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Soul Mates

Through the Divine Union of the Mother Goddess and Father God, the Universe was created. Yeah, the Big Bang! At that moment of creation, all of the souls that exist were created. The immortal children of the Goddess and God. The souls were created in pairs, “soul mates” in perfect harmony of masculine and feminine energy and together spread out across the new and ever expanding universe. I am not speaking of gender or of sexuality, but of the balance of yin and yang. Imagine pure radiant spheres of energy  in a multitude of colors, in constant contact, circling each other in an intimate dance throughout space. After many millions of years, the expansion of the Universe began to slow and the Goddess and God decided to develop physical life on the planets that had formed and their children chose to use these new forms as a playground. Somewhere along the way, soul mates discovered they could separate in a cosmic game of hide and seek. And because our true form, our souls, are immortal, we get to repeat this process over and over again.

It has become so passé to call a current spouse or lover a “soul mate” simply because you are together for the moment. I have fallen into this trap myself. As the desire to reunite with my true partner, soul mate, twin soul, at times overwhelms all other desires. The true concept of “soul mate” is almost beyond the understanding of the human mind. It is the deepest level of oneness, connection, acceptance and unconditional love.

To take physical form, we are blocked from all of our celestial consciousness, the vast universal knowledge we all share, and must re -discover it. Souls may have thousands of lifecycles, sometimes moving forward, sometimes backwards. It does not matter if you are a rock god in this lifetime, you may be a ditch digger in your next one. Don’t believe for one moment that because you are short, tall, skinny, large, white, black, purple with green polka dots, that you will never find your soul mate. Your physical appearance matters not one bit as it changes with every lifecycle. Your soul mate will recognize your true beautiful celestial self, just as you will recognize them. We all have lessons to learn that carry forward with us to the next incarnation. Discovering your soul mate is part of your journey, perhaps even, the most important part and the most difficult. My Mother always told me “You’re gonna have to kiss a lot of toads to find your prince.“ and trust me, I’ve kissed an awful lot of toads. There is no ah-ha moment. You won’t be surrounded be a glowing golden aura. Though that would be kind of handy. You’re going to have to trust your instincts and believe. But behind the veil, when we spend time reconnected to our soul mate basking in unconditional love, we map out the set of challenges we will face in the next lifecycle. So don’t despair if you haven’t yet found your soul mate or perhaps are spending this lifetime alone. You will be together again in the mist.

Good journey. Until next time, May your life be Filled with Love, Laughter and Many Blessings!

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Celebrating the Winter Solstice

Celebrating the Winter Solstice is different for everyone and should be based on your personal spiritual beliefs and lifestyle. I’m a single Mom, we live in a small apartment, in a medium sized city. When my daughter was a child our celebration would begin on Winter Solstice eve with the decorating of a small Yule tree and make ornaments for our animal friends, using pine cones, peanut butter, seeds and yarn to hang them in trees.  In the evening we would decorate our altar and the light the Yule log. We don’t have a fireplace, so our Yule log is symbolic. Before my daughter went to bed I would read to her the story “The Yule Faeries”. She would always be very excited that the Holly King was going to visit and fill her stocking with little surprises and perhaps a new stuffed animal. On the morning of the Winter Solstice we would rise while it was still dark to go outside to welcome the Sun at dawn. After we welcomed the Sun we would hang our ornaments in the trees around the building. Once we were back inside, my daughter would open her gifts from the Holly King while I made homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Then we would open the presents that family and friends had given to us for the holiday. In the evening we would always invite a few friends over to share ritual and a holiday dinner. My daughter is grown and now in college, so we don’t celebrate the way we once did, but celebrating the Winter Solstice when she was a child will always be some of my favorite memories. I wish all of my Sisters and Brothers a Very Happy Holiday Season and May your New Year be filled with Love, Laughter and Many Blessings!

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Pagan Serenity Prayer

Lord and Lady

Grant me the Power of Water to accept what I cannot change.

The Power of Fire, for energy and courage, to change the things I can.

The Power of Air, for the ability to know the difference.

