Happy Second Birthday ~ Out Of The Blue!
Celebrating Inner Change
and Self Transformation
* "How do I do it? How do I open myself to this light of awareness?"
"What do you want to see?"
** "Caterpillar sheds its skin to find the butterfly within...." song lyrics by Donovan.
*** Imaginals: a metamorphic concept of being in the Spirit of the Butterfly:
"The the word 'imaginal' comes from the science of biology and its study of imaginal cells. These imaginal cells are different from the ordinary cells of the worm [caterpillar] or the larva. The imaginal cells begin to develop after the worm [caterpillar] builds a womb [ cocoon] dissolves itself into liquid form and undergoes a process of profound transformation inside the womb....scientists call these new cells 'imaginal' because they are the cells that form the butterfly. [These cells] are the 'imagination' of a future reality, the Butterfly. The imaginal cells come together and form the tissue, organ, and ultimately the organism we call the butterfly."
**** Soup's On
"....the name of the game is change," Steve Bhaerman also shared the same story in his own way: "....of how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly by releasing all the structures. The caterpillar enters the cocoon with no knowledge of the butterfly. But at some predetermined time the essence of being shifts from the familiar (caterpillar) to the unknown (a butterfly). In between those slippery tipping points, there is nothing but soup. Interestingly, at every step of the process, the DNA is identical...."
"See More
Hear More
Feel More
Be More"
Spontaneous shared ideas, thoughts, dreams, and images are popping up more and more in personal friendships and also being transmitted over great distances. Is this a result of "The Information Highway" (Global Technology), intuition, wisdom, insight, synchronicity and more?
***** "All is possible with the mind,"
Paul Lam, M.D.
We are Holding a Vision of Light in the Midst of Global Change~
Thank You: Family, Friends, Readers and Contributors to Out of the Blue World Wide and Beyond!
Out of the Blue:
111 Posts Published
The Top Five Posts Sept 2010-Sept 2012:
1. Tonal Vision (Jan 2011)
2. What Kind of Animal Are You (Jan 2011)
3. Pieces of Rainbows (Dec 2010)
4. Sirius Blue (Apr 2012)
5. The Story of Blue (Oct 2010)
Resources:
* The Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives by Dan Millman
*** www.donovan.ie Song: There is a Mountain by Donovan
*** www.linkedin.com LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network: connections, special interest groups, jobs and more.
Kevin Gaudette via LinkedIn discussion about imaginal cells on Tai Chi Network, Linked In Group, August 28, 2012
**** www.scs-matters.com SCS is Subtle Communication Systems. Joel P. Bowman, Ph.D., and Debra Basham, CHTP, NLP, HTt, and RMT help create your healing experience.
Free Beyond Mastery Newsletter: excerpts from Soup's On, Debra's newsletter article Aug 2012.
**** Bruce H. Lipton and Steve Bhaerman authors of Spontaneous Evolution, Our Positive Future and A Way to Get There from Here.
Tai Chi
***** www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org Dr. Paul Lam, a family practice physician in Sydney, Australia, creates Tai Chi for Health programs with medical doctors and Tai Chi experts for your empowering journey to better health and well being.
www.ymaa.com Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming noted Yang Style Taiji, Qigong, Martial Arts Master, and Author, "Study Wide and Deep."
www.taichifarm.org Jou, Tsung Hwa mathematician, Tai Chi expert and author. Books for deep study. "Make a little progress every day, make just a little progress."
dahlis.roy@gmail.com Request Silver Butterfly Create A Vision, free PDF illustrated E-book. This Tai Chi journey with a mystic twist previews Out of the Blue.
Images
Oil Paintings:
Blue Butterfly comes to life
Bright Butterfly invites change
Silver Butterfly Create A Vision (Sept 23,1985)
Photo, Irish Lace, sacred geometry
Sacred Geometry
* "Let us go straight to Chartres!"
Henry Adams, Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres
Pilgrims yesteryear and today take sacred paths to mystical sights and experience city lights and country paths. Some we walk, some we view from the air as we fly in planes over oceans and mountains, or see on computer in various forms, TV or DVD. Some pilgrimages we dream and some we imagine.
