Archive for the ‘nature as mirror’ Category
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
I walk along the Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula. The stones at my feet are thrown across the sand like a random galaxy, and I connect their dots, picking out constellations. As the tide encroaches, waves wash up stones and other objects. Suddenly, I have company—a mystical sand woman! Her head is a glowing coral stone that seems to contain her facial features. Streaks of iron filings paint an aura around her head and give her a clear neck, shoulders and gown. She silently declares to me that she is a sand spirit, a form here for a fleeting moment.
I photograph these forms for four days, not touching anything. Back at home, I am delighted with the images, but still have no idea what I’m going to do with them. Two weeks later, I go in for a routine mammogram and am diagnosed with breast cancer. The rest of the story is about how the Sand Spirits become part of my healing journey and eventually part of others’ journeys as well.
I invite you to explore using the Sand Spirits in your own personal life, to activate the ocean of wisdom inside you! They will help you find your purpose and passion, help solve practical problems, facilitate deeper communication and bring out the healer within.
On Saturday, October 8, you can set aside 6 hours just for you and give yourself the gift of working with a tool that will show you how to move ahead in any area of your life and evolution. For information and to register, copy and paste this link into your browser: http://tinyurl.com/sandspirits.
Tags: beauty, consciousness, creative imagination, Essence, inner landscape, inner peace, living today, musings, Nature and the soul, perception, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, spiritual practice, The Beauty Way
Posted in authenticity, bringing out your gifts, consciousness, creative imagination, Creativity, creativity and empowerment, Guided imagery, happiness, healing, health, Imagination, inner landscape, nature as mirror, nourishing ourselves, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, seeing oneself, self image, self-healing, shifting how we see, shifting paradigms, spiritual practices, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
Monday, September 26th, 2011
My friend and assistant Cynthia Wheeler was in Encinitas CA with me this week, enjoying a respite from the Tucson heat and enjoying the beach. The other morning she came back from a walk breathless with excitement.
“I met a young woman on the beach, “ she said, “who saw me taking pictures of the sand spirits I found in the sand, and offered to take a picture of me using my camera. I thanked her and asked her if she had ever seen the sand spirits on the beach. She looked puzzled, and so I showed her one.
‘See this figure on the sand? ‘ I pointed. ‘If this stone were its head, see how the streaks in the sand look like a robe, and these streaks around the shoulders…’
‘Oh! It looks like an angel!’ She was excited. ‘I needed this today!’
‘And so I told her,’ Cynthia went on, ‘that if she asked her angel—her sand spirit—something, she would hear an answer.’
‘I will?’ Her eyes widened. And so I assured her that if she listened with her whole being, of course she would. And, I suggested she google Sand Spirits and find the Insight Cards and even join us on the free webinar. She said she was going to go right home and do that!’”
Cynthia is so generous by nature that I wasn’t surprised that she had struck up this touching conversation with a stranger. What did surprise me was the reminder that even people who walk on the beach all the time may never have seen the figures nature has created there. I often hear people say, “I’ll never see a beach the same way again.” And I think that is a lot.
If we begin to see even one thing in a new way, our whole life can change in that instant.
May something appear to you in a whole new way today!
Pam
P.S. Join us on our free webinar Thursday at 4PST! It will be recorded, so be sure to sign up even if you can’t attend.(Sorry–you’ll have to copy and paste this long url into your browser! http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e4u7zku02c910453&llr=bvhm8ccab
P.P.S. Go to Facebook.com/PamelaHale9 to see the photos of sand spirits I found this week in Encinitas!
Tags: beauty, consciousness, creative imagination, inner landscape, inner peace, living today, musings, Nature and the soul, perception, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, spiritual practice, The Beauty Way
Posted in consciousness, creative imagination, Creativity, creativity and empowerment, Guided imagery, happiness, healing, Imagination, inner landscape, nature as mirror, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, seeing oneself, self-healing, shifting how we see, shifting paradigms, spiritual practices, The Beauty Path, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
I’m at the beach right now, so I am seeing scenes like this and reveling in being near the ocean, which I have loved deeply all my life.
When I was little, I “found God” at the ocean. When I looked out at the horizon, I thought it was so wide an infinite that God must live there. The ocean is still a wonderful place for self-reflection.
Have you noticed the dark streaks in the sand made from iron filings? I’ve always loved their patterns. Have you seen how these streaks are particularly strong above and below and around stones at the water’s edge? When the waves come in and then recede, they leave streaks in various shapes.
That’s what I noticed the day I discovered that the combination of stones, streaks and other natural objects created forms and figures! And even more amazing, they seemed to come alive and speak to me.
That was back in 2000, and since then the Sand Spirit images have spoken to people all over the world, revealing the power of their intuition in moments!
If you haven’t learned about these images, look for them at your local shoreline. Or, just join us for a free webinar where you can be introduced. (Email me at pam@ThroughADifferentLens.com)
You’ll love this magic tool that will help you gain insight on any issue in your work or life.
What do you see in the image below? What does this form or figure say to you?
I look forward to sharing the story and the images with you!
Sand Spirit image #28
Tags: beauty, Being, creative imagination, inner landscape, Nature and the soul, perception, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards
Posted in consciousness, creative imagination, healing, Imagination, inner landscape, nature as mirror, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, seeing oneself, self-healing, shifting how we see, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
Monday, March 14th, 2011
What form or figure do you see in this photograph? Yes, it’s just sand and pieces of seaweed. And no, I did not arrange them. Nature did!
Some people see a flower. Others see a pregnant woman. I always see an archer, whose bow is drawn, the arrow ready to fly. All the answers are RIGHT! What you see is the whole point of the Sand Spirits.
Today this image speaks to me of focused intention. The archer concentrates and narrows her view to the target, asking her body and mind to focus on directing her energy and her arrow in exactly that direction. We can do this.
I’ll give an example taken from a blog I just read by coach and author, Cheryl Richardson. She pointed out that we have a choice of how to react to the tragedy in Japan. She suggests that every time we think of the pain and suffering, we do the following: open your heart and imagine a stream of loving, healing energy flowing out of your heart, all the way to Japan. See the energy flowing all over the country, enveloping everyone and everything.
Now, remember that we are in the midst of great change on the planet, and so pain and suffering will probably persist and even intensify. How will we handle it over time? There are many ways, but the question is, how can we serve others?
We can serve best not by adding to the negative energy, but by forming a positive intention to pray or send love and healing to those who suffer. We can do this by contributing money, by volunteering and by being like the archer, focused on sending our best and highest energy right to the target.
We can continue to feel compassion for all who suffer without being overwhelmed so that our lights are dimmed. Instead we can be disciplined and while we feel compassion we can act as healers of the planet.
Thank you to Sand Spirit #6!
Tags: consciousness, creative imagination, Flying metaphor, managing change, perception, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards
Posted in caring for the earth, consciousness, creative imagination, Guided imagery, healing, Imagination, nature as mirror, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, shifting how we see, shifting paradigms, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
Monday, December 20th, 2010
Sand Spirit Insight Card #3
I look at this Sand Spirit and see a woman with a brilliant head, with energy emanating from it, and a left breast, arm and side that are much more prominent than the right. She tells me she is “leading with her left side.” This would mean she is right-brained and intuitive.
I ask her what message she has for me about myself and my life. (I am thinking, “I’m already right-brained enough! Sometimes I’m not practical enough–so what is it you are advising?”
She responds, “Well, in some sense you’re right brained–when you are deep in the creative process. But when you’re figuring something out, you go right ‘into your head’ and get strategic and logical. That’s fine up to a point, but right now in this changing world, the old strategies aren’t working so well. So you need to pay more attention to what your body feels about various issues, and trust your intuition.”
This kind of shuts me up, since I keep getting this same guidance about these times. It seems to be about expanding our brain power by using more of it. We think our logic “makes sense,” but logic fails to explain much of what is happening in the world. In times of crisis, we use our gut and respond intuitively. That’s what’s called for now, my Sand Spirit says.
What do you think? How could your intuition expand your options and clarify what is going on and show you better options for yourself. And what do you see in this card? I love reading your comments!
Tags: consciousness, creative imagination, inner landscape, managing change, Nature and the soul, perception, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, transitions
Posted in consciousness, creative imagination, Creativity, creativity and empowerment, Imagination, inner landscape, managing change, nature as mirror, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, seeing oneself, shifting how we see, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
Monday, December 6th, 2010
I’m going to go through the Sand Spirits Insight Cards in order, so you’ll get one per week to think about. This is week #2 and card #2. See how this relates to what’s up for you and add your comment!
First of all, the number 2 is all about relationships. How are your personal and professional partnerships? This number speaks about communication, interdependence and right relationships.
Now, what do you see in this image? I see a figure who looks androgynous, and who is dressed in a robe. S/he has her hands in prayer and light around her head. If I look closely, I see her left eye open and her right eye closed. It appears that she’s standing in water.
I ask her who she is. She says she is a spiritual energy, an archetype who could help me this week.
Tell me what message you have for me about myself and my life, I say. She says I am to keep my left eye open–that is, be sure my right brain is activated. That means using my intuition more than my logic. She says I could find myself “in hot water” in some way, and if that happens, her advice is to focus on what is right, and on my gratitude for all I have and for all that is going well. That will keep me “en-lightened.”
How do I translate this into actions and attitudes I can start right now? Well, technological things are driving me a bit crazy at the moment, so I guess I’m to bypass logic and use my intuition about what to tackle and how. I don’t see any “hot water” yet, but I’ll be on the lookout and be ready to focus on the positive. And I’ll pay special attention to nourishing and strengthening partnerships on every level.
How about for you? What does this Sand Spirit say to you about yourself and your life? How does that advice pertain to this week, and particularly to partnership and relationship?
Tags: centering techniques, creative imagination, Nature and the soul, perception, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards
Posted in consciousness, creative imagination, Guided imagery, Imagination, inner landscape, nature as mirror, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, seeing oneself, shifting how we see, shifting paradigms, Tools for seeing ourselves | 2 Comments »
Monday, October 11th, 2010
Nature and the Human Soul
I just enjoyed another weekend at our Rocking X Ranch in the Sierra Ancha mountains of Arizona. The time in nature always relaxes my body and mind, and leaves plenty of room for my soul to speak and to listen. My favorite sound is the wind through the Ponderosa pines, that sounds like the ocean. My favorite feeling this time was the cool air that was so refreshing after record-breaking heat in Tucson. And my favorite sights are too many to name. But I liked the way the sun came through this old glass that held my iced tea as I read by the stream.
I finished Bill Plotkin’s big and important book, Nature and the Human Soul. How right he is that our culture (which he calls “patho-adolescent,” is not what makes us true adults. We grow instead, by our immersion in the wild, natural forces that are akin to our souls. Then our task is to harvest what we learn from outer nature and our inner one, and bring it back into the world. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more of us could do this?
My reading and musing made me feel so fortunate that I have a place to remember who I truly am, and how lovely the universe is that birthed me and this life I love. Experiences like this nourish my passionate desire to bring tools into the world that help us “see the shape of the soul,” “make the invisible visible” and make the “unconscious conscious.”
How do you chase the image, or the shape, or the flavor or sound of your soul? Where do you go to remember the wild, natural part within you? And how do you long to bring that essence into your world?
Tags: Bill Plotkin, consciousness, Essence, inner landscape, living today, Nature and the soul, perception, Photography, Self, soul
Posted in consciousness, inner landscape, nature as mirror, nourishing ourselves, Photography, returning to essence, seeing oneself, self image, shifting how we see, shifting paradigms, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
I see a funny figure in this Sand Spirit image– a dog or weasel standing on two legs,with its head in profile, looking to the left and showing us a huge black left eye. Do you see this? Its body has a stone at the waist or midpoint and another one near the feet. This seems to be a very grounded figure to me–one who sees and feels in its body and has its feet on the ground in a solid way. I think when I speak with this figure, what it says will make sense.
