Un~Masking The Mask

Masks or the art of mask making had never called to me~

From my experience they had signified a sense of hiding, deceit, an attempt at confusion.
~the Masked Man
~Mask of Zorro
~Master of the Masque

None of these concepts appealed to me as I had spent my life attempting to see through, see behind the invisible to the eye masks, worn by people everyday. I understand now that I had been longing to see truly, soul to soul with another; not something society in general longs for in most areas of the ‘civilized’ world.

Why would one be drawn to masking I often queried ~ I later learned that therapeutically  people may feel safer when ‘masked’ to explore, to bring into awareness, to show to the world more of their inner self, both the light and the darker aspects of their deeper nature. And of course for many they may be fun.

Still this didn’t call to me.  Curious, I went to Wikipedia:

A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, concealment, performance, or amusement. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes. They are usually worn on the face, although they may also be positioned for effect elsewhere on the wearer’s body, so in parts of Australia giant totem masks cover the body, whilst Inuit women use finger masks during storytelling and dancing.

Then one Saturday morning, having completed  2 weeks in the Expressive Arts Therapy course I walked into the soothing quiet of the light filled studio at the Haliburton School of the Arts. My classmate friends and teachers were gone and the familiar creative haven of ‘becomingness’ beckoned me forth. 

Materials for sculpting, painting, beading, wire work, moulding, mixed media, mobiles, sound making all lay before me in a wondrous pattern of possibilities.

I had come to paint.

Intuitive art was my ‘thing’~ my returned passion, my source form of expression.

I had come to paint.

Perusing the artistic array with assured gait, I walked over and chose beads, feathers, paints, brushes, a form, other additives and moved to my workspace. 

Shortly thereafter, all the while working and listening deeply within, I stared down as

my SPIRITUAL WARRIOR gazed up at me.

I had made a MASK~!

It was then I understood. I had spent my life imploring, questing, calling out for answers, the energy, the grace to UNMASK myself, layer after layer after layer~ 

I had had no desire to add yet another MASK of any kind ~

In yet,  from the depths of my inner knowing my SoulPower Mask emerged before me.

‘Linda, I AM your truth.
I have been waiting all your life for you to come home.
I am your integrated, aligned essence: Now, let the gift of your truth shine, so that it may invite others to do the same.

A few months later, a new restlessness began to stir within me. I had to find a certain piece of prose kept for years. Lying in my filing cabinet, I finally uncovered the writing below.

Its message had been subconsciously guiding me, calling me back home to my authentic self, all along.

DAILY AFFIRMATION FOR YOUR PATH OF EMPOWERMENT

I am a new warrior of spirit
I exist in a world of sacred balance
I balance with one foot in the physical world of material substance
And one foot in the dimensions of spirit and sacred life
My course is set by my ally~ the winds of time.

Mother Earth gives me life force~
The life blood of my sacred body
The plants give me nourishment and healing
As I ride the wind horse of my intent
My sacred warrior’s transport of buoyant joy~
Into a new and unknown world of harmony

I am truly a new warrior
An androgynous spirit being of light
My weapons are the shield of awareness
The symbols of ancient truth and the sacred giveaway
Like the angels that surround me
Few see me for who I really am

I do commerce in the world
I raise my family. I live a life dedicated to freedom
I immerse myself in the physical world
So that one day I can give it up
Because I can give up only something that I truly have

People learn from me through example
Because of the integrity of my own life and spirit
I move into the world with confidence and wisdom
I am always open and learning tools of knowledge
And I share these tools with my sisters and my brothers

I am a warrior of the light
And I live the integrity of that truth with great care
From a center within myself that is pure goodness~
The embodiment of the peaceful soul

I walk with confidence
The path of heart and personal power~

Anonymous

What mask might be loosening for you?

If you lifted this mask off how would your world change ?

How would revealing more of your true self gift our world?

Blessings and gentle strength to you~

Linda

Since the beginning of recordable history, whether in written, artistic or story telling form, there have been numerous references made to the ending of the world: the much prophesied date of 2012.  Many accounts are shrouded in doom and disaster indicating the possible ending of us as a species and or, of the earth itself.

I personally believe as quantum physics tells us, that through our more conscious and loving choices we are collectively shaping the outcome of our future in positive ways.

Whether one chooses to name this shifting of consciousness as Ascension, Evolution, Soul Growth, or Doom and Destruction, it all rings with a similar energy. Like it or not, wherever we look, we see evidence today of disillusion of the old and slowly the emergence of the new connecting us in very creative ways to each other, our environment and to our universe.

Gift of a Micro Level Miracle for Us All

Last summer, I entered the portal of another’s sacred world; the witnessing became indelibley etched in my awareness.  Later the raw prose flowed onto my page…… 

Late at night, sheltered upon my porch amidst a tumultuous storm, I noticed a black speck suspended in mid air between two frail cedar branches.  In spite of the drenching rain, the black dot had huddled into an elliptical orb, swaying upon her web at the whim of the torrential winds: minutiae in the midst of maelstrom. 

I watched in awe, believing the outcome would culminate in the destruction of her fragile, magical home.  Arising early the next morning, I incredulously spied Miss Sophia Spider, now so named for the Divine Goddess she was, busily recreating her tattered habitat strand by strand, unaware of the larger reality surrounding her, from which I watched in reverent awe.