One of my friends went to Paris, "I feel like I am standing in a spiritual journey through time."
As part of a college reading assignment, I trudged along with Henry Adams, our tour guide, as he introduces the reader and his nieces to sacred sights in France. When Henry Adams spoke the chapters, The Twelfth Century Glass and The Legendary Windows in Chartres Cathedral, I sat bolt upright. I absorbed colored light of past and present as I read:
"Now let us enter!"
It was the blue that spoke to me first:
"....The limpidity of the blues [sapphire]; the depth of the red [ruby]; the intensity of the green; the complicated harmonies; the sparkle and splendour of the light, and the quiet and certain strength....The artist...toiled, like a jeweler setting diamonds and rubies, to increase their splendour. If his use of blue teaches this lesson, his use of green proves it...." The blue is probably from cobalt. Ground up sapphires and rubies would not have chemically given the richness and purity of light and tone in the twelfth century blues and reds.
"Now let us walk about."
Reading The Windows
Cathedrals are encyclopedias in stone and glass. These are teaching pieces. The viewer in the middle ages read pictures rather than print.
Henry Adams speaks:
"With too strong direct sun...the windows...become a cluster of jewels-a delirium of coloured light...."
"The artist didn't care a feather or a fig if a knight on his horse looked like a dog or a donkey...." and a blue knight on a pink horse might appear in a window all for the impact of color and line. "And he [the artist] never sacrificed his colour for a laugh...."
I am imagining Taurus (inscribed "Tavrvs") the Bull in the Zodiac Window as I write. He is pink? Maybe it's my computer? Taurus has a firm upward looking expression. Plant forms in intense gold, bold red, and sharp white accent and complement him.
Memories in Pictures
The twelfth century glass of the Zodiac Window donated by Count Thibaut of Chartres is my favorite. Here the Count rides his white horse. "Some say the twelfth century glass is the finest ever made." I ask then and now, "What's a Zodiac Window doing in a Christian cathedral?"
I am captured by Pisces and Capricorn (the Sea Goat). Their design and play of light and color invites a closer look. I deeply feel the fish scale painted brush strokes of Pisces and the shoulder muscle structure boldly stroked on Capricorn. I also see the painted brush strokes in the eyes of the white horse pictured above. The same aggressive eye is painted on Taurus the Bull. I feel power and fiery intent!
The Zodiac Window has twenty seven medallions featuring the signs of the current Zodiac plus the labors of the months. For example, December is the month for feasting. Christ in Glory between Alpha and Omega unifies everyone at the top.
Rose windows, jeweled pendants, blaze with personality:
"When the eyes...are directed to the north, the Rose of France strikes...with an almost physical shock of color, and, from the south, the Rose of Dreux challenges the rose of France."
"Everyone knows there is a war between the two!...."
"The artists...[in the thirteenth century] have coarsened their colour scheme...discarding blue in order to crush us under the earthly majesty of red....From the north transept Blanche [of Castile] flames out on us in splendid reds and flings her Spanish castles in our faces."
The artists of the stained glass windows left no traces of signatures, but only the interplay of ever changing cosmic time and a riot of light and color.
"Such things must have been always felt rather than reasoned....one sees, in mere light alone, the reaction of hundreds of energies...."
Henry Adams
Cut Stone: Precision and Harmony
Related Posts:
Teaching~Learning, shows Pisces in Zodiac Window along with Dr. Paul Lam's thoughts about teaching and life (Aug 2012), Encounters with Michael, The Artist Meets the Archangel, (Feb 2011)
Resources:
* www.fullbooks.com thousands of free full text books online including Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres,1905, by Henry Adams. I wrote books in my imagination at age 18 as I read his stunning word images and joined in a pilgrim's journey through time itself.
Chartres Cathedral, A Scared Geometry, DVD, discoveries from Prof. Keith Critchlow and Malcolm Miller, author and Cathedral Guide at Chartres.
