Lunaea Weatherstone's Blogue

More is more

When I set my New Year intentions, I like to make them positive -- things I am adding to my life rather than things I want to eliminate. The idea being that the positive things will naturally push out the negative things, whereas dropping the negative things won't necessarily draw forth the positive. Saying I want to watch less television isn't as helpful as saying I want to read more. If I eat more veggies, I'm less likely to crave junk food. And so on.

One important thing I want to eliminate from my life this year is cynicism. It is so prevalent in our culture, everywhere in the media and so-called entertainment, and it's seeping into our minds in insidious ways, I'm sure. The Internet has a lot to do with that, with its anonymous comments and snarky blogs and sneering journalism. Kind, funny, sweet, generous, GOOD things draw an avalanche of "yeah, right!" posts from cynics everywhere, and honestly, it's gotten to the point where my heart just aches to see it. I don't believe that's what flows naturally from the compassionate human spirit. I do believe that we can contribute to correcting that flow along the same lines as Veggies  v. Junk Food -- not by focusing on avoiding the negative, but by adding to the positive. The more beauty we bring to the world, the more we will gently push the ugliness offstage, drown it out with hope  and humor and gratefulness.

So, this year I intend to help spread the word about yummy food for the soul, and I invite you to do the same! One of my favorites is Shiloh Sophia McCloud's blog, Our Lady of the Red Thread. I read Shiloh's heart-pourings of prayer aloud and feel my own heart opening in response. I take a long deep breath and welcome in the endless timeless limitless love of the Blessed Mother and send a blessing forth: Oh, snarkers and cynics, you are Her children, too. You can choose the path of roses, not the path of thorns.

This year I will read more poetry, make more glittery art, do more ritual, plant more living things (and keep them alive), go more often to the ocean, sit in the sunshine and the moonlight and listen to the singing of the stars. I will be an unashamed Pollyanna, always seeking to be glad. 

And oh yes, I will learn to knit. 

Many blessings for 2010, my friends! It's going to be a good one.

Life is what happens

With the news so full of drama and woe, it's good to be able to look out my windows and see the towering redwood trees, their roots firmly entwined, silent guardians of this forest, which has seen so many humans come and go. When I go down to the ocean and watch the waves for a while, when I look up and see the waxing moon, when golden leaves swirl in a fluttering dance on the autumn wind, I find reassurance in the eternal cycles of time and change. We will get through these times, with many more adventures to come, more joy and sorrow, more unexpected challenges and delights. "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans," John Lennon sang to his little son. Today is John Lennon's birthday, and yesterday was the birth day of my new great-nephew, Jackson. Welcome, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy. Life is what happens.

Go ahead, make your day

Go immediately to this site and watch this joyful video (it's making its way around the Web, but the highest quality version is at the home site, plus a journal, outtakes, and other fun stuff). Thanks to Joanna for sharing it (you've been the inspiration resource deluxe this week!) -- it made me laugh and cry and feel very hopeful today. I have a little quote taped to my computer monitor that was in a catalogue of products from around the world. The company owners wrote: "Contrary to what you might see on TV, the world, in our experience, is generally a happy place, and the people here are almost universally likeable." This little video sure confirms that!