Happy Holidays!

To everyone who has been kind enough to follow this blog, I wish you wonderful blessings during this holiday season.

There is a new year right around the corner!
2010 - oh my goodness!!

How I Am Feeling Today

This morning (December 18, 2009) as I looked outside, I saw a red-tailed hawk circling, circling, circling in the falling snow.

I went inside, got some tobacco to offer, and realized she was reminding me of a poem I had written several years ago:

Underneath The Hawk’s Scream

I stood underneath the hawk's scream
long enough to know I didn't understand
long enough to know I needed to go deeper

long enough to know that the crows crowding her,
distressing her, tearing at her with their indifference
were there for a reason as were the blue jays quietly listening.

How badly did she want her nest in that tree?
What would she endure to make sure her cries were respected?
Her creations were born?

I stood underneath the hawk's scream long enough to realize
she was not screaming from frustration
she was screaming to be heard

long enough to know she was teaching me how to persevere.
"Carry on!” she shrieked at me.
"You have a right. It came with birth."

(©2005 from Confessions of a Madwoman)


These days, I get so caught up in what I am working on, I forget what has been given to me: all the gifts of writings, teachings, lessons, stories, etc., that I have shared with others. Today, the hawk reminded me of what I have been given, and in essence, reminded me to share these strengths with myself.

Simple Wisdom or Wise Simplicity?

I have finally accepted the true meaning of detachment.

I know now that detachment and letting go are not the same.

Letting go is easily said and attempted.

Detachment is something that has to happen by changing one's beliefs.

It took a total psyche change for me. A dying of a belief that I had tried to keep alive for years.

Detachment takes action - the action of changing one's thoughts - changing one's actions - changing one's beliefs where others in our lives are concerned.

I felt numb for a while after I finally understood the true meaning of detachment from actions that caused anxiety and confusion for others. As a matter fact, I felt numb most of last night.

But this morning, I knew that the belief I had tried to keep alive inside of me for so long, was gone; it had died into the past. In its place is the true belief that was living inside my spirit, waiting to come into my actions, my beliefs.

We have to consider if we are really "walking our talk."

As Richard Bach wrote so long ago in Illusions, "We teach best what we most need to learn."

Listen to the advice you are giving others. If you are giving the same advice to several people; if you are giving the same advice over and over, then this is a message for you.

I've taken my own advice and my world has changed for the better....

Ain't life just full of mysteries and ironies and paradoxes?

Wednesday, rain, new book

Ah December......

rain coming down sideways and I'm thinking of snow. I dreamed that snow was everywhere so I suppose it is coming to these old mountains soon.

Working hard on getting my new book of short stories out: The Boy With A Tree Growing From His Ear and Other Stories. You can get a peak at the cover and pre order one at my website soon. Books will be in right before Christmas!

Also, if you will go to NC Poet Laureate Kay Byer's blog - My Laureate's Lasso - and scroll down, you can read my poem "Traditional Mysteries Remain" which is included in the latest version of Appalachian Heritage - an issue dedicated to Cherokee writers.

Also, I have been working hard on getting ready for my next two workshops: Animal Medicine and Past Life.
I promise, those of you who have signed up will not be disappointed!

Stay strong, be creative, and don't forget to remember to give thanks....

Give Away

I want to say thank you to all of you who were here for making the Give Away this past Sunday a wonderful success. I so enjoyed Safi's song and Gwen's poem.

We are embarking on a great journey into the mystery now.....

I know that we will begin to understand in our total being what medicine is all about...

We are working hard and we will continue to do so...

to send healing out into all the world...

Changes and Reminders

Good morning!
A cold and frosty morning here in these old mountains. Our workshop this past weekend went extremely well. If anyone who attended would like to make a comment, please do!
Lots of changes going on here.
If you will visit my website you can see that we will be having only one Sunday Spirit Speaking Gathering per month until further notice. Next Sunday is Give-Away Ceremony and on December 13 we will be doing our Seed Ceremony.
Also, if you are interested in the January or February Workshops, you will have to register in advance.
I will only be taking 10 people at the Past Life Workshop in February.
As many of you know, I have been holding gatherings and workshops here for the past nine months and there have been a handful of you who have been truly dedicated and willing to work. I thank you and I appreciate your willingess and dedication. You have been given the first opportunity to enroll in a life-changing rite of passage.
It is my belief that others will follow...
but to you six, I say again THANK YOU and BLESS YOU!