The Stained Glass at Chartres, Halwag Publishers, Berne Switzerland. Many years ago I purchased this brilliantly colored small pocket book on a sacred journey into the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
www.shirleymaclaine.com Shirley MacLaine, actress, author, dancer, and spiritual teacher takes us along The Camino, her personal Sacred Walking Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
http://taichiforhealthinstitute.org Paul Lam, M.D., a family practice physician in Sydney, Australia teaches Tai Chi for Health programs. Empower your life with Tai Chi for all ages and all levels of practice.
dahlis.roy@gmail.com
request free PDF free illustrated E-Book, Silver Butterfly Create A Vision
Song: There is a Mountain by Donovan
http://www.donovan.ie
"First there is a mountain then there is no mountain then there is...."
Images:
Sacred Destinations: Zodiac Window Donor Panel: Count Thibaut of Chartres. Google Images
Stone and Glass, pencil drawing of York Minster, UK, by Emilie. A flash bulb of light in the lower area looks like a small figure.
Blue Rock from Pennsylvania, patio design. Stone cutting art is like piecing together patterns in stained glass windows.
* "The more I am around dogs, the more I see them as teachers," Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer
I saw previews showing a Sheltie for an episode of The Dog Whisperer titled Army Brats. I couldn't wait to watch it! The dog was so beautiful! I was transfixed by his style, arched neck, and beautifully groomed coat. I watched the "proud little dog," patrolling his property, running, barking, and pacing nonstop.
Instantly I realized:
"That's Me!"
Like the Sheltie, I rarely sit still. I am very territorial and patrol my grounds. When I am clearing my mind, I often pace or wander around in my home as random thoughts, ideas, and images become clear and then crystallize into focused action.
As Cesar worked with the Sheltie and his human family, I came to know myself better! Collies and Shelties and other breeds need specific jobs to perform based on their genetic backgrounds.
The pacing Sheltie has excess energy. How can I focus my wandering energy better and be more relaxed and confident? Tai Chi helps ground me along with painting and writing.
The intelligent Sheltie came more in touch with his job, a herder and protector. Gradually he became quieter, easing out of the controlling frantic barking at the vacuum cleaner and lawnmower. He came into a more peaceful state, realizing he could "herd" the small machines without barking by walking along on a leash beside Cesar or a family member.
"Dogs live in the moment, every moment," Cesar
How can we?
Relaxing with spontaneous fun side trips away from my "planned" daily schedule is also helping me to feel more confident. I become free of "thoughts, words, and deeds," letting go and enjoying the moments. My son, Rob, and I love these bits of joy and wonder as we shake up our routines.
Recently Rob and I breezed into St. Joseph, Michigan USA on an unplanned Saturday morning for a stroll up and down the bluff. Lake Michigan and Midwestern Sky united into a veiled haze of silver grey. Cool breeze and fresh air accompanied us. Surprise! Artists and artisans displayed their work in booths that day. As we watched and walked, many people had their dogs out with them. Sometimes owners had multiple well-behaved dogs of various breeds. Many dogs smiled and waved their tails. Smiling back, I remembered my Collie companions.
It is so good to be in touch with canine eyes and expressions, coat colors, and body types, creatures who share our world, our friends and companions for pleasure, protection, and work.
"Change the world, one dog at a time," Cesar Milan
As I walked, I thought of our four cats at home, furry Tigers in residence each with unique personalities and life-styles, blending with us. They are certainly four-footed alarm clocks and foot warmers.
Next, booths of fresh grown produce and home made items in the farmers' market greeted us and remind us of a lifestyle where local goods are purchased each day and cooked with love in many countries around the world.
"We are all one in our human story," William K. Emery, M.D.
Next we enjoyed a look over the bluff to view the European style buildings complete with (yes) blue roofs and scanned the riverfront boat docks where recreational crafts waved their masts in a hypnotic gentle back and forth dance. As the boats bobbed gently up and down in the St. Joseph River docks, they seemed to be inviting their masters to arrive and take them out sailing.
After we strolled the local shops, Rob and I saw two horses being hitched up to take tourists for a ride in the "trolley." Their harnesses polished and glowed in the faint sun.
"That's a big animal!"