Grant me the Power of Earth, for the strength to know and walk my path.

Grant me the Power of Spirit, to know I am enough as I am.

Blessed Be!

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Have to start somewhere....

Who am I and why should you care enough to read my posts. I can give you a list of titles describing who I am. Daughter. Lover. Child abuse survivor. Ex rock groupie. Recovering addict. Artist. Pagan. Witch. Mom. I think the Pagan one is kind of important. Mom, probably most important. Who am I changes with the years. I’m not the person I was 20 or 30 years ago. Hell, I’m not the same person I was a year ago. While I have carried the experiences forward with me. Well, the 80s are a little hazy, but you get my meaning. Each new experience changes the whole over and over again.      My dad was a son of a bitch and I was his favorite target. From the age of 5 up to 17 my life was pretty much a living hell. He used to tell me that the best thing I could ever do in my life would be to commit suicide. Everyone’s got unresolved issues. Three days after I turned 18, I packed my stuff and moved from Florida to LA. Did I want to be a star, see my face on the big screen? Hell no! It was as far as I could get without hitting water. Have I forgiven him for all of that shit. Uh, no. Will I forgive him by the end of my life. Ummm, though I probably should, for the sake of my soul. I’m going to say no, probably not.     So on to LA, well Hollywood, actually. I lived off Sunset Blvd, in an apartment behind “Rock n’ Roll” Denny’s and worked in a tourist shop on Hollywood Blvd. Hey, it paid the bills and there are worse things I could have ended up doing in Hollywood. I was 18, female, 5’7”, blond, hazel green eyes and not a troll. I got invited to rock shows by club bands and then to parties. Some of those bands actually got signed over the years. I still listen to their music. Hung out with the guys from Ratt and Motley Crue, Poison and Warrant, Guns n Roses, just to name drop a few. Met even more at least once, like Ian Astbury of The Cult. He is a beautiful person, inside and out, quiet and intense, a brilliant mind and a shining soul. Still a big fan. Like all people, some are really nice, funny, hell raising guys, some of them were asshats.      Partying in LA in the 80s included recreational pharmaceuticals. Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll, not just a saying, but an actual lifestyle. Buy a rocker a pizza and you’re likely to sleep together for the night. Cook him a dinner every now and again and you’re likely to have a live in boyfriend, at least for awhile.      Along the way, probably around 1988, I discovered Paganism and it felt like coming home. I grew up a strict Roman Catholic, but after leaving home had been searching for something different. More me. I’d always been fascinated with Eastern Religions and Native American spirituality, but the fit wasn’t quite right. Then through a job, met the person who would become my mentor, high priestess, soul sister and best friend for more than 30 years. She introduced me to paganism and directed me, as much as she could. Of course it would take a while before I could move forward spiritually as I was still partying heavily.     In October 1990 I was 25, done with LA and the whole scene, It was either get out or die. My mother told me later that she feared she would get a phone call saying they had found me dead in a gutter of an overdose. She never knew how close I actually came. There are times when I am still amazed I got out alive when there are many I knew, who didn’t. No one ever intends on becoming a drug addict, it all starts as fun and games.      I moved back to Florida, my dad had passed away, my Mom needed some help and so did I. I got a job at a Metaphysical bookstore and my mind exploded with all of the spiritual information available to me. I didn’t read books, I inhaled them. So much to learn and experience. The spiritual world opened to me with a welcoming embrace. I loved it! At the same time was attending the local community college to get my Associates Degree. Also seeing a drummer, local band. You’d think I would have learned to stay the hell away from musicians. I ended up spending two years in Florida before moving on again.     After getting my Associate’s Degree in 1992 I moved to Colorado, just for college, to finish my Bachelor’s Degree. I didn’t know anyone, I could stay out of trouble, keep my nose clean and focus on the important things. Well, I managed to stay clean. Met a guy, had a beautiful daughter. Lost the guy, kept the kid. She’s now 23 and going to college. My advice to her. Trust in the Goddess and the God and Stay the hell away from Musicians!