Yesterday's Gathering (Nov 8, 2009)

Yesterday's gathering still has me in deep thoughts. I am so grateful for this group and for the courage and willingness of those who share. PLEASE REMEMBER: What you hear here should not be shared with others outside this group. Take what you hear here and incorporate it into your lives and be willing to respect the boundaries and sacred space I offer.
I have worked hard to make this a secure place for those of you who are working with me. I respect your privacy and I expect everyone in this group to respect the privacy of each other. We are doing some amazing spiritual work, which requires us to open our hearts and let our pain and struggles mingle with our revelations and accomplishments. This takes courage and time and I will not have anyone here making anyone who is dedicated to this work feel that her privacy is not respected.
There. Having stated that, I want to again say thank you and blessings to all who could attend yesterday.
Next Saturday is our 2nd workshop on The Healing Power of Colors and I look forward to seeing everyone again.

News Flash!

We are not learning.... we are remembering.....

Life as we have known it

is CHANGING! So many people running around - scared - fighting each other and themselves - and I have been one of them! But not any more. I can honestly say I split open my fear yesterday, took it out, and let it go! So many times we do not realize what we carry inside ourselves. Old memories, guilt forced phony emotions, and dishonesty that if revealed would shine a light on the shortcomings of others.
Well, I am tired of all the passive/aggressivness in my life and I will no longer tolerate it in others.
I keep thinking of what Richard Bach wrote in Illusions, and I am paraphrasing: "Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof."
I will discuss this on a deeper level at this Sunday's gathering.

Thoughts

Yesterday's gathering was one of wonderment: so many who have been working with their medicine and regularly attending these gatherings/workshops are growing and opening up spiritually and receiving such great emotional support from the group.

I am happy to say I am one of these.

I do want to thank all of you for making all the work I do worthwhile. I love seeing the tears and hearing the laughter and I know all of this is Spirit's doing. We are making progress - we are learning how to become better healers- and we are learning it is OK- indeed part of our spiritual paths- to be vulnerable at times.

I must remind all of you that I listen to Spirit as to what each one in the group needs - that is part of my gift of being a psychic/medium. I am the vessel - I am not in the business of teaching American Indian ways, of passing on "secrets of Spirit" or of pretending to know more than I am told. I am here to guide, to learn, to offer a sacred safe place for those of you who are willing to listen and share.

I lay awake a long time last night, offering prayers up for each of you and knowing in my heart that I am doing what I am called to do. Thank you again for coming to the gatherings and workshops. Thank you for being a part of this group of wonderment and ever-deepening love for Spirit.

I do know that the group circle is going to grow with new people. We will be the ones who have paved the way, so to speak. We will be the ones to teach, to offer support, and to share what we have learned. This is by no means an easy journey. As you know, it gets harder and harder but more and more rewarding to our souls as we continue.

As we heal - an energy goes out into the world to help others do the same - to give them the courage to do as they are called - that is why the healing never ends - so many people are searching now - wanting to find a way to their Spiritual paths. THERE IS NO SHORTCUT TO DOING SPIRITUAL WORK! THERE IS NO ONE CERTAIN OR DIRECT WAY TO BYPASS WHAT NEEDS TO COME TO LIGHT AND HEAL. Hard work, acquiring knowledge, and paying attention is what it is all about. And being grateful. Being oh so very grateful. That is what constitutes a Spirit led life - or so I believe.

Creative Ventures

I've been asked to lecture at UNC Pembroke on November 17th and am excited about this!

I'll be speaking on "The Healing Power of Words" and am looking forward to seeing old Lumbee friends and making new ones.

Also, I was nominated as North Carolina's Poet Laureate! Competiton is stiff but I am happy just to be nominated!

Beautiful day here in these old mountains....

colors are breathtaking!

Fall in the Mountains

What a beautiful fall day today! The trees are showing off their colors and I am still thinking about our Healing Power of Colors Workshop this past Saturday. Thanks to all of you who attended!

Life is full this week with my teaching two creative writing workshops, attending Grandparents Day at Makayla and Emma's school, getting my information together to send in for my NC Poet Laureate nomination (the competition is tough but I am just happy to have been nominated!!) and cleaning the leaves off of my long driveway ... again and again and again.

This time of year always makes me think of change.... and change is a good thing.

We have to remember that once we accept ourselves as we are, we must get ready to change in some way again. And although sometimes change is scary, it is always a gift.

So, enjoy these beautiful days, smile at someone who usually pisses you off, and know that change is happening... here, there, and everywhere....

Yesterday's Gathering (Oct. 4, 2009)

Although we had a smaller than ususal group yesterday (several people out of town), the sharing was as powerful as ever. Thanks to everyone who attended. I appreciate all of you.