I studied the horses' ways of standing, their powerful feet and necks, and their relaxed demeanor. Yes, these steady horses are well bred and suited for their jobs in life. I thought about the sturdy Knights' Horses and how they evolved into today's draft horse breeds. These "domestic" creatures came into being for us, displaying the power and beauty of the horse.
Free of schedules and agendas or specific events to see, in Tai Chi practice and in Life:
** "Getting Lost is Part of the Journey."
Related Posts:
Fully Present, (June 2012), Running with Horses (Mar 2012), The Little Chessie That Could (Sept 2011), Out of Box Experience (Aug 2011), and Escape Artists (Feb 2011)
Resources:
* www.cesarsway.com Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. Book: How to Raise the Perfect Dog.
www.nationalgeographic.com National Geographic Wild: Dog Whisperer episodes TV and online.
** www.pleasantstreetstudio.com Teresa Ferrill, owner. Tai Chi and Yoga instruction with various instructors. "Letting go of the Tai Chi form is fun and energetic!"
Albert Payson Terhune, journalist, author, and mystic, dog stories for all ages featuring the Sunnybank Collies, his companions and friends. Wolf, Lad A Dog, Gray Dawn and more.
Marguerite Henry Misty of Chincoteague, King of the Wind, Album of Dogs and other award winning classics beautifully illustrated by (my hero) Wesley Dennis.
http://goodmorningkitten.com Put a smile in your day!
http://imaginehealing.info Boost your adventure in healing for you and your pet with Debra Basham, Holistic Wellness Coach, CHTP, NLP, HTt, RMT, and Joel P. Bowman, Ph.D.
www.scs-matters.com Products: Cd's for relaxation, Debra's new book: Stories from my Heart, first edition is already sold out!
dahlis.roy@gmail.com request free PDF E book Silver Butterfly, Create A Vision, Awaken Your Creative Spirit
Images
Art work by Dahlis Roy:
Sheltie Pair, pastel painting
Mr. Tabby, pencil on paper at age 14
Mother and Child, oil painting
* Based on Silver Butterfly, Create A Vision:
Personal Style
Do you like to journal? There are many exciting designs for journals on the market from plain to fancy or (my favorite) scraps of paper! I write and shred. Some experiences and feelings actually make it into hard copy or digital dreams.
As (if) you re-read what you write, you may feel emotions and images again as when you first experienced the events. You may find past writings a form of healing and release, self therapy for you alone. You can apply healing love: repair begins. Choose your style!
Tai Chi practice, writing, and painting all blend together to aid me in continuous mending and self-discovery in forms of physical, mental, and spiritual strength training. Tai Chi promotes feelings of wholeness, balance, and harmony along with physical exercise. Enhanced lifestyle applications develop slowly over time, a process and journey of "becoming."
Sometimes spontaneous positive ideas pour out like tea into a cup of colors. I jot down or draw randomly into sketchbooks and notepads, or toss scribbled notes on scraps of paper into a "book bag" for later exploration and discovery.
Technology greatly aids and speeds up the process of your paths into digital printing or hard copy. How could people write longhand whole manuscripts or pound out typewritten drafts? How about inserting corrections and additions? How about printing, publishing, and distributing physical books? How we are changing!
Seedlings (ideas) of writing Silver Butterfly began to grow, bud, and blossom into flowers (stories) from a dream vision. Ridiculous? Write it anyway! I wrote stories and poems free of physical order, plan, agenda or deadline, just enjoying the energy of writing. Much later, I printed selections out and sorted my hard copy stories into categories for an organized whole then added flowing transitions.
It took me twenty-four years to write the finished Butterfly book! No problem, "time," "space," and personal deadlines blur and vanish. Experiences and events "become" whole and not always in chronological order.
The next step after Butterfly is Out of the Blue, blog writing with no preconceived notions at all! Just the pure joy of writing, splicing in pictures, and reaching out with positive unselfish intent. Silver Butterfly laid the groundwork and made it possible to take this new leap of springing into spontaneous living words and images. **Can a Blog help with your writing adventures and enjoyment?
