Monthly Archives: July 2009

Tanabata: The Festival Of Star Lovers

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Every year on July 7th through out Japan people celebrate Tanabata, the festival of stars. On ‘the night of 7′s’ parks are adorned with giant lanterns and decorations, people eat together, enjoy music and dance, play games, and write their wishes on paper then tie them to bamboo trees in hopes that their wishes will come true.

Legend has it that there once was a princess that was a great textiles weaver. She worked very hard, spinning her cloth, she was a star that we know of as Vega. She fell in love with the Shepard who lived across the river we know as the Milky Way, he was a star that we know as Altair. Both of the hard working star lovers stopped working and spent all of their time together, much to the disdain of the princess’ father. He cursed the young lovers and forbid them from seeing each other. Well, separating lovers is not in the best interest of the universe, so naturally, the hard working princess was so heart broken that she couldn’t spin anymore. Her strict father realized that the punishment was too harsh, as parents sometimes go overboard for the best interest of their children, and granted the lovers one day a year to come together, if the conditions were ripe. That day would be 07.07. So on this day, the underlying theme is lovers being able to come together, cause for celebration indeed.

tanaba

Some Japanese also use Tanabata as a day to wish for more skill. Wishing for more skill appeals to me, we don’t need a larger flat screen, a newer car, more clothes, we could all use a little more skill. Learning what our ancestors did as we evolved as a society then applying that to our modern lifestyle really appeals to me. So today I am focusing on what skills I want to develop, and celebrating my son that was born on 07.07. To me Tanabata celebrates his birth which has certainly brightened my life.

I am wishing that all obstacles, inner and outer, be dissolved, so that lovers everywhere can have the opportunity to cross the river and be together, to join the strongest force in the Universe. What are you wishing for?

Summer Satya

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I was recently asked at a family function if I had created a summer solstice video, like the video I made at winter solstice. I didn’t though it did cross my mind as honoring cyclic natural phenomenon is a part of my ritucharya. My schedule has not been conducive to that, I didn’t create a video but had many sweet visuals flowing through my mind. Summer Solstice was celebrated with my family and a wonderful dinner honoring my father as father’s day was on summer solstice, as was a new moon. My father is quite a magical person, though don’t tell him I said that. After lots of laughs we then went to the beach with other family friends and danced with the children to the drummers as the sun set beyond the mountains and the ocean. The bright setting sun felt so good on my skin, I truly felt immersed in light.

summer solstice

summer solstice

The seasons have morphed from spring to summer with hiccups back into spring, the weather seems to be more unstable, the realities of climate change settling in. I have been busy, working on many inspiring projects, including two documentaries that I will write more about later. I am so honored to be working with such conscious people who are creating work that elevates our awareness of our responsibilities to the planet that hosts us all. I have also been creating video media for some inspiring friends, musicians, and groovy small businesses as well as for SierraSil. Luckily I love what I do, and I don’t mind that weeks pass by without me coming up for air it seems. But there are moments of magic that keep me intact. With all of this activity I am scheduling in time to enjoy the sun with my young apprentices, aka Sarina and Solen, my sun and moon that perpetually orbit me.

What has been on my mind a lot lately is TRUTH. Listening to what my subconscious brings to light, speaking what has come to sight. What is making my heart happy? What does it desire, what does it want to say? What is creating tension in my heart? Reflecting my truth makes me feel more capable to do meaningful and relevant work, ready to support you to tune into your truth too. I have unloaded so many physical possessions, so many old thought patterns, so many obligations that held me back from dancing on the inside, dancing so freely.

sparks

sparks

With all of the tragic unrest in Iran and in other parts of the world, with the passing of Michael Jackson, and all of the other dark news I observe I feel the need to speak my truth more than ever. We all have the ability to feel in our body what is right and wrong, and we may not all agree, but to speak from our soul what we know to be true, with compassion for all that we are speaking to, we can transform a tense situation with a neighbor and live in harmony, support a family member through a sticky situation and have a tighter family to surround ourselves with, challenge a friend to be honest to us and have more deeper connections with our tribe, disarm a foe and expand our alliance, let go of those who have a controlling grip on us preventing us from achieving our purpose and be able to let in those who will make our souls dance. We can do all of this with grace for the highest good of all. This world can shine. Thank you for shinning with me.