A Pristine October Day in Czech Republic

Old Town, Prague

What an extreme joy to once again travel to the Czech Republic!  My first trip was in February of this year.  It was cold and snowy, but I was so attracted to the beautiful city of Prague that I couldn't resist putting on my long underwear, donning my coat, hat and gloves and spending the day walking around the city.  

Astronomical Clock, Old Town Prague

Every direction was another photo opportunity. I have heard people joke about sitting down on a street corner and just rotating in every direction and snapping pictures as you go. That is how beautiful the architecture is! 

Many of the famous landmarks that still exist today include chapels, churches, cathedrals and monasteries, all evidence of the overwhelming wealth, power and influence of the Catholic Church, the oldest of which began with the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century.

Prominent architecture styles easily visible in the city of Prague include Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Classical and Romantic.  While the city is rich with churches and cathedrals, there are also rotundas, great halls, towers, stone houses and castles.

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

On my most recent trip to Czech Republic, I had the privilege to visit the Cesky Krumlov city and castle.  This photo is an overview of the city and river from a great castle vantage point.  While I did not take the opportunity to climb or tour the castle tower, I believe I will be returning to this historic and charming area to enjoy more castle touring as well as exploring and shopping in the local shops.

Before I made the trip back to Czech, I paid a visit to some local friends.  As we were visiting, he asked me what I knew about the Infant of Prague.  He told me that his mother has a statue of the infant and was wondering what the story and history was behind it.  I told him I didn't know but would check it out.

Our Lady of Victory Church, Prague

After researching a bit on the internet to see what I could find about the Infant of Prague and then traveling back to Czech, I asked my Czech friend what she knew of the Infant of Prague.  She asked if I meant Pražské Jezulátko.  At first I couldn't understand what she said, but then I realized we were talking about the same thing.  She said she didn't really know anything about it but had heard of it. 

In my research, I found that the statue was present today at a small church called Our Lady of Victory Church in Mala Strana.  I remembered walking past this church on my last visit but not stopping to see what was inside.  The church was undergoing renovations, but the Infant of Prague statue was prominently displayed in a glass case and surrounded by gold decorations.

There are a number of stories surrounding the statue.  All of them bring one to the same point and that is the amazing power of prayer surrounding this small yet powerful religious icon, the Infant Jesus.  As one story points out, a monk created the statue after having an apparition of the Infant Jesus.

War came and the statue was battered and the hands of the Infant were broken off.  The priest at the time who was recovering the statue from some church rubble felt the Infant Jesus was speaking to him, saying,

"Have mercy on me and I will have mercy on you.

Give me hands and I will give you peace.

The more you honor me, the more I will bless you." 

The priest, Father Cyril, prayed to have the hands for the statue reconstructed.  It wasn't long after that a man came along who took care of the task.  Many blessings followed for the priest and the church.  Thus there are many followers today who still ask Jesus for his help with the above prayer.

The above photo does not show the statue very well as the lighting was not very conducive for photography.  Also, the garment on the statue for the day was black.  The garments follow the colors of the priest's vestments as they follow the liturgical season which is governed by the church calendar.

Outside the City

One rainy and damp afternoon the local forest beckoned.  With basket in hand and a light rain jacket, we set out to pick mushrooms.  Foggy, misty weather had been the ticket for a few days, along with some very moderate temperatures, so conditions were perfect for mushrooms.  The area where we scoured the forest floor is home to wild boars who had left lots of leaves, dirt and moss overturned in their search for not only mushrooms but other delicacies. 

While neither of these mushrooms is edible, they do make mushrooming entertaining.  Having never seen a red-capped mushroom before, I enjoyed finding the "Mario" mushrooms, as they are easy to spot and certainly add brilliant color to the forest.

The next image was a very vivacious mushroom cluster.  And since I am not a mushroom expert, I do not know the name, but I certainly enjoyed photographing them.

So after about an hour and a half we had a few small but edible mushrooms which were a delicious addition to our next home-cooked meal.

One thing that is very different in Czech than in the US is that a lot of the homes are in small villages rather than scattered across the countryside.  This leaves lots of wide open spaces, graduated forest regions with trees towering over sixty feet, quaint little streams for fishing or wildlife, and non-GMO farmland to raise crops for cattle, hogs, sheep, and other livestock and birds.

While this is just a quick sampling of some of my Czech experiences, I do look forward to a return trip...hopefully, soon!

Beyond the Full Moon

Beyond the Full Moon

Some days are like wading through a muddy swamp.  I feel like I'm up to my knees in mud and muck.  But then as quickly as I sank into the mud, I take another step and I'm out on the shore, feeling the lush green grass between my toes and getting a sweet whiff of mixed wildflowers.

Going through the moon cycles can also feel like this.  As we transition into the darkest nights of new moon energy, we are called to bring forth our visions, dreams and desires.  Then as we transition into a waxing moon phase, we can watch or activate this energy, bringing it further and further into view or manifestation.

As the moon brightens to its fullest light, we can also watch our lives as issues, challenges, and changes draw to a close.  People move on to other realms, finally figure things out that have been troubling them or that which was hidden comes to the surface.

The more open we are to these cycles, the more useful they will be for us.  The time between the Full Moon and the New Moon is a great time to express gratitude for all the past, present and yet-to-unfold experiences.  This can either be a time of struggle as we try to adjust our lives to that which we must leave behind, or we can use this time to visualize, intuit, or breathe new life into a new project or create a new plan of action.