Dream it Forward
Creativity in any form needs constant supplies of fresh inspiration and unique approach. Creative daydreaming free of canvas, computer, or musical practice can bring focus and clarity for later achievements. Like growing flowers, the more seeds you sow the more opportunities will germinate in all areas of your life.
Letting your creative work rest overnight or longer and looking at it later with a fresh approach may unlock keys for a more energetic story, painting, or song with a new twist or insight.
Tai Chi practice helps to open flexible freedom in mind, body, and spirit. As you relax while exercising, inspiring thoughts can enter easily and often.
Invisible Writing
Personal writing and creative thinking is one-on-one therapy for you by you. You can take off the masks you wear and face your true reflection in the mirror. Emilie expressed, "I write to figure out who I am and what I want. I used to believe that being a writer meant I had to be well established as an author and well known. I recently realized, I am a writer!"
Self writing is your physical therapy. Crafting your words for pure pleasure and joy, free of the editor's red pen or disapproving scowls! Keep paper in every room for fresh inspiration or make notes on your computer, tablet, or phone.
As your written paths evolve, you may want to share them with others. A writer friend advises:
If you are afraid to make mistakes in writing or in life, there is nothing to edit. Let the feelings pour out. Get it all down! You can correct later. But remember, if you tame [edit] the dragon, you weaken it a little every time. Your first draft is like an unpolished diamond, but it is also coming straight from your heart. First writing is likely your strongest work. The hardest part is knowing when to quit! Make every word a phrase the reader can feel, image, share, and reflect in the experience. Life! Let it happen! Show me a story. Compel me to read!
As you progress with writing, you can experiment with stories. Emilie adds, "Start with action and description, a focused narrative. Philosophical reflection can come later."
My greatest joy in editing is asking, "Is every word clear? Will the reader understand me?" After applying action to colored words (writing joyful drafts with abandonment), I carefully press the delete key to prune out anything extra. Polishing finished pieces are like final brushstrokes on a painting, and (yes) thank God for spell check!
Play word puzzles (your writing) for balancing right and left brain skills. Memory and organizational functions improve plus pride of accomplishment.
*** Join a writing group in person or online. Inspire each other! The journey of many pages begins with one dream, one thought, one word (world).
**** "....Paradox, Humor, and Change."
"Turn off the radio," C.S. Lewis.
"What radio?"
Actually I write and paint to music, all styles.
"When you sit down to write, write," Stephen King. I am all over the map!
Flexible "rules" are yours alone.
Stephen King, "Ask yourself frequently, 'Am I having fun?' "
Happy Writing~
Related Posts:
Tonal Vision, the power of music (Jan 2011)
Resources:
* Silver Butterfly, Create A Vision: Awaken Your Creative Spirit request free illustrated PDF copy from dahlis.roy@gmail.com
** www.blogspot.com create your free blog with custom templates, you design who can read your blog and many more options.
*** www.linkedin.com worldwide business community, interest groups include many choices for writers such as Creative Designers and Writers, Art and Spirit, and more
**** The Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives by Dan Millman. Socrates (Spiritual Teacher) hands Dan a business card:
Warrior, Inc.
Socrates, Prop.
Specializing In:
Paradox, Humor, and Change
www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org Paul Lam, M.D. creates Tai Chi for Health Programs to empower people of all ages with better health and well being.
The Essential C. S. Lewis by C.S. Lewis
Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully-In Ten Minutes by Stephen King. Writer's Guide 2001
http://imaginehealing.info Joel P. Bowman, Ph.D., and Rev. Debra Basham, CHTP, NLP, HTt, RMT. Healing for you and your pet
http://dbasham.blogspot.com Emotional Sobriety (Sept 2) "Everything is known."
http://www.scs-matters.com Products include Debra's new book Stories from my Heart. Her first edition is already sold out!
Images:
Healing Hands, oil painting by Dahlis
Paul sees an open book below my hands and adds, "You are downloading your book." I can see a faint Silver Butterfly with unfurled wings below the fingertips of my left hand!
Silver Butterfly, oil painting by Dahlis, cover art.
"Good Walking" photo by Emilie