Here is my explanation of ceremony for those who could not attend:

"Ceremony, which in American Indian perspective is a necessary act to obtain or regain balance with the earth, is the highest form of giving back to the earth so that she can replenish her supply for humankind. The purpose of ceremony is to integrate: to unite one with all of humankind as well as the realm of the ancestors, to blend one with all of creation. This allows one to raise consciousness and shed the idea of individuality, of separation. Ceremony brings one into balance with all there is. Each ceremony has its own special purpose. Of course, the purposes vary from group to group, from nation to nation. Nevertheless, all ceremony brings one to the realization there is no separation from anything or any one, provides great illumination, and gives one perception of a cosmic relationship. "MariJo Moore © 2009

Autumn

Autumn is here! Cool this morning and life seems to be shifting into something we have been waiting for. I am working on the definition of medicine from an American Indian point of view and thinking of what it means to be a part of the whole universe, or, should I say "universes."

Our beginnings are beginning to call us to remember where we come from.

Some say the stars, some say underground, some say we, as spirits, sang and danced ourselves into existence.

Regardless, I am realizing that life is a constantly changing definition.

Ceremonies

Our next Sunday Spirit Speaking Gathering will be on October 4 from 2-5 PM.

The topic will be "The Importance of Ceremonies."

This is a very crucial time in all of our lives, so I urge you to attend if at all possible.

We have much to discuss, much to share, much to hear.

If anyone would like to be a part of a virtual gathering via the internet, please let me know and I will see what I can work out.

Ceremonial Fire Pit

New Poem Concerning Our First Ceremonial Fire (Sept. 12, 2009)

Ceremonial Fire


Ancestral medicine
Rock
Animal
Blood
Reflections of those who worked with same
Ancestral medicine
Rock
Animal
Blood

Pipe smoking calling ancestral medicine
Fire burning welcoming ancestral medicine
Old spirits new spirits
Spirits not on this land before
Riding up on horses
Flying in on bats
Calling from a screech owl
Touching though a tiny dog
Rising from fire

All here we were
with them
Praying, drumming, rattling
Gourd seeds, deer hooves, small pebbles while
Flute was exalting
Moon hiding behind mountains, grasping our tears
Sun from other side of moon, laughing with us
Acceptance trailing in our wake of tobacco offerings
Water, air, fire, earth

Energies blending, spirits dancing
Ashes building to accommodate another
Ceremonial fire
Where hearts open hearts heal hearts grow
Inside and with
Ancestral medicine
Rock
Animal
Blood

MariJo Moore © September 13, 2009

Update on Sunday's gathering (Sept 6)

I think yesterday's gathering was one of the best we have had so far. There was a sense of trust, acceptance, and willingness to share that was so obvious, it could be felt deep within.

I thank all of you who attended. Your words and tears and laughter are gifts to not only those of us in attendance, but also to those we love and cherish - those who have passed to Spirit- those whom we miss, and those who could not be here.

How wonderful to talk of love and relationships with such gutsy honesty and freedom from being ignored or ridiculed or dismissed as being sentimental.

The world needs sentimentally now; the world needs brave people who will meet and share their feelings, encouragement, experiences and love.

How blessed I am to be a part of this circle.

Again, thank you.

Poem for Group

Gathering

Unheard laughter hangs in the air,

heavier than the unshed tears

we are all avoiding.

 

Unheard laughter

caught as a bird beating its wings against an open door

hangs in the air, quivering.

 

Unshed tears push their way past the laughter.

With a sudden thump, we feel our eyes becoming wet,

our hearts lighten.

 

Unshed tears filter through our sense of self,

touching us where we promised we would never

let anything in again.

 

Falling

filling the room with

a shared gratefulness.

 

Now

now

we can allow the bird to fly out the open door…

 

 

MariJo Moore © August 14, 2009

Special Day of Gratitude

Today, August 18, marks my 23rd year of sobriety. How grateful I am! If I had not had loving people to encourage me, help me, guide me, I would not be here today enjoying my wonderful son, his wife, and my two beautiful granddaughters. So, thank you to all who have touched my heart, my spirit, my life throughout these past years. Thank you to all of those who have read my books, encouraged me to keep writing, and let me know that creativity is such an important part of our lives.

And a special thank you to all who attend our gatherings and workshops. 

We have just begun...

Update on August 9th Gathering

This past Sunday Spirit Speaking Gathering was tremendous. We laughed, we cried, we shared, we laughed and cried some more. The energy that comes during these gatherings is so very powerful; I feel the deepening connection to Spirit long after everyone has gone.
I am so grateful for what is happening here. Not only do I see the spiritual growth in so many others, I feel it in myself, as well.
Our next Gathering will be Sunday, August 23, and we will be discussing "Breaking Through the Ego to Spiritual Enlightenment."
Today, I am working on preparing for "The Healing Power of Colors Workshops," which will be held Saturday, Sept. 26 and Saturday, October 17, with the continuation workshop on Saturday, November 7th. Please mark your calendars!

Again, I want everyone to know that I welcome your comments, and that I am so grateful for all of the work that we are doing.

New Poem

WITHOUT CEREMONIES     MariJo Moore © August 5, 2009

The Spirits are restless.

