The Spirit of Water
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Oh My!
Those Pesky Ads!This holiday season, I did something I have never done before in 6 years of mailing. I ran an ad campaign for Water Blessing Labels.
Some of you hated it. Some of you loved the gentle artistic messages I lovingly crafted for your eyes and hearts. I tried so hard to make my messages meaningful and useful. Over all, the campaign worked well for me. Sales were generated from many people who didn't know we had new offerings in our line. Many people will receive Blessings as holiday gifts. For that, the whole world benefits.
For those of you who received my ads graciously, I THANK YOU.
For those who ordered products as a result of my offers, I am SO GRATEFUL! Your orders made it possible for me to keep the lights burning.
For those who wrote and scolded me, I BOW HUMBLY TO YOU.
And for those who removed themselves from my mailings, I say FARE WELL.
I lost about 1000 people from my mailing list as a result of those ads. Still, there are over 6,000 who are still willing to receive my messages each month. I hope to maintain your support and respect going forward - even if I have to advertise a little sometimes. But I promise, I will always do so by giving something back ... a bit of wisdom, a beautiful image, or a great discount!
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The Best Holiday BlessingsBefore the holidays, I introduced new Water Blessing Labels. I am pleased to tell you that all were received very well, but these four new collections were abundantly embraced among all the collections we offer (17 now): Thanks to your orders, I sold out of all of these collections and await second printings. Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions. I reconsidered everything you offered and will make these re-prints even better than before. Keep your feedback coming. ____________________
OCEAN OF GRATITUDE CRUISE
Karol Avalon is my friend, but most of all, she is a bright light in the world. Her Gratitude Cruises are cherished by many as she provides precious experiences to those teachers and students who join her. She has more than a twinkle in her eye as she talks about the guests who will learn, share and grow on the journey. She has a twinkle in her heart. Meet Karol, learn about the cruise, and receive a discount and gift if you book through this newsletter.
Ocean of Gratitude Cruise
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ALL WATER BLESSING
COLLECTIONS
AND WATER BOTTLES
ON SALE THROUGH DECEMBER 31stClick here to see
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Solstice Gives Us a Portal to The Dark Side
"Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
that's how the light gets in."
- Leonard Cohen
As I listened intently for water to offer a message this month, I became aware of the depth of movement in the creek below my house. As leaves and debris whisked by, riding on the surface of the fast water, a deep slower undercurrent cut into the rock bed and the banks. It wasn't the surface water that defined the watercourse, but the deep water. The message? Don't dwell entirely on the surface of life ... even if the ride is fast, exciting, and filled with light. Instead, go deep into the cracks and dark spaces to see what is forming the course. There, in the shadows, lies the foundation of our lives - the dark side of our existence. In the darkness, beneath the surface, caves and canyons store our demons and secrets that have held us captive, like a carved-out canyon limits and squeezes the flow of a river.
This realization seemed to fit exactly what is happening in "time" in the Northern Hemisphere. Short days, long nights, and bitter cold. Officially, Winter Solstice marks the time when light begins to return and yet, we have many more months of darkness left. Can we see it as a gift for the inner life? As much as we see the Summer Solstice as a time for celebration for our outer life?
At the Solstices, the sun stops for about three days before it reverses its movement in the opposite direction. We are presented with unique opportunities to play in the infinite space out-of-time guided by Kairos, Archetype of Opportunity and Creativity. Throughout the year, it is Chronos that has defined our sense of time, staying linear, rigid and responsible. On the Solstices, we can honor no-time and learn more about ourselves. This is the gift, especially as winter darkness casts shadows on our lives. The treasure is in finding the light.
As we intrepid voyagers soon realize, flowing through life on the surface of the fast waters gives us an exhilarating and carefree experience. And yet, the fast water is supported by the largely ignored, dark, slow currents that carry our shadow natures along with us. That deep, dark, shadowland is a territory that must be illuminated during the journey through an illuminated life - if only symbolically. Winter Solstice gives us an opportunity to do that as we muddle through an annual rite of passage into the unknown, unseen, and denied portions of our lives. We bring extra candles with us. Our own light selves radiate an invitation to the dark parts of our souls. Come forth, ShadowDemon! Come forth and be enlightened!
Stop what you are doing for a night or a day and contemplate your life. Look closely at what prevents you from having what you want. Is it time to rid yourself of old secrets, mourn the losses you have endured, and illuminate the dark corners that threaten to keep you dead inside for another eternity? Kairos welcomes us to venture through the Solstice Portal and come out better because we have an opportunity to shed the toxic burden of our "bad-selves." This is a journey worth taking, if only because we then get to move into the fast water again, and ride on the surface with no toxic water threatening our lives.
This inner-space journey, not unlike the outer-space explorations undertaken by our astronauts, is a journey quantum theorists believe will be our next biggest exploration of space. It is the space that exists within each of our inner landscapes that will help define how we evolve consciousness on the planet. Each individual has a stake in that evolution.
Truly, it will not be the end of physical battles that will bring peace on Earth, but the battle for our souls against the shadows that will move humanity into higher awareness. This is the key to planetary liberation. Heal the inner and watch the outer transform effortlessly. REALLY.... EFFORTLESSLY!
Because of the profound cosmic energies that occur during the Solstices, both summer and winter Solstices have been considered sacred to Earth worshippers and mystics throughout the ages. In the summer, we dance and celebrate life. In the winter, we mourn death and await a return to lightness. In the darkness there is a constant reminder that we are defined by the things we have cast into Shadowland, letting that decaying junkyard unwittingly form the foundation of our life force.
Such a burden, those horrible shadows! We may seek the light forever, but never KNOW how much more meaningful, abundant, or sacred our lives could be if we stopped running from our shadows and started facing them. In reality, we have time to make this happen. We have eternity at our fingertips when we boldly journey out of the clock and into the heart of existence. Fear not your journey into the night. Great opportunities await you before the sun restarts in the opposite direction.
Take time out of your life to honor the Solstice. During that period of indeterminate duration, suspend your fears, judgments, and time trances. Go boldly, dear traveler. As Solstice opens the portal, we assess where we are going and where we have been. We make amends for steering off-course, and we re-evaluate Earth wisdom that we may have forgotten or refused to look at in the past. We forgive ourselves and others and move on. We own our failures and assumptions, but vow to see them as gifts for a brighter future. We release our shame. It is all grist for the mill. Grind it all away like water creates sand from solid rock. In doing so, we symbolically release all the shadows and secrets of all humanity. In reality, however, there is only one thing we actually release, and that is simply Truth.
When we allow our consciousness to go below the surface of life, contemplate our role in the world, consider our impact, factor our contributions against our consumptions, weigh our knowledge against our ignorance - after those dark and heavy contemplations, within our inner-self, we emerge enlightened and ready for another cycle of life.
I rejoice in the Endarkenment because it means more light is streaming in than at any other time of the year. Face the dark, but bring light to it. This is true liberation.
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The
Spirit of Water is so grateful to be part of the movement toward the light. We support you in creating brilliance each day.
With sincere wishes for a loving world, we are here, silently transforming water into Liquid Prayers.
In peace & prosperity all-ways,
Shara
& The Spirit of Water
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