Miss Sophia Spider~

most glorious one ~

teach me to rebuild ~

to sense the strengthened tendrils,

amidst tattered remnants, waving in the wind.  

Share your vision knowing,

melding that which together belongs ~

 letting go of all that no longer matters or even fits. 

Guide me to trust the ebb and flow 

instinctively encrypted within your soul ~

sustaining first oneself and then for the greater good of all.

 Attune me to simply living, living simply~

divining the essential gem,

that I too may focus ~ create and recreate my world. 

Brush upon my heart,

 the canvas of my life

your wisdom, colour, music to guide me in life’s dance.

In harmony with the universe ~ art of weaving that creates ~

Breathe with me your magic

leaving space ~ trusting new will take its place.

What I most treasure from Miss Sophia’s teachings is the fact that she accessed all her own answers; her resourcefulness, courage and know how were  instinctively there for her.

Everything she required, including the very material with which she recreated her world, was already within her own being.~! 

PROFOUND BEYOND WORDS

What today’s metaphysicians are telling us, often reads something like this:

JONATHAN CAINER ASTROLOGER ~ Sept. 14, 15th, 2009~

Dear Jonathan,
When political parties have opposing views, one may support a new idea while another rejects it. But sometimes, a way can be found for both parties to support it, albeit for different reasons. Do astrological oppositions work like that? Is there anything that Saturn and Uranus can now agree on? Erik

Dear Erik,
Saturn stands for all that’s structured, established, traditional and restricted. Uranus governs spontaneity, innovation, invention and liberty. If there’s one cause they have in common, it’s the need for people, all over the world, to consider what kind of future they want to create.

A very good question; one we can all ask ourselves.

WHAT KIND OF FUTURE DO I WANT TO CREATE ?

WHEN DO I CHOOSE TO BEGIN ?

Miss Sophia knew all her answers.

May we be as wise: after all, Miss Sophia is the Goddess of Wisdom in us all.

Blessings ….as we move into the new together

Linda

He never taught a lesson in a classroom…
He had no tools to work with,
 such as blackboards, maps or charts…
He used no subject outlines, kept no records,
gave no grades, and His only text was
ancient and well-worn…
His students were
the poor, the lame, the deaf,
the blind, the outcast—
His method was the same
with all who came to hear and learn…
He opened eyes with faith…
He opened ears with simple truth…
opened hearts with love,
a love born of forgiveness…
A gentle man, a humble man,
He asked and won no honours,
no gold awards of tribute to His expertise or wisdom…
in yet  this quiet teacher from the hills of Galilee
has fed the needs, fulfilled the hopes,
and changed the lives of many millions…
For what He taught
Brought Heaven to earth
and revealed God’s heart to mankind.

Verse  found years ago on a plaque….

I have long held the essence of this wisdom close to my heart. The simple beauty of a life, this way lived, would be of ineffable worth in our world today.

SKYWALKER LUKE~!

I was confounded that adults would believe God only shared the whole truth with a particular group: theirs. And even more so, when I heard that this meant that all the others in the ‘wrong’ group, would most surely be going to the H e double l place, or at the very least to a  ‘lesser degree of glory’…..whatever that meant?

Since I was blessed, intuitively guided to always be connected to the God source energy in my heart, in nature, in the love I felt for my sisters, and in many others who did not go to the current church of choice, this adult need to label and attend the ‘right’ church made no sense to me.

All my inward observing and questioning became the catalyst that challenged me to sort out my own spiritual beliefs. Opening to this questioning transferred to other societal systems in my life; an essential process of individuation that allows me to formulate, on an ongoing basis my own deepest truth, as I know it, for today. 

One day, teaching a Health for Life class to adults, I was using the ‘Box Theory’ as a metaphor for limited choice living.  Wanting to share this concept with the class, I drew a square shaped box on the board, extolling the virtues of remembering that no matter how ‘bad’ it looks in the moment, one always has a CHOICE.

This word was written boldly in the middle of the box.  The point being, that choices may not be the great ones we long for, however making a choice, is a choice.  And it always leads to somewhere new. Some how, one can always break out of boxed in situations. A very valuable life lesson to extol, I believed.

I had the class’s full attention and sensed that the lesson was going quite well, which as any teacher knows is a dream moment to treasure in education!  Using the illustration on the board, to emphasize my concept, I heard a voice from the back of the room quietly say: “Linda, look at your middle finger”.

I stopped, looking down at my hand. I was holding the chalk in my right hand, between my thumb and my index finger, pointing to the center of the box with my middle finger for emphasis.

“Humm…”, I said. “I believe that body language is a great subliminal teacher. It looks as if I still have some unresolved issues around feeling boxed in! ”  

 We all burst into laughter.  

I’m sure this was one lesson they will never forget and I like that Divine Humour was my teaching assistant that day, emphasizing the Spiritual Law of The Power of Choice.

How often do you remember to use your power of Choice ?

 From what invisible box might you be ready to break free?

Thanks Luke for you unforgettable demo of stepping out to the box~!  Love Aunt Linda