Creating Pleasure

Dearest Goddesses,

I was thinking more about my post from yesterday regarding the spectrum between pleasure and pain. Although I do feel like you have a choice in many situations to choose pleasure – I noticed myself trying to practice what I preached yesterday and actually choose pleasure. There were moments when I would be telling myself “choose pleasure, choose pleasure” and it just wasn’t happening! One thing I’m very good at is being able to shift my perspective and consider the perspectives of others in whatever I might be going through at the time – but there are just those moments when I know exactly what I need to give up in order to shift it – but I just won’t – or in the moment it is simply too hard to see beyond my strong emotions.

So while I was “on it” yesterday (and this morning, I might add) I observed that pleasure and pain aren’t always on opposite spectrums. I think actually it’s about collapsing the spectrums and simply bringing pleasure into the pain. Pain and upset are always going to be there – you can definitely choose your reaction – but chances are while you’re still training yourself not to immediately go into assassin mode when something (or someone) does not go the way you envisioned – I think that pleasure can be used to heal the pain, the upset. For example – last night I was experiencing an upset and I went into my bedroom and there on my bed were all three of my dogs. They knew I was upset and I allowed the pleasure of their kisses and love even though I was inside the pain – and the pain/upset did not completely subside – but during those moments of pleasure I was taken care of and I was able to see through the upset.

There is an exercise that I heard through a teleseminar a year or so ago – and I apologize that I do not have the author – but I will share the exercise. It was called Flip Switching. He had you think of something that relaxed you or brought you pleasure (child’s laughter, playing with your pets, sunset over the mountains…) When you find yourself getting stressed or upset or in pain – STOP – and think about your relaxation thought for 17 seconds. And you will automatically feel yourself getting calmer.

Patty’s Challenge: When you find yourself getting stressed – try the flip switching exercise and actively try to shift your energy from pain to pleasure – or at least be willing to experience or look for pleasure while inside of the pain.

Creating Pleasure: Wow, it’s been awhile since I offered a creative project…What is coming to me this morning is creating a visual representation of your relaxed moment – or simply think about being relaxed and allow your intuition to guide you – don’t worry about the outcome or the product – simply allow yourself to go through the creative process – allow yourself to create.

Recommendation: I’ve been sharing bits and pieces from The Wheel of Life which I think is a fantastic book – but I’m also re-reading an old favourite of mine – Life Paint & Passion by Michele Cassau and Stuart Cubley. It is simply a fantastic book and although it is about painting and allowing your intuition to guide yourself through the creative process while painting – I think it works with any genre. It’s really a must read – especially for anyone not acknowledging their inner artist – or convinced that they are not creative.

Love to you,

Patty

Grounding For Pleasure

Dearest Goddesses,

Pleasure…I’ve been allowing myself to experience snippets and really see the connection to not only perception and choice, but also to grounding.

In every moment, I have the choice to feel pleasure or pain or something in the middle of that spectrum. Sometimes these “choices” aren’t conscious, but I think it is possible to catch yourself and make a switch if you need to. I was sitting in traffic the other day, having a grand ole time. I was listening to Radio Dos – the only station on the planet I think where you can still hear Rhinestone Cowboy on the radio followed by We Are The World – and I was rockin out. It seemed to be one great song after another and I was totally enjoying sitting in traffic – I didn’t allow myself to get stressed out or cranky that I had taken a wrong turn and gotten stuck at a stupid intersection – I just let it be and continued the pleasure of singing the songs. NOW, this doesn’t happen all the time – and a lot of the times that I am sitting in traffic, I find myself headed toward the opposite spectrum of pain and torture and even when I’m there, I don’t make a conscious choice to get myself out of the funk and take the opportunity for a little pleasure – but the choice exists.

I tried to take this a step further in my head this morning and I thought about a disagreement that John and I had the other day. After the fact, I noticed that I consciously avoided his touch and requests for kisses – I kept the disagreement going. I could easily have chosen instead to head on the path of pleasure and be kissed and touched. Looking back, I can see that I was “proving a point” by withholding. Not particularly sure what that point was – or how effective it was! (To be honest, I don’t really remember the argument either – just the withholding. Sure would have been nice to choose the kisses and touches instead…)

Essentially we have to get out of our own way to be able to truly choose pleasure in the moment. I needed to give up being right in order to be present with John. I would have to avoid being the victim or whatever meaning I place behind the traffic in order to enjoy singing the songs on the radio instead of screaming at the traffic. Noone else would need to change a thing – just me. I am in control of my pleasure!

Now with that being said – having that choice become conscious requires some grounding – a connection to the Earth. If you consciously ground yourself you are not like a helium balloon being held by someone else – whose fate is guided by where the person wants to go or whether he/she wants to let go. Your roots are centered and feet planted firmly on the ground. This is needed in order to be able to access those higher levels of consciousness.

I’ve attached a grounding meditation from Wheels of Life, by Anodea Judith (I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a comprehensive but very readable book on the chakras).

Patty’s Challenge: Do the grounding meditation and give yourself a gut check every once in awhile – is there a place where you are able to make the choice for pleasure – if so – choose that!

Love to you,
Patty

Every Challenge, an Opportunity..:For Pleasure?

Dearest goddesses,

Ah…Pleasure. After a few weeks of challenge and justice and crossroads – this seems like a wonderful breather!

Of course, if you’re like me, you’re thinking how can I have pleasure, take the time out for pleasure when I’m dealing with…justice, challenge, crossroads (just to name a few…) It’s like if we deny, if we just wait and get through the challenges – then there will be plenty of pleasure to be had. If only…when…

I think that is the ultimate lesson of challenge – and it is perfect that pleasure comes right after challenge. Challenge is going to be there regardless, right? And as the Sphinx said – “…every challenge is an opportunity, every challenge presents a gift – every challenge is there to serve you…or not – the choice is yours.” I think one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves would be inside of challenge – to provide for the sensual needs of our body – thank Hathor for the gifts of pleasure –sound, music, song, dance, art, love and touch. And those are simple pleasures to be able to give to ourselves. Listening to music, dancing, looking at or making art and in the immortal words of one of my favorite goddesses: “Just open your legs and abundance will come...” (there’s no need for Mr or Ms right – or right now – treat yourself to a romantic date and allow yourself the pleasure of a home run!)

Patty’s Challenge: In The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, she challenges us with taking ourselves out on Artist’s Dates. These are dates that you take yourself on – or really that you take your inner child/artist on. Plan an artist date this week – schedule it and KEEP IT no matter what comes up.

Love to you,

Patty

P.S. I sort of slacked last week with the theme of challenge and wanted to share something. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the chakras lately – and am reading a great book called Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith (thanks Lula!). I’m still on the first chakra which really relates to the theme of challenge (and pleasure is a nice transition into the 2^nd chakra!)

She talks about the importance of grounding in the first chakra - and without grounding, we do not have the support or foundation of the consciousness awakenings of the upper chakras. To master the first chakra is to understand and heal the body - of which all of us are given just one of to travel along this life...grounding is connecting to the earth and protecting us from becoming overloaded by every day tension. I really liked the following analogy - taking the idea of energy never stopping, only transforming (little did I know that the work of Mr. Little's physics class might actually provide some relevance to my life in some way.) This statement clarified for me the idea of transforming chaos into stillness:

“Grounding brings clarity through stillness. Every action causes a reaction. If we can “still” our reactions to some aspect of a vicious cycle, we are “stepping out of the world of karma.” We are then able to stop the cycle. This is analogous to letting dirty water sit in a glass long enough for the mud to settle to the bottom, clearing the water.”

And if your challenge is survival consider the following:

“Challenge of survival requires us to think and act quickly and to innovate new solutions. Our consciousness is spontaneously focused on our situation in a way that rarely occurs at other times.” I connected to this statement and the poem of the Sphinx – every challenge is there to serve you – or not –the choice is yours.

Hathor: Pleasure

The following is excerpted exactly from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and the illustrations are by Hrana Janto. For more information on their work, please visit the following websites:

Amy Sophia Marashinsky: http://www.amysophia.com/
You can download the meditations included in the ritual suggestions at http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

Hrana Janto: http://www.hranajanto.com/

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When you come to me

I take your spirit

from the stars

and clothe it

in a body of sensation

to finally focus you on form

to benignly bask you in bliss

You are here to experience delight

enjoy gratification

know satisfaction

have pleasure

in all ways

in all modes

in all aspects.

Pleasure makes you juicy

twinkles your eyes

enlivens your life force

The exquisiteness of existence

is pleasure

Get ready to feel soooooooo good.

Mythology:

Hathor (pronounced hat’hor), though depicted in many forms, was mainly associated with the winged cow of creation. As birth and death Goddess, she was credited with creating the body for the immortal spirit to reside in. As creator of the body, she also governed all bodily pleasures: sound, music, song, dance, art, love and touch. It is said that she attended the birth of every child and revealed the pattern of its destiny. She was worshipped in Egypt for more than 3,000 years.

Meaning of the Card:

Hathor is here to tell you that the way to wholeness for you lies in connecting with what brings you pleasure and in experiencing pleasure. Have you been taught that pleasure is forbidden, something sinful or evil? Are you so busy fulfilling your commitments that pleasure is relegated to the bottom of your list? Do you deny pleasure in order to get work done? STOP! Time to change all that. Pleasure relieves stress and relaxes and refreshes you. Pleasure is the body’s way of expressing health and vitality. Pleasure is the oil that keeps you lubricated and lush. Hathor says that since you have chosen to be here in a physical body, you might as well enjoy it. Don’t wait for others to fulfil this need. Plan to give yourself pleasure daily and you’ll find satisfaction dancing in your life.

Ritual Suggestion: The Pleasure Break
You can download this meditation at the following site for $FREE
http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=44&zenid=c636244961ac59cbabec57082d290766

This can be done wherever you are, whenever you want, or you can make a special time and place for it in your day. You may do this for as long or as short as is appropriate for you.

Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, let yourself relax. Take another deep breath and, as you exhale, give yourself a moment of pleasure. It can be the pleasure of just sitting and breathing. You may choose to take a walk in the woods, bask in the sun, sit in a sacred circle, look at a painting, read a book, or listen to music – anything that brings you pleasure. Whatever it is, give it to yourself, either in actuality or through visualization. What gives you pleasure may change over time. If you don’t know what gives you pleasure, then sit with it, open to it, be receptive to finding it, then give it to yourself.

Embracing Challenge

Dearest Goddesses,

Wow. I must have been channeling something when I picked these cards months ago - every single one seems to speak to exactly where I am at the moment (or what I don't want to deal with!) This week is the Sphinx representing challenge and boy can I relate! First of all, I am dealing with the challenge of sharing a computer with John – who likes to be in command - as well as facing my procrastination - and so I’m sorry my emails have been a bit sporadic lately!

The first thing I thought of after reading this week’s goddess was a story I heard years ago about a man who found an emperor moth cocoon and brought it into his house to watch the moth emerge. The man watched as the moth began to inch out of it’s cocoon – it seemed to be struggling so much that the man decided to help it by cutting open the cocoon and allowing the moth to emerge easily. The moth did emerge easily, but it’s body was swollen and the wings were shriveled and after a few hours, the moth died. The man did not realize, that the struggle that the Emperor moth goes through to get out of it’s cocoon actually gives the moth the ability to fly – the struggle pushes the fluids out of its body and provides the necessary nutrients for the wings to become strong so that when it does emerge – it is ready to fly. By “helping” the moth in its struggle, the man actually took away the moth’s ability to fly.

I like to look at challenge this way. Of course, that is only after I’ve gained some perspective from going through it and facing the challenges head on. When I’m in the struggle – when I’m fighting the challenge – then I just want it to be over with and am usually dying for someone to come and cut my cocoon! The key to challenge is to keep in mind all of the other struggles that we have gone through in the past – and all we have learned from them. I think of times in my past when I remember things seemed completely insurmountable – and today they are barely a blip on my radar. Time always helps with that perspective – but it is important that we do not face challenge with blindfolds on – with our eyes shut tight just waiting until the storm passes. I came across a quote the other day that I know I’ve shared with you in the past – “Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace within it.”

The challenges will pass eventually – you have seen the ups and downs of life to know that – and there will be more challenges in your future. It’s up to you whether these challenges will beat you down – whether they will become evidence for how sucky your life is – or if they will simply be homework in the giant school called life. As the Sphinx says - "every challenge is there to serve you - or not. It's your choice."

Patty’s Challenge: A couple months ago, I started a list called “Benefits to the delays in our funding.” I was able to come up with about 20 or 30 items for that list which provided me with some perspective for the situation. It didn’t change the situation – the challenge is still one that we are in – but it helped me face it head on – it helped me come up with other business ideas – I began to think outside the box.

Start your list with a challenge that you are experiencing right now – Benefits to and fill in the blank. Keep the list with you – add to it without editing. See what you come up with.

Love to you,

Patty

Sphinx: Challenge

The following is excerpted exactly from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and the illustrations are by Hrana Janto. For more information on their work, please visit the following websites:

Amy Sophia Marashinsky: http://www.amysophia.com/
You can download the meditations included in the ritual suggestions at http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

Hrana Janto: http://www.hranajanto.com/

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If I ask the question that provokes

will you stretch to find the answer

Will you take up the gauntlet flung boldly

and defiantly answer the call

Will you meet my challenge

with tingling in your blood

with your hair blowing electric in the wind

with all your being

knowing that every challenge

is an opportunity

every challenge

presents a gift

every challenge

is there to serve you

or not

It’s your choice.

Mythology

The Sphinx appears in Greek mythology as the monster – a woman’s head and breasts, dog’s body, lion’s paws, wings of an eagle and the tail of a serpent – who questioned Oedipus. To the ancient Egyptians, she symbolically represented the Nile and its seasons. She was also a manifestation of Hathor, Goddess of birth and death. The Sphinx of Egypt was built as guardian of the horizons, the rising and setting sun. It held the keys to the wisdom gates. In the path to deep knowing, initiates had to confront the challenges that the Sphinx posed.

Meaning of the Card

The Sphinx will not let you pass until you respond to her challenge. She asks: “How can you meet a challenge and prosper in all the aspects of your being?” You can let yourself get torn down by challenge, or kicked or pounded or defeated, but how can you take the challenge and use its energy to nurture yourself? Have you been running from challenges all your life and now find you haven’t developed the energy or power to face them? Perhaps it’s easier to ignore challenge and go on with self-limiting behaviour. Or maybe you feel that life is all messed up. Whatever way you have been dancing with challenge in the past has to change. The greatest challenge in living is how you respond to challenges. The Sphinx says the only way to wholeness on your path is to meet your challenges face-to-face.

Ritual Suggestion: Meeting Challenge Face to Face
You can download this meditation at the following site for $2.00
http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=64&zenid=c636244961ac59cbabec57082d290766

Find a time and a place when and where you will not be disturbed. Sit or lie comfortably with your back straight and close your eyes. Take a deep breath and release it slowly. Take another deep breath and release it with a sigh. Take another deep breath and release it, putting all your stress and tension into a hum. Take a final deep breath and envision, sense or feel the steep incline of a hill before you. It could be one you have encountered before or one you imagine. There is a path on the incline and you begin walking up it. At first it rises gently, then gives way to flat land. Then it rises again, this time sharply, so you must climb, hand over hand and foo9t over foot till you reach a small cottage. You are out of breath and thirsty and decide to knock on the door of the cottage.