And how do I come up with what I see in this abstract photograph that began by being an abstract, natural arrangement of stones and streaks in the sand? How do you come up with whatever you see?
I see this way just by opening my active imagination, by using my intuition and my right brain, that non-linear, non-logical way of knowing. This way of seeing is called by some people “second sight.” Another way to look at it is that it’s our 6th sense. Our “common sense.”
What we see through the inner eye is just as valid as what we see with the outer one. And sometimes, even when we’re confused by what we see with the outer eye, the inner one makes sense.
When we are told, “Oh, that’s just your imagination,” one response might be, “What do you mean by just?” Why denegrate the inner eye? It has been responsible for everything creative in the human-made world. Our vision is the beginning of actions we call genius. Without seeing it first inside, we wouldn’t do much.
What are you going to do as soon as you finish reading this? Imagine doing it. See the inner movie? Doesn’t that happen all the time? You run a quick version of what you’re planning through the inner eye, and then you “see” how to go about it.
Now that is just common sense.
What do you think? I welcome your comments!
Tags: consciousness, creative imagination, Imagination, living today, musings, perception, Sand Spirit Insight Cards
Posted in conscious evolution, consciousness, creative imagination, Creativity, creativity and empowerment, Imagination, inner landscape, nature as mirror, Photography, Sand Spirit Insight Cards, seeing oneself, shifting how we see, shifting paradigms, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
Monday, September 27th, 2010
This weekend I was at the Rocking X Ranch, having my own retreat with my husband. Across the creek from this group of chairs is a long and wide patch of blackberry bushes, partly visible in this photo. The blackberries were ripe, and so of course we picked all we could reach.
I always learn from picking blackberries. Here were the lessons they taught me this time:
1. Blackberry juice is a powerful and brilliant dye.
2. Greed can hurt you.
3. Overreaching is not always a wise idea.
4. Cost benefit analysis can be done very quickly. (Are there enough berries in there to justify climbing in and risking more scratches?)
5. Sometimes your harvest falls apart in your hands, and in such cases the best move is to eat and enjoy.
6. You may think you’ve looked hard, but coming back in the other direction, more abundance may be revealed.
7. You never know what planting one vine may create down the line. (Jon’s mother swears the whole patch started from one she planted years ago.)
8. On a given day your crop may look meager, but by the very next day you may have abundance.
9. Gratitude makes the eating sweeter.
10. Look under. Look up. Look between. Look around. Look ahead and look back. Expect to find and bring a large container.
11. Persistence pays.
12. A pie made from what you pick will be the very best.
13. Nature gives and gives and gives.
Tags: abundance, gratitude, inner landscape, Nature and the soul, Photography, The Beauty Way
Posted in nature as mirror, Photography, seeing oneself, shifting how we see, The Beauty Path | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
I’m listening again to Ekhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, and remember why it’s such a classic. It is so dense and full of truth, that if I could implement 1/10 of it, I know my life would change.
Of course I love the points he makes about seeing, since that’s what my own interest is. We don’t usually stop to really SEE a leaf, Tolle reminds us. And when we do stop long enough to “get out of time,” our perception shifts. Suddenly everything is vibrant and alive. We are seeing and being in a pure way, observing without the usual filters of judgment and labeling.
This is what photography has always done for me. It brings me back to my senses. It helps me see the light–in more ways than one. It is a medium that invites me to discover beauty where I might have settled for a passing glance.
And Tolle makes the point that when we perceive beauty, we are perceiving essence. And when we perceive essence, we are also perceiving ourselves. We are essence just like the leaf. We are beauty just like all of nature. And that is surely worth remembering.
Tags: beauty, consciousness, inner landscape, Photography, The Beauty Way
Posted in consciousness, inner landscape, nature as mirror, Photography, returning to essence, seeing oneself, shifting how we see, shifting paradigms, The Beauty Path, Tools for seeing ourselves | No Comments »
