Creating Sacred Space

Take a walk through my home and you will find each room honors my family’s connection with Spirit in some way. The Goddess, who is prominent in our lives, holds sacred space on the walls, in the color choices of the paint, through sacred art, and even in the patterns of the material used in our curtains and drapes. We have very intentionally woven our spiritual beliefs into our home décor. We are surrounded by the celebration of what we hold in our hearts and we love it. Most people who enter our home do not notice the intentional decorations. But we do, and that was and is the point. Each child participated in some way, whether it was in the color scheme choices, teaching them how to paint walls, in the choosing of a special painting to give as a birthday gift or even in selecting throw pillows that have a specific pattern woven through. We have learned and discussed the meaning of the different symbolism of each Goddess…Kwan Yin and the dragon, The Morrigan and the raven, The Goddess Nut and the skies above. We have as a family specifically chosen which Goddess is to be celebrated in which room of the house, based upon Her story, Her attributes, and Her lessons and gifts. The meaning is significant to us and that is what is important.

Altars are scattered throughout the home as well. Special places to pause in our day to reflect upon our actions, to seek insight and strength, to make offerings at and to call upon the compassion and offerings of Spirit to support and guide us.

Intentionality is a personal gift to self and those you hold close. It offers a special bond that can be shared and can be woven into the fabric of your relationships. Growing up in this surrounding feels very normal and in alignment with mine and my family’s beliefs and practices. We have grown accustomed to it. But we do not take it for granted. We have made a point of bringing tradition and celebration into this environment that adds a layer of its own to the spirituality of our family.

How do you bring representations of your spiritual beliefs into your home? Do you have sacred space that honors this important part of your being? They say the temple is within, and it is. But it can also be displayed in the space around you and offer you a special way to connect with your sacredness. Do you also create spiritual connections around you as well that are tangible and intentional? Do they offer up to you moments in your day to support your connection with Spirit? If not and you want to consider small ways to start there are beautiful ways to build this bridge. A simple altar set up in a room can offer you peace and connection. A vase of flowers that are a certain color of significance or hold special meaning to you may brighten a corner. Perhaps you may create or purchase a piece of sacred art to display within your home. There are many ways to begin, if you wish. Finding ways to embrace your spirituality in ways that are unique and personal brings a special beauty to your relationship with your beliefs. It adds emotion and beauty. And it awakens the energies within.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Caring Too Much?

I actually heard someone say the other day that they care too much. Is that even possible? All one needs to do is watch the news one day to see how uncaring some of our society has become. There are students beating students into comas, gunmen wiping out innocent moviegoers, or worse. It has been proven that how children treat animals and peers as they are growing up is a good indicator of how they will treat people as adults. If a child is not taught compassion and kindness they may become the adult who is incapable of feeling or expressing emotions or empathy for others in their lives, whether it be family, friends or community.

So how do we fix things, if we even can fix them. And if we believe we can, does that make us guilty of caring too much? I cannot go through this lifetime turning blind eyes to misbehavior, lack of respect, outright meanness or violence. I step up, I speak up, I try to teach and inform and sometimes I am accepted, but often not.

I started with my own children, rippled out with role modeling within my community and have joined forces with others as we begin the process of balance the rights and wrongs, correcting the unfairness and attempting the create a change in people’s beliefs and behaviors.

They say actions speak louder than words. Do you dare to match your actions with your thoughts about right and wrong. Do your actions match the level of what you believe represents how much you care? If not, why? What is stopping you? Tough questions, I know, but if you don’t ask yourself them…who will?

Living our truth means sometimes doing what feels uncomfortable. Sometimes it means taking a risk. And sometimes it means doing exactly what everyone else would like to do, but aren’t. It comes down to trust, choice and courage. It is not always the most popular stand to take. It is not always the easiest. But it can be the right thing, the most caring thing to do.

Blessings ~ Lisa Meade

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

The Benefit of Alone Time

How are you with being alone? Some people treasure it while others run in the opposite direction! For many of us, the only real alone time we get is while driving in a car or a quick ten-minute shower. Not nearly good enough! Most of us don’t even know how beneficial and inspiring alone time can be! Signs that you need more alone time are quite telling. Do you know what you really like to do in your free time? Do you have a favorite pass time? Do you have a hobby that you like to do alone, such as reading, handiwork, daydreaming or puzzle making? When was the last time you got to do any of this and really lose track of time doing it. I am not talking about squeezing it in or feeling guilty because you believe something else is being neglected.

Being alone allows time for you to meet your own needs, not just everyone else’s. There will always be someone else’s needs to be met! If you make time to meet your needs then you are better able to face the challenges of the day. Makes sense!

So what keeps you from making alone time? Are you one of the people who would rather be busy, busy, and busy? Do you believe it shows the world how productive you are, how important, how needed? Be honest with yourself. Honestly, you know this can only go on for so long and then you get crispy, burnt out or resentful. And who does that resentment get focused on? Everyone and everything else. Rarely do busy people recognize that they are in control, most of the time, with how they spend their time.

Solitude can offer us mental diversion from the stress filled tasks and lists we carry around with us. Time alone can allow us opportunity to learn more about ourselves. Separateness can be a fostering of inner peace as we intentionally seek just being in the moment. Time alone can bring play back into our life. Alone time can feed our spirits, rest our minds, and celebrate our bodies and so much more.

The next time you map out your day, put in some alone time. Find a way to make it fit. Find a half hour, fifteen minutes even, to get to know a part of you that may feel neglected or needs some personal attention. You will be surprised at how good it feels and how much it will benefit you. You may even want to do it daily!

Adjust the Joy

Did you know that in Ancient Egypt Joy was considered a sacred responsibility? It was believed that when you passed on the God Osiris would ask you, “Did you bring Joy?” and “ Did you find Joy?” If you answered yes, you were allowed to continue your journey onto the afterlife. How would you answer? Joy is one of the highest vibrations on this planet when it is looked at energetically. It is understood that everything in the Universe is energy and we can measure this energy by vibrational frequencies. It is a universal law that as we feel, think, and live we vibrate. As we vibrate we not only send out our energies, but we also attract energies. When we are feeling Joy we attract things, people, experiences that will serve our greater good.

What answer do you get when you ask yourself the two questions above? Are you pleased with the answers. If not, what will you do to change the answers. So much of what we experience and what we ripple out to the Universe, to our family and our friends, has to do with our perspective that we carry around with us in our lives. Perhaps you need a shift in perspective.

Take something that is keeping you from finding Joy and approach it from a different perspective than you usually do. The only way you will get a different result is if you change things up. What can you do differently?

Explore why you are having a challenge in bringing joy to others. What needs to shift or change? What gets in your way? Again, if you change your approach, if you change your reaction to people and situations, if you change the way you “see” things you may find a difference waiting for you to embrace it!

Start small, start simple. Joy is easy to find in the simple things in life. Joy does not need bartering or negotiating to be met. Joy softly approaches and tenderly shares its lovely and light tendrils with us and once we are wrapped up in it, we do not want to let go or be let go! Find Joy today.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade