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July 2004
Angelic Greetings!
Well, Laguna Beach was nothing less than magical. I’ve been home
a little over a week now and I am still managing to hold on to
that peaceful energy. It is so difficult to sum up all that I
experienced during the week. In truth, I am still absorbing and
integrating it all. In many ways, it’s like going to school. You
learn a lot from the teacher but you also learn through
experience, from the friends you make and the things that happen
to you along the way. I will tell you that most of all, I left
Laguna Beach feeling encouraged and empowered to take the next
steps on my journey. I could not ask for more!
I also came back wanting to let others know how important it is
to take time for a personal retreat. It can be for just a day or
a weekend. It can be a trip to the spa, a yoga retreat, or a
getaway to the beach or mountains. And by all means, if you have
a chance to go to some kind of a spiritual retreat or workshop
to which you feel called, please go. But whatever it is, it
should be time for you. Time away from the obligations of
family, friends, and work. Time away from the busy-ness of the
world. Time to meditate, contemplate, and just be. This time is
essential to your well-being. If you’re thinking “no way,”
please just ask the angels for a little assistance. They will
gladly help you find the time, means, and support you need, if
you’ll open up and receive it. You do deserve this gift of
nurturing and peace. And as you know, when you are happy and
centered, everyone in your life benefits.
What Makes Your Heart Sing?
Do you know what your passion is? Are you living it in some way?
Do you feel an urgency and a knowingness that you are “supposed
to be doing something” but you’re just not sure what that
“something” is?
These questions come up for me right now for a few reasons.
Mainly, I am struck by a comment I have heard repeatedly over
the last several weeks. Many beautiful lightworkers whom I have
met have expressed a common feeling of wanting to leave this
physical earth and go “home.” I do understand this on some
level. Life here is not always easy and the allure of a heavenly
home that just “ is” can be appealing. But it still saddens me.
We are all here right now for a Divine reason. We chose to be
here now and I firmly believe that it is our Divine right to
experience Heaven right here on earth. Most importantly, every
one of us is so desperately needed to work in tandem with our
Creator and the angels to anchor light and love on this planet.
Personally, I have to admit that I love being here on earth.
It’s an exciting adventure and I cherish my physical time with
my husband and children, family and friends. That’s not to say
that I’ve never had times when I thought about leaving or that
I’ll never have those feelings again. What I do know is that
when I began listening to my guides and angels and trusting the
flow of the Universe, I found my purpose and passion for being
here. And that has made a big difference.
I believe that each of us has a special purpose on this earth,
something we came here to contribute to humanity in our own
unique way. Your mission is like your fingerprint (in fact, some
“hand readers” say that your purpose is written in your
fingerprints). While some people may share the same or a similar
purpose or mission, no two will fulfill it in the same way.
Within your purpose – no matter how large or small – lie the
words to your soul’s song. It’s what makes your heart sing. You
recognize it because it comes easily and naturally. When you are
living your purpose, or engaging in any activity that brings you
closer to it, everything flows in harmony.
As my husband would remind me, we really are all here for the
same purpose – to remember our divinity and to remember who we
are: one with Source. This is the greatest Truth of all. I also
believe that your life purpose is intertwined with this ultimate
purpose. As we step into our own personal power by discovering
and then fulfilling the sacred duty or duties we came here to
accomplish, we are led to the memory of who we are. This is a
wondrous part of the “ journey”.
So what gifts did you come to the earth with? They don’t have to
be grandiose or make you rich or world-famous. They are simply
your gifts to give. Do you love to paint, write, or sing?
Perhaps you are a good listener, a good storyteller, a natural
counselor, teacher, or healer. You can give these gifts
anywhere, any time – to strangers, your family, your co-workers,
your friends.
You are never too young or too old to give your gifts to the
world. At the Angel TherapyTM workshop in Laguna Beach, we were
blessed to hear Evren Ozan perform sweet, healing melodies on
the native wooden flute. His songs brought tears to our eyes.
And the amazing part is that Evren is only 11 years old. He
started playing when he was 6 and recorded his first CD when he
was 7. He has a natural “gift” that he is already giving to the
world. (You can hear a sample of his music on
www.ozanmusic.com).
So how can you begin to live your purpose and passion? First of
all, your mere desire and putting the question to the Universe
will begin the process. Ask the angels, your guides, or the
Ascended Masters to lead you in the right direction. You can
also give thought to questions such as these:
•
When I was a child, what did I want to be when I grew up?
• What were my favorite games to
play as a child?
• What things have I always been
drawn to?
• Is there a common thread in my
personal experiences or work experiences that seems to be
leading to something?
• What is the thing that when I do
it, time just seems to fly by?
Set your intention and begin to
give yourself time to connect with your inner child. Examine
what makes your heart sing. Journal, meditate, dig deep. And let
go of any fears. Finding you purpose and passion does not mean
that you have to change jobs or leave a relationship. It just
means that you start nurturing your desires and putting some
time into your schedule to play with them and let them express
themselves. As you do this, your True Self emerges joyfully and
there’s nowhere you’d rather be than right here, giving your
gifts to yourself and the world.
After all, we are all here to shine brightly.
As Sandra Ingerman so beautifully states in her book, “Medicine
For The Earth” : “When a group of people are gathered outside at
night, no one seems to get excited when there are only a few
stars shining, but when the sky is lit up with billions of
stars, the excitement is electrifying. So why is it that we
believe that on earth there can only be a few shining stars, a
few individuals who excel? Aren't we all a reflection of the
light we see in the night sky? Has anyone ever said: ‘I wish so
many stars weren't shining so brightly?’ Isn't our excitement
about how many stars are shining simultaneously?”
It is your right to shine
brightly, live purposefully and passionately, and receive all
the miraculous love and light that comes back to you tenfold as
you share your Divine gifts.
August 2004
Angelic Greetings!
I hope your summer has been going well. I am so thankful that I
have children in school because I get to experience that “summer
vacation” feeling. It’s fun to feel the seasons as they change.
We don’t get much of the typical weather changes here in
Florida, so in order to feel the seasons, you often have to
identify with other ancillary elements, such as school
schedules, sports seasons, the holidays, etc. I think it’s
important to experience the change of seasons. They are
representative of the cycles in our lives and you know that
everything is cyclical.
Lately, I’ve been trying to get more in touch with the cycles of
the Universe. For instance, I am learning to work with the moon
cycles. I may get into that more deeply in a future newsletter,
but for now I’m still learning myself. You can begin to work
with the moon cycles by noting that the New Moon is a time for
planting seeds, beginning anew, and putting your dreams out
there, while the Full Moon is a time for releasing all the
things that may be keeping you from manifesting those dreams.
You can also begin to observe and note your different feelings
and emotions during the different stages of the moon cycles. It
can be quite revealing and empower you to know when to move
forward and when to rest. If you would like to learn more, you
can check out
www.sharedjourneys.org and look for the New Moon Journal and
Full Moon Journal.
This song (and Biblical verse from Ecclesiastes) comes to mind
right now: “To everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a season,
turn, turn, turn. And a time for every purpose under Heaven.” So
true. And when we can turn toward and embrace those seasonal
changes as they arise, rather than resist them, we are flowing
in harmony with the rhythm of nature and the Universe.
Speaking of cycles and nature, I would like to share the
following story with you, which I was inspired to write last
week.
Manifesting and the Mockingbird For the last five or six weeks,
I have been intrigued and captivated with the miraculous
unfolding of nature that has been taking place in my back yard.
A mockingbird family moved in and I have been there right from
the beginning. I saw them on that first day gathering up little
twigs and flying into the little, potted ficus tree on our back
patio. It was fun to watch and my first thought was that “this
is so cute.” My next thought turned to concern for the birds.
Did they see the home they were choosing? This ficus tree, which
has blown over in the past, leans very precariously at a 45
degree angle on a wooden porch swing. They seemed to know what
they were doing though. Both mother and father worked
meticulously and within a couple of days the nest was built. I
kept watching.
The kids and I were excited that the birds had chosen our little
tree for their new home. In fact, I got a little carried away at
first. Thinking they would be there a while and needing food, I
added some bird seed to the bird feeder in a nearby tree. That
was the first time I saw the true courage and tenacity of the
mockingbirds. You see, what I had done was invite all the other
birds – the Blue Jays, the Mourning Doves, the crows – into what
was now the mockingbirds’ territory. The father (I believe) went
on the offensive right away, letting the other birds know they
were not quite welcome here. I felt bad that in trying to help I
had actually attracted the mockingbirds’ enemies. A lesson
learned about tampering with nature.
Soon it was clear that the eggs were laid. Mama bird stayed in
the nest for longer and longer periods of time. Daddy was
constantly on guard. They seemed to tolerate the humans who
occasionally walked, sat, or played ball in the back yard. But
when our cat stepped foot on our glass-enclosed patio, at least
one of the mockingbirds would chirp loudly and flap his wings to
let everyone know of his discontent. I understood the bird to
mean “I will attack this cat if it comes any closer.” Quite
brave of the little bird, don’t you think?
