Lagniappe - A Little Something Extra
In Louisiana, where I am originally from, "lagniappe" means a little something extra. This page will be dedicated to news, current events and anything else I can think of...
Spring has sprung and Summer is almost here
June 7, 2011
After a winter long hiatus, the warming of the seasons has also warmed the hearts and minds of the people around me. It appeared for a long moment that winter held everyone in a status of unchanging. The moment spring started to creep around, the first trickle of emails, activity, and spiritual growth began to blossom. The first email I received was in February. It was seeming slow. One email in February, two emails in March until eventually there were five emails sitting in my inbox for May. Questions in regards to spirituality as well as requests for reiki treatments started to roll in like a beautiful spring rain started with the first few gentle drops to let you know it was coming.
When I debated writing this blog entry, I thought that I should write reiki treatments and spiritual questions into two separate posts. However, the two do seem intimately connected. When Spring comes around, there is a phenomenon that occurs called Spring Cleaning. People let the stale, musty air of winter leave their homes by throwing open their windows wide, sunlight streams into their lives warming their hearts, and then they partake in the good thorough cleanings of their nests. They throw out the new to make room for the new. They begin projects like gardening, renovating, or new construction. Their lives suddenly mirror Mother Nature in all of her glory. The sun gently caresses the earth awake, and the first spring blossoms and the brightest green leaves unfold. Similarly, Reiki is the spring cleaning of the spirit. Depression, sluggishness, holiday blues, and winter grey have crept into our spirit and have lain dormant there through the winter. We seek to throw open the window of the soul and let the sunlight purify our spirits. What do you do if you go to the window, only to find that the window is stuck? First you clean the window, open the curtains, and try again. Nothing happens. Then you call a carpenter, or in this case a reiki practitioner. Reiki practitioner s figures out why the window is stuck and how to open it. Once the window is open, this opens up your spirit for new growth, new opportunity, and invites wellbeing.
Here is where the spiritual questions come into play. All five senses start to awaken and hungrily absorb the light fragrance spring flowers, the sight of lush fields of grass, the peaceful hum of the bees, the tickle of dew water clinging to each blade of grass, and the taste of fresh fruit plucked from the garden. People consume all that there is to drink with the five senses, and they start to feel a change occurring within their own being. Maybe it begins by feeling the pulse of the earth itself, encouraged by the feeding of the senses, and then it seeps into the spirit to the very core of our being. The spirit responds by expanding, growing, and shining its own delicate light on those that surround us. The spirit once awaken starts to ask questions like, “Where should I go?”, “What should I do?”, “Who am I?”, and “What’s my purpose?” Just as plants crave water, sunlight, and nutrients to continue to prosper, the spirit wants to walk along its own spiritual path and learn what it means to finally be content. A spiritual advisor should help to put you on the path, help to answer the burning questions when they arise, help you get in touch with your own spirit and your spiritual guides, and ensure you have enough information to walk your path confidently. No one can make you take those steps; you must take each step yourself. But just as Mother Nature provides light, nutrients, and water, a spiritual guide will provide knowledge, information, and opportunity.
Good luck to all the buds and blooms out there. Fighting their way to the soil surface and reaching for enlightenment. May you find peace and love on your journey.
ASH
Inception, the movie
July 18, 2010
I went to see the movie, Inception. It was a brilliantly produced movie that discussed the principle of ‘reality and perception”. As a pagan, reiki practioner, and scientist, I discuss at least weekly perception, reality, and consciousness.
Here are some general conclusions that I’ve come up with through my ramblings:
(the following has nothing to do with the movie):
- There are things that we perceive in reality that we cannot explain.
- There are parts of reality that we cannot or do not perceive.
- Two people can perceive the same experience and yet live two different realities.
- Life, death, and traveling between worlds/realities are only truly only subtle changes to the consciousness.
Needless to say, I’m recommending to everyone I know to go see the movie. I love to point out (something you can learn from the previews), the young girl that they try to recruit to build dream worlds is named, Ariadne.
I hope you enjoy the show as much as I did.
ASH
Love and Love Will Find You
June 30, 2010
I spent a week with family whom I hadn’t seen in close to 13 years. I was younger when I had last seen them; fresh out of high school and staring down the impending doom of college. Two college degrees, four career jobs, couple of heartaches, lots of figuring out who I am, and thirteen years later, I found myself stepping off a plane in Portland, Me, and I was ‘wicked’ nervous. What should I expect? What do they expect of me? What if they don’t like me now that I’ve changed so much? What if they don’t like my boyfriend? What will we talk about? These any enumerate other questions plagued my mind.
I look back at that week, and I laugh at my absolute silliness. This is my family. Despite the years, the change, and the life lessons, the love between us had never faded, tarnished, or chipped…not even a little. I spent a beautiful week remember everything I always loved about each and every one of them and finding new things to love about them.
I then remembered a very important life lesson that I have had to learn and relearn throughout the years, Love and Love Will Find You. I first learned that lesson at the age of 17 with my friend, Jamie. I relearned that lesson at the age of 24 with my friends Julie and Kari, and at the age 26 with my friends Paula and Natica. When I threw my life to the wind once again and moved down to Texas to be near my brother’s family, I received a heaping dose of Love and Love Will Find You.
Where ever you may find yourself in life, just remember that love, honor, and respect doesn’t just apply to your spouse but to every living being, and family doesn’t just apply to those people you grew up with but every person in your life that makes a positive difference.
Thank you my beautiful Maine family. I love you!
ASH
June 11, 2010
Well, it took almost two months but the site is finally up and running. Thanks for coming to my site and feel free to have a look around.
ASH
Austin, Texas