic kingdom – the unseen “spirit” of Nature.   This “spirit of the season” warms us, comforts us and plays in our hearts, allowing us to find a sense of joy.   It is this same “spirit’ that sparks the flame within – the radiant flame that burns brightly in our hearts and lights the path ahead of us.

Tonight, in my home, a small group will gather.  We will exchange gifts, reminding each other that there is always enough.   We will light candles and, as each one ignites, we will share our visions for the future.  We will warm each other with our laughter and our stories, and, together, we will face a new dawn.   The “longest night” will give way to the eternal sun!

You see, these ancient ways are as important today as they were in times gone by.  How they originated is not as important as the fact that they exist.    Our “Winter” is different than the winter faced by our ancestors.  What threatens our survival is different.  Yet, our need for faith, comfort, courage and strength, is the same. “Spirit’ remains the blazing gift that guides us through the darkness into the light.

From my house to yours, a wish for a very blessed Yuletide.  May your fires burn warm and the morning light inspire you.

Blessed be,

Ahriana

Fall Equinox 2008

Dear Friends,

The Fall Equinox is here, touting the season of balance. Day and night are the same lengths and we are reminded that there is a time for exploring our own equilibrium. While day and night are about as black and white as they can be – twilight separates them. Afternoon and evening blend to create a very sacred and special time of transition.

The twilight is where the real balance occurs.

Balance has been on my mind a lot this week.   I have received a barrage of politically oriented, fear-based email. I’ve sent out a few notes in response but the mountain of opinion being circulated is too much for me to keep up with. I have received email this week disparaging candidates from both sides.

What bothers me about all of this is not that we all have our opinions, or that we wish to share them, but that the opinions we are passing around, in most cases, are the opinions of other people. Even more bothersome is that, in our desire to serve “what is right,” we pass things on before we do our own research to see if what we are sending is valid and true.

Please trust me when I say I am not pointing fingers.  I have forwarded some of this myself over the past few weeks – and am only now beginning to understand the impact of that choice.  It all feels very fearful and out-of-balance.

This race is important to our future, and I am as ready for a change as many of you are.  It’s really hard for me to slow down and do my homework because my life is busy, and it’s easier to just read what is sent to me and validate my own self-imposed fears. We must be cautious about getting enlisted in the political fear that is gaining momentum like a well-placed snowball headed downhill on a Colorado ski-slope.

Fear derails us.  From a place of fear, we are unable to create what we really want. Modern science has proven the power of our thoughts and emotions.  When we enlist in the fear, we are calling to us what we want to banish. There are people in the political arena who are counting on the fact that fear will make us ineffective – and a lot of the email going around is being generated to create a powerful fear.

When the fear gets too big, we shut down around it, become, apathetic, or feel “too small” to have any influence. We can’t afford to let that happen.

So – what can we do?

We can educate ourselves.  We can stop sending out everyone else’s opinions and formulate our own, which we can share openly.  We can refuse to participate in fearful exchanges.  Instead, we can speak about the real issues at hand.

There are many ways to obtain reliable information about the candidates.  Make sure your sources are unbiased and genuine.  I spent a lot of time at VoteSmart.org, an unbiased website that provides biographical information, voting records, endorsements, even how much money has been raised and from whom.  This is just one of several sites you can visit online.  OnTheIssues.org is another site worthy of exploring.

When someone else’s opinion does cross your desk, find out if what is being said it true before you take it seriously.  Many things can be referenced on snopes.com.   This site can answer such questions as whether Obama is a “Radical Muslim” (no) and if Palin actually said the war is a “task from God” (taken out of context).

And what about the basic fear?  How do we handle that?

At the risk of sounding like a street corner preacher – take it to Spirit.  If you are on this list and receiving this newsletter, chances are, you have some belief in a Creator.  We are a diverse community with many interpretations of who or what that Creator might actually be – however, most of us agree that there is a divine hand at work in our lives.