I am not perfect and life is not all roses. I have made tons of mistakes, none of which I would change, because it has led me to this point, right now, today. Life is a journey, an adventure and a roller coaster ride. I’ve had a lot of great friends and great times along the way and I’m not done yet. If my experiences and insights help you in your journey, then by all means…. Read on.

Until we meet again, may your life be filled with love, laughter and many blessings.

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Welcome to my World

*** DISCLAIMER*** I am not a medical professional, dietician or nutritionist. Content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical condition. The opinions in this blog are mine alone and do not constitute medical advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.

Hi! Welcome to Mtn Mama’s World. Today I’m going to talk a little about Diabetes Mellitus, commonly known as, Type 2 Diabetes. There has been a significant rise, in the United States and around the World, in the number of diagnosed cases of Type 2 Diabetes since the 1970s. Many factors play a role; genetics, poor diet, lack of activity, etc. According to the American Diabetes Association website, in 2015, 30.3 Million Americans alone were living with a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and an additional 84.1 Million Americans, 18 and older, were diagnosed with pre-Diabetes. Approximately, 1.5 Million American are newly diagnosed every year. I should know, I’m one of those statistics.

In March of 2014, I was diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus. I was shocked, horrified, terrified, confused. Why? I was a 5’8”, 240 lbs., female, late forties. I had been diagnosed in 2010 with Metabolic Syndrome, which included pre-Diabetes and Hypertension. If I don’t think about it, it will go away on its own. No, it won’t, really. Denial…Ain’t just a river in Egypt.

After a Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (yech), I was back at the doctor’s for test results. Doctor says “I want you on a diet of low-salt, low-fat and low-carbs, the nurse will give you more information, I want you to take a Diabetes Management Education class and pick-up your prescriptions on the way out.” He got up and walked out of the exam room. After he left, I looked at the nurse and asked “So, what can I eat?” She looked at me, straight in the eye and says “If it has any flavor at all, you’re not allowed to eat it.” Laughing, she walked out the exam room. I sat there for a few minutes, wallowing in my confusion, wondering what to do next. “Really, WTF!?” I walked out of the room and to the front desk to checkout. Picked up a stack of prescriptions and my diagnosis report. Outside the doctor’s office, I sat in my car and read the 3 page report. On the last page, under the heading of Recommendations, I found the following information: Take medications as prescribed. Test Blood Glucose Level daily. Enroll in Diabetes Management Education class. Follow daily low-salt(<1500mg), low-fat(<26g), low-carbohydrate(130-150g) diet plan. (This was my “more information”)

(***Hindsight*** The doctor should have recommended the low-salt, low-fat, low-carb diet when I was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome. Ya Think!)

I went to the pharmacy to fill my stack of prescriptions; Diabetes med, 3 Hypertension meds, shiny new glucometer, test strips, lancer, etc. Then I went to the bookstore and picked up a copy of “Type 2 Diabetes for Dummies”. After that I drove home and called to enroll in the Diabetes Management Education class. (***Note, if you haven’t taken the DME class yet, check with your insurance to make sure they cover it, some do. My insurance did not, six weeks after taking the class I got a bill for $1200.) Honestly, the information in the class is available at your local library and on the internet. Thank the stars for the American Diabetes Association website!

So my life turned into a matter of tracking my food intake, meal planning, medication and glucose monitoring. For the next year, I saw my doctor every three months with my Blood Sugar Log and Food Diary in hand. Second year, I saw him every six months and now only once a year.

There are some publications out in the market that claim they can cure Type 2 Diabetes. Don’t believe the hype. There is no cure for Type 2 Diabetes. If you take your meds, see your doctor regularly, follow the ADA diet, become physically active and lose weight, you have the chance to put your Type 2 Diabetes into remission, but it will come back. It’s an ongoing battle, some days I’m strong enough to fight it, on other’s I am not. But I am not alone, neither are you. I can offer you emotional support and encouragement. I’m fighting the same fight.

Stay Strong! You Can Do This! I Believe In You! Until next time, I wish you a life filled with Love, Laughter and Many Blessings!

[mtnmamasworld-blog]

via @extramadness

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