Welcome
Welcome
Greetings and welcome,
Here are some posts on a variety of topics for living an extraordinary life, including recipes, remedies, and humor for healthy living, graceful aging and happiness.
Make yourself comfortable and browse around. From the offerings here, I hope you will find something to inform you, support you, inspire you, or amuse you . . . and a little practical magic to help you transform your life.
Blessings!
Some people have what seems to be an obsessive need for beauty and order. Even low-level chaos creates so much static and over-stimulation for them that it makes them feel a bit crazy. And it may be that when things are even a little out of order, they can’t find their keys or remember to…
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As we embrace the 21st century, riding high on the edge of the Information Age, we find ourselves in an era of unlimited possibilities. We have access to more information than at any other time in history. We receive daily communications from all over the world, many of them contradictory. We receive offers on radio,…
Read MoreThere are times in our lives when we reach a place of overwhelm and exhaustion. We can hardly get out of bed in the morning and put one foot in front of the other to get through the day. We have used up our supply of energy and health and are running on brute force…
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Sometimes all it takes is a change in attitude to deliver us from difficulties. Some years ago, I found myself in an internal conflict over a situation with one of my clients. Although I cannot remember what it was about, at that time it was of such importance that it was holding my attention and…
Read MoreThere are times in our lives when we are confronted with a difficult task or situation that we must navigate. Sometimes there is danger and we get caught in a whirlpool of fears. It is helpful, therefore, to take steps to dissolve fears and to support ourselves on the journey. Here are some suggestions. Bring…
Read More“A space that meets the everyday needs of its inhabitants, gives expression to their inner life and encourages them to live the life they want is a glorious thing.” John Wheatman, Meditations on Design: Reinventing Your Home with Style and Simplicity Any space in which we live – work, play, eat, pray, make love, sleep…
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I recently came across this quote by Leon C. Megginson who summed up Charles Darwin’s theories thus: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” And it occurred to me that the way for us to move forward in these challenging times…
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“In life we cannot avoid change, we cannot avoid loss. Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change.” Jack Kornfield, Buddha’s Little Instruction Book The one thing in this world of which we can be certain is that all things are in a state of constant change.…
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A number of years ago, I was consulting with a wonderful gentleman, (Dr. B.) at Kaiser for some mental and spiritual support. He was the personification of the ideal wise and delighted and delightful uncle archetype one would desire. During one of our discussions, I told him I was wrestling with the concepts of Attachment…
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“One reason I don’t suffer writer’s block is that I don’t wait on the muse. I summon it at need.” Piers Anthony ~ If we were to invite a colleague or other esteemed person to be an honored guest in our home or workplace, there are some things we would probably do; tidy up the place,…
Read MoreIf we were to ask ten people to define a well-lived life we would probably get ten different answers. Some people would measure success in money; others, by recognition of peers. For some it would be a well-designed and useful product; for others, a beautiful garden. Some would measure it in terms of good relationships,…
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“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” Rumi, 13th Century Persian Mystic ~ One of the most important undertakings of our life is that of healing the heart. For it is when the heart becomes healed that we can most easily enter into and maintain a state…
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Some years ago, in a writers’ workshop, I received one of those little gems that subtly but profoundly changes your life. The class instructor quoted British writer Margery Allingham, author of, among others, the Albert Campion mysteries. When asked by an interviewer how she wrote, she replied (as was quoted to me): “I write the…
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“Self-discipline and contentment are useful.” The Dalai Lama ~ When we hear the word discipline, the first thing that usually comes to mind is that someone is going make us do something we don’t want to do. Self-discipline often means that we are going to try to make ourselves do something that we don’t want…
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As our grandmothers knew, chicken soup has great healing properties. When we are tired or unwell, however, we are sometimes unable to do much in the way of preparing food for ourselves. This recipe is easy, simple and nourishing. Most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry, fridge and freezer so…
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Slice a some fresh ginger into a pot or cup. Pour boiling water over it Let it steep 3 to 5 minutes. Add fresh lemon juice and honey to taste. Drink and enjoy. Aids digestion and warms the body and soul. © 2020 Anacaria Myrrha
Read MoreSometimes there are days when we simply don’t feel well. When we are restless, tired, depressed. When we are suffering from undefined, random discontent. Here are lists of some of my remedies. Different approaches work at different times. When I am in a funk, I look them over and choose, not what I think I need,…
Read More“Be glad of life because it gives you a chance to live and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.” Henry Van Dyke 1852-1933, American clergyman, educator, author
Read More“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman, American Theologian Clergyman and Activist – 1900-1981
Read MoreWhen you made your New Year’s resolutions last January, was “Get organized!” near the top of your list? Did you make the same resolution the year before? And the year before? Is your desk still stacked with magazines, catalogues, event schedules, junk mail and very important things to do? Are your closets still untidy and…
Read More“The Receptive accommodates itself to the qualities of the Creative and makes them its own. Thus a square develops out of a straight line and a cube out of a square. This is compliance with the laws of the Creative; nothing is taken away, nothing added. Therefore the Receptive has no need of a special…
Read MoreMandala is the Sanskrit word for circle. Mandalas are symbols of unity and wholeness, and are often used for meditation and healing. They give us access to the Sacred Source from which arises all wisdom, power and love. A mandala may represent a metaphysical concept or truth, an archetype from the personal or collective unconscious,…
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“What is dark clings to what is light and so enhances the brightness of the latter. A luminous thing giving out light must have within itself something that perseveres; otherwise it will in time burn itself out. Everything that gives light is dependent on something to which it clings, in order that it may continue…
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“All that is visible must grow beyond itself, extend into the realm of the invisible. Thereby it receives its true consecration and clarity and takes firm root in the cosmic order.” — I Ching — Description: This is the first mandala that came to me, although it was not completed for over a year. It is about…
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Description: This mandala is the first that I completed. I began it in late January 1996 on the 42nd anniversary of my father’s death and completed it four days later on the eve of my birthday. The sun is just below the horizon, the moon one day past full. The pillar is a symbol of strength and…
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I drew this mandala during a period in which I was considering how to extricate myself from an alliance whose time had come to an end. To foster contemplation and release, I spent a lot of time walking along the marshes at the Marin County water reclamation district. During that time, a huge flock of…
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Description: This mandala shows the eye of creation in the center of three protective circles, birthing all thought-forms into life. The plant spirit dragon spreads its protective energy over the whole and the footprint reminds us that the protection of the animal kingdom is with us also. Blue is the color of water (the source…
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Description: The Ant Queen is the industrious and practical ruler of her tribe who values storing up reserves for the future. She is a rational and clear-eyed planner who works solely for the continuity of her community. Her keyhole crown calls to us to find within ourselves the key to our own health and well-being: to…
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“Water . . . flows on and on, and merely fills up all the places through which it flows; it does not shrink from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge, and nothing can make it lose its own essential nature. It remains true to itself under all conditions.” — I Ching — Description: In the…
Read More“It ain’t what you know that hurts you. It’s what you know that ain’t true.” Yogi Berra
Read MoreThere are times in our lives when we fall into emotional distress. We lose our footing and slip into a whirlpool of feeling. Our capacity for clear thinking and perspective diminishes and we are immersed in suffering. When this happens, it is helpful to have a practice to use to help restore our equilibrium. Here are…
Read MoreThere are times in our lives when we are at a standstill. We are at a crossroads that requires us to make choices, and we don’t know what to do. At these times, I remember some good advice I once received. “Never make a decision until you have at least three choices, one of which…
Read MoreSometimes, after a difficult or demanding period in our lives, we find that our surroundings have deteriorated to a state of chaos and decay. The Law of Entropy has been at work and everything around us has descended to its lowest common denominator. The place is a mess. Here is a list of tasks to…
Read MoreI first experienced this inspiring process with a group of my organizing colleagues and was amazed at the amount of power it delivered. It also turned out to be a lot of fun. Get together with a group of friends. Three or four at least. More is better. We did it with about a dozen…
Read More“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain
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