I have been amazed by the constant vigilance of the
mockingbirds. Whenever another bird or perceived enemy would
enter the area near the nest, the mockingbird would appear
instantly and chase the trespasser away. One day, as I sat
watching, I noticed the mockingbird on watch seemed a bit
agitated. Then suddenly, he flew off across the canal toward
some trees. The next thing I know, this mockingbird is
disturbing, displacing, and chasing a large Osprey who was
sitting about 50 yards away, seemingly (to me) minding his own
business. Now that ’s courage!
The babies hatched a few weeks ago. There were three and now the
thrill was watching the parents tirelessly search for food and
bring it back to the little ones. Eventually we could see their
little beaks pop up to take food when one of the parents
arrived. Now I was really concerned about the tree and the
afternoon thunder showers that would arise suddenly. I tied a
rope from the tree to the fence in an effort to prevent it from
falling.
About a week after the babies had hatched, the challenges began.
One day, as I was pointing out the babies to my Nanny, Luz
Stella, who is also an avid nature lover, I saw something on the
ground. One of the babies had fallen. What to do? I had heard
that sometimes when humans touch baby birds, the parents will
desert the babies. But I also had read on the Internet that that
was most likely a myth. Luz Stella didn’t think twice. She
scooped up the baby bird and put him back in the nest. Mommy and
Daddy let her and they kept coming to feed the babies afterward.
Then several days later, it happened again. I wasn’t home but
Luz Stella said she had tried to put the baby back but it
wouldn’t stay. Meanwhile, she had made another sad discovery.
This was the only remaining baby bird. The other two were gone.
Luz Stella put the baby bird in a box and created a makeshift
nest. She was vowing to collect bugs and lizards for the baby if
the parents abandoned him. Fortunately, she didn’t have to. Mom
and Dad continued to bring the baby food in his new home. These
parents were not giving up and they were as vigilant as ever in
protecting their baby from harm.
While we were away on vacation, Luz Stella continued to watch
out for the baby. I knew it would be time for it to leave its
“nest” before we got home. I just hoped it would survive. So
far, so good. The baby did leave its makeshift nest, but is
living in a nearby bush. And Daddy (we think) is still bringing
him food! I have nicknamed the baby Nemo. Mom is not around
anymore, but it is very possible she has laid a new batch of
eggs somewhere. Today I noticed that my yard is now pretty much
devoid of other birds. Daddy mockingbird is still in charge for
now and taking his responsibility very seriously. I can hear
Nemo ’s high-pitched peep as I type this and it’s reassuring.
So why have I been so mesmerized (some might call it obsessed)
with these birds? Today, it became a little clearer. Besides the
fact that we’ve had a front row seat to our own National
Geographic-type show of nature, there is a deeper meaning here.
When we take the time to examine nature, we can learn so much.
These are the kinds of lessons that speak directly to your heart
and soul and leave a deep knowingness and understanding that
goes beyond anything you might read in a book.
What I see in these mockingbirds is the
manifestation/co-creation process at work. I see the miraculous
transformation when something (in this case, life) blossoms
where there once was nothing. It starts as a tiny seed – just a
thought or a goal. Then you begin to build a foundation for this
seed, collecting little twigs -- your experiences, your talents,
and your intentions -- and tying them together to form a
comfortable home in which your heart’s desire will bloom. Seeing
your dream through takes patience and nurturing. It takes the
same kind of vigilance with which the mockingbirds guard their
little ones. It takes standing up to those who may want to
attack you – even yourself. It takes speaking up. It takes trust
and faith, even if the foundation seems a little shaky. It takes
riding the storms out. It takes the ability to receive outside
help if you need it. You must be able to get over your pride and
accept a helping hand from another, or from Heaven if it comes
your way (the mockingbirds did). It takes accepting your losses
and defeats, knowing that all is in perfect order, and that
nature and life have a balance and a rhythm. And it takes
detaching from the final outcome and letting go.
With Nemo, we are just at that final stage, the detaching and
letting go. Pretty soon, I am sure, his wings will be big
enough to carry him away from his Daddy and his little place in
our backyard. He is the dream that has been loved, fed and
nurtured and is taking flight at last.
(Post Script: In the week since I wrote this, Nemo did indeed
move on. We can still hear him nearby, chirping loudly,
sometimes from the tops of trees. And we’re pretty sure Daddy is
still staying with him. Meanwhile, the other birds have returned
to my backyard. I am thankful to the Mockingbirds for sharing
this “Circle of Life” story with me and my family.)
Any Questions or Experiences to Share?
Do you have a question about the angels, archangels, ascended
masters, or about a particular oracle card? Email me and I’ll
answer it in the next newsletter.
Have the angels been helping you
out and guiding you lately? I’d love to hear about any new
experiences you’re having!
Angel Blessings,
Ellen Valladares,
Angel Therapy PractitionerTM
www.connectingwithlight.com
ellenwv@aol.com
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