An old, very handsome Wise Woman opens the door. “I have been expecting you,” she tells you. You ask for a drink of water and the Wise Woman takes you to the back of the cottage, hands you a mug, points to a sacred spring, and tells you to refresh yourself with its water. You dip your mug in the sacred spring and drink. The water quen hes your thirst and leaves you feeling calm and refre3shed.

Now the Wise Woman takes you by the hand and leads you into her cottage. The cottage is filled with wondrous and magical things, beautiful and delightful things. “>I have something you need.” She explains as she puts a large package in your hands. It is heavy. “Open the package when you arrive on the Plain of Vision. Now it is time for you to go.” She escorts you to the door and hugs you. You thank her and leave.

The path takes you onto an enormous plateau. It is the Plain of Vision, where the winds blow cool, clean and clear. Where you can see al that you need to see. Take a deep breath and inhale the clarity of the Plain of Vision.

You put the package on the ground and squat down to open it. Inside is a suit of chain mail and a sword. You put on the suit of mail. It fits perfectly. You grasp the sword, slashing the air. It feels good in your hand, the right weight and balance.

Something lands at your feet. You bend down to pick it up. It is a glove of mail, a gauntlet. A voice says,” Are you prepared to meet me=” You pick up the gauntlet and stand to face your challenge, who is masked before you. You toss back the gauntlet which is then put on by your challenge. Your swords cross and you begin the fight. Your challenge tries to trip you up, but you manage to breathe deeply and stay on your feet. Your challenge tries to divert your attention, but you manage to breathe deeply and stay focused. Your challenge is strong and persistent and tries to wear you out, but you stay centered and strong by breathing deeply, drawing up limitless energy from the earth into your body.

Finally your challenge tells you it will stop this fight if you will embrace it. You sheathe your sword and hold out your arms, and your challenge moves into them. As you both embrace, your suits of mail dissolve and your swords vanish. You hold each other with love and acceptance. Your challenge is transformed into light which is then absorbed into your body and becomes a part of you. You feel strengthened and revitalized.

You leave the Plain of Vision, gong down the path. The cottage of the old Wise Woman is no longer there. You continue down the path feeling refreshed and whole, feeling energized and emancipated, feeling centered and steadied. When you reach the bottom of the incline, you take a deep breath and release it slowly, coming back fully into your body. Take another deep breath and release it slowly. When you feel ready, open your eyes. Welcome Back!

The "Right" Path

Dearest Goddesses,

I think sometimes when things aren’t going the way we thought they should, we get into the space of “I never should have - and then fill in the blank. Moved, quit my job, gone back to school,married that person… While I quickly learned that to have “regrets” was a waste of energy – there’s always that – “well if I knew then what I know now, I would have made different choices…” But what led you to “know now” was actually the situation you would have avoided!

I love the goddess this week – Hecate – Crossroads. She always seems to come up when I need her the most and she is like a loving grandmother telling us to just take a deep breath – there’s no such thing as a bad choice – only life experience. And there is power in choice – in moving your life forward – and so what if looking back on that choice that you made that life would’ve, could’ve been easier if you had simply stayed put!

What I also love about Hecate is that no matter how crummy the path is that you are on currently is – there is another crossroad just up ahead. A chance to make another choice. And have the confidence that whatever path you take will be the right one, the perfect one for you at the perfect time,with the perfect people to help you along the way.

Make sure you read Hecate and if you are stuck at a crossroads and are unsure which path to take – make sure you journey with her in the meditation.

Love to you,

Patty

P.S. I’m having some difficulty with my scanner,so I will need to forward the Goddess Oracle image a little later.