Smoldering fog skipping across the water

they taste the earth

they smell the sky.

The earth tastes bitter

we have not honored her.

The sky smells acrid

we have poured anger into him.

The Spirits are restless.

The masks we don to become them

have grown stale and salty with blood

of those who wore them before.

Our blood doesn't run.

Our blood doesn't mingle.

Our blood is stagnated 

to the point of becoming toxic.

The Spirits are restless

and we are to blame.

Sat August 1 Workshop Update

The "Working With The Rock People Workshop" held here yesterday  (August 1) was wonderful and  enlightening, and I am so grateful to all who attended.

We are all learning how we are interconnected to everything by Spirit (energy) and how our ancestors used this medicine to help heal and to grow spiritually.

Again, I am grateful to those who are sharing this path with me and accepting my role as teacher and student as well.

Those of you who have signed up for the August 15th workshop (same as the one held yesterday) are in for a great revelation and sharing.

So What About When The Miracle Doesn't Happen?

What do we do when we work hard for a miracle: we pray, perform ceremony, have healing circles, even feel that the miracle is sure to happen, and it doesn't? 

That is what I am dealing with today. 

It seems there are so many things we cannot and may never know about how Spirit works in our lives. 

What if one is told the miracle will happen just so he or she can deal with the real outcome in a positive way? What if this helps one not to "fall to pieces" and therefore be present in body, mind and spirit when the reality of a situation reveals there is no miracle?

We can never know the full story. As a psychic/medium, I  can only convey what I am told to convey. This is a huge responsibility and no one is ever 100% correct. And of course, free will is always a factor in things that happen or do not happen.

Perhaps the miracle will present itself another time or perhaps the miracle came in a way I do not know about at this time.

I honor Spirit in all I do and realize again and again I am the messenger, the vessel, and am not God or Goddess or a Higher Power.

I thank all of you who read this blog, and I welcome comments.

Dare We Believe in Miracles?

I found the following definition on the internet:

 A miracle is a violation of normal laws of nature by some supernatural entity or unknown, outside force.

To me, a miracle is something that occurs when all the so called "odds" are against it; when faith and ceremony help bring the miracle to pass.

For instance, when Sharon Oxendine came back from Africa with malaria, and the medical doctors told her she only had a few days to live, many of us prayed for her, performed ceremony for her, sent her healing energy. She was receptive to all of this, and of course she recovered fully and is doing great. So, do we have to believe in the power of prayer, ceremony, healing energy to see miracles happen?

I don't know that it is a prerequisite, but it certainly speeds up the process.

When we believe in the interconnectedness of all things (spirit energy) we can definitely see miracles happening.

Any comments on miracles?

New poem

"The Spirits Need Us As Much As We Need Them"

And when the last secret of the world is known

life will begin again.

When time has crawled inside itself

and discovered it never existed,

when the river spirits blacken into 

the bluing mouth of the sky

then we shall know there is,

there always has been

a sacred place where the spirits gather

to pray for us all.

MariJo Moore © 2009

June 28, Spirit Speaking Gathering: Followup

Thanks to all of you who attended the gathering yesterday. I hope you are processing the lessons and interpretations and will comment on your experiences here on the blog.(Just hit comment button.)

This was a powerful, powerful gathering: I use the word powerful in the sense of connecting to Spirit and realizing we are all interconnected with all there is.The topic was Free Will and Forgiveness, which gave way to three hours of sharing, learning, understanding, tears and laughter. All of this took us further down our spiritual paths as healers, and showed our willingness to allow ourselves to heal on a deeper spiritual level.

Two things to share:

1.) If one is directed by Spirit to do something (for instance, clear an obstacle from one's path, forgive someone, ask for deeper understanding of a relationship situation, etc.) and does not take Spirit's suggestion, one will be brought over and over again to the same situation.

2.) When one forgives one's self, one no longer tries to be a victim or punish one's self or cause others to punish himself or herself.

Again, yesterday's gathering was intense and a lot of spiritual ground was covered.

I give all credit to Spirit as I am the vessel.

Good day from the mountains of western North Carolina!

"Some days you get the bear. Some days the bear gets you. And some days you can't even find the woods."

(from my little book Tree Quotes)

Many of you can relate to the above quote. In this time of rush, work, look for work, pay bills, spend, make more money, work, look for work, etc., we often forget to pay homage to Spirit.

Whether dealing with relationships, jobs, health, travel, or just plain "getting on with our lives," we should always remember to give thanks for what we have, acknowledge that we are all connected by Spirit, and ask for guidance.

In doing this, we will always feel a sense of comfort whether we get the bear, the bear gets us, or we are asked to live in the woods.

Don't forget, put your Spiritual duties (prayer, ceremony, acknowledgment, gratitude, discernment) first, and your day will go much better.

You might even get to see a bear!