Knowing When and How to Let Go

Change comes from putting aside old or outdated perceptions, memories, or beliefs and learning a new way to live with life experiences. It often takes giving something up. This is a universal principle and the reason for ceremonies and rituals. They help us to bridge the gap between the physical world which demands our attention and the spiritual one that quietly influences the material one.

My neighbor’s 80 year old father died on Friday evening. They called a family member with a car and carried the father’s body to the funeral home. They bought a coffin. Afterwards the members of the family washed and dressed the body and placed it in the coffin to be returned home. In this beach community of Honduras, it is the custom for the casket to sit open for viewing in the living room of the family home. This allows neighbors and friends to visit and say their final farewells.

The family prepared food, along with that donated by neighbors, for the guests. Everyone pulled together to help the family process through this transition. In the meanwhile, adult male members of the family went out to the cemetery to dig the grave and build a concrete crypt. All this effort of preparation is actually quite healing and offers neighbors and friends an opportunity to assist the deceased person one last time. When it is time to go to the cemetery the community walks behind a van or pickup that carries the coffin to its final home. 

The family rode with the body of their father. The coffin was placed on a prepared stand at the entrance of the cemetery for words and song. This were the family says its farewell. As they all gathered around the coffin with tear-filled eyes and bowed heads, the oldest daughter pushed forward with cries of anguish, throwing herself across the coffin. From deep within her chest came sobbing words of goodbye for her papa. I had heard of dramatic displays at funerals but this was the first time I had witnessed one. Her wailing, tears, and hanging to the coffin continued until the box was gently lowered into the ground. 

Her 3 children, faces wet and tear stained, were standing next to her. They all watched the closing of the crypt just before sunset. The woman wiped her eyes and the faces of her children. She told them that it was time to return to the house, take a shower and change their clothes. They needed to take care of grandmother. That was it. The woman knew she had done the best she knew how to do. She turned her back on the cemetery and walked with her children back to their home. It was time to look to the future.

hamster photo courtesy of New Yorker digital

cemetery photo from my personal collection

  

Change the Present to Create the Future

This blog is all about change. The insight shared here can influence your health, relationship, workplace or home. Change begins with how we choose to see things, since that is the only thing we really control. Yet, releasing old attachments that allow a new reality can seem complicated.  This is why my posts, as well as my workshops, offer not only a why but, a how  using the tools of shamans or mystics. Every exercise is based on ancient teachings; Universal Principles that form the base for all world philosophies. Today’s tool is the practice of casting.   



Casting is a simple process of throwing familiar 3 dimensional objects onto a table or floor. Part of the Principle of Vibration states that objects held pick up the energy vibration of our thoughts and emotions. When the objects are thrown they will fall in a pattern that reflects our attachment to whatever condition held in the mind. The human mind struggles to separate emotion from thoughts because emotions cloud rational thinking. This is why it is simpler to give effective advice to a friend’s problem than to find a sane solution to our own. Experiences become distorted when seen through a cloud of emotion. Casting offers clarity without judgment. People think they can change others with this process but the only way to change another is to change one’s self. Every given situation is a reflection of us; we are the common denominator. Change the core or hum of a vibration and a ripple begins to spread out.

Start your casting project by collecting 21 small objects. I use 21 because it represents completion, birth, endings and beginnings in many cultures. The objects should not be fragile. They can vary or be the same such as: 21 buttons, stones, coins or keys. As a student of subtle energy, I prefer the collections I design to contain objects from sacred areas of the world. In the end it is only important that each object be no larger than a large coin and able to withstand being tumbled in a container.

The Process: Sitting in front of a table or other flat area, hold the items in your hands while thinking of the circumstances you want to change. Next, close your eyes and gently toss the items out in front of you. When you open your eyes you will be seeing an abstract reflection of your situation. Study it a minute.

What do you want to change? You are the artist and the items before you are your palette. What needs to move or turn over to create an image attractive to your eye? Forget about WHY you are performing this process, just do it because it feels good. Repositioning these 3 dimensional objects sends a ripple through the etheric field creating change. I like to leave my casting lay out for a few hours or a day. It is a thing of beauty I have created and I want to enjoy it. At some point of the day, speak the words “It is done.” and place the articles into a container to store.

  It's that simple. If you have questions post a comment...if you want one of my bags visit

www.MalanaAshlie.com

Dream A Little Dream With Me

Shaman teach that our reality is actually a dream world we create. For me however , 2014 started more like a bad dream.  My husband became ill, so our new year was spent in and out of medical clinics and hospitals.  Switching my priorities from writing to caring was done without a moment’s hesitation, but   eight weeks into the program I could see that  my bad dream had the tinge of a nightmare; it was time for me to step in and create a new dream. 

My first step was to make a list of the changes I wanted to see. Change is happening all around; it’s impossible to stop. It seems somewhat like a runaway horse; it cannot be stopped as easily as it can be made to change its direction. In this case that meant choosing what I wanted over what was happening. What had happened to my husband’s health was out of my hands. All I can do now is a bit of physical therapy along with making fresh soups and juices so that his body has the highest nutrition for healing.  The things we can work with are today things.  We agreed that the house needed to be sold. As much as we love living two blocks from the beach in our quiet Spanish barrio, my husband’s recent heart problem is compounded by a deteriorating hip socket. Residing in a house with the main living area on the second floor was no longer acceptable. We needed to simplify and downsize. 

     

Next, I needed to reassess my writing goals. My intention from last year was to write four books over the next couple of years. Yet I also have my blog posts and magazine articles. I completed two manuscripts last year, but realistically one book is a more attainable goal for this year.

Keeping a balanced mind, while striving to achieve, means making my personal daily practices a greater priority. That was going to be hard; my nature is to nurture. This is obvious by the number of spoiled pets, lush plants and friends that fill our yard at any given time.  However, relationships are about giving and we can only give what we have. For me to stay balanced and healthy I was going to need to make sure I set aside time to do the things that feed my spirit: meditation, yoga, and gardening. It is a bit like stocking your pantry before a hard storm.

Once a mental plan was clear, my mind just naturally started forming pictures. I remembered a house design I had seen with large red bougainvillea growing over a wall.  Then the fun part began. I started looking for pictures that I could tape or glue to a poster board. This would create a Vision Board. The images work to remind the mind of the new dream being created. The final touch that brings a dream into reality is writing positive affirmations that support the dream. In my case, “I eat healthy meals.” or “I practice yoga near the red bougainvillea of my new home.” These help keep the dream moving forward into our reality.  

Understand the process? What changes will you make?