I have been going to that creative “Source” with a prayer for this election to be fair and just, and for the candidate who will bring change to be elected, so long as that change serves the highest good of All.  I have been asking that the people of this country sense within a desire for integrity and trustworthiness – and that their hearts rather than their wallets lead them.  These are my prayers.   You must find your own.  What I can tell you is that something about returning to Spirit creates calm and ease where fear once lived.

What is helping me, when I feel fearful about the future of our country, is releasing my fear to the Source.  I always come away feeling better.  In the arms of the Divine, I find the twilight – a beautiful place of transition and calm that reminds me that balance is never black or white, but the subtle combination of the two.

I encourage you to educate yourself and vote as your heart leads you.  This country, if it is all we believe it to be, relies on our ability to respect each other’s choices.  I honor your freedom to vote as you choose and appreciate the time you spend preparing to cast an educated ballot in November.

And, because many of you have asked -

I will vote for Obama.  I have done my homework and spent time learning about both candidates, as well as their running-mates.  Obama’s voting record reflects that, in most cases, he has voted the way I would like him to on such issues as war, environment and women’s rights.  I like his vision of the future and I highly recommend his book “The Audacity of Hope” if you are interested in knowing more about that vision.

And, for those of you leaning toward McCain as your candidate of choice, I trust that you will take the time to learn about both candidates and visit their voting histories. I am hopeful that you will make a well-educated decision and that, when you do, you will vote confidently for the candidate whose objectives most match yours.

Our power lies, of course, in our commitment to show up and vote.  As a woman, I am grateful that to have the opportunity and look forward to casting my ballot – a right our great grandmothers did not enjoy.
Blessed be,
Ahriana Platten
Director
Colorado Ecospiritual Center

May 1st, 2008

Today is May Day – and its snowing in Colorado!  Life is good!  Mark is loving his new job, school is almost over for the kids, and we made an offer on a house “up the hill” in the mountains.  Its amazing what can happen in a short thirty days! Thanks to all of you for your calls, hugs, and support in this time of change!

Today is a Pagan holiday, known by many earth-based traditions as “Beltane.”  This ecstatic holiday observes a celebration of fertility and creation, highlighting the physical joys of womanhood, manhood and sacred union. The seed of new life that was planted at the Vernal Equinox is awakening and the world revels in the joy of birth.

Beltane is a terrific opportunity to enrich any aspect of your life requiring fertilization.  What would nourish you, so that you can bring forth what you most desire?  Can you engage in the pleasures of life with wild abandon, really allowing yourself to seek your deepest awareness?

This is a time to welcome the return of life’s pleasures shared by all living things, and to share those pleasures most generously with one another. The gates between the worlds are open, and we can connect with the life-spirits of plants, animals, fairies and devas, and the Mysterious Ones, all those beings who awaken us to the deeper mysteries that are discovered by those willing to look for them. The Goddess is birthing abundantly and we are not only present, but a part of this miraculous happening.

So how does the snow fit into this day which is traditionally one that marks Spring’s “bursting forth?”

For me, it is amazing to recognize the tenacity of the life forms here in the Rockies. Despite the snow, leaves are budding, flowers are blooming, and birds are singing a song that warms and regenerates all that will listen.  Fresh green grass peeks out from under frosty white crystalline flakes, refusing to be discouraged in its climb toward the sun.

Spring is a time of determination and effort.  Those things which threaten to slow us down, or seem to stop us altogether, are often the very things that will provide us with what we need to drink deeply of the sweet nectar of life – just as the snow will soon become nourishing moisture for all the burgeoning life it blankets.

We, ourselves, are reaching toward the light and warmth of summer – and today, we are reminded to welcome change, no matter how it “shows up.” Through the challenges of life, we birth a new way of living.   For this, I am grateful!

On this May Day, I wish you a new adventure, an awakening of your own, an opening to the abundance just waiting for you to welcome it into your sacred garden!  May you be blessed with an easy and gentle birthing of your heart’s deepest desire.

Blessed be – and Happy Beltaine!