Some sun signs have a greater connection with the Moon Cycles than others, however, the dynamic is the same.  Everyone can take advantage of the phases of the moon as reminders that we are always in motion, life is constantly changing, and we can either fight or flow with the changes.  We can also help direct the flow of action or we can be allow ourselves to be driven by it.  The choice is ours, in each moment.

How do you choose to use the Moon Cycles?  What changes do you hope to see in your life?  And how do you plan to direct or allow them to manifest in your life?

We are currently in an "after Full Moon" phase, the waning phase.  This is a great time to release and let go of those things that no longer serve us.  Clear our slate and prepare our visions, dreams and desires.  Then as the moon begins to wax again, we can add to the visions, intensify our desires and set the stage for fruition.

Living in Love

Every day a new gift is offered.  Sometimes that gift is insight, other times it is peace or relaxation.  Once in a while, the carte du jour is nothing short of a miracle.  And that is where the heart opens and love steps in.

For the longest time, I have felt so out of sorts, that my life was only about distractions and taking care of everyone else, with no time for me.  Then one day I was talking with my son and he reminded me that only I can make time for me and until I do, I will continue to allow my life to be filled with distractions.  So I began to ask for focus, which included a place or subject upon which to focus.  I asked for the time and purpose to focus on the next phase of my life.

The chaos in and around me seemed to intensify!  I thought to myself, "This isn't what I asked for!"  I asked for peace and a sense of focus.  As the drama and chaos unfolded and played out, I realized that this was the path to clearing the distractions and chaos.  As I was once again reminded, "out of chaos comes harmony."  And there it was.  Peaceful, joyful, harmonious FOCUS!

Something that happened in this process was the ability to recognize chaos as the clearing dynamic.  Instead of cursing it, I began to embrace it.  Again, that was where love stepped in with infinite potential and possibilities.  As I opened more fully to love, it seemed like every fear I had ever had showed its ugly head.  I was reminded of my deficiencies, my shortcomings, my inferiority.  This was the perfect time to review.  Sometimes that was simply looking at an unhappy, life-changing experience that shaped the fear or inferiority.  Other times it was as simple as recognizing it as a fear, honoring that it had purpose but that I did not need to have it limit my life.  Then it was simply like stepping out of a dress or piece of clothing, allowing it to drop out of my life with ease and grace.

Some days I find myself vacillating back and forth between acknowledging my higher purpose and suffocating from lack, limitation and a great need to practice continued patience.  The greatest tool I have ever experienced is the gift of intuition.  In those times when I feel the weight of the limitations of life, it is reassuring to be able to step back, breathe, and honor the inner voice as it asks me to recenter myself and listen, feel and allow.  There is love again, open, honest and free.  Life is then like sailing rather than having to break waves.  It is like gently, yet powerfully drifting on a sea of glass, reflecting back to me what is obviously within me, that being Love.

All this reminds me of the labor process for a woman as she feels contractions, then relief.  The contractions are like the chaos and limitations.  And love is like the relief she feels in between each contraction, the joy of knowing that soon she will be holding in her arms one of life's greatest miracles, her newborn child.  To me, this has always been my happy thought, beautiful, unconditionally loving children.

So life is very much a process of ebb and flow, feeling the chaos and then flowing with the love.  As is life, we are ever-changing, ever-evolving.  All the while, we are living in love.

Out of Chaos Comes Harmony

September is upon us and hopefully, we will begin a more normal pattern of moisture.  We have had severe drought conditions, so severe, the grass crunches under one's feet.

The fall apples are ripe and we now have some great pies in the freezer in preparation for the cold winter ahead.

I have been hearing from many different people that there are huge transitions happening in their lives.  Chaos seems to be brought in to clear up the old, disharmonious energies, which then makes way for calm seas!  So if you are experiencing a lot of disruptions or chaos, just know that out of chaos comes harmony.  And with harmony, comes great inner and outer transitions.

Movement right now is of utmost importance.  Clearing the past holds great rewards.  As you clear your old, out-moded and disruptive energies, you help others who are also working on the same type of clearing.  It is a way of helping to clear mass consciousness.  And believe me, we are certainly in the process of clearing on many levels and in many dimensions.

I am grateful to you for reading this blog, for being willing to do your part on the planet at this time, and to recognize your own magnificence and importance in this journey we call life!

Blessed be, my friend!

Sandee

Star of David Touching Soul

We have had a lot of auspicious dates in 2013 so far.  Tomorrow we will experience another amazing portal of energy to help activate peace and harmony on our planet.

I hope you will join us as we continue to Touch Soul through this very special time and space.

It is very important to be clear about what it is that you choose for yourself and all of humanity.  Each and every day, stop and think about what it is you intend, how you think about those intentions and also what actions you are taking to bring them into your manifested reality.

If you would like to join in with a soulful meditation, it will take place at 11:11 pm in Central Europe, 10:11 pm in UK, 5:11 EDT, 4:11 pm CDT, 3:11 pm MDT and 2:11 pm PDT.

I would love to hear any experiences you have with meditating during this time.

Let's bring about the peaceful and loving change in our outer world that we are creating on our inner world.

Blessed BE!

Sandee